1994 Mercedes-Benz 814D/3700
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mhiscox
Expedition Leader
That unfortunately matches my understanding and expectations. Certainly would be nice if it was otherwise, but it's been a long time since I've heard of anyone finding a remotely acceptable loophole.
mhiscox
Expedition Leader
mk216v
Der Chef der Fahrzeuge
A '94 is more than 15yrs old so may I ask why this importation was stressful?
mhiscox
Expedition Leader
Sunraiderseeker will have his own list, but when I imported CamperMog, among many stressful issues, the winner had to be wiring about $30K Euros to the account of a guy you never met in a country 6,000 miles away. Sounds too-stupid for-words, doesn't it, but that's how it's done with the European importers and if you want the truck, you send the money. My importer had, and has, a superb reputation, but still . . .
A close second place was walking into the Customs shed to see if what arrived was what you'd hoped for. The Customs agent opined that CamperMog was pretty cool, but told me, "You wouldn't believe some of the crap trucks that people end up stuck with."
So my importation worked fine, praise be. But after it was done, I never missed a chance to advise someone looking for a Unimog to find one already in the country.
Visited the rig in Storage
Visited the rig this AM. Solid appearing bones. It needs some esthetic work and restoration, updating some electronics etc. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. Spent about two hours looking over the truck and talking with the owner of the storage site. Owner of the truck is from the UK where she currently lives. The truck is in Nevada in outside storage. So the truck in registered in the UK and is on sabbatical here in the US.
Visited the rig this AM. Solid appearing bones. It needs some esthetic work and restoration, updating some electronics etc. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. Spent about two hours looking over the truck and talking with the owner of the storage site. Owner of the truck is from the UK where she currently lives. The truck is in Nevada in outside storage. So the truck in registered in the UK and is on sabbatical here in the US.
I like it but it will need work. I would have to seal everything again and make sure no leaks. Take care of the surface rust and the one minor area of cancer left rear fender well. Puzzled by the locking crank straps on the gas tank but thats a simple fix. Headliner driving compartment would need to be removed to inspect how much water damage is really there. Living compartment looked solid with no similar suspected leakage. I did not verify working nature of electronics or appliances. Water filtration was removed during winterization process and will be re-installed. I did not drive the vehicle at this time but would be happy to do so if needed.
Jay the owner of the storage site says mechanically the truck is great. He is a great guy and knows what he is talking about mechanically. We spent more time talking about motorcycles, his metal lathes, and future car projects then the truck. He said I am welcome to come back anytime.
The truck will go back to the UK if not sold I assume. Not sure of any pending timeline. I would think that this would be a perfect fit for Canada. Its here in North America so the importation transport costs are already taken care of. This is not eligible for US registration as per my conversation with 6 different registered importers here on the west coast.
Jay the owner of the storage site says mechanically the truck is great. He is a great guy and knows what he is talking about mechanically. We spent more time talking about motorcycles, his metal lathes, and future car projects then the truck. He said I am welcome to come back anytime.
The truck will go back to the UK if not sold I assume. Not sure of any pending timeline. I would think that this would be a perfect fit for Canada. Its here in North America so the importation transport costs are already taken care of. This is not eligible for US registration as per my conversation with 6 different registered importers here on the west coast.
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Joe917
Explorer
Sunraiderseeker will have his own list, but when I imported CamperMog, among many stressful issues, the winner had to be wiring about $30K Euros to the account of a guy you never met in a country 6,000 miles away. Sounds too-stupid for-words, doesn't it, but that's how it's done with the European importers and if you want the truck, you send the money. My importer had, and has, a superb reputation, but still . . .
A close second place was walking into the Customs shed to see if what arrived was what you'd hoped for. The Customs agent opined that CamperMog was pretty cool, but told me, "You wouldn't believe some of the crap trucks that people end up stuck with."
So my importation worked fine, praise be. But after it was done, I never missed a chance to advise someone looking for a Unimog to find one already in the country.
I wired over $70000 to a South African bank account for a vehicle in Italy registered in Germany! I had checked everything out as much as possible and if it was a scam it was incredibly complex. The vehicle is here now and only days away from completing all paperwork. Customs held the vehicle at the border for three hours before clearing with no explanation. I had inspected the vehicle in Italy with the owner. We drove the vehicle to the docks and signed the shipping contract on the back of a moped (not while in motion). Too stupid for words is the way things seem to work, Don't get me started on the way shipping companies work. Shipping was over $10000 door to door, having the vehicle in North America already is a huge savings.
Shipping was over $10000 door to door, having the vehicle in North America already is a huge savings.[/QUOTE]
Absolutely agree. Also the costs to visit and inspect the vehicle here in Nevada are significantly less. Finalizing a deal using US Banks also make the transfer of money feel a little more secure perhaps.
Note on the windshield. Neighbors to the storage area got their young son a pellet gun for Xmas. He practiced on the windshield. It will be replaced soon.
Absolutely agree. Also the costs to visit and inspect the vehicle here in Nevada are significantly less. Finalizing a deal using US Banks also make the transfer of money feel a little more secure perhaps.
Note on the windshield. Neighbors to the storage area got their young son a pellet gun for Xmas. He practiced on the windshield. It will be replaced soon.
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Mike, Given your history of developing interesting camper projects, I think you should set up an LLC, and import the Travel Van for research purposes. You could keep it in Oregon for a year, then take a quick trip to Canada and back. Or, maybe more in keeping with the spirit of the law, get Christian Pelletier to register the vehicle for you in Montreal. I think that's how Overland International gets to keep odd ducks like the Jeep J8 in their parking lot.
http://www.expeditionportal.com/vehicules/4x4/jeep/1821-iotw-jeep-j8.html
http://www.expeditionportal.com/vehicules/4x4/jeep/1821-iotw-jeep-j8.html
mhiscox
Expedition Leader
Sigh. I was worried someone would come up with a plausible scheme. OK, I promise to think about it, but it's not like I'm short on vehicular entertainment around here. (And I find the door curtains a little frilly, don't you?
)Maybe Christian needs it. He's high on the list of people who may want to buy the Leftovers Sprinter when I'm done with it. Maybe this would suit him as well or better. Having a Mercedes factory 4WD system in a North American van isn't likely to happen many other ways.
Many thanks to Tad/Racingdad for helping us out with the inspection and photos. Very useful for all of us fans of this vehicle. Stop by if you're up this way, buddy. I owe you a dinner out of the money saved not trucking down to Reno.
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Will do. Just returned from Crater Lake trip last week. Wanted to do the Cowboy Dinner Tree again but didnt have enough time or reservations. Now we are getting smoked out from the Yosemite Rim Fire. I hope it doesnt getting too much into Yosemite. We were planning on backpacing into Glen Aulin this fall.