Our Vehicle

Shipping or Buying?

Originally, we wanted to make this adventure with our T4 VW minibus. Our minibus can drive either on gasoline or natural gas (which you can get in places of the American Continent, mostly South America) and is therefore, very economic. However, it doesn’t have a four-wheel drive, which could be useful at our trip. Our minibus also needed a whole rebuilding. There is no connection from the drivers cabin to the interior, no heater in the living area (thanks, Andrea and Gerd that you convinced us of the necessity of a heating system), no windows at the car side etc. Well, you see, the conversion would have taken a lot of time and money.

Why we decided to buy a Car

We sat together in order to list the pros and contras of our own car, of buying a car in Germany as well as of buying one in the States. We found out that buying a used car in Germany and ship it into the US would make no sense at all and would be way too expensive. Rebuilding and shipping the own car or buying a used car in the States would mean the same costs – here the course of the dollar is important. Furthermore, when buying a car in the States we can look for a four-wheel drive. Also, the possibility to repair an American car should be more likely than a German one in Middle and South America. To rebuild our own car would have become very time consuming not to thing of Olli’s nerves. Compared to a prefabricated Motorhome a self-made construction would have never had the same standard and comfort. Just to think about kitchen and shower. The only thing we now will not experience is the search for natural compressed gas stations

However, to buy a car in the States could also be tricky. Now we have to calculate much higher costs for gasoline as American cars are well-known as gas-guzzlers. After all, we talk about an app. 8-year old car which needs 30 l/100 km. We will also need a contact in the States on whom we can apply for the licence, insurance and registration.