Recreational vehicles can be shipped from America by different methods. When shipping a large number of recreational vehicles for resale in another country, it may be best to find a recreational vehicle shipper in America who will ship on stackable flat racks or roll-on roll-off vessels. Flat rack containers are similar to the flat bed on a large truck trailer, but can be stacked. Most flat rack containers are rated to hold up to 45,000 pounds or more, which is sufficient to safely transport most recreational vehicles. Roll-on roll-off vessels require that the recreational vehicle be driven onto and off of the transport ship using ramps. The benefit to a recreational vehicle shipper in America who uses roll-on roll-off is that the vehicles will be below deck where they are protected from ocean spray and the weather.

Vehicles that are transported to the port over land must be washed to remove dirt, insects, and road grime prior to loading on the ship. Vehicles will be inspected according the custom requirements of the destination country, some of which can be strict. Vehicles shipped on stackable flat racks may need to be washed upon arrival at the destination in order to clear some of the more strict customs requirements.

When exporting newly manufactured vehicles from America the exporter must provide a manufacturer’s statement of origin. The statement of origin must be provided to the United States customs 72 hours prior to loading the recreational vehicles for shipping. If no statement of origin is available, the exporter is required to prove that the jurisdiction where the vehicle was manufactured does not require a statement of origin. The recreational vehicle shipper in America must then provide any original document that proves his or her ownership and an invoice along with two copies of these documents. Recreational vehicles that are used or have been titled must be accompanied by a certificate of title. United States law, 19 U.S.C. §1646c requires that all exporters of vehicles provide the vehicle identification number (VIN) to the Customs Service at least 72 hours in advance of export.

A recreational vehicle shipper in America who will be exporting used vehicles must further prepare the vehicles for international transport. Once the recreational vehicles arrive from America to the destination port they will have to be cleared by customs agents for that country. The vehicles will be inspected for proper documentation and for cleanliness.