To import or not to import!?

Couple of threads here that may be of interest to you. By no means an exhaustive search though. I'm pretty sure there were some recent posts on the topic.

Importing a caravan


Cheers Mick

There have been discussions on the caravanners forum about this. I think there is a company specialising in the conversions of US vans and it still was very cost effective. They claim to have warranties covered too but you might struggle a bit when you come to sell or certainly trade. You might be better importing one from the UK. Either that or just carry on paying inflated Australian prices like the rest of us.

Hi Sarah,

My brother imported a 32 foot motorhome from America and had a bad experience at the dock in Sydney. Any future imports will go through Brisbane for that reason.

They put a "Flat Pack" through the roof of the motorhome.
A flat pack is a container base which has no roof and sides.

They had the flat pack on a big forklift and as they swung it around they were too close to the motorhome and gouged a long hole along one side of the roof. It could have been a lot worse.

This was repaired under insurance but getting the buggers to honour their insurance took quite some doing and caused a lot of angst for the brother.

However, the experience otherwise was very positive as the freight forwarder in California is an expat Aussie and everything went well on that side and the trip out.

When it comes into Australia there is a fair amount of regulations which have to be observed such as quarantine regs, vehicle must be thoroughly cleaned to remove any grass seeds and other contaminants and when it arrives and you get it out of customes etc. you than have to pay GST on it.

That GST will be calculated taking all costs into account, including insurances, quarantine regulations requiring cleaning at the docks in Sydney or whatever port it comes in on and any other costs that you acrue before getting it out of the port.

The motorhome had to be converted to RH drive of course. We have now completed this and will be getting the engineering done early in the New Year.

Converting the door to the left side of the van may not be required but there is a reg in NSW anyway, which says that the only access door cannot be on the right side, though it may not relate to caravans. You will need to do some research on that, relevant to the state you live in.

This is another on cost which needs to be calculated when doing the viability sums.

The internal layout can be fairly compromised in that event. It depends on that internal layout of the van you select

We looked at importing a caravan and a fifth wheeler but in the end we decided that a locally produced article would be better, for us, and a lot less trouble.

Local vans are made for local conditions and many imports do not cope well with our conditions.

Cheers, Bruce

Sarah - Forget it, we have a keen and capable caravan-building industry here - that builds caravans to Australian specifications, using Australian materials, manufactured to Australian standards.

Keep these things in mind ...

1. It's generally agreed the total end cost of an imported caravan, is around triple the purchase cost of the caravan, in the country of origin. Transit insurance is absolutely necessary, as theft and damage in handling is common.
You still have to pay GST on imports - as well as duties, customs charges, port security charges, brokers fees, bondstore fees, possible cleaning fees - and demurrage fees if any arguments start, and the van cannot be moved.

2. If purchasing a U.S.-built caravan, remember the following ...

a) Access door/s is/are on the wrong side. A LHS door must be installed prior to registration in Australia.

b) U.S.-built vans are built with Imperial measurements, using Imperial products. All fasteners are Imperial threads (UNC/UNF). All piping on these vans is American National Pipe Thread (NPT). NPT piping is not compatible with our Australian standard BSP threads. NPT plumbing piping is almost impossible to purchase here.

c) Wiring in U.S.-built vans does not comply in any shape or form with Australian wiring standards, due to serious voltage differences, and different wiring standards.

d) Fittings such as catches, window frames and locks, taps, handles, etc, are all U.S. sourced and usually unavailable locally when they break and need replacing.

e) The frame construction of U.S.-built vans nearly always uses American softwoods that perform poorly in our climate. Our rougher roads means American vans fall apart quicker, particularly if you want to travel on corrugated gravel roads.

f) Lighting on U.S.-built vans does not comply with Australian vehicle lighting standards (ADR's). Caravan lighting must be changed to meet registration requirements.

g) Gas installations have to be re-worked to meet Australian standards.

h) U.S.-built caravan overhang is often unacceptable for Australian ADR's. Many American caravans have too much overhang to be able to be registered here.

i) U.S.-built caravans generally have lower resale values than locally-built caravans.

3. The importation process is lengthy, costly, and intensive. You need to apply for an importation permit before you even purchase.

4. Insurance costs are higher on imported caravans, as insurers are aware that repair costs are usually higher - and in some cases, repairs are not economic due to imported parts costs.

I trust this gives you food for thought.

Regards, Ron.

I have imported my own from the USA direct plus arranged or did all the compliancing myself with local Australian tradesmen. Ours is 100% compliant.
There are many Australian dealers importing new USA caravans that are 100% compliant, no short cuts.
So why not do the same and save some big dollars.
The numbers will go:
$US17 -25 grand new
Freight $$US7 to $US10
GST 10% no duty
Compliancing allow 5-10 grand.
There is the possibility of saving 20 -40 grand and with those savings you self warrant, which I would rather do than be at the mercy of a local 12 month warranty.
First thing, limit your searching to 7 foot 6 inches wide
Look at the floor plans so you can put in a usable LH door then plan on two awnings one ea side.We find its a huge advantage.
Its easy, safe, a great product but will require some work your end and take 6 months.