Trailer regs - HELP!
Submitted by Seafari on Sat, 2012-10-13 13:41
I've got a 5.64m kayak (Hobie Tandem) and I want to avoid a dedicated trailer at all costs. My plan is to modify my 7ft x 5ft box trailer. Legally how far can the yak hang over the tailgate before catching the attention of the lawmen? I can also extend the draw bar of the trailer with a retractable drawbar tha slides out and is pinned (bolted) into position for when I am towing the yak around. Come garden refuse day I merely retract the drwbar so that the coupling is roughly where it is if the drawbar was never modified. Any ideas of where I stand with the law? I've tried finding info on the Dept of Transport website but no luck. Thanks
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CCC
Posts: 539
Date Joined: 29/03/10
All the info you need is on
All the info you need is on the transport website
http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/vehicle_regulation/bulletin/vsb1/index.aspx
http://www.transport.wa.gov.au/licensing/21096.asp#21120
grantarctic1
Posts: 2546
Date Joined: 03/03/11
As above
As CCC has linked to, i have made a few trailers and used this guide every time . Passed the pits first time too.
With the Yak, it more than likely reffers to a ( Load ) on the trailer and has it's own rules as to how far it can hang over the end of a trailer or car.
chookc
Posts: 442
Date Joined: 07/01/10
no more than a meter to 1200
no more than a meter to 1200 overhang as a rough rule. also a formular about the distance from the axels to the rear overhang to be taken into consideration as well....
Seafari
Posts: 116
Date Joined: 17/03/12
Thanks for the help...
It's the rear overhang that's my greatest concern. This is what I find from the Technical Requirments
21.2 Rear OverhangDog Trailers
Rear overhang must not exceed the lesser of 3.7 metres or 60% of the wheelbase.
Semi-trailers
Rear overhang must not exceed the lesser of 3.7 metres or 60% of the distance between the point of articulation (POA) and the line from which the rear overhang is measured.
Other Trailers
Rear overhang must not exceed the lesser of 3.7 metres or the front load space.
I am assuming that my 7x5 box trailer falls into the "other trailer"category?
I'd be looking to omply in two areas.
1. An overhang of 1.5m from tailgate
2. Modifying the drawbar to a retractable type whereby the drawbar slides out from the trailer, effectively extending the drawbar length by 1.2m. I have seen this on a trailer in Cairns which was really neat, sturdy and safe.
Technically it's sound, I just hope that it fits within the regs??
Seafari
Posts: 116
Date Joined: 17/03/12
I hope I understand this.....
43.4.2.1.5.
For all other motor vehicles and trailers (other than 'Semi-trailers’) the 'Rear Overhang' shall not exceed 60 percent of the distance from the centreline of the front 'Axle' (or the front 'Axle' of a ‘Twin Steer Axle Group' to the line from which 'Rear Overhang' is measured, or 3.7 metres whichever is the lesser.
Does this mean that if the measurement from my axel (it's a single axel) to the tailgate is 1000mm, the overhang cannot be more than 600mm (over the tailgate)?
billy69
Posts: 125
Date Joined: 16/01/12
With a single axle box
With a single axle box trailer the A frame of the draw bar can be included as long as the weight on the towball is not
exceeded. So you would be able to have the maximum rear overhang allowable for a light vehicle of 1.2 m.
Dont forget you can have a front overhang (in front of the towhitch) of the same 1.2m.
You also need to display a red flag on any overhang over 300mm and a red light (bike light) if you are travelling at night.
Technically if you modify your trailer in any way you should have it taken over the pits and examined.
If your Yak is still too log you can fit a light tube frame to your trailer like the roller door fitters do. Bolt it to the trailer so that is
part of the vehicle and not a load, put your lights and number plate at the back.
If you do the modifications make sure you make it look the part, paint it all the same colour and have your draw bar braced.
Most coppers i know would not even look at a trailer if it looks ok, lights work and you have a flag on any protruding loads.
Seafari
Posts: 116
Date Joined: 17/03/12
Thanks Billy69
Fitting a light tube frame was certainly an idea which as you have suggested, technically lengthens the trailer.
I have taken into consideration the yak extending over the drawbar but since my vehicle is a wagon, it will not be able to extend beyond the towhitch/coupling. This means I need to extend the drawbar as well. I've seen a very neat retractable drawbar on a similar setup when I was in Cairns a few months ago. Basically they had fitted a square section of tube that went from the coupling to roughly the axel. This was welded to the chassis of the traileras well as additional braces on the A-frame. A 1.5m glavinised tube (the extendeable drawbar with a 50mm coupling on one end fitted snugly into the square tube. The tube and drawbar were drilled with corresponding holes to fix the drawbar in two positions. Fully retracted or fully extended, giving them that extra 1.2m (300mm) was lift in the tube on the chassis. The drawbat was fixed using 2 pins, same concept as attaching the tow hitch to a Reece towbar, except two pins were used. I wish I had taken pics. It was neatly done and in my opinion probably stronger than the welds, guage steel and fixing on a standard "off the shelf" 6x4 trailer doing the tip run.
Also, total weight of the Hobie tandem yak is 86kg, throw in some gear, maybe knocking on total of 100kg load so I'm really not looking to load it anywhere near the load capacity for a 7x5 single axel box trailer.
Any suggestions on the extendable drawbar? I've seen them in Perth but only for guys launching sailing boats with a keel that needs to be reversed deep.