Its a 91 caravan so is quite old . I have tryed cleaning the connections but when i get one light going another goes off.As for being stopped by the police i,ve nothing to hide . I,ve seen some lighting boards 6 foot wide with fog lights. Thanks for all the helpful advice.
A caravan is a trailer as far as the law is concerned. Therefore the law regarding trailer lights apply.
In one sense this is correct. However, we need to recognise the difference between a trailer and a caravan. The latter tends to be wider than a car and different rules apply in those circumstances.
Table V1 of Schedule 1 incorporated into law by Regulation 18 of the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 (as amended) applies specifically to caravans and not other "trailers". This stipulates the lights that a caravan must have fitted. (There are exemptions for certain vans built before certain dates (1990 and earlier for different kinds of vans) or which are not wider than the towing vehicle.) One tricky issue for the OP is that this Regulation includes for a front white marker light. I assume that does not work and so he would also need a lighting board at the front of the caravan to meet this requirement.
There are other provisions in the Regs about the lights actually working e.g Reg 23 which prohibits the use of the vehicle if the lights do not work.
So, the primary obligation of the driver is to ensure that the vehicle/van on the road is fitted with the mandatory lights, they work and are not obscured. If they are obscured e.g you fit a bike carrier, then you are legally required to use a lighting board. That lighting board must meet the standards set out in the Regs. Using that lighting board does not override the primary obligation of having your lights working as well.
Better to get it fixed as Jim has suggested.
Phil
------------- If you're not on a fell your wasting your feet and for 2014 it's.......Feb Castleton Mar North Yors Moors; Apr Sutton on Sea; May Thirsk; Jun Clapham/Riverside (Lakes); July Wharfedale; August Crakehall; Sept Knaresborough; Oct Wirral Park/Clitheroe
Have you checked the fault is not on the car? Definately sounds like an earth fault and quite possible it is just a wire pulled out of a ring terminal on the car. In which case a trailer board will have the same problem. If you can borrow one or plug into a friends caravan you could be certain the car is ok.
The problem is not with the car, it has been tried on a trailer and worked ok, the problem is with the caravn electrics, trying to trace the fault is the problem
Just as a starting point, find where the wires enter the caravan and run a temporary wire from the earth connection to a good earth point on the car. If everything is bad, the earth connection is the best place to start.
Jim
I may have missed it in the posts above but it can not be legal to use a light board on a caravan as I have never seen a Caravan less than 1.6m wide and it is a legal requirement for white front markers when a trailer or caravan is over 1.6m wide.
it is easy to wire lights As people have stated if all lights are not working or they are dimming then it is usually an earth.
I have not seen a law for a trailer or caravan to need a reverse until the type approval that is for trailers / Caravans manufactured after oct 2010 (1 off ) and oct 2012 for existing modles. but it may be like cars if 1 is fitted it must work.
Run a piece of 7 core cable to a junction box prefably this one as it is easy to use even comes with wiring diagram in the lid. run individual cables to each light following the standard colours on the wiring diagram and connecting with spade connectors.
This will be easy to maintain in the future as if a light goes out you can trace the individual wire back or just replace it. if they all go out it is a problem with the 7 core cable or plug.
Quote: Originally posted by Greendemon315 on 23/5/2011
Up until quite recently, I used to tow all kinds of trailers for a living, and I have three lighting boards, all of different widths. I wouldn't have gone to that expense if I didn't have to.
Originally posted by petedb74 on 24/5/2011
I may have missed it in the posts above but it can not be legal to use a light board on a caravan as I have never seen a Caravan less than 1.6m wide and it is a legal requirement for white front markers when a trailer or caravan is over 1.6m wide.
Quote: Originally posted by TADGER on 23/5/2011
Its a 91 caravan so is quite old . I have tryed cleaning the connections but when i get one light going another goes off.As for being stopped by the police i,ve nothing to hide . I,ve seen some lighting boards 6 foot wide with fog lights. Thanks for all the helpful advice.
I would try and get it fixed. Once it is done, it would be far less bother than a lighting board. It might be worth trying another towing vehicle connected to your car electrics. If the other trailer/caravan has no problem, then the problem is with the caravan. If the other trailer/caravan still has the problem, then it would look like a problem with the car,
Having worked this out, I would check the wiring of the plug or the connections with the light bulbs where there are problems. When exhausing all possibilities, call in the experts.
I may have missed it in the posts above but it can not be legal to use a light board on a caravan as I have never seen a Caravan less than 1.6m wide and it is a legal requirement for white front markers when a trailer or caravan is over 1.6m wide.
------------- If you're not on a fell your wasting your feet and for 2014 it's.......Feb Castleton Mar North Yors Moors; Apr Sutton on Sea; May Thirsk; Jun Clapham/Riverside (Lakes); July Wharfedale; August Crakehall; Sept Knaresborough; Oct Wirral Park/Clitheroe
I said earlier that the use of a lighting Board may attract the attention of the Police to your car/caravan. If it did, then the procedure under the Vehicle Defect Rectification Scheme could be implemented. This applies to caravans as well as cars.
This is not a statutory scheme but one which all Police Forces operate as a first option rather than going straight to penalty points/fine. Basically they give you a form setting out the defect (fitted lights not working) obliging you to rectify the defect within fourteen days and to then provide evidence to the Police that you have done that. This avoids any fine/points.
However, if the Police Officer considers that the driver has knowingly driven the vehicle on a road with defects then they can go straight to a fine. Fitting a lighting Board is evidence of “knowingly” driving with defective lights. My own guess, though, would be that the Police would go via the Scheme and give the OP the opportunity to remedy the defect.
So, using a lighting board could only ever be a temporary measure.
Phil
------------- If you're not on a fell your wasting your feet and for 2014 it's.......Feb Castleton Mar North Yors Moors; Apr Sutton on Sea; May Thirsk; Jun Clapham/Riverside (Lakes); July Wharfedale; August Crakehall; Sept Knaresborough; Oct Wirral Park/Clitheroe
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Topic: lighting board
