PCS move from the USA to the UK, help needed!
 

I'd sell your JK here and get a diesel model in the UK! It'll be cheaper than shipping and making any changes to your US model. Even if your company is willing to ship to the UK, maybe you can negotiate to have them give you the money it would have cost to ship and use it towards the purchase of a UK diesel model.

Besides, it's cool to have a RHD Jeep. :thumbsup:

:wink: I'd get a divorce first

My wife and kids are more important to me than all my gun collection or jeep

You've got more to worry about than your jeep !!!

:clap::rotflmao2: JIMBO

Goog Bye
 

sell good bye to a great freind "3.8". say hello my new desiel! it's only a jeep. you can buy a new one and make the new one better than your old one! and if your jeep is more important than your family. you have some issues. :thumbsup:

Ok ok
 

All I know about the UK is that it's cold and it always rains. So be sure to keep the top up and the heater working. Actually, I was fortunate enough that it didn't rain any of the 5 days we were in London a few years back, but was told those were about the only days it hadn't rained all year! Been back a few times since and visited other parts of the country, but it's always rained! :dontknow2:

Good luck!

you can
 

you can buy it American Spec out there. so it's just like buying one here in the states. but you get the better engine! they do charge a bit more for the american Spec. but it's woth it to get the Deseil.:thumbsup:

:wink: Heh Heh, I kinda figured that !!

Although a diesel is an adnmirable option, I don't think the cost of emission compliance and the "misplaced" steering wheel would make it worth the transfer

Good luck

:clap::clap: JIMBO

It's been a long time, but do they not still ship your POV for free??? I was in the AF a long time ago, and 3 years was not an option, but when we PCS'd over seas long we got to take our POV.

I don't know how much household goods you get to take, but you could take all the Mods off that you don't think will pass the inspection (I'm sure a lot has changed) then ship them as household goods and put them back on once you get there.

As for the Diesel, I'm sure they will not let you ship it back for the same reason they don't sell it here, it does not meet emissions so you'd have to find a way to getit back on your own.

Where you going over there? I was at RAF Lakenheath form 85-89.

hey
this site might help it says what need to be done as far as legal stuff and SVA tests.
ht tp://www.fte.co.uk/fte4x4/jk/jk_sva.htm

be sure to bring over/do all your mods in the US and not wait until you get it over here.....it will save you serious money:yup:

any questions just pm :wink:

There are a bunch of us JK owners stationed over here in Germany. I'm not sure about the UK, but we don't have to modify our lighting or anything, because we are here SOFA status style (that means we can run full US specs). They only worry about tint on the front windows over here. I have heard of the guys in the BENELUX (Belgium, Neatherlands, Luxemburg) having to add a rear fog light (red) though. You should be able to check at the relocation office for a SITES packet, that should have the phone number in it for the POV registraton office for the RAF in it. It may be worth your while to make the call. Good luck, and if you get a chance to visit Bavaria, hit us up, we'll take you out to the off road park around here.

I totally agree on the diesel being worth looking into.......yet, I knew when I read your post that you did not pick up on he's serving in the Air Force........not much negotiation room with that employer!!! :D

x2 You will be on SOFA status and you will be taking the vehicle home with you when you leave. It shouldn't be an issue. I just got back from Germany in Feb and we didnt have to change anything.
Now if you sell it to a LN while you are there then it must be modified (usually by the buyer).

If I was you I would sell my JK bec by the time you will be back most of the things will be outdated etc etc European road laws are very strict for example you cant have
more than 2.5" Lift,
You cant have Shorty Front Bumper with hood scoop
You Cant shop ur fenders or use wheel spacers tyres should not be exposed
You need Mud Flaps the list goes on and on


By a Landy disco moded you will enjoy there and sell it on ur way back.

Even if you bring ur right hand Diesel JK back home parts would be a big issue and trust me loads of Diesel oweners are not happy with the oil burner

The tip is buy a 4wd which is common in that country so Landrover in UK, Nissan in Aus and Jeep or anything is US etc

I came back from Germany last summer. You can take a US spec vehicle to a NATO country, even a Jeep. Because of the SOFA, you will not be "importing" the vehicle and will not need to mod it to meet Euro standards but you will have to have it inspected on base, which means you could have trouble if you have really modded your JK. There may be rules on tire size, lifts, etc. If you want info on it, just give vehicle registration on Lakenheath a call.

