Trailer hire insurance?

lostinrates

It was suggested to me that I offer a horse trailer I might be buying for hire. Not with me towing but with other people collecting to tow it.just pure trailer hire.

What sort of insurance would I need for this? (I assume I also need to check their driving licences and vehicle towing weights to be legal.)

castle96

surely up to them, to ensure they are 'legal'.

Your worry is loss or damage

lostinrates

castle96 wrote: »

surely up to them, to ensure they are 'legal'.

Your worry is loss or damage

Thank you.

castle96

I 'understand' from my (own) trailer towing, that the trailer "comes under my insurance/responsibility", but if you are hiring out, presumably you could/should, insure it yourself, certainly against loss

bouncydog1

I believe that you would also have a legal obligation to ensure that the trailer is fit for purpose - e.g. if the floor collapsed through poor maintenance the hirer would probably have some comeback against you for negligence. Alternatively if their horse was severely injured and their insurance paid out for the injuries suffered by the animal, their insurers would seek to recover the costs from you if the trailer was found to be in a poor state of repair.

I would suggest that you discuss the insurance arrangements with an insurance broker to ensure that you have proper cover in the event that you might get sued, and also possibly investigate what legal obligations there are on you as the person offering the trailer for hire.

Don't want to worry you, but there have been some awful stories recently about accidents involving horse trailers and you need to ensure that any trailer you hire out is fit for purpose and properly maintained to avoid any comeback on you.

lostinrates

bouncyd!!! wrote: »

I believe that you would also have a legal obligation to ensure that the trailer is fit for purpose - e.g. if the floor collapsed through poor maintenance the hirer would probably have some comeback against you for negligence. Alternatively if their horse was severely injured and their insurance paid out for the injuries suffered by the animal, their insurers would seek to recover the costs from you if the trailer was found to be in a poor state of repair.

I would suggest that you discuss the insurance arrangements with an insurance broker to ensure that you have proper cover in the event that you might get sued, and also possibly investigate what legal obligations there are on you as the person offering the trailer for hire.

Don't want to worry you, but there have been some awful stories recently about accidents involving horse trailers and you need to ensure that any trailer you hire out is fit for purpose and properly maintained to avoid any comeback on you.

Thank you. I agree about the servicing/maintaining etc of the trailer. Even if not planning to let it I plan to travel my own horses in it. I am considering a new purchase and was thinking that the occasional letting might in someway contribute to servicing costs. What I'm trying to work out is whether in creased costs of maintaining/insuring against loss/damage etc is worth the while for the (small) income I'd be likely to receive. If it were ust for me I'd consider a''smarter''trailer with more extras,but feel a simpler model would be better for letting,(ease of maintaining/less risk of damage/abuse etc.)

bouncydog1

Apologies - didn't realise you were also a horse owner and clearly well aware of the horror stories of horses falling through the floor of trailers whilst being towed.

Personally, I wouldn't rent my trailer out - we have an Ifor Williams classic - as I think the return you are likely to get is unlikely to cover the cost of a few good boots to the side/smashed lights etc. There is also the theft risk to consider as I have found it very difficult to get insurance to cover theft unless the trailer is immobilised and locked away under cover.

You can get examples of what commercial companies charge by googling horse trailer hire and can also have a look at the conditions of hire which might give you a starting point.

lostinrates

bouncyd!!! wrote: »

Apologies - didn't realise you were also a horse owner and clearly well aware of the horror stories of horses falling through the floor of trailers whilst being towed.

Personally, I wouldn't rent my trailer out - we have an Ifor Williams classic - as I think the return you are likely to get is unlikely to cover the cost of a few good boots to the side/smashed lights etc. There is also the theft risk to consider as I have found it very difficult to get insurance to cover theft unless the trailer is immobilised and locked away under cover.

You can get examples of what commercial companies charge by googling horse trailer hire and can also have a look at the conditions of hire which might give you a starting point.

No apology needed at all. They are good points. I have previously owner lorries in preference to trailers (though have towed many a time) but I'm purely a hobby owner now, and see my main need as DH and I pottering a long with a horse each to a riding club thing and attending the occasional clinic in. I don't like being without transport as I have often wondered, with oldies, how long finding someone to transport them might delay any treatment they needed to go in for rather than have at home. So I know we want transport, just trying to see if we can recoup costs a little.

One of the issues is that there is a dearth of hire companies in our area and the area we are moving too! But yes, thank you for the good ideas of starting points, I will do that.