Importing from Germany

[Derek Uzzell]

The late-Mel Eastburn used to produce a comprehensive guide to importing motorhomes from the Continent. This contained the pros and cons of doing it, and there were plenty of cons.

 

The main attraction when I bought my Hobby in 2005 was that, with a strong Pound, I could buy a new LHD Hobby in Germany, import it to the UK, and pay about £12K less than the Brownhills (the sole UK Hobby agent then) asking-price. It was the only motorhome model I was interested in and, because we don’t do UK touring, LHD was perceived as advantageous. I also didn’t want the specification that Brownhills insisted on inflicting on UK buyers of Transit-based Hobbys.

 

I definitely didn’t want to ‘self-import’ and I can’t say I greatly enjoyed the experience – though it had a certain masochistic amusement value I suppose. There is a far greater level of potential risk buying abroad than from a UK dealer and one would be a fool not to recognise this. If the £:€ ratio had been like it is today, I’m pretty sure I would not have bothered.

[Guest JudgeMental]

really?

 

Hobby T-600 FC UK price £47499 - ££51.942

 

German 42000 euro (before negotiating) @1.165 = £36500 + vat = £43260

 

still a substantial saving and I would expect at least 10% of this as well.......

[Derek Uzzell]

JudgeMental - 2011-01-31 6:50 PM

 

really?

 

Hobby T-600 FC UK price £47499 - ££51.942

 

German 42000 euro (before negotiating) @1.165 = £36500 + vat = £43260

 

still a substantial saving and I would expect at least 10% of this as well.......

 

Yes, but the prices you've quoted are for a RHD Hobby purchased in the UK and a LHD equivalent purchased in Germany. You've failed to factor in the reduced value of the LHD vehicle when it comes to re-sale (UK buyers aren't daft - they know LHD self-import motorhomes have been bought cheaply and won't pay RHD asking-prices), the extra complication of buying abroad and the extra risks involved. Good luck if you want to do it, but I'm unconvinced it's such a marvellous plan nowadays.

[jhorsf]

The only problem I see is that if lots of people buy like this there will be no uk dealers left to go to

[Brian Kirby]

Having done this twice, I'll give you my take.  First on purchase price: as one would not import a UK manufactured van, it really doesn't matter what the exchange rate is.  Any vehicle made in Euroland will be sold to the UK dealer at the prevailing exchange rate, thus, as the pound dips in relative value, the cost of the import to the dealer rises.  It is, more or less, self-cancelling whether you import, or a dealer imports.  In reality, it seems to be the UK dealer's mark up that makes the difference, not the exchange rate.  Why, I don't know. 

When we were first looking around, one of the vans we "auditioned" was a Dethleffs.  UK price approx £35,000 (with unwanted oven but otherwise inferior spec), Euroland price (converted) about £30,000 (for spec unobtainable in UK).  I thought it must be the cost of RHD chassis that loaded the price, so contacted Dethleffs UK (who swore on their mothers' graves they were a subsidiary of Dethleffs Gmbh, and not a disguised UK dealer!).  I wanted to know if I could order a LHD van for delivery in UK, and whether it would be £5,000 or so cheaper.  Yes, they said, can easily order through any dealer.  Price they said, probably about the same.  Same van in Europe, I said, £5,000 or so cheaper, so how come?  We know, they said, RHD van, factory gate price about £300 (yes, hundred!) more than LHD, delivered UK.  Why the difference then, I asked?  "Couldn't possibly comment" he said, laughing.  End!  :-)

On selling.  Yes, a bit more difficult, but having paid less to buy, is it so surprising if it then sells for a bit less?  In fact, on my experience (just one), although it sold for less than a RHD van of equivalent age/mileage, the drop, so far as I could see, was less than for its RHD cousin.  So, lower purchase price for the same or better spec, and lower depreciation.  I wasn't intending to become a trader, just to get the van I wanted at a price I was prepared to pay.  Better choice, same spec, lower price.

