UK citizen- Wants to buy an RV in Canada & sell on in USA..?

[MysteryNick]

Hi,
I'm new to the forum. Was after a bit of advice please?
My girlfriend and I are flying from the UK to Canada in a couple of weeks to do a ski season in Whistler. We've got a 6 month working holiday visa.
Does anyone know what class of campervan I can legally drive with my regular UK car license?
In England, I drive my Mercedes sprinter which I've converted into a camper, and can drive anything up to 3.5 tonnes...
We're planning on buying a second hand camper (in either Vancouver or Whistler) and driving it down the West Coast of USA (between April 2015-June 2015). the plan is to then sell it on in San Diego (before then travelling through Mexico and Central America by bus and plane). I have considered driving the full way, but my girlfriend's worried it might not be safe, and I worry we'd lose loads of money on the van if we sold it on in central america...
Is it likely to hold its value just between Vancouver and San Diego?
Am I legally allowed to import it like that?
Any legal or other issues I might encounter?
Can I get North American insurance which covers me to drive freely between Canada and USA?
Is insurance expensive in Canada? And do you have to pay road tax? If the answer to both these questions is 'No', I might buy the camper as soon as we arrive in Canada at the end of this month (rather than at the end of the season in April 2015). That way I'll have it as a run around during the ski season and can use it for work if needs be...
Sorry for all the questions! Answers to any of them would be helpful! 🙂
Thanks
Nick

[kendall69]

Not a problem I called a dealer in Canada when the dollar was good and had an RV store drive down an RV delivered to my door. I drove it for two years and sold it no problem.

Second one I purchased a Class C from a Canadian in California. Had Canadian plates and metric MPH gauges.

When I went to register it in the USA they said I needed an Import document. Went down got the document, I think it was free showing origin. Because it was a FORD chassis the original origin was USA so no import duties.

One mistake I did make is not make the owner get a smog certificate. Found out he removed the catalytic converter and that cost me $1000.00 to have one put on. Lesson learned.

[KAYPAY]

kaydeejay wrote:

Sebtown wrote:
I think the issue is buying in Canada and selling in the US. As far as rental cars going across the border I have done it multiple times from Seattle to Vancouver without problem. Maybe things are different on the east coast

You, as a US resident, can rent a car and drive it into Canada.
As a Canadian resident, I was in the US with a US rental. I was not allowed to drive it into Canada.
Residency is the key.

I live in Windsor ON and have rented a vehicle in Detroit drove it in both US and CAN with no problem at the border.

[Neecies]

timmac wrote:
Jeez it would be cheaper and less headache to just rent a RV in Canada and when done in Canada turn it in and rent another in America.

Did you even consider break down cost, the rental company will take care of that..

There is a rental brand we see on the road quite extensively that's the same name in both Canada and America but for the substitution of the name of the country. They might offer a deal on a long-term rental. It's called CruiseAmerica, or CruiseCanada. Should be easy to look into via the internet.

[Neecies]

kaydeejay wrote:

wsfurrie wrote:
You might be better off flying into the USA, possibly Seattle. Find a camper there and drive it to Canada. It is only a few hours from there to Vancouver. You would have no trouble taking it to Canada and then back to the USA. You could also research used rigs before you left. There are several sites on the WEB. RV Trader is just one.

Careful, he would be on very shaky ground with this one unless he had a US address for registration, license and insurance. Otherwise Canada would think he was importing it and all the Safety/Emission/Compliance and tax rules would apply.

I own a Class B--it's our second one in fact--and I live four miles from the U.S. border with B.C. I drive my Class B up there all the time and actually looked into buying a Canadian unit (we have a Pleasureway, which is made in Canada) and bringing it down here.
For that particular brand, the Mercedes Sprinter would meet even the strictest emissions standards (California's) so no issue there, but there would definitely be some hoops to go through in re-registering it (which would likely include paying a sales tax on its present value). Ultimately, even though we bought a Canadian-made unit we decided to buy it here vs. importing it (another downside: the speedo reads in kilometers, and that would hurt at resale).

One thing to consider: you wouldn't make any money on it if that's what you were thinking--they sell at about the same price here as there, and Canuck buck has been steady at .90 to the U.S. dollar so you'd lose 10% of your investment just driving it over the border.

Since 9/11 border crossings, particularly INTO the U.S., are stricter than they used to be, but offhand I don't know what issues there would be if you, a UK citizen, bought a vehicle here in the U.S. and crossed over into Canada on vacation, and then crossed back eventually on the same vacation. You'd certainly have to pay for it be licensed somewhere, and you'll have to pay a sales tax somewhere. I can assure you that you'd be time and headaches ahead if you plan to sell it here by purchasing it in the U.S. It's possible that all you'd need do is rent a mailbox at one of these Mailbox Etc kind of places to establish a U.S. address.

[timmac]

Jeez it would be cheaper and less headache to just rent a RV in Canada and when done in Canada turn it in and rent another in America.

Did you even consider break down cost, the rental company will take care of that..

