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TRailer Tent - compact and lightweight enough for behind a TR


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17 minutes ago, ntc said:

Good luck with homemade as no type approval hence no insurance 

Don't you just do an Individual Vehicle Approval same as for a kit-car ?

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Re inspection/approval: given that trailers have no means of identification (unless the plate carries a manufacturer's serial number of some kind) and are not registered with any government agency, it's hard to see how anyone would know whether you had had your trailer inspected or not. And it's perfectly in order to purchase a DIY weight plate and stick it on.

Regarding insurance: I gather that some car insurers limit cover if the trailers is not of a "recognised manufacturer" but not all, you just need to check. (I'm assuming BFG isn't going to insure the trailer itself).

Incidentally many insurers regard a tow bar as a notifiable modification. Worth letting them know anyway.

Nigel

 

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2 hours ago, ntc said:

Good luck with homemade as no type approval hence no insurance 

Please can you point us all to the place where you found this "Information", as if it is true it seems pointless carrying on with this thread, and Pete may as well put his plywood and his plans on the bonfire.

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28 minutes ago, RobH said:

My point is as above you can’t just build any trailer and go,on your head be it let alone going abroad with it 

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And now some are even legal experts on home made trailers...

 

My information is. . .

The user of a Light Trailer, category 01,  must ensure that it is safe and in compliance with road user regulations, in particular its size and road behaviour, avoidance of injury or damage to others, EC compliant lighting & reflectors, the efficiency of brakes (where fitted), condition of structure, couplings, mechanicals, tyres, etc., the security of all parts including, but not limited to ; mudguards or brows, covers, straps, ropes and latches, jockey wheels &/or legs, spare wheel mountings, and lighting boards (when attached).  They must also display the tow vehicle's registration correctly.

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Other legal requirements:

Since 1982 all trailers, including unbraked ones, must be clearly marked with their maximum gross weight in kilograms.

Since January 1, 1997, all unbraked trailer plates must show the year of manufacture.

The Department of Transport's Code of Practice states that it is desirable  for trailers less than 3,500kg gross vehicle to carry a manufacturer's plate clearly showing manufacturer's name and address, chassis or serial number, model number, number of axles, maximum weight per axle, nose weight or coupling, maximum gross weight and date of manufacturer. 

A home-made trailer does not have a 'manufacturer' as such, as that word implies series production. 

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/iva-manual-for-categories-01-02-03-and-04-trailers    Last updated ; 29 October 2020,  reads ;  

" Guidance

Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) inspection manual : trailers

How trailers are inspected when they're being approved under the Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) scheme to make sure they're safe to be used.

The manual sets out how Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency examiners will inspect vehicles to make sure they meet the necessary standards.

You can use the IVA scheme if you’re making or importing a single trailer or a very small number of trailers."

 

That first word is 'Guidance' ..it does not say 'legal requirement'.

In short  for Light Trailers (un-powered) and not in production ;  IVA inspection is not a 'must', nor is it a legal requirement, but is a service facility that an individual owner can,  if they so wish, use to check their imported, modified, home built, or limited-production trailer compliance to UK legal requirements ..and is fit for purpose.  Btw., I have had cars that I have built and also imported cars IVA inspected. 

There is (presently) no annual MOT inspection of the trailer itself (although rules on the age and condition of tyres have recently changed), and thankfully there is no road-fund license to be paid either.   Other countries will have different legal requirements. 

IVA and trailer-MOT tests are not retrospectively required for what might be regarded as 'older generation' trailers, trailer-tents, and vintage caravans that are used by numerous enthusiasts all around the country.  

However, some breakdown insurances may not recover cars towing trailers not of a 'proprietary' make, and/or if they may be considered inappropriately loaded.  This rule would be to avoid the possibility of a recovery driver having to handle unknown and possibly dangerous trailers.

The towing vehicle's Insurance company should be advised that a towing bracket and ball hitch has been fitted to the car, and that a light trailer is to be towed.  Each company is then at liberty to specify their own minimum criteria to ensure the coupling and trailer are safe - before they insure the vehicle with trailer, and to what extent.  In the event of an accident ; their claims adjuster will have to assess whether both the tow vehicle and the trailer complied with the standards they specify.  The responsibility is on the user to ensure that they are aware of the country's legal requirements, that their vehicle both complies with the law and is otherwise fit for the purpose, being in sound condition and well maintained at that specific time, for those road conditions, and for that state of load.  NOTE : Insurance companies may also limit their cover to road-use only, which thereby excludes private land &/or off-road locations like the field being camped in.  Check with your insurance company that your car and trailer are covered when you attend classic car events and other rallies.  

