Trailer suspension.

[Jameshow]

Quick question do road going trailers less than 750kg need suspension?

Our men's shed has been commissioned to make a Santa sleigh and the one we are copying doesn't have suspension which I'm thinking isn't legal except for agricultural trailers.

Just wondered if anyone has any idea?

Cheers James

 

[deema]

It will need type approving. All new trailers must be type approved. For short series which this would fall into it’s not too expensive, but its a lengthy list of things you have to comply with. Best way forward I would recommend is buy a trailer and plonk the sleigh on top. Probably the cheapest route and allows it to be insured and you out if the newspapers

 

[shed9]

It will need type approving. All new trailers must be type approved. For short series which this would fall into it’s not too expensive, but it a lengthy list of things you gave to comply with. Best way forward I would recommend is buy a trailer and plonk the sleigh on top. Probably the greatest route and allows it to be insured and you out if the newspapers

This ^.

Manufacturing a new trailer from scratch or heavily modifying another without type approval is way more illegal than suspension limits. Perhaps give one of the large trailer builders a call and have a discussion, they may be willing to temporarily part with a suitable trailer for your purposes in trade for a little marketing.

 

[MARK.B.]

My little 500kg one came new without suspension but that was nearly 20 years ago and the rules may have changed since then

 

[artie]

Apart from the legality, it's going to be a much better job with suspension.

 

[treeturner123]

Before doing anything, check with the following:--

Elf & Safety
Reindeer Protection Society

And make sure that there is a decent windscreen, you don't want that beard blowing away!!

Good Luck!

Phil

 

[baldkev]

When i was WAY younger, i made myself a trailer. It was from 4mm box section 3x2s, with a central 'spine, an outer frame and noggins welded to create a ladder either side. Ridiculously overengineered and heavy. It had a single solid axle. Worked great and could have ( apart from the axle ) taken a minidigger but of course i now realise it was totally illegal. I now have a manufactured legal trailer and am lucky i never got pulled or had a crash

 

[Terry - Somerset]

I suspect buying a road legal trailer, new or second hand (Ebay etc) is a better bet than DIY.

Full DIY may seem cheap but some good quality components would soon erode any savings - eg: lighting board, tyres, bearings, seals etc which would quickly add up. Sourcing second hand parts would be time consuming - wheels, springs, tow hitch etc.

Cheapest approach which would also provide some job satisfaction in its renovation would be a second hand trailer + upgrading only those parts needing replacement

 

[Dabop]

Depends on the local regs, here in Australia, you can certainly make your own (but its design has to be approved by an engineer here- about $100)
Here all trailers are required to have suspension- 'rigids' used to be allowed but not anymore as they caused way too many crashes for their numbers (the old 'bounces the whole trailer in the air on potholes' thing they were notorious for)

Usually the local rego mob will have any guidelines/rules required
(eg mine are available online Vehicle Standards Bulletin VSB1 (Revision 5) ), I'd be surprised if something like that wasn't available there too

 

[Tris]

Here you go, a little light reading!

https://www.towingandtrailers.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IVA-manual-2018-09-01.pdf

 

[John on the Wirral]

Quick question do road going trailers less than 750kg need suspension?

Our men's shed has been commissioned to make a Santa sleigh and the one we are copying doesn't have suspension which I'm thinking isn't legal except for agricultural trailers.

Just wondered if anyone has any idea?

Cheers James

Indepension units used to relatively cheap and easy to put on or look out for folks giving away trailers they no longer use eg Gumtree,Market Place etc Port Sunlght Trailers for "Indespension" units?

 

[Keefy.]

Get a "Triggers broom" trailer, you know, one that's fooked and rebuild it. You can add or alter anything to suit then. All the bits are cheap on fleabay etc.
Don't get too hung up on the legalities of it, after all you can have a drinks party in a lock down and get away with that.

No offence intended.

 

[Yojevol]

A caravan chassis, might be worth considering. There is a caravan breaker in Leeds.
Brian

 

[artie]

Full DIY may seem cheap but some good quality components would soon erode any savings - eg: lighting board,

A slight diversion from the topic.
Where would one purchase a good quality lighting board.

A few years ago I bought a trailer board in the local car accessory shop.

It wasn't long before some of the lights stopped working.
On taking it apart I found the wires to the light and some of the bracket had rusted right through.
The wires were so flimsy soldering was out of the question.
I took it back to the shop, the guy just shrugged his shoulders.

I asked him for another more expensive one, that's all there is, he says same with nearly everything nowadays.

I bought it, went home and took it apart and applied a liberal application of grease to the exposed wires and brackets.

I later sold the trailer so can't really say if it helped much.

 

[Tris]

I used Aspock lights when I refurbished my trailer, from Western towing in this instance. You'd need a board to mount them on but the loom is pre wired and plugs into the back of the light, just buy the length to suit your trailer.

Caravan chassis could be a good call. A few years back I broke an old 'van and the chap who bought the chassis built box trailers. He said it was pretty easy to get the IVA as the chassis was already stamped with the type approval. Plus with an Alko chassis you can shorten them as they bolt together like meccano

 

[croft36]

A caravan chassis, might be worth considering. There is a caravan breaker in Leeds.
Brian

This has definitely been the way forward for some.