UK boat trailer for EU use.

Refueler said:
I live in EU (Latvia) and I was told when I asked about bringing a UK boat on a trailer - that according to EU rules (Latvia follows sort of !! ) .... there was a grace period to tow it without registration regardless of what nationality car towing it.
It meant that I could buy a trailer in UK .. tow it by UK or EU based car / van and then after so many days in EU - would present trailer to the relevant registration authorities (CSDD in Latvia) for them to inspect / classify and issue registration along with its own number plate.

I know various who actually buy boats on trailers outside EU - particularly UK and do just this ... then register trailer .. boat .. sell here.

That's now ... prior to UK Brexit - the rule as I was informed was that a UK trailer as long as it was only towed by a UK car due to trailers non-registration was OK up to 6 months and then would have to leave EU ... same with the car. But it could be used with non-UK car as long as Registration authority was informed and insurance taken out.

No doubt someone will now tell me I'm wrong.

Note - I am answering the TITLE "uk-boat-trailer-for-eu-use" not the later greater detail of Greece location.

I would be very surprised if there is not possibility to have Vehicle Registration Dept inspect and register the trailer. All it needs is to go and ask ...

I recently bought a mini Excavator for keeping my boat channel clear ... it has a tow hitch fitted, but no lights or registration. I trotted along to Vehicle Registration (CSDD) who told me straight : 40km/hr max ... daylight only. No registration needed. But others I know in transport trades - told me hitch was only for non-road use !! Just illustrating that the real people to answer are the Registration people themselves.
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Something like Latvia work but it sounds too easy for most of the EU. I think I will have to either go to the Ministry here or get a lawyer on the case.
 
Quite a few of the dinghy owners associations have published info on this.

Most countries of the EU require lighting boards and number plates to be attached to the trailer, not the load, and must extend beyond the back of the load. Not an issue when the UK was an EU member, but now you have to conform on entry.
 
st599 said:
Quite a few of the dinghy owners associations have published info on this.

Most countries of the EU require lighting boards and number plates to be attached to the trailer, not the load, and must extend beyond the back of the load. Not an issue when the UK was an EU member, but now you have to conform on entry.
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Lighting boards absolutely - but as I understand it - must be mounted so to be clear of obstruction ... and is why many boat trailers have extendable light board arms. The number plate is the blinder though - as UK is different - the trailer adopts the towing vehicles number and also insurance (subject to roadworthy condition of course) ..... this is contrary to many countries including EU states. This is why a grace period is granted ... its been that way for many years to allow Caravanners etc. to tow their vans abroad etc.
 
Some who have done nothing and got away with it, others who went to massive effort to get their trailer approved and still had issues.

Remember even a UK trailer should be approved if it was made after 2012. Therefore if you get a newer UK trailer you should have no issues registering it in Europe.

As both UK and EU approvals need detailed specifications, and certains regs (particularly about trailer lighting) have changed it will be difficult to get an old trailer approved. It would also need to be in absolutely perfect working order.

You will probably end up changing the trailer for an approved one but you need to be very careful. With trailers you buy on condition - a older trailer in perfect condition will fetch a good proportion of the new trailer price. Conversely a relatively new trailer never serviced and been in the sea a lot can fetch very little if it needs a complete overhaul. Some sellers see another trailer advertised for a lot of money and try and advertise their own wreck for a similar price. You can easily over pay.

You get bargains of course, but generally a perfect used trailer will never fetch less than 2/3 of the new price unless it is very old or ungalvanised. Right now we are in a weird situation where there is a waiting list for many trailers so some 'as new' trailers are fetching more than a new one.
 
mucklestone said:
Some who have done nothing and got away with it, others who went to massive effort to get their trailer approved and still had issues.

Remember even a UK trailer should be approved if it was made after 2012. Therefore if you get a newer UK trailer you should have no issues registering it in Europe.

As both UK and EU approvals need detailed specifications, and certains regs (particularly about trailer lighting) have changed it will be difficult to get an old trailer approved. It would also need to be in absolutely perfect working order.

You will probably end up changing the trailer for an approved one but you need to be very careful. With trailers you buy on condition - a older trailer in perfect condition will fetch a good proportion of the new trailer price. Conversely a relatively new trailer never serviced and been in the sea a lot can fetch very little if it needs a complete overhaul. Some sellers see another trailer advertised for a lot of money and try and advertise their own wreck for a similar price. You can easily over pay.

You get bargains of course, but generally a perfect used trailer will never fetch less than 2/3 of the new price unless it is very old or ungalvanised. Right now we are in a weird situation where there is a waiting list for many trailers so some 'as new' trailers are fetching more than a new one.
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And if it was manufactured before 2012? My trailer looks no different to what you can buy today, I do find the CE/EU rules quite typically ridiculous.
 
Yes 2012 or later.

Trailers made after this date must go through a type approval process to be sold or used on the road. You cannot build your own trailer anymore.

There were no fundamental changes to the trailers (though as I said lighting was updated on many trailers) and many older trailer would pass type approval with minimal modifications.

All I meant is that if you buy a trailer built after that date it is easy to show it meets the EU standards because it has been tested. Without it you will struggle.

Unfortunately it put a lot of low volume manufacturers like ourselves out of business. Our trailers were up to standard, but we couldn't do the volumes to make it pay when getting them approved.
 
I thought you were not allowed to take a pre 2011 trailer into the EU at all. Perhaps that is for those that are residents there.

I wonder if you can take a professionally built 2003 UK unbraked trailer meeting 750kg requirements into France for just a week from the UK. Seems to be really difficult to find out.
 
In your case I would try and find the sellers on eBay who will make up a trailer plate for you. i.e
HAYLING TRAILERS Chassis No 123456789
Hayling Island Gross Weight 3500 k
Hampshire Nett Weight 2700 k
PO11 OLY

I would also check the tyres, on caravans they are making them replace tyres at 8 years old. The trailer I am selling has the original tyres from 1997.
 
Jim@sea said:
In your case I would try and find the sellers on eBay who will make up a trailer plate for you. i.e
HAYLING TRAILERS Chassis No 123456789
Hayling Island Gross Weight 3500 k
Hampshire Nett Weight 2700 k
PO11 OLY

I would also check the tyres, on caravans they are making them replace tyres at 8 years old. The trailer I am selling has the original tyres from 1997.
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It already has a Hayling chassis plate on the trailer and they now have a record of it:(
 
I have driven to Greece with a UK car and UK twin axle non-breaking trailer many times in the last 5 years. I have to carry with me the original paperwork of the trailer in case of any queries when going through France, Italy and Greece. The Greeks are very fussy with trailers, although I was OK because my car is UK registered, to pull a trailer in Greece you need a certificate from the car manufacturer confirming that the car that will be used to pull the trailer is fit for that purpose, the trailer must have insurance and I presume that the trailer need to be mechanically certified. Overall, you don't see as many cars pulling trailers in Europe as in the UK.
 
Chiara’s slave said:
It wasn’t entirely serious, though on the other hand, if Latvia are so accommodating, why not? The French government aren’t known for easy paperwork, nor helping out Brits in a tight spot
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Ok ... I apologise - but you have been a bit on the 'off' side to me more than once.

I can only say for Latvia as I understand it today ... I know a number of people who travel to UK to buy speedboats on trailers for resale here. They tell me of the grace period ... which I also understand is a 'hang-over' from pre-brexit ... because of UK not having separate number plate etc. Their business is of course 'slow' at present because of border mess ... so who knows what will come next.
What may be changing I have no idea as things here are so f'd up with EU ..... when talking to Police and other authorities on many matters - its as though its all in 'flux' ....
 
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