Buying on the Continent

New to it all ? ask here for advice and check out these quick buyers guides
Post Reply
Andy
Posts: 4
Joined: March 6th, 2018, 5:51 pm
Location: Hay on Wye Wales

Buying on the Continent

Post: # 21015Post Andy
March 6th, 2018, 5:53 pm

Hi, does anyone have any experience of travelling to the continent to buy a secondhand demountable? We are wanting to buy but there is very little availability in the UK.

User avatar
zildjian
Site Admin
Posts: 22048
Joined: September 8th, 2013, 3:30 pm

Re: Buying on the Continent

Post: # 21016Post zildjian
March 6th, 2018, 7:08 pm

Hi Andy
take a look at the sales thread for an idea on German/French pricing (if you haven't already)

members here have bought abroad for just your reason.

Some very good points straight off;



have the air suspension fitted and ready
,

If paying by cash, make sure you shop around for a decent rate, HSBC vs Thomson's travel was a difference of around £500.

Take a 13 pin adapter, or make sure you're electrics are ready for the unit you are collecting.

Don't forget headlamp converters for driving on the continent.

Have insurance on standby ready to go,

Make a holiday out of it, I didn't have the time and it was far more stressful because of that.

Andy
Posts: 4
Joined: March 6th, 2018, 5:51 pm
Location: Hay on Wye Wales

Re: Buying on the Continent

Post: # 21020Post Andy
March 6th, 2018, 9:40 pm

Thanks for the reply, and yes, I've seen the pricing and also the availability, which is, as you know, much wider than in the UK. I'm interested in people who have actually been across and bought a demountable, pitfalls, best places to go where there is choice, it's a bit of a gamble to go and see one unit but if there are reasonably big dealers people have been to then it's less of a risk...

horacebat
Posts: 44
Joined: August 30th, 2015, 7:22 am
Location: East Kent Coast & NW France
Contact:

Re: Buying on the Continent

Post: # 21027Post horacebat
March 7th, 2018, 11:17 pm

Hi

Have a look at the write up that we did ....

Image

importing

Happy to answer any questions.

PB.

Andy
Posts: 4
Joined: March 6th, 2018, 5:51 pm
Location: Hay on Wye Wales

Re: Buying on the Continent

Post: # 21030Post Andy
March 8th, 2018, 1:23 pm

Thanks for the write-up - really useful information. We are looking at taking a truck over and just buying the demountable so hopefully avoiding some of the paperwork...

User avatar
derestrictor
Posts: 2342
Joined: November 18th, 2014, 7:21 pm
Location: gotham Nottingham

Re: Buying on the Continent

Post: # 21040Post derestrictor
March 9th, 2018, 11:43 am

People fetching nicer caravans used from abroad have been known to just put their numberplate on back and been 'returning from a holiday' before now,
Who is to say after all?

cthodgson
Posts: 68
Joined: January 20th, 2015, 9:54 pm

Re: Buying on the Continent

Post: # 21223Post cthodgson
March 29th, 2018, 4:01 pm

Hi Andy,

I ended up buying mine in Austria. After what felt like weeks of searching I found a private seller. We communicated a lot, through phone calls and emails and I felt they were being honest with their description. My biggest fear was that I would head all that way and it would be stinking of cigarettes or pets.

It all worked out well for us, and we got a good value Skarosser, but it was a stressful trip.
My advise would be to:
- have the air suspension fitted and ready, driving back on the autobahn with that constant porpoising motion is not an experience I'd like to live through again.
- If paying by cash, make sure you shop around for a decent rate, HSBC vs Thomson's travel was a difference of around £500.
- Take a 13 pin adapter, or make sure you're electrics are ready for the unit you are collecting. I took a tailgate board, totally unaware an adapter would have done the job far better.
- Don't forget headlamp converters for driving on the continent.
- Have insurance on standby ready to go, a crash on the way back would wipe out the joy of chase, and a huge wad of cash.
- Make a holiday out of it, I didn't have the time and it was far more stressful because of that.

Not much use, but maybe

Image

Andy
Posts: 4
Joined: March 6th, 2018, 5:51 pm
Location: Hay on Wye Wales

Re: Buying on the Continent

Post: # 21269Post Andy
April 1st, 2018, 8:57 pm

Thanks for the advice, it was really useful and was helping us. We have however managed to find a 2012 Apollo here in the UK so the next trip we'll be making to the continent will be with a camper already aboard. :D

User avatar
derestrictor
Posts: 2342
Joined: November 18th, 2014, 7:21 pm
Location: gotham Nottingham

Re: Buying on the Continent

Post: # 21285Post derestrictor
April 3rd, 2018, 1:17 pm

Lucky find here on your doorstep then :)


put a picture on of your new toy when you collect it

Post Reply