Difficulty of importation?  No.  First van.  Nice informative pack from DVLA included all necessary forms (following the late, great, Mel Eastburn's guide).  Euro bank account opened with Credit Agricole for payment.  Money transferred to CA in dribs and drabs, so rate averaged.  Insurance obtained on VIN, valid when in UK.  Signed CA cheque for balance to dealer, and another for French VAT, (which he would tear up when I posted the UK VAT receipt to him) French dealer drove us straight to the tunnel on temp plates and his insurance, and home we went.  Fitted (already bought) MPH speedo overlay + pair left dipping headlamps.  Installed second rear fog light in lieu of reversing light, and added separate reversing light.  In local DVLA office with all forms completed two days later.  Paid VED and registration.  A week later reg no notified, so plates obtained and fitted, and insurance notified of new number.  Now street legal.  Two weeks or so later got invoice from HMRC for VAT, sent cheque, got receipt, notified French dealer, cheque destroyed, all done.  Now, how hard was that?

Second van.  Unobtainable in UK (June) until following spring.  Contacted Bundesvan, and told him what we wanted.  Got priced quote with option to freeze exchange rate when paying deposit, or leave floating rate to date of purchase.  Nick (Bundesvan) advised reg no, I got insurance with the cert sent to him, and he pre-registered the van (no longer possible, I gather).  Then he went and got it, and delivered it to our front door (well, within 10 feet! :-)), and we gave him breakfast and handed him a cheque for the balance.  Nick left, van on drive, taxed, registered and insured.  Now, how difficult was that?  Still saved £5,000 compared to UK prices, and the saving is still there at todays prices in UK/Germany at today's exchange rate.

Warranty problems.  Could be a problem but, in general, only a supplying UK dealer would do warranty work (despite the fine words in the warranty), others seem, one way or another, to decline.  Nearest dealer for make of first van, Whitstable.  Supplying dealer, Calais.  Nearest? 

Second van, supplying dealer in Minfeld (near Karlsruhe), but was not much help with one problem.  Nick intervened with another in Ettenheim (N of Freiburg) and, with a bit of DIY to avoid a long return trip for not much, problem solved at no cost to me.

Moral.  Buy the van you want in nearby France, Belgium or Germany, for the price you can afford, and take advantage of better choice of models, greater availability, and better specifications (German dealers seldom bother to stock basic models, most come "fully loaded" for the price).  Reduce the warranty risks by sticking to reliable brands, with good reputations, and good factory located customer service centres not too far distant.  Stuff the savings in your back pocket just in case, but be prepared to take the van back to the factory if necessary.

The result should be a better van at lower cost, but you may have to travel if a serious fault develops.  The more your van costs the greater, in cash terms, the potential savings.  We wanted a) new and b) no more that £35,000 tops.  That we twice achieved, with enough saved from a modest budget, to pay for a couple of holidays.  I really can't see why a UK dealer should have the money in his pocket, rather than me having it in mine!  After all, it isn't as though France or Germany are exactly cheapo third world countries, so if their dealers can live off what they make at their prices, and pay their higher taxes, why can't ours compete with them on price?

[smifee]

My last 3 vans have all been LHD.

 

First, 1994, a Granduca coachbuilt for £18,000 from Don Amott. Cheapest similar UK van I could find was £25,000 and lower spec.

 

Second, 1998, a Toyota Hi-Ace (Toyota UK have threatened to sue me if I call it a 'Powervan') bought new in Brussels saving £4,000. Converted to my spec by Devon Motorhomes. VAT was easy but I had a dispute with DVLA which lead to them amending some details in their import pack.

 

Third, 2005, a Hymer Coachbuilt bought from Campirama, Belgium. Brownhills price £48,000 and they would not knock one penny off the screen price. Same model but higher spec cost me £36,000 at Campirama. It would have been £1000 cheaper but for exchange rate change between paying deposit (only 200 euros) and full payment. A saving 0f 33%. Campirama drove it to the tunnel terminal for me. DVLA & VAT was simple.

 

Such a huge saving has to have some expenses taken out but all told they were under £1000.

