Importing camping car from France to UK

[bertie burstner]

Spent some years in France and now selling up at 70 to return to Uk in September this year. In 03/06 I Purchased a second hand Burstner model Camping car (Motor home)on a Citroen Jumper 2.8 HDI.It was first registered in in 12/03.

I wish to import it to Uk and would appreciate any advice on the procedure as well as cost information on altering the front (dipping) and rear(Fog light) system.

There is also the Speedometer to see to. LHD vehicle.

French Driving Licence is valid for 10 years.

It was basically a show vehicle for 3yrs from 2003 until 2006 and had 500k on clock and is now 14000k so still very low use.

 

[Randonneur]

I shouldn't think you would have much of a problem taking the motorhome into the UK and using it there and re-registering it. It won't matter that it is LHD I think the only problem will be the speedo, plus lights of course. As long as you have all your documents from the purchase and enough French Insurance until you can get it re-registered and re-insured. Here when re-registering you have to produce a "Certificate of Conformity" whether you have to in the UK I don't know. I used a French registered Fiesta - insured in France - for 18 months before we finally moved here. I tried to get the Fiesta insured in UK but they wouldn't do it until it was on English plates, at the time they told me it would cost about £300 to replate it.

[George Collings]

All the information you need can be found on the DVLA ( Driver and vehicle

licencing agency) website.

 

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/BuyingAndSellingAVehicle/ImportingAndExportingAVehicle/DG_4022583

 

The forms can be ordered online.

 

Basically you will need a pair of UK headlights and an overlay for the speedo to read in mph. It may be possible to fit a second hand UK speedo head if finding an overlay is difficult.

 

 

[colinfrier]

Hi

Since the vehicle is now over 3 years old you will need an MOT depending how fussy the tester is you can get away with beam benders for the lights as far as I know spedos are not part of an MOT so should pass without mods.Check the rear fog lights must have one offside ot two one nearside won't pass.

Colin

[Derek Uzzell]

bertie burstner:

 

If you do as George Collings advises and obtain an import documentation-pack from the DVLA you'll find that the UK registration process for a motorhome is relatively straightforward.

 

UK registration procedure demands that an imported motorhome's headlights must produce a dipped-beam pattern for 'left-hand traffic' and this alignment requirement "must be met without the use of masks, beam converters or adapters unless they are an integral part of an approved headlamp".

 

The UK's MOT test is, as Colin suggests, less stringent about this and does permit 'beam benders' to be used on vehicles to obtain a left-dipping headlamp beam-pattern, but this DOES NOT override the UK-registration requirement. Unless the vehicle has headlamps that incorporate a dipped-beam pattern 'changeover' capability (eg. the small round Hella light-units fitted to many A-Class motorhomes), the existing headlamps of a LHD imported motorcaravan will need to be replaced to obtain legality.

 

There has been a move in the last couple of years for imported NEW motorhomes to be inspected as part of the UK registration process to check that they comply with this country's regulations regarding headlamps, rear fog-lamps and speedometer markings. I don't know if this inspection policy has been applied to 'used' motorhomes, but it's something you may wish to bear in mind.

[bertie burstner]

Many thanks for the responses. The Directgov guide to mutual recognition scheme did not list Motorhome to download application form and so I assume it is the form for cars. On the application form it lists items to be attended to.Fog light to centre or off side.Head lights to be permanently adjusted to left,stickers not acceptable,beam to be replaced or adjusted,beam benders or deflectors not accepted.Speedometer to read in MPH and KM /hr simultaneously or by switch and be graded with various values.Ther should be fitted side indicators and rear seats belts.Garage or parts invoices must be shown. A Control Technique ( French MOT )was carried out in Dec07 This being the legal first one at the four year old requirment in France. I will contact Citroen to check the lights and if any one knows where to obtain speedo overlays I would be grateful fir info

BB.

[Derek Uzzell]

BB:

 

Regarding speedometer overlays, the specialist UK importer of LHD motorcaravans Deepcar Motorhomes International (www.dmiuk.com tel:0114 288 2660) advertises in MMM that the vehicles it sells are fitted with a "MPH speedo converter", but I'm not certain what this actually means. Deepcar certainly used to be a source for speedometer overlays, but previous forum discussion suggested that they no longer were. It would be worth you contacting them about this, though, as they should be able to advise. Also worth trying would be HymerDirect (www.hymerdirect.com tel:01772 315078) who also specialise in LHD motorhomes. (Another potential overlay-source I was given was Hymer(UK), but I doubt you'd get much joy from them at the moment following the Brownhills shake-up!)

 

It has been possible in the past to 'hand-craft' your own overlay or to mark the speedometer face in a manner that was acceptable to the DVLA and met technical requirements. However, this may be much more difficult nowadays when the speedometer is back-lit for night-time driving.

 

There have been plenty of previous forum postings about motorhome importing requirements relating to lighting and speedometers. I've provided below links to 4 fairly recent threads that you should find useful and that include instructions on how to fashion your own overlay.

 

http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=9418&posts=19

 

http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=9132&posts=12

 

http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=7185&posts=21

 

http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=6506&start=1

[Brian Kirby]

Check if the Citroen and Fiat speedos are the same size/shape (ignore colour differences etc) and have the same warning etc lights in the same places.  If they are, and I suspect they will be, try Lockwood International - "Superdials" (do a "Google") for the Ducato speedo dial face.  It is not an overlay, but a complete new dial face, of excellent quality, and indistinguishable from the original when fitted.  You get MPH and KPH, all other dials stay with their original markings, and your odometer will still read in KM as at present.  Fitting requires patience and a bit of dexterity, but no more.

For headlamps, try Fiat and Peugeot commercial dealers, and buy the cheapest - so far as I know they are all identical - except in price!  You do get a full set of new bulbs pre-fitted, though and, so long as you remove the existing lamps without disturbing the alignment bolts, the new lamps should be pretty well spot on for alignment when fitted.

[bertie burstner]

Well thank you Derek for all the threads to read through and digest.I did not realise there had been so much written about the subject. The theme running through all the info is the legal one overiding all the other info. I am grateful to Brian also for the connection to Lockwood International and you were spot on with your diagnosis.The Citroen Jumper is the same as the Fiat Ducato up to 2006.The staff were exceptionally helpful guiding me through the selection process explaing that the facia is made to match the manufactures original and the night time illumination will be the same colour as the originals..This is a high quality polycarbonate replacement speedo facia,not a cheap stick on.I was able to print off a copy facia and check it in the Bertie.The price is £29.97 Plus postage to France £6.95.

I can compleate the change now as job done before my return in Sept.

I will also try and persuade my local garage to order the light units later on and change them all .

Lockwood sales have promised to get me info on how to carry out the facia change over as I am worried about the dials and how to remove and replace them during the changeover.

Many grateful thanks.BB