New trailer regulations

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AAA.Handy.Man
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Re: New trailer regulations

Post by AAA.Handy.Man »

MANY thanks for this ALERT, "village idiot"
I reviewed the condition of my trailer brakes and :oops: they certainly needed attention. :thank_you:
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Re: New trailer regulations

Post by village idiot »

I spoke to the person at work who put out the alert, it was in her local paper. Another thing to remember is the tyre regs also apply to the trailer so £'s and points for each baldy, they can also impound trailer depending on roadworthyness (not sure if that is actually a word but you get my meaning). One of the local delivery drivers is due a day in court as he was delivering plant over to the west coast and his vehicle didn't have a tacho, he also didn't have the appropriate licence and CPC to tow as it was for hire or reward.

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Re: New trailer regulations

Post by AAA.Handy.Man »

Fines for motorists seems to be a HUGE money spinner with even Out-of-Town supermarkets cashing in on it for slight overstays.
Gawd 'elp the poor B who depends on their car to get to their low paid job and gets slapped with a flat-rate Supermarket parking fine for a few minutes 'over'.... :wtf:

(Plz excuse if this is 'Off Topic' :oops: , but I know ppl who have had to go into deep debt (for them) thru' just such a circumstance.)
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Re: New trailer regulations

Post by village idiot »

There was a story recently about a woman who ignored the demands for money but continually parked where she got the ticket, unpaid fines over £18000, went to court and fine was £24500

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Re: New trailer regulations

Post by Argyll »

I bought one of those cables from eBay after reading this as my trailer currently does not have one. I spoke to a mate a few weeks ago who told me the cable is only for braked trailers and it attaches to the trailer handbrake so if the trailer somehow becomes detached from the vehicle the cable pulls the handbrake on. My trailer isn't braked so I'm unsure if I still require this cable.
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Re: New trailer regulations

Post by village idiot »

Argyll, you will need secondary coupling, a loop of chain will do, hook it over hitch

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Re: New trailer regulations

Post by AAA.Handy.Man »

Most Interesting, VI.... :thumbright: :scratch:
I wondered if that was legal +/ safe.
I was always told that one should never lock the trailer hitch cup onto the tow ball - presumably so that if the trailer turned over it wouldn't take the towing vehicle with it.
I have seen a # of high-value trailers (e.g. Ifor Williams) heavily chained and padlocked to their LR Defender - but in a car park.
Is it only a 'loose' coupling which is allowed when in motion or may trailers be chained, with a padlock, to their tow vehicle, please? ... :thumbleft:
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Re: New trailer regulations

Post by village idiot »

AAA, what you are looking for is enough that if you unhitch and move back a couple of inches the chain will stop it moving any further back

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Re: New trailer regulations

Post by AAA.Handy.Man »

:thank_you:
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Re: New trailer regulations

Post by Timllfixit »

Just had my caravan serviced, and it came back with the same breakaway cable as it went in with. Cable itself is OK, but the part of the plastic sheathing is missing. They didn't mention it at all.
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Re: New trailer regulations

Post by Nos »

Towed for many years hobby and pro, the idea of the chain which is called a "breakaway", the idea is in its name should your trailer break away for the tow vehicle then it pulls on the handbrake and then snaps, good in practice but a trailer running by itself even with the brakes applied will travel a fair distance and in any direction it pleases. Some do use a strong chains the idea being that the trailer will follow you to a nice slow stop held by its chains, I don't think so, if I have a uncontrollable trailer up my arse I what to put as much distance from it as I can, my tow vehicle is worth a lot more than any trailer Iam likely to tow. So if your trailer is unbraked I cannot see the point in a "breakaway" chain, it will just snap without doing anything, although I don't live in the Uk so not up on the law.
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Re: New trailer regulations

Post by village idiot »

A recent one with us, customer came in to hire compressor as his had been given a prohibition notice, handbrake lever assist spring had fallen off and not fixed, traffic cops pulled him and found fault, not allowed to move it.

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Re: New trailer regulations

Post by thescruff »

When I renewed my driving license last year, on line it said "I couldn't renew online unless I ditched the trailer"
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