# shipping Rv from USA to England



## 106666 (Aug 24, 2007)

I am interested in buying and shipping a RV from Florida to England. I have read some of the do's and don't, one of which is make sure the port is unionised. How can you find this out. Can anyone give me a rough figure for shipping a RV approximate length 34 feet. Any more help and information will be very welcome before we take the plunge


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## kennyboy (Oct 25, 2005)

ring 01959-524164 ask for Diana, she is a shipping agent in UK under the name of DLR shipping.
I have used her before and can recommend her. Just tell her your queries, she will sort everything out.
Good luck
ken


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## tel999 (Aug 17, 2007)

Hi
I hope the exitement will not get the better of you.....
Firstly, you will really have to spend at least 2 weeks in the US and most of that time in the RV of your choice. The reason, if it is used or new you will be offered a PDI trust me at best they are done by monkeys. Do not expect the faults to be found and rectified, I have recently purchased 4 new RVs and it required 11 days to rectify the faults I FOUND. Had I accepted delivery to the UK without my input I would have in excess of £14000 worth of repairs. 
Make sure your RV is winterised.
Make sure it arrives at the US port with less than a quarter of a tank of fuel.
Use a good shipping agent.
Video or photograph the RV prior to shipment.
Get the best insurance you can.
Try not to collect your RV on a Saterday, they get the hump.
You will require a low loader or trade plates and a qualified driver to take it to the converters, poss HGV
This is not to put you off, it is a truthful answer to your question, and if done correctly you will save a good amount of hard earned cash.
Hope this helps some
Regards
Tel


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## 106666 (Aug 24, 2007)

Thanks for all this information especially listing the pitfalls. Staying in the US will not be a problem for us as we go there at least twice a year anyway, we have a condo in florida which is for sale (then we can buy the motorhome!!). So of course there is the attraction of paying directly in dollars without any bothersome currency exchange. We are close to Tampa where I believe Lazydays comes recommended. 

We have rented motorhomes in the US on quite a few occasions so although we have never owned one, we are not unfamiliar with them (and the scrapes you can get into!) It all seems so daunting though to import something so expensive into the UK, finding the one which meets your needs layout wise and conforms to UK size regulations almost makes you want to just go down to Brownhills in Newark and save the hassle. (well perhaps not quite that desperate - although they have some scrumptious looking models in stock).

We shouldn't have a problem with licence, my husband can drive up to 7. 5 tonnes due to when he passed his driving licence. I'm pretty sure we wouldn't want anything so big that it was more than that.

I know that there are savings to be made but - honest feedback please - those of you who have imported from the US - is the financial saving made really really worth all the worry and form filling that goes with this method of obtaining a motorhome.


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## 99418 (May 26, 2006)

Hello from sunny Spain

We shipped an RV from Florida in July last year. We decided to buy an RV after doing very little research. We could see that the price from America was a lot cheaper than if you went somewhere in England.

We looked on the internet and found the Lazydays website, we emailed them about what we wanted and Jason Cohen replied. We told him what we wanted to spend and about the restrictions on size of vehicles for England.

We then booked a two week holiday to Florida and went to Lazydays. We looked at about six RV's, which Jason had already measured, and picked the first one we went in.

We went back a few days later after we had sorted out transferring money from England. We completed a few forms, they arranged shipping for us and we did not take out any insurance.

Six weeks later the RV arrived at Southampton, we drove down to pick it up, we were using trade plates and we also only bought an RV that was under 7.5 tonnes. We were told there could be problems with shipping and when we saw the RV we noticed the two tv's had been stolen but we didn't bother asking for compensation, the tv's wouldn't work anyway.

Registering ended up being quite easy, as the RV was on the DVLA list of approved vehicles, so they just asked us to fill in a few forms and that was it.

We own a Four Winds Hurricane on a 53 plate, for the money we spent in England we would have had at least a ten year old RV. We saved around £20,000.

We have since been to France and are now travelling round Spain and we would recommend it to anyone. We certainly would ship one from America again, it was not as bad as people make it out to be. 

If you want to PM with any questions, we will be happy to reply.

Phill and Helen


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## asprn (Feb 10, 2006)

Hi Phil/Helen,

Your first line almost made me not read the rest of your post. :evil: Lucky sods.

It's not the first time I've heard of stuff being nicked from vehicles during shipping from the US. Isn't there any form of audit trail as to who has access on the boat? Aren't the keys held in an office? (I'm not normally naive, but would plead to being ignorant here).

Dougie.


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## 99418 (May 26, 2006)

Hi

From our own experience, we left the keys in the RV at lazydays and then Bernard, who did the shipping, picked it up and drove it to the port.

The keys are left in the vehicle on the ship for safety reasons. So anyone on the ship has access to the RV. I suppose with the amount of stuff being shipped they wouldn't really keep keys separately. We took the spare keys back to England with us on the plane.

We could have claimed against the shipping company but decided it wasn't worth it.

