Trailer for lugging timber

[HexusOdy]

I've been on the lookout for a while for a decent sized trailer for picking up timber. Took a while as wanted one wide enough to take sheet goods and picked up a fixer upper from Ebay for £100 delivered coz we all like a project. There is however something on the axle I can't figure out and being a man of wood and not mechanisms I'm hoping someone here can tell me what it is.

It has two thin bars that I assume connected to each wheel hub but are now loose and the contraption in the middle looks like it pivots almost like a steering mechanism but of course isn't.

Any ideas? My instinct is to cut the bars off as they are otherwise going to rattle like crazy but wonder why its there in the first place.

 

[dynax]

it's part of the handbrake mechanism,

 

[HexusOdy]

it's part of the handbrake mechanism,

Hi Mike. There isn't a handbrake on the trailer. No brake lever at the front. No mechanism for it going from the front to the axle.

Maybe they manufactured the same basic frame for all models and the handbrake was an option?

 

[norrie499]

i agree with john it's part of the braking system, there should be a rod or cable from that to a lever on the A frame also I think trailers over a certain size have to be braked

 

[n0legs]

It might have had a hitch change rendering the remaining bits and pieces redundant.
A handbrake, may have also been running brakes, on a trailer is useful, but IMHO not essential.
However, it might prudent to check out trailer regs for braked and unbraked weights. It used to be something like total weight of trailer (unbraked) not to exceed half the weight of tow vehicle.
Have a little look see, informed is good. Not informed is no defence :wink:

 

[HexusOdy]

It might have had a hitch change rendering the remaining bits and pieces redundant.
A handbrake, may have also been running brakes, on a trailer is useful, but IMHO not essential.
However, it might prudent to check out trailer regs for braked and unbraked weights. It used to be something like total weight of trailer (unbraked) not to exceed half the weight of tow vehicle.
Have a little look see, informed is good. Not informed is no defence :wink:

The max for unbraked is 750kg Gross which is the max load of the trailer so should be fine. I shouldn't get anywhere near that with timber.

Thanks for the help guys.

 

[Lons]

It might have had a hitch change rendering the remaining bits and pieces redundant.
A handbrake, may have also been running brakes, on a trailer is useful, but IMHO not essential.
However, it might prudent to check out trailer regs for braked and unbraked weights. It used to be something like total weight of trailer (unbraked) not to exceed half the weight of tow vehicle.
Have a little look see, informed is good. Not informed is no defence :wink:

The max for unbraked is 750kg Gross which is the max load of the trailer so should be fine. I shouldn't get anywhere near that with timber.

Thanks for the help guys.

It is 750 kg gross for unbraked so you need to subtract the empty trailer weight to get a payload figure but as the trailer previously had overun brakes I would check it's weight at a weighbridge. I have an Ifor Williams which weighs half a tonne empty but in any event you need to know (is there not a plate on the drawbar?).
If you're pulled over and it's overweight you could get a fine and possibly points.

You can legally tow a braked trailer that's heavier than your car but it's not recommended and a rule of thumb is 80% of your vehicle kw but legal up to the vehicle stated towing limit or towbar limit whichever lowest and you need to check the noseweight as the same rules apply. You can check that with a set of bathroom scales.
There are limits for combined outfit depending on your licence and date you passed you test but that won't affect you.
I believe all trailers are now supposed to be plated correctly as well as your towbar to avoid potential conflict with the boys in blue. In the event of an accident it could affect your insurance as well.
EDIT:
Forgot that there is another proviso. The vehicle you tow with could reduce the trailer allowance as you can only tow unbraked to a maximum of 50% of the car kerb weight and than can be less than the stated 750kg. Some cars also have a very low allowance and in all cases you must take the lowest allowance.

 

[swb58]

Unbraked will be ok up to 750kgs, but there doesn't appear to be suspension on it. I believe that will have an impact on
any limits that apply. Google it,

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Maybe it's a home made trailer and the axle is off something else?

