Can you legally park a caravan on the road?

[DaveCWK]

As per title
I've always had it in my head that it wasn't legal & to park/keep a caravan (or trailer or whatever) on the road & it had to be hitched to an insured/taxed/MOT'd car, displaying the same number plate etc to do so. Is that wrong?

[Red9zero]

Apparently it's fine. There are three parked on a road on our estate as free storage. Local council and Police say it's perfectly legal.

[Jamescrs]

There’s one I see in a car park most days when I walk my kids to school, I’m 99% certain someone is living in it and council don’t seem to bother. That being said I don’t have an issue either, if someone is so hard up to be living like that then they probably need any help they can get.

[Tommo87]

I think it’s a bit liked bodged number plates. It’s not legal, but the chances of getting caught is low.

I also see caravans and boats parked on roads, but typically it’s side roads.


Edit. I just looked a bit deeper and one police force seems to say it’s not illegal if the rear lights are facing oncoming traffic and the caravan is lit up at night (sidelights i assume).

Edited by Tommo87 on Friday 1st November 13:26

[Evil.soup]

I was under the impression that it could be kept on the road for a short while, as in, a number of weeks e.g. when loading it, preparing it for travel, that kind of thing, but after that, it should be stored off road.

No idea if that is right though, just sure a caravan owner told me that quite a number of years ago...

[Sebring440]

Red9zero said:

There are three parked on a road on our estate as free storage. Local council and Police say it's perfectly legal.

How do you know the local council and police say it's perfectly legal?

[Red9zero]

Sebring440 said:

Red9zero said:

There are three parked on a road on our estate as free storage. Local council and Police say it's perfectly legal.

How do you know the local council and police say it's perfectly legal?

Facebook uproar a while ago. One looks abandoned but after council put a notice on there it was claimed. Still sat there now. Local do-gooder owns one of the others and did all the checks. Parish council even posted to say it was OK. I will try and get a pic later.

Edit for pic. Looks like one caravan has gone away for the weekend.

Edited by Red9zero on Friday 1st November 16:47

[sortedcossie]

Very much doubt that they'll be insured. There will be a clause in the insurance.

[tgr]

It’s fine in Scotland, although not very subtle

[nute]

As it seems to be the norm in this country that if it’s not nailed down someone with pinch it, what stops someone just hooking up thier car and driving off with one left on the street?
.

[nute]

As it seems to be the norm in this country that if it’s not nailed down someone with pinch it, what stops someone just hooking up thier car and driving off with one left on the street?
.

[blueg33]

I hate caravans with a passion. When parked they are eyesores, when being towed they gum up the roads. Their drivers frequently drive as if the have forgotten they are towing 20 feet of the thinnest cheapest MDF called Viking Crusader Sprint

[Vasco]

sortedcossie said:

Very much doubt that they'll be insured. There will be a clause in the insurance.

Do they need to be ?

[Evil.soup]

blueg33 said:

I hate caravans with a passion. When parked they are eyesores, when being towed they gum up the roads. Their drivers frequently drive as if the have forgotten they are towing 20 feet of the thinnest cheapest MDF called Viking Crusader Sprint

Jeremy??

[littleredrooster]

blueg33 said:

I hate caravans with a passion. When parked they are eyesores, when being towed they gum up the roads. Their drivers frequently drive as if the have forgotten they are towing 20 feet of the thinnest cheapest MDF called Viking Crusader Sprint

...and when they overturn and burst, they spill cornflakes and teabags all over the motorway.

[Chrisgr31]

nute said:

As it seems to be the norm in this country that if it’s not nailed down someone with pinch it, what stops someone just hooking up thier car and driving off with one left on the street?
.

I am surprised that one as new as that one in the photo is left on the street, as of course they are just as vulnerable to theft as anything else. They may be clamped or have a tow hitch lock but that wont stop some determined for long. They may have a tracker in them. They are probably also registered with CRIS and got all the windows etched, but that only limits resale,

So I have no idea why anyone would park them on the road.

[Vasco]

Chrisgr31 said:

I am surprised that one as new as that one in the photo is left on the street, as of course they are just as vulnerable to theft as anything else. They may be clamped or have a tow hitch lock but that wont stop some determined for long. They may have a tracker in them. They are probably also registered with CRIS and got all the windows etched, but that only limits resale,

So I have no idea why anyone would park them on the road.

Because they have no room for it at home?

[Red9zero]

Vasco said:

Chrisgr31 said:

I am surprised that one as new as that one in the photo is left on the street, as of course they are just as vulnerable to theft as anything else. They may be clamped or have a tow hitch lock but that wont stop some determined for long. They may have a tracker in them. They are probably also registered with CRIS and got all the windows etched, but that only limits resale,

So I have no idea why anyone would park them on the road.

Because they have no room for it at home?

The decent one in my pic has a lock on the hitch and a wheel clamp. Still not enough to keep a determined thief from taking it though. There is a storage facility 0.5 miles away.

[blueg33]

Evil.soup said:

blueg33 said:

I hate caravans with a passion. When parked they are eyesores, when being towed they gum up the roads. Their drivers frequently drive as if the have forgotten they are towing 20 feet of the thinnest cheapest MDF called Viking Crusader Sprint

Jeremy??

I have his gut (well nearly) but not his wealth.

[Tommo87]

Red9zero said:

Vasco said:

Chrisgr31 said:

I am surprised that one as new as that one in the photo is left on the street, as of course they are just as vulnerable to theft as anything else. They may be clamped or have a tow hitch lock but that wont stop some determined for long. They may have a tracker in them. They are probably also registered with CRIS and got all the windows etched, but that only limits resale,

So I have no idea why anyone would park them on the road.

Because they have no room for it at home?

The decent one in my pic has a lock on the hitch and a wheel clamp. Still not enough to keep a determined thief from taking it though. There is a storage facility 0.5 miles away.

Put a for sale sign on it with a random mobile number on it for fun.

At the very least, it will give the owner a little bit of anxiety over his decision to make it someone else’s problem.