Searching for a Camper Van

[Lifemagician]

Interesting, Mark.

That is exactly how it is here. I only know the details of the Victorian RWC, but I hear that NSW is much more strict... a bit like CA. I have never checked up to see what the requirements are in all the other States and Territories. All motor vehicle registrations, third party insurance and licencing of drivers is on a State by State basis. As are the blood alcohol levels. They vary from .02 to .08. At least the States have agreed on speed limits. We are no longer faced with different limits there... not since the Northern Territory embraced the concept of speed limits. Until a decade or so ago, it was a free-for-all there.

The Carfax program is a totally different thing. Here a similar prgram is administered by the RTA (Road Traffic Authority).

Lifey

[glc]

There is no national vehicle inspection program here. It's all up to the individual states. Some states have a periodic safety inspection requirement, and the way they are administered and how in depth they are varies widely. NONE of them are anywhere near in-depth as a UK MOT. Illinois does not have a safety inspection except for large commercial vehicles, and there is an emission inspection requirement only in certain counties.

In looking through the FAQs, I see the inspector will NOT personally test-drive the vehicle, but instead MAY do a ride-along for UP TO 5 miles. I personally find it hard to evaluate steering, braking, suspension behavior, transmission behavior on a ride-along, and 5 miles strikes me as a short test-drive.

The inspectors only inspect the underside of the vehicle IF the seller has a lift and IF the seller agrees to lift the vehicle.

There is no opportunity for a compression test.

With that in mind, I think you are going to get a better inspection at the Ford dealer, because YOU can specify how in-depth you want it to be, and they have all the tools and equipment right there to do it. The sky is the limit - at around $100/hr.

If I understood you correctly, you are going to be registering this vehicle in Montana? If so, that's one of the easier states and they have no inspection requirement.

I have already spoken at length with the Ford dealership, and sent them an email with the list of things I want looked at. But they will not do it till the cheque from friend arrives and is cleared. OMG! I find that so hard to cope with. I don't know anyone who still uses cheques. Here all banking and payments are done by electronic transfer, from bank account to bank account - regardless of which bank it comes from or which bank it goes to... even credit unions, etc. So I am totally dependent on calling my friend, tell what cheque to write, mail it, and wait for USPS to deliver it, then wait for the bank to get back to the issuing bank to clear it.... and a couple of weeks have gone.

Your friend could have done this electronically through various means - credit card, debit card, wire transfer.

[Lifemagician]

If I understood you correctly, you are going to be registering this vehicle in Montana? If so, that's one of the easier states and they have no inspection requirement.

Frankly mate, I have no concern at all about any State's requirements. I am only thinking about my requirements. At the top of that list is safety (interesting how none mention inspecting the seatbelts for wear and / or damage) and reliability. I want to avoid as far as I can, ending up like the poor lady from Canada. And I am sure that once I get to St Paul, I will probably get the mechanic I have got to know there, to give it the once over... especially as by then, it will have been sitting for six months.

I far prefer to spend my dollars there, than to have to make an insurance claim or call the AAA.

Oh boy, by the time I hit the road, I will have enough material on this topic, to write a book. lol

Lifey

[glc]

Frankly mate, I have no concern at all about any State's requirements. I am only thinking about my requirements.

Of course - I completely understand. That's why you need to specify just how in-depth you want your inspection to be.

[Foy]

Exactly the way it works here. That is exactly how our automobile club works. None of the mechanics are employed by them, but they are all answerable to them.

Lifey

Yes, I would expect similar contract arrangements in any country. While my opinion that a NAIS-style inspection is entirely preferable to none at all, I don't get a warm, fuzzy feeling that the contracted inspectors are exactly shaking in their boots at the prospects of incurring the ire of NAIS over questions, problems, or complaints about their work product. As such, "answerable to them" means little to me.

Foy

[Midwest Michael]

I tend to agree with Foy, that since this inspection organization really isn't known to anyone, except those who really seek it out, it really is much more of a referral/marketing service for local garages than anything else.

There's nothing wrong with it, and has been said, its better than nothing, but I don't think it really is comparable to something like AAA, where a garage will actually work hard to maintain on a "recommended" list.

[Lifemagician]

My mother, a woman with little education, had great difficulty coming to grips with the English language. Even after half a century in this country, it was sometimes obvious that we were not getting through. We could discuss things at length with her, but frequently, it would be one simplistic question which made it clear to us that what we were saying was not what she was hearing. That gap, call it linguistic, call it cultural, call it what you may, was never bridged.

As I read some of the responses above, I get exactly the same feeling. There is no point going into more detail. The words I use, are not conveying my meaning to the recipients. It is just another example of two peoples divided by a common language.

Lifey

[Mark Sedenquist]

Lifey,

I don't think I'm seeing any "lost in translation" issues here -- but just to be as clear as possible.... None of the expert members of this Forum think the NAIS inspection is a good use of money. The local Ford dealership is a better bet, but nothing can really guarantee that your new camper van will be free of maintenance issues. Ultimately, you'll have to deal with that in person. That is the nature of purchasing any used product.

Mark

[glc]

Let me expand on that - I get the impression the NAIS inspection is conducted "on-site" without the aid of a lift or specialty tools by a "general" mechanic. I have the ability to do such an inspection, and believe me, it would be very cursory compared to what you get *IN* a shop with equipment, tools, and factory certified technicians. It would certainly be better than nothing, but it probably wouldn't uncover anywhere near as much.

I would be very surprised if the NAIS inspector has a $20k computer with him that's capable of running a full electronic diagnosis, for example.

[Foy]

Yes, Lifey, the most concise summary I can offer of what's been said here is:

There is no form of pre-purchase inspection which will provide absolute assurance of a vehicle's condition or a warranty.

The NAIS-style inspection is better than none at all, but not as good as an "in-shop" inspection by a qualified mechanic who has access to his expensive diagnostic computer, a lift, and who can and will personally drive the vehicle a greater distance than just "around the block" to test its overall function.

So, even after the most rigorous inspection available, failure of vehicle components can occur, and there will be no opportunity to hold any individual or business responsible for the failure.

Foy