Another trailer type question

[Tinbasherdan]

You can plate it whatever you like, just make sure you stick to it. Last thing you want is a tug to the weighbridge to be found overweight. Apparently they tend to be a little lax with anything boarder-line (rain adding extra weight etc) but anything a decent amount over will be felt with hefty points and or fines.

It’ll go over the scales fully built and get plated accordingly

 

[Rrobson]

That’s happy days then

 

[Justme]

If you are building it from ally it may be well under the 750. It may be worth investigating if you have to have type approval to turn it into a caravan. If you had a body which sat inside the trailer as a 'load' you would not need to change the type I think.

Adding a body to an existing trailer without changing the trailer does not need an IVA.

QUOTE

Approvals,
Customer Service Centre,
DVSA,
Ellipse,
Padley Road,
Swansea,
SA1 8AN.

Good afternoon Richard,

Thank you for your enquiry regarding this matter which has now been passed to me, as the Technical Officer advising on M1, N1 & O1 Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) matters. Unfortunately, your e-mail was delivered with restrictions placed on it that have prevented me from copying any part of it, so I am unable to reply directly to it. I have however answered your questions in the order they were originally posed, to aid clarity.

If you were to make a new trailer, then yes it would require Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) prior to it being used on the road.

If you were to convert a car or trailer to make a new trailer, then yes it would also require an IVA prior to it being used on the road.

If you were to take an existing trailer and simply mount a new body to it, then no it would not require an IVA prior to it being used on the road.

This is covered in paragraph 5 (Scope of the Regulations) of Part 1 of the Road Vehicles (Approval) Regulations 2009.

I have attached further information regarding the IVA scheme, which I hope will be useful and can be found by following the links below:

VEHICLE TYPE APPROVAL - https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-approval/when-you-need-vehicle-approval

IVA - https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-approval/individual-vehicle-approval
(Includes links to the Model Report list on the VOSA site, list of Technical Services, the IVA Guide, Test Stations and POTFs)

IVA MANUALS - https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-approval/individual-vehicle-approval-manuals

IVA FORMS - https://www.gov.uk/apply-vehicle-approval

If any of the above links do not work, please copy and paste them into your web browser.

I do hope that you have found this information to be of use. However, if you feel that I can be of further assistance in this matter, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Best regards,

Mark
Mark Vickers Eng Tech MSOE MIRTE | Technical Officer IVA M1 N1 O1
Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency | Ellipse, Padley Road, Swansea, SA1 8AN

 

[Justme]

Pull a leaf or two out of the pack, job jobbed. Plenty of people have managed it over the years without them disintegrating, and is like to think I’ve enough absolute in engineering to pull it off

That would then bring the IVA into play.

 

[Justme]

You will need to take your trailer test

If the trailer is plated to 750kg MLPM & the MAM & MLPM total is under 4250kg then he wont need a trailer test.

If it is plated to over 750kg & the total MAM & MLPM is under 3500kg he wont need a trailer test.

 

[Justme]

As above really, if the combined total mass of everything (total plated weight of tow vehicle + total plated weight of trailer) is 3500kg or less your fine without a test. If it’s 3501kg or upwards you need the +E entitlement unfortunately.
obviously the legality of the rig is another matter... but for the sake of a weekend and a couple of hundered quid it may be well worth the time and effort to attain the +E bit.

Almost.

The total can be up to 4250kg IF the trailer is plated to 750kg or less.

 

[Justme]

Having done a bit of Google fu, it seems the government do in fact advise that if it is unlikely to ever carry its maximum payload it can be downplayed, so I think that’s the way I’ll go. It’ll be a cold day in hell before I pay for the money making scheme that is the trailer test

So its nothing to do with safety?

Shall we do away with lorry licences too? After all of you can drive you can drive

 

[Justme]

Down side of a sanky is they are heavy when empty.
Weight is very high up.

