Gendarme (1 Viewer)

Jul 17, 2009
188
155
Funster No
7,535
We take a trip over to France about three times a year and for about the last five years I haven't bothered with headlight deflectors. I am indeed the proud owner of a set of plastic deflectors but they are in the bag with high vis vests, spare bulbs and breathalyser kit all specially prepared for a visit from the tight trousered Gendarme astride his BMW. I gather the French law enforcers have taken to have bash the Brit weeks and no doubt on the day our front wheels touch the docks in Calais a mammoth campaign will begin.
My question is......what glue should I use to stick on these plastic deflectors so I can remove them with relative ease ?
 
Feb 24, 2013
12,991
101,173
Bolsover, Derbyshire
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24,833
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Hymer S800
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not long enough
Don't do it, if you have daylight running lights they cant be deflected, just use them

Park up well before dark and if the weather demands lights stop for a coffee

I have never seen a single foreign vehicle over here with deflectors fitted, I don't believe they are all modified without

but do get your hi viz out of the bag, especially if they are stored in a garage or external locker, you must not get out without wearing it, allegedly, but I don't of anybody ever stopped or fined for not wearing one
 

JeanLuc

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Nov 17, 2008
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Hymer B630 Star-Line
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I have been recycling the same pair of Eurolite deflectors for about four years now. First time I peeled them off carefully (still left adhesive behind which I removed with spirit). Now I stick them on with a few strips of waterproof sellotape - cut with scissors. It's my standard job whilst waiting in the loading queue at Dover.

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Feb 16, 2013
19,505
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uttoxeter
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50 years
I just leave mine on , passed a test last month, without a mention about them
 

tambo

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Jun 21, 2014
874
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Dunfermline fife scotland
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I armed myself with headlight deflectors two hi viz vests two breathalyser an overhanging load plate an extra warning triangle , a dash cam and european breakdown cover for my trip to france last month ........cost me around £200 in total and never used any of them lol

And il probably not be back in Europe within next 12 months
 

Kool Kroozer

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Apr 19, 2014
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Cannock Staffordshire
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same here, been going to France since 2005 and never used any of the stuff you supposed to - never been stopped - i wouldn't bother to be honest (y)

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Frentchy

Free Member
Oct 2, 2013
589
2,282
Bordeaux France
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28,387
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Elnagh Baron Profiie
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since late seventies
We take a trip over to France about three times a year and for about the last five years I haven't bothered with headlight deflectors. I am indeed the proud owner of a set of plastic deflectors but they are in the bag with high vis vests, spare bulbs and all specially prepared for a visit from the tight trousered Gendarme astride his BMW. I gather the French law enforcers have taken to have bash the Brit weeks and no doubt on the day our front wheels touch the docks in Calais a mammoth campaign will begin.
My question is......what glue should I use to stick on these plastic deflectors so I can remove them with relative ease ?

Try doing the same as the Europeans do when entering the UK? "NOTHING!!"
they don't even know there is a difference:RollEyes: they never dip main beam until they see the whites of your eyes anyway :Eeek:they were the ones who changed from RH to LH ( I'm told it was Napoleon being left handed who didn't find it user friendly to draw his sword if an oncoming horseman turned out to be a scallywag)
If you should be pulled by the Cops at the Port for not having the deflectors, ask him what he intends to do
about the French, and other Continentals going the other way:confused: Also I wouldn't worry too much about the breathalyser kit as you will probably be the only person to carry them, It was the nearest thing to a scam by "Sarcosey's (i cant be bothered to find the correct spelling, I call him Jack the Lad:cool:) brother in law, because he has something to do with the manufacture of them. the obligation to carry them was never made Law; and there was never enough in stock anyway, I wonder who bought them all;)
 

ojibway

Free Member
Jul 17, 2012
531
305
Eastbourne
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22,001
MH
Van Conversion
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since 2005
I have heard mention that in the event of an accident, daytime or night, if the insurer finds out you haven't got deflectors your insurance is invalid. Remember, insurance companies will do ANYTHING to get out of paying up. Don't take the risk!!
Fortunately we have continental headlight which I swap with UK headlight for the MOT.(y)
 
Oct 12, 2008
6,243
21,327
Balma (next to Toulouse) France
Funster No
4,394
MH
HymerCamp 51Capucine
Exp
Since 2011/owner since 6/03/2014
Don't bother ! Just park before night and even if you need them during daylight ..;tunnels or rain or even fog .... just think .... Gendarmes won't be under the bl***y rain to check your lights !!!! AND in case of accident , who do you think is going to tell your insurance you had normal lights on ? Gendarmes? PAH! they won't even think about them YOU ? I bet you'll shut your mouth about it(if asked only!).... They might be broken by then anyway! And sorry to say sir , but you might not even be able to anwer!
Just drive peacefully, enjoy ,don't drink before driving and no Gendarme on earth will annoy you!

