Are we totally barking?

[foggyparrot]

Don't even think about answering that one Keith or Bryan. I might accept Geo's reply but only with a spoonful of salt!

As most of you know, we are about to change our coach for a pusher (a big one). You have no idea how difficult that is until you actually hit the shop floors with a pocket full of cash.

The difficulty is that they are all either totally off the financial scale (eg: 2002 Monaco whatever) or so old and cheap that we could keep Linda and Duncan in employment for the next 5 years.

We have found a couple BUT - we have also seen one of these Link Removed -

The down side is that it's in the States. We know that we can import one, we know what the duty is and the VAT is but what we don't know is whether there is a fast track way of getting one over here and what shippers will do it reasonably and efficiently.

Please make this the longest thread ever with horror stories, success stories or any REAL genuine experiences in doing this.

Please form an orderly queue and bear in mind that we are almost commited (not mentally, Bryan) to getting a UK based coach in the not to distant future!

Thanks (I think) in anticipation.

Mike and Jill

 

[TestPoster]

Hi Mike
WOW What a coach mate..........:thumb:
Is it on the approved list (if that still applies), I have a feeling that the AE may be to wide for UK use, but don't take my word for it mate. That would tick all the boxes for you and Jill (and the rest of us if we are honest)
Good luck with whatever you decide to go for and I hope it turns out well.....

Keith

 

[Road Runner]

I bought mine in mid September here and on there road by November cant speed the shipping up sadly

Sure is a beautiful bus

I think you self cert now for the DVLA but you really should check it's under 100.39 or it might come back to bite your bum later (when selling, police check and so on or insurance reasons)

 

[Geo]

Hi Mike
Yes you are both stark raving lunatics, the coach your looking at is most unsuitable and far exceeds anything anyone could want or need
can I have the phone number please

Geo
Goodluck in your search I realy envy the Buzz you must now be feeling:thumb:,
Down debbie, Debbie get down,Down I say

 

[foggyparrot]

Thanks for not being derogatory about my mental health!!

No, none of the American Eagles are on the approved list but there are plenty in the country. I know it will probably start a whole new thread about width and length issues but this one is exactly the same dimensions as a Monaco Windsor (actually about 3/4" narrower).

Had a chat with Mark (Destination RV) at the show and he assures me that DfT CANNOT disallow a vehicle for inport if there is already at least one other of that chassis/body type registered in the UK irrespective of the 'list'.

I'm sort of hoping that the thread will lead more along the lines of actual shipping/shipper experiences than any legal issues surrounding the importation.

There was an earlier thread asking about quality of coaches, and the reason we are looking at the American Eagle is that I have never, ever seen a coach of this type of quality ever before (IMHO). We have been and had a look at two of them and the quality of constuction and finish is ASTOUNDING but that obviously reflects in the price. I can't think of any one else that is mad enough to pay that sort of money for an eleven year old coach. Our bench marks are the accepted quality coaches such as Monaco, Newmar and the like and I don't think that if you added the fingers and toes together of every member of the forum it would come close to the number of coaches we have looked at or been in over the last three months. The AE just blew us away. The problem is that MOST of the AE's this side of the pond are the 96" versions and they really don't cut it with floor space (bearing in mind that AE never put a slide on a coach 'till 1997!).

Obviously all of this is a matter of opinion and there are a thousand people out there that will always see it differently to every other individual.

For us, however, the AE ticks all the boxes and then some.

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[GeorgeTelford]

Hi Foggy

"Had a chat with Mark (Destination RV) at the show and he assures me that DfT CANNOT disallow a vehicle for inport if there is already at least one other of that chassis/body type registered in the UK irrespective of the 'list'."

Sorry, but that sales pitch by Mark is absolute tosh, it pre-supposes that a precedent is set by the first mistake and that is not so. Any solicitor will confirm that that is really not the case.

There is a case that could help you, where a judge as set a precedent, that even though ilegal due to width that the UK establishment as always turned a blind eye.

It bankrupted the couple who tried to get an exchange forced through the courts when they "found out" that the motorhome was to big according to UK C&U regs.

 

[GeorgeTelford]

Damn if I didnt think there was something familiar about "Mark at Destination RV"

I just leapt out of bed when I realised, but to be honest I am not sure whethor I am pleased to have remembered or annoyed that I didnt know straight away

Brammell vs Edwards (its the same Mark Edwards who is spinning you a line)

Link Removed

its also the case I was thinking of with the we know its ilegal but we have been turning a blind eye ruling....

The so called Nelsons touch

The "Nelson touch"


As I have indicated, Mr and Mrs Bramhill�s case was that the Dolphin was not of satisfactory quality because they could not drive it on the roads in the United Kingdom without committing an offence for which they could be prosecuted. Mr Edward�s case was that, as the authorities turned a blind eye to the breach, the illegality had no effect on the quality of the vehicle.


