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Two and a half years ago, I wrote off a caravan in a snaking accident. I was the only one involved.
I didn't know it was written off at the time as all the damage looked superficial along one side of the body.

I repaired this damage, but on its first trip out after this and 70 miles from home, the suspension on that side collapsed.
A bodge job and a careful drive got us home but it was touch and go.

After stripping anything useful from this van, I towed it to the local scrapyard.
There was no insurance claim or anything like that.

2 weeks later I saw my van being towed through the village and it is now sitting 2 streets away.

It is used once a year by the new owner who has since aproached me to enquire if I would sell him the bits that I stripped out of it. I refused.

This caravan is not roadworthy. He knows this but doesn't care and he is a mechanic to trade.

Had there been some form of paperwork that I could have declaired it as scrap, things might be different but at the moment he can use this potential death trap any way he pleases and as far as I know, there is nothing anyone can do about it.

Quote: Originally posted by Harpmaker on 14/8/2009

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In New Zealand testing of trailers and caravans is done anyplace that carries out regular vehicle tests. Although there are a number of "professional" (and once state controlled) drive through testing stations, a large percentage of normal workshop type garages carry out MOT testing on trailers and caravans and few, if any of these have special trailer testing equipment. The last time I had my caravan tested at one of the "professional" stations, they left the van connected to the car and lifted the van at the axle just enough to check the suspension and wheels.

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Yep, same in Germany. Testing every 2 years and no hassle.

Quote: Originally posted by LobeyDosser on 14/8/2009

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Had there been some form of paperwork that I could have declaired it as scrap, things might be different but at the moment he can use this potential death trap any way he pleases and as far as I know, there is nothing anyone can do about it.

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Maybe all those of you who are Anti-Mot for trailers and caravans on financial grounds would change your minds if it was one of your family who had been injured or killed in an accident caused by a faulty trailer. It could even be a the main bread winner of the household, and as i discovered during an accident some years ago, not all cars and trailers are insured, it certainly cost us a lot in lost earnings after a farm  trailer with faulty brakes hit us, not to mention the scaring for life on my forehead and other injuries i sustained and was never compensated for even though my own car was a right off. 

In these days of no win no fee litigation, the owner of a faulty trailer may also find themselves facing a heafty claim for such damages against them, my accident happened back in 1992, and the figure my solicitor along with my insurance company was trying recover for me was in excess of £10k wey back then, so goodness knows what the sum would be at todays rates. Surely it would be cheaper and better to pay a small fee anually to get a trailer MOT'ed to ensure some level of regular safety check? 

My work-mate died in a car crash just a few years ago. His brakes failed just a week or two after its MOT test. Dont think an MOT is any guarantee your vehicle is safe.

This story sounds more like a tale started by the trade to scare us all into buying newer 'vans, dont fall for it....

Andy.

Quote: Originally posted by Bill Terry on 14/8/2009

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I think it be a good thing to test any trailer that goes on the highway Tax i dont agree with.

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>>>  So it's not just fifty quid or so a year for MOT that's at stake here, it's a couple of hundred a year in VED also.  <<<

We have 4 cars. All require MOTs to use on public roads.

Yearly Road Tax Costs.

Car one £130 
Car two £32
Car three £0.
Car four £0.

As Road Tax now depends on the CO2 Emisions and, as far as I am aware, Caravans do not produce any CO2 Emision, I do not see the Road Tax being very much, if any.

The bigger the caravan, the bigger the vehicle needed to tow it and that vehicle will be where they will rake in the Road Tax. As they are doing already.

By the by, all 4 of our cars can tow our caravan, although, at the moment we only use the first two.

At the moment I am paying £32 a year road tax on my outfit.

But my nose would be right out of joint if I was asked to pay the same road tax on my van as say a 6 berth twin wheel job.

I guess any system of tax would have to be based on the trailer weight/number of wheels/etc.

Whilst I might bitch and moan about paying out more money and the hassle of taking yet another vehicle/trailer for a test, if there is a bona fide reason behind it, IE Road Safety and in doing so it takes some death traps off our roads, then I am all for it.