[Lisa Venables]

Hello,

I'm currently registering my Dethleffs LHD in the UK. I have changed the headlights but believe I may have to add a fog light and MPH to the speedometer. Has anyone done this on a Fiat Ducator (2015) and is there a cost effective way to do this? Is this a legality to start to register, tax and drive it in the UK?

I'm preparing it for sale (as no longer with my German partner) so any additional information on the best place to sell it would be most appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[bognormike]

have a look in the Importing forum https://forums.motorhomefacts.com/34-importing/

and change the date range to extend the search. There is probably somebody there who has done this before!

 

[jiwawa]

Can't remember about the fog light but yes, you need mph. I bought a dedicated mph overlay for my Ford but was just reading yesterday that the most cost effective way is to buy an entire speedo from ebay (about £15 apparently) n swap the mph/kph bits). I'll see if I can find it again.

 

[jiwawa]

I think it may have been on the Hymer Owner's Group, FB, but I can never find anything again!

 

[Mrplodd]

The rear fog light as far as U.K. regs are concerned, must be fitted on, or to the offside of the vehicles centre line (you can have two but at least one must comply with the previous sentence) and the headlights must actually dip to the left, the fitting of beam deflectors will NOT suffice. Speedo must read MPH (it can also show Kph)

Andy

 

[JanHank]

Registering a vehicle is a paper work job I thought.

How do they check if your Speedo is km or miles? It's not an MOT check is it?

https://www.gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk/registering-an-imported-vehicle

 

[raynipper]

I haven't registered a 'foreign' vehicle in UK for 25 years now but back then it all depended on the inspector as to how particular they were. Most speedos indicate if it's displaying kms or mph. Most UK vehicles show both but all the French ones I have owned we only kms.

I did come across a very difficult jobsworth at a southern testing station who said he couldn't register my American built Chrysler Town & Country because not all the body radiuses were 2.5mm. I pointed out a Range Rover had the same edges and he just replied "I'm not testing that". Another testing station passed it.

Ray.

 

[nicholsong]

I haven't registered a 'foreign' vehicle in UK for 25 years now but back then it all depended on the inspector as to how particular they were. Most speedos indicate if it's displaying kms or mph. Most UK vehicles show both but all the French ones I have owned we only kms.

I did come across a very difficult jobsworth at a southern testing station who said he couldn't register my American built Chrysler Town & Country because not all the body radiuses were 2.5mm. I pointed out a Range Rover had the same edges and he just replied "I'm not testing that". Another testing station passed it.

Ray.

Ray

Who does the testing? I assume that it was VOSA(now DVSA) because I think DVLA do not have anybody who knows one end of a vehicle from another, and also the paperwork

Geoff

 

[raynipper]

Mine was Northam near Southampton Geoff. But the full list is here...………………………….

https://www.google.com/maps/d/view?...Q&ll=50.3364073113337,-0.9337289341713131&z=8

Ray.

 

[icer]

I imported mine about 12 years ago.
Had to take it to local Taxing centre as was not on their list, for inspection.
Did not seem to be interested in anything other than it had a bed, washing facilities, toilet, cooker.
It was plated PHGV. they did nothing else.
When I took it for mot I had a tom tom for the MPH. My MOT station masked the headlights with duck tape so that it corrected the lights, and Ihave done so every year for the mot, but that is because it really only use it abroad. I will mask lights if I use it in the UK but it does reduce lighting.
Ian

 

[jiwawa]

I also masked my LHD lights for MOT in UK with no problem.

 

[Mrplodd]

I think you will find that the rules changed a few years ago now and in order to permanently import & register a vehicle in the U.K., that was originally registered in another country, it has to undergo a "Single Vehicle Type Approval" test. These tests are carried out at DVSA test centres (not an MOT station) and are VERY stringent (an expensive! That's why if you buy a Japanese grey import from an importer there is an additional charge to cover this test AND the necessary components to make them 100% legal.
The Con & Use Regs clearly define what is required of vehicles in the U.K. and one of those is most certainly headlights that dip to the left (stickers on the headlights don't alter the dip pattern, they merely mask some of it off. I am likewise pretty certain that any vehicle with LHD dip headlights, fitted with masks, should NOT pass an MOT test for a U.K. registered vehicle. I am aware many MOT centres do issue them, but shouldn't!

Now whether anyone will be prosecuted for wrong dip headlights is another matter BUT should such a vehicle be involved in a serious collision, and an allegation be made that incorrect headlights caused dazzle and that contributed to the collision the driver could find themselves in deep do-do.

You pays your money and takes your chance.

Me? For the minimal percentage cost involved (compared to the cost of the vehicle) I would rather ensure EVERYTHING was as it should be as far as C&U regs are concerned JUST in case, having been involved with road traffic law for years I would say that wouldn't I?

Some vehicles now have "flat" dipped beam patterns so this issue doesn't effect them.

Andy

 

[icer]

Andy


The mask for want of a better word, stops the portion of light that would cause the dazzle. 11 MOT'S and counting.



My car RHD has in its computer a setting that adjusts the lights when I use it abroad, it in effect masks them as you can see a reduction in overall brightness


When cars come to the UK they should have lens adjusters to stop the beam dipping wrongly same as a mask.


Obviously as I use my motorhome 95% of the time driving on the right I chose not to change my lights as that would mean that I would have, shall we say a less than effective light pattern to the majority of the locals. There is always trade off when you alter the set up.


How much you lose I do not know, but,if you could easily switch, and cheaply,to a LHD set up on your vehicle ,would you? You would have the same as the locals.


Ian

 

[Mrplodd]

Andy

The mask for want of a better word, stops the portion of light that would cause the dazzle. 11 MOT'S and counting.

My car RHD has in its computer a setting that adjusts the lights when I use it abroad, it in effect masks them as you can see a reduction in overall brightness

When cars come to the UK they should have lens adjusters to stop the beam dipping wrongly same as a mask.

Obviously as I use my motorhome 95% of the time driving on the right I chose not to change my lights as that would mean that I would have, shall we say a less than effective light pattern to the majority of the locals. There is always trade off when you alter the set up.

How much you lose I do not know, but,if you could easily switch, and cheaply,to a LHD set up on your vehicle ,would you? You would have the same as the locals.

Ian

Carry on as you see fit, I have merely pointed out what the regulations say.

Andy

 

[yarmouth]

The MOT station that I used put black electrical tape over my lens, that was 2 years ago and I have never had a problem about it. Rear fog light is a must.