Can you make a car trailer and legally have people in the trailer car? With seats

93gavinmoran93 · 06-10-2015 12:50PM #1

I have a 5 seat car and I cannot afford a bigger car but I was wondering if u can legally get an old car, cut it in half to make a trailer, keep the seats etc in it and legally be allowed to tow it with people in it? Is there an insurance that will Cover that? It literally would be used like once a year for long journeys so it wouldn't be worth my while getting a 7 seater car

Tefral · 06-10-2015 12:56PM

93gavinmoran93 wrote: »

I have a 5 seat car and I cannot afford a bigger car but I was wondering if u can legally get an old car, cut it in half to make a trailer, keep the seats etc in it and legally be allowed to tow it with people in it? Is there an insurance that will Cover that? It literally would be used like once a year for long journeys so it wouldn't be worth my while getting a 7 seater car

I think you've been watching too much topgear!!

it would have to be NCT'd and would never pass...

Avns1s · 06-10-2015 12:59PM

93gavinmoran93 wrote: »

I have a 5 seat car and I cannot afford a bigger car but I was wondering if u can legally get an old car, cut it in half to make a trailer, keep the seats etc in it and legally be allowed to tow it with people in it? Is there an insurance that will Cover that? It literally would be used like once a year for long journeys so it wouldn't be worth my while getting a 7 seater car

I don't think you have much respect for your passengers!!

Atlantic Dawn · 06-10-2015 01:09PM

Sometimes I do wonder...

colm_mcm · 06-10-2015 01:09PM

you can pick up 7 seaters for under €1000

Prenderb · 06-10-2015 01:24PM

Hire a 7 seater when you need it.

Sh1tbag OToole · 06-10-2015 01:33PM

93gavinmoran93 wrote: »

I have a 5 seat car and I cannot afford a bigger car but I was wondering if u can legally get an old car, cut it in half to make a trailer, keep the seats etc in it and legally be allowed to tow it with people in it? Is there an insurance that will Cover that? It literally would be used like once a year for long journeys so it wouldn't be worth my while getting a 7 seater car

Only if they're dead

biko · 06-10-2015 01:33PM

Hell no, it will never be legal here.

MarkR · 06-10-2015 01:36PM

Have a look through here.

http://www.rsa.ie/en/RSA/Your-Vehicle/Vehicle-Standards/Standards-for-Vehicles-in-use/

Would cost more to make and certify I would think, then it would cost to buy a car.

CreepingDeath · 06-10-2015 01:43PM

By any chance did you own this car on the Gardai twitter feed a few weeks ago?

On a more serious note... probably cheaper to rent a bigger car if you're going on hols only once a year or so.

CJhaughey · 06-10-2015 02:22PM

I don't think it would be legal to carry people in any towed trailer on the road apart from perhaps a parade.
Too much can go wrong with tow hitches etc.
Many French and German and Swedish estates can take 7 people with fold up seats in the back.

CiniO · 06-10-2015 03:33PM

CJhaughey wrote: »

I don't think it would be legal to carry people in any towed trailer on the road apart from perhaps a parade.
Too much can go wrong with tow hitches etc.
Many French and German and Swedish estates can take 7 people with fold up seats in the back.

I wonder what makes it allright or legal to carry people on a trailer during the parade?
Because I don't think there's any law about that.

Special Circumstances · 06-10-2015 03:42PM

CiniO wrote: »

I wonder what makes it allright or legal to carry people on a trailer during the parade?
Because I don't think there's any law about that.

Parade use comes under section 1 and a bit of the Dara O'Briain guide to Irish law.
The daily use of such a contraption comes under section 3.

quote-there-are-three-states-of-legality-in-irish-law-there-is-all-this-stuff-which-comes-dara-o-briain-62-61-82.jpg

quote-there-are-three-states-of-legality-in-irish-law-there-is-all-this-stuff-which-comes-dara-o-briain-62-61-82.jpg

fancy pigeon · 06-10-2015 03:55PM

No matter how much you hate your in laws you can always lumber them onto someone else for that family reunion down the country.

Cattle trailers are for cattle I'm afraid

bazz26 · 06-10-2015 04:22PM

Is this a serious question or just a wind up?

sjb25 · 06-10-2015 04:29PM

bazz26 wrote: »

Is this a serious question or just a wind up?

