Urbano - Advertising feature

Whilst wending my way through Northern France this Spring, I spent a night at the ‘Aire de Service’ in Conty, a really delightful spot renowned both for fishing and for carriage driving – the kind you do with horses.

It is one of those delightful little French villages that welcomes ‘camping-caristes’ and provides somewhere to stay overnight free, with fresh water and dumps for both grey and black waste. 

I got chatting with a couple from Leeds who use it a regular stopover; their van, from the sticker on the back, had obviously come from Belgium and I couldn’t resist asking how they’d come by it.

It transpired that two years ago, they found they had to make a decision.

They had an old, much loved, motorhome that was getting tired and aged. More to the point, with the kids fast approaching their teens and demanding more space, it was becoming rather overcrowded.

Throw in the new family dog and it was approaching crisis point, but if their motorhome was to small, then so were their wallets.

WHAT TO DO?

After some serious searching on the internet they thought they had finally found the answer.

After making a shortlist of vehicles followed by several phone calls, they took a cheap flight over the water to look at the vehicles they had seen advertised.

After a successful weekend away, they sold their old van privately in the UK and planned a return trip to bring their second hand Hymer back home.

That was two years ago and they’re still delighted. It is just what they wanted and they saved, so they told me, about £5,000 in the process.

Their logic went like this: “We were working on a budget, and apart from driving to the boat we hardly ever used the van in the UK. All our spare time is spent touring in Europe, so the left hand steering wheel is a positive advantage”. 

What’s more, knowing exactly what they were looking for they said they found a much wider choice of vans meeting their criteria in Europe than in the UK – hardly surprising when you look at the number now on Europe’s roads.

They had bought from Urbano, Belgium’s biggest dealer and as I was heading for Brugge I decided to pop the 15 minutes up the road to Oostende and have a look for myself.

WELCOME TO URBANO



Urbano is literally at the end of the runway of Oostende airport, 70 miles from Rotterdam and a bit further to Zeebrugge.

We were greeted by Raoul, who explained over a coffee that the family business began 35 years ago, with just a few vans in front of the house.

In 1984 the Dendooven family began building ‘Freedom’ motorhomes, which later evolved into ‘Roller Team’.

They now have a truly massive site with more than 350 motorhomes of all sizes on show, selling nine of the most popular motorhome brands in Europe.

Their range of new motorhomes includes models that you are unlikely to come across in the UK, along with a very eclectic used selection of models taken in part exchange.

According to Raoul, the best bargains are those from their hire fleet.

Every year Urbano adds 25 new Roller Team vans of all shapes and sizes to its rental fleet at the start of the season, selling them off at the end of the year. It’s all a matter of first come first served!

Before discussing the importation process I thought I had better broach the tricky question of what happens if something goes wrong? How do they fulfill their guarantee obligations if the van is miles away across the Channel?

“We unconditionally guarantee everything for a year.” he explained emphasising that it includes vehicle and accommodation.

“Included in the price is an insurance policy so when, on the odd occasion, something needs attention we have a network of friends throughout Europe. No matter where you are, just call us and we’ll arrange it to be fixed nearby at no cost whatsoever.” 

Urbano believes that service is the customers’ priority, with price being a secondary consideration.

I’m not sure that they are quite in tune with British buyers on this point, but luckily there is no need to worry.

The company calculates that on a new van you could possibly save 15 per cent on the UK price and on a second hand one up to 20 per cent.

Importing a new van is more complicated. For example: you pay local VAT at 21% and have to wait till the Belgian government returns it to you – but VAT is still of 3 per cent lower than the UK rate.

My back-of-an-envelope accountancy suggested that it might cost around a thousand pounds, depending on where you live, to get across to choose a van, transport it to the UK and get all the tests and paperwork done.

Those in the South East close to Dover can cheaply pop across at the weekend; those of us in the North or in Scotland face a more costly trip.

Also, don’t forget the possibility of bank charges for transferring money from sterling to euros.  So a deal done in sterling is probably simpler – especially where the company has a sterling account, even if the exchange rate is hidden in the sale price.



SO WHAT KINDS OF VEHICLES WILL I FIND?

Well it’s best to look online. They have a really good website with an English translation, but the Livingstone immediately caught my eye.

Dwarfed by the ginormous Carthago and Arca battle-buses, this superbly crafted little motor, based on the new Fiat Ducato panel van, is described by Urbano as a ‘city van’.

It originates from the Roller Team stable and I’ve never seen it in the UK. It is impressive and it is just one of the new models available that would offer the UK buyer something quite different from what’s available back home. 

For some reason, the imposition of a restricted space seem to inspire designers to rise to the occasion, so that the smaller vans now often contain all the advantages of much bigger vehicles.

Take the 125-litre water tank, for example. Then there’s the shower, the Thetford toilet, heater, fixed bed, a fridge, a kitchen that works and very, very real comfort. 

It is all for €41,500 or for an extra €3,000 you get a really luxurious, air conditioned version with a metallic paint job and loads of extras. That’s just about £30,000 – and the quoted euro price includes Belgian VAT at 21%.

SO IS IT WORTH IT?

Buying a new rig potentially involves more paper, time and effort and there are number of excellent personal websites about importing new vans that are well worth looking at.

You can save a lot of cash, but remember it will possibly take you a lot of time running around getting everything together. 

But like the folk I met in Conty, if you get it right, it isn’t a problem at all. “Really very easy,” was the exact expression they used.

But get it wrong and you’ll spend a lot of time bouncing between government offices, paying for modifications they demand – or worse on the end of an expensive 0870 phone line, with papers always “in the post.”

Imagine you’ve been looking on-line for a few weeks and spotted the ‘van of your dreams: you’ve booked a no frills flight, are welcomed and collected from the airport by the chap you’ve been talking to on the phone, get to the showroom and then, to your relief, it is all you ever wanted - at the price you wanted too.