Phill


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## 101002 (Sep 16, 2006)

Hi Janetia

Last year in August i suddenly fancied a Motorhome never even being in one before. i searched all over and after two weeks came across this chap who needed money quick. i didnt see his motorhome but had seen pictures of others on the net.

I rang him and told him i would give him twenty five grand for it and be there next day if he accepted and it was as descrbed as new. After a bit of wrangling he accepted. Mind you previously 4 mates had rung him and offered him money and not turned up.

Phscology plays a big part in all deals, he was at his wits end thinking each time he was going to get the money he would take anything i offered i think, i was very kind to him i bought it next day for 25k cash. it was 3yrs old absolutely as new, fridge never been used, bed never used,

i had it until this year when i bought a damon 2006 for same scam as before £41,250 it has taken me up till now to sell the other i got 36,500 for it and the guy got it cheap i know from the prices i have seen.

So shop around private sellers until you find someone who needs to sell then knock a third off be ready with cash you wont need to go to america its all about catchy monkey and slowly demoralising the seller, you wont win them all but its good fun. theres not a lot of people with money in their pocket ready to buy.

good luck Big Frank


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## olley (May 1, 2005)

Hi bigfrank, you sound like one of those guys who after meeting, you have to count your fingers as you walk away to make they are all still there. :lol: :lol: 

Olley


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## 101002 (Sep 16, 2006)

Hi Olley

Its my money i am spending if people dont want to deal they dont need to. All the dealers are in the game to make money i am in it to get the best deal for me not give my money away.

People tend to think is that the price thats being asked i will bid near it. My strategy is to phycologicly suggest to the seller a lower price that nobody is biidding higher they then sell sometimes.

Six years ago i saw a Princess 480 1999 Twin Screw Cruiser for sale at £325,000 of course i rang up under differing names and offered £260 after six months this chap had suffered a heart attack so had to sell, he then rang accepting the £260 then i say but six months have gone by its now 230 we were just on the point i was on the boat and a guy flew in from denmark and pinched it for £260 after all my hard work as the euro had just increased about 15% and it made it a cheap boat.

i have nothing else to do i always have a dozen or so deals on the go some bite some dont its a waiting game and keeping in touch with them.

i have a memory i know in my head were every deal is at i think your winnie was in Autotrader wasnt it.

Bought a block of shops for 260,000 of an 80yr old geeser just sold them to a London Developer For 1.2 mill some go quick some dont its a game.

B F


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## asprn (Feb 10, 2006)

And people complain about kids having no respect? I wonder where the kids learn it from.

Have a nice thread.

<click>


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## 101002 (Sep 16, 2006)

asprn said:


> And people complain about kids having no respect? I wonder where they get it from.
> 
> Have a nice thread.
> 
> <click>


Dont get that one Dougie can you enlighten me.

Big Frank


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## 99418 (May 26, 2006)

Hi Again its still HOT here lol

Well what can i say about suggestions made, you could take BIGFRANKS idea and rip people off when they are desperate or you can go to the USA and buy the motorhome of your dreams and be happy with it for many years.

Phill


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## 101002 (Sep 16, 2006)

kuku said:


> Hi Again its still HOT here lol
> 
> Well what can i say about suggestions made, you could take BIGFRANKS idea and rip people off when they are desperate or you can go to the USA and buy the motorhome of your dreams and be happy with it for many years.
> 
> Phill


No No No Phil Thats not a rip off people have a choice to sell or not. Do you think for one minute if you took your MH to a dealer asked him to buy it hell give you the retail price. Surely you have lived they are there to take you. I just give them a bit more than a dealer.

Same with the Boat it was on a Marina. Princess Yachts wouldnt give him what i offered otherwise it would have gone, he had contacted them i think you need educating in the real world.

B F


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## olley (May 1, 2005)

BIGFRANK said:


> i have a memory i know in my head were every deal is at i think your winnie was in Autotrader wasnt it.
> 
> Bought a block of shops for 260,000 of an 80yr old geeser just sold them to a London Developer For 1.2 mill some go quick some dont its a game.
> 
> B F


Hi Frank I bought it private in 04 so you may be right, but if you can remember back that far I take my hat of to you. 

Olley


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## takeaflight (May 9, 2005)

hI janetla

before I did anything I would have a word with Linda

http://www.statesidetuning.co.uk/

Roy


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## 101002 (Sep 16, 2006)

olley said:


> BIGFRANK said:
> 
> 
> > i have a memory i know in my head were every deal is at i think your winnie was in Autotrader wasnt it.
> ...


I am very rarely wrong on deals Ollie i am sure its this one year 1997 photo parked where you have it on website amount about £50,000 but it was for sale in 2006 about July so have you tried to sell maybe or have you forgotten.

Big Frank


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## G2EWS (May 1, 2006)

Hi Bigfrank,

I think what you do is totally OK. As you say people can sell or not it is entirely up to them.

