It was a really good article on the new trailer regulations in the magazine.  Some parts are even sensible, as I have often wondered how many times has a driver coming down a slip road on to an unlit motorway been surprised by finding that he can not just slip in behind the car already on the motorway, because there is a Merlin in the way. I used to use a strongback when I did a lot of travvelling and I installed reflectors on it.  

For those with older trailers, here is another thought.  Just coming down the M6 recently,one of my trailer tyres blew out and then it caught the mudguard and mangled it.  

Fortunately
It was the nearside wheel
I had a spare wheel
I had a special jack for the trailer, because one does not come with a car with run flat tyres.
I had a full set of tools in the cars to remove the mudguard.
I had a foot pump, because of cause the spare was only partially inflated.

Discussing this incident with a guy at the Sailing Club who has a caravan, he said that the recommendation for caravans is to change the tyres every 6 years, no matter how low the  mileage, because of the aging properties of the rubber tyres and inner tubes.

Thinking back to the time when I used to do a lot of Open Meetings, I reckon my tyres were probably about 20 years old. Our trailer tyres are obviously not as heavily loaded as caravan tyres, but perhaps it is worth checking them before you next set of for an Open Meeting.  Many tyres will have the date of manufacture on them, if you can not remember their age. 

Check now, or perhaps the next time you will look at them is on the hard shoulder of a motorway at night;  that is not a nice place.