Hi
First time here, have a few questions that i hope i can get some answers
too!

Im hoping this week, to swop my car for a 79 VW campervan (registerd in
Berlin). I spoke to DVLA and i can keep it here for 1 year (i hope to move
to Germany in 8 months, so dont want to make it UK spec, then have to change
it back)

Has anyone imported a camper, and managed to get insurance while its has
German licence plates..

I spend a lot of time driving around Europe, and using campsites, but with a
bad back, sleeping in a tent isnt too great, hence i would love the camper,
and if all goes well i get it in 1 week.

So if i do, do people here have VW T25? campers, im not sure on the engine
yet, the other guy cant remember..although i know its a petrol.

I had looked on ebay for the past year, but were out of my price range,
unless v v cheap and batterd, this is pretty nice, and should be on the road
back from Berlin as i type. These VW seem to fetch high money, and my local
car spares place for German stuff (i have a BMW) says they are rising in
vaule

Seen some pics, so has all electrics, heater, cooker and one of those high
plastic fixed roofs.

My next trip im driving down to Milano, and after that make my way to
Poland/Germany where i always go, so looking forward to it. Hope to go early
Apr.

cheers
Jules



-- 
please use my email on my homepage www.julianhales.co.uk  im phasing out
this email over the next month or so.....

Im against hanging, im well hung as it is!

"Jules"  wrote in message 
news:WZ7gj.83885$036.66613@fe1.news.blueyonder.co.uk...
>
> Hi
> First time here, have a few questions that i hope i can get some answers
> too!
>
> Im hoping this week, to swop my car for a 79 VW campervan (registerd in
> Berlin). I spoke to DVLA and i can keep it here for 1 year (i hope to move
> to Germany in 8 months, so dont want to make it UK spec, then have to 
> change
> it back)
>
> Has anyone imported a camper, and managed to get insurance while its has
> German licence plates..

On previous imports that I have done I have amnaged to insure based on the 
Chassis number, so you may be able to, best check with someone such as 
Adrian Flux who specialize in this sort of thing.

>
> I spend a lot of time driving around Europe, and using campsites, but with 
> a
> bad back, sleeping in a tent isnt too great, hence i would love the 
> camper,
> and if all goes well i get it in 1 week.
>
> So if i do, do people here have VW T25? campers, im not sure on the engine
> yet, the other guy cant remember..although i know its a petrol.

Well if it's a 79 T25 then its an early T25, so probably be the 2.0L 
aircooled engine. Intrestingly the T25 is usually classed as being from 
1980-1990, although I suppose you could have some as 1979 as there are UK 
registered 1991 ones.

> I had looked on ebay for the past year, but were out of my price range,
> unless v v cheap and batterd, this is pretty nice, and should be on the 
> road
> back from Berlin as i type. These VW seem to fetch high money, and my 
> local
> car spares place for German stuff (i have a BMW) says they are rising in
> vaule
>
> Seen some pics, so has all electrics, heater, cooker and one of those high
> plastic fixed roofs.
>
> My next trip im driving down to Milano, and after that make my way to
> Poland/Germany where i always go, so looking forward to it. Hope to go 
> early
> Apr.
>
> cheers
> Jules

Both of my previous two VW's (T2 Bay Westfalia Berlin & T25 Westfalia 
California) have been imported from Germany and you do seem to get morte van 
for your money.

"Campa-Man"  wrote in message
news:Avydnc2EGP3ikB_anZ2dnUVZ8vSdnZ2d@bt.com...
>
> "Jules"  wrote in message
> news:WZ7gj.83885$036.66613@fe1.news.blueyonder.co.uk...
> >
> > Hi
> > First time here, have a few questions that i hope i can get some answers
> > too!
> >
> > Im hoping this week, to swop my car for a 79 VW campervan (registerd in
> > Berlin). I spoke to DVLA and i can keep it here for 1 year (i hope to
move
> > to Germany in 8 months, so dont want to make it UK spec, then have to
> > change
> > it back)
> >
> > Has anyone imported a camper, and managed to get insurance while its has
> > German licence plates..
>
> On previous imports that I have done I have amnaged to insure based on the
> Chassis number, so you may be able to, best check with someone such as
> Adrian Flux who specialize in this sort of thing.

