Does anyone have information on exporting the Ridgeline? I'm considering moving it to the UK with me. There is no guarantee they will allow it into the country and there is literally NO information available online about it. I'd love to know if anyone else has tried it.

Well, I'd try before importing it to call the UK customs to see what they have to say. There is a chance that they may not allow it over there due to emission requirements and the gas the Ridgeline uses. Would you honestly want to drive the truck in a country where it won't FIT down some of the roads or even pay for the $5 to $6 or more a GALLON for gas?

Yes, I have called them and emailed them. They won't give you a definite answer on it until they have "inspected" it. The thing is, I've lived in the Uk and the US for the last five years. There are tons of Dodge Ram's in the UK, and the Hummer just went on the market last month. The roads have changed drastically and I live in a large city, so size really isn't an issue so much. Gas prices, yeah they suck. Currently, a gallon of gas is $4.75 in the UK - but my company subsidizes my fuel costs. At the end of the day, if I can keep my truck I'd really like to do that.

My suggestion would be to contact the nearest British Consulate or the British Embassy in Washington DC. They should be able to help.

http://www.mapsupport.com/thedatabase/impex/imprtgvehuk.htm

Does anyone have information on exporting the Ridgeline? I'm considering moving it to the UK with me. There is no guarantee they will allow it into the country and there is literally NO information available online about it. I'd love to know if anyone else has tried it.

Try looking here:

http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageLibrary_PublicNoticesAndInfoSheets&propertyType=document&columns=1&id=HMCE_CL_000282#P129_14432

You may have to get the catalytic converter removed and the gas intake area opened up (to allow for bigger nozel). A place that ships cars out of Baltimore harbor can take care of all of that and even store the catalytic converter. Always had to have my catalytic converters removed since everywhere I went used leaded gas only.

The whole of western Europe has been unleaded for a long time, so you will need the cat. Not sure about the nozzle size though.

One issue you're really going to struggle with is the headlamps. Because Britain is a RHD country, the lamps are going to require modification to divert the beam to the left and have a sharp very cut-off to the right to meet UK spec. Just re-aiming them won't do the trick and you probably won't be able to use prismatic converters due to the clear lens design on the Ridgeline.The windshield may also be an issue. The glass on UK vehicles doesn't crack like US vehicles. When struck hard enough it's designed to shatter into thousands of pieces.

Other than price, the gasoline shouldn't be a problem. The knock sensors in the Ridgeline should re-tune the timing automatically. UK 'regular' unleaded 95RON fuel is about the equivalent of 90-91 in the US standard.

One other thing - the radio might not work due to different spectrum spacing used in the UK. Worth checking up on first.

Try contacting Bauer Millett in Manchester, UK. They import US vehicles into the UK and may have some tips for you. http://www.bauer-millett.com

These guys have a Ridgeline for sale in London, so you might be able to find out what mods were done - http://www.americancarimports.com/stock/stockiFrame.asp?page=extreme&id=81

It might be cheaper to just sell yours and buy that one :)

Good luck!

Wow, thanks for the feedback. Will check on the sites and info you all have left and let you know how it turns out. It really may be worth checking out the one for sale in London. Thanks again!!

Basically importing into the UK will be a PITA :) I know this because I tried to import one of my other cars from the US to the UK about 6 years ago. There is some really good info available on a lot of sites... but the biggest problem is that there is no equivalent model in the UK.

Here are some things you'll need to consider:


1. you'll need the vehicle to go through an ESVA SVA... I believe that if the car is Left Hand Drive and has been driven by you at home, then you only need the SVA not the Extended ESVA

2. You'll need to make modifications - plenty of sites where there is info on this but basically covers rear red foglight position, headlight position, tyres match top speed, no unusual protrusions, etc..). I think with the exception of the headlights most of it will be OK.

3. You'll have a bit of fun trying to get it insured!

you might want to loook at www.bitma.org for a lot of info.. Also here : http://www.import-car.info/modifications.shtml which has some optimistic costs for doing the work :) Don't forget about import duty and VAT which adds up quick too :)

You could also contact these guys http://www.bmsesva.co.uk/ - they can give you a realistic idea of expectations and I know some guys in the UK who have dealt with them successfully and painlessly with cars from Japan.

I just imported my Ridgeline into Russia - also not much fun to do but the rules are much easier ---- the tax is a killer mind at 55% import duty plus 18% VAT plus 'other costs involved in easing the process ;)'

Hope that helps

Yes, that helps a lot. Thank you for the info and the links. I have contacted that garage. Sounds like newer vehicles have less of a problem "passing" through, which is encouraging. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks again!