Motorhome Mot failure

[Taran_Las]

A friend of mine has just taken his 70 plate 'Roller Team TLine' for its first MOT. It failed for the following reasons:

1. Rear brakes pulling to one side. Fair enough.

2. The near side has 3 illuminated square orange lights, whereas the offside has a rear illuminated orange light plus two non-illuminated orange reflectors. The testers failed it saying if there are 3 illuminated light fittings on one side of the vehicle there should be 3 on the otherside. As far as I'm aware the van has not been modified, therefore, it's been illegal since importation. It's a RHD model too.

Anyone ever heard of this reason for failure before? Does your van have an unequal number of lights and reflectors?

One of van-life's little mysteries that I thought I should bring to the collective's attention.

 

[haganap]

Scrap it Phil tell him to buy a hymer

 

[Silver-Fox]

As far as I know if it is a marker light it needs to work.

If it’s a reflector it can’t illuminate so all good.

I can’t see why the vehicle needs to be “balanced” side to side.

After all you only need one fog light on the rear or one reversing light

 

[chippie]

If the vehicle is over 6m long it needs side marker lights at predetermined spacings and working, a simple Google search will lead you to the relevant technical sites with full details.
Are you sure they are not marker lights with bulbs that have failed because when not illuminated they can look like a standard reflector.

 

[dunnah01]

If it's over 3500kg (so a Private HGV) and longer than 6m it needs to have amber lights at 3.05m along each side. If less than 3500kg reflectors are fine

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[eddie]

Take one working LED and mount it in the other side making two per side and cover the hole with the removed reflector and get it retested

edit: the reflectors probably cover the factory fitted mounting holes

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

Made in Italy ,that's why lights are on the uk nearside ,for driving on the right.
It would be a simple job to add them to the uk offside.

 

[Manic]

I would think the non working one’s have probably got broken bulbs, I wouldn’t have thought they were just reflector.

 

[Taran_Las]

Thanks for all of the replies.

The van's V5 shows it as 3.5 ton. The non working lights are definitely reflectors as there's no wiring or bulbs/LEDs behind them.

To avoid any future problems he's decided to have new lights & lenses fitted to all 6 positions. (The brakes will be fixed at the same time.)

 

[Reallyretired]

Probably best to replace with led marker lights, they are quite cheap online.

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[The Wino]

Thanks for all of the replies.

The van's V5 shows it as 3.5 ton. The non working lights are definitely reflectors as there's no wiring or bulbs/LEDs behind them.

To avoid any future problems he's decided to have new lights & lenses fitted to all 6 positions. (The brakes will be fixed at the same time.)

I'd get them to fit a flashing blue led each side while they're at it separately switched as a dummy alarm.

 

[busbuddy]

If it's over 3500kg (so a Private HGV) and longer than 6m it needs to have amber lights at 3.05m along each side. If less than 3500kg reflectors are fine

Mine is from 2003, was 3850kg when new and 7m long.....only marker lights on side of mine are right at the top at the back

when did the regs come in

 

[dunnah01]

Mine is from 2003, was 3850kg when new and 7m long.....only marker lights on side of mine are right at the top at the back
View attachment 793184
when did the regs come in

Early 90's I think

 

[Nigel P]

The lighting regs say they are not required on passenger vehicles.

 

[Taran_Las]

Update from mate:

Van has now passed the mot, 4 marker lights replaced and 2 new ones fitted, handbrake adjusted. £ 300 later. but it’s sorted, the bloke in charge also said that he’s been on to the DVSA/ DVLA & they all said it’s a fail!