Not sure if this subject has been mentioned before. I'm thinking of importing a Toyota Tundra/ Ford F250 and a fifth wheel from the US. Are there any GN's that could share experiences or offer any advice.
Thanks John
oldtrack123 said
10:23 PM Aug 7, 2012
Hi John
You are stepping into a mine field
You will need to be very carefull that you understand ALL the risks of noncompliance, dodgy dealers, false compliance cerificates etc
Many have had no problems& BELIEVE their units are fully compliant.
Many other,sadly, have found the units are non compliant & are stuck between arock & a hard place, with the dealers generally just wiping them.
I believe some of the latter do frequent this forum from time to time
But you could just google
Imported vans from USA , 5th wheelers from USA & similar
you will see what I believe is the tip of an iceberg
MY advise is tread very carefully, seek advice from
various Gov depts
check the ADR[aus design rules for vans etc],many catches in those as some have found out
Ensure that ALL appliance have AUSTRALIAN approval
Check that the wiring FULLY complies to Aus Standards AS 3000 AND aS3001:2008
Do not be sucked in to believing you can use existing appliances, wiring etc via 110v via a transformer
THAT is a common short cut taken by many,TOTALLY NON APPROVED,NON COMPLIANT for very good reasons
Then the whole electrical set up is non compliant EVEN IF some dodgy sparky has issued a compliance & YOU will be left holding the can of worms
The whole gas system & appliance SHALL comply to the Aus standards& have a gas certificate but again be suspicious.
Dodgy gas certifiers do exist as well
IF they are stock USA the will not
Now before some rush in & claim no problems
I would suggest THEY make sure that THEY are not among those who only believe,because they have a compliance cert
Good ,correctly fully compliant units are to be found
Peter
Keith19837 said
02:44 AM Aug 8, 2012
G'Day John, Peter (above) is quite right. On top of this, there are also certain State Regs that have to be considered. Properly Australian complianced imports will fit with most State Regs for local coppers to ignore minor hiccups. Whereas major detractions will also draw attention to the more minor compliance problems. Generally speaking, the better importers who charge a bit more, actually work out cheaper in the long run. Also, some imports have engines, gearboxes etc that are not part of Australia's import regime. This means that certain parts may not be able to source locally, thus further expense. For example: the Chevrolet Suburban is also sold here as a Holden but Ford F series have various engine options for the U.S. market not available locally and have to be specially ordered with freight costs/delays etc. Please be careful and perhaps ask your choice of importer to provide some 'happy customer' references and also to show you that all engine parts etc are available locally or at least easily. For what it's worth.
hotqld said
02:09 PM Aug 9, 2012
Hi John,
On Gas and Electrical compliance, I have just imported a USA caravan for our own use and did most the conversions myself...ex sparkie.
We are extremely happy with the USA quality and most of all the price!
Appliances, Dump all the 110 volts systems except for::
Fridge Freezer and Hot water, These will run on LPG just as well as mains and certification to AS LPG stsndards is $400.00 each, still heaps cheaper than the hefty local make ups. Talk to electricians about installing 110volt / 240volts transformers inside the appliance, the same as my Westinghouse gas oven for home supposidly Aussie made..lol!
Yes rewire all the 110 volt stuff, USA uses black as positve and solid conductors with a bare earth which we cant allow in Aus for voltages above 48 volts. But use them for 12 volts and look at all lights etc to 12 volt led, you can retain USA wiring on voltages lower than 48 volts, same with TV go LED dual 12 volt / 240 volt.
The only 240 volt stuff should be a few power points and a battery charger, keep that system small basic and inexpensive and look at a 600 watt 12 volt solar system, you by pass regulations keeping voltages below 48 volts.
LPG: My neighbour here in Aus got his motor home piped up for LPG just under $1000.00 and my USA caravan was about $1300.00. Plus the gas bottles and bottle holders USA has different size bottles.
Electrical and LPG compliancing are overcome for a smallish cost.
I dont know about fith wheeler hitches etc, be carefull you are not overwidth by a inch or two! A real left hand door and stairs as well?
On parts just a thought we have a Jeep and import all our parts from the USA so far the cost including freight are less than half price with 3-5 day couriers routine from the USA we have found not a lot longer than interstate here.
We are on the Sunny Coast, drop in for a chat.
-- Edited by hotqld on Thursday 9th of August 2012 02:10:56 PM
-- Edited by hotqld on Thursday 9th of August 2012 02:14:52 PM
-- Edited by hotqld on Thursday 9th of August 2012 02:22:12 PM
-- Edited by hotqld on Thursday 9th of August 2012 08:57:31 PM
johnnz said
08:57 AM Aug 10, 2012
Big thanks from members regarding my question, presently in the US and will be until January 2013. As you can imagine when I see what new and second hand motohomes, fifth wheels, caravans and large utes sell for in the US, I can't help but wonder just why we have to pay such high prices in Australia.
