Buying a Burger Van or Trailer: What to Check Before You Pay
Buying a burger van or trailer in the UK? The gas, griddle, weight and licence checks to do before you pay, and the council paperwork you need to trade.
Lay slices of bread across the hot griddle. The ones that brown slowest show you the cold spots before you buy.
Quick answer: Pick a trailer if you already have a vehicle that can tow it, and a van if you want to drive up and trade alone with no hitching. Before you pay, watch every appliance cook, ask for a current gas certificate from an engineer qualified for LPG mobile catering, and check the weight against your driving licence. Register with your council at least 28 days before your first trade.
Van or trailer: which suits you
Both do the same job: a griddle, a fryer and somewhere to keep stock cold. The difference is how you get to the pitch and set up.
| Option | How to spot it | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Trailer | Own chassis, hitch and jockey wheel at the front, hatch on the side | Traders with a capable tow vehicle who stay on one pitch all day or all weekend |
| Van | Kitchen built into the back of the vehicle, no hitching | Solo traders doing several short pitches a week, or anyone without a tow vehicle |
| Kiosk or horsebox conversion | Compact body, often one griddle and a counter | Private hire and events where looks matter more than output |
A van is one more engine to service, insure and keep on the road. A trailer frees your vehicle for other jobs once it is parked on the pitch.
Check the burger kit, not just the body
The cook line earns the money, so ask the seller to have it lit when you arrive. Cook something if they will let you.
- Griddle: Let it come up to heat and lay slices of bread across the plate from end to end. The slices that brown slowest show the cold spots that will slow you down at the rush. Check the grease channel drains into a tray that slides out.
- Fryer: Watch it heat up and cycle off on the thermostat. Our fryer checklist covers the rest.
- Fridge: Put a thermometer inside when you arrive and read it before you leave. A fridge that cannot hold temperature on a warm day is one you will be replacing.
- Hot holding: Fill and heat the bain marie or warming cabinet if there is one, and look for leaks underneath.
- Extraction: Burger grease coats everything. Lift out the filters, check they come clean, and run the fan.
- Sinks: If you handle open food, the unit needs a separate hand wash basin with hot and cold running water.
Gas checks that make or break the deal
Many burger units run on LPG (bottled gas), so ask for the gas safety certificate. These checks tell you whether it can trade on day one or needs an engineer first.
- Ask for the current gas safety certificate. The engineer must be Gas Safe registered and hold the qualification for the LPG mobile catering appliances on board.
- Every commercial LPG appliance needs a flame failure device, which cuts the gas if the flame goes out. Ask the engineer who checks it to confirm every burner has one.
- Look for a CE or UKCA mark on each appliance. Homemade burners and domestic hobs are a reason to say no.
- Cylinders belong in a secure external locker, never inside the cooking area. Look for a locker with at least 30 minutes' fire protection.
- LPG is heavier than air, so there must be low-level ventilation, ideally in the floor.
- Read the date printed on each rubber hose. Hoses more than 5 years old may need replacing.
- The regulator should have over-pressure shut-off (OPSO) protection.
Before money changes hands, have your own qualified engineer look over the whole gas system.
Weight, licence and paperwork
For a trailer, find its maximum authorised mass (MAM). It is normally on a plate or sticker fitted to the trailer, or in the owner's manual.
If you passed your driving test on or after 1 January 1997, you can tow a trailer of up to 3500kg MAM. Older licences usually allow a vehicle and trailer with a combined MAM of up to 8250kg. Check your vehicle's own towing limit too.
Then the trading paperwork:
- Register as a food business with your council at least 28 days before you start trading. Mobile units must register like any other food business.
- Trading on the street in England and Wales may need a street trading licence from the council where you want to trade. Councils can refuse, limit days and times or keep waiting lists, so ask early.
- Ask the seller for every certificate, appliance manual and receipt they have. A unit with its paperwork is easier to insure and easier to sell on later.
Viewing and paying
Go in person and run everything at once: griddle, fryer, fridge, lights and extraction together. That is the only way to know the gas and power keep up during a busy service.
Keep your questions and the seller's answers in writing, in the site chat. If the seller will not light it up for you, walk away.
For deeper checks, read our 12-point trailer check or the van buying guide. When you are ready, browse catering vans and trailers for sale, or search all used catering equipment for a spare griddle or fryer.
Selling yours instead
The same checks sell a unit faster. Light everything for viewings, have the gas certificate ready and put the trailer's MAM in the listing so buyers know before they travel.
Your first listing is free while our launch offer lasts, then from £5 for 30 days. No commission and no final value fee.
Sources
Ready to Sell Your Equipment?
Your first listing is free while our launch offer lasts, then from £5 for 30 days. No commission and no final value fee, so what a seller makes is what they keep.
Prepare Your Equipment
- Clean stainless surfaces
- Disconnect safely
- Photograph the data plate
- Box loose parts
- Measure and weigh
- Prepare for pallet collection