NealB
Well-Known Member
When towing an empty dinghy trailer, if the car's rear lights and number plate are clearly visible, do I need to fit the trailer board?
Thanks!
Thanks!
Last edited:
Towing an empty dinghy trailer....
- Thread starter NealB
- Start date
TamarMike
Well-Known Member
Yes
Seajet
...
Yes, and very securely of course, as it will bounce around.
DownWest
Well-Known Member
There is a rule about the distance of the rear lights from the overhang that makes it a 'Yes'
NealB
Well-Known Member
Thanks to all.........
It is now very securely fitted!
It is now very securely fitted!
IanL
Well-Known Member
Tyre pressures
Reducing the tyre pressures when unladen may reduce the bounce a little and make the bulbs last a little longer.
Reducing the tyre pressures when unladen may reduce the bounce a little and make the bulbs last a little longer.
Ubergeekian
Well-Known Member
Not if it was manufactured before 1/10/1990.
Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989 Part 1, Regulation 6, Paragraph (5):
No trailer manufactured before 1st October 1990 is required by regulation 18 to be fitted with any stop lamp or direction indicator whilst being drawn by a motor vehicle fitted with one or two stop lamps and two or more direction indicators if the dimensions of the trailer are such that when the longitudinal axes of the drawing vehicle and the trailer lie in the same vertical plane such stop lamps and at last one direction indicator on each side of the vehicle are visible to an observer in that vertical plane from a point 6 m behind the rear of the trailer whether it is loaded or not.
Later trailer are covered by regulation 18 and the various schedules.
TamarMike
Well-Known Member
But doesn't the trailer still have to have rear position lamps, retro-reflective triangles and an illuminated number plate?
Ubergeekian
Well-Known Member
I think it only needs these lights if used at night, just as cars can have daytime-only MOTs.
coliholic
Well-Known Member
Never heard of such a thing. Please enlighten us.
Seajet
...
I know this is pretty far out and whacky, but there's always the point one might wish to make the trailer and one's braking & indicating as conspicuous as possible so as to hopefully avoid the chance of an accident...
Ubergeekian
Well-Known Member
A vehicle with no lights fitted (not no lights working) can get an MOT with the proviso that it may only be used during daylight hours. Quite common in the motorbike world.
pvb
Well-Known Member
As I understand it, there's no such thing as the "daytime MoT" you mentioned. A vehicle without lights just gets a normal MoT certificate, although it may also get a VT32 certificate stating that the vehicle didn't have lights at the time of the test.
DownWest
Well-Known Member
Day time MOT, interesting. When I built a car in the 70s, we had a problem getting the headlights high enough to meet the ,then, 24" centre height rule. Ended up having them pop up from behind the front wheels, but then they illuminated the back of the front arches and were a bit in the line of sight. Couldn't help the blind spots but cranked them cross eyed to avoid the glare off the arches. (this was a very low mid engined job). Local plod passed it, only wanted to see the chassis plate. It is still in use, but with a different body and little headlights that were passed as 'original' when built. Huge fun to drive.
Sorry for the drift.
)
Sorry for the drift.
)
Robby
Well-Known Member
Empty Trailer towing
Back to empty trailers
I find that I can reduce the bouncing of my trailer (a spined type) when empty by bringing the winch strap right to the rear, fastening it to the last roller and winding it in tight. This seems to stop some of the flexing of the spine and keeps the bouncing to managable levels.
Without the strap tension, the aft end of the trailer flexes up and down, causes the wheels to bounce a lot and rattles the lighting board about!
I've towed my empty trailer the length of the great Glen a good few times like this. I only damaged the lighting board the first time out when I didn't have the strap deployed!
Best wishes,
Rob.
Back to empty trailers
I find that I can reduce the bouncing of my trailer (a spined type) when empty by bringing the winch strap right to the rear, fastening it to the last roller and winding it in tight. This seems to stop some of the flexing of the spine and keeps the bouncing to managable levels.
Without the strap tension, the aft end of the trailer flexes up and down, causes the wheels to bounce a lot and rattles the lighting board about!
I've towed my empty trailer the length of the great Glen a good few times like this. I only damaged the lighting board the first time out when I didn't have the strap deployed!
Best wishes,
Rob.
NealB
Well-Known Member
Mission accomplished..... a round trip from Burnham On Crouch (empty) to pick up the lastest addition to my fleet....an elderly Solo.
Thanks to all for the tips.
Thanks to all for the tips.
huldah
Well-Known Member
Great! Another Solo sailor.
NealB
Well-Known Member
We're trying to get a Solo fleet at Creeksea Sailing Club (Burnham on Crouch). We've got four so far.
Looks like it'll be a 'veterans' fleet - in terms of both boats and sailors.
electrosys
Well-Known Member
Regret to report that there's a 'gotya' regarding Registration Plates:
The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001 (No. 561)
Fixing of registration plates: vehicles registered before the relevant date:
7. (1) This regulation applies to vehicles, other than works trucks, road rollers and agricultural machines, first registered before the relevant date.
(2) Except as provided in paragraph (4), a registration plate must be fixed in the manner required by paragraph (3) on —
(a) the front of the vehicle, and
(b) the rear of —
(i) the vehicle or,
(ii) where the vehicle is towing a trailer, the trailer or,
(iii) where the vehicle is towing more than one trailer, the
rearmost trailer.
(3) This paragraph requires each plate to be fixed —
(a) in a vertical position or, where that is not possible, in a
position as close to the vertical as is reasonably practicable,
and
(b) in such a position that in normal daylight the characters of
the registration mark are easily distinguishable, in the case
of a plate fixed on the front of the vehicle, from in front of
the vehicle and, in the case of a plate fixed on the rear of the
vehicle or trailer, from behind the vehicle or trailer.
(4) In the case of a motor cycle and a motor tricycle which does not
have a body of a type which is characteristic of the body of a
four-wheeled vehicle, a registration plate need not be fixed on the
front of the vehicle.
cliffordpope
Well-Known Member
"a registration plate must be fixed in the manner required "
Any old registration plate?
Dafter things are possible. I am told that a modern trailer must have a rear fog lamp, even if pulled by an earlier vehicle having no requirement or provision for displaying one.
Any old registration plate?
Dafter things are possible. I am told that a modern trailer must have a rear fog lamp, even if pulled by an earlier vehicle having no requirement or provision for displaying one.
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