 

I don't want the UK Hymer dealer to touch my van so I call into Campirama when anything needs doing either on a fag & baccy run to Belgium or the start or end of a couple of months trip sur le continent. The last job they did, Feb 2010, was to replace a part under the kitchen sink. They only charged me for the part. No labour charge even though they also removed a fixed table as well.

 

Would I do it again? No but only because I don't intend to part with this van until I have to give up MHing.

 

 

 

 

[Derek Uzzell]

Brian Kirby - 2011-01-31 8:42 PM

 

...Nick (Bundesvan) advised reg no, I got insurance with the cert sent to him, and he pre-registered the van (no longer possible, I gather)... 

 

This sounds rather like a ploy that was suggested to me by the German dealer from whom I purchased my Hobby.

 

I had told him that I would be obtaining 'comprehensive' VIN-number-based dealer-to-home insurance from a UK insurance provider, but I wasn't 100% confident of its validity so I would need the vehicle to have temporary German registration and short-term 3rd-party insurance when I collected it.

 

He replied that he could send me the motorhome's documentation in advance of collection. I could then register the vehicle in the UK, inform my UK insurance provider of the UK registration-number and bring the UK registration plates with me when I collected the motorhome. Then there would be no requirement for German registration or insurance.

 

The obvious downside of this idea would be that I would be seeking to UK-register a vehicle that was currently not in the UK and (even if I had been prepared to be economical with the truth about that fact when I completed the DVLA's registration application) there was the real possibility that the DVLA would choose to physically inspect my 'virtual' motorhome before agreeing to register it.

 

At the time I thought this was a novel (but not really serious) suggestion from the German dealer, but it's possible that it could be done legally then by UK trade importers.

[lennyhb]

rupert123 - 2011-01-31 5:52 PM

 

lennyhb - 2011-01-31 12:16 PM

 

I think if you look into it, it is still well worth it. e.g. Hymer UK don't even bother to import half the models available & with the current exchange the differential has increased even more.

Only way the exchange rate would make a difference is if the UK dealer had had one in stock for yonks & then it would probably be an old model.

 

LHD drive coachbuilts more difficult to move on S/H, that's why we brought a RHD although I would have prefered LHD. With an A class LHD is not so much of a problem.

What's to stop you ordering a RHD we did just had to wait a bit longer for delivery.

 

 

I have looked into it and feel it is not worth it. How the hell can the exchange rate not make a differance, you have to pay in Euro's and with poor rate, compared with 2007, it will cost you more.

 

The UK dealer has to buy his stock in Euros so what difference can the exchange rate make we are working of the same exchange rate, see Brian's post.

 

We brought our van in 2008 when we paid the deposit in 2007 the Euro ex was 1.45 when we paid for it, it was 1.25 it cost us 47k, 6k more than expected but a hell of a lot cheaper than paying 60k in the UK.

 

Last September a friend wanted a van with the same spec, Brownhills quoted 75k German price was around 55k before discounts anyone buying Hymer's in the UK must be stark raving mad.

 

 

[Brian Kirby]

Derek Uzzell - 2011-02-01 9:07 AM

Brian Kirby - 2011-01-31 8:42 PM ...Nick (Bundesvan) advised reg no, I got insurance with the cert sent to him, and he pre-registered the van (no longer possible, I gather)... 

....................... At the time I thought this was a novel (but not really serious) suggestion from the German dealer, but it's possible that it could be done legally then by UK trade importers.

I have since got a bit more detail on this.  AFAIK, it is only the pre-registration based on a dealers block allocation of reg Nos that can no longer be done.  The system still works, but the dealer now has to take the insurance certificate, VIN, etc to DVLA offices to be able to register the vehicle and be allocated a reg No.

I now understand it is possible to do your own deal with a German (possibly also French or Belgian) dealer, pay the deposit and then (but subject to prior agreement), hand the registration and final payment responsibility over to Bundesvan, with you collecting your van from the German dealer on your own, full comp, insurance.

Once the VIN is available, you insure on VIN, then pass the cover note to Bundesvan who will complete registration, and will also, when appropriate, pay the outstanding balance using their commercial Euro account. 

