MOT Problems Via EU

[Dustydog]

Hello Surfer,

I have spent some considerable time looking through the official online documentation from VOSA and the VCA looking for references to GAS as fitted to caravans.

I have found no direct references, only references to heaters in trailers where it is used to heat the internal volume or the load. None of these specifically mentions gas, and in the context of a caravan, the internal volume would not be heated when it is being towed as a vehicle. The heater is used when the caravan is set up for habitation, which is when it stationary and not technically a vehicle.

Now I am certain I have missed some documents, so please can you identify which document you are referring to, so I can review the content.

Prof John

It was in the DT!!!

There's more to this than meets the eye>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

[Lutz]

The heater is used when the caravan is set up for habitation, which is when it stationary and not technically a vehicle.

Hey, Prof, since when does a vehicle cease being a vehicle when it is stationary? So long as it is standing on a public highway it still has to fulfil all requirements.

 

[Surfer]

Hello Surfer,

I have spent some considerable time looking through the official online documentation from VOSA and the VCA looking for references to GAS as fitted to caravans.

I have found no direct references, only references to heaters in trailers where it is used to heat the internal volume or the load. None of these specifically mentions gas, and in the context of a caravan, the internal volume would not be heated when it is being towed as a vehicle. The heater is used when the caravan is set up for habitation, which is when it stationary and not technically a vehicle.

Now I am certain I have missed some documents, so please can you identify which document you are referring to, so I can review the content.

Apologies I should have referred to "heating systems" rather than gas and I am asking a genuine sincere question and not baiting you. See here which is actually a presentation but gives a link to the EU directive. My reasoning is that it refers to trailers in general and could be used to implement checking the heating system in a MOT for caravans. Doubt if MOT will be imposed on caravans.

 

[Parksy]

My interpretation of the proposals is that many of the changes will bring other parts of Europe up to UK standards but the proposals include plans to test all trailers, which if approved, will mean some form of inspection for caravans.

 

[ProfJohnL]

I have little doubt that it is good sense to have caravans properly checked for road worthiness and for the gas and electrics to be periodically checked for safety. As it stands MOT stations are not capable of handling caravans, nor do they have the necessary industry based accreditation's for dealing with LPG or 230V mains systems.

The muted electrical inspection tests seem to have fallen from public debate, and in my opinion were unnecessarily over complicated and thus expensive, and I have been amazed that no similar scheme was proposed for gas systems. However I am fairly sure that such schemes are in the offing, and perhaps this thread is the result of speculation on the matter.

Hello Surfer

May I assure you my response and question was entirely genuine. Thanks for the pointer:-

I had already reviewed that particular document, and several others published by VCA and VOSA. I found no specific mention of caravan gas systems or gas appliances although on page 19 where fridges and combi boilers are mentioned in the context electromagnetic interference. It goes on to say "These components are generally all approved as a separate unit or turned off via a relay when the trailer is connected to a towing vehicle"

Hello Lutz,

You are of course correct that a caravan remains a vehicle, and perhaps I was clumsy in my explanation. I was trying to point out that as the heating and other gas appliances are not used whilst the caravan is in motion, in fact they should be isolated from the gas supply, and thus are not part of the road-going aspect of the vehicle, and thus it could be argued they should not be subject VCA/VOSA road-worthiness inspections.

We all know that working on gas appliances in any professional context requires Gas Safe accreditation. I would have serious reservations about MOT stations passing judgments on gas systems unless they have been fully trained on gas systems to Gas safe levels of competence.

I have absolutely no doubt that most competent garage mechanics would be more than capable of achieving the accreditation, but are they aware of the cost of the courses and maintaining the acreditation, and how that would affect the viability of running an MOT station?

Actually none of the documents I have seen actually say that these trailer tests would have to be carried out at MOT stations. so we may all be jumping to the wrong conclusions.