So what next? If a UK family walked in looking for a left hand drive bargain, what would they suggest? 

“How about this Auto-Roller 7” suggested Raoul gently steering us towards Urbano’s own build.

He then showed us a nice, traditional family ‘van in very good nick, built in 2003 with double bed and two bunks for the kids.

A mid-price ‘van similar in design and specification to many offered by most manufacturers, except that this one comes with an awning, a solar panel, a second 115Kwh leisure battery and a bike rack - all for £21,000 and fully serviced and guaranteed for a year. 

Prices quoted in sterling include currency conversion costs and allow you to pay from a UK account and make a direct comparison with vans offered here.

For a couple wanting to tour, the Auto-Roller 15 was suggested with a fixed rear bed – it had 35,000Km on the clock, built in 2004, and on offer at £21,500 with awning, bike rack and other extras.

The Urbano secondhand stock is truly eclectic and ranges from Hymer to Westfalia, with even the odd caravan and a Gulfstream RV. 

I tried comparing the euro prices with those in the UK, but found finding identical vans with identical specifications, ages and mileages impossible. However, I do get the clear impression that there are serious savings to be had.

THE NITTY GRITTY

Most of the European companies understand the UK market often quoting prices in sterling.

Anyway, you figure it out in pounds or euros, then you haggle, get a few extras thrown in, then when satisfied you shake on the deal and that’s it.

A few weeks later you go back and collect the van and all the Belgian paperwork is waiting for you, including temporary insurance cover. 

This covers you while getting back home, getting the MOT done and the time it takes to arrange your own insurance and register the van. 

Specialist insurance companies working for the likes of the main clubs will not insure you till the van is actually on British soil, and may then issue a seven-day cover note simply on the VIN or serial number before it is UK registered.

It’s best to talk to your insurance company before you go - indeed the more preparatory work you can put in before you go, the smoother things will be.

At customs you stop and declare that you’re importing a second hand van and show all the papers and prove your van is over six months old with more than 6,000km on the clock – that means there is no VAT to be paid (yippee!) and you get a certificate to prove it.

You’ve now got to sprint home and get things together at the DVLA office, call your insurance company and get the MOT done if it is more than 3 years old.

AT THE DVLA AND INTO THE BEYOND



I actually went along to my local DVLA office and chatted to a really nice lady who gave me all the forms I’d need and explained it would cost £50.

She even wrote on a post-it-note all the things I would need to bring with me:

?     Application form V55/5
?     Valid insurance certificate
?     MOT certificate
?     Original registration document
?     VAT certificate from customs VAT414
?     £50 fee
?     Two documents from a list proving name and address

That sounds dead easy, I thought, but the first form (INF148) began:

“Due to circumstances beyond our control we are unable to include the following booklets:SV5A and P15 ‘How to register a vehicle imported into Great Britain’”

That got me going - what about the MOT? - what needs to be what?  Some say that the speedometer can be in either mph or kmph for an MOT and the nice lady had specifically told me that it was something VOSA would know all about.

I phoned VOSA’s 0870 number, waited and waited and waited and was eventually told “That’s the DVLA- not us!”  Those who remember “That’s Life!” will begin to get the picture …

I got hold of the Technical Services Branch of VOSA and asked, “are speedometers in kmph legal on European type approved motorhomes?” as this seems to be surrounded by several urban myths.

Here’s the verbatim reply: “Currently Motor Caravans do not require ECWVTA. (European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval). A motor caravan is required to comply with the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations in GB which requires the speedometer to display speed in mph.”

So you’ll probably have to change either the speedo or possibly the whole display module – which could well cost another few hundred quid.

I also asked, “Other than headlights and fog light being adjusted what other changes are necessary or mandatory?”

Back came the reply:

“We cannot be specific on this issue as it would depend on the vehicle specification. As these vehicles are not required to meet ECWVTA they may be built to meet the national standards of a particular country, which may vary between member states. In general, headlamps, rear fog lamp and possibly mirrors can, from an EC directive viewpoint, be for either left or right hand rules of the road.” 

What this means in essence is that the van can pass the MOT and still not be legal! He concluded by saying, “The vehicle owner or user is responsible for ensuring the vehicle is compliant in respect of the GB legislation.” 

So there you are: all the pitfalls and potential problems when you try to register your new van and the changes you may have to make that can eat into the saving you’ve made.

Companies with Urbano’s experience though, are used to selling to and dealing with British customers and are superbly well organised and make it really simple. But the buck stops with you – not them.

IN CONCLUSION

My conclusion is that there really are big savings to be had, no doubt about that, but you may get frustrated with the paperwork.

You can save around £3,000 for the van you really want with left hand drive: assuming you have the patience and time it is well worth the effort, but it ain’t everyone’s cup of tea.

On the other hand, you might think that the layouts designated by the official importers as being suitable for the British market, are unduly restrictive in their scope. This is where those with individual tastes can really score, but there again, you might lose out when the time comes to sell.

Why not get online, start doing your homework and see if this is the right approach for you. Even if it doesn’t work out, a visit to Urbano is still an eye opening experience and well worth a visit if you are heading in that direction.

FOR THE LAW AND REGULATIONS:
www.direct.gov.uk/en/motoring/index.htm
especially: www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/BuyingAndSellingAVehicle/ImportingAndExportingAVehicle

FOR A COUPLE OF WEBLOGS LOOK AT:
www.ricksweb.co.uk/Importing.htm
www.motorhome-list.org.uk/importing.htm

Contact:

Urbano Motorhomes Company
Torhoutsesteenweg, 581 8400 Oostende
Belgium
Tel: +32 (0)59 55 40 00
Website: www.urbano.be

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