THECAPT

Hey Everyone,
I am landing in Europe on April 2012 and want to buy a camper van to tour around for the summer, then sell it in July. My hope was to buy it in Eastern Europe or Turkey and drive it back to the UK.

My questions are:
1. Do you know of a camper van dealer/sale office list for Europe?
2. Is it better to buy from a private party? Are there websites to shop them?
3. Are certain countries cheaper than others? Quality?
4.Should I only be buying specific types? Petrol vs. Diesel? EU/UK exhaust system?
5. I was planning to just buy a VW, but there are other brands, any suggestions?
6. Insurance? I am an American with no EU residency, but have many friends that would register it for me and I do have a London mailing address. Will I be able to insure it?
7. Anything else I am missing?

I am most concern with getting the vehicle, registering and insuring it.

Type of Camper Van we are looking for:
We are looking for a Late 1990's or newer Campervan like a VW van with a pop-up roof, small kitchen and bed. Very clean inside. Something really reliable at approx. $5,000 or less. $4000 would be better. We plan to buy it and then resell it in the UK or Spain, so it would need to be a EU exhaust system? I guess.

Here are some examples although we prefer a VW, we'll consider all options.

VW Westfalia late 1990's or newer
VW T4 T5 with any standard conversion. stove bed, ice box, etc
VW TYPE 25 CAMPER

If there is anything you can do or if you know someone over there that can help, please let me know.

The Captain

hetismij2

You will struggle to buy a late 90s camper for that sort of price I think.

http://www.ideamerge.com/index.html has options to buy a camper, with the insurance and road tax held by the company you buy from. Some offer to buy it back, usually on consignment. It is not legal for an non EU resident to insure a vehicle here, and even having a friend or a company do it for you while you hold the title of the vehicle is a grey area.

There are others who do this - mostly in the Netherlands and Germany. Google will come up with names.
You want an LHD camper if you are touring mainland Europe, so don't buy one in the UK.

alanRow

It is perfectly legal for a non-EU resident to insure vehicles in the UK - difficult but possible. It's also possible for non-EU residents to buy and sell vehicles.

HOWEVER the big problems are

a) if you wish to tour mainland Europe then you really need a LHD vehicle
b) when it comes to sell you'll probably have to wait to sell or accept substantially less than you paid for it.
c) a camper van can restrict where you can go as it will be larger than the average car.
d) campsites are rarely in towns
e) petrol / diesel is expensive

PalenQ

I have bought vans in Amsterdam several times and they often will do a sell and guarantee buy back scheme - and they speak great English.

spaarne

<i>
PalenQ on Jan 4, 12 at 4:54pm
I have bought vans in Amsterdam several times and they often will do a sell and guarantee buy back scheme - and they speak great English.</i>

Pal, Was that at the good old American Express curb side VW van *store*? There was one in Paris also. Both are long gone.

hetismij2 has a good suggestion. The ideamerge program is very efficient.

For THECAPT: Is your budget for the purchase cost or the net sell price minus purchase price?

Alec

One snag, and this is a biggie, is that most EU countries only allow residents, with resident papers, to register a vehicle. Without registration, you can neither insure nor tax it, so it won't be legal to drive it. The only country to my knowledge that allows non-residents to register is UK, but you still need a local residential address - this can be a friend's or a relative's but not hotel's etc. This effectively becomes its British base, and taxing and insuring is done on the address of 'registered keeper'. There are also a couple of insurance intermediaries that specifically arrange cover for vehicles owned by non-resident foreigners.

It's possible to buy a LHD campervan in UK, often bought privately from Aussie and Kiwi travellers selling at the end of their European trip. They are advertised in journals like http://www.tntmagazine.com/ and http://www.gumtree.com/campervans-caravans/london

KayF

A few of the French car companies, like Renault and Peugeot, do a leasing scheme, which is cost effective. You buy a new car off them, with the deal they will buy it back off you. May be worth seeing if they deal with campervans, or if a campervan company offers a leasing arrangement.

Kay

Alec

KayF

The answer is No and most unlikely.

spaarne

KayF,
The answer is yes and absolutely yes.
http://tinyurl.com/84968xl

nytraveler

One thing that I'm not sure anyone is mentioned is how long you will be in Schengen. for Americans there is a 90 day limit - otherwise you need to obtain a visa - which can be along and arduous process. If you stay long enough in the UK that your time in Schengen is less than 90 days then you will be OK - otherwise you may find yourself facing immediate deportation, a large fine, and a ban from Schengen. Or the latter when they discover your oversay upon departure.

PugliaX4

Hi The Capt.I just saw your post re the buying of a camper van. I am living in Puglia, Italy and want to drive back to Ireland in July. So I want to buy one also. Perhaps if our dates match we could contact each other. You still want to sell in July.?

logos999

www.mobile.de

Best prices. You won't be able to register the van in Germany unless you're a resident and have a bank account. You also won't be able to sell a van bought in Turkey anywhere in the EU due to the lack of proper papers.

ParisAmsterdam

I did the Amex thing in Amsterdam in the 70s but you can't do it anymore. The Amex office is gone and there wasn't a single van for sale on Damrak in 2007. ;^(

You can try these people... no personal experience but they'll help you buy a van (or sell you one), look after licensing and insurance and then help you sell:

http://www.dutchcampervans.com

davestuttle

hi my Wife and I from Australia are wanting to buy a camper van in UK and register it in our name. We have a family friend who is willing to let us use their address however the registration form requests proof of residency, something with your name and address like an electricity bill. How have others provided proof of residency?

-Dave

janisj

>>How have others provided proof of residency?<<

They don't -- what you want to do isn't allowed.

hetismij2

If you are going to be spending more time in Europe than in the UK it makes more sense to buy an LHD camper from one of the buy back companies anyway.

But what you want to do is not possible. The family friend would need to register it in their name, and insure it such that you could drive it, and you would have to reimburse them. And pay any fines you acquired of course, so they don't end up with points on their licence or other problems.

Alec

You don't have to provide such evidence if you buy a used campervan, not brand-new.

Rubicund

Your difficulty will be that in the event of an accident, the fact that you lied about the address will, I'd guess, invalidate your insurance. I wouldn't take the risk.

StCirq

Yes, you could get the family friend to register it and insure it as the titulaire and be responsible for any costs associated with it. But you? NO. There is not a single formality you can accomplish (in France at least) without a justificatif de domicile (and a whole slew of other papers, too).

If your family friend is willing to do this, fine, but I sure wouldn't.

fuzzbucket

This is a very old thread, but perhaps some people might get some useful information from it.