Once registered, you transfer the insurance from the VIN to the UK reg no, so you will then have a valid certificate of full comp insurance, for the whole trip to UK, and you get the UK number plates made up.

When the van is ready to collect, you pay Bundesvan the balance in Sterling, and they transfer this in Euros to the dealer (so you don't have to obtain large amounts of Euros, or make alternative arrangements to pay - usually expensive - or pay German VAT), settle the UK VAT, and you pack your bags and number plates and head for the dealer to drive the fully registered and insured van back to UK.  Technically, Bundesvan become the supplier to you, so can also add their bit of muscle with the dealer if things go wrong.

There is obviously a charge for this service, as Bundesvan does the work for you, but it is still quite a bit cheaper (obviously) than if they source the van and bring it back to UK, as they did for us.

From my perspective, the elimination of third party only insurance, and the simplification of money transfer, make it a potentially attractive proposition.  As ever, each will decide for themselves whether the cost merits the convenience.

[rupert123]

lennyhb - 2011-02-01 11:13 AM

 

rupert123 - 2011-01-31 5:52 PM

 

lennyhb - 2011-01-31 12:16 PM

 

I think if you look into it, it is still well worth it. e.g. Hymer UK don't even bother to import half the models available & with the current exchange the differential has increased even more.

Only way the exchange rate would make a difference is if the UK dealer had had one in stock for yonks & then it would probably be an old model.

 

LHD drive coachbuilts more difficult to move on S/H, that's why we brought a RHD although I would have prefered LHD. With an A class LHD is not so much of a problem.

What's to stop you ordering a RHD we did just had to wait a bit longer for delivery.

 

 

I have looked into it and feel it is not worth it. How the hell can the exchange rate not make a differance, you have to pay in Euro's and with poor rate, compared with 2007, it will cost you more.

 

The UK dealer has to buy his stock in Euros so what difference can the exchange rate make we are working of the same exchange rate, see Brian's post.

 

We brought our van in 2008 when we paid the deposit in 2007 the Euro ex was 1.45 when we paid for it, it was 1.25 it cost us 47k, 6k more than expected but a hell of a lot cheaper than paying 60k in the UK.

 

Last September a friend wanted a van with the same spec, Brownhills quoted 75k German price was around 55k before discounts anyone buying Hymer's in the UK must be stark raving mad.

 

 

Lenny it simply does not work like this. When the pound euro was around 1.45 in 2007 and dropped to parity at one point in 2010 did prices of imports rise by nearly a third during this period? No they did not, check it out, the dealers simply could not sell with this sort of increase. Since the start of 2010 the pound has gained around 15% in value, again have prices of imports dropped, again no. The importers simply cannot follow the exchange rate that quickly and their profits tend to rise or fall during these periods but the customers do not see the direct effect. If you buy a van in europe you will however feel that effect. As I have said and Derek again pointed out the biggest thing against buying a LHD van is the large loss when you come to sell which will wipe out any gain. I to remain un convinced.

[grahamw]

Importing from Germany raises a whole number of interesting issues, not least the market forces at work.

 

To make importing from Germany really worthwhile one needs not to look at the initial purchase as if that is the only purchase ever made then the price advantage will be a one off. The advantage really comes into play when you are looking to change your German sourced motorhome. If you can sell at a UK secondhand price and buy new at a German price then the advantage is really felt. But you have to apply the UK pricing regime to your secondhand vehicle to make a killing. No use taking it back to Germany and selling it there. So the UK pricing structure that so many people who purchase in Germany are so critical of is vital if you are to extract maximum advantage from an overseas purchase.

 

Invariably people who buy overseas will try and sell there vehicle privately simple because they know if they try to trade it in and the dealer identifies it as a grey import then the trade in price will be lower. Nothing wrong with that, market forces at work again. It could also be argued that the dealer in offering the lower trade in price is protecting the value of the assets of those people who bought their motorhome in this country.

