Caravan MOTs......... maybe?
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Agreed .... but I'd expect the powers that be are burying their heads due to the huge cost of setting up testing stations and setting up some kind of registration system for caravans/trailers vs the cost of current accidents caused by caravans/trailers
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+1 Good post
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The DVLA benefits, the Government benefits, the test providers’ benefit, the c/van owners’ benefit, and our roads are safer. It’s a win, win, win, win, win, situation. What’s not to like.
No benefits for this caravanner who has his caravan serviced. It would be the same as the car. MOT on the same day as service. My garage mechanic keeps a car at an MOT centre about 2 miles away and charges me £5 extra to take car there and service afterwards.
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I have always thought that a safety check for cars should be mileage based say 10,000 or over set the compulsory yearly MOT and below 10000 get a compulsory 2yearly MOT.
Maybe caravans could have a biannual test as most don't do too many miles. Some caravan manufacturers design to a 2000 miles a year criteria which in itself sheds light on durability issues. I know many do more towing miles than this annually.
Of course if mileage is a yardstick some method of measurement would be needed, I guess HGV trailers have this?
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In Germany, all vehicles subject to their equivalent of an MOT not only get a certificate but an official seal displaying the expiry date is applied to the number plates so any expiry would immediately be apparent by visual inspection. You don't have to carry your certificate with you. Trailers and caravans are registered in their own right and have their own number plate.
By the way, when the performance of the overrun brake was tested with the caravan on the rolling road and I was sitting in the car which remained hitched to the caravan, I certainly felt a slight jolt as the overrun deployed.
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ps. I may be wrong, but I think that the whole rolling road is movable fore and aft to cater for different wheelbases of multi-axle commercial vehicle trailers, so it is relatively easy to push the caravan forwards against the overrun. I didn't see this because I was sitting in the car when the caravan was being tested, but I am fairly sure that's how it is done.
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"I guess HGV trailers have this?"
Trailers get MOT'd (plated) annually just like the tractor unit it's coupled to. Or put another way an Artic has two MOT's one for the trailer and one for the unit.
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I think an accident rate of 7 or 8 in every 10000 is very safe indeed. Also as you cannot be sure if those 7/8 could have been stopped by a caravan MOT or if even it was the tower’s fault the staggering cost of introducing a trailer MOT cannot be justified.
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Well there are about 500000+ caravans on the roads, how many farm trailers? Each one would have to be registered and accounted for, then test centres arranged, yes I think the cost is totally staggering and really not worth it.
If towing was so unsafe, why do insurance companies not increase premiums when towing?
I think thare has been more than 7 accidents in 10000 on club sites, two reported in this thread suggests that?
No club sites and public roads are not compatible. Nearly everyone has to come into contact with public roads, while using club sites is voluntary, more people on holiday mood not noticing traffic enjoying themselves and so a 5mph limit is senible and not draconian.
And above that one chooses to abide by the rules when you join or visit asite, they are not imposed are they?
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Done for servicing and / or record keeping purposes.
HGV operators have to have an Operators License which is granted by their area traffic commissioner. It will stipulate things like how many vehicles and / or trailers they can run and park on their premises. They are also legally required to conduct 6 weekly safety inspections as well as normal vehicle servicing and maintenance and keep records for a given period of years. This legal obligation is randomly inspected by VOSA's enforcement department or as a matter of course if a vehicle is involved in a serious accident. If on any inspection (roadside stop, accident or random operating base spot check) there are any concerns raised about the operators vehicles they may have their O Licence amended (reduce the no of vehicles allowed) or even suspended as well as any legal proceedings that may follow.
Not been involved in anything like this since I retired in 2012 but I doubt what I have stated above is any different now and there are probably even more hoops to jump through.
This, if you think about, relates to this thread. If a Trailer is involved in an accident. The owner / operator should be able to provide documented evidence that it has been kept roadworthy with records of inspections, brake roller test and on. If they have followed the rules
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But again there is no eveidence of that at all. Motor homes have far higher accident rates and therefore putting far more at risk.
I also can not see why accident rates on roads has any connection with the limit set on a club site? Is there a correlation? And why has a caravan MOT thread gone into speeding on site?
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Here we Go
So has anyone seen a Dog with no MOT speeding on a club site
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And your normally known for towing things
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Currently cars (in the context of caravans, that tow) are subject to MoT at 3 years old and annually thereafter, unless used for Private Hire, where licensing conditions vary by authorities and can be as frequent as 6 monthly, including a brand spanking new car requiring an MoT before it goes out to earn its keep.
A PH might do 150 k miles a year, regularly serviced and MoTd 6 monthly. A company car may do similar mileage with irregular servicing and no MoT for its whole life. A private car may do 2K miles and not get serviced for many years and only MoTd at 3 years. Company cars are often sold before the MoT is due.
If we then apply the principles to a caravan. New caravans have warranties that require annual servicing and at various points within a predetermined narrow time window ie 3rd & 6th year service. Water ingress warranties go to 10 years with annual service requirements. Part of the annual service is to check its roadworthiness as well as habitation aspects and damp.
I would suggest caravans are probably safer than other vehicles by this documented regime. Moreso if any work undertaken is done so with due skill.
An MoT is only a record of the condition of a vehicle submitted for inspection and test at a particular point in time. If it is found to be unroadworthy on that day, was it also unroadworthy the previous day / week / month? If an incident causes it to be an MoT failure the minute it leaves the test centre it still has a ticket for a year.
Unsure the merit of MoTing caravans to be honest.
If someone is intent on driving an unsafe vehicle the current MoT doesn't prevent them, neither would a MoT on a caravan prevent it being towed by someone with malicious intent.
Check out 'pool cars' to understand the failings of the system wrt MoT, Insurance, driving licences etc In a perfect world none should happen, but the world aint perfect
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