snipped-for-privacy@lycos.co.uk (Kevin) wrote in news:f6100712.0307180350.5c874da1 @posting.google.com:
I'm a little off-topic here but I know somebody out there will have
> the same needs as myself and is likely to know the answer.
>
> I recently bought a small (4' x 3') unbraked second-hand trailer,
> which I use primarily to bring new materials from the builders
> merchant and to take the junk to the tip. I have been told that I
> should have a cable or some such linking the car to the trailer in
> case the coupling fails. But I've been unable to find the regulations
> relating to this, everything I read refers to a device to activate the
> brakes if the trailer becomes separated from the car, but as mentioned
> above, mine is an unbraked trailer.
>
> The question then is do I need some kind of failsafe device, what is
> appropriate and where can I get it ?
>
> Thanks.
>
Not a cable - those are used as a breakaway to pull the brakes on and you don't have any. You need a secondary hitch, which is usually a short length of chain that goes round the towball before you drop the hitch on to it. The secondary hitch on my Caddy trailer is bolted on to the trailer with the bolts that hold the hitch on the towing arm. All you need is chain with enough load strength to cope with the maximum load weight of your trailer.