Importing and insuring new motorhome

[Guest mark talbot]

We are thinking of buying a new Hymer with rhd 230v electrics etc from a dealer in Dortmund, Germany. Has anyone any experience of insuring an imported new vehicle and possibly suggest ins.co?

[Guest martin]

If it is to be immediately imported and registered in the UK is insurane a problem? The one consideration, however, is servicing. Do not expect any support or help whatsoever from the UK importers - you and any subsequent owner will find themselves blackballed too. This may affect your ability to fullfill the terms of the guarantee. See the piles of previous corresopndance - but I'm sure you've come across this aspect of British 'service' before. Put susinctly as: "You didn't buy it here so FOFF!"

[Guest Derek Uzzell]

Mark: When UK motorcaravanners buy motorhomes in Continental Europe the process often comprises collecting the vehicle from the Continental dealer, driving it to a ferry port and thence to their home in the UK. Alternative methods may involve the dealer driving the motorhome to the ferry port, or use of a transport company to deliver the vehicle to the UK. You don't say which method you might use, but, if it's the first, there are insurance implications relating to the dealer-to-UK section of the journey home. (Hopefully you have Mel Eastburn's fact sheets on buying motorhomes abroad where this is explained: I also refer you to comments within the "Rapido Merc series" posting of 05/11/2005.) However, if you just want comprehensive insurance that will cover the motorhome from the moment it first enters the UK, you should have little difficulty finding it and I don't think any insurance company will object, or load the premium, purely because the vehicle is imported and LHD. Of course that doesn't mean insurance companies won't insist on special conditions (eg. fitting an alarm or tracking system) if the vehicle is over a certain value, or won't refuse to insure it because it's value exceeds a certain threshold. Exactly as for a UK-built motorhome, you'll need to shop around for the best quote and study the policy literature to ensure you're comparing coverage on a like with like basis. Martin: I think that may be an over-generalisation. All new motorhomes sold throughout the EU will carry a warranty on the base vehicle, the conversion and certain of the appliances. However, the terms may vary country-to-country (for example, if there's an under-warranty problem with the Truma heater in my German-bought Hobby all repair work is free if it's carried out in Germany, but, if the work is done elsewhere, labour costs for removal/replacement of the heater are not covered). UK agents for Continental marques will have a contractual obligation to provide assistance with under-warranty work and to help the motorhome owner to maintain his/her vehicle's warranty (eg. carrying out an obligatory annual damp test) irrespective of where the vehicle was originally bought. However I can fully understand that they may choose not to do this with a glad heart when the vehicle is 'foreign' and will (and, frankly, should) give preferential treatment to their own UK customers. Before I committed to buying our Hobby abroad I had contacted the UK importer and discussed purchasing a LHD example in the UK. Getting a firm price proved impossible and, when I revealed what German dealers were quoting, I was told this figure was way below what the UK agent could offer. "If you want LHD, at that price you'd be mad not to buy it abroad", said the salesman. I asked about their attitude to doing warranty-related work on a German-bought vehicle and whether they were happy to carry out the annual damp test to maintain the 5-year water-ingress guarantee. I was assured that I should have no worries on either score. So far I've not had to test whether this was an empty promise, but if I do hit difficulties in future that I consider are due purely to the UK agent being obstructive there will be a letter of complaint arriving at Hobby's factory soon after. It needs emphasising that motorhome producers are interested in overall sales not where the vehicles are sold. Hobby's brochure says "If something does go wrong, our European network of dealers is there to ensure that your needs are met to your complete satisfaction" - there's nothing about getting the cold-shoulder if you buy in the 'wrong' country or that the UK is a special case. Warners won't thank me for gossiping at length on this subject so I shan't, but one story's worth telling as it proves there's no such thing as a single-sided coin. At the last NEC show I was talking to a salesman of imported motorhomes (not Hobby, Hymer or N+B, I hasten to add!) and mentioned I was buying a new 'van in Germany. "Make sure you don't remove or cover the number-plate carriers", he said. Mystified, I asked what he meant. He explained that German new vehicle number-plates slotted into a plastic surround that carried details of the German vendor on the lower edge. He said that, if I ever had problems with the Hobby while driving it in Germany, German motorhome dealers would be far more attentive if they could see straightaway that the vehicle had originally been purchased in that country. "German dealers believe German motorhomes should be bought in Germany", he added with a grin.

