Community Forums

RussOnTheRoad · 03-06-2019, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clifford j

My gosh Russ your beating yourself up. Just drill a couple holes to the left of the right tail light and mount the plate. Tap the tail light wire and go happily down the road.

CLIFFORD

The location you suggest would put the license plate behind the bicycles and bicycle.cover where it would not be visible.

jacknife · 03-06-2019, 07:23 PM

Don't drive at night .l don't .

RussOnTheRoad · 03-06-2019, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jacknife

Don't drive at night .l don't .

Even if I could avoid driving where and when lights are required, which is unlikely, the license plate would be completely blocked by a bicycle cover and is partially blocked now now by the bicycles and bike carrier.

I am not asking for help about where or when to drive or not drive. I am asking for help relocating my license plate and light.

Unplanned Tourist · 03-06-2019, 07:47 PM

Some good double sided tape, and you can put it wherever you like. Stick a battery powered light above it, and Bob's your uncle.
It will be visible and if you decide to drive in the dark, just pull over and turn the light on.
KISS principle is good!

Happy Glamping.

oldbeek · 03-06-2019, 10:24 PM

Put a license plate holder on the back of the bike rack. Move the plate from the rv to the rack when in use.

ScoobyDoo · 03-07-2019, 04:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RussOnTheRoad

Even if I could avoid driving where and when lights are required, which is unlikely, the license plate would be completely blocked by a bicycle cover and is partially blocked now now by the bicycles and bike carrier.

I am not asking for help about where or when to drive or not drive. I am asking for help relocating my license plate and light.

Well, from the OP somebody might think you might welcome other ideas.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RussOnTheRoad

If anyone has done something like this before I’d like to know how. If anyone has any thoughts or suggestions about things I might want to consider I’d appreciate hearing from you too.

To move the plate; Decide where you want it, and get a light that will shine white on where you want the plate. Saw a hand hole, large enough to work thru, but small enough to cover the patch with plate. Drill what holes you need to mount the light and run the wires thru. Holes for the press in nuts for the plate mounting screws. Feed the wires to where you can pick up switched power and ground. Put sealant on a sheet metal patch, and pop-rivet it over the hand-hole. It ain't rocket surgery...

RussOnTheRoad · 03-07-2019, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScoobyDoo

Well, from the OP somebody might think you might welcome other ideas.

To move the plate; Decide where you want it, and get a light that will shine white on where you want the plate. Saw a hand hole, large enough to work thru, but small enough to cover the patch with plate. Drill what holes you need to mount the light and run the wires thru. Holes for the press in nuts for the plate mounting screws. Feed the wires to where you can pick up switched power and ground. Put sealant on a sheet metal patch, and pop-rivet it over the hand-hole. It ain't rocket surgery...

Yes, of course I am open to other ideas... within reason. That's why I posed my original question. As one solution I could give up RVing, but that's a silly solution. It's not reasonable.

Any suggestion to avoid driving under circumstances where lights (including a license plate light) are required likewise is really not a workable idea because there are too many situations that arise even during the day that require lights and some of them come upon you quickly and cannot be avoided. Tunnels that require drivers to turn on their headlights is one such situation. Foggy conditions that arise suddenly is another. Some construction zones and safety corridors require lights during the day. Any one of those and possibly other situations may require lights during daylight hours, so the notion of driving only under those circumstances where lights are not required just isn't workable idea. Similarly, hopping out of the RV to turn on a battery powered license plate light wouldn't be something that could always, easily be done.

As to your suggestion, I don't quite follow it all. If I were to cut a hole in the rear cap where I need a license plate light to be, several feet up from the ground toward the edge of the rear cap, I don't think I could get wires from there to the electrical system behind the rear cap. Except for the lowest portion of the rear cap where the taillights and existing license plate frame are mounted the rear cap is inaccessible except from the outside. The bottom of the RV is sealed off above the level of the taillights. There is no access to the back side of most of the rear cap. Additionally, there may be insulation on the back side of the rear cap or framing members, either of which could prevent routing wires. The interior wall is behind the rear cap. If there was a clear and easy path to route wires behind the rear cap I might not have felt the need to post my original question. I might have mounted a license plate frame with a few screws and drilled a hole large enough to run the wires through the rear cap and tied them into the existing wires. What I've been saying is that the inside of the rear cap appears to be inaccessible.

