Hello, I'm a new member from Europe

[v v]

We have the intention on shipping our 24' RV across to the US this coming Fall, and I'm currently starting to put together the last detail for shipping and driving in the US.

I'll have a few questions some of which are relevant to now rather than a few years ago, because as we all know the world has changed a little recently. I'm told this is the forum to get good answers.

Any help at all is appreciated, I'll try not to ask too many dumb questions.

We are a Brit couple who currently live in rural central France. We have visited the US quite a few times over the years but not in a way that an RV will allow us to explore and give us the opportunity to get closer for longer to the many natural wonders of the US. We now want to see a different side of America.

We will be using the shipping agents Seabridge from Germany, but due to recent EU law they are no longer allowed to offer US road insurance to their clients. So that will be one of the first things to understand and cost, US road insurance for a temporarily imported (12 months) European RV.

Thanks

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Hi & welcome to RVForum!

Will you be obtaining vehicle registration in the USA? Since you will be here for an extended period, it may be technically required rather than driving on your French or UK registration. A complication is that vehicle registration tags (and driver licenses) are handled at the state level. So are insurance requirements, i.e. liability for damage to others. And will you also want insurance for damage to your own coach, or will your European insurance continue to cover it?

I'm not clear on what "road insurance" means - it's not a term I recognize in US insurance. Could you please explain it? Vehicles driven on public roads in the US require some form of liability insurance for damage to others, people or property. Other types of insurance are optional at the owners discretion.

In any case, I think it is going to be messy and expensive. Typically US insurers are shy of drivers with no US-based driving record or financial stability background. A further complication is that anyone living solely in their RV lacks a clear location basis for establishing rates (this affects US citizens as well as visitors).

 

[v v]

Hello Gary

No registration required providing the imported vehicle exits the US/Canada/Mexico within 12 months.

European insurance doesn't cover N America at all, this is the reason that a pre arranged insurance to cover the required liabilities is bought before arrival.

Road insurance is a catch all phrase to cover own vehicle liabilities including own vehicle value, other road users liability and various other costs should the user have an accident. The level of insurance varies slightly within this term but basically it covers, vehicle, occupants, contents and other road users and others property.

We have US friends living in the US and may use their address say for post or for insurance needs if required. They are an established American family having lived at the same property for about 100 years, but they are not RVers or connected in any way with insurance.

I have driven in the US but only for vacations, maybe 4-5 months in total over the years.

Thanks for giving me things to think about, we are fairly determined to try to unravel all the messy stuff if possible.

 

[Henry J Fate]

I would use your friends address here in the USA as the focus of your visit and have them check with their insurance company of what will be needed for their visitor to attain insurance for their shipped vehicle registered in the UK.

I have never noticed a UK registered vehicle on the roadways in this country. It may be that you will need temporary registration from the state of your friend's residence along with insurance.

The other option would be to rent a vehicle in the USA for your visit. There are many RV rental companies in the USA.

 

[Henry J Fate]

This insurance company was in an article that was about the difficulty of bringing in a registered UK vehicle for use in the USA.

Insurance Agency in Sweetwater, TN | Paramount Insurance Services

Paramount Insurance Services in Swee****er, TN offers a broad range of coverage options, including home, life, & auto. Call today for a free estimate!

paramountinsurancetn.com

 

[v v]

I would use your friends address here in the USA as the focus of your visit and have them check with their insurance company of what will be needed for their visitor to attain insurance for their shipped vehicle registered in the UK.

I have never noticed a UK registered vehicle on the roadways in this country. It may be that you will need temporary registration from the state of your friend's residence along with insurance.

The other option would be to rent a vehicle in the USA for your visit. There are many RV rental companies in the USA.

Thanks Henry

I didn't intend for our friends to be involved in our insurance other than provide us with an address. The German shipping agents have explained that it is difficult to get cover for a non US vehicle but it's possible, they have shipped European RVs to the US for nearly 30 years and until 2 years ago arranged insurance.
I have contacted the insurers they previously used but haven't had a reply in 2 weeks so may be looking for another insurer?

I know of but don't now who 2 British Rv's that were shipped by Seabridge the few years before Covid, so yes it is do-able.

The advantage is twofold. We have a vehicle we have owned for 5 years and know how it works and it's reliabilty etc, we can also use our own 'things'.
We will get a 6 month probably renewable visa and within the 12 month allowance for our RV we hope to be in the US for about 9 months.

Compared to the cost of shipping a vehicle we already own the cost of 9 months rental would be astronomical, and although UK registered it is LHD same as the US with a base vehicle used in the US too.

 

[donn]

Greetings.
Beyond the shipping hassles have you considered how to run appliances etc? Your RV will be setup for 220V 50Hz per EU standards. The US standard is 120V60Hz. The phase difference won't make and difference. But connecting to charge batteries, using appliances etc could be a hassle. Is your Motor Home a Brit design meaning everything will be wrong for the US or the rest of Europe, IE entry door on the right side, hookups on the left? Also I'm not positive, but I seem to remember propane connections will be different

 

[Rene T]

You probably l already know that you’ll only be able to stay here for 6 months and then you will need to leave the country. During that time, you will need to store your rv someplace. Have you thought about buying a used rv here and then when you are all done traveling, just sell it?
We have a member from Scotland and they come here every 6 months, store their truck and trailer till the next year. I’m sure she’ll chime in soon.

