Registering a homebuilt trailer (US) in Germany

[yayeric]

Hey, wondering if anyone has experience with registering a home-made trailer in Germany. I know the regulations are (very) strict. I'm currently waiting for TUV and DEKRA to respond (looking for detailed specifications), but I'm interested in any personnel experiences.

A friend from Germany says it's impossible (convinced I'll have to do a crash test and rebuild it with proof I built it the same exact way), my uncle in Germany says it will be hard, and my Aunt and her husband, both Police, say it's possible.

I couldn't find a single example online of someone building a teardrop in Germany that wasn't from a "here's all your parts - put it together yourself" store.

Should I register it in another country and just bring it to Germany? I hear the Netherlands is easy and have a few contacts.

Thanks!

[gudmund]

maybe it's Germany's way of paying us back for all of the years they weren't allowed to bring their cars to the states till they passed our 'crash safety tests/pollution requirements' before being allowed in??

[Squigie]

maybe it's Germany's way of paying us back for all of the years they weren't allowed to bring their cars to the states till they passed our 'crash safety tests/pollution requirements' before being allowed in??

I know it was a bad joke, but Germany is so strict about vehicle equipment and customization that you can't even change tires or wheels legally, unless going to something offered by the manufacturer on that specific year and model combination, or on a very short list of approved alternatives.

The limited number of places where vehicle inspections are required in the US generally have a reputation for being nitpicky and a pain in the butt, but they are 'lax' and 'superficial' when compared to the requirements for a TUV certificate.

[Modstock]

I'd probably look at it like a cargo trailer and try registering like that.
Also be careful about words like "homebuilt" to government agencies.
If you see someone with a small trailer in Germany, ask em. Im sure it can't be that hard to register.
If it's small enough, it may not even need tags.

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[nbcarey]

Hete's the German government's web site on the matter (in English).

The stickler is that it must have a 'certificate of conformity', either type approval for a commercial design, or "individual approval"

No clue what hoops you need to jump through to get individual approval for your home-built.

https://verwaltung.bund.de/leistungsver ... /region/06