Hi,
As distinct from what you WOULD do, if you lost your caravan/trailer number plate while touring abroad?
602
As distinct from what you WOULD do, if you lost your caravan/trailer number plate while touring abroad?
602
What do HMG expect you to do if ......
- Thread starter 602
- Start date
When towing in the UK its legal to move the plate from the car to the caravan. Just remember to put it back on the car when you unhitch. I'd do the same abroad.
Hi Timothy,
Doh! How am I supposed to have a rant if you are going to come up with clever-clog ideas like that. Respect! Yeah, I knew that, but never considered it.
French plates must be made in France, and rivetted onto the car.
We met an American couple on a campsite in Dinan. They were touring Europe in their USA registered BMW. They reported that the lack of a front registration plate (legal in some states) was causing consternation at toll booths. So they bought a front plate to match the rear. But it was a white plate with three black letters and three black numbers, easily mistakable for a replacement pre-1969 UK front plate.
The girl told us that when they were trying to decide what car to bring over, the American dealers INSISTED on knowing what COLOR car they wanted to road test. No color, no test. How the other half live.
602
Doh! How am I supposed to have a rant if you are going to come up with clever-clog ideas like that. Respect! Yeah, I knew that, but never considered it.
French plates must be made in France, and rivetted onto the car.
We met an American couple on a campsite in Dinan. They were touring Europe in their USA registered BMW. They reported that the lack of a front registration plate (legal in some states) was causing consternation at toll booths. So they bought a front plate to match the rear. But it was a white plate with three black letters and three black numbers, easily mistakable for a replacement pre-1969 UK front plate.
The girl told us that when they were trying to decide what car to bring over, the American dealers INSISTED on knowing what COLOR car they wanted to road test. No color, no test. How the other half live.
602
602: French plates must be made in France, and rivetted onto the car.
But not a trailer & as a caravan would (almost certainly) have it's own registration, there would be no point in transfering the plate from the car.
But not a trailer & as a caravan would (almost certainly) have it's own registration, there would be no point in transfering the plate from the car.
- Mar 14, 2005
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In most European countries trailers/caravans have their own number plate so that would be a different issue. I'm not sure about a French requirement to have the number plates rivetted to the vehicles, but it can only apply to locally registered vehicles. Germany, for example, has no such requirement and it is usual for dealers to supply vehicles with plastic number plate frames into which the plate is simply inserted and clipped in place. The number plates can then quickly be exchanged when there is a change of ownership.
Vehicles entering Europe with just a rear number plate (as in the case of some American visitors) will normally be required to have temporary registration taken out at the port of entry, as front AND rear number plates are mandatory in the EU. It seems that in the case in question, the port authority forgot to check the vehicle before allowing it to proceed.
Vehicles entering Europe with just a rear number plate (as in the case of some American visitors) will normally be required to have temporary registration taken out at the port of entry, as front AND rear number plates are mandatory in the EU. It seems that in the case in question, the port authority forgot to check the vehicle before allowing it to proceed.
Black felt tip pen works pretty darn well!
Or a bit of carboard in the rear window with the number scrawled on it
It may not be strict legal format, but it seems to work pretty darn well from what we've seen over many years of motoring.
Or a bit of carboard in the rear window with the number scrawled on it
It may not be strict legal format, but it seems to work pretty darn well from what we've seen over many years of motoring.
- Mar 14, 2005
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Depends where you are, Euro. That sort of 'solution' is sure to attract the attention of the police in Germany. I don't think you'd get very far like that before being stopped. A 'handwritten' number wouldn't give any indication from which country the vehicle has come and if the same letter/number combination is possible on a locally registered vehicle it could be confused as such. The owner would be in deep trouble as German number plates include a tax disc which also serves as verification that the vehicle is insured and also information when the vehicle is due for its next T
I assume 602 was talking UK van with UK plate. A good old trusty GB sticker should alert even the dopiest of German Plods to the outfit being British
Right hand drive and British number plates should even give them another clue if they are really thick or having a bad day
If you make up a very clear and visible plate as some case of misfortune has caused the loss of the genuine plate do we assume that we will be hassled by police across europe for trying to make up for the loss?
Simple answers
Weigh yourself down with a spare plate!
Fix the plate on with large stainless bolts through the rear panel of the caravan using nyloc nuts or locking nuts! (no help, bolts rusting and the plate flying off)
Have an old fashioned non BS (No one will notice really) adhesive reflective yellow plate under the normal plate and carry sticky numbers & letters just in case!
I just can't take this seriously.
