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.