Smart car trailer/ Caravan chassis

[Humsafer]

I haven't seen many (any) A frames this trip down through France/Spain, just about everyone towing their cars on small trailers. Beginning to look like the days of the A frame are numbered except in UK.
Has anyone any thoughts or experience of converting a caravan chassis to a trailer. Is it legal and possible. Are there any savings to be made.

cheers Humsafer

 

[pappajohn]

Very little strength in a caravan chassis....they rely more on the bodywork 'box' to make them rigid.
You would need to weld in quite a few outriggers for floor support.

And on the legal side, home built trailers are no longer legal.
Trailers must now be approved and vin plated.

 

[Humsafer]

Thought because It was already vin plated it might be legal. There are lots of chassis on e bay sold ready for conversion.

 

[pappajohn]

Thought because It was already vin plated it might be legal. There are lots of chassis on e bay sold ready for conversion.

Agreed, it is already plated.
I was refering to a 'start from scratch' trailer....sorry for the confusion.

Dont know your budget but there is a current thread selling a Brian James car trailer.....£1500

 

[maxi77]

First there is a scheme for approving home build trailers so a home build is practical. Next how heavy is your car, the max weight for most single axle caravans is around 1.5 tonnes, so take the weight of the car and take that away from 1.5 and that is what you have left for your chassis remembering all the car carrying part will need to be added to the caravan chassis which is just an A frame, and two longitudinal beams resting on the axis

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[pappajohn]

there is a scheme for approving home build trailers

I never heard of that....do you have a link ?

I dont see how it can be possible as they have no way of knowing the quality/grade of steel used or the proficiency of the welder.
I can weld and make metal stick together....but i wouldnt trust carrying a load on the weld.

 

[pappajohn]

Found it.....the IVA scheme which is undertaken by VOSA and includes, among other criteria.....

For trailers which are not subject to an annual test, because they are small (under 3500kg gross weight) or
not used to carry goods, it will be mandatory from October 2012 for the person retailing the trailer to the
public to keep records of every trailer sold for 10 years, and these records must include details of the type
approval Certificate of Conformity or Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) certificate which covers the
trailer.

Really not worth jumping through all the hoops and paying out for what may be a failure.

 

[tonyidle]

I think the key word there is "retailing". And regardless of the possible requirement who is to say how old a home built trailer is? I've built three - long before any legislation (if such exists now). They make brilliant trailers although for convenience it's often necessary to narrow them - complex in itself.

 

[Humsafer]

Hadn't thought about reducing the width. Hm ! that does confuse the issue

 

[gus-lopez]

Thought because It was already vin plated it might be legal. There are lots of chassis on e bay sold ready for conversion.

No as soon as you modify it it then comes under the new post 28th October 2012 rules requiring testing.

I think the key word there is "retailing". And regardless of the possible requirement who is to say how old a home built trailer is? I've built three - long before any legislation (if such exists now). They make brilliant trailers although for convenience it's often necessary to narrow them - complex in itself.

The way it is written you have to prove it was made before the Oct 2012 date , they don't have to prove it wasn't.

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[Humsafer]

Well that's that then, better start saving up for a proper job!!
Thanks everyone

 

[Peter A Forbes]

As far as I know (and I have been through the regulations, which were published around the time we built our big trailer) there are no requirements to have a pre-Oct 2012 trailer tested if it is modified.

We modified and updated our 1990's built 4-wheel trailer and it is in regular use.

The regulations are intended for manufacturers rather than home-built trailers, but the regulations do encompass NEW home-built trailers.

We have provenance to prove that our trailers were built pre-2012.

Peter

 

[Minxy]

We did this many years ago, we bought a caravan trailer locally and had it converted (shortened/strengthened) so that we could put our Bond Minicar on it - it worked a treat and was a lot cheaper than having to buy a standard manufactured one. This is the only photo I can find of it.

 

[Minxy]

Just come across this chap who does trailers so might be able to do one for you.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/paultrailers/m.html?item=291683622051&hash=item43e9b2dca3:g:VMIAAOSwyQtV06GP&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562

I like the fact that his car trailer has a tilting bed so you don't even need to carry extra ramps with you.

 

[Geo]

His prices made me go "TILT"

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[Wicketter]

We had a tilting trailer that also folded up, we used to tow a buggy. Well engineered trailer but very heavy to move, I could see a broken shin bone coming on! We replaced it with a lighter smart car trailer and changed the buggy for a smart which was fine and more practical, but we honestly found the whole van and trailer idea too much. Happy now with a smaller PVC IH conversion. We don't miss the bigger van and the car at all, although we did have fun with it! I was always very nervous when we loaded the Smart especially if the weather was bad and for us it was always a chore to unload after the holiday was over. Hope you find what you are looking for!

 

[Dill]

I don't think they are expensive at all.

 

[Traveller_HA5_3DOM]

Something like this they do say is safer than an A Frame, but I have my doubts!!

 

[Minxy]

Something like this they do say is safer than an A Frame, but I have my doubts!!

The whole set up was out of balance, centre of gravity way too high.

 

[Traveller_HA5_3DOM]

The whole set up was out of balance, centre of gravity way too high.

Yes realise that but this is what is considered to be the legal way to move your car.
I don't think you will ever see an A Frame towed vehicle rolled over onto it's roof.

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[pappajohn]

I don't think you will ever see an A Frame towed vehicle rolled over onto it's roof.

I doubt you will see a trailer with car on its roof while still attached to the tug either.

The hitch would forcibly disconnect under the strain of being twisted 180 degrees or the tug would be on its side if it didnt disconnect.

I think that picture has been 'shopped'

 

[Traveller_HA5_3DOM]

I have personally seen a caravan overturn and remain coupled to the towing vehicle on M6 going down Corley Bank. It ripped the roof off the caravan, crumbled the contents over half a mile or so and still remained attached.

 

[Minxy]

Yes realise that but this is what is considered to be the legal way to move your car.
I don't think you will ever see an A Frame towed vehicle rolled over onto it's roof.

Maybe not, but there have been instances of the a-frame pulling the front off the car I believe!

 

[Minxy]

I doubt you will see a trailer with car on its roof while still attached to the tug either.

The hitch would forcibly disconnect under the strain of being twisted 180 degrees or the tug would be on its side if it didnt disconnect.

I think that picture has been 'shopped'

I don't think for one minute it's been shopped. The car is a 4-wheel Isetta microcar and should look like this in 'un-squished' state and I've flipped the image of the 'rolled' car over so you can compare it.

The track on these cars is quite small at the rear and that's also where all the weight is as they're rear engined so the back-end of the trailer would be much heavier than the front so out of balance. Putting one on a very 'lightweight' flat-bed trailer front-on with it sitting quite high was just asking for trouble. It should have been loaded rear-on so that the narrower track and weight was more towards the trailer's front and the wider track at the rear to add a bit more stability to frame of the trailer itself. The other problem is that it was being towed by a large 'high' car which could have exacerbated the problem by raising the a-frame too high at the front so making it less stable again with the 'leverage' of this transferring even more weight to the rear (I've seen this myself on some towbar installations where a drop plate hasn't been used).

If it had been on a car trailer where it sat lower between the trailer wheels it would have been much less likely to happen.