A good RV is very much a home that you can rely on in any situation. So, it should not be surprising that you wouldn’t want to live it behind if you need to move overseas. However, preparing an RV for such a move can be somewhat difficult. In order to help out as best we can, we’ve put together a guide on how to prepare your RV for an overseas relocation.
Get the documents sorted
The first necessary step to prepare your RV for an overseas relocation is getting its documents sorted. Just as you need documentation to travel or move somewhere outside of your home country, so does your RV. This means you need everything about it, including, of course, proof of ownership, registration papers, insurance documents, and similar. You should also make sure to read up on exactly how your RV is categorized both in the US and the country you would be moving to overseas. Then, educate yourself on the standards, rules and regulations for RVs in your future home country. This is where setups such as having a global protection plan really shine through, since you wouldn’t need to stress over setting things up once again. Just remember to bring along all the papers proving you have the plan, or else you won’t be able to benefit from it at all!
Inventory all items and put them away
The next step to prepare your RV for an overseas relocation is much simpler. You just need to pack up everything inside of it! An RV can often serve as a secondary or even primary home if you enjoy such a lifestyle. So, it is very likely that you’ll have a ton of your stuff lying around in it. You can’t just expect to drive your RV to be shipped off with everything still inside of it. First, this is a perfect opportunity for something to get stolen or lost. And second, with all the jostling your RV might go through, it’s entirely possible for stuff to fall all over the place and get damaged if there are still unattached items within it. Just remember that sea freight is a convenient and simple solution for shipping your items over separately if you don’t want to bring them onto a plane.
Clean thoroughly
For very similar reasons, you do not want to leave any dirt or spills in your RV, either. And especially no trash! Opening your RV once you’ve reached your destination only to find strewn bits of leftovers all over the floor would be unpleasant at best! If there are any spills or dripping on parts crucial for the operation of your RV, you might even end up having to visit a local mechanic right after arrival. And all this is without even mentioning the fact that it will be much better for your mentality to clean now rather than later. Just think about it! Does the idea of finally reaching your new country only to have to knuckle down and clean sound appealing? Of course not. A normal person would only be thinking about finding the nearest comfy surface to pass out on, not about finding vehicle maintenance professionals.
Secure all moving parts
It is extremely destructive and dangerous for you to leave any moving parts built into your RV unsecured during relocation. This covers everything such as doors, windows, cabinets, drawers, folding tables, folding beds, or similar. As we have mentioned before, vehicle relocation is frequently a bumpy process. It will not damage your vehicle on its own. But if there is a cabinet door banging open and closed every time your RV jerks even a little bit it will eventually either break off, crack, or break something else. This is why the moving experts from Four Winds KSA recommend busting out some duct tape or similar and making absolutely certain nothing can move even a little. You may also be able to tie off some such features instead of duct taping them if you’re afraid of leaving glue marks. But it’s better than the alternative!
Take a trip to a mechanic
In order to properly prepare your RV for an overseas relocation, you also need to ascertain its current condition and fix any problems. You want to, at the very least, make sure that the following is sorted out with your RV.
- All its required lights are functional
- There are no oil or other fluid leakages
- Your tow bar is correctly and firmly installed
- You have your battery readings inspected
- Your brakes are in immaculate condition
- Your tires are not worn, torn or cracked
Once you have done all of that, you will be able to hand off your RV to the relocation company with an ease of mind. Of course, if you encounter any issues with the previously listed aspects of your vehicle, they need to be fixed before the move happens. Having to struggle to figure out what to do when you see that your car is not starting in a completely foreign country would be stressful!
Prepare for the costs
Of course, when discussing how to prepare your RV for an overseas relocation, we can’t skip talking about costs. Unfortunately, moving with a vehicle is not exactly cheap. There are almost always taxes and fees involved in the process when trying to get past the customs. And, depending on how much money your RV is worth, the final price varies. Obviously, the fancier and more expensive it is, the more money you will be asked to part with. Then, there are the costs of actually hiring a moving company. And on top of worrying about all of that, you’d also need to worry about picking out a company that is actually good and reliable! So, budget well in advance. And always account for potential last minute repairs your mechanic visit might reveal.
Final Comment
Now that you know how to prepare your RV for an overseas relocation, you can start putting our advice into practice! Just remember that it’s more important to get everything done, rather than to get everything done quickly.
