Road Fund in USA question (1 Viewer)

[ceejayt]

Hi

This might save me a complicated call to DVLA if one of you happens to know the answer...

We are shipping our motorhome to the USA for 6 months from April 10th. It leaves from Antwerp to Baltimore and will return early October.

I am SORNing our two cars for the 6 months but what about the motorhome - does it need to have valid RFL whilst in the USA?

Thanks

Chris

 

[mustaphapint]

The DVLA will almost certainly say it needs to be taxed, insured and MOT'd as SORN is only supposed to be relevant if the vehicle is in the UK. Assuming you will be taking out insurance in the USA I would SORN it as soon as it was at the port. I certainly wouldn't ask the DVLA or give them any information you don't need to. This is an issue that affects many overland motorcyclists and one the DVLA do not have a satisfactory answer for.

 

[ceejayt]

Yes, separate insurance arranged in the US and suspended here for the period. Car insurance changed to third party fire and theft as well. Just trying to avoid any unnecessary expense

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[jongood]

Hi Chris @ceejayt

We be considered this a few times but got no further than the research. I don't know for certain but I would sorn it, there's not too much chance of being caught on camera.

I'm hoping your going to be posting plenty about your experience s, particularly interested in the process at us customs. What mh do you have?

Jon
BTW reading this while motorhoming in new Zealand.

 

[ceejayt]

Hi Chris @ceejayt

We be considered this a few times but got no further than the research. I don't know for certain but I would sorn it, there's not too much chance of being caught on camera.

.......

Jon
BTW reading this while motorhoming in new Zealand.

Will be posting most days - if you want to know the procedure for the VISAS that;'s on my blog already here and you will be able to track me on a map day by day.

Very jealous of you being in NZ - been several times but working - brilliant country.

Chris

 

[jongood]

Thanks

Its your experiences of getting the vehicle in I'm interested in.

Jon

Yes NZ is great for motorhoming, lots of great places, many of them free.

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[tofo]

Hi

This might save me a complicated call to DVLA if one of you happens to know the answer...

We are shipping our motorhome to the USA for 6 months from April 10th. It leaves from Antwerp to Baltimore and will return early October.

I am SORNing our two cars for the 6 months but what about the motorhome - does it need to have valid RFL whilst in the USA?

Thanks

Chris

Be carefull not to leave easily stolen items in the van when the exporters have it.
There is a good chance it will be left unlocked on a dockside UK or USA

 

[gus-lopez]

SORN specifically states for a vehicle "off the road in the UK" It cannot be anywhere else.

"Your vehicle must stay in the UK for your SORN to be valid. Find out what you need to do if you’re taking a vehicle out of the UK."

https://www.gov.uk/sorn-statutory-off-road-notification

It has to remain taxed if out of the Uk for 12 months or less.Which means it also has to have a current MOT & UK insurance.
https://www.gov.uk/taking-vehicles-out-of-uk/for-less-than-12-months

See 2;

 

[laird of Dunstan]

Hi

This might save me a complicated call to DVLA if one of you happens to know the answer...

We are shipping our motorhome to the USA for 6 months from April 10th. It leaves from Antwerp to Baltimore and will return early October.

I am SORNing our two cars for the 6 months but what about the motorhome - does it need to have valid RFL whilst in the USA?

Thanks

Chris

Chris please excuse the cheeky qusetion but how much is it costing to ship a moho to the states?

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[ceejayt]

Be carefull not to leave easily stolen items in the van when the exporters have it.
There is a good chance it will be left unlocked on a dockside UK or USA

Got that covered - had extra locks fitted on the garage which they won't have keys for after it has been through customer and we have a sliding door between lounge and bedroom area which also locks with a key which they also won't have. Anything in the front area of any value will be in the garage or bedroom area and there will be ni expensive electronics as we are taking them with us.

They can steal our cutlery and plates if they want to

 

[ceejayt]

Chris please excuse the cheeky qusetion but how much is it costing to ship a moho to the states?

It is solely based on metric volume and is around €44 per cubic metre so for ours which is 9m by say 2.5m by 3,5m then around €3,300 then about €600 in other bits and bats. You can then decide whether or not to insure the vehicle for total loss at sea (0.9% of the value)

Hope that helps

 

[ceejayt]

Thanks

Its your experiences of getting the vehicle in I'm interested in.

Jon

Yes NZ is great for motorhoming, lots of great places, many of them free.

