road Trailer lighting... law...?

Logistics and Transport
Yorkshire Andy
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Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:06 pm

road Trailer lighting... law...?

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

I'm in the process of adding a high side set of "greedy boards" to my camping/ Bob trailer to increase capacity ( I'm aware of its max gross weight things like sleeping bags and pillows take up lots of room for minimum weight ) and a hard top for security of the load over straps and a tarp....

From Steel angle and larch cladding


Anyways I want to upgrade the lighting....

I'm replacing the original filament light clusters with 5 way led units and load resistors

But I want supplementary high lighting like I've seen on many HGV trailers in particular stop and indicator lights as people seem transfixed by the cars lights which can be seen over the trailer and I've had 2 near misses of been rear ended due to this (car has led tail lamps thus brighter than the trailer)




I've found regs on obligatory lights but nothing on supplementary or extra lights
http://uk-trailer-parts.co.uk/trailer-l ... quirements

( seen a good few HGV trailers now with 2 sets of lights one bottom and another set at the top corners )

But nothing for secondary lights is mentioned in the regs anyone come across the regs anywhere ?

Cheers
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
poppypiesdad
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Location: Area 11

Re: road Trailer lighting... law...?

Post by poppypiesdad »

Absolutely nothing to turn it into a christmas tree , however

They must be "E" compliant
The correct colour

Apart from that , fill your trailer .

Post pics when fitted


J
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Plan like its the last beer in the fridge.
Yorkshire Andy
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Re: road Trailer lighting... law...?

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

well im not planning anything flamboyant in terms of colour already have some red white position markers on the mud guards after some dopey individual tried to force themselves past me on a narrow street (been narrower than the car its not clear to see despite it having the standard little front reflectors) she then got stuck and she "hadn't seen the F//king trailer" apparently

Image



so tonight i begun my task.... only half done as im taking my time and trying to do it right so i dont have to come back to it..... All joints have been soldered and heat shrink tubing covered

ive replaced the speaker wire to the side marker lamps :oops: with proper automotive cable

and done one side's worth of lighting...

from the plug at the ftont the cable comes down to this box

Image

where it splits left and right (all solder joints with heat shrink this was done by me a while ago as the original plug in wiring was crap )



from there the new LED lights come with about 6-12" of new cable so time for another joint box...

from there there are 3 glands (cable in, Cable to top light cable to side marker and resistor.. light cluster cable enters from the back)
Image


New shiney lights and load resistors for indicators to make the tell tail in the car work
Image



lower lexus style lamps
Image

contain indicator brake and tail lights along with number plate lamps (£12ish a pair)



Image



upper lights are just Indicator brake and position

but are very thin

Image


guess which is led :mrgreen:

Image




and the indicators (right standard left new

Image
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
Hamradioop
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Location: Area 1: north wessex

Re: road Trailer lighting... law...?

Post by Hamradioop »

found this site ANDY http://www.ntta.co.uk/law/trailers/lights.aspx

It does not mention high level lights.
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Yorkshire Andy
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Re: road Trailer lighting... law...?

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

Thanks both

I've scoured the net and on line HMSO no mention in the rvlr or c/u regs

There is no mention of third brake lights either which most new caravans and hgv trailers come with one
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
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tanstaafl
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Re: road Trailer lighting... law...?

Post by tanstaafl »

I have a full set of regs on the computer at work, trouble is I am off long term sick at the moment.........

But I am pretty sure most regs of this type go with the minimum you must have , so I would say your good to go :D
Yorkshire Andy
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Re: road Trailer lighting... law...?

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

Thanks and hope you recover soon

I've had a battle today noticed the tell tail buzzer wasn't working so traced the fault to the multuliplex bypass relay unit

Picked up a brand new RING automotive unit last night set too today and 16 wires later found the thing was faulty... Slid the PCB out the casing and I've seen better soldering from a 12 year old child..... And for £30 from a big brand I had hoped for better

So had to go out to one of the only open car shops this afternoon and buy another one from a different brand (will return the other one on Monday

Image
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

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Hoipoloi
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Re: road Trailer lighting... law...?

Post by Hoipoloi »

Here's the back end of my trailer with a few extra LED lights on it (side lights and brake lights functioning here):

Image

A worthwhile addition are side marker lights (red/white)(small trailers such as this are exempt but perfectly legal). If you are in this situation it helps others who turn in behind you too quickly see the trailer at night:

Image
My prepping consists of bugging out by bicycle so any comments are likely to be based on that scenario.
Yorkshire Andy
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Re: road Trailer lighting... law...?

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/12100232 ... 108&ff19=0


Got these on top of the wheel arches done some more on it today I'll take some more pics if I get time tomorrow :)

Those f1 style brake lamps e marked?
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

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Hoipoloi
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Re: road Trailer lighting... law...?

Post by Hoipoloi »

Yorkshire Andy wrote: Those f1 style brake lamps e marked?
No. You can have them flashing or steady. I have it on steady until I get abroad then flick a switch over in the trailer so it flashes :)
My prepping consists of bugging out by bicycle so any comments are likely to be based on that scenario.