MOT for Caravans
Comments
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Steve3: You said: Equally I am not retracting- driving at 70 mph, why? - because on occasion I have and where? Germany, Holland and Italy - feel proud? – not really – but why? – because other caravanners did and do(regularly)
This is probably because of this test (extract from Club info on speed limits in Europe).
**There is an option to drive at 100km/h if your car and caravan passes a TUV test in Germany. The test costs approximately €70 and takes two hours to complete.
PS: Don't worry about what you said. The whole point of this forum is to discuss issues and share information to help each other.0 -
Does anyone know yet the result of the debate in The House of Commons?
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Many thanks for some kind words – may I suggest, that whilst the MOT is only as good as the day of issued, if tweaked’ to include breaks, gas points, pipes, electrics - internal and externally then perhaps this would give individuals that ‘piece of mind’ that all was well, be it only on the day of test. – but then when I/we have my annual service are not all the ‘necessary’ parts checked as part of that service?
I would like to think that most of us who contribute to this forum are safety conscious and considerate. (even though some on occasion may exceed the speed limit!)
Regards to the German 100kph ‘sticker’ I discovered this on another caravan forum page - More interesting this appears to be a one off test and cost, please correct me if wrong, but I was unable to locate or read anything else which suggested this was an annual required test ‘a sticker for the life of the caravan’
You need to go to a TÜV test station. You can locate one using the following link:
http://www.tuv.com/d...ellen/suche.jsp
(Just enter the name of the town where you want to have the caravan tested under "PLZ/Ort" and click "Suche")
Usually one can just turn up without an appointment.
They need to know, either by producing documentary proof (such as the Certificate of Conformity) or by visual inspection that the following conditions are met:
- The caravan manufacturer has approved the caravan to be towed at 100km/h
- The tyres have a speed rating of at least 120km/h
- The tyres are less than 6 years old
- The caravan is fitted with overrun brakes and hydraulic shock absorbers
- Either the caravan or the towcar are fitted with an approved stabiliser system (such as an AlKo hitch or ATC or the car's ESP Trailer Stability Program)
- The weight ratio does not exceed 100%
- The car is fitted with an ABS braking system
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...... When I am overtaken by anyone driving at the sort of speeds mentioned here I am just relieved when they are out of sight and unlikely to take us with them when they crash. ....
Does that include me at around 100kph/60-ishmph
"when they crash" ...... a bit of a generalisation there Dave
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Many thanks for some kind words – may I suggest, that whilst the MOT is only as good as the day of issued, if tweaked’ to include breaks, gas points, pipes, electrics - internal and externally then perhaps this would give individuals
that ‘piece of mind’ that all was well, be it only on the day of test. – but then when I/we have my annual service are not all the ‘necessary’ parts checked as part of that service?It depends on how frequently the van has to be MOT'd as currently the electrical check is only advised every 3 years and is reasonably expensive on it's own. About £120 if I remember correctly.
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Doesn't really matter what all of us do with our caravans or how fast (or not) we drive - what matters is what was decided in the House of Commons debate.
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Many thanks for some kind words – may I suggest, that whilst the MOT is only as good as the day of issued, if tweaked’ to include BRAKES, gas points, pipes, electrics - internal and externally then perhaps this would give individuals
that ‘piece of mind’ that all was well, be it only on the day of test. – but then when I/we have my annual service are not all the ‘necessary’ parts checked as part of that service?It depends on how frequently the van has to be MOT'd as currently the electrical check is only advised every 3 years and is reasonably expensive on it's own. About £120 if I remember correctly.
Do we really want the gas & internal electrics to be part of an MOT? Surely any MOT on a trailer should just be relevant to road safety ie will it stop & is anything likey to fall off
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Does anyone know yet the result of the debate in The House of Commons?
This is the web addresss for the Hansard entry for 19 January. The Towed Trailer item is Column 541WH, about half way down the page.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmhansrd/cm160119/
halltext/160119h0002.htm#16011946000004
I think you will have to copy and paste the address.
And no, MoT for trailers is not being considered. It is to do with trailer safety and a fatal accident.
Moderator Comment
Link made clickable
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Thank you PATMAU. That is a relief as it would be another expense and hassle.
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Whilst I wouldn't welcome any additional costs I do think there should be something to ensure that trailers including caravans are in a roadworthy state. I know of one guy who has a twin axle trailer that, for years, has been getting into a progressively
worse state of repair but is still taken out on the public road. I have also seen caravans that, if there was an MOT type test would not, IMO , pass.0 -
PATMAU
Thanks for posting the link to the debate which makes very interesting reading. It seems there is very little statistical evidence that MOT's would prevent what seems a tiny number of accidents involving trailers, 1% of the total number of road accidents.
In the main these accidents are outside of the 01 and 02 categories that small trailers and caravans fit into.David
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Whilst I wouldn't welcome any additional costs I do think there should be something to ensure that trailers including caravans are in a roadworthy state. I know of one guy who has a twin axle trailer that, for years, has been getting into a progressively
worse state of repair but is still taken out on the public road. I have also seen caravans that, if there was an MOT type test would not, IMO , pass.Write your comments here...just have your caravan serviced every year then there should not be any faults, which makes sense really as there is gas involed and that
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If it's only 1 % I hope they find something else to spend the money on - it's up to us to make sure our vans are roadworthy.
