Boarder Crossing

[danoren]

Will be crossing from Michigan USA to Ontario Canada.
Which is a easier to cross , Detroit or Port Huron?
Thanks

[Community Alumni]

Thread continued off topic and is closed

[JaxDad]

StirCrazy wrote:

JaxDad wrote:

Steeljag wrote:
Interesting reading the borders are “closed” with so many Canadian snow birds here in central Fl.

There's a surprising number of Canadians who (illegally) leave their RV in the US and just fly or drive back and forth.

My sister and my BIL did exactly that for many years, until a sharp customs officer asked them where they were going to be staying and they answered that they had a Canadian RV permanently parked in the US.

Ooooops.

They were told in no uncertain terms that it had to leave in the spring when they did.

nothing illegal about it, so not sure why a customs officer would say that. its no different than owning a house or renting a permanant holliday spot in the US. is it the smartest thing to do givent the pandemic maybe not but there are no laws being broken. the only one would maybe be them being in the US more than the max number of days which they track easier when you fly, but that doesnt mean you have to move your rv.

Steve

Not true.

A vehicle of any kind is a personal possession not a fixed asset like real estate. It is a Canadian vehicle and must be imported into the US and any taxes or duty owing paid on it before it can be legally left behind.

Some states, Florida for example, will look the other way for the sake of tourism, but it’s still not legal.

Go across the border and buy and insure a WA plated vehicle and take it back to BC permanently and see how that works out for you. I doubt Canada Customs or the ICBC would be impressed.

[Community Alumni]

Please keep the discussion limited to the OP’s question of which border crossing to use.

... Moderator

[trigley]

StirCrazy wrote:

JaxDad wrote:

Steeljag wrote:
Interesting reading the borders are “closed” with so many Canadian snow birds here in central Fl.

There's a surprising number of Canadians who (illegally) leave their RV in the US and just fly or drive back and forth.

My sister and my BIL did exactly that for many years, until a sharp customs officer asked them where they were going to be staying and they answered that they had a Canadian RV permanently parked in the US.

Ooooops.

They were told in no uncertain terms that it had to leave in the spring when they did.

nothing illegal about it, so not sure why a customs officer would say that. its no different than owning a house or renting a permanant holliday spot in the US. is it the smartest thing to do givent the pandemic maybe not but there are no laws being broken. the only one would maybe be them being in the US more than the max number of days which they track easier when you fly, but that doesnt mean you have to move your rv.

Steve

If the R V was purchased in Canada you would have to import and register it or bring it back. If it was purchased in the U S it could remain. Lots of people do leave them but!!!

[StirCrazy]

JaxDad wrote:

Steeljag wrote:
Interesting reading the borders are “closed” with so many Canadian snow birds here in central Fl.

There's a surprising number of Canadians who (illegally) leave their RV in the US and just fly or drive back and forth.

My sister and my BIL did exactly that for many years, until a sharp customs officer asked them where they were going to be staying and they answered that they had a Canadian RV permanently parked in the US.

Ooooops.

They were told in no uncertain terms that it had to leave in the spring when they did.

nothing illegal about it, so not sure why a customs officer would say that. its no different than owning a house or renting a permanant holliday spot in the US. is it the smartest thing to do givent the pandemic maybe not but there are no laws being broken. the only one would maybe be them being in the US more than the max number of days which they track easier when you fly, but that doesnt mean you have to move your rv.

Steve

[Grit_dog]

JaxDad wrote:
The Canadian government has already dropped broad hints that further land border restrictions are coming, like those imposed on travellers arriving by air.

Just as with the restrictions on air travellers, there was a lot of logistics to get sorted out before the policies, the same problems of organizing quarantine hotels, meals, parking for oversized vehicles, etc, etc, need to be finalized first.

I see there's lots of censorshit going on here recently....
I'll repeat...at this rate, my kid may never get to play hockey in Canada again. That is, thanks to the wonderful leadership of the supreme leaders of both of our countries...

[Grit_dog]

danoren wrote:
Will be crossing from Michigan USA to Ontario Canada.
Which is a easier to cross , Detroit or Port Huron?
Thanks

I don't understand the question. Why wouldn't you just cross whichever one had the shortest wait directly before you were crossing?

[JaxDad]

Steeljag wrote:
Interesting reading the borders are “closed” with so many Canadian snow birds here in central Fl.

There's a surprising number of Canadians who (illegally) leave their RV in the US and just fly or drive back and forth.

My sister and my BIL did exactly that for many years, until a sharp customs officer asked them where they were going to be staying and they answered that they had a Canadian RV permanently parked in the US.

Ooooops.

They were told in no uncertain terms that it had to leave in the spring when they did.

[Veebyes]

The fastest crossing we ever had into Canada was at Port Huron. No line. I don't think that we were stopped for more than a minute.

We have crossed many times at many places. Almost every time has been easy. Most unpleasant was a US agent in WA who must have been having a bad day & was completely without humour.

We always pull up to the window prepared. Turn engine off. Take sunglasses off. Have all possibly needed paperwork ready. Start off with a Good morning, Good afternoon or a simple Hi, how you doing? These people have tough jobs to do often dealing with less than honest people.

They ask some dumb questions sometimes. "Where have you come from?" demanded this officer at the WA state crossing. He did did not see the humour in me leaning out the window a little, pointing backwards & saying "Canada." Almost an hour later it had gone pretty far down the hill. No inspection of RV. Much of the problem caused by the officers own lack of understanding of who needs to have a visa to enter the US & who does not.

[SideHillSoup]

Steeljag wrote:
Interesting reading the borders are “closed” with so many Canadian snow birds here in central Fl.

Well the land border is closed to all non essential travel into Canada, that’s regulated by the Canadian Gov’t.
A Canadian Traveling into the USA at a land border is regulated by the USA Gov’t, not Canadian Gov’t.

So the boarder being closed is only... “kinda” closed

Soup.

[JaxDad]

The Canadian government has already dropped broad hints that further land border restrictions are coming, like those imposed on travellers arriving by air.

Just as with the restrictions on air travellers, there was a lot of logistics to get sorted out before the policies, the same problems of organizing quarantine hotels, meals, parking for oversized vehicles, etc, etc, need to be finalized first.

[VE3ESN]

Steeljag wrote:
Interesting reading the borders are “closed” with so many Canadian snow birds here in central Fl.

The reason for this, as has been widely reported in the Canadian media as well as this forum and the Snowbirds Forum is as follows:

Due to a loophole in the law, Canadian snowbirds who really want to go to Florida, etc. take a helicopter or small plane across the border, and have their RV trucked across the border where it will be waiting for them when they arrive to their "destination". For example, a helicopter takes them from near Niagara Falls, Ontario to Buffalo, NY, where their RV is waiting.

We wouldn't do this, but many people who don't mind taking risks are doing it. Of course, their return trip to Canada by driving their RV across the border won't be as easy, as they'll need proof of a negative Covid test result or face steep fines.

[FionaMackenzie]

Port Huron in my opinion will be a little easier, and most importantly, more interesting. Although of course, there is no special difference.

[atreis]

We've crossed at both (pre-Covid) and see little reason to prefer one over the other. Pick whichever fits your route better.