Has Anyone Imported a Camroad from Japan?

[saxjonz]

I searched and saw this discussion from 4-5 years ago. I have been looking at picking up a Camroad. I see several sites, some have the same pics and different prices which seems a bit suspect. I am really curious to know how much it would cost after purchasing to get it shipped, delivered to a port of call, namely Long Beach, Ca. Does anyone here have experience with this task?

Cheers,

Lawrence

[linda s]

This is a very expensive and complicated process. There are licensed dealers who import Japanese vehicles and make sure what your buying has been inspected first. The big question with a Japanese vehicle that was never originally shipped to the US is where are you going to find someone to work on it? Very few American mechanics would even be willing to look at it. Certainly not worth their time to learn all the ins and out of an engine they might never see again. All parts needed would have to be imported too so no quick fixes. 

There are so many motorhomes now being built on Mercedes, Ford Transit and Dodge Promasters. Used prices on these are not much more than a much older Camroad

Linda S

Pretty sure no one here has a Camroad. 

[saxjonz]

Thank you Linda, after contacting several companies there, I have a price for one after taxes and shipping has been figured in. 20K delivered to Long Beach.

The Toyota 2.8 Diesel engine is very common here. Other than that, it's an RV so I assume that whatever breaks can be easily sourced. I have never taken my car to a mechanic to get fixed nor will I ever. I have worked on my own vehicles since I was 16 so I can say with confidence I am no stranger to anything related to mechanics of any drivetrain. There are actually a few Camroads here that I know of, I am surprised that I haven't seen any mention here.

FWIW Mercedes is junk, Ford is complicated, and Chrysler/Mercedes is basically the same junk owned by same company. The difference in prices is not what I am considering. I am considering something reliable vs junk that will rust out. If US had an RV that was as reliable, I would not hesitate to buy one. Japan fills that void and as such I will import.

 

[saxjonz]

3 minutes ago, saxjonz said:

Thank you Linda, after contacting several companies there, I have a price for one after taxes and shipping has been figured in. 20K delivered to Long Beach.

The Toyota 2.8 Diesel engine is very common here. Other than that, it's an RV so I assume that whatever breaks can be easily sourced. I have never taken my car to a mechanic to get fixed nor will I ever. I have worked on my own vehicles since I was 16 so I can say with confidence I am no stranger to anything related to mechanics of any drivetrain. There are actually a few Camroads here that I know of, I am surprised that I haven't seen any mention here.

FWIW Mercedes is junk, Ford is complicated, and Chrysler/Mercedes is basically the same junk owned by same company. The difference in prices is not what I am considering. I am considering something reliable vs junk that will rust out. If US had an RV that was as reliable, I would not hesitate to buy one. Japan fills that void and as such I will import.

 

 

 

Edited January 20, 2023 by saxjonz

[linda s]

I hope you vetted your supplier very well because that's less than I see Camroads sell for not including shipping price. 

As for the 2.8 being common, no engine not originally sold in the US is common. Since we have difficulties finding parts for our made for the US engine, I can't imagine finding parts for an imported one. Not like you can go to a dealer or auto parts store. Expect a wait while it's being shipped from Japan. I actually have sourced parts for ones no longer available here from Japan and a few other places. It's doable unless you're on the road traveling. 

By the way, my neighbors 2002 Sprinter has 250,000 miles on it and had never had any major service issues. The Dodge Promaster is not associated with Mercedes in any way. Dodge is owned by Fiat not Mercedes

Do let us know how this all turns out. Just because we don't currently have any Camroad owners here doesn't mean we wouldn't welcome you. 

Linda S

 

[Scott iv]

You sound invested in the Camroad idea and it will be cool to see if you get one. If you're still considering options (and not the old toyota motorhome options) pickups with slide ins are something to consider. You can then choose the truck base you feel comfortable and confident with, and many slide in camper models to choose from. You can then have portions of your vehicle made/assembled in America if that is important to you.  I know it's not a ground up motorhome and therefore not the same aesthetic, but a very practical option. And the slide ins are very nice these days. 

[Maineah]

Right hand drive? 