 

[v v]

Greetings.
Beyond the shipping hassles have you considered how to run appliances etc? Your RV will be setup for 220V 50Hz per EU standards. The US standard is 120V60Hz. The phase difference won't make and difference. But connecting to charge batteries, using appliances etc could be a hassle. Is your Motor Home a Brit design meaning everything will be wrong for the US or the rest of Europe, IE entry door on the right side, hookups on the left? Also I'm not positive, but I seem to remember propane connections will be different

I wondered that too, there are transformers for 120 to 220v which are commonly available plus solar panels on the roof for 12v.

The RV was built for Germany so fully compliant. It was bought by a German man from a German dealer showroom before it was registered in Germany. The buyer was to be transferred to the UK for a long term assignment so drove it to the UK on export license plates, first registration was in the UK.
There are propane adapters from US to European or the other way round, adapters are a way of life in Europe.

I'm pretty confident that our RV is as close as we can get to requiring minimal changes for the US, and it is reasonably economical for gas too which will help over the 20,000 miles we may travel.

Thanks for taking an interest Donn

 

[Tom]

We will get a 6 month probably renewable visa and within the 12 month allowance for our RV we hope to be in the US for about 9 months.

A B2 visa, usually good for 10 years (multiple entries), allows you to stay in the US for a maximum of 6 months at a time. The actual length of stay will be determind by the Border Patrol Agent at the port of entry. Leaving the US (e.g. to Canada) and re-entering usually restarts the clock.

Another option that a few of our members have used is to file for an extension of stay (up to 18 months) using Form I-539. See this thread:

Extending your B2 visa stay

The US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) have done a nice job of consolidating/delineating the procedure for extending your stay if you arrived in the US using a B2 (tourist) visa. B2 entries are limited to 6 months maximum for a given stay, but some visitors wish to stay longer. An...

www.rvforum.net

 

[Tom]

I wondered that too, there are transformers for 120 to 220v which are commonly available plus solar panels on the roof for 12v.

The RV was built for Germany so fully compliant. It was bought by a German man from a German dealer showroom before it was registered in Germany. The buyer was to be transferred to the UK for a long term assignment so drove it to the UK on export license plates, first registration was in the UK.
There are propane adapters from US to European or the other way round, adapters are a way of life in Europe.

I'm pretty confident that our RV is as close as we can get to requiring minimal changes for the US, and it is reasonably economical for gas too which will help over the 20,000 miles we may travel.

Thanks for taking an interest Donn

Assuming you buy a sufficiently large transformer, your TV(s) won't work in the US. But you can buy relatively inexpensive ones to use for your trip. There's a question about whether a microwave oven would work, because of the change in frequency. Should be easy to research.

 

[v v]

You probably l already know that you’ll only be able to stay here for 6 months and then you will need to leave the country. During that time, you will need to store your rv someplace. Have you thought about buying a used rv here and then when you are all done traveling, just sell it?
We have a member from Scotland and they come here every 6 months, store their truck and trailer till the next year. I’m sure she’ll chime in soon.

Yes it's a good option and did consider that, but we do think that we want to travel in an RV we really like and know it's history, and we do enjoy a challenge. We just need a little advice from time to time.

It is possible to extend the initial 6 months visa for a second 6 months providing we apply for the extension before the expiry. An extension isn't guaranteed so we will apply after 3 months and if turned down will leave with the RV after 6 months which is still a long journey by any standards.

Storage if we get our visa renewed is already sorted, we have 3 options for that.

Thanks Rene

 

[v v]

A B2 visa, usually good for 10 years, allows you to stay in the US for a maximum of 6 months. The actual length of stay will be determind by the Border Patrol Agent at the port of entry. Leaving the US (e.g. to Canada) and re-entering usually restarts the clock.

Another option that a few of our members have used is to file for an extension of stay (up to 18 months) using Form I-539. See this thread:

Extending your B2 visa stay

The US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) have done a nice job of consolidating/delineating the procedure for extending your stay if you arrived in the US using a B2 (tourist) visa. B2 entries are limited to 6 months maximum for a given stay, but some visitors wish to stay longer. An...

www.rvforum.net

Excellent, just what I needed to find

Assuming you buy a sufficiently large transformer, your TV(s) won't work in the US. But you can buy relatively inexpensive ones to use for your trip. There's a question about whether a microwave oven would work, because of the change in frequency. Should be easy to research.

This will be hard to believe, but we have neither a tv or microwave in our RV, we tend to rely on the internet for information or entertainment. But buying either or both once in the US may be a good idea, hadn't considered that. I'll have a word with a friend here if it were possible to wire in a single 120v socket and if that is a practical solution to using US electricals.

