In Saskatchewan, we are the “Jack of All-Trades” province. We know how to handle warm summers, long winters, heavy snowfalls, heavy equipment and relentless mosquitos. We are not afraid to get our hands dirty, whether it’s pulling wrenches or plowing a garden. With that same mindset, people are taking it upon themselves to build their own trailers – Homebuilt trailers.

There are many ways to design and create your homebuilt trailer. When you start your build,  it is important to follow the Saskatchewan Regulations for Vehicle Standards. In this guide, it indicates the safety requirements you have to follow when building a vehicle (dimensions, material, brake lights, turn signals, etc).

Now that you’ve built your road-worthy trailer, how do you get this registered so that it is legal to drive on our “Holey” highways? #potholeprovince.

• We need to apply for a serial number (VIN) to your new trailer. In order to do this, you need to apply through assignedvin.ca. This is new as of 2020 as SGI recently partnered with VIN Verification Services Inc to provide this service to their customers. 
• Every VIN examiner is a former or current law enforcement agent. These staff members are experienced and have substantial training in their field. The collective knowledge represented by VIN verification services includes investigations related to stolen vehicles, cloned or fraudulent VINS, polygraphy, economic crime and organized crime.
• Sometimes we have trailers that no longer have a serial number, they’ve worn off over time or the decals have fallen off. When this happens, you may need to contact assignedvin.ca or your local law enforcement to find out the proper protocol is.
• Once it is registered, we always recommend adding additional liability coverage to this trailer, that way if it ever disconnected while driving, or some other situation arose, that the trailer caused injury or damage to someone’s property, you would have adequate coverage.

Make sure you have adequate limits and coverage for your trailer. Sometimes values go down, sometimes they go up. You can choose your value, make sure it is as accurate as you don’t want to pay too much or be underinsured. SGI’s standard personal trailer deductible is $500. You can bring this down on your auto pak as well, if you choose to.

If you have a trailer, you are thinking about purchasing a trailer or you are wanting to build a trailer, make sure you know what you’re getting into. Call your broker ahead of time, to help advise you on the process, so you are prepared for the obstacles. Take Care.