Testimonial for Kiwi Motorhome Importing

Any reservations we may have started with about the process of importing our own vehicle through an agent were very soon behind us. With us being total novices, Rob and Fiona made the whole process so easy. They listened to our requirements and suggested a quality make and model of motorhome that would suit our needs; educating us on our options and once agreed arranging the paperwork, putting us on to a company that gave us a great rate for our overseas money transfers; arranged NZ certifications, port handling etc and guided us through what we wanted by way of upgrades for solar, bike racks etc and put us on to reputable companies to get the work done; Rob installing our garage storage system himself.

Rob and Fiona have amazing knowledge about the industry they are in. They were very generous with their time and resources, getting us up to speed with our motorhome when it arrived. The fee they charge just didn’t seem enough for what they do. We would have paid a lot more for our vehicle if we had purchased it locally, and it wouldn’t have been bespoke as it is now. I can’t say enough good things about them. We were in very good hands and love our motorhome.

Ann and Paul Gartner

Ann and Paul Gartner-Testimonial for Kiwi Motorhome Importing

Having read some of the testimonials on Kiwi Motorhome Importing, my husband Tim and I would just like to echo what everyone else has been saying, that Rob and Fiona are truly amazing.

In 2018 having enjoyed a fantastic holiday in New Zealand we decided this was the place for us, we would apply for a visa, buy a motorhome in the UK, send it over and start our new life in NZ. What could possibly go wrong!

At the beginning of 2020 the grand plan was on track, our visa was close to be issued and our first ever motorhome, a new Carthago had been delivered. We even managed a weekend away, but then of course Covid.

Ever hopeful the visas wouldn’t be delayed too long we decided to ship our motorhome, with Rob and Fiona taking care of the importing process it couldn’t have been easier, and in September 2020 our motorhome landed in New Zealand.

Unfortunately it wasn’t as easy for us and another eighteen months until we were able to join her. During that time there were many things in life to worry and fret over but never our motorhome, Rob and Fiona had it all under control, their efficiency, knowledge and kindness has been incredible.

We have no hesitation in highly recommending Kiwi Motorhome Importing, with Rob and Fiona you are in safe hands.

Dawn & Tim Hassell
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Tim and Dawn Hassell

I first made contact with Fiona and Rob a couple of years ago when my wife and I were on our annual NZ trip from the U.K. We had been delving into the idea of importing a Motorhome from the U.K. to use in NZ and, after some serious research, Kiwi Motorhomes stood out as having the best reviews and our first contact with Fiona and Rob was made. Our telephone enquiries were answered with expert knowledge and a warm and friendly attitude ………with a good dash of patience too I imagine!

Following our first meeting face to face it was apparent that they were on the ball and instilled confidence that everything would go smoothly, we weren’t wrong. On returning home we made several enquires to dealers to find the Motorhome we wanted; a Swift Kontiki 597, at the right price and also a suitable delivery date for export. Following one email to Fiona and Rob, not only did they find the MH we wanted, but also the price we had been quoted was met, and the export dates were matched. Marvellous………this team really do offer the optimum level of service.

From there on in, it was plain sailing for us, Rob and Fiona organised everything and kept us

informed as to what was required regarding the paperwork. When the vehicle arrived into the U.K. dealers, we travelled to inspect it and load it with our necessary armour of tackle to live in NZ. We were very happy with this dealership as the price quoted many months prior never altered, as we know in some cases it has. The dealer arranged the transport to the ship, where it arrived into Auckland five weeks later. Rob and Fiona then transported it to their home.

When I arrived six weeks later, the vehicle was immaculately presented and prepared for me. I stayed in the MH for two nights at their place; their hospitality and helpfulness held no bounds, and it was very much appreciated. During this period they found me a bike rack at a local dealer and help fit it; and when I accidentally locked myself out of my new home they supplied the equipment to rescue my keys!

A few weeks later, they helped me repair the grey water pipe I damaged.

In all they are faultless and have set the bar very high in customer service with their reliable

efficiency and expertise, care and attention to detail, plus a friendly attitude to put you at ease.

