Crossing into Canada & back - what about on-board water?

Ralph Cramden wrote:

myredracer wrote:

The US border guards can be mean & nasty sometimes.

Dealing with some of your CBSA people is not exactly like dealing with Mr Rodgers LOL.

Well that's just weird. They ALWAYS treat me nice. :) Hey, speaking of Mr. Rogers, have you heard about the new documentary coming out soon about him (starring who else, Tom Hanks)?

Grit dog wrote:

We travel back n forth regularly and some are cool, others are absolutely off their effing rocker....and this goes for both ICE and CBA.

Got pulled over once by CBA for an alleged "random computer-generated" inspection. Mean looking CBA dude inside (looked like an ex-marine) asks me where I'm going. I point over to our TT in their lot and say "I'm going camping". He looks at me like he's gonna shoot me or send me to Guantanamo Bay and says "NO, you are NOT going camping. Camping is when you pitch a tent on the ground." He repeats the question and trying to conceal my trembling, I say with my best poker face "I'm going to an RV resort for the weekend." He glares at me with the ol' hairy eyeball for a few seconds them moves onto the next question. He was one of those guys on a power trip and def. off his effing rocker.

But, yup, there are def. some really nice CBA officers.

SoundGuy wrote:
All this said I was berated a couple of years ago coming back into Canada because our trailer had "too much American dirt" on it. :S I kid you not ... we had been camping at 4 Mile Creek State Park in NY state in early spring when the ground was still saturated with water and I had such a difficult time getting on to a site towing our trailer with our 2wd drive Avalanche which spent most of it's time spinning it's wheels. :M It took numerous tries, eventually I got on to a site, but a friend with a 4wd Expy had to pull me off. I even gave the trailer a quick rinse at the campground dump station before leaving but apparently this wasn't good enough and it was only because the Cdn border agent decided to be "gracious" that he let me go BUT not before reminding me he had every right to deny me entry into my own country and instead send me back to the US to wash my trailer. Absolutely 100% true story. :R

RobWNY wrote:
I believe it. I am a retired Police Officer and have an enhanced drivers license that I use to cross the border. It has a chip in it and pretty much tells your life story. Once, while I was still working, I went to Toronto to watch a couple of baseball games with a buddy of mine. When I was asked the reason we wanted to enter Canada, the Border agent didn't believe me and kept badgering us. It wasn't until I showed him the game tickets that we were allowed to enter but then I had to pull to the side to have myself and vehicle searched because they didn't believe that I didn't have a gun with me as an officer. I kept telling the guy that you'd have to be a complete idiot to try and cross the border with a concealed handgun and without the proper declaration forms filled out in advance. In the end I was allowed to enter. Sometimes I think they just like to be the marionette and control the puppet strings. It's no different with U.S. customs either. I understand we live in troubled times but there's no reason to treat people poorly.

One of our good friends is an OPP officer, is also on an ERT team (SWAT to those of you in the US). Last weekend while standing around the campfire we were all trading border crossing horror stories and I was astounded to hear that his were some of the worst. I found that hard to believe, considering his profession and status in the community ... and I'm not saying he deserves preferential treatment but he certainly doesn't deserve to be singled out repeatedly by border agents who in many cases have that job because they themselves have no chance of ever being a member of the police community. Amazing, and disappointing.

I believe it. I am a retired Police Officer and have an enhanced drivers license that I use to cross the border. It has a chip in it and pretty much tells your life story. Once, while I was still working, I went to Toronto to watch a couple of baseball games with a buddy of mine. When I was asked the reason we wanted to enter Canada, the Border agent didn't believe me and kept badgering us. It wasn't until I showed him the game tickets that we were allowed to enter but then I had to pull to the side to have myself and vehicle searched because they didn't believe that I didn't have a gun with me as an officer. I kept telling the guy that you'd have to be a complete idiot to try and cross the border with a concealed handgun and without the proper declaration forms filled out in advance. In the end I was allowed to enter. Sometimes I think they just like to be the marionette and control the puppet strings. It's no different with U.S. customs either. I understand we live in troubled times but there's no reason to treat people poorly.

