A trailer warranty covers the things we control: the steel, the welds and the workmanship. It does not cover the things you control, such as how much you put on the deck. This page sets out where that line sits and how a claim is handled.
Your rights under the Consumer Protection Act
Before anything else: a manufacturer warranty sits on top of your statutory rights, it does not replace them. Under section 56 of the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008, goods sold to a consumer come with an implied warranty of quality, and you may return goods that are defective or unfit for purpose within six months of delivery for a repair, replacement or refund, at your election. Nothing on this page limits that right.
What is covered
Manufacturing defects in the parts of the trailer we fabricate:
- Chassis and frame. Cracking, deformation or weld failure under normal use within the trailer’s rated gross vehicle mass.
- Welds. Any weld that fails because it was made badly rather than because the trailer was overloaded or struck.
- Workmanship. Assembly faults such as a misaligned axle, a badly seated coupler mount, or wiring that was routed or terminated incorrectly.
- Tank fabrication. Seam leaks on a tank we built, where the tank has been used for the liquid it was specified for.
What is not covered
- Wear items. Tyres, brake linings, bearings, bulbs, coupler wear surfaces and paintwork degradation from normal use.
- Overloading. Any failure where the trailer was carrying more than its rated gross vehicle mass, or where the load was unevenly distributed.
- Accident and impact damage, including jack-knifing, kerb strikes and damage caused by the tow vehicle.
- Unauthorised modification. Cutting, drilling, re-welding, adding a body or changing the axle rating without our agreement in writing.
- Neglected maintenance. Bearings that were never repacked, brakes that were never adjusted, lights that were left broken.
- Bought-in components covered by their own manufacturer’s warranty, such as generator sets and pumps. We will help you claim against the component maker.
- Corrosion from misuse, for example running a fuel-specified tank on a chemical it was not built for.
How to lodge a claim
- Stop using the trailer if the fault is structural. Continuing to load a cracked chassis turns a repairable defect into a replacement, and into an argument about cause.
- Photograph it. Wide shots showing the whole trailer, then close shots of the fault. Include the load if there was one on board.
- Send the claim to sales@trailerssa.co.za or WhatsApp +27 71 065 8119 with the photographs, the date of purchase, your invoice number and a short description of what happened.
- We assess. Most claims are resolved from photographs. Where they are not, the trailer comes back to the Hartswater works or we arrange an inspection.
- Outcome. A covered defect is repaired or the affected part is replaced. If the fault is not covered, you get the reason in writing along with a quote to fix it.
Keeping cover intact
Load inside the rating. Repack bearings and check brake adjustment at least annually, or every 10,000 km, whichever comes first, and more often on gravel. Keep your invoice. Do not modify the chassis without asking first. The spares and service page covers the maintenance side properly.
Bought-in components
Some parts on a trailer are not made by us: generator sets on a light tower, pumps, meters and hose reels on a bowser, and proprietary couplers. Those carry the component manufacturer’s own warranty, on their terms and for their period. We register the serial numbers at delivery and we will run the claim with the manufacturer on your behalf rather than sending you off to do it yourself.
Repairs done somewhere else
Having a trailer repaired by another workshop does not void your cover on the rest of the trailer. It does mean that whatever was worked on becomes their responsibility, not ours. If you are away from the Northern Cape and something structural fails, call us before you authorise a repair. We would rather agree the approach on the phone than assess a weld somebody else has already ground back.
If you sell the trailer
Keep the invoice and hand it to the buyer. A trailer with its purchase documentation, service history and any warranty correspondence sells for more than an identical trailer without them, and the paperwork is what allows a claim to be assessed at all.