 

If buying secondhand privately or through a dealer check whether it is a grey import. If people lie to you in full knowledge of its source then they are liable. If it's a grey import then adjust your offer price down if the person is asking the full UK market price. It's market forces which in a capitalist country like ours is available to all to exploit.

 

Graham

[grahamw]

 

Sorry Tony M should have posted to forum. Pressed the wrong button.

 

Graham

 

 

[Guest JudgeMental]

not sure the grey import tag is correct and applies to motorhomes? as a grey import car is one built for another RHD market such as Cyprus.

 

Selling a LHD model camper here, it is obviously fron Germany built in the same factory as the RHD import, they are all imports :-S

 

a German dealer has offered me a bit more then I was offered on ebay before Christmas. Not a bad price at all, but it would be more flexible if I could sell the camper privately so it in MMM next month for one last go before we make a decision.......

 

I see no sense in paying substantially more for a RHD camper even if I wanted one, the other post re deprecation shows how cheeky UK dealers are........if they smell you are struggling they will eat you alive.

 

At the end of the day happy to keep our camper another year if the numbers dont stack up. But I will try and sell during the spring/summer next time, not the winter, and limit the amount of extras on new van as that is dead money when you come to sell.

 

 

[lennyhb]

rupert123 - 2011-02-01 9:35 PM

 

lennyhb - 2011-02-01 11:13 AM

 

rupert123 - 2011-01-31 5:52 PM

 

lennyhb - 2011-01-31 12:16 PM

 

I think if you look into it, it is still well worth it. e.g. Hymer UK don't even bother to import half the models available & with the current exchange the differential has increased even more.

Only way the exchange rate would make a difference is if the UK dealer had had one in stock for yonks & then it would probably be an old model.

 

LHD drive coachbuilts more difficult to move on S/H, that's why we brought a RHD although I would have prefered LHD. With an A class LHD is not so much of a problem.

What's to stop you ordering a RHD we did just had to wait a bit longer for delivery.

 

 

I have looked into it and feel it is not worth it. How the hell can the exchange rate not make a differance, you have to pay in Euro's and with poor rate, compared with 2007, it will cost you more.

 

The UK dealer has to buy his stock in Euros so what difference can the exchange rate make we are working of the same exchange rate, see Brian's post.

 

We brought our van in 2008 when we paid the deposit in 2007 the Euro ex was 1.45 when we paid for it, it was 1.25 it cost us 47k, 6k more than expected but a hell of a lot cheaper than paying 60k in the UK.

 

Last September a friend wanted a van with the same spec, Brownhills quoted 75k German price was around 55k before discounts anyone buying Hymer's in the UK must be stark raving mad.

 

 

Lenny it simply does not work like this. When the pound euro was around 1.45 in 2007 and dropped to parity at one point in 2010 did prices of imports rise by nearly a third during this period? No they did not, check it out, the dealers simply could not sell with this sort of increase. Since the start of 2010 the pound has gained around 15% in value, again have prices of imports dropped, again no. The importers simply cannot follow the exchange rate that quickly and their profits tend to rise or fall during these periods but the customers do not see the direct effect. If you buy a van in europe you will however feel that effect. As I have said and Derek again pointed out the biggest thing against buying a LHD van is the large loss when you come to sell which will wipe out any gain. I to remain un convinced.

 

Can't agree with you Rupert, but what I can say is I saved 13k, your argument only applies to vans the dealers have in stock.

If you order a new van with factory fitted extras that has to be built are you telling me a dealer will sell it at a loss ? He will have to pay new exchange rate!

 

Why to you keep on a about LHD mine is full UK spec RHD it was only 1300€ more than a LHD.

 

 

[lennyhb]

Robinhood - 2011-01-31 11:49 AM

lennyhb - 2011-01-30 5:45 PM  Yes it would be uninsured on the ferry but if it gets damaged you can claim against the ferry company. We had a caravan damaged once, the ferry company paid up.

You would be well-advised not to rely on this. AFAIK, the liability of the (maritime) carrier, is severely limited by the Athens Convention, which defines maximum liabilities for all sorts of personal, luggage and vehicle incidents.