It is always about getting the right deal and any product is only worth what someone is prepared to buy it for, if no one wants it then you are the only buyer!

Bought my house using same principle.

Regards

Chris


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## 101002 (Sep 16, 2006)

Yes Chris Thanks 

I find it amazing the attitude of some people. We put offers in many many times for properties under differing names then ask how many offers from office girls. If they say seven and we have put seven offers in we withdraw the highest and put a lower than our lowest in wait a bit then ask again, how many, where in the country offers are from so many questions one from each bidder and slowly you widdle it down so that you have a good buy. My Solicitor taught me the trick 35yrs ago.

Another thing i never pay any bill i always have a go and try to get something off its my money you have to teach yourself how to do it.
Every penny you save is a penny more for yourself.

A few years ago a friend asked me to find him a powerboat. While i was trying deals him being inexperianced and a shy idiot passed one on a car dealers forecourt now if ever you want to pay over the odds go to a car dealer to buy a boat. He agrred to buy this boat off the owner and left a large deposit. Then he tells me, we go to see it and it ha all been stripped down the outboard motor and as old as the hills not what he advertised

Owner was at home so i says to saleman gasket goo all over engine its been stripped and fettled nothing worse for outboard they are never the same. He wants his deposit back, after a lot of bother they refuse i say ring boss at home, i spoke to the boss no joy told me were to go so i says you have a lovely garage forecourt do you leave all the Volvos out at night no threat mind you, minutes silence told salesman give them money.

i never pay Solicitors i ask for a deal to do the job in stages if neccessary for set prices dont let them take your money

When i buy the grankids Christmas presents in the pound shop i spend 60 --70 pound i always as for a bit off

b f


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

"so i says you have a lovely garage forecourt do you leave all the Volvos out at night no threat mind you,"

Why did you say it then, BigFrank?

Dave


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## 101002 (Sep 16, 2006)

DABurleigh said:


> "so i says you have a lovely garage forecourt do you leave all the Volvos out at night no threat mind you,"
> 
> Why did you say it then, BigFrank?
> 
> Dave


I knew the area Dave and was amazed they hadnt had problems, you know how it is with vandals. Looking back on it it seemed to slip out i think it was probably the start of my brain problem really i tend to say things some others would like to say but dont, like why do they give young unmarried mothers council flats.

i think you should work first before you get any benefit paid and build your entitlement up and if your out of work be employed sweeping the streets etc. There i go again its slipped out. ill shut up now

B F


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

BigFrank,

Well as to your other examples you will have considerable sympathy for your views, not the least from me.

But they are a world apart from putting a gun to someone's head with the sole intent that you want them to believe you might pull the trigger, even though you know you won't, and thereby falsely convincing yourself there is nothing wrong with it at all. Because that is a good analogy, in principle, to your Volvo dealer.

Dave


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## 101002 (Sep 16, 2006)

Good evening Dave
As i said it slipped out without me thinking about his deposit, but the Volvo dealer had advertised a Fletcher powerboat yr 1994 when it was a 78 with a 94 engine on in good condition which was not it had been stripped down and rebuilt they are never any good after, too much salt in bolts etc to repair properly. Just as it happened he must have misinterpeted my remark and panicked as stated before i have no conviction for anything except speeding.


OHH sorry i forgot GBH but i was young at the time

OHH sorry attempted murder as well but i wasnt convicted of either.





Only joking Dave Gertie


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## asprn (Feb 10, 2006)

Dave,

Might I suggest a night of self-flagellation using a rough brick wall instead of your valiant but futile efforts here. You quite reasonably assume you might receive a reasoned answer to your reasonable question, but it's equally reasonable to assume you will not. The biggest problem with a long-term and sustained don't-give-a-damn approach to life is that delusion overtakes in the end, and one can only mix with like-minded people which are generally regarded as having abhorrent attitudes to others.

This coupled with the carefully-crafted portrayed image used here (use of "apologies" etc) means all self-respecting members might want to save themselves a deal of wasted arterial pressure.

Dougie.


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## 101002 (Sep 16, 2006)

asprn said:


> Dave,
> 
> Might I suggest a night of self-flagellation using a rough brick wall instead of your valiant but futile efforts here. You quite reasonably assume you might receive a reasoned answer to your reasonable question, but it's equally reasonable to assume you will not. The biggest problem with a long-term and sustained don't-give-a-damn approach to life is that delusion overtakes in the end, and one can only mix with like-minded people which are generally regarded as having abhorrent attitudes to others.
> 
> ...


Hi Dougie Sorry if you are still upset about the previous disscussions we had I want you to know i resemble your remarks deeply

Gertie


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Coo. Is that Freudian?


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## 101002 (Sep 16, 2006)

DABurleigh said:


> Coo. Is that Freudian?


 Dont understand that Dave.

Dougies got a bit annoyed wiyh me i think is that what you mean. i dont want to upset him ive tried to make friends and i wont challenge his veiws again sorry Doug.

B F


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