Clearly I'm an engineer rather than a civil court lawyer, but as a citizen I do take my responsibility to other road users, to legal compliance, and to the public, very seriously. 

I hope that draws a close on the subject and we might avoid nick picking. 

Thank you though to those who have brought these matters to our attention, because of their genuine and positive agenda. 

Pete.

 

p.s. for heavier trailers you may wish to read the Trailer Registration Regulations 2018 < here > .  This refers to "a trailer kept or used on a road if the permissible maximum mass is more than 750 kilograms".  This draft has since been made as a UK Statutory Instrument: The Trailer Registration Regulations 2018 No. 1203

 

 

Edited by Bfg
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looking forward to the build picture now you can get on with the assembly.

and of course nit pick at the decor and the pattern of the duvet

 

:ph34r:

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:D:D

 

Rain stops play again today ..which is very unfortunate because now I have little excuse not to tidy and vacuum my apartment :wacko:

Decor wise I was thinking to merge psychedelic and Andy Wahol's Marilyn Diptych Pop-Art prints . I've always thought orange, pink and cyan so calming, and of course appropriate to the tow car's 1967 year.

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I'm noted for being sophisticated and low key in my good taste.

 

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Don't look now but the silly old codger is making curvy things and cutting wood. . .

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^ using the cut-lengthways drainage pipe as a quick n' dirty mould, the trailer's fibreglass corners released fine.

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^ rain had stopped play for the past week ..but this afternoon was glorious weather, to get out and recycle some old (marine grade 7-ply 1/2" thick) plywood

Having odd shapes, and in two pieces just made marking-out a little long-winded. this is for the first piece which I'll then use as a template for the next.  Even if I had actually gone out and bought new :o  sheets of plywood ; the size of two pieces to be cut is 1325 x 1097mm ..so there would have been a lot of waste from 8ft x 4ft (2440 x 1220mm) sheets.

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^ Marking out a tapering shape with four gently-curved edges took me half of a sunny afternoon.  Cutting it was pretty quick though.

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^ this will be the floor of the box trailer, sitting on the chassis rails, which thankfully are to be both straight and parallel.

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^ the edges of this and its sister piece (which is to have a large hatch in it) will be the formers for the sides and ends.  Getting the curves fair was done by planer, belt sander, and then long-board.

Not a lot to show for an afternoon's "work" ..but as this will next be used to mark out the next piece things ought to pick up a little in pace. 

Hope you also had a pleasant day.

Pete.

 

 

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Evening all., It seems an age since I updated this thread ..but it seems that was only on Wednesday. Only goes to show how time flies slowly when the weather is wet.  Anyways up, sorry but I've not a huge amount of anything visual to share.  It takes me a time to think, check, cut and then clean up the pieces from reclaimed timber.

In brief then . . 

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^ From the floor of the trailer, previously cut, I traced the outline and cut what is to be the berth level / seat boards.  Flipping the second board over, on top of the first, is like mirroring its edges, so I use this to compare one side's curve with the other.  Although not really important, the objective is simply to make one side symmetrical to the other.  The same 'mirroring' applies to comparing the front & rear end curves, getting those curves symmetrical about the centre-line axis.   

The second panel (seat-level) is to have a large hole cut in its centre as access to the stowage area inbetween it and the trailer's floor.

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My first photo shows the rear-end of the trailer parts. ^ this is the front piece. Unfortunately the up-cycled plywood was too short to make the seat-level panel in one piece. Never-the-less two thirds of it came out of that sheet.

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^ the timber cut out of the rear piece (in cutting the hatch) provided the necessary material for the other side of the seat panel.  Btw., it was actually planned this way ! ..on the computer layout (in Autocad).

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^ The two pieces of the trailer's floor have been screwed together to be as one.  It's not glued yet. 

Around the edge are where this board will be fibreglassed to the sides, and so the paint had to be stripped off.

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^ To clear the paint off, I'm using a very coarse sanding pad on my cordless drill.  Using such as slow drill and coarse sanding pad takes the paint off as small chips rather than fine dust ..and the paint doesn't burn / melt and clog up the sanding disk.  with 95% of it removed like this, I then use the linisher (variable-speed grinder intended for use with polishing mops) and P80 grit sanding disks to finish cleaning the wood of its two layers of paint over a layer or two of varnish. 

