Importing camper van from Germany

peasant

Macspower wrote:

Thanks for your replies Peasent.... I'm still having problems making contact of any type with anyone on mobile.de

I've sent 12 replies using the automated reply system but no answer from anyone... Do I ned to ring them??

Also any suggestions on something for my 15k budget? I have a C1 licence if it makes a difference.. Was considering some like the above but am open to suggestions.

Mac

Yeees ...making contact can be a bit difficult, especially in English.

Unfortunately mobile.de gets flooded by scammers and spammers and they all use the automated reply system...phoning would be a better bet (if they can understand you, that is)

With a C1 licence I would go for the heavier type motorhome. That way you get to spend all of your budget on the actual vehicle and getting it to Ireland rather than having to factor in a big chunk for VRT.

Recommendations is always a bit difficult, as at your budget you're looking at something from the early 90's ...could be a pristine vehicle, could be a heap of rot ...very hard to tell from the pictures.

My recommendation would be either Bürstner on an Iveco chassis (the 710/720 is definetly over 3 tons, the 580 might be under) or Niesmann und Bischoff on MB or Iveco or VW LT.

With the Buerstners the base should be sound while the conversion could have issues, with the N+B's it could be the other way round as they would be that bit older but the conversion is first class.

I'd also recommend to wait for another bit, prices should come down a bit (and more vehicles should become available) as we get into autumn.

The one thing I definetly DON'T recommend though, is buying without having seen

chamac

Hi All
I am thinking strongly of importing an RV from Germany, obviously VRT free. I find it is very hard to get an idea of tare weights of different models as the manufacturers usually only publish gross weights. Is there a rough rule of thumb that can be used to guesstimate weights? Like say a 6.6 meter RV would weigh about 3000 kgs.
Also, Are larger RV's a problem ? Would you be expected to for instance pay for two parking spaces in a car parking area or camp site?
If so, what would the upper size limit that would not cause any headaches.
I'm an ex trucker so driving the RV would not be a problem just where its parked or getting it into places. I have seen this topic talked about on some UK websites. Maybe its not a problem here.
Would the height of an alcove RV be a disadvantage?
Any ideas would be most welcome and a great help in my search.

stapeler

If you pick up a copy of Practical Motorhome or Motorcaravan monthly they have some info. Towards the back is a buyers guide. It breaks down all the different models on the market, length, height, berths etc. They also give Max weight and payload. I guess Max load minus payload will give you an approx tare weight.

As reguards bigger vehicles, ther's lots of them out there. Typically campsites charge for a pitch and no. of people and dont really consider vehicle size. My motorhome is approx 6.5 meters which suits me fine. Easy enough to manouver and it doesn't take up too much space in the shopping centre carparks.

chamac

I got a Which Motorhome and it has that info and some model lenght and layout info in the back. I suppose if it was slightly under the weight that could be dealt with easily. Most are left at 3500 GVW to accomodate driving on a car licence and some of the larger builders don't publish payloads but it gives an approximation.
I tried a few mock trips on the ferries and found that there is not a lot of difference in price up to 8 meters or alcoves over low profiles. Maybe its different in summer.
Thanks for the reply

jakefouro

Very interesting thread - I am also interested in importing second hand from Germany - planning to spend 8 to 10k probably from a dealer. Does anyone have a ballpark figure regarding the VRT. Looking at a Knaus Traveller 630 - under the 3 ton weight - 1991 - 6.3 metres in length. Can't get any information from the VRT office.:)

peasant

From my experience, the VRT people will value that somewhere between 16 and 20 k. VRT would be 13.5 %

jakefouro

Thanks Peasant - If I do eventually purchase in Germany - I will post the details, VRT paid etc.

dowtchaboy

Hi - anybody know if it is possible to hire a mechanic to check over a potential purchase?
I got "done" to some degree last time and even though the van had its TUV it had major problems - dodgy engine, and CV joints that died before I even got it back to Ireland.

Is ADAC the German equivalent of the AA? Would that be the place to go?

Hope to head over in the next month - would appreciate any guidance.
db.

peasant

dowtchaboy wrote: »

Is ADAC the German equivalent of the AA? Would that be the place to go?

