You can hire a professional to handle the importation details of trailers, Be sure to allow enough time to work through the details and watch for pitfalls on the way.
If you decide to get someone to handle all or part of it for you, beware of traders that promise everything and they can do it all in a week; it probably won’t happen. Importing a trailer can take many months.
Familiarize yourself with local laws regarding towing sizes before you even start as when it arrives you will need to either move it from port yourself or have someone collect it for you and deliver it whence it needs to go.
In the UK the law states that for a vehicle under 3.5 tons GVW the maximum you are allowed to tow is 7mtrs long by 2.3 mtrs wide. In the UK trailer length is taken to be the overall length of the trailer without the draw bar or any towing equipment, however the width is determined as the widest part of the vehicle so this includes things like awnings, door hinges, cowlings and any other sticky-out bits. Don’t let this put you off though, hundreds of trailers are successfully shipped every year from all over the world.
Here are a few tips to consider, before you hand over all the cash, that may save you a load of hassle.
* Remember that a trailer for sale that has cost you only a couple of thousand dollars is likely to cost you in excess of £5000 by the time it lands on your doorstep. Plan your budget appropriately.
* Check the documentation for the trailer. All trailers should have a VIN number in the states and a registration similar to our V5c for a car. You need to check this out in the same way you would for buying a car in the UK. If a seller is selling with no title make sure they have the right of disposal and make sure you get a bill of sale.
* If the seller is selling on a bill of sale then make them get it notarized. This costs a few dollars and is then an official and legal binding document in international law.
* If you are buying blind, get the trailer checked out for suitability for towing by a reputable company specializing in travel trailers. Have the bearings repacked and get some new tyres if necessary. It is cheaper to get this work done before the trailer is transported than try and do it on this side. A blown tyre can seriously damage valuable trailer skin segments causing expensive and difficult repairs.
* If you are paying a lot of money for the trailer consider using an escrow service.
* You will need to coordinate road transport marine transport, insurance, clearing agents and road transport UK so make sure that everything is in place before you agree to a shipping date. If this is your first import experience, get organized to avoid a bumpy ride.
* You are allowed to take an imported trailer from the port to your home or a place of repair or conversion so you can legally get it towed from the port if it is suitable for towing on the UK roads. Remember your American trailer will arrive with American brakes, lighting and hitch gear. Your UK transport needs to take this into account. If the trailer is towable, the tow truck will need to be fitted with the correct sized hitch, a means of controlling the brakes, towing lights, number plate, towing insurance and of course, the correct license to tow. If the trailer is over 2.3 metres wide and/or 7 metres long, then you will need a towing vehicle of over 3.5 tons GVW. In any case the overall length of the towing vehicle and trailer combined must not exceed either 18m or 18.75m depending on the type of towing vehicle. If your trailer is going to exceed these criteria then you will need a specialist transport company to deliver it from a UK port to your location. If you choose to use a transport company be careful of the type of equipment that they use and express to them that your trailer will not go on a standard recovery vehicle it will need either a low loader of the type used to transport bulldozers etc or a full drop bed.
