going into Canada with treated wood steps

[Wingcamper]

My wife recently had a knee replaced and is struggling with the 5th wheel steps, so I went to the lumber yard and bought treated lumber and built her some steps. The steps lay in the bed of the truck when traveling. We are crossing into Canada from Michigan in 3 weeks. Will I have a problem with this at the border check station?

[JWF]

Find a swimming pool store and buy a set of plastic/pvc steps. They sell them with 2 or 3 steps. They are very light (5-10 lbs.) and sturdy. They hold me and I'm over 200 lbs., and they look good.

[ol_Bombero-JC]

Greydennyhawk wrote:
Isn't it good, Norweegen Wood?

Speeling is not to good.

But - maybe that's the Beetles version?..:W

The Canadians might have a problem with *those* Beetles!


~

[LOFAT36]

Firewood a no-no only if it has bark on it.

[Wingcamper]

I didn't think there would be a problem, but I have assumed things before and it didn't end up the way I thought it would. The last time I went to Canada was before passports were required. Edatlanta, I looked real hard at the fold up steps but in the advertised pictures, they appeared unstable, but they look good on your rv. I still may pursue them, but for this year, anyway, the wood ones will work fine. Thanks to everyone for your help. Great bunch of people here!

[myredracer]

Pressure treated lumber will be okay.

It's not just firewood that is an issue. Any wood that is not sawn and kiln dried (like dimensional construction lumber for ex.) is not permitted. The rules can vary from west to east coast due to different destructive insects and diseases. "Firewood" and "treated lumber" and "wood products" have different definitions. Treated lumber means either commercial kiln drying or chemical treatment. If you had your own mill to make lumber from trees, that would not be allowed. We only ever take manufactured sawn (heat treated) lumber across the border and it is okay here.

CBP info. here and here. CBSA info. here and here. Because the rules vary from coast to coast and are subject to change, the best thing to do if you are unsure is to contact CBSA or CBP. The last thing you want is to be turned back at the border or have your Nexus revoked.

We got pulled over for a random inspection a few weeks ago entering the US. We had firewood and kindling (kiln dried & sawn lumber) and they went through every single piece. They found a couple of pieces of kindling (from sawn lumber) that had bark on them and we got a stern warning. Funny thing was, we bought the wood at a pallet manufacturer in the US that cuts scrap wood into firewood size pieces and we had also been carrying back and forth across the border for a year or more. The pallet wood could be from outside North America.

[garyhaupt]

Grit dog wrote:
You're fine. Rule applies to firewood. They don't want our pine Beatles or whatever.

We're gonna build a wall to keep those out, too.


Gary Haupt

[Community Alumni]

Not an issue, we travel with treated lumber that I use for leveling blocks and stabiliser 'feet' all the time; have been doing so for years. Whenever I am asked about firewood, I say no but always mention my leveling blocks.

[Tvov]

When we went to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls a few years ago, the border guard asked if we had firewood... I said no, but I have some lumber for leveling the camper. He said that's fine, and let us through.

[edatlanta]

Wingcamper wrote:
My wife recently had a knee replaced and is struggling with the 5th wheel steps, so I went to the lumber yard and bought treated lumber and built her some steps. The steps lay in the bed of the truck when traveling. We are crossing into Canada from Michigan in 3 weeks. Will I have a problem with this at the border check station?

You might want to give This Step a look-see. I have bad knees and this solved my problem because I could add a step to my FW and no longer have to carry a portable bottom step around. The rise between steps is less than the OEM also. This unit is much easier to haul around also since it travels in the same location as the original steps.

[Greydennyhawk]

Isn't it good, Norweegen Wood?

[edatlanta]

Duplicate

[Grit_dog]

You're fine. Rule applies to firewood. They don't want our pine Beatles or whatever.

[tonymull]

I think it is only firewood that's a problem. But country of origin would not matter, nor would it matter how much treated wood canada uses. Not the point. If there was one.

[SARGUY]

Pressure treated wood is used on nearly every deck and many other applications all over Canada. Can t see any problem for your steps.