Trailer Lightboard Positioning

[Andy__F]

Hi all,

I am trying to work out if the lightboard positioning on my boat is legal or not. It's currently mounted on the rear of the cuddy (see pic for info). I can't find any info anywhere about distance to the rear of the trailer, just that lights should be visible from 6m behind, which they are.

I've been trying to find any info online but struggling so any advice greatly received.

 

[dunedin]

Not sure where to find the precise legislation, but placing lighting board on the cuddy, 3-4 metres ahead of the end of the load is not going to be sensible, and in the dark going to cause your outboard and possibly boat to be damaged. Probably also a claim against you for damage to the vehicle which hits you.
Pretty sure there will be rules as to how close lights must be to the end of the trailer, which is well behind there. Then there are certainly rules about how far the load (boat and outboard) can extend beyond trailer.
Also rules about width of lighting board - eg Trailer lighting rules, regulations and requirements.

But whatever the rules, want the lighting board on the stern of boat or below there on arms from trailer. Ideally reflective bag over outboard propellor.

 

[Pump-Out]

In short, not legal.

You are allowed only 1 meter overhang from the end of the trailer (without additional markings), I would have thought that, buy mounting the lights so far forward the police would asses as you having more than a meter overhang from the rear makers of the rig, especially at night.

The phot shows a board correctly mounted; add an orange bag to the outboard and you would be in good order.

 

[madabouttheboat]

The phot shows a board correctly mounted; add an orange bag to the outboard and you would be in good order.

I have a similar boat and put the light board in the same place as the photo. The trouble is that the outboard obscures the number plate to quite an extent. I suspect that would be frowned upon also.

 

[BruceK]

Manual here Section 20

Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) inspection manual: trailers

Yours would be illegal simply in the fact that the trailer lights are rear markers as well.

I'd suggest a tetescopic bar on the trailer that can be pulled out after loading the boat that comes in line perpendicular to the outboard prop to be strictly legal.

 

[Bilgediver]

There is now a slight wee problem with number plates on boat trailers. This particularly affects some wee dumpy trailers with an overhanging boat.

The O.P. s suggestion fails because the light board must be at the rear of the trailer however sometime recently the wording was introduced to the rules indicating that the number plate MUST BT ATTACHED TO THE TRAILER. If you look at modern trailers they now come with stupid long telescopic extensions to comply with this requirement . We used to mount our number plate on a structure that firmly attacked to the stern of our rowing skiff but now use an extension. There are pages and pages about this topic on the government website but one sub page of a sub page is displayed at the address below and indicates this rule . There will always be a Plod who has read this.

We are now trying to train our drivers to deal with this long low slung overhanging trailer situation as the light board maintenance department is working overtime.

Displaying number plates

 

[ontheplane]

As he said!

Now it has to be the most extreme bit of the rig - so past the outboard / outdrive - hence the extending light bar supports most trailers now have....

 

[Caraway]

I don't think new trailer regs can be retrospective. The trailer may have a manufacture date on its plate. It mat be that a trailer is obviously older than new regs.

The only thing relative in that link is

Your trailer must display the same number plate as the vehicle you’re towing it with.

Trailers built after 29th October 2012 need to be approved by the DVSA

Trailers not subject to annual test
For trailers that are not subject to annual test, from the applicable dates there will be a legal obligation on the retailer to keep a record of all the trailers that he has sold, which are sufficient to identify the trailer and which include details of the approval certificate (where applicable).

Type 01 and 02 trailers do not require annual tests.

 

[Andy__F]

Thanks for all the replies, I thought it would be the case. I’ve managed to sort a mount using the aux engine bracket to mount the light board at the rear.