Again thanks
Johnnz
Sulphur1 said
05:07 AM Aug 16, 2012
Be careful that the vehicle can handle the Gross Combine Mass of the total rig. An F250 is only good for about 7.5 tonnes wheareas an F350 9 tonnes or more depending on the model / variant of each one. Both have the 7.3 Power Stroke diesel, so it's not just about what's up front, more the rear axle/chassis. Similar with Chevy's.
Not sure if this subject has been mentioned before. I'm thinking of importing a Toyota Tundra/ Ford F250 and a fifth wheel from the US. Are there any GN's that could share experiences or offer any advice.
Thanks John
Hi John
You are stepping into a mine field
You will need to be very carefull that you understand ALL the risks of noncompliance, dodgy dealers, false compliance cerificates etc
Many have had no problems& BELIEVE their units are fully compliant.
Many other,sadly, have found the units are non compliant & are stuck between arock & a hard place, with the dealers generally just wiping them.
I believe some of the latter do frequent this forum from time to time
But you could just google
Imported vans from USA , 5th wheelers from USA & similar
you will see what I believe is the tip of an iceberg
MY advise is tread very carefully, seek advice from
various Gov depts
check the ADR[aus design rules for vans etc],many catches in those as some have found out
Ensure that ALL appliance have AUSTRALIAN approval
Check that the wiring FULLY complies to Aus Standards AS 3000 AND aS3001:2008
Do not be sucked in to believing you can use existing appliances, wiring etc via 110v via a transformer
THAT is a common short cut taken by many,TOTALLY NON APPROVED,NON COMPLIANT for very good reasons
Then the whole electrical set up is non compliant EVEN IF some dodgy sparky has issued a compliance & YOU will be left holding the can of worms
The whole gas system & appliance SHALL comply to the Aus standards& have a gas certificate but again be suspicious.
Dodgy gas certifiers do exist as well
IF they are stock USA the will not
Now before some rush in & claim no problems
I would suggest THEY make sure that THEY are not among those who only believe,because they have a compliance cert
Good ,correctly fully compliant units are to be found
Peter
Hi John,
On Gas and Electrical compliance, I have just imported a USA caravan for our own use and did most the conversions myself...ex sparkie.
We are extremely happy with the USA quality and most of all the price!
Appliances, Dump all the 110 volts systems except for::
Fridge Freezer and Hot water, These will run on LPG just as well as mains and certification to AS LPG stsndards is $400.00 each, still heaps cheaper than the hefty local make ups. Talk to electricians about installing 110volt / 240volts transformers inside the appliance, the same as my Westinghouse gas oven for home supposidly Aussie made..lol!
Yes rewire all the 110 volt stuff, USA uses black as positve and solid conductors with a bare earth which we cant allow in Aus for voltages above 48 volts. But use them for 12 volts and look at all lights etc to 12 volt led, you can retain USA wiring on voltages lower than 48 volts, same with TV go LED dual 12 volt / 240 volt.
The only 240 volt stuff should be a few power points and a battery charger, keep that system small basic and inexpensive and look at a 600 watt 12 volt solar system, you by pass regulations keeping voltages below 48 volts.
LPG: My neighbour here in Aus got his motor home piped up for LPG just under $1000.00 and my USA caravan was about $1300.00. Plus the gas bottles and bottle holders USA has different size bottles.
Electrical and LPG compliancing are overcome for a smallish cost.
I dont know about fith wheeler hitches etc, be carefull you are not overwidth by a inch or two! A real left hand door and stairs as well?
On parts just a thought we have a Jeep and import all our parts from the USA so far the cost including freight are less than half price with 3-5 day couriers routine from the USA we have found not a lot longer than interstate here.
We are on the Sunny Coast, drop in for a chat.
-- Edited by hotqld on Thursday 9th of August 2012 02:10:56 PM
-- Edited by hotqld on Thursday 9th of August 2012 02:14:52 PM
-- Edited by hotqld on Thursday 9th of August 2012 02:22:12 PM
-- Edited by hotqld on Thursday 9th of August 2012 08:57:31 PM
Big thanks from members regarding my question, presently in the US and will be until January 2013. As you can imagine when I see what new and second hand motohomes, fifth wheels, caravans and large utes sell for in the US, I can't help but wonder just why we have to pay such high prices in Australia.
Again thanks
Johnnz
Be careful that the vehicle can handle the Gross Combine Mass of the total rig. An F250 is only good for about 7.5 tonnes wheareas an F350 9 tonnes or more depending on the model / variant of each one. Both have the 7.3 Power Stroke diesel, so it's not just about what's up front, more the rear axle/chassis. Similar with Chevy's.
Cheers