Freelander Trailer Camper Conversion

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Trailers built after 1989 legally require auto-reverse brakes and a hydraulic over-run hitch.

The hitch is easy - get one from a dead caravan and build your a-frame around it.
The auto-reverse brakes...not so easy. auto-reverse shoes are unlikely to fit into Freelander drums.
Solutions...
-sack off the freelander suspension and fit a proper trailer axle. Costly and difficult but will work properly and legally.
-dont bother with auto-reverse, just connect the hitch to the handbrake cables - the brakes will work when driving forwards but you will not be able to reverse unless you get out and lock the hitch damper (modern hitches have no way to be locked, you will need one from a pre-89 caravan)
-Or, just not bother with the brakes.
Cant see what this one does from those photos.
Neither of the last two solutions are legal, but trailers made from cars rarely are anyway despite what their builders claim. Its the sort of thing you will get away with 99.4% of the time and only a bored VOSA inspector, over-zealous traffic cop or serious/fatal road accident will highlight the problem.


And I am not stating this from a holier-than-thou standpoint, my own goods trailer has some....err....minor.... legal issues, just giving information.
 
I have a 7 year old Ifor Williams unbraked trailer whose MGW is 750kg, so I'm not sure about -

"Trailers built after 1989 legally require auto-reverse brakes and a hydraulic over-run hitch".
 
I havent the faintest idea but given a whole one weighs over 1.5 tons unladen, I would bet that the back half of one full of kitchen cupboards and all that other ****e is knocking on for over 750kgs.

Probably a moot point anyway. The 750 kgs rule applies to a trailers gross weight ie trailer plus payload. Since a freelanders gross weight is two tons, its not an unreasonable assumption that a trailer made from one has a potential gross weight of over 750kgs. Since it wont have a proper trailer weight plate, VOSA are apparently within their rights to decide its gross weight as they see fit, which for home made trailers is usually derived from the rating of the hitch components and load capacity of the tyres.
 
dave21478 said:
i havent the faintest idea but given a whole one weighs over 1.5 tons unladen, i would bet that the back half of one full of kitchen cupboards and all that other ****e is knocking on for over 750kgs.

Probably a moot point anyway. The 750 kgs rule applies to a trailers gross weight ie trailer plus payload. Since a freelanders gross weight is two tons, its not an unreasonable assumption that a trailer made from one has a potential gross weight of over 750kgs. Since it wont have a proper trailer weight plate, vosa are apparently within their rights to decide its gross weight as they see fit, which for home made trailers is usually derived from the rating of the hitch components and load capacity of the tyres.
Click to expand...

(+1)
 
I messaged the seller and asked if it is road legal, he says it is, mainly because it is under 16ft in length ... he didn't say how much it weighs
 
Length has nothing to do with it.

He is hardly going to admit its NOT legal is he? After all he wants to sell it.
 
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