This is actually great information. Thank you very much. You tried and you succeeded. :)
I am relieved to hear the mixed race couple issue will not be a real issue anywhere (of course with some exceptions, as is always the case).
All of the immigration and vehicle immigration issues seem very daunting, however.
I will have to first check about the vehicle. 6 months is a short time to explore a continent. Hopefully more time can be added before I have to formally import the vehicle or am required to remove it. Certainly it doesn't meet many standards in Europe such as yellow directional lights.
joerg68 wrote:
I'll try...
When you come to Europe with your rig as a tourist, you can keep it on the US registration and drive it here for a limited time. I believe 6 months, but could be less. Could vary by country, too. You would need to clarify with your insurance what they will cover or if you need an additional policy (likely).
If you want to stay longer (as a resident), you will need to import it and register it in the country of residence. This means technical changes and bureaucracy, the degree of which and associated time and cost vary by country. In Germany, it would be relatively easy to register as you broungt it with you when you moved here.
Europe is pretty big, and diverse as a result.
Being a mixed couple would not be an issue in most if not all european countries, in my opinion. Generally, I would not worry about it. None of the places I have ever been to gave me the impression that it could be a problem. Exceptions to the rule happen, as always, I guess. Europe is a safe place if you stick to the general common sense rules that apply everywhere.
We had a camper with a black tank for a few years. Dumping was never an issue. But again, it is a big place, and your experience may vary. Still, I would not worry. There will be space enough. Driving through some villages that were founded in the middle ages, maybe not so much.
Your phone will work just fine. But the roaming charges on your current plan probably will not. Either get a suitable plan on top of what you have, or get a local plan here. Roaming will now work throughout the EU at no charge, but calling the US can be very expensive. Also beware of non-EU countries like Switzerland, they are not included int the EU roaming protection laws.
Ram parts are somewhat available. But you can very easily mail order, e.g. from Rockauto. They ship with prepaid customs and duties if you do it right, and sometimes parts get here in 72 hours or less. The bigger issue will be finding a place that can and will do the work.
The biggest problem imo could be the visa/immigration issue for an extended stay. I am sure there are specialized places for research on that topic on the web. I know that the people from here that do the Panamericana usually do it in stages and fly back home after 6 months; they leave their rig in America and come back after a few weeks.
