Shipping two trucks from US to Europe

[greenmeanie]

I am moving to Switzerland and want to take two trucks with me. Yes I know they are a pain to register there but that is life. I have a 101 and a IIA 109 that I aim to ship by 40ft container. Can any of you blokes who regularly ship vehicles over here recommend a shipper going in the other direction?

Cheers
Gregor

 

[Maryland 110]

Shoot me a pm and I'll hook you up with a door to door quote. Going to need load and unload post codes.

 

[greenmeanie]

Thanks for the help. I'll shoot you a PM in the morning when I can find out what passes for a post code where we will hopefully be staying. The relocation people are really dragging their feet fining us a place to live but it should be within a few miles of the works address.

 

[Maryland 110]

Unload shouldn't be a home address since you will be driving them out of a container mounted on a semi chassis-ie a loading dock or flat bed/roll back tow truck will be needed. Just give me your work address for quote purposes and when the time comes you and the delivery company can fine tune.

 

[graniterover]

Just send the 101 to Hollis NH 03049. Should reduce your burden a bit.

 

[leeawalden]

I am moving to Switzerland and want to take two trucks with me. Yes I know they are a pain to register there but that is life. I have a 101 and a IIA 109 that I aim to ship by 40ft container. Can any of you blokes who regularly ship vehicles over here recommend a shipper going in the other direction?

Cheers
Gregor

This is just a thought...Are you moving to Switzerland indefinitely or just for a temp job? I'm no "bloak" that ships vehicles abroad and I don't know about the Swiss but I would sell mine here and buy one when I get there. I would imagine the money you could sell them for here and the money you would save in shipping them would buy you a lot nicer series over there, or even a new defender. If they are something extremely sentimental to you then I would ship them I guess.

edit, read you are moving and have the pleasure of dealing with a relo company...if they are paying for your move (which I would assume that they are?)...then ship em.

 

[greenmeanie]

Heh, everyone thinks I want to swap my series for a more modern boinger. I pretty much lost interest in LR when they went away from leaf springs. Its just a personal preference thing.

The trucks being shipped are a 101 and a rather special, slightly modified NADA 109. I won't get a nicer series over there. I may have an issue registering the 109 but I'm going to try anyway. Worst comes to worst it'll either come back to the US or go and live with my brother in the UK.

Relo won't touch vehicles unfortunately. It's all on my own nickle but these trucks owe me a lot of time, blood, sweat and tears. I know they are inpractical, expensive to run, not safe etc.... but then we don't all want to drive Toyota Camrys.

 

[leeawalden]

Heh, everyone thinks I want to swap my series for a more modern boinger. I pretty much lost interest in LR when they went away from leaf springs. Its just a personal preference thing.

The trucks being shipped are a 101 and a rather special, slightly modified NADA 109. I won't get a nicer series over there. I may have an issue registering the 109 but I'm going to try anyway. Worst comes to worst it'll either come back to the US or go and live with my brother in the UK.

Relo won't touch vehicles unfortunately. It's all on my own nickle but these trucks owe me a lot of time, blood, sweat and tears. I know they are inpractical, expensive to run, not safe etc.... but then we don't all want to drive Toyota Camrys.

I hear you...just didn't know if you had thought of that! I don't know anything about shipping cars overseas but good luck with it!

 

[piper109]

I am moving to Switzerland and want to take two trucks with me. Yes I know they are a pain to register there but that is life. I have a 101 and a IIA 109 that I aim to ship by 40ft container. Can any of you blokes who regularly ship vehicles over here recommend a shipper going in the other direction?

Cheers
Gregor

If you want to get anything through the Swiss inspection system you will have your work cut out for you. They are extremely picky. A spec of rust on a headlight reflector and they fail you. Anything that is not considered standard equipment will prevent you from passing. Just getting the vehicle clean enough to be inspected will be an ordeal. If anything has a suspicion of a leak they will refuse it.
They check the chassis for rust with a pointed hammer and they know where they usually go rusty. A spec of rust on a brake line and you are history.
As a former Swiss resident, I would strongly advise you reconsider your plan. Buy a vehicle there that already has a valid inspection.
As an alternative you could have a residence in France and commute daily, assuming you are going to Western Switzerland.