Yes and yes

You may have to be a member though to avail of that service, I'm not sure.
ADAC and AA would probably have some form of co-operation. If you are a AA member, it might be worth ringing them first and ask for guidance on foreign vehicle inspection.

adria1

Hi,

We have imported 5 motorhomes from Germany into the UK. We currently have an Adria 660sp. This is our 4th Adria's, and think that they are a very good motorhome with a lot included that you don't find on a British motorhome. I always buy from the same dealer. They are father and son and totally trustworthy. I once needed a part for the shower and rang Adria UK. I had to leave 5 messages and when I than spoke to somebody and ordered the part it just never arrived. I rang the dealer in Germany and had the part within 2 days. !! That is what service is all about.
I am looking at a different model now because of health reasons.
The dealers website is http://wohnmobile-guetersloh.de/
You want to speak to Marco, the son. Just tell him that Madeleine gave you his number.
Mine can be found in adverts.ie.

Good luck

Kind regards

Maddie


Ki

Do-more

Just wondering how much haggling room there is on prices advertised in Germany?

In particular I'm interested in something like this it looks to be competitively priced at €38,900 to start with, but how much could I expect to pay for it?

peasant

I don't think that there is a general rule. Too much depends on the seller, the model, the conditionand the circumstances. Some people advertise quite high, others don't.

In this case, it's ex rental and it has minor hailstone damage on the roof ..you will presumably be buying cash, no trade in so there should be room for maneuvre. The price on the other hand seems quite good (~ 15 k less than new...that's 1000 Euro per 1000 kilometers on the clock), so I would only expect token gestures.

Some dealers may be keener on throwing in some extra equipment rather than parting with cold, hard cash.

Macspower

thanks for the advice last year peasent and others... I didn't buy in the end as I couldn't contact anyone in germany on mobile.de...

But here I go again... been on mobile.de and sending all the usual mails..

was thinking of flying over and visiting a dealer that has something I'm interested in and take it from there..

anyone done it recently?

this years budget is around 20k... was again thinking on something on the fiat chasis 2.5 or 2.8 engine...

the buerstner on thyis page just caught my eye with the Iveco 2.5 tdi... http://www.wohnmobil-galerie.de/page_deutsch/index.htm anyone ever deal with them?

as usual all advice appreciated

peasant

Macspower wrote: »

anyone ever deal with them?

Do a search on the forum, that particular dealer has been mentioned before

dowtchaboy

Macspower wrote: »

thanks for the advice last year peasent and others... I didn't buy in the end as I couldn't contact anyone in germany on mobile.de...

But here I go again... been on mobile.de and sending all the usual mails..

was thinking of flying over and visiting a dealer that has something I'm interested in and take it from there..

anyone done it recently?

Yeah - I got back late Feb with a 94 Hehn (4 berth on a Transit chassis). Cost 10,500 (before adding the usual insurance and so on, and the ferries). VRO said OMSP is 17,000 hence 2160 VRT - either I got a helluva bargain or their valuations are a bit rich! I had it easier than most 'cos I have a German friend who could make a few phone calls to flesh out the mobile.de listing, and even visited a few possibilities for me in advance. The one I went over expecting to buy was in the old East Germany (north of Berlin) but I walked away from it - bits were missing and there was a suspicious bit of shiny new metal on it. Dealer dropped the price twice before I reached the gate when leaving but I was not interested. My German friend (who is biased a bit about old DDR) reckoned any stuff close to the East Europe countries (Poland, Czeck etc.) could be dodgy and to take care. He also says the dealers are fed up with Nigerian spam and fake bank-draft offers that they ignore foreign emails. I'd recommend that you make the extra effort to dig out the dealer's own website from the mobile.de ad and email him more directly, and use Google translation (keep it simple, short sentences, and translate it BACK into English just to see how mangled it is, and send both language versions in the email.).
By the way - I have noticed in recent weeks quite a few decent quality campers are appearing at reasonable prices in Ireland - much better than what was on offer 6 months ago - so just check East Coast campers and so on before you go. Look at carzone.ie and gumtree and autotrader. db.

hoganpoly

i suppose this has been covered already but thought id ask anyway, when you have chosen your camper and arrived in dealer in germany , without ready cash what is the best and quickest way to pay and be on your way home, any help much appreiciated

peasant

My preferred option would be to have a chat with my bank before I go and set up a facility that will release a same day payment to the dealers bank account via a phone call.

