Saturday, May 11, 2013 at 13:23
Here is the relevant section from Vehicle Safety Bulletin #6 from NSW RTA or now RMS.
The Road Transport (Vehicle Registration) Regulation 2007 requires that all trailers with a Gross Trailer Mass (GTM)
exceeding 2 tonnes be provided with a braking system which will operate automatically and promptly upon breakaway
of the trailer from its towing vehicle, and that such application should be maintained for at least fifteen minutes.
Such trailers, if fitted with electrically actuated braking systems, must be equipped with a device which applies the
brakes in the event of a breakaway from the towing vehicle and maintains application for at least fifteen minutes. It is
essential therefore, that an energy source, such as a battery, be carried on the trailer and that means be provided to
ensure that the battery is maintained in a fully energised condition. In this regard, it will be satisfactory if any trailermounted
battery is constantly charged by the towing vehicle and a warning device is fitted to warn the driver (from
the normal driving position) if the trailer battery charge falls to such a level as to render the trailer brakes incapable of
meeting the requirements.
Trailers required to be fitted with breakaway systems are not registerable if there is no means for maintaining the
breakaway energy source in a fully-energised condition (for example, if a charging and warning circuit is not fitted). An
acceptable warning circuit must incorporate either a visual or an audible warning device.
Note that it does not insist on a charge source from the vehicle it merely states that that is one option. This therefore indicates, as stated in the bulletin that it will be sufficient that any charging source be able to maintain the brake safe battery in a charged condition.
To this end a solar setup is adequate provided that it can maintain a charge in the break away battery, as
mine does. In f in my situation I have 3 batteries being maintained by solar and available to the break safe unit in an emergency.
I set
mine up after speaking to one of the fellows at RV Electronics who are the makers of the Break Safe System. My 280 watt solar system charges the 2 X 120AH AGM house batteries and they in turn keep the 7AH sealed battery in the Break Safe unit at full charge all the time, 24 hors a day.
So in this regard the regulation is not at all difficult to comply with and in Motherhen’s case is easily complied with as they have solar fitted to the van.
The regs also state that an “Audible OR Visual” indication must be fitted in the towing vehicle. These are available from RV Electronics at a cost of around $70, which is overpriced for what they are, and are very easily fitted by anyone with a basic amount of electrical knowledge.
The other method is to get a battery charge indicator from Ebay, usually around $25 and fit that in the vehicle to indicate the state of charge in the Break Safe Battery.
Battery Monitor like this
Yes it is a little extra effort but for us here in the State of Extortion otherwise known as NSW it is worth it to be compliant.
Cheers, Bruce.
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