Caravan MOT
I fear I may well be opening up a can of worms but here goes .I would value your opinions on the above ,or something similar as I have recently seen a couple of very dodgy units being towed by builder's vans . Hard hat is in place 
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Whether it's a good idea or not, how will you make it enforceable without some form of registration scheme?
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Please no MOT for caravans. How would it be policed as UK caravans, almost uniquely in Europe, do not have individual number plates. Why upset the majority for the sins of the few? Hopefully the boys in blue will stop the 'unsafe' caravans you have seen.
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Frankly, given the fact the government could do with a bit more cash for this and that, I am amazed that we have not been targeted before. Compulsory registration at a cost, extra road fund tax ( twin axels more of course ), together with MOT.
Personally I can see merit in a MOT scheme. Given most of the checks should already be done annually, as part of the service, it should not result in too much extra expense.
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Having been involved in accident investigation and insurance claims for many years I have to say I do not remember any caravan accident that would have been prevented by an MOT type test so do not accept that it is necessary. I accept that some builders and other contractors trailers do look dodgy but if they are not roadworthy then they are breaking the law and what we actually need is the police to stop and prosecute the offenders. I doubt an MOT would stop them.
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As there is no official registration of caravans and their identity can only be established by an enforcement officer actually stopping it and reading the VIN off the 'A' frame etc, there is little if any point having an MOT for caravans as any who chose not to comply with having one would be almost impossible to identify. There's no money to be made by govt or garages either, as the costs of setting up and running the registration system and investment that would be needed by test centres to allow sufficient room/height clearance, equipment etc to test caravans wouldn't be a worthwhile investment, especially considering the relatively low number of caravans in the UK (compared to class IV MOT vehicles).
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mark, MH have MOTs at garages that can support their size/weight, caravans could easily be tested at these...
why should i have to MOT my van when a caravan (less stable and may not have ever been 'serviced') doesnt need one. after all, my MH is a 'motor caravan'...
perhaps if the trailer registration was sorted out properly, we wouldnt have this A-frame 'fudge' that some MHers wrestle with....
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I'm not sure that caravans could 'easily' be tested there, BB. MOT garages with adequate headroom above the hoists aren't that readily available in some areas.
I think that you may have overlooked the fact that caravans don't go out on their own and the towing vehicle will have had an MOT, if appropriate.
A-frame fudge? That's a separate issue entirely.
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MHers have to find garages that can cope with their size/weight...
MOT-ing a caravan would be done as 'easily' (or not) as for a MH.
if there is an area with poor facilities, then its currently as 'difficult' for a MHer as it would be for a caravanner....in fact, no different at all.
...and as the whether the towing vehicle will have had an MOT.....
thats another issue entirely....
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My point entirely. Finding an MOT garage for a caravan would be as easy or difficult as for a MH but it would be harder in some areas than others and made more difficult by the increased numbers needing an MOT.
Towing vehicles and their MOTs is likely to be no different to MHs having had an MOT
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It will cost million of pounds to set up a registraion system for caravans, build and authorise MOT stations to cope with caravans and train staff. All this for a MOT that is only good for the day it is issued. I am not sure how a MOT wuill prevent over,loading, speeding or servicing a caravan or trailer.
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why should i have to MOT my van when a caravan (less stable and may not have ever been 'serviced') doesnt need one. after all, my MH is a 'motor caravan'...
Well, at least BB has made it clear why he is in favour.
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well, my car has to be MOT'd also....
and as Steve says, shouldnt cost a disproportionate amount to set up as the main process and testing stations (ones that accommodate MHs) are already in place....why not get the caravan MOTd when it gets serviced?
however, on the other hand, as surfer said, whats the point in MOTs (for caravans, or cars, or MHs) when they are only valid on the day of issue, and do nothing to prevent over loading, speeding or non-servicing.....
might just as well scrap the lot....
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You could say exactly the same for any motor vehicle that requires an MOT. They are all only good for the time they are issued. Damage a tyre on the way back from the test and it would not then pass. Are you advocating doing away with MOT's in general? As to cost of the registration scheme, this would have to be funded by us. So yes an additional cost on our hobby. Presumably the case in countries that have separate registration. If roadfund tax was replaced by an additional tax on fuel, this would effectively mean we were being taxed extra for towing, which in my opinion would be fair.
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ah, snap!
we are stuck with anomaly currently, where motor caravans need an MOT but caravans dont.....why, when it might have the same al-ko chassis...etc...
eother vehicles need one or the (all) dont...
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I don't think lots of normal MOT stations are suitable for the following reasons:
Many are very limited space.
Problems with access, parking and moving vans around rather than driving vehicle into the bay.
Method of applying brakes when wheels are on roller brake testers.
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Doug, your last point in particular hits the nail on the head. It's impossible to calculate or replicate the forces being applied to the overrun braking system in a simulated situation.
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The chassis has nothing to do with it, BB. I think you mean the braking system. Does your MH have overrun brakes? No, thought not. There's no similarity.
In a minute somebody's going to suggest you might have a bias against caravans. Surely not?
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Why does a caravan MOT have to replicate that for a car or motorvan. It could basically take the form of a full service at an approved workshop. If, for instance, the braking system had to be serviced to a set standard and parts replaced as required, that would at least mean they should work as required. If the MOT was every 3 years as with a car, other services could be carried out at non MOT approved workshops. At the moment, unless a van is under warranty when it would be required to protect it. There is no requirement to get a van regularly serviced.
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How can you service to a set standard other than stipulating how many mm of brake lining should be in place? Servicing can be carried out to any degree you chose to stipulate but the set standard for a pass has to be proven braking efficiency otherwise there is no value in the test.
Explain how you're going to test the brakes to prove they work to a satisfactory standard?
"If the MOT was every 3 years as with a car..." Really?
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My point really TW is that anything is better than nothing. At the moment we have the strange situation where you can tow a 1.5 tonne box behind your car at 60mph and there are no required statutory checks what so ever. OK legally you should keep it in a roadworthy condition. However, why are we trusted to do this with our caravans but not our cars?
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The tow car is MOT'd as required, Steve.
I'm afraid what you're suggesting is unenforceable and of no value.
Are you suggesting that annual servicing of £200+ becomes compulsory? Most of us know that servicing is only paid for by the majority to get the stamp in the warranty book and it often causes more problems than it solves. Engineers have said for many years that servicing is taking something apart to see why it works. I fear such a scheme would not be better than nothing.
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I was thinking more three yearly rather than annual, which was how I managed to confuse myself re the car MOT.
I just find it strange that if my caravan weighed over 1020 kg empty, but had powered rather than overrun brakes, I would need an annual MOT.
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what a pointless last sentence....
in a minute, someone's going to think youre trying to stir things up, surely not
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