Thread: Licensing of trailers "home made"

imso

Probably check with you licensing dept in WA. I would expect all that is required is inspection by a licensed motor dealer before they will grant you registration.

It will probably have to comply with the guidlines for building small trailers.

This link may help you, and I have used it for all trailers I have built. I have no formal automotive or welding/fabrication qualifications, but as I am in QLD the exact regs will be different to WA

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f184/v...ations-121876/

Originally Posted by Yonnee

I've changed the link to the one sticky'd at the head of the trailer section. It's a more "up to date" version than the one originally posted.

Regards
Paul

Yeh Ive looked for info and not found much. What seems to be unusual is that a trailer can be built from the ground up by someone with no qualifications or experince as a welder

To me that doesnt make sense, now Im a pretty good welder IMO, so I dont think it will be an issue as Ive made mezzanine florrs etc, but it just seems stupid you can build it and register it.

I thought it might be a requirement that the welds are inspected and certified prior to being taken to the pits for an inspection, but that doesnt even appear to be the case, hence why I was hoping someone might pipe up with some info for me, before I start welding and cutting

Thanks

Originally Posted by simso

Yeh Ive looked for info and not found much. What seems to be unusual is that a trailer can be built from the ground up by someone with no qualifications or experince as a welder

Yep, that's pretty much it. You don't have to have any qualifications whatsoever, nor any idea at all on what you're doing, and you can rent a factory, hire a welder, buy some steel, and call yourself a trailer manufacturer.

To me that doesnt make sense, now Im a pretty good welder IMO, so I dont think it will be an issue as Ive made mezzanine florrs etc, but it just seems stupid you can build it and register it.

I thought it might be a requirement that the welds are inspected and certified prior to being taken to the pits for an inspection, but that doesnt even appear to be the case, hence why I was hoping someone might pipe up with some info for me, before I start welding and cutting

Thanks

Sounds like you're good to go. Have a good read of the VSB1 linked above (I've updated the link to the current version) and you're set. Any questions, particularly on interpreting the reg's, just ask.

And keep us posted on the progress.

Yonnee.

I find it a little depressing that you think people taking responsibility for what they do rather than relying on the government to protect them from themselves is stupid. Not having a go at you but I wish I had freedom like this in other areas... like building a house!

Its probably a good reason to build a trailer now as I'm sure there a bureaucrat and a lobbyist with a vested interest somewhere working to change the rules as we speak.

Cool,

Thanks, as soon as the plans arrive Ill order the steel and so forth and get cracking

Originally Posted by gallegos

I find it a little depressing that you think people taking responsibility for what they do rather than relying on the government to protect them from themselves is stupid. Not having a go at you but I wish I had freedom like this in other areas... like building a house!

Its probably a good reason to build a trailer now as I'm sure there a bureaucrat and a lobbyist with a vested interest somewhere working to change the rules as we speak.

I don't think he is worried about the trailer he is building, but general safety.
Who wants to be traveling down a road only to get hit by someone else's amateur built trailer coming at you because they didn't weld the draw bar on properly or something similar.
If you modify a car truck etc you have to have an engineer certificate, but can build a trailer from ground up with no checks at all other than a road worthy, and it still does the same speed.

Dave

Thats exactly my point, it doesnt make sense..

It would be interesting to find out the statistics of home-made trailers failing on the road due to the builders being poorly trained with their welders, as this is something I've also wondered. Hopefully when faced with the cost of the parts, those amateurs actually make sure they're going to do a sound and safe job. I really want to build my own, but I'm not touching it until I've done at least a short TAFE course to make sure it holds

Recently I asked a friend what he had to do when he built his own camper trailer, and from memory it was a case of getting a VIN and attaching it to the frame, having the weight rating clearly stamped on at least one of the chain links, no paint whatsoever on the chain links, and taking it over the pits. So sadly, you'll have to face the queues at a licensing centre to get it checked.

Originally Posted by Dave J

Who wants to be traveling down a road only to get hit by someone else's amateur built trailer coming at you because they didn't weld the draw bar on properly or something similar.

I know two wrongs don't make a right but my take on this is I reckon (per trailer on the road) I am more likely to have a traffic accident involving a commercially made trailer that has been poorly maintained, or poorly or over loaded, rather than one that has been built by an amateur. Same goes for roofracks.

At the end of the day you are never to going to be shielded from the consequences of other peoples bad decisions... I don't think that making it harder for people to build there own trailer significantly changes that, it just makes it harder/more expensive to build a trailer.

Yeh it just makes you think thats all, I know when people do structural modifications on the car it needs a certified welder to do the job, or a non destructive x-ray / ultrasonic inspection to certify the weld is solid, yet making a trailer from scratch certainly involves some structural work yet it only needs a pits insepction at completion//

Im all for the fact of just a pits inspection becuase thats whats applicable to me, however I do know how to weld (was actually taught by a welder for 3 yrs) but I have seen many a weld that does not hold and many a weld that looks like chook droppings.

Simso

I have not made a car trailer, but over the years I have made 5 trailers of which I still have three of them registered. They are all very different. I have attached pix of the largest (3.6m x 1.5m tray) as it may give you some ideas for the sides in particular.

The truss construction makes it very strong while remaining light. Car trailer for mee always look too frail as if they would bend if they were used in anger.

These pix were taken during construction several years ago. The trailer now has dual stage springs and front and rear gates.

Regards
Paul

Thats really nice mate, certainly looks solid and as you say light weight.

I recieved the car trailer plans in the mail, I must say they are very vague, little bit disappointed with them. However Im going to do up a cut list and drop by the steel merchants next week. Hopefully can get welding soon. Ill give your light weight idea some thoughts as well for inclusion into the job...Appreciated

Originally Posted by simso

Thats really nice mate, certainly looks solid and as you say light weight.

Simso

Light weight is still relative. This trailer weighed >500Kg before I added the second stage springs and the front and rear gates. An easy 600 Kg now. I used 2.5mm steel for the RHS so I did not have to worry about blowing holes during the welding. The axle was 60mm RHS with a 6mm wall.

If you have a mig welder or are more proficient than me you could go to lighter wall thickness without sacrificing strength. My 16" wheels and massive drum brakes were really heavy. There again dual axles, four wheels and load sharing suspension also add up to significant weight.

I suspect most of us over engineer the trailers we build. As others have pointed out, it is the commercial trailers that are 20 years past their useby date that are likely to give up the ghost in the middle of the road.

All the best with the build.

Regards
Paul