Will be sure to let you know

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[GWAYGWAY]

YOU WILL BE STOPPED many, many times by police who do not know where GB is and think you are another out of state traveler. They will be really confused seeing the steering on the Right. might just shoot you as a potential terrorist.

 

[ceejayt]

SORN specifically states for a vehicle "off the road in the UK" It cannot be anywhere else.

"Your vehicle must stay in the UK for your SORN to be valid. Find out what you need to do if you’re taking a vehicle out of the UK."

https://www.gov.uk/sorn-statutory-off-road-notification

It has to remain taxed if out of the Uk for 12 months or less.Which means it also has to have a current MOT & UK insurance.
https://www.gov.uk/taking-vehicles-out-of-uk/for-less-than-12-months

See 2;

Thank you - that is very clear - needs to remain taxed and insured - might see if I can drop that to third party as it will already be fully comp in the USA

 

[ceejayt]

YOU WILL BE STOPPED many, many times by police who do not know where GB is and think you are another out of state traveler. They will be really confused seeing the steering on the Right. might just shoot you as a potential terrorist.

What a cheerful soul and such positive thinking

Have two stickers ready to put on the back of the motorhome depending on which state we are in...

1. Trump is an arsehole, and

2. Trump will make America great again

We should get away with it

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[mustaphapint]

SORN specifically states for a vehicle "off the road in the UK" It cannot be anywhere else.

"Your vehicle must stay in the UK for your SORN to be valid. Find out what you need to do if you’re taking a vehicle out of the UK."

https://www.gov.uk/sorn-statutory-off-road-notification

It has to remain taxed if out of the Uk for 12 months or less.Which means it also has to have a current MOT & UK insurance.
https://www.gov.uk/taking-vehicles-out-of-uk/for-less-than-12-months

See 2;

This unfortunately is where there is a gap which cannot be plugged. UK insurance is not valid in the US so it would be invalid as soon as the vehicle goes out of the country. There is a technical offence immediately if a vehicle is not insured and not SORN. If it's not insured the only other option is to SORN it, which as you've pointed out does not apply unless the vehicle is in the UK. Hence a catch 22 situation. There is no reciprocal arrangement with the US (as there is within Europe) so road fund licence, UK mot and UK insurance mean nothing in the US. The best we can do is comply with whatever the US require to be legal in the US and tell the DVLA it's on SORN. What's the worst that can happen? What I certainly wouldn't do is highlight my intentions to the DVLA. There are reams and reams of posts about this on some motorbike forums where riders take their bikes all over the world for extended periods and the general consensus is tell the DVLA nothing, SORN it and make sure it's legal in the countries you are going to. In this case it's up to the OP to do whatever they feel comfortable with but I know what I'd do.

 

[ceejayt]

Seems to me the absolute safest bet is to not tell the DVLA anything, keep it insured and taxed - at least no problem when I drive it out of the docks again in October

 

[pappajohn]

Got that covered - had extra locks fitted on the garage which they won't have keys for after it has been through customer and we have a sliding door between lounge and bedroom area which also locks with a key which they also won't have. Anything in the front area of any value will be in the garage or bedroom area and there will be ni expensive electronics as we are taking them with us.

They can steal our cutlery and plates if they want to

How will it be searched for contraband and drugs at US customs ?
I doubt very much a locked door will stop them.
Different scenario but our luggage went on a second holiday when we flew back to Heathrow.
We were advised to hand any keys to customs so the cases could be rifled through searched if and when they hit British soil.
We refused, the cases where eventually couriered to us at home.....with the padlocks cut off and thrown inside.
Customs have a law unto themselves.

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[Bart]

It is solely based on metric volume and is around €44 per cubic metre so for ours which is 9m by say 2.5m by 3,5m then around €3,300 then about €600 in other bits and bats. You can then decide whether or not to insure the vehicle for total loss at sea (0.9% of the value)

Hope that helps

Hi Ceejayt is that figure a return price ? ,, thanks

 

[ceejayt]

Hi Ceejayt is that figure a return price ? ,, thanks

Each way I'm afraid

Still a lot cheaper than 6 monrhs hire plus you have all your own stuff and a vehicle you know and trust.

 

[Geo]

Food for thought maybe
Fully comp down to TPFT is it really wise or cost effective ?
I have a vehicle laid up fully comp minus the road risks element (ie not covered if driven) for everything else it is.

Two insurance policies in force on the same vehicle at the same time ? is this indeed permitted??