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^ here I'm using the floor panel as an edge-alignment table for the three pieces of the seat-level board.  Seen here it is inverted as I trial fit (the uprights) 1/4" ply panels which will be the inner mudguards.   

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^ I've cut a panel and fastened it to stand upright from the floor (it's only in two pieces because that's the plywood I had).  Still it's important as a cross-bracing bulkhead, as the support under the forward edge of the seat ..and the end-closure-panel for the storage space.   The hatch cutout through the seat-level panel is now apparent, and that will be necessary for access as I fibreglass the pieces together.

That's it for today / this weekend. As I said there's not a whole lot to show but the necessary pieces are now pretty accurately shaped and together with the inner mudguard pieces and seat-end-panel... the box structure is just starting to gel. 

Bidding you a good evening.

Pete.  

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A little more done today.. polyester smelly / dusty job . . .

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I might first explain that these boards were bought years ago for use in refitting my old boat.  Indeed I have used some in the construction of built-in water tanks (thereafter epoxy coated on the insides).  They are 9mm plywood with a layer of GRP and gelcoat finish on both sides to stiffen them up, for their clean finish and to more-or-less waterproof them.  They were door cutouts from a manufacturer of box trailers, so I got them as being 5ft-5" x 2ft wide.  Being left overs from my tasks on the boat they are now being up-cycled again .. by coincidence - this time as the sides & ends of my own trailer.  

^ This is one of the four sides of the box, and a piece that has been re-sized for the back of this trailer.  The others are similar in respect that the gelcoat finish on these boards has been locally linished off, to leave just the layer of glass-fibre over the plywood.  This offers much better adhesion for the fibreglass I'll use to bond the sides to the floor of the trailer and the seat-level board.  The simple angle brackets are simply to screw those boards in place relative to this one ..to hold the box shape while I fibreglass the panels together.

Sorry for the poor quality photos today, but still you might have noted the panel's two ends have been mitred. This is for where the thinner grp corners will be attached.  It being very much easier and stronger to lay fibreglass over these ramps rather than over hard steps.   I'm sure all will become clearer when I can share photos of things assembled and being fibreglass jointed. 

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^ The major pieces now mostly prepared, and waiting for a dry day before I can assemble the box.  In the meantime my home is now not only filled with TR bits but also materials & tools as if it is a garage-workshop.  One day the car will be all back together again ..and parked outside,  as indeed will the trailer !

Pete.  

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Evening All,  I've been waiting for a dry day to get on with this trailer ..and today fitted the bill nicely. Not too hot, not too cold - a Goldilocks day  . .

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^ Flat-pack into 3d.. The seat support panel and a scrap off-cut piece of joisting timber set the seat to floor level, as well as their orientation square to each other.  Held together with just a few drywall screws into the ends of those temporary battens, this was enough to handle it as a whole.

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^ with the first side panel, resting on two end blocks, the floor & seat levels were positioned longitudinally and the little angle brackets used to pull n' hold the side into the shape. 

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^ weights served as an extra pair of hands to hold the panels.  Here you can see I've weighted and fasten one end (left hand side in this photo) under no load, and the other end is still sprung up, despite the weight of my black tool case on it.  Nevertheless from here I could easily bend that end of the panel down and with a screw in the little angle bracket - fasten it.  In time the plywood with GRP panel will accept the set. In the meantime the screws are holding it until I can fibreglass into the corner joints. 

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^ the two sides and the front now in place.

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^ Look Mum I'm making a chariot !   :D

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^ With the little angle brackets taking the strain, I added a screw (through a penny washer) from the outside, at each end - to pull that last little bit of the curve in.

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^ next.,  I cut the corner moudings to a rough oversize, ready for their final shaping to fit the box.  

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^ and this is one I prepared earlier. 

. . . The Blue Peter badge presentation will be next week.  ;)

 

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^ So there we are for today.  Albeit looking more like a coracle than box trailer ..until the wheel arches are cut. The size is defined and its curved sides work really well to pretension the structure ..preventing twisting, so it already feels really tough.

Nothing is glued or fibreglassed in place yet. But it all fits together as planned !  And the outlay (cost) presently remains at : zilch.

yippee B) progress.

Pete.

 

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