Importing expedition truck

[Maninga]

I've been looking at a lot of options for a comfortable truck to take for a planned year trip, which I'd like to maybe extend longer. Short of Earthroamer or Global Expedition Vehicles, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of manufacturers or used vehicles for sale in the US with the quality or space we'd like (least in places I'm looking).

I started looking on Mobile.de for what they've got, it's like opening the cookie jar and finding everything you've wanted just sitting right there. There's a number of them sitting on a Mercedes 1017 chassis of interest, for around $45k euro. Given they're from the early 80's, what would be involved in importing such a truck? Has anyone had experience with this, or rough costs involved?

Example truck I like
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fsuchen.mobile.de%2Ffahrzeuge%2FshowDetails.html%3Fid%3D133699389%26__lp%3D16%26scopeId%3DMH%26sortOption.sortBy%3Dprice.consumerGrossEuro%26sortOption.sortOrder%3DASCENDING%26makeModelVariant1.searchInFreetext%3Dfalse%26makeModelVariant2.searchInFreetext%3Dfalse%26makeModelVariant3.searchInFreetext%3Dfalse%26vehicleCategory%3DMotorhome%26segment%3DMotorhome%26siteId%3DGERMANY%26features%3DFOUR_WHEEL_DRIVE%26negativeFeatures%3DEXPORT%26damageUnrepaired%3DNO_DAMAGE_UNREPAIRED%26export%3DNO_EXPORT%26customerIdsAsString%3D%26lang%3Den%26pageNumber%3D10

 

[dzzz]

I'm not sure there were any comfortable medium duty truck in 1984. I doubt 27 years has improved the situation.
An old truck is a project, not comfortable and reliable transportation for extensive travel.

 

[mhiscox]

Given they're from the early 80's, what would be involved in importing such a truck? Has anyone had experience with this, or rough costs involved?

I'm not able to be any help whatsoever for Australia, but in the likely event that the thread attacts North Americans, the terse answer for the US is:

25 model years old or older: Not easy, but certainly doable. There's paperwork, bureaucracy and regulations, but patience and following the rules will get you through. Some problems, though, with registration of old trucks in certain states.

Newer than 25 model years: Nearly impossible to import unless you swear to Customs that it's for non-highway use. Then it'll be very tough to register for highway use. (And if you did manage to get it registered--some have succeeded by registering in "easy" states--it will be a problem if you ever move to another state or want to resell it.)

In Canada, for the moment anyway, substitute 15 years for 25 years.

Transportaton will be expensive, depending on the size of the vehicle and the type of shipping used. (Roll-on/Roll off, for example, is preferrable to deck cargo.) Bremerhaven to Tacoma (not to different in sea miles than your situation) for a truck the size of the one you pictured was about $5K USD a decade ago; could be close to $10K now. Also, any truck going into the US that looks to Customs evenly remotely like a cargo-carrying vehicle will be subject to a 25% import duty; don't know whether you have a similar situation, but I wouldn't be surprised.

In general, I believe the accepted wisdom for the US and Canada is to look very, very hard for a suitable truck already in the country before importing. Here's hoping the situation is better where you are.

 

[skysix]

It's a 1980 - so you are good to import to the US...

 

[dare2go]

Maninga

I'm currently looking into the same, but we would like to do the Arabic countries, and maybe go back to South America, or even Africa.

Where do you want to travel with this vehicle?
If you want to travel in any other country than Australia why ship the vehicle first to OZ? Most likely the most expensive shipping you can do... Rates to Australia are already expensive, and then port handling costs and quarantine make it an outrageously costly exercise. I also wouldn't be sure that Australians wouldn't force you, as a resident, to convert to right-hand-drive before you get any plates (useless if you want to travel later-on overseas).

If you want to travel in any other direction, but Australia, I would register the vehicle in Europe, and start from there... You can go by road to Africa (no expensive shipping at all) and Asia (through Iran), to South America there's a cost-effective RoRo option with Grimaldi, to North America exist several reliable and frequent RoRo connections from Germany (though: in the US & Canada you don't need such vehicle). All will be cheaper than shipping from/to Australia.

If you're getting closer and need some help with German - feel free to contact me!

I'm not sure there were any comfortable medium duty truck in 1984. I doubt 27 years has improved the situation.
An old truck is a project, not comfortable and reliable transportation for extensive travel.

Wrong with these: the majority of old German 4x4 trucks, such as these Mercedes 1017, come from the army, some from firefighters. The majority has less than 50,000 kilometers on the clock (a little over 30,000 miles), and usually have been maintained more than driven. Unlike US military vehicles these have never been in any overseas deployment or war.

The one in this ad has an unusually high mileage, so be careful, and ask where it has been. You can find many with lower miles!!

True: due to the little use these can develop problems earlier than the mileage might suggest, but still later than the age would indicate (eg. wheel bearings might deteriorate pre-maturely) - the Mercedes 1017 is known for a) a robust engine, b) spare part availability in almost every corner of the globe.

 

[UpperCrust]

So im looking into importing another truck but I was told by my Customs broker it would not be covered under the Classic Vehicle Classification because it has been modified from its original state (Firetruck). Anyone hear of this?

 

[ILIAN]

Check out Eurotruck Importers or Couchoffroad Engineering for any G wagons or Camper Unimogs.

 

[Maninga]

Interesting to see this thread revive. I think at the time I was planning on picking up a truck in Europe and going for a year or two before bringing it back to Australia. Found some places that could do a RHD conversion of Mercedes truck (not exactly cheap though), was a good option at the time.

Unfortunately ended up not going. Came down with something that put me in hospital over that Easter, 5 years later still figuring it out. Dream of the trip though is still alive, building up a truck that should be ready later this year.