# We made it!



## Jock719 (Nov 7, 2013)

We arrived at our new home on Fuerteventura last week, and we are absolutely delighted with it. All is great. No problems at all in moving 1x wife, 2x kids, 1x Labrador and 1x beagle! Now, we did it by packing ourselves into our 2009 Landrover Defender, this is where the fun begins....I have made some enquiries about re registering it onto Spanish plates, and I suspect I won't be able to do so as the vehicle is classified as an N1 on the British V5...essentially, the Landrover is a double truck cab with a canvas covering the back..and is classed as light goods..has anyone successfully imported a similar vehicle recently, or am I wasting my time, if so any suggestions on where to sell it on mainland Spain would be much appreciated. I intend to buy another one, as I need it for my work but it would need to be LHD and on Spanish plates...off to sit in the sun now!


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## andoba (Jan 12, 2014)

Landrover Defenders are sold in Spain, I don't understand why it wouldn't be possible to register it.


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## Jock719 (Nov 7, 2013)

Apparently it can't be imported as it is right hand drive and is classified as N1 light commercial vehicle....it looks exactly the same as a Spanish army landrover I passed a load of them the other day!


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Jock719 said:


> We arrived at our new home on Fuerteventura last week, and we are absolutely delighted with it. All is great. No problems at all in moving 1x wife, 2x kids, 1x Labrador and 1x beagle! Now, we did it by packing ourselves into our 2009 Landrover Defender, this is where the fun begins....I have made some enquiries about re registering it onto Spanish plates, and I suspect I won't be able to do so as the vehicle is classified as an N1 on the British V5...essentially, the Landrover is a double truck cab with a canvas covering the back..and is classed as light goods..has anyone successfully imported a similar vehicle recently, or am I wasting my time, if so any suggestions on where to sell it on mainland Spain would be much appreciated. I intend to buy another one, as I need it for my work but it would need to be LHD and on Spanish plates...off to sit in the sun now!


Glad to hear you and your extended entourage arrived safe and sound!

I might be missing something, but if your vehicle can't be re-registered in Spain why do you want to sell it here? Wouldn't you be better taking it back to the UK where you will get a better price without all the hassle? You can drive here on UK plates for a while yet.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Alcalaina said:


> Glad to hear you and your extended entourage arrived safe and sound!
> 
> I might be missing something, but if your vehicle can't be re-registered in Spain why do you want to sell it here? Wouldn't you be better taking it back to the UK where you will get a better price without all the hassle? You can drive here on UK plates for a while yet.


I thought that under the new rules, as a resident here, he would only now have 1 month?


Either way, I suspect it would be more cost effective to sell it back in the UK and then fly back down. Then you can buy what you want here in Spain.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

snikpoh said:


> I thought that under the new rules, as a resident here, he would only now have 1 month?


But they've only just arrived so won't become officially resident for 3 months?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Alcalaina said:


> But they've only just arrived so won't become officially resident for 3 months?


yes - unless he _registers_ registers as resident before then - or arguably, unless he registers on the padrón, as that is often taken to prove residency, for the simple reason that only residents are supposed to be on the padrón


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

xabiachica said:


> yes - unless he _registers_ registers as resident before then - or arguably, unless he registers on the padrón, as that is often taken to prove residency, for the simple reason that only residents are supposed to be on the padrón


The new laws haven't actually come into effect yet though, they reckon some time in June.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Alcalaina said:


> The new laws haven't actually come into effect yet though, they reckon some time in June.


also true  

it's May already though!


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

xabiachica said:


> also true
> 
> it's May already though!


So it is, International Workers' Day and I have had two men painting the outside of the house since 8 a.m. It's 33ºC out there! But they insisted they didn't want to take the holiday.


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## Jock719 (Nov 7, 2013)

Cheapest way to move everyone/thing over was to stick it all in the Landy and drive....now, it seems there are dealers on mainland Spain who buy RHD cars, presumably to return them to the UK and make a few quid...easiest plan might be sell it on the mainland then buy an equivalent LHD get on the ferry and back to the island.....but I'm sure it won't be that easy...I thought I had 6 months anyway...again we get told different things


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Jock719 said:


> Cheapest way to move everyone/thing over was to stick it all in the Landy and drive....now, it seems there are dealers on mainland Spain who buy RHD cars, presumably to return them to the UK and make a few quid...easiest plan might be sell it on the mainland then buy an equivalent LHD get on the ferry and back to the island.....but I'm sure it won't be that easy...I thought I had 6 months anyway...again we get told different things


new rules as of next month - assuming they will start as planned - & there's no reason to think that they won't


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## Roy C (Sep 29, 2012)

I have a 1997 300 TDI LR Defender 90 (see avatar) which I would love to take over next year but somehow I doubt if I will get it through the ITV even though it flies through the MOT here. Did it cost a fortune in diesel to get down there, mine does the 28mpg, as most seem to do. 

They are comfortable enough on long distance journey's another reason I was thinking of taking it and attaching a trailer for our stuff.


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## Jock719 (Nov 7, 2013)

The problem seems to be that our one is classified as a light commercial because it is a double cab with a pickup bay at the back. We sent all the details including the light commercial classification to an importer before we took it over and were assured that an import would be no problem. Now that we and it are here we find that it can't be done. Unreal.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Alcalaina said:


> So it is, International Workers' Day and I have had two men painting the outside of the house since 8 a.m. It's 33ºC out there! But they insisted they didn't want to take the holiday.


I hope you're paying double time..and a half


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> I hope you're paying double time..and a half


Ha! We tried to pay them half the money up front because they had already bought the paint, but they patiently explained that they were professionals and that's not the way it's done here. Not a cent till the job's finished.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Alcalaina said:


> Ha! We tried to pay them half the money up front because they had already bought the paint, but they patiently explained that they were professionals and that's not the way it's done here. Not a cent till the job's finished.


Our gardener is like that. The first time he did acouple of hours work for us, a year ago, I approached him cash in hand but he declined and said to pay him at the end of the month, if we were happy with his work.

Very refreshing....the previous gardeners had all demanded cash the second they downed shears. After five years we now have at last a good, reliable gardener/handyman.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

I think it was mention that it had a canvas top at the back and that is the reason it can't be put on Spanish plates. It is rather like a panel van - from the driver's seat you can't see through it.


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## Jock719 (Nov 7, 2013)

Yes, the canvas tilt covers the load bay behind the double cab, it does have windows in it and it can be detached....am waiting for the definite word from the auto lab in Madrid


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## oronero (Aug 24, 2012)

How about having the car converted from RHD to LHD, it is probably fairly easier to do on a Landrover than most conventional cars. Go see a Land Rover specialist, there may be one in Spain. 

Looking in the back of the Landrover magazines there are plenty of specialists who can do this in the UK.


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