If you own a motorhome and you wish to relocate from USA, you should start looking for shipping companies that are capable of shipping your motorhome. You need to normally look for freight forwarders who will help you with shipping recreational vehicle. It won’t be necessary for you to deal with the actual shipping company because the freight forwarder will do everything that is needed to move your motor home. Since recreational vehicles are available in unique shapes and sizes, moving and shipping them overseas require special attention. The international moving company which moves your household goods may not be equipped to move large trucks and hence, you should start looking for motorhome shipping agent in USA to move RVs.

The agent from freight forwarding company will need the year, make, model and dimensions & weight of your motor home to suggest the type of shipping suitable for your vehicle. If it is possible, the motorhome can be driven to the port where it is shipped. Otherwise, you can hire trailers that can move your motorhome from your home. Fifth wheel trailers require special haulers to make the move. If flat beds are required to move the vehicle, additional cost is incurred. You should place your shipping order at least 2 weeks before your move so that you give ample time for freight forwarders to plan and organize motorhome shipping.

RORO vessels are available in some countries and you can save money by shipping your motorhome using RORO vessel. Before choosing a logistic provider or freight forwarding company, you should get multiple quotes from different companies. By carefully analyzing the quotes, you must hire a freight forwarder to do the shipping.

You should consult with the logistics provider about preparing your vehicle for overseas shipping. Some motorhome shipping agents in USA require you to disassemble moving parts from the RV to make the move easier. You should also get original title to be produced for customs clearance. Basic marine insurance offered by vessel operators is never sufficient to move your expensive motorhomes. To make sure that your vehicle is protected during international shipping, you should buy optimal insurance required.

Don’t get carried away by the estimated moving cost and estimated moving dates given by international freight forwarding companies. Various factors including load and availability affect moving time and additional fees may be charged if your motorhome has special requirements.

On the day of moving, agents from freight forwarding company will come to your home, inspect the vehicle and give you the pick up receipt before moving your RV. It is better to take photographs of your motor home in different angles and hire an experienced inspector to inspect the vehicle thoroughly. You should keep the bill of lading in a safe place, as it is required to clear customs. The freight forwarding company will help you in clearing customs both at USA and at the destination port. However, you should contact the customs offices in advance and clearly understand the documents required.

When you plan to transport an RV to Europe you don’t have to do it alone. In recent years, shipping vehicles of all types from one country to another by ship or cargo plane has become much more common. There are some documents and details that will be the same for any type of motorized vehicle. However, the requirements may be slightly altered for a recreational vehicle because of size or type of construction.

Leave yourself plenty of advance time to get everything in order. Usually two or three months is required to cover all the bases. Costs can vary widely, depending on the starting location, whether you will need someone to move the RV to the port and so on. But as you make plans to transport an RV to Europe you might want to do some early research and talk with representatives from two or more shipping/moving services. They will happy to give you a quote based on a few simple questions you answer online or over the telephone.

Here are a few of the basic details you will need to consider:

• Are registration, license, title and tax forms all complete and current?

• Will you drive or tow the RV to the dock yourself or will this be part of a package program from a freight/shipping company?

• Will the RV be placed on the ship or plane upon arrival or will there be costs for temporary storage?

• Will the RV be delivered to your door in Europe or will you or an agent have to pick it up and drive/transport it to the final destination?

You should make an early decision on whether you will use roll on/roll off service or arrange for a dedicated container or flat rack that will house only your RV and personal items. Roll on/roll off service will be a bit less expensive but you will generally not be allowed to send unrelated items or other small cargo that is not directly associated with the RV. This is an important decision when you transport an RV to Europe.

In preparation for shipping, you should make sure that the outside antenna and any other protruding items are removed or secured according to shipping requirements. If your RV is motorized the gasoline tank should be no more than one-quarter full. When you arrange additional insurance to transport an RV to Europe, remember that you are not normally covered for personal items. You should also make arrangements for liability insurance that will cover damage your vehicle might cause to other property or the ship.

Requirements vary somewhat for individual European countries when it comes to recreational vehicles and motorized vehicles. A shipping agent or freight company can help you answer many of the questions you may have. For example, you will have to satisfy customs requirements at both the originating port and at the destination port. In some countries, a specific agency will oversee shipping of vehicles, so there may be specific import duties or administrative fees.

Again, time and costs vary depending on the starting point and final destination. Most of the time, shipping a vehicle from the east coast of the United States to a European country will take a week to 10 days. This might change with door-to-door service instead of port-to-port shipping. Be sure that you or your designated agent carry proper identification and required original documents when accepting the RV upon arrival.