The Judge set out his approach to this issue in the following terms in paragraph 38 of his judgment:

"If wide American motorhomes can be properly and effectively insured, the only issue is whether the risk of prosecution for having such a vehicle on the road in breach of Regulation 8 leads to the conclusion that a reasonable person would not regard such a vehicle as of satisfactory quality or fit for purpose. There was no suggestion in this case that the Court should treat the non-compliance with [the] � Regulations as a matter of public policy; the case was put on the commercial basis that the non-compliance meant that the vehicle was not satisfactory quality. The main defence is that a reasonable person would not regard an American motorhome exceeding the maximum permitted width as not of satisfactory quality because the risk of any prosecution is non-existent or negligible. "

I am pretty sure though that this part of the ruling could be defeated easily, on the grounds that any insurance underwriter if asked will insist that the vehicle must meet UK C&U regs ie be UK road legal, ergo they are not properly insured.

 

[johnsandywhite]

:Cool: I agree with George. The SMMT list that DVLA used as a guide for registering an Imported Motorhome has now been discontinued. It is down to the person registering to state the dimensions and SIGN to that effect. Our Newmar WAS on the NOT approved list. It is NOW registered.

The ONLY way to fast track buying and shipping an RV from the USA is to buy direct from somewhere like Lazy Days or other dealer in Florida that are used to shipping RV's to Europe. It also depends on when and how busy the shipping lines are.

 

[TestPoster]

Hi Mike
I was recently told a story by someone who was waiting for their RV to be shipped, that it had sat on a dock in the USA for several weeks awaiting collection. This was a brand new RV and the carriers were unusually full and so did not stop at the port to collect stuff as is normal. I can't remember the minutia of the story but the person concerned may post here if they see this thread to explain further. I know several people have imported into the UK so they may be able to indicate the "normal" shipping times.

HTH

Keith

 

[GeorgeTelford]

Hmmm

interesting point John, Of course the ideal would then be to get Mark from destination RV to sign that it is not over the legal width and then you would have a case for any comebacks at a later date......................

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[johnsandywhite]

I know several people have imported into the UK so they may be able to indicate the "normal" shipping times.

There is NO such thing Keith (Kands) unfortunately. Some get shipped within a week of being bought. The Ship actually takes 2/3 weeks to travel across the Atlantic to Europe. They usually call at several ports in Germany,. Holland and France along with the UK.
The exchange rate can make a BIG difference too. I once had to wait 8 weeks for one to be shipped. :Angry:

 

[Xoxoc]

Mike,

Are you barking.....?

Of course not :Blush:


It's a cracking coach (great internal layout) and I love your bravery (re:width). Can I just ask why you have decided that slides are out? (or, rather not out. 'cos they can't be out if you don't have them...erm, if you see what i mean oh

Bryan

 

[Phoenix]

Hi Mike,
I think Keith was referring to my last purchase the Phoenix Cruiser. It was at the docks waiting for a ship for 8 weeks:Sad:May to mid July 2007 to UK arrival.
The shipping agents excuse being the exchange rate $ to £ being favourable to UK purchases and that ships were full with pre-booked cargo. I noticed that Johnsandywhite also had an 8 week wait for one of his:Sad:
I have previously bought 4 new RV's from the manufacturers and they have arrived 3 to 4 weeks in the UK.
Chris

 

[Lindy-C]

Hi Mike,
I think Keith was referring to my last purchase the Phoenix Cruiser. It was at the docks waiting for a ship for 8 weeks:Sad:May to mid July 2007 to UK arrival.
The shipping agents excuse being the exchange rate $ to £ being favourable to UK purchases and that ships were full with pre-booked cargo. I noticed that Johnsandywhite also had an 8 week wait for one of his:Sad:
I have previously bought 4 new RV's from the manufacturers and they have arrived 3 to 4 weeks in the UK.
Chris

Similar experience for us Chris.....we bought ours in March and they arrived mid-June... two days after the Stratford show :Sad:

 

[Tony Santara]

We're all totaly "barking" for buying one in the first place
but what else are gonna do with your money leave it the kids?

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[Geo]

My kids asked if I was spending their inheritance
I politely replied No, Im merly driving it round for a bit
Geo

 

[foggyparrot]

Hi Bryan,

Slides v no slides!!

At the end of the day we made a decision about the layout at the front of the coach and it had to have double sofas. So few of the slided coaches have a double settee layout and those that do; seem to lose the above couch storage lockers. On top of that, the slides seem to make access to the under belly storage lockers limited on the slide side. As one of the main criteria for us is the ability to store the boat in the belly lockers, access is almost as important as size. The boat splits down to three sections and weighs in at a total of almost a quarter of a ton in all. Trying to manouever it on your knees under a large pully outy bit with lots of sharp head traps is not my idea of fun.

On top of all of that, I spent a joyous half hour with a large G&T watching no less than two people trying to get their slides back in at York last week on their two respective coaches. I think that if the coach offers enough floor space/legroom without a slide or two then it's just one less thing to go wrong.

I'm sure that there are a million coaches out there with slides where their owners have never had a days problems, but it is a mechanical bit with potential holes and gaps and more rubber to replace when it starts to go. Murphys law states that when Foggy buys something that could potentially go wrong, it will go wrong!

Nothing wrong with slides, but don't suit our purpose.

However, we'll probably end up with a quad slideif our numbers come up!