Your conditions of booking will (hopefully) provide reference to this. (as in the following extract from P&O Ts and Cs:

(v) Your contract is governed by these Terms of Business and by all legislation compulsorily applicable, including the Athens Convention 1974 governing carriage of passengers and their luggage by sea

The limitations are quoted in "Special Drawing Rights", one of which equates at the moment to roughly a pound sterling.

I've just found two figures quoted for the limit of liability on vehicles, but even the highest is nowhere near the value of a new motorhome!

(One of the reasons I always check my vehicle insurance for in-transit cover on ferries).

Worth taking that info on board (sorry for the pun) but a lot less risk than driving it on the roads & one I think most of us importing are prepared to take.

[lennyhb]

JudgeMental - 2011-02-02 4:26 PM

 

not sure the grey import tag is correct and applies to motorhomes? as a grey import car is one built for another RHD market such as Cyprus.

 

 

We have been brain washed for years by governments telling us the EU is a single market, so logicically anthing brought in the EU can't be a grey import.

 

 

[Guest JudgeMental]

lennyhb - 2011-02-02 8:16 PM

 

JudgeMental - 2011-02-02 4:26 PM

 

not sure the grey import tag is correct and applies to motorhomes? as a grey import car is one built for another RHD market such as Cyprus.

 

 

We have been brain washed for years by governments telling us the EU is a single market, so logicically anthing brought in the EU can't be a grey import.

 

 

 

and UK dealers trying to protect there lucrative cartel at the expense of us poor old punters.........Cars where the same once, and that has ended because so many where buying from the EU

[Brian Kirby]

grahamw - 2011-02-02 9:01 AM ............... To make importing from Germany really worthwhile one needs not to look at the initial purchase as if that is the only purchase ever made then the price advantage will be a one off. The advantage really comes into play when you are looking to change your German sourced motorhome. If you can sell at a UK secondhand price and buy new at a German price then the advantage is really felt. But you have to apply the UK pricing regime to your secondhand vehicle to make a killing. ..................... Graham

Personally, I think this thinking rather misses the point.  One can never "make a killing" on a motorhome: they lose money the moment you buy them, wherever you buy them.  That is the point of buying at a lower price.

However, if you buy outside the UK (disregarding whether LHD or RHD, and whatever perceived advantage each may have whichever side of the ditch you drive) you can buy at a substantial saving to the UK price (or a buy better van for the same price).  When you sell it, of course you will get less for it, but that isn't the point, is it?  It cost you less to buy, so you've still got the difference.

[grahamw]

Brian Kirby - 2011-02-03 12:30 AM

  When you sell it, of course you will get less for it, but that isn't the point, is it?  It cost you less to buy, so you've still got the difference.

 

The point I was trying to make, but probably not too well, is that if you took the van back to Germany to sell you would get less than the UK market price because our pricing structures both new and secondhand are inflated compared to Germany. Selling in this country potentially reduces "the price to change" if you can obtain the UK secondhand price. Nothing wrong with that but don't expect your buyer not to attempt to knock you down significantly below the UK secondhand price because it is essentially a cheaper import from Germany. Otherwise you're expecting your fellow motorhomer to subsidise your next purchase. All buyers of motorhomes have the right to negotiate and if they know you bought it cheap then they have a right to negotiate a slice of that or walk away. They are only playing the same game. With discounts so large of late in the car market garages will now frequently ask you how much you paid for it as a basis for their offer - just the same process.

 

The point is that this can potentially reduce the advantage of importing from Germany as the "difference" as you put it, may end up being being similar to the "difference" of a purchase and trade-in executed in the UK. That "difference" will be more advantageous if you can obtain a price anything above the price you could obtain for it back in Germany.

 

Graham

[Derek Uzzell]

For most people importing a new motorhome from the Continent, the word “saving” will be a misnomer. The only time it will be apt is when the vehicle bought abroad can be accurately described as being identical (or superior) to the same model purchased in the UK.

