Keep Losing My Trailer's License Plate

[Mark Hofman]

For the third time since I've owned my boat, my license plate broke off and is gone. The first two times it was because the plastic mounting bracket broke (flexing back and forth, I imagine, in the turbulence of highway driving). But this time, after installing a metal license plate bracket, the license plate cracked AROUND the mouting bolts. When I took the nuts and bolts apart, metal from the license plate fell to the ground.



My question is this: How would you suggest mounting a license plate so that it won't suffer from flexing or metal fatigue, or be a target for thieves? I'm getting a bit tired of this.



Thanks!

 

[Allen T.]

MOFish,

When I got my boat from another member here, (herndonpro)he showed me a trick. I had the same problem. All you have to do is use a couple of heavy duty zip ties. Zip them through the holes in both the plate and the bracket. Leave them a little loose (kind of like a "ring") so the plate can swing in the wind or in the water. It won't come off again. I also replaced my bracket with a metal one for a little extra assurance. I would imagine that you should check on it every once and a while. I'm not sure how to thwart the thieves using this method.

 

[Allen T.]

I bet you could use a couple of really small stainless steel hinges so that it could be bolted with some tamper proof license plate bolts.

 

[Jim C]

I second vabasgetr's method. Has worked for me just fine.

 

[Greg Meyer]

I cut a piece of 12ga steel the same size as my plate... Then mounted the plate, the steel backing onto a full frame bracket that is set up as high as possible... Didn't need to hinge it...

 

[Lonnie Conner]

MoFish, get you an old mudflap and cut it to the shape of your tag and bolt it to your trailer and to your tag . Make sure that the flap is thick like the ones on a tractor trailer. Cut the Flap so that you can bolt the top of the tag to the flap and the top part of the rubber mount to your tailer. It wiil flex but will not break and make sure that you use lock washers to secure the plate.

 

[TritonGlenn]

I mount mine with big split rings - the ones that come on key chain rings. Get two of them that are the same size and first thread them though the holes on the bracket. Then thread them through the holes on your licence plate. Works great.

All the best,

Glenn

 

[Larry Harp]

You could move to Oklahoma, we don't have them over here. Not enough prisons I guess.:wacko:

 

[William H. (Bill) Barham]

You could move to Oklahoma, we don't have them over here. Not enough prisons I guess.

Really Harpo? No plates needed in Oklahoma? What happens or what do you have to do if you pull your boat to another state?



I have the Plastic/Rubber mounting bracket and I've never had a problem with it breaking.

On my old boat I first had a metal bracket and that broke on one side once but I didn't lose the tag.



Uncle Billy

 

[Larry Harp]

Really Harpo? No plates needed in Oklahoma? What happens or what do you have to do if you pull your boat to another state?

I've pulled down to Texas several times... no prob. One time I got stopped by a local police for a burned out tail light and he never said anything about the tag. We don't have them on the front of our vehicles either.

 

[Tim King]

Being a former LEO I know that most states go by whatever is the law in the state you are registered in. In Kansas we only have to have a plate if your boat weighs over 2000 lbs. Of course they will gladly sell you one if it makes you feel better.



Tim

 

[Jim B]

The zip ties work very well. I lost two plates in like 3 years when i used bolts. Once i switched to zip ties i never lost another one. Shoot i just took the one off my trailer after like 5 years of being on there with the same ties.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

I lost 3 plates in one year. Tried the metal tag holder, tried the rubber holder both broke. I was getting ready to drill the frame and mount like Ranger does when I tried the zip ties and Keyrings. Yep, I did both!! Held fine till I steamrolled a deer on the way to the Hamilton Not So Memorial. Now I've got it patched and have to tear it down again. I hate plates.



TOXIC

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Hinges are the way to go and use SS blots

 

[Mini]

youc an get these at lowes, home depot, etc....they come in stainless at some locations. Work great.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Yeah but mini, it's what you hook em' to.....I break the dang plate frames. Metal ones bust or tear your freaking rear light assembly off over time and the plastic ones wear through. I thought I had it figured out with this last setup and probably did. Hitting a deer is not "normal" wear and tear!!:lol:



TOXIC

 

[Gene B]

I used a piece of angle iron left over from my garage door install. I mounted the plate to the angle Iron and attached the angle iron to the trailer with a hinge. What I found was every time you back in and pull out the water resistance causes you to flex your plate or the bracket and eventually it will crack and fall off. With the hinge it can swing free.



Gene

 

[Herndonpro]

I used one set of zip ties for four years on my last boat and when I cut them off they weren't even worn.



HP

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Hey I like that Mini...I have some older machinsits shims that are on key rings like that

 

[Mini]

Tox, this will swing free.....the bracket wont be even in play.



Try it, you will like it! The zip ties work too, but if your plate is sharp (or has ANY burr) it will wear through.

 

[Scott Smith]

I've lost 3, 2 fell off and 1 was stolen. I don't put one on my trailer anymore. I display it in the rear window of my truck when I'm towing the boat and stow it in my storage bin when I'm not.



Being a copper myself for nearly 20 years, I can count on one hand the amount of times I've actually stopped a vehicle because of trailer issues...on those occasions, it was always a safety issue..never a plate issue. I can't ever recall actually checking a trailer plate through our computer systems.

 

[Mini]

I was stopped with a tennesee boat in michigan (tennesee has no trailer plates).



Took a while but I got out of getting a ticket. He was going to write one to me because I had no plate. I explained that boats from Tennesee are not reqd. He said but we are in Michigan, your truck is from Michigan, YOU are from Michigan. How come you have a boat from Tennesee?



I had to call the boat owner (former Elite Pro Chuck Economou) and have him talk to the officer....he still wanted to write me a ticket. It would have been thrown out of court most likely....

 

[Scott Smith]

Hi Mini...yup, that woulda been a loser for sure. I must admit...there are a few B$%ners in my line of work...sorry you had to meet one..! Mac's got my number if ya ever meet another. Don't hesitate.

 

[Jim C]

I don't think police ever check trailer plates to the trailer itself. When I had two Trackers/Trailerstar trailers, I just swapped one plate between them for a year while I sold the smaller boat. The police regularly run plates in the ramp lot and even got pulled over once and they never noticed. LOL