Steve

 

[HINO SG]

If you want to get anything through the Swiss inspection system you will have your work cut out for you. They are extremely picky.
They check the chassis for rust with a pointed hammer and they know where they usually go rusty. A spec of rust on a brake line and you are history.
As a former Swiss resident, I would strongly advise you reconsider your plan.

X2

It's been a long times since I've lived there and I'm sometimes surprised at what people do pull off in the more uptight European countries like CH, but sounds like a big gamble to me.

good luck. a good attitude and planets in the right alignment might work out for you but I wouldn't do it.

 

[greenmeanie]

Indeed gents, I have read a lot of people with the same story.

The 101 is stock other than the front disk brakes which can be returned to stock drums. I know of one in Switzerland so while it may be a pain I feel it stands a reasonable chance. Obtaining relevant documentation and the actual emissions test may be a pain but it is as built. It has a couple of oil leaks that I can fix pretty easily.

Both trucks have zero rust as one was an RAF truck that lived a sheltered life and the other is a desert southwest truck that I have been through and is now completely solid in chassis black. They can hammer away as I have already done that.

The 109 is modified and I suspect I won't get anywhere with registration. Worst comes to worst the vehicles will go into storage or even go to live with my brother in the UK.

There are no equivalent vehicles in the CH that I want so I feel I have gained nothing if I don't try. I have a mitigation plan.

 

[greenmeanie]

Out of interest, if modified vehicles are not allowed, how would the vehicles in this link be registered in CH? The Defender has a completely new top and revised interior.

 

[piper109]

They would have had to submit the vehicle to the ZH Cantonal expertise authorities with significant documentation in the local language.

I also found this disclaimer for some of their mods:
Bemerkung: Ab 1.April 2010 benötigt das sogenannte Chip-Tuning eine Typengenehmigung. Wer ohne diese Bewilligung das öffentlich anbietet macht sich strafbar. Daher ist ein DTC-Gutachten in Vorbereitung, damit unser Tuning legal ist.

The word Typengenehmigung is the all important term. If signifies that a "type" approval is in place.

Bon chance,

Steve

 

[greenmeanie]

Thanks for the clarification.

I did find a form on the (Can't remember the official term but its there equivalent of the DMV) website for vehicles that do not exist yet in Canton of Vaud. It asked the usual stuff about year of manufacture, first registration etc. but then went on to ask about engine details, engine manufacturer and other modifications. Unfortunately they seems to want the original documents etc. and I got the impression it was based on the idea of the vehicle already being present rather than a preemptive adjudication.

There is a local independent LR garage with experience of series vehicles who I plan to help me at least bring the 101 up to snuff. Probably at vast expense given that it is Switzerland.

I may be hoping for too much that I can submit it for evaluation but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

 

[piper109]

Thanks for the clarification.

I did find a form on the (Can't remember the official term but its there equivalent of the DMV) website for vehicles that do not exist yet in Canton of Vaud. It asked the usual stuff about year of manufacture, first registration etc. but then went on to ask about engine details, engine manufacturer and other modifications. Unfortunately they seems to want the original documents etc. and I got the impression it was based on the idea of the vehicle already being present rather than a preemptive adjudication.

I lived in 3 places in the Canton de Vaud including Lausanne and you will have to go to the Service des automobiles office referred to locally as "La Blecherette" (Ave du Grey 110).
The french side of Switzerland is slightly more forgiving but its still ridiculous.
There are plenty of "frontaliers" working in the Canton de Vaud so living in France is a very real option and a heck of a lot cheaper. If you plan on any DIY you will probably have to go to France to get your parts. Its hard to buy parts other than filters, bulbs etc in Switzerland unless you are a bona fide business or are very friendly with a business employee ;-). If you have parts shipped in, you WILL pay customs on them.

Good luck on getting your "Permis de Travail", oh and take lots of money.

Steve

Did I mention you will need lots of money ?