Pippah
If we are talking caravans the figure is much less than 1% as the Minister said that the majority of the 1257 accidents where a trailer was involved were in category
03 and 04 which will all be commercial trailers. So accidents involving caravans are likely to be far less than .5% of the total.David
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Whilst I accept Deleted User User’s view and returning comments regarding ‘speed’ may I suggest that the final perhaps ‘throw away comment?’ – is perhaps a little unfair and unjust - When I am overtaken by anyone driving at the sort of speeds mentioned here I am just relieved when they are out of sight and unlikely to take us with them when they crash.
However; I fully agree and support Deleted User User’s following comments and in my opinion hits the nail on the head - ………….. make insurance compulsory. Insurance companies would be the first to insist that the vehicle they insure is in a roadworthy condition also insurance would be very simple to check.
Whilst stationed in Germany – without exception all caravans, trailers prior to being taken on to the German roads – had to undergo a form of annual MOT, if less than 3 years old and had to be separately registered and insured.
May I suggest that to allow or knowingly take a trailer or caravan out onto a road in an un- road worthy condition or without insurance – is at best irresponsible and at worse criminal.
To see what some individuals pay for their combined outfits – then to quibble about insuring it or having an annual ‘health test’ – to me shows lack of responsibility to themselves and others. (I await the back lash!)
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It would be interesting to know if following RTA's involving a caravan, any insurance companies have refused to pay out because the van was not serviced in line with manufactures guidance. Clearly this could be on two fronts, for the car insurance, although
they would have to cover third party damage, they could refuse to cover damage to your car. Whilst the caravan insurance could refuse to pay out for damage to the van.0 -
I think third party insurance for towing is automatic with most car policies.
How a car/trailer/caravan is serviced is down to the owner. The legal requirement is that it must be roadworthy. Niether my tailers, caravan or truck are maintained to manufactures guidlines. They are maintained to a standard that exceeds them.
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So some think making insurance compulsory is the way forward to improving safety. The reason I object is the following, once you make something a legal requirement it would give insurance companies the green light to raise prices as no longer are they trying
to get a balance in cost where people will pay out of choice, if its a legal requirement they could make the cheapest policy a minimum five hundred pounds and for those who are looking for a cheap holiday price them out of the pastime. Those who take a caravan
in poor state on the roads now will still do so without insurance and since the police can't stop people driving on our roads without insurance on there cars I really can't see how there going to police this. Therefore the only ones paying this inflated insurance
are the genuine law abiding person who wouldn't have taken a dangerous caravan on the road in the first place and who has there van regularly serviced, therefore the roads are no safer but I'm left out of pocket.0 -
I am not sure why compulsory caravan insurance would put prices up. Insurance on cars is compulsory and there is significant competition between companies. Why would it be any different with caravans? There are still lots of companies to choose between.
Also as far as people ignoring the law are concerned. Nobody is suggesting that car insurance should not be compulsory, as some choose to ignore it, and surely it is the same there, we are all paying on our policies for the uninsured drivers.0 -
I am not sure why compulsory caravan insurance would put prices up. Insurance on cars is compulsory and there is significant competition between companies. Why would it be any different with caravans? There are still lots of companies to choose between.
Also as far as people ignoring the law are concerned. Nobody is suggesting that car insurance should not be compulsory, as some choose to ignore it, and surely it is the same there, we are all paying on our policies for the uninsured drivers.Agree 100% with your comment on uninsured car drivers (who obviously don't care about anyone or anything as probably won't bother with MOT, condition of vehicle, tyre law etc)
Only other point is that as car insurance covers the outfit whilst towing, any acccident on the road is covered (obviously no cover for damage to caravan or public liability on site under any circumstances) So actually the caravan IS insured whilst towing
on the road?0 -
I think third party insurance for towing is automatic with most car policies.
How a car/trailer/caravan is serviced is down to the owner. The legal requirement is that it must be roadworthy. Niether my tailers, caravan or truck are maintained to manufactures guidlines. They are maintained to a standard that exceeds them.
As you say the legal requirement is that they must be roadworthy. However, for most of us the only way we would have of proving that we kept our vehicles in such condition is the annual service bill. The service always include a full safety check and services
are at intervals laid down by the manufacturer. If there was doubt over the roadworthyness of the vehicle or van, I would assume the insurance company would ask for these in the first instance, as well as having the vehicles examined.0 -
Re: the original post and the query about the debate.
HERE is the text of the actual debate that took place in The Commons on Tuesday.0 -
If you are talking about 1% of accidents involving trailers you have to assume half are not the fault of the trailer driver. Once you are down to that then if my experience is anything to go by probably no more than one in fifty will be down to faults in
either the towcar or trailer, at which point the numbers become so small it cannot be a problem worth worrying about.0
