Advice Please

gavkm27

Hello,my apologies if this question has already been answered on this board.

I'm thinking of going to UK to buy a VW T5 Transporter and take it back,i assume it's in the clear in regards to VRT and will pay 50e to register it here in Ireland.
But i'd like to convert it to a camper,is this possible? or will i then have to pay the 13.5% VRT on it as i will want to register it as a campervan to avail of campervan insurance and tax.

Any knowledge to share greatly appreciated.

Gav

niceirishfella

You will have to pay VRT on the vehicle if its not over 3.5 tonnes.
If you are going down this road, maybe buy a vehicle that will hit this target weight, like a large transit or the like.

gavkm27

3.5 Tonne! dam thought it was 3t,that means all of the VW Transporters are out of the question then.

hynesie

It is 3t not 3.5t.

gavkm27

Sweet! thanks,needed to hear that

niceirishfella

hynesie wrote: »

It is 3t not 3.5t.

Feck - are you sure? Why was i thinking 3.5 tonnes? awww well, excuse me so, never mind me:D

Uncle Chenzo

Hi Gav,

You have to make sure of a few things:

In order for your van to be classed as a camper, and only pay €50 it must be 1.8m from the floor (behind the drivers seat) to the roof.

If you have a regular B license - you can only drive a van up to 3.5 tonnes.

Lots of Vans dance around the 2.8tonne mark, but once you load it up etc, you can easily breach the 3.5tonne mark, which in all honesty - you can't really see the gardai pulling you in and weighing you - but apparently it happens all the time in the continent, at toll boothes also.

Have a good read around, lots and lots of excellent information to be availed of.

Where are you going to go for your van in the UK? Are you buying privately or going to an auction?

Sterling is at .85p today.

gavkm27

Thanks Chenzo..

The majority of VW Transporters are 3t or 3.2t only the T28 SWB is 2.8t but i was on the phone to VRT office and was told that it also needs to have a minimum 2.45m wheelbase

I was also told over the phone that the clearance has to be 1.6m is from the lowest point,so on a pop up Reimo roof on a Transporter,it would have to be folded down.On the Dolmen website they say to get insured as cmapervan it needs to be 1.8m
I'm trying to figure out is the room there?,but surely it must be as the California range of transporters can't be anything but a campervan? Does anyone know if a VW California style camper qualify for campervan insurance?

It's all pretty confusing,i'm considering just splashing out and buying a 2nd hand California,instead of doing it on the cheap.

vwlt

Hi There,

Let me know how you get on as I am also considering this, there seems to be several thoughts on this, although I'd want to be sure before bringing one in ......

Suppose one idea would be contacing VW Ireland as they sell them over here and presumably they would have to get them registered as campers ???

gavkm27

Been trying to figure it out,can't believe the 1.8m head room thing,it's crap becuase it's from the lowest point,so a VW California style camper with the flip up tent roof does'nt qualify as a camper.
So i've sourced a cheap T5 van and having it converted by independant converter for a fair bit cheaper than a real VW California.
But it looks like i will be at the mercy of the VRT but i'm pretty sure i'm ok to get camper insurance as reading the Dolem site the state the 1.8m but none of this ''át the lowest point''

vwlt

Have you found a converter over here or inthe UK, really want to get moving onthis over the winter, but am n two minds about how to do it with regards a factory built unit or get a van converted as the cost of elevating rofs and proper seat/bed units are very high .....

niceirishfella

Hopefully the uk gov will drop VAT in the uk today, may help you on a purchase!

gavkm27

www.swcampers.co.uk

Just google camper converison,there are tons,but i've been dealing with these guys so far as they offer to source you a van at a good deal providing you convert it with them obviously.
Yeah it all adds up for the conversion,there are loads of add on's the get the price up,mine is looking at about 13,000 pound for the conversion only

It's seriously pricey but you'll save money compared to buying an offical VW California,plus you can personalise it as you see fit.

FYI a VW California costs e55,000 in Ireland due to VRT and VAT doing it this way will cost nearly half that

gavkm27

Ok i've completey hit the wall on this one.

There is no feasible way of importing a VW Transporter camper coverted seperately or as a official VW California without paying threw the arse on VRT and VAT

Does anyone know that if i take in a Van under Cat c (50Euro,commercial vehicle)
Then convert it to camper,have i to re-register it as a camper and then pay VRT? or wait a period of time and do as i please with it?

vwlt

If you bought an Irish caravelle which the VRT was paid on as a car, would any more VRT have to be paid after it was converted ??

I would have thought you might be able to just register it as a camper then for road tax point of view ....

Am trying hard myself to justify the €20k VRT on a california, but am finding it very difficult, then like you looked at conversions, but seem to comeup against the same issues.

gavkm27

No if you buy it here you should be able to do what you want with it.
I wanted to take in a van under Cat c then get it converted,id on't know but i'm sure they won't let you away without paying the VRT

But yes buying the van here you can do what you want with it i presume?,i'm just looking for a Transporter 2.5TDi 174,instead of the over priced carravelle,the converters install the windows for you and colour code the bumpers to make it look slick as carravelle for alot less.

Again if anyone has had dealings in this area please enlighten us! cheers

vwlt

Am coming up with a lot of issues with an elevating roof camper over here, anyone got any further on this by any chance that may be able to shed some light on it.

And would go down the route of buying a carravelle over here and converting it with no VRT, but there are no decent spec caravelles for sale in this country ....

niceirishfella

With the Vat down to 15% in the uk and the economy in tatters, I'd buy and convert over there.
It'll be cheaper, you'll get the bus you want and it'll be like spankers new.

vwlt

I agree that a conversion in the UK would be best value and is definitely what I would be considering, but the issue is the 36% VRT to be paid over here due to not being 1.8m headroom. So on a decent '06/'07 conversion, I may have to pay about €15k in VRT based on a €45k OMSP, which is quite likely on this year camper, which makes it very expensive, given the cost of a decent base van and decent conversion on top of that.

But looks like there is no way around this, so think i'll start looking into high roof campers instead to meet the 1.8m height rule and get into the lower VRT classification, not what I had wanted, but I think the best compromise.

niceirishfella

vwlt wrote: »

I agree that a conversion in the UK would be best value and is definitely what I would be considering, but the issue is the 36% VRT to be paid over here due to not being 1.8m headroom. So on a decent '06/'07 conversion, I may have to pay about €15k in VRT based on a €45k OMSP, which is quite likely on this year camper, which makes it very expensive, given the cost of a decent base van and decent conversion on top of that.

But looks like there is no way around this, so think i'll start looking into high roof campers instead to meet the 1.8m height rule and get into the lower VRT classification, not what I had wanted, but I think the best compromise.

Think you're right. A nice high roof big LWB VW van - and you'll be laffing, also all that extra space you'll get.

vwlt

Sorry for bringing this one up again, but has anyone had any luck with the elevating roof camper thing and the VRT/Insurance.

Sterling is particularly good and am very tempted, but the VRT office is very difficult to get any information out of .....

Thanks