[Guest Brian Kirby]

Mark Have you verified that the German dealer can supply you with a rhd Hymer within a reasonable period of time? I seem to remember hearing that the manufacturers resist doing this. I know it's all legal and above board and that they have an obligation to supply. However, I had also heard that the delivery dates tend to become very extended and to slip again and again. Problem is, when you buy rhd in Europe you do rather declare that your main purpose is to undercut the manufacturer's UK dealers. The foot dragging may just be caused by dealing with the unusual order, but the implication was of a degree of deliberate foot dragging to make the practice unattractive so giving mute support to the UK dealerships. Having ensured they can't make a profit on the sale, it is to some extent understandable if the UK dealerships subsequently bilk over handling warranty claims. They may be obliged to handle them under the terms of their dealership agreements, but they don't have to smile or put you at the head of their priority list. This is not a matter of legality, just human nature and small "p" politics. I even hear of one UK dealer objecting to carrying out warranty work on a vehicle supplied by another UK dealer. The argument (similar to that from car dealers), is that the labour rate at which the dealer is reimbursed by the manufacturer is substantially below the labour rate the dealer would charge you or me. In effect they make little, or no, profit on warranty work, so don't feel strongly inclined to do someone else's for them. (I guess that feeling is exacerbated if the claim relates to work that should possibly have been done during the supplying dealer's PDI.) Now, just put yourself in the place of the UK dealer when you turn up with your Hymer under warranty. "Did you buy from us Sir". "No, in Germany". He'll know this was to take advantage of the lower selling price. He's had no profit on the sale, and Hymer probably won't reimburse him much more than cost on the warranty work. He'll know that too. He's not going to be hugely enthusiastic! Doesn't mean you shouldn't go ahead, but you might be well advised to do as Derek did, and sound out the UK dealer as to his attitude. Incidentlly, the chassis and running gear will be warrantied by Fiat or Mercedes or whoever, and they shouldn't present a problem. The fridge, heater, hob, toilet etc all have their respective warranties, so can probably be sorted out with their UK agents direct. Your main problem, therefore. is only likely to arise with body/furniture defects and/or leaks. Hymers have a good reputation, so perhaps not too high a probability of warranty visits to UK dealers. If you are prepared to fix simple things yourself as they arise, loose cupboard doors, broken catches etc, and only approach the dealer for really major defects, I suspect you won't really get quite such a blunt rebuttal as Martin suggests. It's all about being reasonable, and being seen to be reasonable. Hope this helps, and good luck Brian

[Guest Derek Uzzell]

Mark: I read your posting as "rhd 230v electrics" though I did wonder exactly what this meant! But, if as seems far more likely, you are proposing to buy a new RHD Hymer abroad, I echo Brian's first few lines. The German dealer who recently sold me my Hobby told me the Hobby factory was prepared to provide him with RHD vehicles, but I knew full well he had never actually delivered one to a UK customer and the only time he had attempted it the estimated delivery-date had continually slipped until the buyer decided to have LHD instead. I've never heard of anyone successfully doing what you're planning so you really do need to be sure it's feasible. (Don't forget that the normal deposit in Germany is not the few quid you can get away with in the UK).

[Guest mark talbot]

Thanks Derek and all, the Hymer dealer in Dortmund assures me he will provide full uk spec for about £12000 cheaper than uk dealer quoted me.I even emailled the factory and they confirmed to me they would supply full uk spec to the dealer by March/April. We've booked an easyjet flight next month to go and have a look. Its worth £150 for the peace of mind.

[Guest MelE]

The Dortmund dealer has readily supplied other UK Users of my MMM Fact Sheet with right-hand drive models without hassle. The wait tend to be a bit longer, of course, because the factory normally waits until it's doing a batch of RHD vehicles to add yours on.