What more could you ask for?

Many thanks Fiona and Rob,

Steve & Tricia
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Steve and Tricia Bell

Testimonial for Rob and Fiona, Kiwi Motorhome Importing

We’re Steve and Sue, sharing our story and how Rob & Fiona helped enormously at each stage. We found Kiwi Motorhome Importing from a Google search and recommend them 100%. They are an awesome team and The Experts in importing motorhomes from UK to New Zealand.

We live in the UK and wanted a base for when we travel back to our New Zealand family for extended stays, as we are about to become grandparents. At the start of our decision-making, Fiona and Rob’s advice about the whole importing process was really helpful so that we knew exactly what to expect, how easy or difficult certain things were, and, once we decided on a specific motorhome, what the costs would be. Their costings turned out accurate within $30! Rob and Fiona offered help with UK dealers, but as it happened we found our own van – a new Carthago C-Tourer 148LEH from dealer Go European (also very helpful).

Fiona and Rob recommended getting our van on a ship in August so that it would not need to be fumigated for stink bug – a $3500 saving for us. Then came some Covid-19 complications as Auckland went into lockdown, but Rob and Fiona kept everything moving before we arrived at the end of November, including all the registration, compliance and self-containment work.

Handover was also complicated by Covid, but after we left our 7 days in MIQ, we did our 3 days home isolation in our motorhome on Rob and Fiona’s property – thanks so much! We are used to motorhomes, but it was great to have those few days to unpack boxes and get used to ‘Juno’, our van. Once our isolation finished, we met Fiona and Rob properly as they shared the best info on motorhoming in New Zealand.

We could not have done all this without Rob and Fiona’s help, support and guidance. Thanks so much, you have made our plans a reality. Your comprehensive knowledge, detailed communication, accurate financial planning and smooth management of the whole process kept us calm and grounded, and are all beyond awesome!

If we ever do this again, we would be straight back in contact and we strongly recommend anyone importing from the UK to get in touch with you.

Steve and Sue

Steve and Sue Draper

Right from our first contact with them Rob and Fiona gave us confidence that they knew what they were doing.  We couldn’t buy the model of the new Dethleff motorhome in NZ that we wanted – the factory wasn’t even taking orders from NZ for 2022. But we had located one in the UK. We first spoke to Rob and Fiona at 4pm on a Friday while they were on holiday in the South Island. They rang us back at 10am on Saturday to say that they had made a deal with the UK dealer and if we paid a deposit within a few days the vehicle was ours.

Using their contact with the foreign funds transfer company we were able to save about $600 on the total cost. And at each step along the path to our taking over the vehicle their contacts and knowledge smoothed the process. For example, the compliance process in NZ is not as simple as the bald statements on their web page make it appear. But even with the hindrance of Covid lockdowns they were able to get the vehicle ready for us amazingly fast. If we had done it ourselves it would have taken a lot longer and been more expensive. Not only that, but they gave us good advice on issues outside their responsibility.

We highly recommend Kiwi Motorhome Importing to anybody wanting to bring a vehicle into NZ.  The fee they charge is money very well spent.

Kevin & Joan

Kevin and Joan Sampson

Having lived in New Zealand for over 20 years and with Helen’s 60th birthday in June 2020 we decided to have an extended period in the UK and Europe to catch up with friends and family, celebrate her birthday and visit unfamiliar areas in Europe. Little did we know……..

We had heard of people buying motorhome in UK, using them for a period and then bringing them back to NZ but new absolutely nothing about it. We were also total newbies to the world of Motorhomes!

A quick google search brought us to Kiwi Motorhome Importing and an initial discussion with Rob and Fiona. From knowing nothing at all that one call framed up the whole exercise and encouraged us to investigate further. Having researched options on-line we had settled on a Burstner. We met Rob and Fiona at the 2019 Motorhome show in Hamilton where they kindly showed us round the models explaining the pros and cons of each.

