Does My Camper Trailer Need a Roadworthy in Queensland?
I inspected this camper trailer in Cleveland today. It passed without any issues – the owner had clearly looked after it. But before booking, he wasn’t sure whether a camper trailer even needed a roadworthy. Here’s the answer.
Same rules as any trailer - over 750kg ATM
A camper trailer follows the same rules as every other trailer in Queensland. If the ATM (Aggregate Trailer Mass) is 751kg or more, you need a roadworthy certificate for sale, ownership transfer, or registration. If the ATM is 750kg or less, no roadworthy required.
Most camper trailers are over 750kg ATM once you factor in the tent, kitchen setup, water tanks, and storage. Don’t assume yours is under the limit – check the compliance plate or your official registration certificate to be sure.
Camper trailers that sit in storage
Camper trailers spend a lot of their life parked. Some only come out a few times a year. This means they often develop problems from sitting rather than from use:
Flat or cracked tyres. Rubber deteriorates from age, UV exposure, and sitting in one position for months. Even if the tread looks fine, old cracked sidewalls will fail.
Seized brakes. If the trailer has brakes and they haven’t been used in months, they can seize from corrosion. Try spinning the wheels by hand before booking – they should turn freely.
Flat or dead breakaway battery. If your camper trailer has a breakaway brake system (mandatory for trailers with a GTM over 2 tonnes), the battery needs to be charged and the system must work. A flat breakaway battery is a fail.
Non-working lights. Wiring corrodes over time, especially if the trailer has been stored outdoors. Connect the trailer to a vehicle and test every light before the inspection.
Camper trailer inspections are easy to do unattended
You don’t need to be there for a camper trailer inspection. I only need access to the trailer – I don’t need the owner present. If you want to save money and your schedule is flexible, book the flexible option for $110 online as an unattended inspection. I arrive between 8am and 4.30pm, inspect the trailer, and send you the result.
The only time I need the owner present or need access to the inside of the trailer is if the compliance plate is located inside. This happens occasionally with some caravans where the plate is mounted inside a cupboard or near the door frame. For most camper trailers the plate is on the drawbar and I don’t need to go inside at all.
Setting up for the inspection
A few things that help the inspection go smoothly:
Park the trailer on a flat, hard surface. I need to jack up each side to check the wheel bearings, brakes, and suspension. I can’t do this on a slope, on grass, or in mud. A driveway or concrete pad is ideal.
Make sure I can access all sides of the trailer. If it’s squeezed between a fence and a shed with no room to move around, the inspection becomes difficult. Leave enough space for me to get underneath and around both sides.
I can’t move trailers. Wherever the trailer is parked when I arrive is where the inspection happens. If it needs repositioning, that needs to be done before I get there.
Connect the trailer to a vehicle if possible. I need to test the lights, and for trailers with electric brakes, the brake controller in the tow vehicle needs to be connected. If you can have the trailer hooked up to a car before I arrive, that speeds things up.
