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Autumn

I have been looking for my ideal motorhome for over a year now, as well as trying to convince the husband he wanted one at all. Well, I eventually found my dream-van in the Devon Monte Carlo but shock horror, there just wasn't enough dosh in the piggy bank.

All was not lost I thought when I dscovered a similar lay-out in the earlier and cheaper Devon Sahara. We found a lovely example too so, imagine my despair when the husband's head swept across the ceiling! These vehicles have very little headroom inside and are of a fairly low spec. too.

It was back to square one and, what is even more maddening, the husband is coming around to the idea of us owning a van. Then I discovered the Poessl. Wow! Just what I want and much more for your money if bought in Germany.

I of course got onto this site immediatley knowing I would find out lots about importing. I am a bit daunted by the legal bits - yeah, thought I just flew over, bought one, arranged some insurance and then drove it home. Now I know about fahrzeugbriefen, DVL inspectors and other stuff. I had this fantasy I would go AWOL for a few days and arrive back home with this shiny van I had driven aross Europe all on my own - what a surprise for the chap! I am a bit of a silly dreamer at times.

Anyway, has anyone been to the Dusseldorf show? Is it possible to buy there? What are members' experiences of driving a LHD in UK? Can anyone reccommend a good motorhome hire firm in Germany?

I am planning a holiday along the Romantische route - you know, just to keep up the chap's enthusiasm!!

Autumn

1946

Hi Autumn,

We have always owned a lefthand drive and it is no problem whatsoever to drive it over here. You just don't watch the white line in the middle of the road but the one on your left. Is it a poessl that you want to hire or any make of motorhome???? Just let me know.
You will be amazed with the Düsseldorf show, it is fantastic. We have been 3 times and you can order motorhomes at the show with the factories themselves.

Kind regards

Maddie

pandalf

I have to endorse the views of member 1946. The Duesseldorf show is a revelation - probably six times the size of the biggest motorhome show at the NEC, and perhaps a third of the price to attend! Get a two day ticket because you will need it. We used the Duesseldorf show last year to help us decide on our choice of perfect camper. We researched the market like crazy beforehand, and then discounted every "shortlisted" van one by one on the first day. Getting desperate, we then cast the net a bit further, and found the perfect van for us on the Euramobil stand. Many people were ordering new vans at the show, and there were some great deals going. But having found the van of our dreams, we then decided to buy a near new van in the vicinity. We were able to find a Euramobil dealer at Geldern (on the Dutch border about 30 miles from Duesseldorf) who had our exact van about 10,000 Euros off the list price. It was an ex-rental, with about 9000KM on the clock and only 5 months old, and we are still thrilled with the purchase. The dealer serviced the van and we got it in pristine condition, but (as with all used vehicles) you need to look around the van well before committing, and point out whatever you want sorted.

To be fair, bringing the van back is not total simplicity, but its not that big a deal either. Insurance is a pain - the best you will ever manage is to arrange bare third party insurance through the trade plates that you will buy in Germany to make the van legal to drive, and UK insurance will only kick in once you are on the dock at Dover. Getting the van registered in the UK was a piece of cake, although I am seeing some signs that it is becoming more complicated just in the past few months. There is a very good download on the MHF website that gives more details of what the procedure for importing from Germany is. I also find the left hand drive no issue at all - a small price to pay for the thousands you will save buying on the continent.

There are many places that will rent a camper in Germany, but you could do worse than try the company we used to buy our van. They were very professional and efficient, and they spoke good English as well. Best of all - Geldern is only about three hours from Calais! You can find them on

gaspode · Moderator

Spot on advice pandalf

Go to Dusseldorf to see what's around then look at dealers with M/Hs in stock for a good deal. Ex-rentals can be excellent buys at the end of the season.

Don't worry about LHD, it's a doddle, you won't even notice after a couple of hours. It's also a distinct advantage if you're intending to do a few miles on the continent.

pandalf

Autumn - if you do go for a left-hooker (and plenty of motorhomes sold here will be LHD anyway), the main thing you need to watch out for is offside visibility. Because you (and the wheel) are on the left, it can ne hard to see out the passenger (right side) door to check for traffic etc. This is mainly a problem when driving alone; at other times the passenger can be your eyes. It will never be a problem looking left - in fact, it will be easier as you are on the left side. At the very least, invest in one or more auxiliary side mirrors for the right-hand side. They can be adjusted to extend the visible portion of the road to include cars and other hazards that are outside the normal field of view. Ideally, think about a reversing camera system as well; you can get twin camera systems that have one camera set for reversing only, and the other camera acting as a general rear-view mirror.

Other than that, as 1946 and Gaspode said, you get used to where you are on the road very quickly. And having the wheel on the left will always be a benefit whenever you visit the continent.

Autumn

Many thanks, Maddie, Pandalf and Gaspode - I am really very grateful for all the advice. I was convinced I had reached a cul-de-sac over my choice of van but you have given me new hope. I am very encouraged by the description of the Dusseldorf show. This will be a highlight of our holiday (oh dear, does that make me sound really sad!).

I am finished at work for a while (yes, a teacher) so, as soon as I have recovered some energy and sanity I will gather all the addresses and advice together to present to hubby. With all the rain cascading down my windows just now driving on the continent with a LHD sounds a great idea.

Anyone know what the weather in Germany is like?

Autumn

Boff

pandalf

Autmn - the timing of the Duesseldorf show is perfect for you to squeeze it in before the next term begins. My wife also works in a school, and we are planning to spend a few days there at the very end of August. Even though our motorhome quest is now complete, there are tons of other exhibitors - various tourist authorities, accessories etc - to fill a tiring but worthwhile day. But do not harbor thoughts of driving your new pride & joy home there and then. What we did was use the Dusseldorf show to find the perfect van, then locate a suitable near new van somewhere in that part of Germany. We then drove back across at half-term to physically collect the van and bring it back to the UK. That gave the dealer (who had our deposit) several weeks to do some work that we specified as part of the agreed price, and perform a decent service etc. It also gave us plenty of time to arrange the funding, insurance, travel and other logistics. It was tempting to squeeze the timelines, but in hindsight I am glad we stuck to a more relaxed schedule.