Precept Front License Plate - Biting the bullet

[chasfenwick]

Well, I finally did it. Looks pretty good, if I do say so myself. Bracket is from etrailer.com.

[Dave55]

Excellent 😎

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[Graunke]

In Minnesota front license plates are required, but oddly enough I didn't receive one with my Registration for my 17 Alante. OUr DMV is quite screwed up though. I'm not going to complain for now.

[chasfenwick]

Originally Posted by Graunke

In Minnesota front license plates are required, but oddly enough I didn't receive one with my Registration for my 17 Alante. OUr DMV is quite screwed up though. I'm not going to complain for now.

Several owners told me here that they have resisted installing a front plate, but I decided that it can be installed to look reasonably compatible with the surrounding graphics. Missouri law is surprisingly detailed about where it has to be mounted; my solution may be a smidge too close to the ground, if memory serves, but I'm not going to worry about it.

[RWK]

Originally Posted by chasfenwick

Well, I finally did it. Looks pretty good, if I do say so myself. Bracket is from etrailer.com.

I looks great, can you send me the link to the purchase site? I have the Alante 31 but I imagine this bracket will work on mine as well.

[chasfenwick]

Originally Posted by RWK

I looks great, can you send me the link to the purchase site? I have the Alante 31 but I imagine this bracket will work on mine as well.

The "License Plate Holder" was called Item #LP35B at etrailer.com when I bought it last December. Now they are calling something that looks to be very similar "Item #LP35BB." The photo then and now shows an etrailer nomenclature silk screened on the bracket, but it was plain (as one would want) on the actual product I received. Anyhow, at $3.50 it is a low risk purchase.

I used three 3/4" x 14 stainless steel self-tapping screws from Lowes. The "fiberglass" I was screwing into is VERY hard, powdery, strange. Pilot hole wants to be VERY little less diameter than the screw, like maybe 1/64-inch, believe it or not, or you can't get it to screw into whatever kind of weird Jayco plastic material that is. Scary business. (Worried about triggering some cracking).

[chasfenwick]

Update: There was a typo on etrailer's December invoice. Item number has always been LP35BB.

[RWK]

Thanks I will hunt it down.

[Dave55]

I got my license plate holder at O'Reily's aurto parts store. Just saying.

[RWK]

Originally Posted by Dave55

I got my license plate holder at O'Reily's aurto parts store. Just saying.

Fair enough
Thanks

[TWP723]

My thoughts are, a tag shouldn't be required on class A's, regardless of state. It's to identify a vehicle and it's owner when the rear can't be seen. How hard would it be to chase down a class A and check the back plate?

[chasfenwick]

I didn't actually count them, but I scrolled through most of them - etrailer stocks what appear to be over a hundred different kinds of license plate bracket! This one that I selected is intended for box trailers, not motor vehicles, but seems to be just the thing for the front of a Precept or Alante. Not made of metal, having depth contours to it, somewhat bendable, no writing on it. This design actually conforms to the curved surface, all the way around.

[Jday7757]

I just received my license plates for our new 2017 Precept 31UL today and noticed the fact that there is no place to mount the front one. I search the forums and found this thread. Thanks chasfenwick for your explanation and picture. I'll probably end up doing what you did, but don't really want to attempt it. I think I'm going to first check with the dealer and see if they will do it for me. Since we're in TX and they knew it was going to be registered in TX I would have thought they would have handled that before delivering it to us. They've been very helpful on other things so I hope they are willing to do this for me. The only bad news is they are almost 3 hours away in Fort Worth.

[Jday7757]

I went ahead and ordered the same frame/holder you used because yours looks great and my 31UL is the Sam color scheme as yours. I received the holder this evening and will attempt the installation tomorrow. Our Lowes didn't have 3/4" x 14 self-tapping screws so I bought 1" ones. I doubt that will make any difference. I'm still a little nervous drilling holes in the front of my brand new MH but it's the best option.

[Vicr]

Don't use self tapping screws!!!!! Start with a small drill bit and drill holes progressively larger up to 1/4" diameter and use stainless steel nuts, bolts and washers to attach the license plate frame.Self tapping screws grind their way thru the fiberglass and may cause cracking.

[Jday7757]

Vicr, thanks for that reply. I was concerned about using self-drilling screws due to the fiberglass, but the OP did it without cracking the fiberglass so I was going to go ahead and do it that way. But now, just to be safe I'm going to go with the nut and bolt. Have to run to Lowe's to get the correct size nut and bolt and then I'll get to it.

[chasfenwick]

Originally Posted by Vicr

Don't use self tapping screws!!!!! Start with a small drill bit and drill holes progressively larger up to 1/4" diameter and use stainless steel nuts, bolts and washers to attach the license plate frame.Self tapping screws grind their way thru the fiberglass and may cause cracking.

I didn't see any way to use a bolt and nut due to the air gap between two layers of fiberglass or whatever it is. Would seem to me as inviting cracking more than use of self-tapping screw where the hole that is drilled is "almost" the same diameter as the screw.

[Arniesports60]

All very great posts. I believe CA requires front plates...
But, I haven't attached my plate to the front yet
(it's been 2.5 yrs since we bought out 2015 31ul).

I simple place the plate in the front dash (or behind my driver seat).
If I get pulled over I will simply tell officer I am waiting for bracket
from dealer (which , as always takes 3 months for any part ! lol).

[Jday7757]

Thanks again chasfenwich for the comments. I had been going back and forth on which way to do it. I ended up going with the nut and bolt. However, I started with the smallest drill bit I had and increased the size little by little until the hole was just large enough for the bolt. I'm sure either way would have worked as long as I took it slow by increasing the hole size. That said, I want to thank you again for starting this thread or else I'd still be looking for a way to attach the license plate.

[chasfenwick]

You're welcome. It isn't obvious which is the better way to deal with this issue, if there is one.