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 we need to prove you actually own the trailer. If you have purchased the vehicle or product from someone else, we can use those receipts. Sometimes this can be difficult as you may have just purchased parts and there isn’t much to show as proof that you indeed own this vehicle. An option we can offer for you, in this instance, is you can sign an affidavit in front of a commissioner of oaths or notary. 
• As of September 2019, SGI now requires you to submit photos of the front, back and sides of the trailer as well as a photo of where the VIN plate would normally be on the vehicle. 
• With that Affidavit or Bill of Sale & photos, we can go ahead and apply for a new VIN number for the homebuilt trailer. The SGI Call Centre will then establish if any additional steps are required and make the determination if a VIN should be assigned to the vehicle
• If they decide to assign a new VIN, we can now go ahead and issue the VIN and register the trailer and get it insured. You can pick a value to insure it at based on the value you have put into the trailer and what you think it is worth (Actual Cash Value). This will determine your premium amount.
• 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.

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, we can assign it a new serial number as well. However, it needs to be inspected by an officer (RCMP or City Policy) and a letter needs to be given by the authorities indicating that this trailer has not been stolen or tampered with. Once we have that letter from the police, we can go ahead with assigning a new serial number to the trailer.

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.