 

[Tinbasherdan]

It’s not, no. If it was then grandfather rights would have been done away with and everyone would require a trailer test. It’s in your vested interest to make it out that the trailer test is the best thing since sliced bread.

my old lady can legally drive a 7.5t wagon without needing another test, does it make it safe? No but yet they never changed it so she would have to did they. You’ll not convince me it’s anything other than a money generator, you cannot say oh well they’re fine not needing it but someone that took their test 2 months later and gals under the new regs, having passed the same test is suddenly a more unsafe driver

 

[Tinbasherdan]

I’ll argue the toss with IVA too. I’ve many students that can lay down a beautiful bead that’s not joining anything, but if he was to weld a trailer and put it through it wouldn’t fail on it as it’s nothing more than a cursory glance by someone who once read a book on welding. Not requiring any form of welding qualification to stick them together devalues any further “safety” inspection beyond looking for sharp edges or an axle that out of line you could see it from the moon

 

[James1979]

It’s not, no. If it was then grandfather rights would have been done away with and everyone would require a trailer test. It’s in your vested interest to make it out that the trailer test is the best thing since sliced bread.

my old lady can legally drive a 7.5t wagon without needing another test, does it make it safe? No but yet they never changed it so she would have to did they. You’ll not convince me it’s anything other than a money generator, you cannot say oh well they’re fine not needing it but someone that took their test 2 months later and gals under the new regs, having passed the same test is suddenly a more unsafe driver

100%

if it was to do with safety they would make it a free test.

however on the other hand, I needed to have it, pushed my luck nearly 20 years then gave in and took the test reluctantly. I only took the test since they started doing you for no insurance and otherwise in accordance. Before they enforced it properly and it was a fine I just got on with it. I even got pulled over for being overweight in the past and they never twigged.

I had my B cancelled just before the threshold because of snow then had to take it after the cut off so this issue really grips my sh1t. I am good with a trailer, been using them off road since I was in single figures. Through no fault of my own I had to pay extra to carry on using one.

The training industry in this country is very profitable and seems to push courses that no one has needed before. Some are a sensible requirement for ruling out stupidity but most are a money making exercise.

eg just done my off road forklift course. Despite having a loadall and normal forklift, I had to do an extra one to satisfy god knows who.

 

[My Old Landy]

I have had a full licence since 1983. I have never towed anything more than a motorcycle trailer. My licence allows me to drive a 7.5T truck with a 750kg trailer
Am I safe to do so? The law says I am...... Would you rather I take a test before driving off or just go for it?

 

[Tinbasherdan]

I have had a full licence since 1983. I have never towed anything more than a motorcycle trailer. My licence allows me to drive a 7.5T truck with a 750kg trailer
Am I safe to do so? The law says I am...... Would you rather I take a test before driving off or just go for it?

If you’re not confident then you do you, I grew up on tractors, I can tow quite well and I’m happy to tow on the road.

 

[My Old Landy]

If you’re not confident then you do you, I grew up on tractors, I can tow quite well and I’m happy to tow on the road.

Just playing devils advocate I have driven a 7.5T but not towed with one. I will practice when I get the 3.5T trailer for the workshop move. If I am crap I will get some training

 

[Bornfree]

If you’re not confident then you do you, I grew up on tractors, I can tow quite well and I’m happy to tow on the road.

Yes you need a test to tow a trailer behind a van but not for a JCB fastrac and trailer running at 31ton.

 

[Tinbasherdan]

Yes you need a test to tow a trailer behind a van but not for a JCB fastrac and trailer running at 31ton.

Oh don’t get me started on that guff. Or you can put a 40 foot trailer on an artic if the units pre 1960 and drive it on a car licence

 

[4String.]

Am I safe to do so? The law says I am......

Not aimed at you personally but no it doesn't.

The law simply states that you are qualified to drive such a combination, nothing more. You don't have to spend very long on the average road these days to realise that the vast majority of motorists are ridiculously unsafe and should not be in charge of a motor vehicle. But because they allegedly passed a test and have a licence, they're allowed to...

 

[My Old Landy]

Not aimed at you personally but no it doesn't.

The law simply states that you are qualified to drive such a combination, nothing more. You don't have to spend very long on the average road these days to realise that the vast majority of motorists are ridiculously unsafe and should not be in charge of a motor vehicle. But because they allegedly passed a test and have a licence, they're allowed to...

Yeah that was my point

 

[stormin]

Oh don’t get me started on that guff. Or you can put a 40 foot trailer on an artic if the units pre 1960 and drive it on a car licence

Yes but you can't carry any load at all on that trailer so not really useful, unless we're talking living van trailer.

 

[Tinbasherdan]

Yes but you can't carry any load at all on that trailer so not really useful, unless we're talking living van trailer.

You can, it just can’t be easily removed