ok thanks, will try


>
> >
> > I spend a lot of time driving around Europe, and using campsites, but
with
> > a
> > bad back, sleeping in a tent isnt too great, hence i would love the
> > camper,
> > and if all goes well i get it in 1 week.
> >
> > So if i do, do people here have VW T25? campers, im not sure on the
engine
> > yet, the other guy cant remember..although i know its a petrol.
>
> Well if it's a 79 T25 then its an early T25, so probably be the 2.0L
> aircooled engine. Intrestingly the T25 is usually classed as being from
> 1980-1990, although I suppose you could have some as 1979 as there are UK
> registered 1991 ones.

The guy im swopping with, hasnt had it long or used it much, hence he doesnt
know too much on the engine, but he said 79...


>
> > I had looked on ebay for the past year, but were out of my price range,
> > unless v v cheap and batterd, this is pretty nice, and should be on the
> > road
> > back from Berlin as i type. These VW seem to fetch high money, and my
> > local
> > car spares place for German stuff (i have a BMW) says they are rising in
> > vaule
> >
> > Seen some pics, so has all electrics, heater, cooker and one of those
high
> > plastic fixed roofs.
> >
> > My next trip im driving down to Milano, and after that make my way to
> > Poland/Germany where i always go, so looking forward to it. Hope to go
> > early
> > Apr.
> >
> > cheers
> > Jules
>
> Both of my previous two VW's (T2 Bay Westfalia Berlin & T25 Westfalia
> California) have been imported from Germany and you do seem to get morte
van
> for your money.
>

Well my car is worth 400 quid (very nice mid 90's touring BMW, almost 300k
miles) and done many Euro trips in it, the guy wanted 2000eu for the camper
all with TUEV etc etc, so i joked can we swop and he said yes...hes back in
UK for a year, new baby so not camping, needs a reliable car....

im hoping for a fone call today...fingers x'd

>

On Sun, 06 Jan 2008 17:12:22 GMT, "Jules"
 wrote:
>
>Hi
>First time here, have a few questions that i hope i can get some answers
>too!
>
>Has anyone imported a camper, and managed to get insurance while its has
>German licence plates..

You may not *have* the plates !!!

***As Far As I Know***
The "registered keeper" has to return them (for destruction)
to the local licencing office on disposal of the vehicle.

Can anyone confirm or otherwise ?

German *export* plates carry Europe wide 3rd party insurance.
That's how I got my Weinsberg home.

That was a new vehicle (1st registration) and I'm not 100% certain
that it's exactly the same routine for a second-hand vehicle.

Be aware.
There appears to be a lot of confusion as to whether insurance cover
issued on a VIN (chassis number) by a UK company does actually give
you comprehensive cover outwith the UK.

-- jjj

Josiah Jenkins  wrote in 
news:96a5o39djqf9ncqd01eqo71868c7q62ncp@4ax.com:

> You may not *have* the plates !!!
> 
> ***As Far As I Know***
> The "registered keeper" has to return them (for destruction)
> to the local licencing office on disposal of the vehicle.
> 
> Can anyone confirm or otherwise ?

As far as I know from research into importing a German van for myself:

Each German licence plate is personal and area-specific. Every time a 
vehicle changes hands or the owner moves region new plates are required. 

AFAICT, when you buy a German vehicle you must either register it in 
Germany (which implies have an address to use over there) or purchase 
export plates before you can use it on German roads.

Again AFAICT, export plates are distinctive and marked with the date by 
which the vehicle must have left Germany and after which the plates are 
not valid. AFAICT, this date is the date on which the compulsory, short-
term, third-party, export insurance expires and are typically only valid 
for 14 days.

See http://www.motorhome-list.org.uk/importing.htm and 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_car_number_plates for more info.

