10
YOUR FIRST
outandaboutlive.co.uk
The legislation governing
the supply of number plates
was tightened in 2003 and
again in 2005 to make it
harder for thieves to obtain
false plates. When you buy
a number plate for your
caravan you will need to
supply proof of your ID and
proof of ownership of the car
Buying your number plate
Tread carefully on tyre law
Insurance requirements – for car and caravan
Carrying gas
cylinders
The European Union ring of stars combined with GB on this plate
remove the need for a separate GB sticker when travelling in Europe
(normally the V5 form) to the
number plate manufacturer.
If you think you might take
your caravan into Europe,
ask for the number plate to
have the European Union
ring of stars on it. That way
you will not need a separate
GB sticker.
The law in relation to caravan
tyres simply says that tyres
must be capable of carrying
the gross load of the caravan
and have a tread depth of no
less than 1.6mm across the
central three-quarters of the
breadth of the tyre and around
the entire circumference.
It’s a fact that caravan
tyre treads rarely wear out
– but they do deteriorate
with age. When buying a
used caravan, be prepared
to change the tyres if they
are more than 5 years old.
It’s quite easy to tell the age
of a tyre by examining the
numbers at the end of DOT
code (see photograph).
You will need to tell your
motor insurer that you are
planning to tow. Firstly,
fitting a towbar counts as a
modification to a car and,
secondly, your car insurance
company needs to provide
third party cover for the
caravan. This will protect you
in the event of your caravan
being in an accident where
a third party is involved.
You may have to pay an
additional premium to get
this necessary insurance.
A motor insurance policy
will not cover a caravan for
accidental damage or theft,
nor will it cover your liability
to a third party while it is
unhitched. For this type of
cover you will need separate
caravan insurance. There is
no legal requirement to have
such insurance. Most people
Gas cylinders are housed
either in a compartment at the
front, or on the side, closer
to the axle. The law requires
that they be switched off at
the valve on the cylinder when
you are towing.
The caravan must carry an
appropriate warning label to
alert people to the fact that
flammable gases are carried.
This is something that may
be missing or illegible (faded)
on a used caravan, so do
check when you buy.
The figures ‘26 10’ in a box at the end of this DOT code indicate that
the tyre was manufactured in week 26 of 2010
SPEED
LIMITS
The maximum speed for towing
a caravan in the UK is 50mph
on single carriageway roads and
60mph on dual carriageways
and motorways. Speed limits
abroad can be different and
may depend on train weights
and whether it is raining or not,
so it’s worth checking before
you leave.
Towing is not allowed in the
outside lane of a three or more
lane motorway unless other
lanes are closed.
do, though, and there are
many specialist insurance
companies happy to take
your business. Some of the
larger ones include Vantage
(Camping & Caravanning
Club), Devitts (Caravan Club),
Simple, Towergate, Caravan
Guard, Caravanwise, E&L,
MHIS.co.uk and Adrian Flux.
The carrying of LPG requires a
label like this one
PASSENGERS
ANDPETS
It is illegal to carry passengers in a caravan. According to the law, pets
can travel in a caravan – but this is definitely not recommended.
