GeorginaWay

Hey Andy It would appear it is not a question of giving in, I have been told that I have to get these checks done to make it road legal. I could choose to not have it done but that would invalidate my insurance should an incident occur. Is this just a QLD thing or across the country, I would have thought a national Gas Standard was exactly that National, however ere in Oz that seems to have very little meaning. I am moving to Victoria in Dec/Jan so is it law there as well? Any help from those who have done this would be appreciated. If anyone could give me the number of the people they used then I can call them to confirm what is correct, but here in QLD, EVERY gas guy has said I need it, even ones not qualified to do the work are saying it. Did you all just get a single gas registration certificate for the registration?

Hi Rachall Our van arrives on Monday, so excited now. We have been quoted $2100 for the gas change over and all compliancy checks, this seems a bit expensive compared to your $650, did you then pay more for certification of each appliance, as that is what they are saying bumps up the cost, only $750 for the work and $375 per appliance and $225 to collect from port and deliver after work completed to my house. Did you use a major/national dealer or just a local guy? Any help would be great, we are in Brisbane.

Hi PatnGary Do you have the website for Sea-Go please, as I cannot seem to find it?

Hi PatnGary Those look very similar costs to the ones provided to me, who did you use, and to which port? I am in Brisbane

Hey Rachall Great update, our Swift is sat in UK waiting to be shipped as soon as I get the VIA through. If I may ask, how much was the shipping, I have been told by Ironchef to set aside approx. 5k Sterling for the shipping and dock fees, does that sound right? Also what fees did you incur over here, and did you have to get the gas compliance done before they released the van to you?

Hi Kimorjack. If it helps with your choice I can tell you that a brand new from the factory 2013 Challenger 570 is retailing for $46,990 excluding dealer delivery costs (approx.($750), and that is from a registered Swift dealer in Brisbane. Hope this helps?

Hey craigyboy, Bringing a caravan over is different to a car, so there is no 12 months of ownership criteria to adhere to. If the van is VAT free out of the UK, as ours will be then you pay 15% GST (saves 5%), however I am trying to ascertain if the 15% GST is solely on the cost on the invoice of the van, or this cost plus the cost of shipping, I am waiting for a reply from Ironlady imports, once I have this I will post an update. If it helps others we were at the Swift dealer from Brisbane 2 weekends ago when their latest shipment of Swifts arrived, and they confirmed that the only legal requirement was the gas braiding requires changing. We reckon that all up we will save approx. $12-13,000 by importing ourselves over buying from an agent over here.

We are bringing over the Challenger SE 625. Importing through Chichester Caravans in the UK

Hey Big John We are about to import a brand new Swift van to Oz VAT free. The only thing you absolutely have to have done, is the gas braiding requires changing. The UK plugs are not required by law to be changed, but probably a good idea at some point for resale etc. As someone else has said get all the work done here, if for no other reason than warranty etc. If you have aircon in the van it will need to be degassed prior to shipping.

Thanks Rachall, we have factored this in, and will get the aircon fitted here in Oz, as found a good deal on a Dometic3000.

Hi Ironchef, thanks for the info, we are purely looking at buying with a view to export immediately, so happy they will use the UK invoice as it will be VAT free. I assume, unlike a car we do not need to have owned it for 12 months? Also does Ironlady deal with importing Caravans, or are they purely Cars? If so any idea of cost on a 26'ft van?

Why do you think this is such a crazy idea Stu? We have no plans to go off road, and need more than a 2 berth (few Oz vans do this), then why pay in excess of $50K, when they are only £15K in the UK, and then whatever the cost of shipping, registering etc

When importing things from the UK, such as a car or Caravan, how do the Aussies calculate the GST? On a brand new item with no UK VAT paid, would it be based on the UK new price multiplied by the exchange rate of the day, or is it based on the costs of an equivalent product new in Australia. For us this could be a big difference, as a new Caravan in UK VAT free is about £15K, and over here the similar model we are looking at is $46K, even with the cost of importing on a ship and customs fees, the savings are hugh, plus the vans have far superior interiors, and as we only want to do tarmac roads and campsites, we do need the big Oz off road types, plus they just about all only 2 berths, even the ones that are 20-25ft long?

Hi All We are looking to import a brand new caravan (not bought yet), from the UK to here in OZ. A few questions if I could 1. Does anyone know of any companies that do this and approx. costs? 2. As A UK non-resident her in OZ, do I qualify to buy this VAT free or zero rated from UK and pay the GST down here? 3. Are there any pitfalls that I have not thought of? So far we know it needs some gas and electric re-wiring, we have to pay GST and any customs clearance etc. 4. Are insurance companies funny about foreign imports when providing quotes? Any help would be greatly appreciated, as this seems away to save a lot of money on a new caravan compared to the cost of a new van down here.