That ...or load the credit card for the expected amount.


(and now to find the Irish bank that would do such a thing for you )

zagmund

If you have anyone you can trust with that amount of money (and who is retired or otherwise floating about and likely to be able to drop into the bank when required) you could arrange with them to do the transfer when you call them.

We did that when buying ours - I transferred the money over to my Dad, went off to Germany, looked around, found one, settled on a price, got their bank details, rang my Dad and all was sorted.

I can't remember whether he had been in touch with his bank in advance, but it would probably be wise just to tell them you will be transferring a large amount out of the country in a few days and see if they have an adverse reaction. You never know, maybe this persons account might be a little dodgy and they might have it flagged for attention on unusual transactions. You don't want to find this out while sitting in Germany waiting for the money to come through.

Obviously, you need to trust this person a lot . . .

z

hoganpoly

thx for your replies will check with my bank tommorrow, was looking at a dealer in hamburg has nice site and will arrange export plates etc, good range of campers from 20-30k, any reports of dealers near hamburg as im flying in there and back through rotterdam/hull then liverpool/dublin...thx

rustina

Has ayone bought from www.caravanium.com in germany. I have bought form them and am going over next week to collect it. Is it possible to get AA cover to bring it home?

siobhan.murphy

would anyone consider buying from the uk?
advice please!

stapeler

I purchased from the UK through EBay. Exchange rate very favourable and saves on travel costs etc. There's a choice of LHD & RHD but things like speedometer may be in MPH unless previously imported to UK.
The UK motorhomes tend to have ovens unlike a lot of European vehicles.
A good inspection is required as there were reports of a lot of flood damaged vehicles on sale last year.

siobhan.murphy

was it through hymerdirect.com by any chance?

stapeler

siobhan.murphy wrote: »

was it through hymerdirect.com by any chance?

No, a private seller on ebay..

Mac128

dowtchaboy wrote: »

By the way - I have noticed in recent weeks quite a few decent quality campers are appearing at reasonable prices in Ireland - much better than what was on offer 6 months ago - so just check East Coast campers and so on before you go. Look at carzone.ie and gumtree and autotrader. db.

I am trying to persuade the wife that we should get a campervan so I took her to East Coast Campers yesterday as their website seemed to have a reasonable selection and their prices weren't as off the wall as other Irish Dealers.

BIG MISTAKE!

They might have a selection but they're not in great nick on the inside and the smell was so bad in some of them that I could not even get her past the door.

So my question is this, are the used campervans in German Dealerships going to be cleaner, cos' if the're not then there is no point in me going over there.

Ideally I would be spending 20-25K on a 4-6 birth with a gross weight of around 4000kg ( which I hope will avoid the VRT )

Any suggestions?

dowtchaboy

Mac128 wrote: »

I am trying to persuade the wife that we should get a campervan so I took her to East Coast Campers yesterday as their website seemed to have a reasonable selection and their prices weren't as off the wall as other Irish Dealers.

BIG MISTAKE!

They might have a selection but they're not in great nick on the inside and the smell was so bad in some of them that I could not even get her past the door.

So my question is this, are the used campervans in German Dealerships going to be cleaner, cos' if the're not then there is no point in me going over there.

Ideally I would be spending 20-25K on a 4-6 birth with a gross weight of around 4000kg ( which I hope will avoid the VRT )

Any suggestions?

Interesting feedback - I thought their prices were good, but not having visited them I had no idea how clean they were (or not).
Reason I went to Germany for mine really, as well as price. Any for sale at dealers (well camper dealers anyway) are always cleaned often by outside specialists. Also in the first place Germans tend to keep them clean, religiously service them per the manufacturers instructions (unlike we Irish!), keep full service records etc. Because they have more opportunity to travel through Europe you will find (usually) the mileages are high - but I can almost guarantee it you will find them in better shape than the same age ones in Ireland. Don't know much about big vans. Mobile.de is a good place to start - set "English" and use their "parking garage" facility to compare possible vans. Note that many of the dealers remove and reinsert vans weekly or more often - to make them come up as "new to market" I presume - so what's in your "garage" on mobile.de can have vans missing next time you log on - you will have to search again. Also - prob now is not a good time to find bargains - that tends to be late Autumn/Winter. Let me know if you need any specific information though you should find most of it here on one of the forums. Good luck.

chewed

Hi, I'm thinkning of buying my first campervan and haven't got a clue so will probably take my time in choosing when and where I buy.