Rob provided us with detailed costings (which proved remarkably accurate) and we decided to proceed in October 19. They managed to source a vehicle for us with an attractive discount and we left for the UK in March 20 not knowing that three days after picking up we would be on a deserted camp site for three months! We had a great summer though touring UK but never took the risk of getting trapped in Europe. Biggest challenge was getting a spot back in MIQ but we did eventually and arrived back in February 21, 11 months after departing.

Throughout the whole process Rob and Fiona have been exceptional. Up front they put us at ease with process and guided us at every step. We picked up the vehicle from their home in Tauranga and it was in showroom condition. Like picking up a new vehicle again.

I can’t recommend their service highly enough. Friendly yet professional, making the whole importation process stress free. We are now enjoying using our Burstner in New Zealand. Thanks so much Rob and Fiona

Steve and Helen Jackson

Steve & Helen Jackson

We cannot say enough about the outstanding service we received from Kiwi Motorhome Importing. From the moment we asked for a quote to the day we collected our motorhome, we felt that our vehicle was going to be in good hands. Thankfully, we were right!

Rob and Fiona took care of all of our paperwork from beginning to end; all we had to do was collect our vehicle upon arrival in NZ. Their expert approach solved any issues we encountered throughout the process and their professional attention to detail mitigated any anxieties we had about the transportation process. However, we had nothing to worry about as their combined expertise ensured our vehicle arrived in pristine condition. All on-the-road costs and paperwork sorted so all we had to do was get in and drive it home. The complimentary bottle of bubbles, we received upon collection of the motorhome, widened the smiles on our faces further. Truly, their service is second to none.

When we found ourselves delayed in London, unable to collect our motorhome by a specific date, they kept our vehicle secured on their property without hesitation until we were able to collect it. Then upon collection, they were able to advise us on accessories suited to our vehicle, once again easing our transition into NZ’s camping culture.

We cannot recommend Kiwi Motorhome Importing enough.

Thank you for treating our precious motorhome with special care.

Craig and Kylie

Craig and Kylie

Geoff & Denise Andrews

January 2021

In life’s short journey you get to meet some amazing people.

Rob and Fiona Wilkinson are just such people.

To import our motorhome from the UK we used the services of Kiwi Motorhome importing. The business is owned by Rob & Fiona and we could not have imagined just how good their service would be. 

Like a number of people our original plans got torpedoed by Covid19. With minimal input from us, Rob & Fiona turned a potential problem into a positive opportunity.

We left our first meeting with Rob & Fiona somewhat overwhelmed. Their enthusiasm new no bounds. Their product knowledge was nothing short of unbelievable. Their warmth and welcoming smiles were a pleasure to be shared on many more occasions. Their ability to listen to our thoughts and to translate those thoughts into a reality was inspiring.

Not long after our first meeting, at which we had decided which brand (but not which model) of motorhome to buy, we received a detailed forecast costing for the options. What was remarkable was that some 20 months later, when the motorhome arrived in New Zealand, the costings were accurate to almost the $. 

We pretty much left Rob & Fiona to do it all. It was a complex process made the more so by Covid19 and by changing customs rulings. And yet they managed their way through the challenges with seeming ease – the mark of true professionals.

We picked up our new motorhome all ready to go! Wow.

And the fee charged was miniscule in relation to the work done.

And their service has not stopped.

You don’t need us to conclude. You can tell that we have no hesitation in recommending Rob & Fiona. We feel privileged to have met people with such integrity and to have been guided by them.

Geoff & Denise Andrews

We had planned on doing our big 12-18 month trip to the UK and Europe in a motor home during 2020/21 however, it wasn’t to be.

We had purchased our new Burstner 736 in Portsmouth January 2020 with intentions to travel beginning in May.

We were referred to Rob and Fiona by friends who had used them to import their motor home back to NZ from the UK.

Our initial call to Rob and Fiona was honestly the best thing we could have ever done.

The whole process starting from helping get a discount on our purchase to offering immeasurable advice and assistance during the whole process and eventually shipping the motor home back to NZ, was outstanding.

It was a hard decision to have to make to bring our vehicle home back without even travelling in it as our dream trip had been simply squashed however, Rob and Fiona’s gentle and easy process made this decision seem a little easier.

