Frequently Asked Questions

If you would like to use your trailer in most existing EU counties, for business and commercial purposes and its gross weight is over 750kg and less than 35ookg, you will need to register your trailer with DVLA.

These regulations do not apply to trailers that are to be used abroad for personal use, such as camping, house moving, etc. and the trailer has a gross weight of under 3500kg.

You can register your trailer voluntarily, even if you do not intend to use it abroad and it is over 750kg gross and you only use it for personal travel.

A trailer registration plate can be purchased online at:
https://www.westerntowing.co.uk/product/trailer-registration-number-plate/
These plates are slightly smaller than a vehicle number plate so cannot be used on a car.

Noval trailers used to be sold by B&Q. The UK importer dissolved a few years ago and with the high transportation cost and high Euro exchange rate, no-one is bringing in the trailers from France, this also includes spare parts. We are still able to get a few basic parts like wheels and spare light lenses as these tend to be fairly universal.

For anything a bit more specific, we would suggest a Franc dealer. Unfortunately, we are unable to recommend anyone.

We are trying to get a reliable supply all the time however this is proving difficult.

If you have not hired from us since we have relocated to Marsh Barton, we will need to see the following documents from you in order to hire a trailer.

A Drivers licence showing your current local address. You can submit this electronically by filling out our online hire form at the following link.
https://www.westerntowing.co.uk/hire/

We require a £250 deposit on a credit or debit card, cash is also acceptable as long as the hire charge is paid by a debit or credit card.

Don’t forget a number plate.

Details of the trailers that are available for hire can be found on our hire page.

We can only supply number plates over the counter in one of our branches. They are made on-site and take five minutes to make up so no need to order them.

Please see the number plate page for information about documents needed here.

We all know that new cars are coming out with some amazing electronics. If your vehicle has pre-collision braking, self-parking, ESP (Electronic Stability Programme), adaptive cruise control, electronic handbrake, adaptive suspension or blind spot indicators you may need a dedicated kit or these safety features will not work correctly when towing and may even cause an accident.

Dedicated electrical kits can also turn off reversing sensors and fog lights whilst you’re towing.

Yes, you may do, it all depends on the age of the vehicle and the electronic safety features the vehicle has. If it does, then we will include these when fitting your towbar and upgrade the software if required, safety is our number one concern. All towbars fitted by us are covered by at least a 12 months guarantee.

We’d love to give you a quote for fitting your towbar, please complete the online towbar fitting quote form.

It should take between 2 and 6 hours to fit a tow bar depending on the vehicle. Our usual booking times are 9.00am-3.00pm or 11:00am-5:00pm Monday to Friday and 9-12:30 on Saturdays (Exeter branch only). Both branches are located close to local bus routes and within walking distance of local amenities.

Our usual booking time is about 3-5 days in advance. This can increase during the summer so please give as much notice as you can.

Please note, we require a minimum deposit of £100 when booking to secure the time in the workshop and to ensure all the parts required are in stock.

For full details of our towbar & fitting service click here.

Our towbar fitting page has a simple form that can be sent to us so we can ensure the best price to suit you and your vehicle’s needs.

Alternatively, please call us on 01392 216336 for our Exeter branch or 01626 355115 for our Newton Abbot branch.

Please note, once a quote has been supplied, you will need to call to book in at the specified branch you would like to visit.

We require a minimum £100 deposit when booking to secure the time in the workshop and to ensure all the parts required are in stock.

We will email a VAT receipt when your order is dispatched.

If your order has come directly from the manufacturer (axles, made to measure covers, front push towbars) we will email you a receipt on the day the goods are ordered.

We email invoices for international orders on request only

VAT is payable on all orders being shipped within the E.U. unless a valid VAT number can be supplied and verified prior to dispatch.

If the order is being shipped outside of the E.U. we will remove the VAT before shipping.

Please email s if you have any questions

We can occasionally offer trade discount on larger orders (£200+) excluding certain parts like brake shoes, axles & couplings. However, all discounted orders are exempt from free delivery offers and our carriage paid amounts.

We do offer trade accounts but strictly for our local customers only. Account are for convenience, not credit. We work on a strict 30 day policy and must be used regularly. We require at least one transaction using credit/debit card or bank transfer before we open a trade account. Please visit our branches in Exeter or Newton Abbot.

We do not offer distant accounts. This is due to the increasing cost of carriage that negates any discount offered.

Due to the security on our website and restrictions on your card, your card company may not allow you to process an online payment. On these occasions, we should have all your details on our system but we just need your card details. When this happens, please call us on 01392 216336 so we can finish taking your order.

If our website takes you to a “Verified by Visa” page or the MasterCard equivalent, this is an additional security feature from the bank or card provider. It has nothing to do with us.

If you have any problems or questions whilst processing your order, please give us a call on 01392 216336 and we would be happy to help.

We currently accept all major credit cards, debit cards and PayPal. We don’t use American Express at the moment but we hope to add it soon.

Unfortunately, trailers are for collection only from our branches in Exeter or Newton Abbot in Devon. If we quote delivery on a trailer, that means delivery from the manufacturer to us.

If your order is below our carriage paid amount, it can be upgraded to a Next Working Day service for a small additional charge so it is sent with our courier rather then First Class Post.