HTH,

-- 
Geoff

Hey Josiah

"Josiah Jenkins"  wrote in message
news:96a5o39djqf9ncqd01eqo71868c7q62ncp@4ax.com...
> On Sun, 06 Jan 2008 17:12:22 GMT, "Jules"
>  wrote:
> >
> >Hi
> >First time here, have a few questions that i hope i can get some answers
> >too!
> >
> >Has anyone imported a camper, and managed to get insurance while its has
> >German licence plates..
>
> You may not *have* the plates !!!
>
> ***As Far As I Know***
> The "registered keeper" has to return them (for destruction)
> to the local licencing office on disposal of the vehicle.
>
> Can anyone confirm or otherwise ?

I presumed the guy would let me have them, as he knows i have to drive it a
few hundred miles from where he will be in the UK when he drives it
over..but good point

>
> German *export* plates carry Europe wide 3rd party insurance.
> That's how I got my Weinsberg home.
>
> That was a new vehicle (1st registration) and I'm not 100% certain
> that it's exactly the same routine for a second-hand vehicle.
>
> Be aware.
> There appears to be a lot of confusion as to whether insurance cover
> issued on a VIN (chassis number) by a UK company does actually give
> you comprehensive cover outwith the UK.
>
> -- jjj

thanks for that...i will give a answer once i have spoke to A Flux, i hope
today..

On Tue, 08 Jan 2008 10:22:44 -0000, Geoff Lane <geoff@nospam.invalid>
wrote:
>Josiah Jenkins  wrote in 
>news:96a5o39djqf9ncqd01eqo71868c7q62ncp@4ax.com:
>
>> You may not *have* the plates !!!
>> 
>> ***As Far As I Know***
>> The "registered keeper" has to return them (for destruction)
>> to the local licencing office on disposal of the vehicle.
>> 
>> Can anyone confirm or otherwise ?

The info from Geoff pretty much backs up my own non-expert knowledge.
>
>As far as I know from research into importing a German van for myself:
>
>Each German licence plate is personal and area-specific. Every time a 
>vehicle changes hands or the owner moves region new plates are required.

I bought my first motorhome in Mannheim in a private sale in 2004.
The sellers (after speaking to their motoring organisation lawyer,
presumably ADAC) agreed to leave their plates on the vehicle with the
provisos that -
a) I had made my own insurance arrangements for the vehicle.
b) I was heading directly for the ferry and not spending a holiday
in 'Europe' before I went home.
c) I sent the plates back to them on my return to the UK.

My insurance (via the Caravan Club) was on the VIN number.
At the time, I understood this to be Comprehensive cover but from
various discussions subsequently, it would appear that I was only
covered for Third Party risk on the continent and the Comprehensive
cover only kicked in once I rolled off the ferry into the UK.

(Something to do with a European agreement between insurance
companies to which the UK insurers do not subscribe as it's too
expensive for the them !!!)
>
>AFAICT, when you buy a German vehicle you must either register it in 
>Germany (which implies have an address to use over there) or purchase 
>export plates before you can use it on German roads.

Just to clarify. With German export plates fitted, you are also also
road legal in _any_other_ EU country. These include
Luxembourg, Belgium, France, Ireland ***and the UK***
for those of us heading for a ferry or tunnel and back home.

*** Just dragged out and checked the 'International Motor Insurance
Card' which was issued with the 'Internationaler Zulassungensschein'.
(Temporary registration document showing issuing authority and start
and end dates of validity. In my case, 27th June - 11th July 2006)

So, as far as I'm aware,  you don't *need* to arrange UK insurance
before you leave to collect a motorhome from Germany which will
be on export plates . . .

Not knowing the "rules", I actually had.

But, knowing what I know now and being only an hour from my arrival
port of Rosyth, I reckon that, if I ever do it again, that I might
leave the the UK insurance arrangements till I get back. After all,
the last time I had driven 900Km through Europe to Zeebrugge !
>
>Again AFAICT, export plates are distinctive and marked with the date by 
>which the vehicle must have left Germany and after which the plates are 
>not valid. AFAICT, this date is the date on which the compulsory, short-
>term, third-party, export insurance expires and are typically only valid 
>for 14 days.