 

If you can purchase a RHD motorhome abroad (as lennyhb has) for £13K less than the same RHD model bought in the UK, then that’s unarguably an up-front “saving”. As there’s no good reason to expect lennyhb’s self-imported RHD Hymer to fetch a lower price on re-sale than an identical Hymer vehicle that happened to have been ‘officially’ sold originally in the UK by Brownhills, it should also be a lasting £13K saving.

 

Similarly, if you import a LHD motorhome from the Continent and the make/model you’ve chosen is only available in the UK in LHD form, you can legitimately talk about immediate “savings” and the re-sale price should not be an issue.

 

But, if you import a LHD motorhome from the Continent and there’s a RHD ‘clone’ being marketed in the UK, you aren’t on a level playing field. You may pay a good deal less for the LHD vehicle initially, but you’ll get a lower price on re-sale than for the RHD motorhome.

 

If you choose to buy a £10 bottle of white wine from Tesco rather than a £15 bottle of red, you haven’t “saved” £5, you’ve just spent £5 less. If you then discover that you can buy the bottle of white wine abroad for, say, the equivalent of £7 but, having done so, when you get it home you find it’s tainted, you may well regret not having bought it for a tenner from the UK supermarket and being able to demand a replacement straightforwardly. There are greater risks purchasing/importing motorhomes from the Continent than buying them within the UK. It’s up to individuals to decide whether or not those risks are acceptable, but it would be foolish to ignore them or deliberately down-play them.

 

It perhaps needs saying that obtaining new RHD motorhomes from Continental motorhome dealerships may prove difficult. Lennyhb was able to do it but, if you don’t want a Hymer, you may be out of luck. The German dealer from whom I bought my motorhome in 2005 told me he could supply RHD Hobbys, but I believe he had yet to do this. If a Continental dealer agrees to order a RHD motorhome and the deal subsequently goes pear-shaped (eg. the UK buyer dies), the dealer will be left with an unsaleable vehicle. This is an obvious risk and one Continental dealers may be very reluctant to take.

 

Although it’s possible for a private purchaser to carry out drive-it-yourself motorhome importing cheaply - JudgeMental quotes £110 for ‘trip expenses’, plus £240 for a speedometer (and, I guess another £100-or-so for replacement headlamps) – ‘official’ importing involving a transporting company will cost much more. A trade contact of mine who occasionally imports motorhomes for his own private use told me it cost him £900-£1000 for a vehicle to be transported from mid-Germany and delivered to a UK port for collection by one of his employees.

[Guest JudgeMental]

I said approx £2000 for expenses but probably half that a more realistic figure.

 

with the UK Adria, the spec is truly lamentable and the price laughable in comparison to well specified and £10,000 cheaper German models? *-)

 

who's worried about resale 3-4 years down the line, I'm certainly not going to lose anything like the amount that I would if I purchased a UK model...Its a bit like the Nissan roundabout of the 70-80's when once you bought one you had no alternative then to buy another as resale was non existent? :-S Then secondhand prices are kept artificially high because of the PX price they give on new sales

 

my van with extras RHD was near 48k from one of the dealers with the worse reputation going....... I paid under 35k from an excellent dealer in Belgium. if it means PX in Germany/Belgium so be it, at least they offer a decent price!

 

 

[Brian Kirby]

There are, inevitably, a number of provisos to a personal import, and anyone considering doing this should do their homework carefully.

Exchange rate is an obvious factor but, providing the vehicle you want is available in the UK and the country you would import from, it is easy to check the price in both markets.  Specifications, especially base vehicle spec, need careful checking: it seems often the case that what is for sale in Germany is of a higher specification than that offered in UK, albeit the UK version may have an oven/grill fitted.  However, price in Euros, converted to £, compared to UK prices, is not that difficult a calculation.  Discounts come both sides of the ditch, so pretty much cancel out.