As for picking up a Euro spec vehicle over there, it can be done but you will have to bring it back through a licensed importer. This may not be as much trouble as you would at first think. Normally, the issue is the crash test data. The model has to have been tested or there has to be an equivalent US vehicle. This shouldn't be a problem with a JK since I believe the bodies are the same. I tried to bring back a Land Rover Defender (which are still made in Europe) but without the crash data, there wasn't any practical way.

Also, you can take more than one vehicle over. It really isn't as expensive as you might think. I want to say that it is less than $1500. That is, however, one way.

When it comes to driving over there, don't worry too much about the size of the vehicle. I new tons of people who drove full size Suburbans without a problem. The parking spots are small but they are so small that they are tight even if you are driving VW Golf. In places that are really nasty to drive, you will probably be taking the metro anyway.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder - store the Jeep, it will be waiting when you get back. When you are there, get another iconic vehicle like an old Mini Cooper or MGB and enjoy that different driving experience for a few years. You may even end up bringing the British vehicle back this way!
BTW, the JK weatherstrips are made in Goldsboro, NC, by Cooper Standard.

you cant have more than a 2.5" lift??? ive never heard that.....im wanting the aev 3.5"

x2 on this.

4 inches of lift, a stubby front bumper, and my tires stick out and I drive it every day in Europe. I live by the American standards not European. I also personally know 2 Swiss and 2 Germans with more than 2.5 inches of lift.

Take your Jeep w/ you!
 

Dude . . . Take your Jeep with you. I was stationed in the U.K. from 96-99. There are certified Jeep dealerships there however, some of their parts are different as you may alrweady be aware of.

As for the lights . . . Don't worry! You are not the only service man serving in the UK that shipped a vehicle. Everyone that does ship a vehicle will have to have some bulb modifications done and a dedicated fog light added to the rear of the Jeep. The auto craft shop on RAF Lakenheath can do this for you.

It was a great time . . . London ROCKS. If you happen to like GP style motorcycle or F1 racing you will be in heaven.

Good luck and thank you for your service!

Haha I was just on lakenheath an hour ago. I am from mildenhall. I am leaving the UK and going back stateside, I shipped my jeep earlier. All u need to do is get a light conversion kit and the british MOT which is like to make sure your vehicle is not a safety hazard on the road. You have will have to pay for road tax. The lift thing is not true.....There are a ton of modded 4x4s here on mildenhall and lakenheath. When i did my 2.5 lift the guy next to me was doing his 4" lift. Ship your baby over here. Get the light conversion done and mot then mod away. ALTHOUGH....to ship it back to the states it cant be more than 3 inch of lift.

I'm in Germany, but maybe this will help out. Bring it with you. You fall under the SOFA, which means A LOT. You are an American being sent over here by the US Government, and you are not expected to alter your car to meet crazy European standards so that you can drive to the job they want you to go to. They would have to pay for it, or buy you a new car if that were the case. Now, this is all within reason. Generally if you can drive it in the States, you can drive it here. There are a few things that you may have to alter, like a light kit, not expensive, to drive in the UK. I had to do it when I drove to London for a meeting because I was driving at night. Basically they drive on the other side of the road, and the lights we have are not set up for that. A lot depends on the inspector you go to, the inspector is on a US base and inspects US cars for government employees. Be nice, have a clean car, and a good attitude, and lots of things get overlooked, even if they really are an issue. My Harley with no mufflers passes every time despite rules on noise standards. My JK rides on 37s that stick out from under the fenders, and it passes, despite safety rules saying that I'm not allowed to have that. Familiarize yourself with the US regulations for registering a vehicle in the UK, not the UK rules for UK citizens.

