Importing an RV from Europe to the US
Having lived in Hawaii for the past 4 decades we have always rented RVs when we travel on the "Mainland" US or in Europe. But now we are moving back to California and wish to purchase a B+ RV. In Eu...
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Bringing a motor vehicle in temporarily is fairly easy. Visitors from Europe, Mexico, Central America do it all the time, there is just some paperwork certifying that the vehicle is not staying. For import and registration in the U.S., however, you need the vehicle certified to meet U.S. FVMSS and EPA standards and pay import duties.
Buying on the Transit doesn't help much, as the U.S. Transit does not have engines and transmissions in common with most overseas versions. Many European Transits are built with smaller 4-cylinder diesel engines, or a 2.3 liter gasoline engines, while U.S. Transits share gas drivetrains with the F-150; the 3.2 l Duratorq is the only engine in common, but comes with different emissions controls and a manual transmission in Europe, rather than the automatic used on all U.S.-made Transits. In addition, you will likely find that the Euro RVs you find most compact are built on front-drive Transits, which have not been safety tested for the U.S.
You will find similar issues with RVs built on the Ducato (or the Citroen and Peugeot clones from France). Of the seven diesel engines used in the Ducato in Europe is the basis for the 3.0 liter Ecodiesel used for in Ram Promaster, but emissions systems may not be the same. The Pentastar V-6 automatic transmission drivetrain used by the Promaster is not available on Fiat/Peugeot/Citroen vans in Europe.
Best bet might be something built on a Sprinter, as the 3-liter V-6 (OM642) is shared across European and North America Sprinter models, but again there might be emissions system differences.
As for FMVSS, models that have been crash-tested as U.S. versions will have issues mostly with standards for lighting and safety equipment (e.g. the EU mandated rear fog light is illegal here) but those conversions have been fairly easily made, or at least were 10-13 years ago when my Ranger pickup went to Europe, got converted, brought back, and converted back to U.S. standards.
Buying on the Transit doesn't help much, as the U.S. Transit does not have engines and transmissions in common with most overseas versions. Many European Transits are built with smaller 4-cylinder diesel engines, or a 2.3 liter gasoline engines, while U.S. Transits share gas drivetrains with the F-150; the 3.2 l Duratorq is the only engine in common, but comes with different emissions controls and a manual transmission in Europe, rather than the automatic used on all U.S.-made Transits. In addition, you will likely find that the Euro RVs you find most compact are built on front-drive Transits, which have not been safety tested for the U.S.
You will find similar issues with RVs built on the Ducato (or the Citroen and Peugeot clones from France). Of the seven diesel engines used in the Ducato in Europe is the basis for the 3.0 liter Ecodiesel used for in Ram Promaster, but emissions systems may not be the same. The Pentastar V-6 automatic transmission drivetrain used by the Promaster is not available on Fiat/Peugeot/Citroen vans in Europe.
Best bet might be something built on a Sprinter, as the 3-liter V-6 (OM642) is shared across European and North America Sprinter models, but again there might be emissions system differences.
As for FMVSS, models that have been crash-tested as U.S. versions will have issues mostly with standards for lighting and safety equipment (e.g. the EU mandated rear fog light is illegal here) but those conversions have been fairly easily made, or at least were 10-13 years ago when my Ranger pickup went to Europe, got converted, brought back, and converted back to U.S. standards.
