Importing a caravan from UK

larch29, Aug 31, 9:14am
Has anyone done this from NZ!Im looking for an early to mid 2000 model as an extra room. I hadnt had anything to do with them and was surprised at how expensive they are.Thanks in advance.

franc123, Aug 31, 9:31am
You will also be shocked at how cheap they are over there and how much choice there is there too. There are plenty of export agents over there who can help and who know what they are doing, you'd work in with one of them, no doubt someone will suggest a good one. Its well worth doing if you prefer the European style vans as opposed to local ones . As a matter of interest many of those vans already for sale here have got huge markups on them and are not particularly good. Its also known that the odd one has been stolen and that more than a few have been fire damaged or otherwise been shonkily repaired insurance writeoffs.The ratbags that are importing them know that they don't have to be put through a compliance process like motor vehicles do here and are quite happy with having that loophole to sell crap for highish prices. Good luck and take care.

biddy6, Aug 31, 10:19am
Theres a place in palmerston otago, that has them here already, have a talk to them, and look at the caravans .Caravan connection

larch29, Aug 31, 12:14pm
I had a look at the Palmerston site and I will be calling in next week.Their prices are up there as well but I appreciate that they take the risks and it is their living etc etc.When I see what I want in the UK for 8,000 pound which is about double here at $16,000 actually for sale for $36 to $38,000, I started looking around.Maybe I wont get that spare room :)

thejazzpianoma, Aug 31, 9:17pm
I would have thought $16000 would have actually bought you a properly good portable building. It might be worth checking those given its only to be used as an extra room.
Most are designed to fit on the back of a truck so are usually cheap enough to have delivered. I suppose Otago builders are busy up in Christchurch but if it was here there are plenty of struggling ones that would likely build it very reasonably for the extra cash. You might find a retired one though that would do it on site for reasonable coin.
Just a thought.

ceebee2, Aug 31, 9:37pm
I have a relative in the UK who had his brother in NZ act as importer for UK caravans, he even asked me to act as the NI one for him but I declined as there are many entrepreneurs out there already doing it. I warn you to ensure it has a NZ electrical compliance ticket and check the chassis for salt rust which is often overlooked.

matthew111, Aug 31, 9:40pm
if only for an extra room then get one for $1000 locally.

NZTools, Aug 31, 11:19pm
this be a whole lot cheaper, and more suitable for an extra room

kingfisher21, Aug 31, 11:29pm
From what I've seen of a lot of them I wouldn't touch one with a 20 foot pole, they are very very flimsy and poorly made, they simply can't handle our roads, guy at work bought one and it literately flew to bits on a trip up north.

ceebee2, Sep 1, 1:44am
Maybe this is a better / cheaper option.

http://portablerooms.co.nz/

jerichord, Sep 1, 3:08am
the pommy caravans are not designed to be towed over long distances like us kiwis do, the poms mostly park them on a beach site and leave them for the season.

gedo1, Sep 1, 5:36am
Are you serious! the distances the average caravan over there is towed is at least the same as in NZ.Many tour Europe, not just the UK. As for construction they are certainly lighter than the NZ built ones but they seem to last and they seem to stay together. We have one and would definitely not buy an NZ made one.Maybe an Australian one although they are very strongly constructed and thus heavier than even the NZ ones.I like the story about a mate's one that flew to bits on a trip north.Lion or DB or perhaps Tui!

larch29, Sep 1, 6:07am
The self contained portable rooms are $40,000 with extra to connect up to power, water and waste.Its probably a reasonable price, its just way outside my budget.

gedo1, Sep 1, 8:14pm
I am astounded that at 90kph such a caravan could "fly apart". What I'll do is a bit of research about usage and speeds in UK and Europe, incidents in NZ from repair persons ( I know one who does repairs in many caravans) and get back to this post. If they are that dangerous we all need to know about that.See y'all soon.

matarautrader, Sep 1, 9:00pm
I can assure you that our English caravan doesn't fall to pieces at 90kph ( or any other faster speed either)

nzeva, Sep 1, 10:16pm
Watching all those Top Gear episodes where they trashed flimsily built UK caravans should be enough to put anyone off importing them!.LMAO

bobdobalina, Sep 2, 12:02am
The original poster is only looking for an extra room.I suspect it wont be flying around the back yard at 90kph. :)

ema1, Sep 2, 1:33am
Buy a house bus then, some of them can be cheaper than what you mention here and also have the added bonus of going places other than just your place, good to go on a cruise around the country in is what I mean.
Most bigger ones are self contained too.
Good exampleTrade Me Listing #: 481744566

larch29, Sep 2, 2:03am
Thanks for that, off to have a look.Bob, that was quite funny :)