I hope it's a wind up Jesus couldn't see myself getting into a trailer and heading to town

I dunno the laws around it but don't think iv seen anybody in a caravan while it is been towed and I'd say it would be the same principle to much could go wrong yeah would be mad
Older 7 seater could be picked up cheap if you looked

Skatedude · 06-10-2015 04:40PM

It's got to be a wind up, cant see anyone been that stupid and he hasn't replied

Panrich · 06-10-2015 04:44PM

The Backwards Man · 06-10-2015 04:47PM

Be nothing wrong with it if you get a horse to pull it.

Special Circumstances · 06-10-2015 05:09PM

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Be nothing wrong with it if you get a horse to pull it.

This is the path the OP needs to go down I think. If he lives in killarney no one will notice, if he lives in limerick nobody will care, could be a bit conspicuous in other spots though.

Pugzilla · 06-10-2015 06:47PM

Motorbikes are legal and what protection do they offer?

Don't see how this could be anymore dangerous than that.
Just get the passengers to wear some crash helmets.

savagethegoat · 07-10-2015 07:16AM

I think it must be legal to do this

stoneill · 07-10-2015 07:18AM

Bendy buses? - that's just a small bus pulling a trailer.

AngryHippie · 07-10-2015 07:23AM

93gavinmoran93 wrote: »

I if u can legally get an old car, cut it in half to make a trailer, keep the seats etc in it and legally be allowed to tow it with people in it?

Short answer - No.

Long answer - Hell no.

Anything you do would have to be engineered, tested and certified.

get an old car, cut it in half to make a trailer is not going to fly by any stretch of the imagination.

The cost would far exceed changing to a bigger car, or even a minibus.

You are look at tens of thousands of dollars just for the design and inspection, then you'll have all of the certification rigmarole to go through.

Once you've done all of that you'll have to get it fabricated, tested and insured for use on the road.

Let it go.

AngryHippie · 07-10-2015 07:25AM

stoneill wrote: »

Bendy buses? - that's just a small bus pulling a trailer.

No, no it's not.

It's an engineered, tested, certified and inspected vehicle for public transit.

do you really think they just stick a couple of hinges on a bus?

cormie · 07-10-2015 07:29AM

What's the deal with motorhomes and caravans?

On more than one occasion I've seen occupants of a motorhome who didn't appear to be strapped in by seatbelts and I think some even moving around in the back. If this is legal, how many people are legally able to be in the back if none of them have proper seats. Also, if it's legal, is it illegal for the same in a trailing caravan as opposed to a motorhome? And if that's illegal, what about towing a broken down car with the driver at the wheel and possibly more in the back? :pac:

CJhaughey · 07-10-2015 07:49AM

cormie wrote: »

What's the deal with motorhomes and caravans?

On more than one occasion I've seen occupants of a motorhome who didn't appear to be strapped in by seatbelts and I think some even moving around in the back. If this is legal, how many people are legally able to be in the back if none of them have proper seats. Also, if it's legal, is it illegal for the same in a trailing caravan as opposed to a motorhome? And if that's illegal, what about towing a broken down car with the driver at the wheel and possibly more in the back? :pac:

Motorhomes should have seatbelts for all occupants, of course the temptation for the occupants to make a cuppa or similar can lead to them moving around inside.
Caravans are not designed to carry any occupants in motion, no seatbelts or tested seats inside.
Just google caravan crashes and you can see how well they hold up in an accident.

Second Toughest in_the Freshers · 07-10-2015 07:55AM

An old banger, a good tow-rope, and someone to steer/ work the brakes. Job done

cormie · 07-10-2015 10:13AM

CJhaughey wrote: »

Motorhomes should have seatbelts for all occupants, of course the temptation for the occupants to make a cuppa or similar can lead to them moving around inside.
Caravans are not designed to carry any occupants in motion, no seatbelts or tested seats inside.
Just google caravan crashes and you can see how well they hold up in an accident.

Yeah have seen quite a lot on dash cam videos and they aren't nice. So it's perfectly possible to get a motorhome with 9 seats for driver and 8 passengers to drive on regular B license I'm guessing? Does the same apply when you go up the ranks and get the much larger RV types? What about touring busses for the likes of bands going on tour etc I wonder, you never see the occupants strapped in in the movies

Markcheese · 07-10-2015 10:58AM

Shure you could just buy an old cattle box - throw a few bales of straw in it and transport a whole under 8's football team in it - especially if you have a cortina to tow -
Course you'll also need a time machine to take you to the early 80s

Voodoomelon · 07-10-2015 11:25AM

"I can't afford a bigger car, but can I cut one in half and...".

This made my morning.

Pure wind up, top marks for effort.

Can you make a car trailer and legally have people in the trailer car? With seats

Comments