Trailer Lighting Boards.

[tonto]

Originally Posted by Leapy

Cut and paste from above ...

9. The number plate on the trailer must be identical in shape, and colour to that on the towcar.

I can understand the colour thing, but the shape? Why?

What a load of bollocks

Good Oh

Got a square number plate on the landy, so shall be going for that, looks like my jobs sorted!

Just one more question, Do you need a reversing light on the trailer???

If so will need to buy a seperate unit, as the majority of the units that I want do not seem to have one!

Gary

[j.i.wilson]

Reversing lights are not compulsory.

There is no provision for a supply in the standard wiring of the 12n 7 pin plug. Reversing lights are supplied via the 12s plug (normally grey in colour). Hence if you do want reversing lights you will need to have the 12s socket on the car side. This brings its own problems...

The standrd for the 12s includes a live supply usually to power a fridge and or charge a battery in the trailer. This supply must be fed via a split charge relay to ensure the vehicle battery is not depleted. This means you need a heavyish (30amp) cable from the battery to that the 12s socket. This all gets so involved the 12s is often not fitted. Consequently reversing lights are often not used.

Phew!

[tonto]

looks like reversing lights are out then, saves me a penny or two

[Mcd22]

As far as I know under the lighting regulations, any trailers over 6m are required to have a reversing light fitted.

I ended up fitting a euro 13 pin socket to the 110 to work all the separate lights and allow me to trickle charge the boat batteries on the move.

[Leapy]

Originally Posted by Mcd22

As far as I know under the lighting regulations, any trailers over 6m are required to have a reversing light fitted

Oooh good. Another potential illegality for me

Poly?

[j.i.wilson]

It is certainly an advantage to have full connections, either 13 pin or 12n + 12n as it allows power into the trailer to charge the boat battery, run a fridge or whatever.

I have been meaning to fit a 12s socket to the Volvo fsince I got it - because I do pull a caravan (don't shoot me!)

However the Volvo electrics are notoriously fickle, but, on the plus side, the battery is in the boot which makes the live cable easier. Still need a lighter cable to the alternator though.

As if I didn't have enough to do the boat itself!!

Hey ho

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Leapy

Oooh good. Another potential illegality for me

Poly?

As far as I can see there is no legal requirement to have a reversing light on any vehicle. If one if fitted there are specifications in the Lighting Regs but not they are in a table headed "optional" and they aren't obviously specified in the mandatory sections.

[wavelength]

We have a string of cheapo led white lights from e bay on the forward face of the trailer board each end behind where the rear light is . Easy to wire thru, may or may not be legal, but with black boats on dark roads it helps others, including pedestrians, see whats coming...plus I can see that the trailer board is actually still there in place and that the lights have power. They dont last forever, but then again trailer boards in general........

[j.i.wilson]

Anyone seen or tried these?

http://www.rockfitirl.com/default.html

Looks the business.

[Budgie1]

Scanned through this thread and surprised no one has had a good moan about the car/board connector!? I get nothing but problems, have replaced plastic with metal connectors annually strip them down (car and board) for a good clean and within weeks I'm wiggling the f...... connector again!! have I missed a trick? is there some sort of remedy I'm not aware of??

[steco1958]

Originally Posted by Budgie1

Scanned through this thread and surprised no one has had a good moan about the car/board connector!? I get nothing but problems, have replaced plastic with metal connectors annually strip them down (car and board) for a good clean and within weeks I'm wiggling the f...... connector again!! have I missed a trick? is there some sort of remedy I'm not aware of??

Just look after the damn things, make sure the connections are clean, the seals on the lights are in place, make sure the pins in the plugs are not squashed, and after all that is done.
.
.
.
.
Don't abuse it and throw it on the ground, or in the water.

[9D280]

Like you I put a metal plug on my old box trailer, I think it;s now on it;s 15th (ish) year with no issues bar the usual 23N service ofspreading the pins slightly & a dose of WD40......

Current car has a factory fit OEM tow bar with properly sealed 13pin connector. 170,000 miles later and it's still going strong - never had to point the WD40 at it either.

Box trailer now on something like it's 4th or 5th set of lamp clusters, old Laser's board took out 2 sets over time, and the rib one has just died on the N/S after what I reckon can only be about 1700 miles...

[j.i.wilson]

Budgie1, look at link in post above yours, that's the solution! Costly yes, but fixed for good.

[kerny]

Now they look good

I'm sick of them trailer boards where if you go over a pothole a bulb bounces out of the fitting or comes loose. There all the bloody same "crap"

[boristhebold]

Most lighting boards are pretty crap and fail after some time. My advice would be to make one up yourself as it would probably be better and last longer.

[m chappelow]

Rnli make their own like the ones for their D class boats such as this one in the pic
Just from a hardwood plank a
rubber -lite transparent junction box is also fitted so that any moisture or loose connections can be seen at a glance ,
ok looks a bit basic but it works great & it does get some rough use at times .

[mikew4]

Originally Posted by mister p

No, but the board must be on the trailer not the load.

Thats not correct.

Trailer regulations state where lights should be relative to the ground and sides of trailer.

Arranging lights and reflectors:

• Indicators should be a minimum of 350mm and a maximum of 1500mm from the ground.
• Indicators should be a maximum of 400mm from the side of the trailer.
• Indicators should be a minimum of 400mm apart.
• Reflective rear triangles should be positioned, a minimum of 250mm and a maximum of 900mm from the ground, a minimum separation of 600mm and no more than 400mm from the sides.
• A single fog lamp should be mounted on the rear of the trailer, anywhere between the centre point and offside edge.
• Two fog lamps must be separated and positioned at opposite sides of the rear of the trailer.
• Fog lamps should be a minimum of 250mm and a maximum of 1000mm from the ground.
• Fog lamps should be a minimum of 400mm apart.
• There should be at least of 100mm of separation between the fog lights and the tail lights/indicators.

[Trailer Guy]

It would also mean that all dinghy trailers are illegal ...

But this was three years ago, so things may have changed... 😉

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Trailer Guy

It would also mean that all dinghy trailers are illegal ...

It depends why people claim that, I understood it was an issue with the load now being considered part of the trailer and thus for many ribs exceeding the width limits (without the permitted load overhang).

In fact the lighting regs explicitly permit the lights to be "... transferred to a position on the ... load ... where it is not obscured [if it would be obscured on the trailer]." RVLR 1989 reg.21(1)table(6)b

But they will still need to be at the right height and must not be able to swing around.

[Trailer Guy]

I think we're inferring the same thing? It's not!