That's 100% correct, I still have mine from 2005. There is a date
stamp on the plate and (I'm assuming) the fact that the last letter of
the registation number is an "E" indicates that it is an "Export"
plate.
>
>See http://www.motorhome-list.org.uk/importing.htm and 
>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_car_number_plates for more info.
>
>HTH,

-- jjj

On Tue, 08 Jan 2008 12:09:11 GMT, "Jules"
 wrote:

>Hey Josiah
>
>"Josiah Jenkins"  wrote in message
>news:96a5o39djqf9ncqd01eqo71868c7q62ncp@4ax.com...
>> On Sun, 06 Jan 2008 17:12:22 GMT, "Jules"
>>  wrote:
>> >
>> >Hi
>> >First time here, have a few questions that i hope i can get some answers
>> >too!
>> >
>> >Has anyone imported a camper, and managed to get insurance while its has
>> >German licence plates..
>>
>> You may not *have* the plates !!!
>>
>> ***As Far As I Know***
>> The "registered keeper" has to return them (for destruction)
>> to the local licencing office on disposal of the vehicle.
>>
>> Can anyone confirm or otherwise ?
>
>I presumed the guy would let me have them, as he knows i have to drive it a
>few hundred miles from where he will be in the UK when he drives it
>over..but good point

To be fair to him . . . With the systems being different, where the
Index Number is registered to the individual as against the vehicle,
it may not even have crossed his mind (if he even knows !)
>
>thanks for that...i will give a answer once i have spoke to A Flux,
> i hope today..

Best of luck, hope it all works out for you.

-- jjj

"Josiah Jenkins"  wrote in message
news:1uf7o3lbt42nb455ugpdl9pbv1ulkqe7gj@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 08 Jan 2008 12:09:11 GMT, "Jules"
>  wrote:
>
> >Hey Josiah
> >
> >"Josiah Jenkins"  wrote in message
> >news:96a5o39djqf9ncqd01eqo71868c7q62ncp@4ax.com...
> >> On Sun, 06 Jan 2008 17:12:22 GMT, "Jules"
> >>  wrote:
> >> >
> >> >Hi
> >> >First time here, have a few questions that i hope i can get some
answers
> >> >too!
> >> >
> >> >Has anyone imported a camper, and managed to get insurance while its
has
> >> >German licence plates..
> >>
> >> You may not *have* the plates !!!
> >>
> >> ***As Far As I Know***
> >> The "registered keeper" has to return them (for destruction)
> >> to the local licencing office on disposal of the vehicle.
> >>
> >> Can anyone confirm or otherwise ?
> >
> >I presumed the guy would let me have them, as he knows i have to drive it
a
> >few hundred miles from where he will be in the UK when he drives it
> >over..but good point
>
> To be fair to him . . . With the systems being different, where the
> Index Number is registered to the individual as against the vehicle,
> it may not even have crossed his mind (if he even knows !)
> >
> >thanks for that...i will give a answer once i have spoke to A Flux,
> > i hope today..
>
> Best of luck, hope it all works out for you.
>
> -- jjj

actually the guy JUST called me, hes drove it to England, (hes a OZ, working
here for a year) and needs a reliable UK car (mine) and now has a baby so no
need for the camper...

im going to meet him at the weekend and if we are both happy then swop...

i didnt want to call Flux etc and get exited...incase it all falls through
with him....

He doesnt speak or read German (his girlfiend is German so went through her
so hes going to ask her for help)

I know in Germany you have to visit the office, wait hours then get a new
license plate etc etc. so i know the Germans wont be too happy, with it
being driven here then swopped...i guess he could tell them it broke down so
cant be driven back at the time, and he wanted to get rid (he just told me
the door handle broke on the trip...)

At the end of the day, i could always fit UK lights, fog light etc, get MOT,
etc etc..  but as im in Germany 3 times, and hopefully perm in a few
months..i didnt want to do that, and then have to change it all back this
summer..but as everyone knows, the Germans are sticklers for rules! :-)