number plate problem

[nicola2]

Hi,

I am supposed to pick up my first caravan tomorrow and have made the mistake of not thinking any thing through properly.

Am I supposed to take my own plate or will they make one up?

 

[Damian]

Generally yoou have to supply your own, but may be worth a phone call before you go and see if they make them on site, if not, take your V5, Insurance, Driving licence and a couple of Utility bills into Halfords and get one made

 

[Guest]

We have always used self adhesive reflective plates with adhesive numbers available from trailer dealers.

No holes to be drilled and they do not drop off. If you keep the van and change the car, peel the number off and just stick on the new numbers at about 20p a number.

Adhsesive plate including numbers are still probably less than

 

[Chrisbee]

We have always used self adhesive reflective plates with adhesive numbers available from trailer dealers.

No holes to be drilled and they do not drop off. If you keep the van and change the car, peel the number off and just stick on the new numbers at about 20p a number.

Adhsesive plate including numbers are still probably less than

 

[emmerson2]

And illegal in the UK.

Been using these for years and never had a problem. I made one just the other week for my new trailer board.

 

[Zafiral]

While I will agree that a great deal of more servere crimes going on in the UK, it is now illegal to make any plate and use it on a road vehicle unless you are authorised to. The plate has to show the post code of the person who made it and records of all plates made and the V5s and driver numbers have to be kept.

This has only been law since 51 plate cars. Technically any car older than a '51' could use an number plate with the correct spacing and letter font made by anyone as that was the current law then.

 

[RogerP]

try this link

http://www.dvla.gov.uk/media/pdf/leaflets/inf104.pdf
should give you the info you need to know.

Point to note that it does relate to vehicles register post 1 sept 2001 but also it referes to any new plate required after that date also

 

[Guest]

Adhesive number plates are readily available and used in many cars and trailers.

The Letters and Numbers backing gives the correct spacing.

Plenty of new cars and vehicles have private numbers with trick fonts, spacings and screws to make them read the name or initials of the owner.

Earlier today I passed a Knaus caravan with the plate in the back window and its not unuual to see UK vehicles with differnet bits of board and card with hand scawled numbers.

They had better start arresting or prosecuting a lot of other people before they think of starting on aproved standard reflective number plates with corrct spacing and font that many many people use.

 

[Zafiral]

Roger and Euro I agree with you both.

Roger - if the car is older than 51 plate then the police would probably not bother unless the van is clearly brand new or the no. plate has been made badly.

Euro - As I said, there are many more serious offences out there, but as Nicola is a newbie to all this, to blatently say to break the law is unfair.

 

[Olly]

Hi Nicola.

Why on earth would anyone go to the trouble ( and expense ) of attempting to make a tatty, illegal home-made plate when, for only a few shillings more, they can buy one from Halfords. ( Complete with the EU logo which removes the need to show a GB plate on trips to the continent ).

Olly.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Nichola,

Please follow the proper legal route, Contact you caravan supplier or garage that can make up plates. The plate manufacture has to record the details of ownership and also need to see the vehicle documentation to which the plate refers ( i.e. your car). So your V5 and other recent evidence of home address is usually required. Check with your supplier on what they need.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Euro, and others of the same mind.

Just because you have a nonconforming number plate and you have not been prosecuted for it does not make appropriate or safe to encourage others to knowingly follow your bad example.

Do you get a thrill every time you pass a policeman and you are not pulled over?

How come the law does not apply to you?

 

[Legsmaniac_374344731]

Number plates can also be ordered online, next day delivery, without any need for proof of ownership or documentation and are fully legal plates (providing you ordered the correct ones with correct colour and spacing etc.) Usually cheaper than Halfords too.

 

[Mikey1]

Regarding the illegal number plate spacing and the wrong type face

Due to the increasing number of registration recognition cameras a clamp down will be here in the near future,also you never actually own your registration only the right to display it so continued offending they can take it back.

 

[Chrisbee]

Legs

I'm intrigued as to how the on-line seller manages to record the making of the plate without the relevent documents, as these need to be on the makers data base for inspection by the authorities. Are you sure these plates carry the makers name, postcode and BSU number?

 

[Legsmaniac_374344731]

Are you sure these plates carry the makers name, postcode and BSU number?

Yes. Some do. Some don't.

The ones that do are obviously legal plates. Google for number plates and you'll find plenty of online companies offering number plates. Most companies record orders and work with the police in the event of any problems.

 

[Icemaker]

As far as i have been made aware it is quite legal to make and supply number plates via the internet or any other mail order means but it is totally illegal to use the plates supplied in this way on the public road, the plates will be supplied as "show plates". below is an extract from the terms and conditions from one of the largest on line number plate suppliers.

"Plates XXX XXXX manufacturer only show plates which are sold for off-road use only. Plates can be used for car shows, exhibitions, rally days, track days, bedroom signs, and any other events which are on private land but strictly not on the UK Roads. Plates XXX XXXX will not be held responsible for you using your plates on the UK roads, neither will Plates XXX XXXX refund your order based upon the plates being legal or for legal road use".

I have purposely removed the companies name in case of copy right issues allthough i cant see this being a problem as the t&c's are available for all to see if you look at the site closely enough.

Home made stick on number plates are allso totally illegal now for road use unless you can prove they where made and first used before the 51 plate date and they are fitted to a vehicle pre dating this date.

