Bringing a car and caravan

[Metoo]

Hi, Does anyone know if you can import a car and a caravan in the same name. I know that only one car per person is allowed but can that same person bring a caravan also. Many thanks

[fosseboy]

We looked at bringing a caravan but decided not to because of compliance issues.

Ours was a fairly new Adria and this is what Perth Caravan Centre wrote:

 

There are a few difference between the 2 models:

 

Fist thing is the water supply, The Australian models all have a built in water tank and internal electric water pump where as the UK version has an external drop in pump that you plug into the side of the van. To change all your plumbing and fitting a water tank would be very costly and time consuming

 

Secondly, The fridge in the UK model is designed for heat ranges up to 32deg and has a heat rating inside the door on SN. The Australian model has a fridge that will work up to 44deg and a heat rating of T

 

The cost of complying the electrical side of things as well as the gas and the licensing fees will be around the $10,000 mark.

 

This is still not the worst thing though... Adria Australia will not help you out in anyway regarding spare parts or service. This is to stop people parallel importing there vans.

 

By the time you import one here, comply it and spend heaps on converting it, it will be a lot more expensive then a local one and will have no back up/support

 

I hope I have given you plenty to think about, I cant stress enough on how much I would not recommend importing a UK model.

 

There is no sales yard in WA but I have handed 2 brand new vans over to customers this week who have bought there van from Melbourne dealers and they have sent it to me for the customer to collect. Im sure if you wanted to buy yourself a brand new unit locally, getting one to you would not be a problem

 

 

[Iron Chef]

To answer the original question, yes you can - the car and the caravan fall under two separate importing schemes.

 

As for the answer from the Caravan Centre, that would be the kind of answer I'd expect from, say, someone trying to sell you a caravan rather than have you import your own...

 

To answer the first few concerns:

 

Why would having a drop in pump instead of an internal one mean having to change all the fittings? Most caravan parks now give visitors direct access to mains water supply, as most modern caravans have their own showers and septic systems. The lack of a tank will only affect you if you plan to go deep into the outback, away from caravan parks.

 

The fridge: they cost a few hundred dollars, and we generally advise removing them before leaving the UK because they carry ozone depleting gas, and the cost for a one off licence ($400 plus $x per g of gas) means it's cheaper to buy an Aussie one anyway.

 

$10,000 for compliance is the biggest joke I've heard all year. The highest figure I've seen is $2000, and that was from a caravan specialist. The job varies from state to state.

 

Adria Australia won't help with servicing or parts? Their loss. The internet makes it just as easy to source parts from overseas, and there are plenty of other caravan places who will be quite happy to take your money (and probably charge you a lot less in the process) than the manufacturer approved dealer. I'm a caravan owner myself, and my van has NEVER been back to the factory dealer.

 

Sorry if I'm sounding terse, but I get incredibly frustrated with this type of obfuscation. It's precisely the reason people import their caravans - they get completely ripped off here!