Shipping a vehicle from SOUTHAFRICA

[Madrid_CapeTown]

Hi !!! .

Id like to know if someone has some experience(s) on shipping a vehicle 4x4 from SouthAfrica back to Europe , is it easy , cheap ? , safe ?
What about the carnet ? how is it "cleared" ?

or it is just more convenient to dispose off the vehicle

Thanks a lot !!!!

[Toby2]

Shipped LR110 from Cape Town to Felixtowe in June / July 2002. Fairly straightforward. Got a telephone guide in Cape Town and rang round the shipping agents comparing prices. Ended up using a company called Docks Shipping who were pretty good. Went and arranged the paper work with them at their offices in advance including the insurance. Then took vehicle down to the docks, stripped off the roof tent and roof rack to get it in a container and supervised the loading - a) meant that no one else drove the vehicle, had access to the vehicle. b) meant that it was safely and properly tied down from the correct points. Supposed to leave keys but didn't feel the need to. Customs guy came down with the shipping agent, cleared the vehicle straight away. Their local contacts certainly help. Stamped off the carnet. Container was sealed while we were there. Met the container at the other end, (again searched on the internet phone book and rang round the shipping agents). The container was moved to their yard. Was there when the container was opened. Supervised the unloading. Drove the vehicle out.
All up pretty straightforward. Forget exact costs - think about £2500 - £3000 in total including agents at both ends. Alot of the costs are dictated by port charges, agent charges at each end, this meant that cape town to UK was more expensive than Sydney to London which I did in 2001.

By being present when the vehicle is loaded and locked in the container and at the other end when it is unloaded majorly reduces the risk of theft - normally happens dockside prior to vehicle being locked in the container and also reduced risk of vehicle being tied down using the wrong points. (ie round axles trapping brake pipes, etc). If you hand the vehicle over, people have to get in it to drive it, they have access to your kit, if it gets damaged, if stuff gets stolen you don't find out until your picking the vehicle up at its destination, then its into lengthy work to recover stuff off insurance. Far easier to put the extra work in in supervising and thereby reducing the risk.

Very straightforward process to do and therefore I guess the main consideration is do you want to pay the £2500 - £3000 or is it easier to sell it down there.

[SandyM]

Originally posted by Toby2:
...
Then took vehicle down to the docks, stripped off the roof tent and roof rack to get it in a container and supervised the loading...

You had to strip off the roof rack and tent to get a 110 in a container? Was it a standard 6m container? You have me worried!

[Toby2]

Sandy,

Defender is running on 265/ 75 / 16 Tyres and OME suspension which gives about 1" over standard. Then has a roll cage with a roof rack and roof tent on top. Roof tent and other stuff on the roof rack has to come off as does the roof rack / ladder / spot lights. Roof rack is about 2" to tall. Whilst its possible to lower tyre pressures, one of the securing methods is to nail blocks of wood to the wooden lined floor hard up against the tyres to keep them in position. If the tyres are let down to get under the entrance lip on the container then they have to be pumped up again. Whilst this can be done, your batteries have to be disconnected and there is very little room to operate. The whole thing gets difficult and its easier to unbolt the stuff.

If you need to have a look then I'm up in Nottingham most work days.


[This message has been edited by Toby2 (edited 31 March 2003).]

[markstobbs]

I put a 110 into a container in The Gambia for shipping to Cape Town early April - I'm still waiting for the container. It went from Gambia to spain (usual route) and stayed there for a month waiting for a ship!!!!

Please be aware that there is a shortage of ships because of the Iraq situation. Make sure that your container gets on a ship that is going directly to you country of destination and that it will have space for your container otherwise you WILL be disappointed.

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