The Fifth Wheel Comp CELTIC RAMBLER

With a gross weight of 3,500 kg the trailer sits right at the upper limit of EU trailer class O2. Empty it weighs 3,420 kg, leaving only 80 kg for cargo, pointing to a living unit that already comes largely fitted out from the factory. At 8,400 mm long, 2,450 mm wide and with a 5,720 mm wheelbase on four wheels, the Celtic Rambler is a long but light vehicle for its class.

Class O2 vehicles are usually fitted with an overrun brake rather than the compressed-air system required on heavier trailers. Compared with an ordinary drawbar, the fifth-wheel coupling with its kingpin shifts the weight distribution onto the towing vehicle and allows for a shorter, more manoeuvrable build alongside a larger interior, since part of the living space extends over the bed of the towing vehicle.

When buying a fifth-wheel residential trailer secondhand, besides the usual damp check on the roof and windows, the condition of the coupling plate and the kingpin matters most, checked for wear and play, since the entire weight of the front section is transferred through them. The overrun mechanism, brake cables and wheel bearings should also be checked.