Can anyone tell me roughly the cost to import from Germany/UK? Does it depend on the price of the actual vehicle?

For instance, if I paid €15k for a campervan from Germany, how much extra will it cost for import duty etc.

Thanks in advance.

dowtchaboy

chewed wrote: »

Hi, I'm thinkning of buying my first campervan and haven't got a clue so will probably take my time in choosing when and where I buy.

Can anyone tell me roughly the cost to import from Germany/UK? Does it depend on the price of the actual vehicle?

For instance, if I paid €15k for a campervan from Germany, how much extra will it cost for import duty etc.

Thanks in advance.

For a start you should read this thread from the start, and do some searches in the forum (:D ), but here's a quick summary:
You have to pay VRT on any vehicle imported. You should not have to, being in EU and all, but for now it's the Law. VRT is determined not on the value of the van, or what you paid for it, but the highly suspect "OMSP" ie what the official in Rosslare office of the Revenue Commissioners, whom you will never meet or even directly contact, decides the van would be worth if sold in Ireland today. VRT is 13.3% of the OMSP for a normal van.
You can bring in for a nominal fee (€50 or so) a large van but it must be 3,000 kg or heavier ("3 Tonne") and that is its real empty weight not its maximum weight. The Revenue are wise to loading it up with lead and so on - don't bother to try fool them. As far as I know vans large enough to be over 3,000 Kg need 4 wheels at the back (can all be on same axle) - I could be wrong. Seems daft that they would encourage people to import big gas-guzzlers but that's how it is.

The VRT calculator on the Revenue website does NOT apply to campers, and it seems to me that they assume campers last about 25 years before they are worthless. If you pay 15k in Germany for a camper it will probably be deemed to be worth say 23k here so your VRT will be about 3,000?

Unless you already have a camper and so can transfer the insurance, you normally go abroad, find and buy your camper, get for about €200 temporary 3rd party insurance lasting 14 days, export plates etc. and when you get home you do the VRT thing technically within 24 hours but they are easygoing enough on this, and get Irish insurance from Dolmen/AXA or whoever. Insurance is about 400, road tax is ummmm about 80. There is no NCT for campers though one of the insurance companies asks for DOE or a garage report for vehicles older than 10 years.

As far as where to buy is concerned - I went to Germany both times - the selection is huge and the quality in general is much better than here - however second-hand dealers are the same the world over so the Germans are quite capable of "forgetting" to tell you something, and their TUV test is a joke compared to our NCT for cars. Stuff in Eastern Germany near Poland can be a bit suspect.

Have fun - start off by playing with www.mobile.de - they are other sites but that's an excellent one to find stuff and to compare - click on the English version, open a translate box in Google, use the "parking" facility to compare vans. In a couple of months you will have narrowed down the make and model you prefer. If possible phone the dealer or at least send a simple email IN GERMAN and English - many dealers will not bother to reply to emails from abroad - fed up with Nigerian spam and so on.

In UK there's a load on www.thegumtree.com many of them being sold by Australians and Kiwis who have done their tour of Europe and need to sell the van and everything in it before heading home. Good bargains to be had in the Autumn though probably well used/ abused vans and see below re pop-tops. Here's the link to the main one:
www.gumtree.com/london/9439_1.html

By the way - Revenue do not consider pop-tops to be campers for VRT purposes and charge full rate VRT even though they are considered campers for road tax purposes.

Go for a diesel - turbo if you want some oomph, non-turbo if you want to use veggie oil from the supermarket without having to modify the engine. Also diesel will have much better resale value.

Good luck - if you want to contact me re "dumb questions" like is there a difference in gas bottles (yes), how is the loo worked/emptied, is Right Hand Drive a problem (not at all) etc I will try to help.

Oh - buy a real "coach-built", not a home conversion - there really is no comparison.

db.

chewed

Wow! Thank you for that excellent summary dowtchaboy! Yes, I am very lazy to start reading throuh all the previous posts! :rolleyes:

chamac

Thanks for the time putting it together in one place for everyone.:D:D