We found Rob and Fiona to be completely friendly and honest, their communication, advice, and general assistance was second to none. We loved dealing with them!

They go well beyond just being importers and we would have absolutely no hesitation on using them again or recommending them to anyone

Geoff and Lois Stevens

Queenstown

Geoff and Lois Stevens

TESTIMONIAL:

Owen & Liesbeth Sunnex

We recently purchased our first motor home.

Several experienced motor-homers said that we would need to buy and try two or three or perhaps more, to learn what works for us, and to find one that we really enjoy.
My reaction: Not me! I set out to research, to plan carefully and to make the right choices first time.

However there is just one thing that you can be sure of when you plan something like this, and that is: IT WILL NEVER BE THAT SIMPLE!

Further complicated because we elected to purchase in Europe, use it to tour that region before importing it to New Zealand.

There is just so much to learn and so many pitfalls, not to mention completely unexpected set-backs like Covid 19!

Enter: Rob & Fiona of Kiwi Motorhome Importing Ltd.

There are other companies that we could have chosen to assist us with the purchase and import, but we chose this smaller owner-operated company run by a couple who are themselves very experienced motor home enthusiasts.

Of all the decisions that we needed to make this was perhaps the most significant because Rob & Fiona helped us make wise choices in so many other facets of the process.

The first major issue is that from the git-go, Rob & Fiona set aside their own preferences, their own motivation to make a sale, and instead sought to help us choose what we want and what is practical for our intended use.

Our initial research prior to meeting Rob & Fiona was through motor home magazines, web pages and You Tube. Then I met with Rob & Fiona at the 2019 NZMCA show at Mystery Creek.

Upon hearing our intent to spend a lot of time in the motor home the first thing Rob did, was to sit with me for a while inside a couple of the contenders in my short-list… To encourage me to soak in the atmosphere, and to note the difference in feel that lighting and colours make. An aspect that cannot be gleaned from pictures and videos which inevitably distort the sense of space.

Rob discerned quite quickly and correctly that, amid the multitude of other technical considerations, I had previously not consciously thought through this aspect which is so very important to us.

That was the beginning of many decisions wherein Rob & Fiona have saved us much cost and heartache!

They helped us refine the short-list to settle upon our choice of layout, manufacturer and model. Understand that there is no perfect match to any comprehensive list of desired features, but what Rob & Fiona helped us do, was to make sure our final choice met all the essential aspects, leaving only minor compromises that could easily be adjusted after-market.

Then they helped us locate one at a dealership in UK, whereupon they took up the negotiation to score us a hefty discount on the listed price as well as doing all the paper-work to arrange export, shipping and import. Much documentation is needed in timely fashion to qualify for UK registration, VAT exemption and NZ Customs concession. They took care of many other details that only experienced operators would think of.

They provided a wealth of information about what to do and what not to do to make our European holiday safe, cheap and enjoyable…

But then Covid 19 erupted!

Their expertise and experience, together with inside knowledge of goings-on in the shipping industry, really came to the fore when Covid disrupted our travel plans with the motor home stuck in storage at a cousin’s place in Holland. They efficiently rearranged shipping from Belgium instead of UK, and even took advantage of the worldwide oil surplus to score us a substantial discount on shipping cost.

Needless to say, Rob & Fiona took total care of all the NZ compliance and registration issues after import.
More so, they are full of good ideas to improve a multitude of things.
Fore example among many useful tips, they suggested and supplied a filter system for the water filling hose. This keeps chemicals and pollutants out of our fresh water system, so that the tap water in the motor home is drinkable.
Power supply cables must be fully uncoiled to prevent overheating for safe use. They suggested and arranged for our 25M power lead to be modified (and certified by an electrical inspector) into a more manageable 10M length plus the additional 15M extension that need only be used when needed. They also supplied a certified RCD adapter for use when plugging into domestic household power.

Very happy with every aspect of service provided by Kiwi Motorhome Importing as well as the beginnings of what is clearly going to be a happy relationship with Rob & Fiona.

Owen & Liesbeth Sunnex