Thanks very much Tom

 

[donn]

Well, it sounds like you have everything sorted out. Visited France in 2001, yea shortly after 9/11. Had a business trip scheduled so we went. Really enjoyed my week up on the Normandy coast. Several years ago we met a couple of Germans traveling the US for a year. They bought a truck and trailer here, so everything was already set for them.
Don't remember if you mentioned if you have been here before or not, but be aware America is huge compared to what your used to. So don't plan too far in advanced. Also plan your travels according to the weather. Follow the sun north as Temps are comfortable for you and go south as it gets cold. Since it can take a week to drive coast to coast when you get closer to Leaving let us know your ideas and we we will be glad to point you in the right direction.

 

[Isaac-1]

As mentioned above insurance is regulated state to state in the US, some states like Florida are no fault states, meaning your own insurance covers any damage to your vehicle, though many states are at fault insurance states meaning that the insurance of the person that caused the accident pays the damages, though the legal minimums in some states are fairly low. In my state of Louisiana the legal minimum is only $20,000. When my wife and I were hit by a teenager driving an older full size SUV on our way home from our anniversary dinner a couple of years ago totaling my wife's car, the other driver only had minimal coverage, and my wife's then 3 year old car was valued at $27,000, as a result we had to also file on our policy under the optional collision insurance. In our state only liability insurance is legally mandated, there is also collision insurance which covers if you are hit by uninsured or under-insured drivers, and comprehensive insurance that covers things like a tree falling on the vehicle. It is important to understand what you have and what you are buying, my son was recently in an accidnet, hit by a bit and run drivers, he only had liability and comprehensive insurance, no collision insurance coverage, so ended up with a $5,000 out of pocket repair expense.

 

[v v]

Well, it sounds like you have everything sorted out. Visited France in 2001, yea shortly after 9/11. Had a business trip scheduled so we went. Really enjoyed my week up on the Normandy coast. Several years ago we met a couple of Germans traveling the US for a year. They bought a truck and trailer here, so everything was already set for them.
Don't remember if you mentioned if you have been here before or not, but be aware America is huge compared to what your used to. So don't plan too far in advanced. Also plan your travels according to the weather. Follow the sun north as Temps are comfortable for you and go south as it gets cold. Since it can take a week to drive coast to coast when you get closer to Leaving let us know your ideas and we we will be glad to point you in the right direction.

There is a lot still to understand and arrange, but already from info here today another couple of pieces have been fitted to the jigsaw.
Looks like insurance may be the biggest issue so I'll concentrate on that.

Yes we have visited the US a number of times over the years, some driving vacations, some public transport (we just love Amtrak) and some a mix of train, bus and car rental.

I will come back here when things are further ahead, but working on the basis that without insurance we are not shipping our RV then that subject is at the top of the agenda now.

Thank you again Donn

 

[v v]

As mentioned above insurance is regulated state to state in the US, some states like Florida are no fault states, meaning your own insurance covers any damage to your vehicle, though many states are at fault insurance states meaning that the insurance of the person that caused the accident pays the damages, though the legal minimums in some states are fairly low. In my state of Louisiana the legal minimum is only $20,000. When my wife and I were hit by a teenager driving an older full size SUV on our way home from our anniversary dinner a couple of years ago totaling my wife's car, the other driver only had minimal coverage, and my wife's then 3 year old car was valued at $27,000, as a result we had to also file on our policy under the optional collision insurance. In our state only liability insurance is legally mandated, there is also collision insurance which covers if you are hit by uninsured or under-insured drivers, and comprehensive insurance that covers things like a tree falling on the vehicle. It is important to understand what you have and what you are buying, my son was recently in an accidnet, hit by a bit and run drivers, he only had liability and comprehensive insurance, no collision insurance coverage, so ended up with a $5,000 out of pocket repair expense.

That's a lot of bad luck for one family, I'm sorry for you. I will and do take the insurance part seriously. That's all good advice, if we get as far as an insurance offer I'll re-read your post before accepting.

Not a good idea to write this on a whole USA forum, but Louisiana is our favourite state so far. When in the area we always end up overnighting in Kinder, and always eating at Fausto's opposite Market Basket.

Thanks for the advice

 

[v v]

This insurance company was in an article that was about the difficulty of bringing in a registered UK vehicle for use in the USA.

Insurance Agency in Sweetwater, TN | Paramount Insurance Services

Paramount Insurance Services in Swee****er, TN offers a broad range of coverage options, including home, life, & auto. Call today for a free estimate!

paramountinsurancetn.com

Hello Henry

I contacted Paramount Insurance and have had a prompt reply. They do not cover our type of vehicle and didn't know where to point me for a company that does.
It was pleasing to get a reply even though it wasn't the answer I was looking for.

Thanks

 

[Henry J Fate]

British Passport holders do not need visas to enter the country. They use an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization)

 

[Henry J Fate]

Hello Henry

I contacted Paramount Insurance and have had a prompt reply. They do not cover our type of vehicle and didn't know where to point me for a company that does.
It was pleasing to get a reply even though it wasn't the answer I was looking for.

Thanks

Sorry about that. They claim to have covered other vehicles from UK I guess not RVs though.