Whats the rules for small trailers?

MrsE_2

Thinking of trying to buy a small (cheap:D ) trailer for garden rubbish, to get it to the tip.

Do you have to get another number plate made for your car, to stick on the trailer?

I bet they need electrics to join to the brake lights & indicators?

Any idea on the rules & regs?

Finally, are you allowed to bring small ones into council dumps?

djheath

You need a number plate of the towing car for the trailer.
You need electrics for the trailer for brake, lights, indicators etc.
Council dumps wont mind a small trailer.

Inactive

You certainly need a legal rear number plate as well as fully functioning rear lights, stop lights, reflectors, ( including I believe triangular additional ones ), and indicators.

Not sure about taking them to your Council Dump, all councils seem to have different rules.

Personally I keep some very strong polythene bags that I re- use and just put my rubbish in them and then in the boot of my car each time.

MrsE_2

My husband has a tow bar on his car, don't think he has electrics, so would have to get that done.
Thanks for info about plate & electrics.

He his a cab driver with a people carrier (very plush & new) & hates carting stuff like that in it.

I've got a 3 door 4x4, with a tiny boot, not much use for that.

To be honest the amount we generate is more than what you could put in a normal boot anyway.

Maybe when we've got the garden under control it will be OK, but its a jungle out there still!

scbk

Do you have to get another number plate made for your car, to stick on the trailer?
Technically, no. You could remove the one from your car and fit it to the trailer when in use. Though considering a number plate only costs around a fiver it's not worth the effort swapping plates about.


I bet they need electrics to join to the brake lights & indicators?
Trailers need lighting (and reflectors), the size of trailer determains what level of lighting is required. The minimum is 2 triangle red reflectors, indicators, stop, tail, and number plate lights. These are usually wired up using 7-core cable, with a black 7 pin plug on the trailer and a black 7 pin socket, this is called a 12n setup.
Do you already have a tow bar, tow ball and electric socket(s) on your car? If not you will need these fitted. Fairly easy DIY on most older vehicles but new cars/vans with CANBUS wiring will be harder and more expensive.
There's also a requirment to have a visual or audible (sp?) warning in the vehicle to let you know indicators are working.


Any idea on the rules & regs?
Some of it will be covered in the roads vehicle lighting regulations, look on google and also the ntta site. Basically you need lights, number plate, relfectors, mud guards, brakes if over 750kg gross, if under 750kg gross a secondary coupling (cable/chain) if made after 1980-something, etc
Weight is somehting to pay close attention to. When you passed your test will reflect what size of trailer you can tow. Also the trailer shouldn't be loaded over it's gross weight, and you have to pay close attention to the gross train weight of your car.



Finally, are you allowed to bring small ones into council dumps?
Will depend on where you live and who runs the place. Some places are really picky about vans/trailers, others not

MrsE_2

scbk wrote: »

Do you have to get another number plate made for your car, to stick on the trailer?
Technically, no. You could remove the one from your car and fit it to the trailer when in use. Though considering a number plate only costs around a fiver it's not worth the effort swapping plates about.
Thank you


I bet they need electrics to join to the brake lights & indicators?
Trailers need lighting (and reflectors), the size of trailer determains what level of lighting is required. The minimum is 2 triangle red reflectors, indicators, stop, tail, and number plate lights. These are usually wired up using 7-core cable, with a black 7 pin plug on the trailer and a black 7 pin socket, this is called a 12n setup.
Do you already have a tow bar, tow ball and electric socket(s) on your car? If not you will need these fitted. Fairly easy DIY on most older vehicles but new cars/vans with CANBUS wiring will be harder and more expensive.
There's also a requirment to have a visual or audible (sp?) warning in the vehicle to let you know indicators are working.
Hubby has tow bar, but no electrics. He has the new shape Galaxy Ghia, so its going to cost loads to do the ecectrics I guess:mad:


Any idea on the rules & regs?
Some of it will be covered in the roads vehicle lighting regulations, look on google and also the ntta site. Basically you need lights, number plate, relfectors, mud guards, brakes if over 750kg gross, if under 750kg gross a secondary coupling (cable/chain) if made after 1980-something, etc
Weight is somehting to pay close attention to. When you passed your test will reflect what size of trailer you can tow. Also the trailer shouldn't be loaded over it's gross weight, and you have to pay close attention to the gross train weight of your car.
Hubby has had license since god was a boy, so can drive most things:rolleyes:



Finally, are you allowed to bring small ones into council dumps?
Will depend on where you live and who runs the place. Some places are really picky about vans/trailers, others not

Thank you, so much:D

LandyAndy

When you buy the trailer make sure you can see it out of the rear window of the towing vehicle, otherwise its a bu99er to reverse.;)

Go somewhere quiet and practice reversing. You don't want the local tip to be your first go at it, nor do you want smart a55e5 like me laughing at you when you have to unhook it and turn it round by hand.:D

Get a fitted cover for it if it doesn't come with one. Your local trailer specialist will know where to have one made. This keeps the load from falling out (likely with garden rubbish) and keeps the inside dry if you are storing it outside.

Once you've got a trailer you'll wonder how you managed without.

jonathon

scbk wrote: »

Do you have to get another number plate made for your car, to stick on the trailer?
Technically, no. You could remove the one from your car and fit it to the trailer when in use. Though considering a number plate only costs around a fiver it's not worth the effort swapping plates about.


I bet they need electrics to join to the brake lights & indicators?
Trailers need lighting (and reflectors), the size of trailer determains what level of lighting is required. The minimum is 2 triangle red reflectors, indicators, stop, tail, and number plate lights. These are usually wired up using 7-core cable, with a black 7 pin plug on the trailer and a black 7 pin socket, this is called a 12n setup.
Do you already have a tow bar, tow ball and electric socket(s) on your car? If not you will need these fitted. Fairly easy DIY on most older vehicles but new cars/vans with CANBUS wiring will be harder and more expensive.
There's also a requirment to have a visual or audible (sp?) warning in the vehicle to let you know indicators are working.


Any idea on the rules & regs?
Some of it will be covered in the roads vehicle lighting regulations, look on google and also the ntta site. Basically you need lights, number plate, relfectors, mud guards, brakes if over 750kg gross, if under 750kg gross a secondary coupling (cable/chain) if made after 1980-something, etc
Weight is somehting to pay close attention to. When you passed your test will reflect what size of trailer you can tow. Also the trailer shouldn't be loaded over it's gross weight, and you have to pay close attention to the gross train weight of your car.



Finally, are you allowed to bring small ones into council dumps?
Will depend on where you live and who runs the place. Some places are really picky about vans/trailers, others not

where do you get your number plates from ? thay are £15 around here.

scbk

The internet, ebay in particular

Single motorcycle and car plates are always under a tenner posted, though sometimes I've managed to get them as cheap as a fiver, or £7.50 incl border/slogan/sco badge

LandyAndy

I paid £9.50 for a front one last week from my local accessory shop.

jonathon

scbk wrote: »

The internet, ebay in particular

Single motorcycle and car plates are always under a tenner posted, though sometimes I've managed to get them as cheap as a fiver, or £7.50 incl border/slogan/sco badge

so not legal ones then