We can offer a range of timed deliveries for all orders if they are sent by DHL or ParcelForce. The additional charges for these services are detailed below.
Monday- Friday By 12:00 £5.00
Saturday by 12:00 £17.00
Monday- Friday By 10:00 £10.00
Saturday by 10:00 £22.00
Monday- Friday By 9:00 £17.50
Saturday by 9:00 £29.50

The above prices are guidelines only. Prices are exclusive of VAT and any other delivery charges.

Please call us on 01392 216336 for further details

If the order was sent by First Class Post, it should be delivered within 5 working days. If this is not the case, please check with your local Post Office before getting in touch. Please note we cannot claim for lost items with Royal Mail until 15 working days have passed.

If the item has been sent by courier and it has not arrived within 48 hours, please check for a card from the driver. If you have not received one, please call so we can track the delivery for you and give you more information if needed.

When calling about your order, please have your order number to hand so we can find your order quickly.

Full information about our delivery and shipping schedules for more information.

Orders received before 2.00pm on a normal working day (i.e not Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays) will be dispatched that day. Should we be unable to do this we will contact you either by email or telephone to inform you as to when the goods can be sent and giving you the option to cancel if the anticipated delivery is unacceptable.

Usually, all orders are sent First Class post or by a courier using the Working Day Delivery service.

If there are going to be any delays to this we will let you know as soon as possible. Please see our Shipping and Handling page for more information.

We can only take orders for trailer covers online. Please fill out the details shown on our made to measure trailer covers page and you will obtain an instant quote. If this is acceptable it can be added to your basket to buy online.

If you have any special requirements please complete a trailer cover quote request form and we’ll get back to you.

Your trailer cover order will be checked, we’ll contact you if we require any further information, then the cover details will be sent to our manufacturer. We aim to do this within 24hr (except weekends). You will receive an invoice by email separately from the cover.

Any items ordered with the cover will be sent separately and the cover will arrive by courier 7-14 working days after the order has been received.

We can ship to almost anywhere in the world. However, we will only offer a price in British pounds (GBP). The cost of shipping will depend on product, value and locations. We cannot ship trailers or very large items.
If you would like us to export to you, please place an order online with the required parts and we’ll contact you by email with the carriage cost. We will remove VAT (if applicable) and add carriage later.

Alternatively, please email us with the following information:
Full Address including postcode/zip code, products and quantities required & required by date.

We add items to the website all the time. About 90% for what we keep in our shop is on our website. We deal directly with most major manufacturers so we can get hold of almost anything, so don’t hesitate to contact us.

We can supply tyres by themselves but by the time you paid a professional to fit them or buy a separate rim to fit them on, we have found that it works out about the same as buying a whole new wheel in the first place. Most tyre depots supply trailer tyres and can do them for cheaper than we can. However we are able to be competitive on a complete assembly of wheel and tyre.

Yes, we can normally get a replacement axle. In order to get a price and for further details, please Email us the following information:
Vehicle make and model, Vehicle reg & VIN number

Most the information we need is on the tyre. Firstly, we need the tyre size e.g. 500×10 or 145/80R10 – this is imprinted on the tyre wall. Secondly we need to know the PCD. A complete guide to work is out is on our Guides and Diagrams page.
But we do have a few little cheats. If there is a cut out in the centre hole to allow a grease nipple then the PCD is 4”. If the wheel has come from an Erde, Daxara, Trelgo or Noval, it’s almost certainly 115mm PCD.

If you still need help, please don’t hesitate to email us with as much of the following information you can:
Make and model of trailer, Tyre size, & PCD

The axle plate is usually found underneath the trailer in the centre of the axle. Most manufacturers can tell exactly what is fitted to the axle from the details on this plate.
Al-ko. Type number starts LE
Avonride. May have Maesteg – type number is just a series of number normally quite long
Knott. Type number is just a series of number normally quite long
BPW. Type number is just a series of number normally quite long
Indespension. Normally same as chassis number/ series number but we can tell from trailer model and approx year build
Peak. Type number is just a series of number normally quite long

These are just guide lines; over the years different numbers have used.

If you still need help, please don’t hesitate to email us with as much of the following information you can:
Trailer make, Trailer model, Axle weight, Axle number and parts needed

Photos of the coupling can also be every useful.

Somewhere on the body of the coupling (not the coupling head), there should be an ID plate. This plate should contain the manufacturers name, a type number and weight of the coupling. This is often most of the information that is needed to figure out what parts is fitted. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, use the below form.
Common manufacturers:
Al-ko. Type number 6 digits beginning 811 (ID plate is a green oval)
Avonride. Might have Maesteg – CF34 0AQ. Type number AC or AV followed by weight
Knott. Type numbers KFG, KRV, KF followed by weight
Bradley. Type numbers begin with HU or EH
BPW. Coupling numbers begin 48.27.58
Indespension. Type numbers start V67 or CP
These are just guidelines; over the years different numbers have used.

If you still need help, please don’t hesitate to email us with as much of the following information you can:
Coupling make, coupling model, coupling weight and parts needed

Photos of the coupling can be every useful.

To identify spare parts like brake shoes, drums, bearings etc, manufacturers usually give plenty of clues. Drums and bearings normally have numbers inscribed in them. Brake shoes can be identified by the width of the brake shoe and the internal diameter of the drum. Grease caps will often offer clues as to the manufacturer.
We have a number of resources to call on as well as a wide range of suppliers