Over the last two days I’ve seen a few “Show people” and their trucks, if that is the correct name for them (the people that transport the amusement rides in theme parks/shows) Two of them on the M8 heading east, near Edinburgh and One broke down on the M74 north, just before the Raith Interchange (Think Jct 5). These trucks were artics, but they were towing caravans, decent sized caravans behind the trailer. So thats the unit, trailer followed by a caravan.
Can anyone explain this to me, Is this legal, if yes, How come haulage firms don’t use similar set ups? i.e artic with drag
If not, How do they get away with it?
Ps, I put this question to a police officer a few years ago… She had no idea and said it was perhaps covered by some sort of agricultural law, which allows this type of rig…
Towing 2 trailers is only permitted if the tow vehicle is a goods vehicle registered with DVLA as a Showman’s Vehicle which is a taxation class. You’d have to show them that you were a circus/fairground owner/operator. AFAIK it used to only be permitted at certain times and days even with the showman’s plate-though that may have changed.
Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 (c. 22)
“showman’s goods vehicle” means a showman’s vehicle which–
(a) is a goods vehicle, and
(b) is permanently fitted with a living van or some other special type of body or superstructure forming part of the equipment of the show of the person in whose name the vehicle is registered under this Act,
“showman’s vehicle” means a vehicle–
(a) registered under this Act in the name of a person following the business of a travelling showman, and
(b) used solely by him for the purposes of his business and for no other purpose.
Over the years, working near them at shows, I have concluded that these rigs are engineering masterpieces. Get hold of a copy of “World’s Fair”, the showman’s trade paper, and see the work, money and pride that goes into them in the off-season. How else do you get a Miami Trip onto a 40 (-ish!) ft trailer? They get an extra prop from me for using old Brit lorries, too (yeah, and a few Magnums).
dafpower:
Now would said showmans vehicle also fall under tacho rules too?
They are exempt from tachograph rules, but then they normally only travel very short distances between sites and then park up for the best part of a week so they don’t go anywhere near the legal limits.
The trucks tend to be very well maintained, showmen have only a very short season in which to earn a year’s living, so there would be very little point in running a truck which was prone to breaking down. Probably the oldest fleet in the country belongs to Carter’s Steam Fair and it puts many modern fleets to shame.
The maximum length for a showman’s vehicle combination is 25.9 metres or just under 85 feet under certain conditions, but normally 22m or 72 ft.
I used to do a lot of mechanical work for showmen. They are very ingenious engineers, an old favourite would be to graft a complete back end with the double drive Scammell bogie in place of whatever was originally fitted; also adding of course a big winch.