 

[SteveF]

I borrowed a trailer once that had a steel cable on the breaking system that clipped on car tow hitch
I guess it served 2 purposes
if it comes unhitched for whatever reason it would brake and maybe keep it attached to vehicle

Steve

 

[Beau]

Maybe it's a home made trailer and the axle is off something else?

Yep looking at those pictures it smacks of home made, also no suspension?
Not sure what the rules are on home made offerings but might well find you would not be insured if you had an accident.

 

[clanger]

According to DVSA brakes, are required for above 750kg trailers. Also, if fitted to a trailer under 750kg, they must work:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/iva-manual-for-categories-01-02-03-and-04-trailers

Chris

 

[Mark A]

I tried to find definitive information regarding trailer regulations when I bought my Indespension a couple of years ago.

The DVLA didn't know, so they passed me onto the DVSA who were also clueless. Ifor Williams technical department contradicted what Indespension told me, and a number of trailer towing instructors I contacted couldn't agree either.

In the unfortunate event of being stopped by the police while towing I reckon it will be up to their own personal interpretation since no-one can decide for sure what they should be.

 

[Lons]

I borrowed a trailer once that had a steel cable on the breaking system that clipped on car tow hitch
I guess it served 2 purposes
if it comes unhitched for whatever reason it would brake and maybe keep it attached to vehicle

Steve

The breakaway cable is a requirement on braked trailers and it MUST be used when towing, as it's name implies it's designed to apply the brakes and snap off rather than keep the trailer attached but what Mark said about interpretation if stopped is correct. My brother was once stopped and given a lecture for looping the cable around the towing hitch which was at least at the time perfectly legal and in fact even now there are few towbars with built in attachment point for the cable and advice varies.

One other thing to point out are the speed limits which are often ignored and the traffic cops can be hot on. 50mph on single carriageway and 60mph on dual and motorway.

Bob

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Another thing to be careful of if you are near a recycling centre/dump is that the police will pull you in lightning quick if you don't have a skip net or a tarp over anything loose. We live 3/4 of a mile from one and the verges are nothing but litter bounced out of trailers. Of course once you're pulled they'll look for other things to do you for.

 

[Lons]

Not allowed anywhere near our recycling centres with anything bigger than a little 5 x 3 trailer and even then the charge is expensive, one of the reasons for so much fly tipping in the countyside.

Bet the OP wishes he hadn't bothered #-o

Just a note to him though.

As far as I understand, brakes if fitted MUST work or you're breaking the law so if it's not feasible to restore them I would remove all evidence of them being there i.e. cables and exterior fittings, doesn't matter about the brakes shoes inside the drums as they can't be seen if you're stopped.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

We can take a 750kg one in twelve times a year with a free permit.

 

[Lons]

We can take a 750kg one in twelve times a year with a free permit.

That's not bad Phil. Our authority charges for many items. rubble etc. by the bag or load i.e.

oil, rubble and plasterboard will all be subject to a £2 per bag/sheet charge - with charges of £12 for a load in a standard car/hatchback; £20 in a small trailer/estate car/small van; £40 in a longer trailer and £80 in a transit van.
In addition to charging and use of permits each household in Northumberland is only permitted to take a total of six cubic yards of any DIY waste to sites each year.

Rubble includes any DIY material like wall tiles, scrap wood, paint etc.

I'd only just posted my comment on fly tipping when BBC news showed a clip of the problem in London. :shock:

 

[Mark A]

I can take my 8ftx5ft twin axel 2.7t trailer to the tip as often as I like. It's run by a private company so as long as it's not commercial waste they'll take it. Considering the number of sign written vans dumping plasterboard and hardcore, and landscapers with fully loaded pickups I'm guessing the rule's not strictly enforced!

 

[Mark A]

BTW that's Llanelli. Swansea council banned vans, pickups and trailers to all but one tip, and then charge to dispose. Last time I checked it was £130/tonne for non-recyclable stuff and around £60/tonne for hardcore.