Selling/trading a LHD van.  Yes, having bought a LHD van for a lower price than for an equivalent RHD van bought in UK, your LHD van will sell/trade for less than its UK sourced cousin.  How much less will depend on whether you trade or sell it, to whom, and whether anyone wants it.  Traded against a superior, and more expensive, model at a UK dealership may not be too much of a shock, especially if it is in good condition, and the dealer is agent for the make.  Selling to a UK dealer for cash (even if possible), will net by far the worst price.  Put up for sale on a the forecourt of a dealer for the make, on a "sale or return" basis, got us, IMO, a fair price.  The advantage was that people were looking for that make, and so could compare ours alongside others.  The dealer won't slash the price unreasonably, he still wants to shift his own stock!  :-)  Selling privately, if it sells, should get the best price - eventually!  So, in the final analysis, it was bought at a lower price than its UK equivalent, and it sold at a lower price.  Comparing original purchase price to value returned after sale, would you be better off, worse off, or evens?  Answer: probably!  :-)  In truth, I think, completely unpredictable.  I think a fair assumption would be evens, but only based upon my own, very limited, experience.  However, I still benefited from the lower price when I bought, and think it very unlikely the UK sale price would be so much lower as to wipe-out that initial advantage.

I agree with Derek that comparing RHD and LHD vans in the same breath is unhelpful.  If you want RHD, LHD is no use to you, and vice versa.  I wanted LHD, because we intended travelling around mainland Europe.  Both times we bought, I enquired about getting LHD in UK, from a UK dealer, and at what price.  Both times the answer was they could supply, but the price would be, within a whisker, the same.  So, off we went and bought vans with enhanced specifications, at lower cost.

The potential downsides are if the van turns out to have serious problems, when you will be unlikely to get any help from UK dealers (but, perhaps surprisingly, some will pursue warranty claims on vans they didn't supply - even on LHD vans from Germany!).  If all else fails, final recourse has to be to the converter's factory customer support facility, meaning one should choose makes that offer this service.  Burstner has an excellent reputation for theirs, at Kehl, just across the Rhine from Strasbourg, so not too difficult for access.  Hymer's is alleged to be good, at Bad Waldsee (N of Ravensburg), so not quite so handy.  Hobby's is at Fockbek, nearly in Denmark, so not handy at all, but reportedly also helpful when you arrive.  I have no info on others, but it would be wise to check before jumping in. 

However, also consider what may, in fact, go wrong, and what your own skills are.  The base vehicle will have a pan-European guarantee from its maker that should sort out any problems with the chassis and mechanical elements, pretty much wherever they arise, and if it doesn't it is unlikely the converter will be able to solve the problem.  The main items of equipment: fridges, hobs/cookers, heaters/water heaters, toilets, water pumps, electrics, windows, rooflights, blinds, etc, all have individual guarantees from their makers, and faults can generally be rectified through UK agents/subsidiaries.  What you are left with is bodywork, internal furniture, and furnishings.  The greatest problem is likely to be leakage due to bad design/workmanship.  It may have to go back to be repaired, or it may be a DIY job.  Furniture might be problematic, but seems generally to be fairly robust - saving catches and hinges, most of which can be replaced, albeit not always at fair prices.  Furnishings may (again, I think unusually) begin coming apart, but are not generally so sophisticated they cannot be repaired at home - given someone knows how to use a sewing machine. :-)

Ultimately, it seems to me, the risks, 'though not imaginary, aren't really that great either.  Buying from a good manufacturer reduces the likelihood they will arise in the first place, and also reduces the likelihood that they will be ignored should they arise.  Most should be DIY-able, and of those that are not, many can be sorted by recourse to the UK end of component manufacturer's organisations.  None of the risks would be eliminated by buying a similar van in UK, though getting them sorted out via a UK dealer should be easier.  Apart from major faults in the bodywork - that many UK dealers would not in any case be competent to repair - the main downside is the aggravation of getting back to an overseas dealer, to the factory, to a UK component manufacturer's facility, or forking out for something you should probably have been replaced FOC under warranty, but was just not economical to pursue.

As ever, yer pays yer money, and yer makes yer choice, and what is sauce for the (German) goose won't invariably be sauce for the (UK) gander.  As Rich (Tracker) is fond of saying, there is no right or wrong: just different!