 

[Law4U]

I encourage you to research the Camroad.  I own a JDM Mitsubishi JB500 and have heard great things about the Camroad including more power and auto tranny.  BTW, I had a BLAST over 3 months in Baja with my little 4wd diesel JB500 dancing all over the soft sand and climbing the mountains.  The poor heavy sprinters tried following and dropped to their frames in the soft sand.  My concern is service and parts of which I'm trying to find in Portland OR and the west coast.  Let's keep in touch on what we find.

[Noʍad Dad]

Hi guys

I'm a bit late to the party here and I'm in Australia, not USA but just wanted to sign up and chime in - I intend to buy a Toyota Camroad in 2025 here, we too need to import them from Japan but have an easier time of it vs USA, alternatively we have 1 or 2 specialist caryards who import these and do the safety checks + electrical conversions pre-sale for a premium. I'll probably just buy it locally when the day comes.

 

I believe I will be the first person (perhaps globally?) to be running a Youtube channel living full time in a Toyota Camroad. I've seen a few families do holidays in them but no ongoing dedicated content. My plan is to live in this for 2-4 years, possibly ongoing beyond that. I'm middle aged, will be leaving everything behind to do this.

 

I'll be looking for the 3.0L Diesel 2017-2020 model. They switched to a 2.8L Diesel after 2021 but prices creep away from me at that point. The 3.0L is perfectly fine. Very few mechanics in Australia will have touched one of these also, but the engine itself will be familiar to all mechanics, those engines are everywhere in SUVs and trucks here. Parts extremely available. And there's something to be said for Toyota reliability.

 

Other specs I'd like:

• 4WD version, not mandatory but desired for peace of mind in sand and snow
• 3.0L Turbo Diesel option, I don't want to be the slowest thing up the mountains
• Duely rear wheels, added stability and peace of mind
• Solar 600-900W depending on what I can cram onto the roof
• 600-900Ah Lithium batteries

 

I'll have my daughter part time and will be working out of my RV full time so large power stored is essential as I will be 'plugging in' as infrequently as possible.

 

This is a good 12 months away still, happy to stay in touch if interested.

 

Visual below as an example.

[vicDRaw]

I live in NY and Im thinking of buying a camroad. My Friend bought an Nissan Atlas (loves it) but has always said he wishes he had a camroad. 

[linda s]

I see more and more of them for sale online. Lots of them coming into the country. The big issue is maintenance and finding a mechanic You're working with an engine that was never imported to the US and any parts needed will need to be imported. If you break down on the road that can become a nightmare. Has your friend had any problems?

In the case of the Atlas it's possible the engine is the same as the Nissan UD1400, which was imported to the US. In that case much easier to have repaired

Linda S

[saxjonz]

Wow, it’s been over a year and I see I posted some public remarks about auto manufacturer brands. This may have come from frustration but it’s not me to publicly share negative remarks about automotive manufacturers. @linda s I am still really interested in importing but your remarks and the apparent shadiness that could have happened led me to purchase a 1986 Vixen 21 TD. While the cheaper and more reliable option was the camroad, I imported a really low mileage Vixen from Canada. I really enjoyed driving it to Florida and back and finding parts for this are very tricky to source but the experience of owning a vehicle that gets 30-32mpg and parking at rest stops to actually be able to lay your head down on a pillow is just about priceless. Of course, some areas diesel is much more expensive it’s still great to drive a small RV and have the ability to park in rest                            I still want a camroad in the near future, and I see now there are plenty more that have been imported here. Maybe at the conclusion of this upcoming season I may decide to buy one and sell my vixen. It’s great but Toyota is probably the most solid mass produced vehicle for this purpose one could ask for. Thanks again Linda for your advice. This time I will travel to Japan with my family or brother to see one in person and make a purchase unless I see one here for sale at a price that would make it a better idea to purchase here instead. 

[saxjonz]

On 6/20/2024 at 12:19 PM, Law4U said:

Excellent, and pictures of your journey would be greatly appreciated.
I encourage you to research the Camroad.  I own a JDM Mitsubishi JB500 and have heard great things about the Camroad including more power and auto tranny.  BTW, I had a BLAST over 3 months in Baja with my little 4wd diesel JB500 dancing all over the soft sand and climbing the mountains.  The poor heavy sprinters tried following and dropped to their frames in the soft sand.  My concern is service and parts of which I'm trying to find in Portland OR and the west coast.  Let's keep in touch on what we find.

