replied:

G'day,

Recently on the MSN Caravanners forum there was a long discussion surrounding a second hand imported 5th wheeler from the U.S.A.

The unit was in such poor repair, mostly hidden, that the cost of the unit, and then the repair, was more than a new unit built here.

Don't be fooled by U.S.A prices, the cheaper units are built cheap. Need to compare like with like when researching Australian and U.S.A units.

Hope this helps

Rolande

Member - Ruth D (QLD) replied:

My friends had one made by Macro- it's fabulous and they trip all over in it when the mood takes them. Have you considered what's in Australia before going to the USA? They 'll be hooking up and be here in about 12 days for a visit.

swampy66 replied:

Correct me if im worng, but the major 5th wheeler manufacturers in Australia import them as unfinished units and complete the fit out to Australian Standards.
So a component of the purchase price in Australia includes the importing of the vehicle.

Importing your own could be good value!!

_gmd_pps replied:

Many traps along the way ...
pros and cons:

1. Many US models are imported to OZ already. e.g. Cedar Creek from Forest River, Cruiser imported by Performax etc etc etc..

2. Some of the US models have poor finishing ...

3. Conversion is a major problem when you want 240V wiring ..

4. Some US manufacturers do not use copper for gas pipes ..

5. US$ is cheap at the moment

6. Conversion of chassis to OZ standard is easy ..

7. You probably will get ripped off with freight if you don't know where to go ... US$190 + 30% fuel surcharge are common for 1 cbm freight roll on roll off with Wilhelmsen. A typical 30' will cost you between 25K and 35K freight depending where you go without connections. I imported 110cbm around a year ago and paid $160/cbm all inclusive to Freo/Brisbane ...

Performax offered a 25' fully converted for 89k A$ .. I would not go through the trouble ...

I imported a slide-on because no one sold these in OZ and I had to go through the trouble ... We also will eventually have a 5th-wheeler (when I give up the boat) but I would NOT import it ... too many for sale here and especially second hand after a few years ....

I know some people who got ripped off badly with freight ...

and ... there are not decent cars in OZ to tow it unless you wanna sit in an ISUZU or such .. (Like the Road King ... YUK) ...
so with a larger US 5th-wheeler you also want a US truck to tow it

Since Ford is not coming back with the F-series you also have to import or buy a truck ... there are many combos for sale in the monthly Wanderer .. I would think twice about importing unless you really want something special and know what you are doing ...

It worked for me but it is quite a bit work and luck ...

have fun
gmd

montana replied:

i would rather buy here and know what then end product i was paying for actually was,a lot of hidden costs importing and modifying.i looked at a bargain a week ago that was going cheep because the size was a problem for them,(an older couple),look around here you will find what you want.

Scrubcat replied:

The imported Yankey ones that I seen at a 5th wheeler gathering all had the door on the R/H side. A bit of a hassle if you have to stop on the side of the road I`d reckon.

Scrubcat

Ozboc replied:

I have seen a few of these pop up on ebay - maybe worth your while to keep an eye out there and if one comes up for sale in your area - ask for a tire kicking appointment to make up your own mind on how good these things are :)

Boc

nforde replied:

Hi Chileno,

Importing your own 5th wheeler from USA is possible, but if you are not experienced in importing vehicles it can be a very time consuming and very expensive excercise.

All of the full time importers have negotiated much lower rates and know the red tape that has to be sorted out so their costs are much cheaper than what you will most likely pay for importing.

The 5th wheeler prices in Australia are coming down considerably. For example, you can now buy a brand new imported 32 foot fifth wheeler with 2 slideouts, fully registered in Australia, fully compliant (gas, power, door), with sliding dual-pivot hitch for under AU$80,000. You can see this at fifth wheeler importers.

Compared to prices like this, you need to work out how many hours (and headaches) are involved in importing and compliance, and weigh it up with buying an imported 5th wheeler in Australia.

Hope that helps!

ps. I actually import 5th wheelers, so I hope this post isn't TOO biased. Our first import was a total nightmare and I'd say the 1st import for most people would be the same.

Gone Bush (WA) replied:

Hey Chileno? Are you and nforde the same person?

nforde posted copious quantities of the same query earlier today including the same little article.

It appears the moderator might have cleaned them up.

You're not posting under another name and then answering it simply to promote your 5th wheeler import business are you?

If not, my apologies.

If YES.... nick off.