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20 Nov 2006
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Cornwall uk
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Conseqences of buying a vehicle abroad.
Hi folks,
Having made the 'big off' decision (2007) and pretty much decided on the base vehicle (MAN 8.150) - I am faced with the fact that there are plenty more ex-military examples on the continent (Germany/Netherlands etc.) than in the UK.
Can anybody foresee any problems with legalities / insurance etc. if I buy on the continent, drive back to UK for the camper build (6 months), and then set off?
Thanks in advance
Steve
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21 Nov 2006
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Getting it out of Germany could cost you. You have two options, to buy a 3 day insurance with plates which covers Germany only (usually at a cost of 100euros and one day's wait) or get 'real' German plates and have German insurance (costs 300euros and also a day's wait) .. When you buy in Germany you buy a vehicle without plates so you'd need to contact your insurers in the UK with the plate number to be insured.
France it might be more difficult as you need residency or proof of residency to change the registration docs over. Netherlands, I'm not sure; Belgium is a bit of a long winded affair!
Good luck!
Kira
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21 Nov 2006
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Kira,
All this trouble to get the UK registration just for six months?
Have a loot at this: http://tinyurl.com/yx4j35
__________________
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Roman (UK)
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21 Nov 2006
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If you can obtain the "use" of a French address I'd go for a French registered vehicle. There's no road tax, no continuous registration to fall foul of and the MOT is valid for 2 years. The only problem I'm not sure of the answer is insurance. My own french vehicle is insured in France and it only allows me 2 months out of France, but there must be other companies who are more lenient.
__________________
If you think you are too small to make a difference you have never spent the night with a mosquito.
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21 Nov 2006
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Horncastle,Lincolnshire,UK
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by ClassicCruiser
Hi folks,
Having made the 'big off' decision (2007) and pretty much decided on the base vehicle (MAN 8.150) - I am faced with the fact that there are plenty more ex-military examples on the continent (Germany/Netherlands etc.) than in the UK.
Can anybody foresee any problems with legalities / insurance etc. if I buy on the continent, drive back to UK for the camper build (6 months), and then set off?
Thanks in advance
Steve
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Steve I did this last year when I got my Merc 917 AF in Germany. It couldn't have been easier. I got temporary Insurance from Arisa for €160 which lasted for 1 month, got temporary German Export plates which also were valid for 1 month and got issued with a German Log Book put in my name [Internaionaler Zulassungsschein]. These last 2 took 45 minutes . Drove to UK, got it MOT'd then registered it armed with my MOT, and German log book. Equally painless.
Your only decision will be into which taxation class should the truck be placed. I suspect from your post it won't have been converted so you won't be able to register it as a 'motor caravan' though you can change it to that when the conversion is done. The DVLA do a useful document about importing vehicles into the UK. I can't find the web address at the mo but if you send me a pm I can e-mail you a copy. As far as UK Insurance goes, I found this the most difficult thing to sort out but I can give you some steers if you get in touch.
All the best
Q
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21 Nov 2006
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Thanks for all the info guys, much appreciated 
Quintin, I'll pm you as soon as I've built up my post count and recieve my licence! - in the meantime can you tell me whether you personally got the German plates / registration (if so where?) or did the the dealer sort it out for you?
Do I need to learn German :confused1:
Steve.
Last edited by ClassicCruiser; 21 Nov 2006 at 23:29.
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21 Nov 2006
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Location: Bonn, Germany
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Hi Steve,
Do not worry about registering the car yourself, every day thousands of foreigners register a car in Germany and usually they only speak Arabic, Wolof or Russian, therefore someone speaking English should manage easily. You need an Export plate ( Ausfuhrkennzeichen/ Export Kennzeichen) they are red and sold in plenty of shops around the places where you register the car for the export.
Quintin why did you by the insurance at home? A third party insurance (in German Haftpflich Versicherung) (valid for Europe ) is usually available at the shops selling the number plates. A very good deal for a 15 ton lorry would be 80 Euro for 30 days
Or you buy the insurance at the big auction platform, search for ausfuhrkennzeichen, and you find an insurance for the price mentioned above.
If you have any further questions concerning german bureaucracy do not hesitate. 
Steve Concerning your question: Do I need to learn German?
Why not it is quite useful on the continent, since it is spoken by more people in Europe than your mother tongue. 
Hans
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21 Nov 2006
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ups forgot to reply to TT-Kira
The number plate you mention costing 100 Euro valid only in Germany for 3 Days. These are temporary licence plates (kurzzeitkennzeichen) they are yellow and not very useful if you want to export the vehicle.
But same as the export plates they are valid for periods of 3 days up to (at least) 1 month.
greatings
Hans
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21 Nov 2006
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Thank you for the information Hans. Very usefull indeed.
With regard to learning German, it is not a matter of principle but of time;
1) Learn German - buy vehicle - fit out - arrange life - big trip.
or,
2) Buy vehicle - fit out - arrange life - big trip during which learn languages at leisure!
I'll go for option 2) 
Steve
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22 Nov 2006
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steve I completely agree with you concerning the sequence of starting your trip and learning foreign languages, that is exactly the route I took.
And to be honest German might not be the most useful second language (since most speakers of German have at least some knowledge of English or French.) except if you want to follow the good german 4x4 Lorry Forums http://www.allrad-lkw-gemeinschaft.de/ successor of www.Maggie-deutz.com .
Hans
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22 Nov 2006
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Quintin
All the best
Q
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P'Med you
get in touch!
Bertrand
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22 Nov 2006
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Steve I've found the DVLA Document it's at dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_roads/.../pdf/dft_roads_pdf_506867.pdf
I trotted down to the German equivilent of the DVLA (can't remember what it's called) and found someone there who spoke better English than my German! (not hard). There are branches of the German DVLA in most big towns-I was in Korbach near Padderborn which isn't that big a town. As Hans said, very close by was a shop that made up the export plates. It really was completely painless. You will need to take the vehicle there though as they will check to see that the chassis number matches that on the old log book. They might even have checked the engine number too but I can't remember.
Hans, I did get the insurance in Germany (from a local insurance agency in Korbach) but it seems, from what you said, I paid too much. I paid €160 for one month for a 10 tonne truck.
Bertrand, I'll give you a bell shortly.
All the best
Q
Last edited by Quintin; 22 Nov 2006 at 18:53.
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22 Nov 2006
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Thanks Quintin,
I've jotted down your email so probably best to remove your adress from public view from what I hear.
I'll be in touch shortly (up to 11 posts now - nearly there!)
Steve
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26 Nov 2006
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Insurance
Hi
I brought a belguim registered camper back last year from Holland and arranged uk insurance with "Footman James" who issused me a cover note on the chassis number allowing me time to get it back ,mot'd and registered.
After that they will issue full policy docs with your new reg.
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7 Dec 2006
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Hey all
This is a bit cheeky because I'm actually a VW person more than a Motorcycle person, I just spotted this thread on Google and thought I'd seek your advice! ..although it seems most people on here are truckers? So.. yeah 
I'm hoping to bring a VW T25 (T3) Syncro in the new year from Germany. I was after advice on just how to do this, and all of the above has been really useful.
Could you tell me just a couple more things please?
- when buying the van from the seller, what forms do they need to hand over and sign etc to actually make it mine?
- once that's done, what's the name of the office I need to find to get my export plates, insurance, forms, etc?
Then once back in the UK,
- do I need to pay import duty on it? I've heard different answers from different folks, so if there's someone on here who has done it relatively recently a final answer would be great!
- if I get a month's German insurance, is that enough to get it MOTed, registered, and taxed over here, or do I need British insurance?
Thanks so much!
Dom
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