USA Pickup/Import

Since we have been in a close relationship with all our manufacturers, we have the added benefit of allowing you to extend you’re touring in the US & Canada. You can pick up you’re new Damon, Four Winds or Forest River motorhome from the factories and spend a few nights, allowing you to move into you’re new RV, and once comfortable you can begin you’re tour around the US & Canada. Once finished we will look after the shipping, organise what taxes & imports are payable and convert the RV to UK Specification and Register the RV so you can tour round the UK & Europe.

Alternatively, if you have sourced a motorhome in the USA or we have sourced it for you, we can organise the relative work to import it into the UK and undertake the work needed to bring it to UK Specification & Register the RV with the DVLA.

We do the following:

• Organise Shipping from Baltimore to Liverpool or Jacksonville to Southampton
• Organise what taxes are due to be paid by client
• Pick up from docks once landed
• Under go 17th Edition 240v & 12v electrics to UK Law & Legislation
• Register the RV with DVLA

Individual Vehicle Approval

After over 2 years of working with both Department Of Transport and VOSA we are now the only authorized Designated premises Solely catering for new and used American motorhomes imported after April 2012 that require a mandatory IVA test for registration. We are now a POTF (Privately Owned Test Facility) capable of undertaking the IVA programme at our premises. In doing so, we have become the first and only American motorhome distributor and service centre to become a POTF.

IVA stands for Individual Vehicle Approval and relates to Type Approval of vehicles in the UK. Type approval is the process, which ensures that vehicles, their systems and components, meet the appropriate environmental and safety standards for use in the UK and Europe.For your vehicle to be registered into the UK it must show that it has some form of Type Approval. In the case of new right hand drive vehicles supplied at your local retailer they will be supplied by the manufacturer with a mass scale Type Approval called a certificate of conformity.

For the rest of us who have a Left hand drive American motorhome imported from outside the EU, we can use the IVA test to gain the type approval we must have to register our vehicle.

VOSA

The Vehicle undertakes an IVA test and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) at a VOSA testing station or a VOSA approved designated premises like our own. The VOSA staff visit our site throughout the week and carry out inspections on our clients vehicles accompanied by one of our IVA technicians. Having an experienced technician presenting your vehicle for test is a massive advantage over presenting the vehicle for test yourself because you are often required to show certain components of the vehicle to an examiner that may be behind trim panels or in hard to reach areas of the engine bay. Once satisfied they issue IVA pass certificates that we use to register your vehicle with the DVLA.

Your vehicle will always need some level of modification to achieve UK type approval and our technicians have the experience to prepare your vehicle to IVA standard so when it is inspected we have the confidence it will pass every time.

We will handle all the paperwork involved with your application electronically with our contacts at VOSA so you won’t waste any time posting paperwork back and forth until it is correct.

IVA for a motorhome is no easy task as all motorhomes are different, some will need extensive work to conform please bear this in mind when purchasing your new or used American motorhome.

Costs involved

VOSA Test Fee £199.00

Pit Charge Fee  £600.00 + VAT

IVA Labour rate £75.00 per hour + VAT

The Conversion work is the unknown some motorhomes will need more work than others. A list below will give some ideas of problem areas. 

• 1)    Road lighting
• 2)    Seat belts
• 3)    Seat belt anchorages
• 4)    Tow bars
• 5)    Exterior projections
• 6)    Sharp edges
• 7)    Overall length
• 8)    Overall width
• 9)    Masses dimensions
• 10)  Brake efficiency
• 11)  Front seats head restraint

This is just a few areas of concern.

Please view the IVA manual for in-depth detail

USA Import/Pick Up Information Request