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Mon Nov 21, 2011 4:07 am

hello all... there are a few of us brits. that a considering shipping our busses (inc. a couple of bd's) across the pond to california for the classic in 2014.

i know its a couple of years away but these things take some planning (and saving)

am i right in thinking that aslong as we have filled out the correct forms and that our vehicles are older than 21 years , there will be no bond to pay!!

i found this link, presuming i read it right (not my forte!)
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/imports/420b10027.pdf

could any one please clarify?

the aim of the trip is to enjoy the classic (for a week of so) then have a road trip from west coast to the east coast, where we will get them shipped home.

i also know there are a couple whom are trying to do this for your bd campout next year..

any advise or help would be appreciated

cheers buzz

BDA 2014

Tue Nov 22, 2011 9:56 am

Tue Nov 22, 2011 12:07 pm

I cant comment on the bond issue, however, I have a suggestion on your route. Its totally biased, but if i were vacationing via bus in this country, I would stay out west. You could do the most amazing route through arizona, utah, idaho, eastern wyoming, washington, coastal oregon and then back down the california coast. Once you get further east, expect long highway days with humid weather in the summer. Out west, you still get cool nights in the summer for camping. Also, the terrain is so different from the UK. Im a desert/mountain guy, just love the stuff. Also love the big trees in the northwest...

Roll on roll off into Port Hueneme through Wallenius Lines is usually the cheapest shipping from the UK, but its still expensive. I will be really impressed if you guys actually get some Barndoors across the ocean this coming summer...

My two cents...

Tue Nov 22, 2011 12:45 pm

your two cents ... is more than welcome, we need as much input as poss... to make it a cool/good trip.

cheers buzz

Tue Nov 22, 2011 7:15 pm

hwy 101 through oregon and washington is a amazing drive
and in june/july the whether will be really nice doesn't get really hot til end of july and august

Wed Nov 23, 2011 11:48 am

Go West young Man! You will be amazed by the recommended routes in the Western U.S.. Keep us posted when you get closer to your trip date so you can have help, advice, and mainly company when you arrive. Good luck!

Wed Nov 23, 2011 12:03 pm

sounds all great... thanks

the thread on ssvc is all coming together....

Sat Jul 07, 2012 8:31 am

we have 4 barndoors on the list for this trip.... its slowly coming together...

less than 2 years to go... be nice to be part of another one of your awesome barndoor lineups.. :)

Sat Jul 07, 2012 8:55 am

haha... you're not coming all over BD elitist are you Buzz? :wink:

Sat Jul 07, 2012 9:07 am

he he.... well maybe just for 1 day.....

just trying indirectly to request another great gathering :wink:

Sun Jul 08, 2012 5:57 am

I dont know how deep you have looked into this and I dont want to put a dampner on it, but I had great problems when I wanted to get 54 over for the OCTO.
If I was importing to the USA for it to stay there then no problem, but the yanks cannot get their head around the fact that someone would want to bring a vehicle over there, especially an old bus, to drive around and then take it back again, when you can hire a car!?! They are very suspicious about that bit.
Getting the bus shipped there and back is not a problem, but to go in a container or roll on roll off is something to think about.
I had problems getting insurance, because no one in the UK will do it, so you have to go to a US broker and I didnt have any joy.
A bond needs to be left with US customs, which will be high. This means that if your bus does not leave the country within a set time they will claim the bond from you. They will still claim it even if the worst happens that your bus is stollen, crushed and in a thousand bits and you do not remove it from the US. A Carnet is not required, as I called the UK & US customs and both confirmed this.
You have to be in the US to accept delivery when the ship arrives or you will be fined a lot of US Dollars for them to store it etc.

I hope I havent burst any bubbles and you may already have the answers or may have better luck than I did.

Good luck,

Sean.

Sun Jul 08, 2012 4:59 pm

I would suggest you need an experienced freight forwarder to help you in your quest. I have shipped one car to Australia, not to be returned, and I have been witness to several cars being brought into port, both with and without freight forwarders. The freight forwarders know the union guys at the docks, and can get stuff in with little delay. The forwarder I used for the Australia shipment was great. Just delivered the car to their lot, and they took care of everything.

If you can find one who has dealt with round-trip service, that would be the best.

Sun Jul 08, 2012 5:45 pm

Plums wrote:
, but the yanks cannot get their head around the fact that someone would want to bring a vehicle over there, especially an old bus, to drive around and then take it back again, when you can hire a car!?! They are very suspicious about that bit.
.

put numbers on it and tell them it's for a race.

i have a guy here in philadelphia that can handle everything. he will get stuff right thru for you. if you arrange it now, you will be all set and will have no problems. he can probably even get the bond stuff reduced or waved. PM me if you are interested.

i had all kinds of problems importing a car one time (after importing 6 previously with no problems) i called this guy for advice in the middle of it. he said there was nothing he could do at that point but based on what i told him he could have avoided all that and saved me money.

Sun Jul 08, 2012 6:59 pm

I'm now in the US and Canada after temporary importing my toyota campervan from Belgium.

I can give you some advice:

Find an experienced shipping agent who knows what he's doing. Make sure he knows that it's a temporary export on your uk license plate. I did it through Amsterdam, but I'm sure there are excellent companies in the UK too. It helps that this guy has done this before.

US insurance is expensive for a non-US citizen. I did it through Karl-Heinz Nowag ([email protected]). He's specialized in this and speaks excellent English.

When you pick up your car, you need three very important documents: BOL(supplied by shipping agent) and HS-7 and the EPA 3520-1 (downloadable on the internet).
Take these filled in documents to a customs office that is able to approve them. Often, the customs at a port cannot do that and they send you to the office at the airport. Make sure you know this beforehand to save some time. Make sure they put their stamp on EACH paper. You don't need to pay any bonds.
The HS-7, you need to check '1 older than 25 years'
The EPA 3520-1, you can use code E: older than 21 years, so exempt of EPA regulations.

When everything is stamped, you can go to the harbour and pick up the car. You do need an escort to do that, they have offices all around the port. Look them up on the internet.

This worked for me and a 1981 Toyota Hiace, should be the same procedure for any car older than 25 years.

Just contact me through the forum if you have any more questions.

Sun Jul 15, 2012 8:21 am

check into bringing them into the west coast of Canada (Vancouver) and driving from here south. I would expct there's less problems in the customs here, and driving across the border south would be easier than them arriving there? We're all the commomwealth! :)

a start to this... page 8 and 9 might apply:
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/dm-md/d19/d19-12-1-eng.pdf

also a temporary admission permit:

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/forms-formulaires/e29b.pdf

brian
Vancouver, Canada

Sun Jul 15, 2012 11:33 am

bwaz wrote: check into bringing them into the west coast of Canada (Vancouver) and driving from here south. I would expct there's less problems in the customs here, and driving across the border south would be easier than them arriving there? We're all the commomwealth! :)

a start to this... page 8 and 9 might apply:
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/dm-md/d19/d19-12-1-eng.pdf

also a temporary admission permit:

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/forms-formulaires/e29b.pdf

brian
Vancouver, Canada

Good old commonwealth 8)
Good idea though