It looks like I have two ways to go. One would be to have two license plate frames with lights, one mounted on the bicycle carrier and one on the RV in the existing location. That way I could move the plate back and forth as need be. The trick would be to find or construct frames that will make it quick and easy to remove and replace the license plate. The frame on the RV would probably have to have a hinged front frame and open like a clam shell or cabinet door. (There is no room above or to the sides in order to slide a license plate into a frame in that location.) The frame on the bike carrier might allow dropping the license plate into it from a slot on top.

The second option would seem to be mounting a lighted license plate frame on the rear cap where it can be seen and lawfully positioned and run wires on the outside of the rear cap from the existing license plate frame or tail light. I had hoped to avoid this as a solution because it would involve drilling holes in the rear cap but it looks like that is what would be required.

What methods are there of attaching wires to a fiberglass rear cap?

RussOnTheRoad · 03-07-2019, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spdracr39

Don't do anything they they would need to pull you over for and it wont be an issue. With your fifth wheel attached they can't see your truck license plate either and you aren't worried about that.

My initial reply to your suggestions is found in post #23 of this thread, but to add to that, it just isn't possible to avoid doing things that can get you pulled over. You can be as careful as you can be, but still there are times where you make a mistake or signage is unclear and an error is forced.

Bob_C · 03-07-2019, 10:30 AM

Above the right rear taillight, you have a moulded bumper stick'n out.....two stainless L brackets, facing the L up, mount the plate there along with an aftermarket light......remove that taillight assembly, tap into taillight wire,run that short wire up to new light, inside the cap......only would need a hole large enough for a 16 gauge wire as the connection would be inside the cap......stainless 1/4" bolts and wingnuts for plate attachment and 4 stainless pop rivets to hold L brackets....with the taillight out of the way, there'd be enough room to work...gonna take a hole or two somewhere...could even use anodized aluminum flat bar for the brackets......If you used a licence plate frame, you could always leave the frame attached to the brackets without the plate for a more finished look.....and leave the light there also, and find a sticker you like add a backing plate for it, and all you'd be moving was the plate...

ScoobyDoo · 03-07-2019, 10:35 AM

Must be a unique trailer. Most of them where not born in one piece, but somebody put it together. Take it apart, run the wires, put it back together. Or just mount the light, not likely to have issue with light not working, and if you get a ticket will be a mail in fine. Traveling, will you get stopped in same jurisdiction more than once?

mobilemike · 03-07-2019, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RussOnTheRoad

It looks like I have two ways to go. One would be to have two license plate frames with lights, one mounted on the bicycle carrier and one on the RV in the existing location. That way I could move the plate back and forth as need be. The trick would be to find or construct frames that will make it quick and easy to remove and replace the license plate.

This is the best way. However no need to complicate it with easy access slide in plate holders and such.

It is 2 screws. Just 2 screws. How often will you be moving the plate? several times a day?

The entire process of moving the plate will take 30seconds.

AGoodLife · 03-07-2019, 02:57 PM

Winner of the longest forum about the most simple project. Took longer to read than the mod will take.

Tightwadted · 03-07-2019, 07:39 PM

One more possibility: a lot of camper taillights are made by stock companies and camper builders get them from those companies. many times you can get replacement lenses at your local camper store - .without or WITH a clear section on the bottom to illuminate a plate below it. On a side note, I've towed boat, car, stock, ATV, PU box trailers for over 40 years, and very rarely had a lite on the plate, never been pulled over at nite. Always figured if the LEO could see the plate in HIS headlights I'm ok. (probably the reason for the 5' from the ground rule)

Yosemite77 · 03-08-2019, 04:14 AM

I wouldn’t bother with a light. Just go on Amazon and search for an RV license plate holder. If you mount it next to a taillight minimal light will be provided for the plate.