 

[ThePlotter]

Personally I would prefer to buy my plates legally,to do otherwise is clearly an indication that you have a disregard for the law and will blatantly break it.It is about time all those with plates obtained illegally or with the wrong font ,spacing etc had their cars confiscated and crushed as an example to stop others .

 

[marlot]

If you're desperate, its legal to take the rear plate off the car and put it on the caravan, as long as you swap it round again when you unhitch

 

[Guest]

It seems I'm a little out of touch being a non UK resident, if we bring our caravans back to the UK the police can go screw themselves as our cars are LHD and not UK registered. UK caravans, but still with adhesive number plates!

The plates are fully reflective and the UK numbers on sale for the plates have correct spacings and fonts and look the same as any other plate. Not tatty at all and look no different to other plates.

Local French graphic co did our adhesive numbers and it seems Monsieur Plod is happy.

I don't believe that UK pc plod is going to concern themselves with reflective plates with correct font and spacing on caravans or trailers.

As for John L's cheap shot crack. I probably would get as a big a kick as some get from being goody goody's and concerning themseves over petty nonsensical legislation that authorities with any sense disregard.

Before answering the questions I think John should first survey caravanners who try and hide their cars age or can't remember the type of car they drive or caravan they own without having their initials or a cryptic shortened version of their name formed in an illegal way on their UK registration plate.

I'll go with the minority veiw point as it suits my rebellious nature ;-)

 

[Thorpedo]

Last time I bought a plate it was for my new van, the cost at a local motor factor was ludicrously cheap, it took 5 minutes to make and 15 mins to fill out the paper work. Why anyone would want to go to the effort of buying the bits and making an illegal plate is beyond me.

I seem to recall the law was changed to try to reduce the risk of registration number thefts, or shall we call it borrowing. My neighbor received a London Conjestion zone fine, despite not going within 150 miles of London. The time and effort she had to spend fighting against it was crazy. This was claerly becasue someone had been able to replicate her plate.

Like speeding laws that are often much maligned, this one may not be very effective but at least lets back the authorities who have made a vague attempt to limit crime a little.

 

[Parksy]

(Micheal Winner voice 'Calm down, it's only a caravan forum'

All that Nicola asked is will her caravan dealer make her a plate up or should she *** round to Halfords or any car accessory shop when she goes to pick it up tomorrow.

Nicola

First of all good luck with the new caravan. don't forget to let us know all about it and don't let my friends here put you off, they don't really mean it.

As Damian said, give the dealer a ring before you go, have your documents to hand and at the very least expect your dealer to fix your number plate to your caravan.

Make sure that you are shown how everything works before you leave the dealers.

 

[Guest]

Your right Parksy!

But you have to see the funny side of this, there are thousands and thousands of illegal number plates on UK roads. When it comes to MOT time they whip em of and put on the legal format plate. Cracked and delamimating plates that cameras may not read correctly are illegal and MOT failures, but there are lots of them on the road and that's without the hand written bits of card that gets stuck on the backs of trailers and caravans and even the odd HGV trailer.

It takes a few second to obtain a non legal laminated legal appearing plate on line I've now found, with a nudge and a wink they are sold as "show" plates.

As Thorpedo has hilighted, cloned plates are a problem that legislation seems powerless to stop. Hhat is the point in changing the legislation and who benefits from the change?

The adhesive reflective plates that are still on sale, were an easier option years ago, they don't fall off, don't need holes drilling in the caravan, and they do not delaminate, the numbers come off quite easily if you changed your car regularly or lent your caravan to somebody else to tow.

Of course loaning your caravan out is another isssue for some of this sites caring worrymongerers So please forget that idea!

 

[Parksy]

As a kid my friends and I would 'spot' car numbers and knew by heart from the letters in the plate where it was registered. We had 'The Observers Book of Cars' and knew all of the makes and models. Sad but true.

I don't really notice car number plates these days and to tell the truth I'd be hard pressed to tell one car from another because they all look the same.

As far as I'm concerned the 'funny font' brigade are chavs and boy racers. Their plates are the automobile equivelent of Elizabeth Duke 'jewellery'.

Those with the letters altered and coloured screw covers added to make up their name have issues that might have interested Freud imo.

 

[Chrisbee]

As far as i have been made aware it is quite legal to make and supply number plates via the internet or any other mail order means but it is totally illegal to use the plates supplied in this way on the public road, the plates will be supplied as "show plates". below is an extract from the terms and conditions from one of the largest on line number plate suppliers.

"Plates XXX XXXX manufacturer only show plates which are sold for off-road use only. Plates can be used for car shows, exhibitions, rally days, track days, bedroom signs, and any other events which are on private land but strictly not on the UK Roads. Plates XXX XXXX will not be held responsible for you using your plates on the UK roads, neither will Plates XXX XXXX refund your order based upon the plates being legal or for legal road use".

I have purposely removed the companies name in case of copy right issues allthough i cant see this being a problem as the t&c's are available for all to see if you look at the site closely enough.

Home made stick on number plates are allso totally illegal now for road use unless you can prove they where made and first used before the 51 plate date and they are fitted to a vehicle pre dating this date.

You're correct Icemaker. The "on line" ones are classified as signs, not number plates.