Yes. All our trailers are sold with a new registration and a 3 year WOF. The detachable deck is considered a load on the trailer, and not part of the chassis. If the detachable deck is over 2.55m wide, it is unbolted and removed from the trailer via lifting jacks that we can supply. Then the bare trailer can be taken for a WOF re-check.
A trailer must be within standard vehicle width (≤2.55 m) to be WOF’d, but the load can be transported up to 3.1 m wide under over-dimension rules.
Extra conditions, namely pilot vehicles, signage, and time-of-day limits apply to loads over 3.1 m in width. Kyle is a certified class 2 pilot, and so can offer some insights on this topic.
Our detachable deck system allows the subfloor to unbolt from the chassis. This makes WOF inspections simple, keeps your trailer road-legal, and gives you flexibility between transport and permanent site use. It’s a smart choice for bigger tiny houses in NZ that exceed standard vehicle size limits while still remaining compliant.
An 8m x 3m trailer and steel floor weighs about 700kg, around 1.1 tons including plywood and insulation.
A 10m x 3m trailer and steel floor weighs about 950kg, around 1.4 tons including plywood and insulation.
Yes, trailers can be delivered to anywhere in New Zealand for a fee
Yes, pick up can be arranged. KDL Trailers is based in Okoia, Wanganui. If your floor frame is over 2.7m wide, you will need some special equipment – Amber beacon, fluoro flags / hazard panels, headlights on low beam. We can offer Pilot Vehicle services and can work together to move a large load.
Not directly, but we work with MTF Finance, you can apply through them.
It depends. If your tiny home is treated as a vehicle, no consent may be required. If it’s fixed as a permanent dwelling, your council may treat it as a building. MBIE guidance covers this, and we recommend discussing your plans with your local council early.
It depends on final weight/width/height and your tow vehicle. Many larger cabins are legally moved on a transporter/low-loader and then re-mounted to the KDL trailer on site. We’ll advise the correct move plan when we know your final dimensions. (Many NZ builders do this for homes over 3.5 ton or 2.55m wide.)
Generally, unless designed very carefully, anything over 7.8m x 2.7m, even with steel framing, is too heavy to be towed behind a light vehicle, as they are limited to maximum load of 3500kg including the trailer.
Your trailer will be very handy for on-site manoeuvring of the tiny home.
An overdimension (or oversize) vehicle or load is one that
exceeds one or more of the maximum dimensions allowed for
standard vehicles.
For Tiny Houses, generally, anything up to 12.5m long (including drawbar) and up to 3.1m wide is a category 1 load and does not require a pilot vehicle. However, many truck operators will not move a load this large without a pilot vehicle as it really is at the limits of what is allowed.
Cat 1 requirements:
-You must display appropriate hazard warning flags or panels.
-The tow vehicle’s low beams must be illuminated during daylight hours.
-You must display an amber beacon if your width exceeds 2.70m and you travel during the hours of darkness.
Cat 2 requirements: (in addition to those in cat 1)
-If the width exceeds 3.1m and you travel over 40km/h, you must be accompanied by at least 1 approved class 2 pilot vehicle.
-You must display an amber beacon if you are accompanied by a pilot vehicle.
-If the width exceeds 3.1m, you must display “OVERSIZE” signage.
Here is the law, look for yourself:
https://nzta.govt.nz/assets/resources/rules/docs/vehicle-dimensions-and-mass-2016-as-at-1-may-2021.pdf
A helpful guide:
https://www.nzta.govt.nz/assets/resources/factsheets/53/docs/53-overdimension.pdf
NZTA generally limits trailer loads to around 4.25 m in height. Over-dimension rules allow up to 4.8 m, but this depends on the route. Generally, all state highways (with some exceptions in Auckland and clearly signposted bridges) have a minimum clearance of 4.8m. We’ll design the trailer deck height to maximise interior space while keeping you within legal limits. See our FAQ below for certified overdimenion routes up to 4.8m tall.
Requirements for a load exceeding 4.3m in height but up to and including 5m tall:
–Written permission from the owner of an overhead
obstruction that the vehicle travelling underneath cannot
clear.
-Written approval from the relevant access provider, if the
vehicle travels over a level crossing that does not cross a
State Highway, and the vehicle exceeds the height shown
on an electrified railway safe height sign.
-For loads exceeding 4.8 m, a vehicle with a deck height
less than 1.3 m above the road must be used.
NZTA lists some approved routes for overdimension vehicles. See below.
Yes. NZTA offers some help here, though not as much as they ought.
-Auckland Harbour Bridge:
Maximum height 4.8m. A vehicle exceeding 3.1m in width must
contact the Traffic Operations Centre and may travel on this
route provided it is accompanied by a Class 1 Pilot Vehicle as
authorised by the Traffic Operations Centre.
-Wellington Motorway
Maximum height 4.8m, maximum width 3.7m. However, an
overdimension motor vehicle exceeding these dimensions may
travel on the Wellington Motorway provided it complies with the
Transport Agency’s conditions
-Toll Routes
Loads that exceed 3.1m width or 4.3m height are not permitted
to travel on any toll route unless the Agency has provided explicit
authority to do so. The operator of the overdimension vehicle
must comply with any piloting or travel time restrictions required
by the Transport Agency.
Read more here:
https://www.nzta.govt.nz/commercial-driving/permits/overdimension-permits/overdimension-operating-requirements
Yes, we require a $1,500 non-refundable deposit to secure your spot in our queue as we operate on a first-come, first-served basis.
Prior to starting construction, we need to order parts and steel. We require 50% of the remainder of the invoice to facilitate this.
The remainder is to be paid prior to delivery / upon collection.