Amicalement

Frankie:cool:

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tambo

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Jun 21, 2014
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Dunfermline fife scotland
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In 2700 miles I only saw 2 gendarmes when I was in france .....and the french drivers are terrible

I passed 4 traffic cars within 100 miles on the a1 coming home
 
Dec 18, 2010
885
929
Norfolk.
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14,705
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Autotrail cheyenne
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2008-20??
Just a thought, I keep my' warning triangles in my garage but in France etc they would be on offside of van,I don't fancy getting them from there so when in Johnny forinner land keep them in gas box on inside side of van (if you see what I mean) Martin

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Welsh girl

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Nov 7, 2009
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We never take our deflectors off and it passed the mot last month with them on. They never mentioned them.
We though we would never drive in the night but we did. We got moved on. That was in Portugal though.
 

ukbill

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Nov 3, 2011
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they blast me with thier bloody headlights when they are over here so i blast them when im over there job done :):whistle:
 

Allanm

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Jun 30, 2013
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Cotes d'armor, France
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Burstner Harmony TI 736 G
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Since 1987
I have headlight covers with deflectors fitted on them. They stay on all the time.
Never seen a foreign car with deflectors on either and it seems foreign lorry drivers thing the speed limit stickers on the back of their vehicles automatically change over to mph when they are over here!
Allan

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Feb 24, 2013
12,991
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Bolsover, Derbyshire
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I am intrigued by the replies here which say they leave their deflectors on all the time

Presumably first fitted to comply with continental laws, do you have complete disregard for UK laws?
 

ojibway

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Jul 17, 2012
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Eastbourne
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they blast me with thier bloody headlights when they are over here so i blast them when im over there job done :):whistle:
It might just be the other way round - we blast them over there so they blast us here:LOL::LOL:
 
Aug 18, 2011
12,091
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derbys
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since 2007.Tugger before since 1970
they blast me with thier bloody headlights when they are over here so i blast them when im over there job done :):whistle:

May not be the same ones....BUSBY:D:D
 
Feb 16, 2013
19,505
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uttoxeter
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I am intrigued by the replies here which say they leave their deflectors on all the time

Presumably first fitted to comply with continental laws, do you have complete disregard for UK laws?
Sorry but what law are we talking , as I and another poster have said the mhs have passed a mot a month or so ago with them on without a mention
 

54mud

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Sep 18, 2009
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I just stick a bit of black insulation tape on,in a triangle. It looks like I have made the effort :)

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Feb 24, 2013
12,991
101,173
Bolsover, Derbyshire
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not long enough
Sorry but what law are we talking , as I and another poster have said the mhs have passed a mot a month or so ago with them on without a mention

It makes you wonder what they actually do then, if they are still deflected correctly for UK driving presumably they are not right for the continent

My point was more that they are being left on when you get back, if correctly fitted for use abroad they should be removed on return at Dover, it seems likely they are either ineffective anyway or not fitted properly IMO
 
Feb 16, 2013
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uttoxeter
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I think all they do is make your dip go straight down instead of to one side or the other so presumably that is ok both here and in Europe , I know you will say why don't they Make them like that in the first place, and i don't know
 

ukbill

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Nov 3, 2011
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my lights have never bothered me dipped or not :)

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Aug 18, 2011
12,091
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derbys
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since 2007.Tugger before since 1970
Sorry but what law are we talking , as I and another poster have said the mhs have passed a mot a month or so ago with them on without a mention

Mot tester could miss a bald tyre but it doesnt make the vehicle legal even though you have a certificate. Your vans passed because you have a lazy tester. He just switched lights on but didnt do a beam test...BUSBY:)
 
Feb 16, 2013
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Mot tester could miss a bald tyre but it doesnt make the vehicle legal even though you have a certificate. Your vans passed because you have a lazy tester. He just switched lights on but didnt do a beam test...BUSBY:)
Oh, but he did, he even adjusted one off his own bat, and didn't charge for it
 
Jul 23, 2012
80
82
Kingswinford & 86230
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Burstner Elegance 890
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Since 2012
Asked my local supplier to get me some deflectors for my Hella headlamps on my Burstner (off to France end of the month) he tells me that Hella don't do deflectors for these type of lens, small round lens - so what do I tell the gendarme if stopped

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Frentchy

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Oct 2, 2013
589
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Bordeaux France
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Elnagh Baron Profiie
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since late seventies
Asked my local supplier to get me some deflectors for my Hella headlamps on my Burstner (off to France end of the month) he tells me that Hella don't do deflectors for these type of lens, small round lens - so what do I tell the gendarme if stopped

I "think" repeat "think" that most recent Vehicles made in Europe which includes commercials have universal head lights, that have a "flat line" dip.
 

pappajohn

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Aug 26, 2007
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I am intrigued by the replies here which say they leave their deflectors on all the time

Presumably first fitted to comply with continental laws, do you have complete disregard for UK laws?
The UK law requires the dipped beam to be designed to prevent dazzle to oncoming drivers....the left hand bias kick up also provides greater illumination of the verge for a further distance than a straight dipped beam which, on foriegn roads, is the bit that dazzles which is why deflectors should be fitted.
If deflectors are fitted in the uk then the only thing that changed is you no longer have that extended light illuminating the verge.....you cannot dazzle oncoming drivers.
 

pappajohn

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Aug 26, 2007
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Asked my local supplier to get me some deflectors for my Hella headlamps on my Burstner (off to France end of the month) he tells me that Hella don't do deflectors for these type of lens, small round lens - so what do I tell the gendarme if stopped
Projector lens, which yours will be, dont have a dip beam bias....it should be a flat line dip pattern.

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