Loss at sea is this not a really really Small payout limited by some maritime law? does the 9% premium increase that to full value ??

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[gus-lopez]

How will it be searched for contraband and drugs at US customs ?
I doubt very much a locked door will stop them.
Different scenario but our luggage went on a second holiday when we flew back to Heathrow.
We were advised to hand any keys to customs so the cases could be rifled through searched if and when they hit British soil.
We refused, the cases where eventually couriered to us at home.....with the padlocks cut off and thrown inside.
Customs have a law unto themselves.

Good point as I see that they state all luggage should not be locked for customs inspection & any that is will be opened anyway.

 

[pappajohn]

Deleted..Posted in error.

 

[ceejayt]

How will it be searched for contraband and drugs at US customs ?
I doubt very much a locked door will stop them.
Different scenario but our luggage went on a second holiday when we flew back to Heathrow.
We were advised to hand any keys to customs so the cases could be rifled through searched if and when they hit British soil.
We refused, the cases where eventually couriered to us at home.....with the padlocks cut off and thrown inside.
Customs have a law unto themselves.

Doesn't work like that - I understand I meet the vehicle at the other end with the freight shippers and take it through customs.

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[ceejayt]

Food for thought maybe
Fully comp down to TPFT is it really wise or cost effective ?
I have a vehicle laid up fully comp minus the road risks element (ie not covered if driven) for everything else it is.

Two insurance policies in force on the same vehicle at the same time ? is this indeed permitted??

Loss at sea is this not a really really Small payout limited by some maritime law? does the 9% premium increase that to full value ??

Its point 9 not 9%

Its full value recovery for loss at sea or as yu say you get b**ger all

Home vehicle is in licked garage - worse that could happen is fire or theft.

Motorhome - can be insured US and UK but clearly there is no cover from the UK company - can't see there is a problem

 

[GWAYGWAY]

Thank you - that is very clear - needs to remain taxed and insured - might see if I can drop that to third party as it will already be fully comp in the USA

Well they WILL NOT KNOW, IF IT IS NOT IN YOUR GARAGE. Your problem arises when they send you a tax reminder and you do not answer YOU WILL BE FINED. best Sorn it and avoid the tax renewal and the MOT, if the UK insurance is out/expired they will catch you on that as well. if it on the records as on the road.
Just make sure the insurance is really correct in all details, for the USA legalities.
The US customs will force everything open, as they are paranoid about drugs and illegals, best not lock it at all as even with the keys they will open it all up and you might find too much damage to carry on.

 

[ceejayt]

Well they WILL NOT KNOW, IF IT IS NOT IN YOUR GARAGE. Your problem arises when they send you a tax reminder and you do not answer YOU WILL BE FINED. best Sorn it and avoid the tax renewal and the MOT, if the UK insurance is out/expired they will catch you on that as well. if it on the records as on the road.
Just make sure the insurance is really correct in all details, for the USA legalities.
The US customs will force everything open, as they are paranoid about drugs and illegals, best not lock it at all as even with the keys they will open it all up and you might find too much damage to carry on.

They would cause thousands of pounds of damage were they to force it open. That's not how it works. I take it through customs at both ends. No-one will have any keys except the ignition key to drive it on to the boat and drive it off the boat.

This all a well tried procedure and if everyone follows the protocol there should be no issue.

I am just going to keep paying the licence and insurance in the UK ad not worry about it - it's the simple if not the cheapest route.

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[PeteH]

Trick I`ve used over the years with Customs. I have Coloured Tie wraps. I put one lot inside each locked case, the different colour is used to seal the Case. If the tie wrap is breached, they are POLITELY asked to re-seal with the Ones on the top inside the case, in the letter to which they are attached. That way we all know if the case has been opened. Never had any issues in 6 years of travelling back and forth up to 3 times per year to the USA. or indeed anywhere else.

 

[SomeoneElse]

There are two countries that are not signatories to the Vienna Convention, China and the USA, so you will need to check their rules if you are going to one of them.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna_Convention_on_Road_Traffic

 

[nicholsong]

Seems to me the absolute safest bet is to not tell the DVLA anything, keep it insured and taxed - at least no problem when I drive it out of the docks again in October

Well if you are paying that much for shipping each way then the cost of VED and 3rd Party is not much extra

Don't forget to keep the MOT in date till return, even if that means bringing the renewal forward until just before shipping.

Geoff

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