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Date:         Thu, 19 Jun 1997 15:12:00 -0300 (ADT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         smitht@unb.ca (Tim Smith)
Subject:      Shipping van to Europe (long :( )

Hi,

Done this once, never again. Was not expensive at the time, nor difficult, used Atlantic Container Lines who operate a Ro-Ro (roll-on, roll-off)car terminal in Halifax Nova Scotia. Likely plenty of the same on US east and gulf coasts. Shipping costs are based on cubic meters of the vehicle (LxWxH). Additional charges are paid for port of departure/arrival and can mean a couple of hundred dollars difference in the final bill. And get extra insurance, otherwise your van is worth $500 max no matter who/what happened to it. Like the M-Benz that was loaded under the 50 ton hydraulic ramp that gave access to the upper deck area. Deckhand forgot to check when he put the ramp down! You are also responsible for vehicle prep. Be prepared for an incredible furball of rust on any nick/edge of the entire van, even with a couple of good coats of wax. 2-3 weeks in a hold at sea will do in anything unprotected. Most of these hassles can be avoided by using a broker, I didn't.

I dropped mine at the wharf, left the keys in it and crossed my fingers. No luck. The Cdn. wharfies wrote Got. on the back window and the obliging wharfies in Gotenburg Sweden unloaded it when the ship got in. Four days later in LeHavre France, where it was supposed to land, I waited on the dock watching all the vehicles come down the ramp. No van! Walked into the belly of this enormous vessel for a look, maybe they'd misplaced it? Nothing! Did I mention that I'd already been in LeHavre for 10 days because the ship was laid up due to both bad weather and repairs along the way. The shipping company apoligized, but denied any financial responsibility/obligation for anything. It was going to take about 2 weeks for them to get it onto the next carrier and to me. They wouldn't pay my train ticket to Gotenburg neither.

When I got the van it had been forklifted under the belly, gas heater dead and exhaust broken. Rear bumper flattened to the body, knobs missing from radio and loose. An experience to avoid.

On the plus side I had a well prepped loaf, loaded for 6 months of alpine skiing :), and 3 more of Spanish beaching :) :). Sold the thing in England for my purchase cost in Canada plus shipping.

Only reason to ship was I knew I wouldn't be able to buy a decent Westy in England for the cost of shipping, and even selling in Canada still wouldn't have ensured enough $$$ for a reliable comfy vehicle. Shipping it back wasn't worth it as it adds nothing to the worth of the vehicle.

Paperwork: in France I needed a 'Green Card' which is the international insurance. I bought this on the dock at LeHavre, in 10 minutes. I arrived on CDN license plates, drove the 9 months and sold it in England on same plates. Through every skiing region from Yugoslavia to Morocco. In England I paid the customs duty when finally setup and selling in London. I had Canadian insurance also, and had informed my company where I was going for the next while, no probs. You must have an oval country sticker (ie. CDN or USA) on the rear and yellow headlights in France (bottles of yellow dye available in England, removes with alcohol). You can pickup a Green Card at AA/RAC travel offices in bigger Brit cities or (slower) from a Brit/etc. ins. company. You can usually get same at/near most borders instantly, for any time period you want. You MUST have this. If going into North Africa the rates are higher and the coverage is more extensive, notably bail bonds to keep you and the vehicle from beiing seized for minor infractions. And you MUST have an international drivers license, obtainable at home before you leave.

The 'carnet de voyage' is not widely required, almost never in Europe/near-Asia/Mid-East. It is a guarantee that if you drive in you drive out in the same vehicle. Your passport will be stamped with vehicle picture/plate#. Don't try to fly out, they'll ask. Particulary required in Africa on 4WD vehicles. It is typically set at 100% of the value of the vehicle, and is left as a cash bond with say the AA/RAC. No interest paid. For friends in a Range Rover this was going to run $20K bond for them to drive to South Africa from the north. They passed.

Really do the nickel and dime arguments before shipping. Check the alternatives. Be aware that US spec parts for VWs are usually available only from VW headquarters. Have fun.

Tim


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