 

[Lisa Spencer]

I'm going to check out a Zil 2wd Camroad next week...because it's a toyota, I've been told that parts are readily available and that they are easy to work on but I have not verified this information.  Whatever I find out I will share here.  If all goes well I expect to be purchasing one withing the next 2 weeks.  I am curious if anyone has had direct experience with one.  I'm also looking at an Isuzu Terra 500 4wd Elf...

[Ssunrader]

The Nissan Atlas will at least have an equivalent chassis here in the US for things like windshield replacements.

I believe it is a US model Isuzu that shares those parts(?)

 

Although they are very cool vehicles, am not sure if the reality of owning one would be great long term. I looked into it years ago, but just didn’t want that kind of hassle…

 

A Camroad owner asked me to help him with some ball joints, wanted to do some very sketchy stuff to get around a parts source/cost issue.

[rvplease]

First, it's great to be back, hello Linda, it's been a long time!  We have been replacing parts on our old Dodge and really like the idea of a newer Toyota rv, or Nissan, or Isuzu if there is one, and  a place (here?) to discuss US imports of these, at least for Toyotas would be great.  The folks who peddle junk as pristine are everywhere, including Japan, and it sounds like Japan has its own rust belt in the North, who knew-

[jennie]

On 9/28/2024 at 10:30 PM, Noʍad Dad said:

Hi guys

I'm a bit late to the party here and I'm in Australia, not USA but just wanted to sign up and chime in - I intend to buy a Toyota Camroad in 2025 here, we too need to import them from Japan but have an easier time of it vs USA, alternatively we have 1 or 2 specialist caryards who import these and do the safety checks + electrical conversions pre-sale for a premium. I'll probably just buy it locally when the day comes.

 

I believe I will be the first person (perhaps globally?) to be running a Youtube channel living full time in a Toyota Camroad. I've seen a few families do holidays in them but no ongoing dedicated content. My plan is to live in this for 2-4 years, possibly ongoing beyond that. I'm middle aged, will be leaving everything behind to do this.

 

I'll be looking for the 3.0L Diesel 2017-2020 model. They switched to a 2.8L Diesel after 2021 but prices creep away from me at that point. The 3.0L is perfectly fine. Very few mechanics in Australia will have touched one of these also, but the engine itself will be familiar to all mechanics, those engines are everywhere in SUVs and trucks here. Parts extremely available. And there's something to be said for Toyota reliability.

 

Other specs I'd like:

• 4WD version, not mandatory but desired for peace of mind in sand and snow
• 3.0L Turbo Diesel option, I don't want to be the slowest thing up the mountains
• Duely rear wheels, added stability and peace of mind
• Solar 600-900W depending on what I can cram onto the roof
• 600-900Ah Lithium batteries

 

I'll have my daughter part time and will be working out of my RV full time so large power stored is essential as I will be 'plugging in' as infrequently as possible.

 

This is a good 12 months away still, happy to stay in touch if interested.

 

Visual below as an example.

@Noʍad Dad did you do it? I'm here randomly in Sept 2025, now looking for your content! 

[David G]

Yes, I have a 2023 Camroad I received the vehicle in June 2025. I didn't realise this was an American site, I'm in Australia.

There are a number of importers and dealers here and Camroads can be readily purchased.

The 2.8 Ltd turbo diesel is a common Toyota engine and he's been used for some time in an family off road vehicle called Prado.

Edited September 14 by David G
Additional detail

[saxjonz]

Hey all, I just noticed an email from this site. I wish I would have gotten the camroad and now even more than ever before. I need to get my rig sold before anything else. I loved driving it but there are a lot of details from the factory that needed attention from the start. 
my goal for the spring to actually visit Japan and while there rent on for the entire time to explore the island, while at the same time trying to set up a deal and ship it back personally. I love to hear about all you camroad or Isuzu, or similar looking rig owners and your experiences. 

Edited September 29 by saxjonz
Fix grammar

[ConeheadJapan]

I’m a foreigner living in Japan and have a Camroad cresson that we camp in (family of 5) every weekend. I wish I could meet more foreigners with  them.  Quite easy to work on and we have dont a lot of modifications inside the cab.Its very compact and we loooooooove it.