luqyhay

Hi
my first post so sorry if this topic has been done to death but i'm still confused about what you need to do to import a caravan into NZ. one removal company we spoke to suggested we may need certain documents and info for it to be certified on arrival but i can't find anything about this on ltsa.govt.nz. Has anyone out there done this and knows what you need to do for the process to go smoothly?

Ps. we're heading for NZ in september and were going to sell the caravan but nothing's shifting and all the talk is that caravans are so much more expensive in NZ, so...

petsar68

Now i can only speak from experience of what i have seen on the roads and at campsites on the South Island but the caravans here are very very old. Of course there are some more modern ones about but the majority wouldnt look out of place in 'Carry on Camping' !
I am told they cost a small fortune aa well.

teebrown

I asked this question on another site and this was the answer:
Hi

We imported a caravan from the UK earlier this year. The shipping company we used was Cutler Freight and it cost us £2950.00 which included steam cleaning; make sure you get paperwork to prove this has been done otherwise customs in Auckland will insist it happens prior to releasing (they may do this anyway but in our case they didn't)

We had to get the caravan down to Southampton docks then they took over from there-transport across sea was done by a roll on/roll off method and the caravan arrived safely.

We used a customs broker to get it thru' customs and MAF inspection etc etc, it was a company called Aeronaut (recommended by the shippers); this cost NZ$1300.00. Although this was an extra outlay they dealt with all the paperwork; clearance; inspections etc and really we had no hassle so we considered it a worthwhile expense.

We then had to get it registered and a warrant of fitness (no problem) also the electrical connection changed to suit NZ cars-this was done by an auto electrician. All this cost a further several hundred dollars and a bit of messing around but no real issues.

All in all would we do it again-without doubt. European caravans are expensive in NZ and despite the costs of getting it here the replacement value far exceeds above.

One other thing to consider is import duty-I didn't need to pay this as I'm a returning NZ citizen; however if I sell the van within two years I have to pay 12.5% GST (of the sale price), I think the same applies to people entering the country with permanent residence but check with Land Transport-I found these people really helpful when I started looking into all this



Hope this helps

luqyhay

hey

thanks for all the advice. very helpful...we have decided to sell in the end mainly cos we need the dosh! looks like it's the tent for us for a while

cheers

teebrown

where are you at the moment, it's only because I know someone looking for a caravan Hampshire area.

luqyhay

Sorry for taking so long to reply to your post teebrown...it's been relentless. caravan sold now (probably a dealer, sadly) but it might have been a bit of a treck for your friend as we're in sheffield. still, that's one less item to pack...

AwaytoNZ

Hi, This was very helpful. We have a 2003 Ace caravan and thinking of selling before moving to NZ but now we think we'll bring it! It has electric movers and the special Alko hitch. Any idea what they are worth in NZ? Also we are weighing up whether to ship our car. It an Audi A8 2003 4.2 (with tow bar of course) but it seems cars ar every cheap in NZ and although petrol is cheaper than here (UK) it still affects the value of big cars. Appreciate any advice ....

BEVS

.. bump ..

I can't help with bringing over a car or a caravan but hopefully someone else can.

shirl

When we were thinking of bringing a caravan in we were told it was classed as household item and would not incur an import fee. The 2 year period would also apply if you sell that you pay the tax. I wouldn't want to go to the hassle of bringing in a car they are so cheap here doesn't seem worth it - different thing with a caravan. Loads of 4 x 4 here for towing as well. There is a place in our little town that imports old UK vans and they cost quite a bit considering the state some of them are in. I think your caravan would be worth around 11,000 GBP wouldn't it so would be worth bringing i expect.

Justcol

I have a friend (brit expat) who imprts british caravans to nz and sells them on trade me.
He has told me he doesnt pay any duty on them and that he still makes money
on them even when all the shipping and maf costs are taken into account.
he's usually brings in one at a time but occasionally will have two shipped at once.

I have done a trade me search for the Audi A8 4.2L and the average price for
a 2003 model with between around 30,000km (18000miles) is $50k.
I have found that new cars here are cheaper and used cars are more expensive.
hope thats some help

RobClubley

Here's my usual response!

I say leave your car there.

Here's my thread from not long after mine arrived:

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=438805

Riverside

Hiya Teebrown,
we too are looking into exporting our caravan, so thankyou for all that information...most helpful, but also contemplating selling it.....unsure at the moment.
With regard to that last point, we are based in Eastleigh, Hants if your friend is still looking
kind regards
Nick
Ps Have now received our nice blue stickers in our passports and hope to moving to the Wellington area towards the end of April

sparkie down under

we sold our caravan before coming out here thinking that we'd be able to buy the same for about the same money! WRONG! Kiwi caravan's are SHIT. you would not believe the price they pay for a 25 year piece of crap that you wouldn't let your dog sleep in.

Bring yours!

Oh yes and MAFF are a bunch of w***ers. make sure you have all the paperwork and steam cleaning stuff otherwise they will just do it all again, at their prices.

all the best

harrogate girl

Have to say if we had a caravan when we was back in the uk and could afford to bring it with us I would of done so.. even if you sold it a few years down the line you would still make on the resale the older ones are a small fortune and are s..t
My friend left his back home and had intended to purchase a second had one in NZ had a good look a the camp sites and the vans and said a gipo!!! would not EVEN look at what are for sale and not even Top Gear would use them, Clarkson could have a smashing time
Lin

NermaltheCute

Our caravan is due to arrive in the next few weeks, will let you know how we get on if there are any problems. Cutler Freight shipped it from Southampton for us as well. And I cannot believe the state of the sheds they call caravans I have seen so far!