We import a camper from the UK - does it make economic sense?

The huge popularity of caravanning in Western Europe is also becoming more and more popular in Poland. Unfortunately, the only obstacle for many people is the high cost of buying their own equipment . Of course, the easiest way to pursue your caravanning passion is to rent a camper during your vacation. Paying a few hundred - several thousand zlotys, we get a fully operational and ready-to-go vehicle.

However, for the masses of caravanning enthusiasts, this option is not an option. The prices of new motorhomes are not low, secondary market vehicles are much more affordable. In the case of campers, it is not worth relying only on the Polish market, a much larger selection - sometimes also better prices - can be found in other countries of the community. Undoubtedly, the most popular destination for camper trips are Germany, France, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands . Few people consider Great Britain , where the realities are completely different due to the left-hand price movement .

The prices of used campers are a dozen or so percent lower than in Poland and other EU countries, which should only encourage you to search.

Here, unfortunately, there are a number of difficulties and expenses that we should get acquainted with before making a decision to buy a motorhome in the UK. The first issue is the distance and cost of transport to Poland. The final bill will be significantly increased by the ferry that will take us to France (we have to take into account the expense of about PLN 800 ). We can try to reduce the cost of the entire camper trip to the islands by using cheap bus connections instead of going by car or by plane.

After bringing the vehicle to Poland, we have to make an important decision. Under the regulations that come into force, from the summer of 2015 , it is possible to register vehicles with a steering wheel on the right - we are only obliged to adapt the lighting to the conditions of right-hand traffic . Adapting the lighting will cost 1000 zlotys in gusts, but when driving a vehicle with the steering wheel on the right in Poland, we must take into account a much higher price of third party liability insurance . Insurers increase premiums for this type of vehicles by up to 2/3 - seeing them as a major hazard on the road.

We may as well try a spacer for the steering system and the interior of the camper . Moving the steering column to the left side is not all that awaits us, depending on the model, it will not be possible without changing the brake hoses, battery location and others . The cost of such an operation (labor along with the necessary spare parts and a complete interior of the driver's cabin) will amount to about PLN 4-8 thousand .

After adding up all expenses - transport, registration, insurance and dividers - it turns out that bringing a camper from the UK is not so profitable. The final price will be only slightly lower than that of similar equipment imported, for example, from France - no modifications will be necessary in this case.