The Fifth Wheel Co today warned that many of the non-European imported fifth wheel trailers on our roads today are not UK legal, meaning that insurance claims can be null and void.
The company have had confirmation from VOSA, the government agency responsible for roadworthiness and compliance of UK vehicles that most of the imported models fall far short in standards such as brakes, size etc despite the importing companies’ advertising stating the contrary. “We have been in contact with Trading Standard to look into this false advertising and we are now calling on the industry to also be aware that the public are put at risk through this false practice,” said Mervyn Parry-Jones, Managing Director of Fifth Wheel Co.
Equally, the larger American pick ups (2,500 and larger) do not facilitate payload required for fifth wheelers because they are registered as vehicles having a gross weight of 3,500, for example they weigh over 3000 kilos so the payload with passengers is only 200-300 kilos, needs 800 to a 1,000 kilos
Imagine the situation, you have an accident in your non European built fifth wheel trailer but all is not lost as you know that you have insurance. Then not only do you have to deal with the terrible trauma that you and your loved ones have experienced, you also have to cope with the reality that the insurance company will not pay out on your claim as your vehicle was not road worthy. A terrible disaster becomes a catastrophe.
The Fifth Wheel Co is the only company in Europe manufacturing fifth wheel based caravans. The company has invested time and money into ensuring that their products meet and exceed all aspects of UK and European road safety standards. The term ‘fifth wheel’ refers to the coupling used to tow the caravan by the specially converted pick-up truck which allows greater stability and safety than a standard caravan and car set up.
“Our company has been customer centric since our formation over a decade ago,” reports Mervyn “Initially we began by importing American trailers, but we became aware of changing specifications that meant we would have been selling illegal imports - a totally unacceptable concept for us, particularly as our customers are an extension of our family,” and thus the Fifth Wheel Co was founded, ensuring roadworthy British built products.
The situation is so serious that Fifth Wheel Co are compiling a report on this problem and are calling for people who are unsure whether their fifth wheel vehicle is road legal to contact them on . This will raise awareness of the situation and should help protect people in the future from falling into the same trap.
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