Teardrop trailer and IVA test/ VIN number

[babaton]

Hi,

I'm halfway through building a teardrop (more square really) trailer. It's a ply box on an alko tralier that used to be a caravan.

I've contacted the DVSA as I've had conflicting advice as to whether I actually need an IVA. Some say that since i'm not modifying the actual chassis no test is needed....however my trailer has no VIN plate, it has a german plate instead.

So I'm assuming t was never registered in the UK? I've seen people talk about knocking up your own VIN plate....how does that work?

Bit confused, thanks for any advice!

[ColinM50]

If it's just a caravan conversion with no engine, why do you think it needs an IVA in UK?

[babaton]

IVA applies to trailers too apparently....but I've heard conflicting info about exactly which kinds of trailers are exempt.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/individ...

[smokey mow]

Any newly built trailer has required an IVA test for a few years now, this relates to everything from small domestic unbraked trailers right up to large commercial trailers.

There are exemptions to this for trailers that have been tested and type approved and as always there are ways around the testing if you build using an existing trailer.

Things do become a bit more grey though if you start modifying or cutting about the chassis of an existing trailer but I would not expect a teardrop body built on an unmodified trailer chassis to need an IVA test providing the chassis used was built before 29 October 2012 when the legislation came in.

[babaton]

Thanks, that's kind of how I understood it....

Got this reply from the DVSA yesterday. I sent them a pic of the plate on my trailer, hopefully it's already approved. It's a german plate, the caravan on it previously was a bog standard lunar so pretty sure it will be and I can avoid the IVA.

"If the trailer IS NOT EC Type Approved (info on the manufacturers plate) then it would need to come through IVA as a complete vehicle – once you complete the built of the camper, you would need to have it IVA’d, with the standards you are required to meet, found in the IVA manual here.


If the Trailer IS EC Type Approved, then the build would be classed as an approved ‘existing’ trailer, and you would need to meet the Construction & Use (C&U) legislation, without needing to present the trailer for an approval inspection."