Becktons Boat Trailers FAQ

1.

Manufactured in the U.K by a reputable manufacturer?

Becktons have been trading from the same premises since 1958 and are one of the oldest established trailer manufacturers in the U.K. We are not part of a large group, we are a private family run business. All our products are covered by a 12 month guarantee. Our trailers are manufactured on site. You are welcome to visit.

2.

Will the trailer I buy comply to all the current E.U. directives ?

Becktons Ltd use only the best quality E.U. components in our trailers the suspension and rolling gear is of British manufacture, remember its our name we are putting on the finished product.

3.

Should I need replacement parts in the future, will these be available off the shelf ?

Our parts department carries all the parts needed for servicing, together with a large stock of major components used on our trailers. We offer a complete D.I.Y parts delivery service, overnight if required. All major credit cards accepted. Our workshops can carry out any type of trailer repair or servicing. Some manufacturers only manufacture new trailers.

4.

My new boat trailer may well fit my boat now, but if I modify my boat can the trailer be adjusted to suit?

For ease of manufacture and to ensure our trailers can be adjusted just right for your boat the simple answer is yes. If you look at our specification details you will see that this facility is a feature on all Becktons boat trailers.

5.

I have read that some boat trailers available in U.K. are not road legal. How can I tell ?

Be careful, some new boats are imported into U.K. complete with a trailer. The trailer may well be legal in its country of origin but it may not be legal here. All new trailers must comply to U.K. and E.U. road traffic laws and many of the major components used in the manufacture must be 'E' marked. Trailers that are manufactured outside the E.U. do not have these markings. Tyres are one point to look for, another is the braking system. Hydraulic brakes for example even though they may work very well are not approved on U.K. roads and all new trailers must be fitted with an E.U. approved braking system. Check the towing coupling as well. There is very little difference between a 2inch towing coupling and a 50mm one, (2mm to be exact) just enough to rattle at first then come off later perhaps! Make sure you check. A new wide beam boat will fit nicely on a wide trailer maybe. but U.K. law restricts the width of all trailers, including boat trailers to 7ft 6ins (2.3mts) if its over this width its not legal. Unless being towed behind a lorry. Of course your boat can overhang the trailer, its the trailer width that is restricted. Penalties will be incurred if your trailer is outside the law and is used on public roads. As a major U.K. manufacturer all marine trailers comply to the latest E.U directives.

6.

Will the trailer be protected against rusting ?

All our boat trailers are hot dipped galvanised. The galvanising process is a heat treatment that involves each major component being dipped into a molten mixture of lead and zinc that will form a protective layer both inside and outside of the metal used. All our components are vented with holes at strategic points to allow the mixture to penetrate into the smallest areas. This process will give lasting protection against salt water environment.

7.

Which manufacturer will give me the best discount?

Our pricing policy is simple, we do not inflate our prices so as we can offer huge discounts, what you see is what you pay. Please compare our prices and you will see that we are very competitive. We do not have agents or stockists enabling us to pass on the savings to our customers. However we always manufacture to a quality and not to a price. Our prices are ex works, we can arrange delivery if required charged on mileage.

TRAILER LAW.

Weight

In the case of light trailers, that is less than 3500kg maximum laden weight, there is not any specified relationship in UK law between the weight of the towing vehicle and the weight of the trailer.

For M1 category vehicles (motor vehicles used for the carriage of passengers and comprising not more than eight seats in addition to the driver's seat) the maximum permissible trailer weight is quoted by the vehicle manufacturer. Alternatively, the vehicle manufacturer may provide a maximum gross train weight (the laden weight of the trailer plus the laden weight of the towing vehicle). If this is exceeded it is possible that the Courts or Insurance Companies may take the view that this constitutes a danger.

The maximum laden weight of a trailer which may be towed by a light goods vehicle depends on both the stated gross train weight of the towing vehicle (GTW) and the vehicle manufacturer's recommended maximum permissible trailer weight. Neither the maximum permissible trailer weight or the maximum gross train weight (the laden weight of the trailer plus the laden weight of the towing vehicle) should be exceeded. It is possible that the stated gross train weight is less than the sum of the stated maximum permissible laden weight of the towing vehicle and the stated maximum permissible laden trailer weight. In this case the towing vehicle and the trailer must be loaded such that each does not exceed its individual maximum limit and the sum of both does not exceed the maximum gross train weight.

It is not a requirement to display a notice of the unladen weight of the trailer or the towing vehicle, unless the towing vehicle is either a motor tractor or a locomotive, as defined in the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986.

Dimensions

If the towing vehicle has a permissible gross weight in excess of 3.5 tonnes the maximum width and length of the trailer are 2.55 metres and 12 metres respectively. If however the gross weight of the towing vehicle is 3.5 tonnes or less then the maximum permissible width and length are 2.3 metres and 7 metres Excluding towbar respectively. In both cases the overall length of the towing vehicle and trailer must not exceed either 18m or 18.75m depending on the type of towing vehicle.

Brakes

Braking requirements are prescribed in Regulations 15 and 16 of The Road Vehicles (Construction & Use) Regulations 1986 as amended and essentially require a trailer with a maximum design laden weight of more 750 kg to be braked and allow an inertia (overrun) type braking system to be used up to a maximum permissible laden weight of 3500kg. In use it is not permitted to use an unbraked trailer the laden weight of which exceeds 50% of the kerbside weight of the towing vehicle. For trailers up to 1500kg laden weight it is permitted to use a secondary coupling, which in the event of separation (NOT failure) of the main coupling will retain the trailer attached to the towing vehicle, prevent the nose of the trailer from touching the ground and provide some residual steering of the trailer. Above 1500 kg laden weight the trailer must be fitted with a device to stop the trailer automatically in the event of separation (NOT failure) of the main coupling and this is normally achieved by a breakaway cable attached to the parking brake mechanism - the trailer becomes detached from the towing vehicle.

Information copied from

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/vehicles/vssafety/requirementsfortrailers