What do yo do when anything goes wrong? For God's sake, you make do, compromise or use your iniative to make the best if a bad job and I believe most police will be pleased to let you travel as long as you are not up to no good.
ie. you've stolen the van.
Or may be you could abandon the van at the road side rather than drive on without a regular plate, then track down a UK plate or get one via express courier from the UK. No doubt the van would still be where you left it a day or two later
Right hand drive and British number plates should even give them another clue if they are really thick or having a bad day
If you make up a very clear and visible plate as some case of misfortune has caused the loss of the genuine plate do we assume that we will be hassled by police across europe for trying to make up for the loss?
Simple answers
Weigh yourself down with a spare plate!
Fix the plate on with large stainless bolts through the rear panel of the caravan using nyloc nuts or locking nuts! (no help, bolts rusting and the plate flying off)
Have an old fashioned non BS (No one will notice really) adhesive reflective yellow plate under the normal plate and carry sticky numbers & letters just in case!
I just can't take this seriously.
What do yo do when anything goes wrong? For God's sake, you make do, compromise or use your iniative to make the best if a bad job and I believe most police will be pleased to let you travel as long as you are not up to no good.
ie. you've stolen the van.
Or may be you could abandon the van at the road side rather than drive on without a regular plate, then track down a UK plate or get one via express courier from the UK. No doubt the van would still be where you left it a day or two later
Its not just Germany youll get stopped. A mate of mine didnt swap his number plate from 1 trailer to another on his hgv, got stopped by old bill and was charged
Right on!
Displaying wrong plate on an HGV is a little different to having a home made get you home correct number, car and caravan case is as we should expect.
Displaying wrong plate on an HGV is a little different to having a home made get you home correct number, car and caravan case is as we should expect.
- Jul 15, 2008
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.......I was given a new articulated truck to drive by my employer in August 1980... registration number OYJ 452X.
Two months later a motorist in a following vehicle walked up to my cab (we were in a traffic jam) and told me that my trailer number plate did not match the number on the tractor unit.
The number on the trailer was OYJ 542X... I had been fitting it on different trailers every day and had not noticed!!
Two months later a motorist in a following vehicle walked up to my cab (we were in a traffic jam) and told me that my trailer number plate did not match the number on the tractor unit.
The number on the trailer was OYJ 542X... I had been fitting it on different trailers every day and had not noticed!!
- Mar 14, 2005
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602 was talking about what to do in case a number plate was lost specifically while abroad and the easiest solution and the one least likely to get you into trouble is to temporarily use the one from the back of the car while towing.
With EU plates there is no need for a GB sticker and from the rear, a right hand drive vehicle is not readily identifiable, so one would be sure to attract the attention of the police with the method you suggested, Euro.
With EU plates there is no need for a GB sticker and from the rear, a right hand drive vehicle is not readily identifiable, so one would be sure to attract the attention of the police with the method you suggested, Euro.
Hi,
I was referring to the requirement to produce proof of entitlement to that registration, to the place making you a new plate. Its probably not very convenient to send your driving licence and V5 back to the UK, even from France .....or even the other end of UK. In the old days, you could just walk into the nearest Halfords. Or if abroad, phone a friend, ask him to get one from Halfords and post it to you, which should save two or three days over doing it the way HMG want you to. Yikes, I even have problems with traders using a normal stamp to post an ordinary letter across the Channel.
Im 1967, I had a car with a ridge down the middle of the bonnet. A PO had fitted a stick on number plate, leaving a gap where it crossed the ridge. The first weekend that I owned that car, I was stopped three times by the police in Horsham. It seems they were having a purge on illegal number plates.
602
I was referring to the requirement to produce proof of entitlement to that registration, to the place making you a new plate. Its probably not very convenient to send your driving licence and V5 back to the UK, even from France .....or even the other end of UK. In the old days, you could just walk into the nearest Halfords. Or if abroad, phone a friend, ask him to get one from Halfords and post it to you, which should save two or three days over doing it the way HMG want you to. Yikes, I even have problems with traders using a normal stamp to post an ordinary letter across the Channel.
Im 1967, I had a car with a ridge down the middle of the bonnet. A PO had fitted a stick on number plate, leaving a gap where it crossed the ridge. The first weekend that I owned that car, I was stopped three times by the police in Horsham. It seems they were having a purge on illegal number plates.
602
You can still buy stickon reflective "notice plates" and letters and numbers, from places similar to "Motorworld" etc, they will explain you must not use them as number plates! but they are the same as the old stickon plates i.e. no BS number. I use them on my garden trailer and my bike bar.
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