A solicitor may be able to effect the registration for you, but you will need some way of obtaining plate before expiry of travel permit.

Personally, I would never go touring with a brand new caravan - there are too many horror stories of things going wrong with brand new vans. Check the horror list on Lemon Caravans and RV's Facebook site.

To license a new van in WA you have to have it inspected by an authorised WA inspection centre.

This makes doing what you want to do almost impossible as you can only bring it back to WA on movement permits which give you limited time.

You cannot register it in NSW as you are not a resident.

Note too that WA does not recognise other States movement permits, so unless you have a WA one as well, the moment you cross the WA border you are towing an unregistered van with all the penalties that can be applied if pulled over.

It is a real pain in the nether regions as you used to be able to get it registered in the State of purchase, have a holiday and reregister it in WA when you got home but the State muppets have put paid to that.

I have been through this very process with our current van so know the ropes. The only hope you might have is to approach the Dept of Transport well before you travel to NSW and see if they might offer a solution. Government wheels grind slowly so give yourself plenty of time. Don't go in a few days before and expect a result. You might get it but allowing plenty of time is a wise move.

If you know anyone in Qld (or possibly NSW?) who is willing to sign a form giving you permission to use their address as a 'garaging address' you can register it in that state. Later when you return to your home state it will need to be inspected prior to registration there. At least that is the process I intend to follow with the purchase of a used vehicle in Qld & later transferring registraion to Vic. I suspect that may be how Gundog's mate's dealer did things (ie. provided a garaging address?)

www.support.transport.qld.gov.au/qt/formsdat.nsf/forms/QF4408/$file/F4408_CFD.pdf

I think you will need to register it in NSW first then when you get home to WA you will need to put it over the pit and re register it. You should get a rebate on your NSW rego. Also that way you can take your time coming home.

Granty, no not unless as yobarr has said, register in someone else's name who is a resident of NSW and then transfer it when home in WA. You CANNOT register it in your own name as you are not a resident of NSW and certainly WA does not recognise this, so once over the border you are towing an unregistered van. WA doesn't even recognise other States movement permits so bringing home a van from the east requires movement permits from both the Eastern States and WA. I have been through all of this with our last van. Very frustrating I know but that's the brave new world we are forced to live in.

Thanks to everyone for your help in this, will have to contact DoT here WA.  Thanks again.

I think you are correct that the best way forward is for the OP to enquire with the relevant roads authority Dmaxer.

When I was previously looking to buy and register a vehicle in Qld (I have a Vic licence) I could find nothing helpful online at all. A phone call to Qld Roads dept resulted in "Oh that's easy, you just need 'Form F440D' (Qld Garaging address Statement).

NSW may be different but I'd suggest that it is highly likely that this will not be the first time someone has been in the position of the OP, & that there will be a legal & acceptable way to do what is required.

Quite possible that the WA roads authority may be similarly helpful.

It seems that such things are often not 'advertised' but when specifically asked there are solutions.

-- Edited by Cuppa on Saturday 24th of June 2023 10:00:08 AM

DMaxer wrote:

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Hi Pen n Pep. I am sure you will enjoy your new caravan and I hope you have many happy travels.

Most of the advice given to you is well meaning but totally incorrect. The best course of action is to go into your local version of the Motor Registry and just tell them what you intend to do regarding your purchase and east coast travel. They will give you the correct advice and then all you have to do is just follow it. It might be expensive and not what you wanted to do but one does not have the choice of obeying only the rules, regulations and laws that suit.

The advice that you should find a friend or family member and register and insure the van in their name is stupid but worse still, criminal. It would involve you and the participating friend or family member first of all making false declarations and thereby committing fraud in attempting to dud the state out of money it should be receiving. Should you have an accident and try to make a claim, do you really think insurance companies are that stupid they would not be suspicious of an interstate driver driving someone elses new caravan. Any claim would involve further false declarations by not only yourself but the friend or family member and a further attempt at fraud.

People go to gaol for making false declarations about who was the driver in speeding camera offences so what do you think would happen in the above scenario.

Do it correctly and enjoy your trip. The States all have their own version of a caravan park for those who try to dud the system.

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 Very interesting assertions above. If I have a WA licence and wish to buy an $80,000 van in NSW, surely there is nothing illegal or fraudulent in me putting $80,000 into the bank account of my good mate Bob, who then buys the van in his name, insures it in his name, and then "loans" the van to me. Off I go, touring Australia.

When I get back to WA Bob then decides to sell the van to me, gives me a receipt, cancels the insurance, and Bobs your Uncle. 

Would be interested to learn what "false declarations" are involved here? How does this "dud the State out of money it should be receiving"? 

As far as the insurance company being "suspicious of an interstate driver driving someone elses new caravan", what on Earth do you believe to be amiss here?. Are you suggesting that if I buy a new van in WA and Bob drives his NSW registered car to pick the van from Perth to tow to NSW, then that would be seen as "suspicious"? 

Certainly if there are "proper" ways of buying a van interstate then I would be interested to hear of them, but Cuppa's experience is similar to one that  I had when I bought a Landcruiser in NSW, but couldn't register there because  I hold a Qld licence.  

Trying to deal with two different Motor Registries to determine the best course of action was an exercise in futility.

Putting the registration and insurance in a friends name solved that problem. Job done. Cheers.

DMaxer wrote:

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If you did it that way then it probably would not be a problem. There would be duty to pay on the transfer of ownership.

However Yobarr, that is not the scenario you first mentioned. Like most things, when you are called out, you then rearrange the narrative to to suit your new position.

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 Indeed! Perhaps you would be kind enough to reveal in what way you believe that this is "not the scenario you first mentioned".        Apart from my second post providing enough detail for even the slowest of learners to understand, the post below seems to give the exact same advice. 

No need to complicate a relatively simple procedure, surely, as we are only trying to help a fellow GN. Cheers