[Fastpaddler]

MysteryNick wrote:
Hi,
I'm new to the forum. Was after a bit of advice please?
My girlfriend and I are flying from the UK to Canada in a couple of weeks to do a ski season in Whistler. We've got a 6 month working holiday visa.
Does anyone know what class of campervan I can legally drive with my regular UK car license?
In England, I drive my Mercedes sprinter which I've converted into a camper, and can drive anything up to 3.5 tonnes...
We're planning on buying a second hand camper (in either Vancouver or Whistler) and driving it down the West Coast of USA (between April 2015-June 2015). the plan is to then sell it on in San Diego (before then travelling through Mexico and Central America by bus and plane). I have considered driving the full way, but my girlfriend's worried it might not be safe, and I worry we'd lose loads of money on the van if we sold it on in central america...
Is it likely to hold its value just between Vancouver and San Diego?
Am I legally allowed to import it like that?
Any legal or other issues I might encounter?
Can I get North American insurance which covers me to drive freely between Canada and USA?
Is insurance expensive in Canada? And do you have to pay road tax? If the answer to both these questions is 'No', I might buy the camper as soon as we arrive in Canada at the end of this month (rather than at the end of the season in April 2015). That way I'll have it as a run around during the ski season and can use it for work if needs be...
Sorry for all the questions! Answers to any of them would be helpful! 🙂
Thanks
Nick

You state you will be at Whistler and Vancouver then off to the US. I would fly to Seattle from Vancouver and pick up a used RV at a dealership there. Web should provide dealer details. Thus it would be a US model, licensed there and insured there and as long as you don't need an International Drivers licence and can use your UK licence then you are good to go and enjoy a lovely trip down 101 Coastal route and onwards later to San Diego. Disposal at the other end of your trip might require a dealer to take it on consignment in which case the dealer will get a good 20 percent of eventual sale price. Still that is preferable to being stuck with it as you prepare to go further on your travels. That's how I would do it within context of your stated needs.
2. Alternatively, you might consider renting an RV in the US, say Seattle with a drop off provision, if available but that option is pricey too.
3. I would not, as noted earlier, buy one in Canada and then try to negotiate the web of US requirements.

AL

[kaydeejay]

Sebtown wrote:
I think the issue is buying in Canada and selling in the US. As far as rental cars going across the border I have done it multiple times from Seattle to Vancouver without problem. Maybe things are different on the east coast

You, as a US resident, can rent a car and drive it into Canada.
As a Canadian resident, I was in the US with a US rental. I was not allowed to drive it into Canada.
Residency is the key.

[Sebtown]

I think the issue is buying in Canada and selling in the US. As far as rental cars going across the border I have done it multiple times from Seattle to Vancouver without problem. Maybe things are different on the east coast

[wsfurrie]

I am not sure of all the details involved but in our travels we have met a number of couples from abroad who were traveling in RVs purchased here with the plans to sell them when ready to leave. We talked to one couple from Australia at length and they did not mention any problems with licensing or anything else. It may have to do with the state though.
Wayne

[time2roll]

kaydeejay wrote:
Sorry, wrong! He will have a boatload of trouble if he, as a temporary Canadian resident, tries to drive a US registered vehicle across the border.

Resident? I assume he has a UK tourist visa. No reason he could not insure in both countries is there? I mean US/Canada citizens seem to be able to move across easily.

Not saying you are wrong... just the circumstances are different.
Rental cars would have their own restriction depending on the contract.

I never suggested importing the vehicle for sale.
Buy and sell in the USA, tour across the border to go skiing.

If it is a pain-in-the-neck there are plenty of world class ski resorts in the US.

[kaydeejay]

SkiMore wrote:

kaydeejay wrote:

(FWIW, US residents driving a Canadian rental car in Canada are not allowed to cross the border either)

I'm not so sure about that. I just spoke to the enterprise rental car desk in Calgary and they said there is no problem for a US resident to rent a car in Canada and drive across the border to Montana. They do expect that you will be returning the car to Calgary when you are done.

Well that's a different story from a personal experience. Be interesting to hear a Customs and Immigration perspective on that.
While I worked in Canada some visiting Americans wrecked their company car so they rented from Hertz (Canada).
On heading home they were stopped at Buffalo and were told to phone Hertz who must bring a US plated car for them to complete their journey and the Canadian one was returned to the original location at their expense. Cost them a fortune!
The reverse was a direct personal experience when, as a Canadian, I was stopped by Canada Customs driving a US rental car.
Just two real examples - not hearsay.

[omjones]

Another consideration for the op's purchase or rental cost is the 13% HST (VAT) which of coarse is a tax and will be impossible to recover on resale.
john 'I am Canadian'

[SkiMore]

kaydeejay wrote:

(FWIW, US residents driving a Canadian rental car in Canada are not allowed to cross the border either)

I'm not so sure about that. I just spoke to the enterprise rental car desk in Calgary and they said there is no problem for a US resident to rent a car in Canada and drive across the border to Montana. They do expect that you will be returning the car to Calgary when you are done.

[kaydeejay]

smkettner wrote:
I don't think you would have trouble driving across the border. Land and buy in the US, enjoy Canada, drive on to San Diego, sell at departure.

As long as you have US paperwork at the sale the transaction will be much easier.

Although if skiing you may not want to fight the icy cold in an RV. Renting a 4wd car and motel might be more comfort during that part of the trip.

Sorry, wrong! He will have a boatload of trouble if he, as a temporary Canadian resident, tries to drive a US registered vehicle across the border. When I lived in Canada I got turned around driving a US rental car to get a work mate from Detroit to a Canadian airport (Windsor, ON) in a hurry. He had to catch a cab for the last five miles of his journey.
(FWIW, US residents driving a Canadian rental car in Canada are not allowed to cross the border either)
For starters, how would the OP register and insure it in the US to start with - no US license or address?
And if he shows up at the border with a temp plate they will KNOW he's planning on importing it, even if only for six months. And the whole certification/compliance/RIV* issues surface at that point.
No easy way around this one I'm afraid.

* - Registrar of Imported Vehicles