UKC

i'm looking to head over to the States for a few months in October and the plan is to buy a car over there. anyone know what the deal is with insurance etc?

In reply to dodfoster:

You will need an American address for insurance purposes.

In reply to Horizon Campers:

also you will need to sell it in the same state - well it is LOTS easier if you do

In reply to dodfoster: Or try this place

http://www.rentawreck.com/hotdeals.htm

In reply to nz Cragrat: Is it a massive faff to sell vehicles in a different state then? Could be a bit of a pain in the arse for my summer plans.

In reply to Oli:

I think so - I was trying to buy one off a friend in Utah when I was in CA. In the end I decided not to. Best ask a residents advice as I am out of touch but there are things like different states have different emission control stds, compliance etc. It is definitely easier in state but not impossible obviously between states

In reply to nz Cragrat
Cheers, could be a long drive at the end of the trip...

Any other advice?

In reply to Oli:

no talk to some US resident as to what they have to goo through as I am probably wrong and it was a few years ago

In reply to Oli:

Head over to rockclimbing.com or one of the other American sites, they should have more people able to advise.

In reply to dodfoster:

There are emission controls between states.

This is completely negated if you buy your car in California where they pretty much THE strictest emission laws on the planet. To give you an idea, we brought a Chevy back to the UK from CA and during the emission test, the 3.8l V6 gave out less CO2 than the reader could measure, litterally 0.0 parts per million.

Anyway... yea buy a car in California and then all you have to worry about is a form to fill out when you transfer the title. In the US, each state has a department of motor vehicles, but they are all tied together so its still pretty easy to get around.

Alternatively, you can sell your car on ebay without any hassle at all. The defualt option is for the buyer to take care of both postage and licensing so if you sell your car on ebay, someone will buy it.

Insurance, your probably gonna need a US address (either make one up or meet someone friendly on the plane). Unlike the UK, cars tend to be expensive (even used, way higher resale values) but the Insurance is cheap. So if your staying a short time, rent. If your staying awhile, go mad and get whatever car you want and enjoy the cheap insurance.

Have fun!

In reply to Silum:

thanks very much for your advice. i've got some friends living up near seattle...does that matter that they're not in the same state do you know? guessing not.

In reply to dodfoster:

For insurance purposes? Shouldn't matter terribly. FYI, the insurance companies are much more competitive in the states which yields some much more relaxed policies so chances are you wont have too much trouble. You would probably be ok in registering the insurance in one state and just letting them know your entire situation (coming from abroad, UK licence?, travelling between states)... they will be able to help you out trust me.

An example of this; my sister who lives out there lent her car. She called up to ask if its ok for me to drive her car, and apparently as long as I have her permission, I can drive her car, without her, across all states without a problem..under her insurance. Friends can drive your car under your insurance. ...Things are just very different there, the insurance is against the car more than it is the driver which is why things are so different.

For specifics, your gonna have to just call up and ask. I would call in advance and just ask someone like AAA for advice. It shouldn't be a problem though, one thing the Americans make easy is driving!