SoundGuy wrote:
All this said I was berated a couple of years ago coming back into Canada because our trailer had "too much American dirt" on it. :S I kid you not ... we had been camping at 4 Mile Creek State Park in NY state in early spring when the ground was still saturated with water and I had such a difficult time getting on to a site towing our trailer with our 2wd drive Avalanche which spent most of it's time spinning it's wheels. :M It took numerous tries, eventually I got on to a site, but a friend with a 4wd Expy had to pull me off. I even gave the trailer a quick rinse at the campground dump station before leaving but apparently this wasn't good enough and it was only because the Cdn border agent decided to be "gracious" that he let me go BUT not before reminding me he had every right to deny me entry into my own country and instead send me back to the US to wash my trailer. Absolutely 100% true story. :R

Didn't What's-His-Name put a tariff on Canadian water??

Tyler0215 wrote:
I hope there are no border agents on here. You gave them an idea of something else to check.

I hope there are, but either they’ll be proud of their a hole behaviour or they’ll see how ridiculous some are.

As silly as the original question may seem from a common sense standpoint, border agents are not as funny. I swear most of them are wanna be cops that weren’t even good enough to be a local Barney!
We travel back n forth regularly and some are cool, others are absolutely off their effing rocker....and this goes for both ICE and CBA.
I or we have gone North one day with nary a question and back the next and it’s an interrogation on the US side.
Same goes the other way too.
I’ve been questioned by cops before and some of these interrogations at the border sound like there’s probable cause ! Ie headed over for a kids hockey game or tourney and they ask the same “innocuous” questions 3-4 times with different wording to see if you answer the same! I’m pretty sure it’s on record that we went through the border for “hockey” 6 times in the last 3 months already!

Few years ago I drove to AK, by myself for work assignment. Had a brand new company truck with no logos and temp tags. All our dirt and snow toys, some registered some not. A trailer with permanent tags from a previous state. I would have expected some serious questions. And the only real question aside from the basics was “are you planning on selling any of this in Canada?”
Month later head up with the family. Personal vehicle, camper on, another trailer with some belongings, dogs and cat on board and kids playing video games in the back seat. I got 1/2 hour almost , or it seemed, of interrogation. At one point I actually said why don’t you just have me pull over for a search so we don’t hold up he rest of the line....
I wouldn’t be surprised to get a question about camper water or waste tanks honestly. Whether it’s really a thing or not.

myredracer wrote:

The US border guards can be mean & nasty sometimes.

Dealing with some of your CBSA people is not exactly like dealing with Mr Rodgers LOL.

I hope there are no border agents on here. You gave them an idea of something else to check.

jplante4 wrote:

Lynnmor wrote:
Don't forget to swap the air in your tires!

They use nitrogen in Canada.

In the U.S., we are cheap. We only use 78% nitrogen.

In serious response to the OP, it is not a silly or stupid question. Take a boat out of the water in one lake and put it in the water in another lake without washing it off can get you cited in many places. However, that is because of the invasive species being transferred. Treated drinking water is fine. And, for those who say they never drink out of their tanks, the tanks were still filled with drinking water.

Lexx wrote:
I've read up on what you can bring into Canada and back into the USA.

Curious - where are you getting your info? It's very important to go to the respective gov't websites only for the current info. Never rely on a verbal answers from a border guard/agent or from a travel website. If you read the gov't websites, you will know crystal clear for sure what you have to declare when asked and that it is current info. Things can change on a moment's notice (like say an avian flu outbreak). Never volunteer unnecessary info. Having a list of things to declare on a piece of paper can help plus will make it look like you're organized. Of course, never hide anything (material possessions or info.) no matter how innocent it may seem. But yer own p**p? Pretty sure it ain't on a restricted list.

Note: Ya'll more than welcome to dump your $$ here... :)

The US border guards can be mean & nasty sometimes. Be prepared for trick questions as they sometimes try and trip you up. Having a written list may help (incl. licence plate nos.) and will make you look organized. They may ask if you have anything to declare (then refer to your list) or they may ask if you have specific things. Never volunteer unnecessary info. Many foods entering the US are restricted so make sure you know exactly what you have.

The Can. & US Border Security TV shows can be interesting to watch to see what they look for and how they treat people.