Honest John - Telegraph

[RayS]

3rd December issue has HJ advocating plating and annual tests for 'vans on the strength of one old trailer tent having problems. A great shame as I have usually found his stuff interresting and useful - particularly about clamping, chain v. belt cams and wheel sizes.

Should we tell him ?

 

[NigelDonnelly]

Don't draw attention to him and he'll pipe down about it...

 

[Gafferbill]

….I have not bothered with HJ since he advised a Porsche911 owner not to overload his car’s boot so as to avoid dazzling oncoming drivers at night.......

When I pointed out his mistake by email he replied :-
" I had a dyslexic moment and anyway even my proof readers did not pick it up"

 

[DerekBrad]

HJ sounds much the same as another "motoring correspondent" called Jeremy (!) IMO they are to motoring as Bernard Manning is to heart surgery.

 

[Surfer]

Caravans that are to be used on the road should have some sort of MOT done at least once every three years and insurance should be mandatory. We don't want road tax that is for sure but it would be an ideal way to have a current registration base for all caravans. CRIS does not fall into this category at all as it is not compulsory.

 

[RogerL]

Caravans that are to be used on the road should have some sort of MOT done at least once every three years and insurance should be mandatory. We don't want road tax that is for sure but it would be an ideal way to have a current registration base for all caravans. CRIS does not fall into this category at all as it is not compulsory.

I agree totally with that - we already pay extra duty as our fuel consumption towing is considerably higher than solo.
For properly maintained cars, the MoT test holds no fears - only the poorly maintained need fear it - similarly with caravans, properly maintained ones won't have any issues.

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

hi all.
as a guy who has caravaned and tow allsorts of trailers for 40+ years I am firmly against it on the principal of it being the thin end of the wedge, yes it all sounds quite reasonable on first glance but isn't that exactly how all compulsory legistlataon starts off and ends up all encompassing catch all mine field of regulation and type approval.
plus all the costs and hassle involved submit to it at your peril, a couple of years down the line and that unbraked alluminium light weight trailer you bought from halfords for removing a bit of garden rubbish will cost more to keep than having to pay some one to take it away. besides which isn't carravanning expensive enough???.
colin

 

[RogerL]

hi all.
as a guy who has caravaned and tow allsorts of trailers for 40+ years I am firmly against it on the principal of it being the thin end of the wedge, yes it all sounds quite reasonable on first glance but isn't that exactly how all compulsory legistlataon starts off and ends up all encompassing catch all mine field of regulation and type approval.
plus all the costs and hassle involved submit to it at your peril, a couple of years down the line and that unbraked alluminium light weight trailer you bought from halfords for removing a bit of garden rubbish will cost more to keep than having to pay some one to take it away. besides which isn't carravanning expensive enough???.
colin

The cost argument is irrelevant - accident reduction would be the justification for such a move.

 

[Gafferbill]

Statistics showed that some towbar installations caused separations due to rust or failed bolts, so these are now examined as part of a vehicle MOT.
……since the hitch, lights and brakes on the trailer/caravan, would be the only testable items with any relevance, and none of these feature in accident statistics, what would be the point?
….. and anyway, how do you test a trailer/caravan brakes?

 

[NigelDonnelly]

Interesting topic. I reckon a national, compulsory database of caravan registrations would inevitably lead to road taxation for caravanners, particularly as it would be popular with the majority of motorists. There just aren't the numbers of injuries caused by badly maintained caravans to justify setting such a scheme up.

Incidentally, as you may have seen elsewhere, the MOT is being extended to cover 13-pin towing electrics from 1 Jan 2012, but not 7-pin systems. Any idea why one and not the other?

 

[Surfer]

Incidentally, as you may have seen elsewhere, the MOT is being extended to cover 13-pin towing electrics from 1 Jan 2012, but not 7-pin systems. Any idea why one and not the other?

Probably due to EU regulations as it is my understandings that 7 pin systems have been redundant for years in the EU. I would imagine that the majority of cars fitted with towbars these days would have a 13 pin system even if they bought an old caravan as adaptors are readily available. We have always had 13pin electrics fitted on our cars since 2004.

 

[anotherDavid]

If this ever comes about we all know who will be responsible for it , the owners of the old wrecks that get taken out once a year probably to the West country for a "cheap" holiday.
David

 

[RogerL]

Incidentally, as you may have seen elsewhere, the MOT is being extended to cover 13-pin towing electrics from 1 Jan 2012, but not 7-pin systems. Any idea why one and not the other?

Probably due to EU regulations as it is my understandings that 7 pin systems have been redundant for years in the EU. I would imagine that the majority of cars fitted with towbars these days would have a 13 pin system even if they bought an old caravan as adaptors are readily available. We have always had 13pin electrics fitted on our cars since 2004.

There's no EC regulations on type of plug/socket - there are 3 different types of 13-pin connection as well as the 12N/12S system - it's just convention that European outfits used one of the 13-pin systems and that the NCC originally required 12N/12S but then changed to require 13-pin