As far as buying a RHD diesel and bringing it back. You can do that, but it is VERY expensive. You can buy a US Spec car tax free, but remember US spec is just that. The same that you would get in the US, 3.8, no diesel, no RHD. If you buy the RHD diesel over there, you will pay UK prices, but at least you should still be tax free. You can bring it back to the States, but before you think about that route, do a quick search for importing vehicles to the US and look at the government sites. You will soon learn that it is not easy, hence the AAFES auto program. Bottom line is, they do not want RHD cars in the US and make it cost prohibitive. Thats why Skylines bring in so much money. Also diesel is pretty much a no no. They US says they pollute too much, and the different grades of diesel may make it problematic as well. Also, you can't make the changes required yourself, it requires a certified importer. If you remember what happened with the Skyline importers in the States, you can get a glimpse of how trustworthy they are. I wouldn't want one of them touching my car.

You are an American. You will be going back to America. You are in the AF, so you can drive your US spec car wherever they send you. Stick with a US spec car. Make the few changes you have to for whatever country you are going to. Contact the vehicle registration guys where you will be stationed, and let them give you the down low on getting a vehicle registered. As long as you don't drive something that would probably get kicked of the road in the US, you should be fine.

Here's my .02. I have lived my whole life on both sides of the pond and have lots of experience with Jeeps. All my European registered Jeeps (CJ, TJ, WJ, JK) have 4+" of lift. Since you fall under SOFA, you shouldn't care. If you want to show some consideration towards the RHD crowd, get these stickers that you put on your headlight lenses. This avoids blinding the guys coming the other way. You probably aren't obliged to have them but it's a show of good faith and consideration. If you do have to change the whole headlight, then you won't need them. You'll probably need a reflective triangle, but you can get them when you get there. You're obliged to put them 50 meters before your vehicle if you have a breakdown on the side of the road. You'll get used to driving on the other side of the road very fast. Just be careful pulling out of parking lots and intersections. You naturally tend to pull onto the wrong side of the road.

Now for the diesel subject. Jeeps use the Italian VM diesel engine. Stay away from them! They are the worst designed diesel engines ever. They are by far the most unreliable diesel engine around. If at least it had a decent diesel engine, I would say go for it. If it was a german designed diesel engine, or even a Land Rover 300tdi would be much better. You will get all kinds of comments like: " I haven't had any problems with my VM engines". I had a buddy that said that with his. Now he is going nuts looking for a substitute engine.

Other than that, I would suggest taking it with you. Forget buying one. My wife's WK was 20,000 Euros cheaper in the US. You will never spend that amount even with shipping and mods. Even on gas you won't. Thanks for your service!

for me, you sell your JK, and get a new one in france or belgium and your sterrig wheel will be in the good side and you have a diesel with the new color!!!!

Just change the lights, i dont think you can leagally import and export jeep into the US.

It is not currently possible to import a European diesel JK to the US, despite the vehicle being made there in the first place. The reason being is that the Euro spec diesel, even with a particle filter, doesn't meet the new 2007 emissions requirements (Thanks California) . Until someone successfully petitions the NHTSA/EPA, JK's with the VM diesel engine already installed cannot be permanently imported to the USA. I have already been in contact with two RI's and had no luck on this issue. Petition costs are usually in the region of $8K-$16K.

Don't come to Zurich. No mods allowed here without written approvals from Jeep.

That is MAD

The 2007 US diesel emissions test is so stringent that none of the Common Rail Injection Euro4 diesel engines in production could comply. A Euro5 engine that exceeds Euro5 stands a chance of complying with US07. To prevent Euro5 engines from being used long term they have raised the bar again for 2010 with new US10 regulations.

California's government does not want diesel passenger cars so they keep raising the limits to stop the European compliant engines from being introduced.

As said no way to import a total jeep. I have seen one on ebay converted. I dont know what the cost of that would be. All i know is if you have OB2 testing you could get away with it if your computer vin matches jeep vin. Then as far as i know the dash cluster will have to be KMH not MPH. Sorry to burst your bubble. The way AEV gets away with it is they have dealer tags. Which means they do not have to have it inspected. Also the J8 falls into a KIT car. They are held to different levels. I would not try it unless you just want to throw them your wallet and say give it back to me when your done.