Is it possible to import and register a STEYR 12M18 into the US?

YellowCow

New member
I am going to Germany in July to look at some expedition trucks and initially had my eye on some UNIMOG 1300L but found some nice STEYR 12M18, that I would prefer as a base for several reasons.
I know there are a lot of 25 year and older Unimogs in the US and it must be possible to register them and get them street legal somehow.
But - what about the STEYR 12M18? The ones I am looking at are built 1986 and 1987 - so should comply with the 25 year rule.

Does anyone have experience with importing and successfully registering this truck or knows an import company that has experience with importing and registering STEYR 12M18 trucks into the US before?

Thanks for your feedback.
 

Haf-E

Expedition Leader
I would suggest talking with Scott at Expedition Imports and seeing if he can assist you with the import. California is a tough state for importing vehicles so it really helps to work with someone who knows what is real and what is an urban myth. He is in the east bay and ships a lot of vehicles over so it might be cheaper to have him bundle it with yours to get a better price on the container and customs, etc.

I know that Pinzgauers later than 1974 are not able to be registered in CA but perhaps a diesel rig might be different. Again - work with a guy like Scott is the best advise.

He can be difficult to reach on the phone or via email at times - but keep trying.

www.expedition-imports.com
 

ScottReb

Adventurer
Please update the thread and let us know what Scott has to say. Love the Steyr be great to see on in the Bay area. Thanks
 

YellowCow

New member
So basically it should be ok to import to the US (based on 25 year rule) but not be possible to register in CA due to CA emission law.
In general - from what i understand - nithing different than importing an old Unimog.
The only difference being - that there is no existing support network for STEYR in the US yet - no mechanics who know the truck and no spare parts in the U.S.

Thanks a lot for Scott' s time and information - he is a great guy and very knowlegeble!
If I do anything regarding import from Germany - unimog or Steyr - I will definetely work through him.

I will post an update after looking at the trucks in Germany and hopefully making up my mind what to do.

Just one thought I had: Allthough it seems scary to be without support for a STEYR in the US, it shouldn't really a big deal, since you probably cannot find a vehicle that has perfect support across the globe for all the countries i might want to travel with it.
The pros the STEYR has (at least for me) is that it does not have the (at leats for me - scary axle heating issue), which I would not want to deal with if I really want to cover high mileage and not just 'play around some off-road tracks'.
 
If you are interested in importing a Steyr we can put you in contact with someone who already imported 2 Steyr's into the US.
In addition, I would not worry about support too much either. We have a Steyr and are planning to travel through the US, and if we are stranded somewhere we can always knock at MAN's door, since Steyr is now part of their fleet.

YellowCow: I send you a PM

Cheers,
Nicole & Elmer
 
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grizzlyj

Tea pot tester
The pros the STEYR has (at least for me) is that it does not have the (at leats for me - scary axle heating issue), which I would not want to deal with if I really want to cover high mileage and not just 'play around some off-road tracks'.

Hiya


If you are referring to the oil migration issue on some 6 (wheel) bolt Mogs, there are several after market bypass pipes available that prevent that migration if it does occur, or if you buy a bigger Mog with 8 or 10 bolt axles they do not have that issue in the first place. Mogs have gone a lot of places with a lot of people for many years, most of whom are oblivious to that small issue on some Mogs of one axle type. :)
 

guidolyons

Addicted to Gear Oil
No need to import one, you can buy a surplus M1078 LMTV or a M1083 MTV which is basically the same truck. Made by Stewart & Stevenson.

M1078 LMTV 2.5T 4x4
m1078_lmtv.jpg


M1083 5 ton 6x6 MTV
FMTV.jpg




auction here at GovPlanet
http://www.govplanet.com/Trucks+-+LMTV?ct=30

http://www.govplanet.com/Trucks+-+MTV?ct=30
 
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Haf-E

Expedition Leader
Not quite the same truck - sort of a cousin perhaps...

Different engine, tranny and axles? The cab is the same though...
 

UpperCrust

Building and Learning
I imported and registered a 1990 Mercedes 917 from Germany a couple months ago. Take a look at this article I wrote on the process. My truck hit the 25 year mark the same month it was imported. I did not have any problems with customs. The hardest part is registering the truck. PM me if you have any questions.
 
You can register and use an older heavy duty diesel truck in California ONLY if it has a camper body - i.e it is an RV. Otherwise it needs a ridiculous aftermarket retrofitted diesel particulate filter (DPF) which of course strangles the engine. But I'd guess you want a camper for it anyways. Effective in the next 2-3 years but I think not quite now.
The same rule would apply to the military surplus vehicle, plus there are serious worries about taking ex-military trucks out of the country. But the military truck has some additional pros and cons. They are much newer, you can get CTIS, but they all have automatics (with super low 1st gear like 7:1, which is really low in an auto because of the torque converter) and 1 spd transfer cases. And electronic control systems.

Charlie
 

LostInTheWorld

Builder/Traveler
There are several Steyr 12M18 in the US already. I drove in a Steyr from Oregon a few months back. They are very nice trucks. I don't think you can register them in some states (like California), but I understand that they are fairly easy to import into states like Oregon. They are a bit expensive once it is all said and done. Parts availability for the 12M18 is non-existent in the US.

The M1078 LMTV is not really the same beast as a 12M18, but the LMTV is a physical substitute for the Steyr in many ways. There is a ton of parts available for the M1078. I own a 1996 M1078 LMTV right now. LMTVs are good trucks, too, but in a lot of ways I prefer the 12M18. If money wasn't a limitation for me, and I didn't live in California, I probably would own a 12M18.

Michael
 

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