RV Parts in Canada

Buy when south. Even with exchange, it's still cheaper.

stevemorris wrote:
I'm pretty sure there is one wholesaler/importer for the entire country and they enforce the "catalog price or nothing" type rule on all of their dealers.

Well you'd be incorrect. ;) Up until recently there were four major players in the Canadian RV generic parts distribution business - Danzy (which is now Robert Thiebert), Atlas Trailer, NTP/Keystone/Stag, and Coast - however Coast was recently absorbed by Keystone and has closed their two eastern distribution points. Dealers here in the east can no longer order directly from Coast even though Coast western distribution point are still operating. Previous Coast part numbers however have been imported into the NTP/Keystone/Stag data base so in most cases Coast parts can still be ordered from NTP/Keystone/Stag. As for dealer pricing no wholesaler can dictate retail prices which are set by each individual dealer based on their own retail formulae.

" As for dealer pricing no wholesaler can dictate retail prices "

legally no they cant, but it seems odd that parts in general are the same price in many places

55 bucks for a brake magnet at 5 different places, and that's not installed, just over the counter. I can get a complete dexter backing plate with shoes and magnet at e trailer for less than 30 bucks

I'm considering new axles from dexter, over the border here I come

"As for dealer pricing no wholesaler can dictate retail prices"

stevemorris wrote:
legally no they cant, but it seems odd that parts in general are the same price in many places

Has nothing to do with being "legal". RV dealerships, like any businesses, are privately owned, independently operated businesses that have nothing to do with the distributor from whom they're buying. Each retailer sets his/her own retailing pricing according to their own business plan so of course while at times pricing may be similar on a given part they also may be quite different - it's up to each individual retailer to decide, just as it's up to you to decide what you're willing to pay for that part, and for that there is no one answer as we're all different.

Another way to get your stuff...there are a bunch of 'receivers' along the border, on the US side. You set up an account and have stuff sent to a location that works for you. I use Kinek..and am charged between 4 and 5 bux, cash, for them to accept, hold and pass over the goods. There is no paperwork involved.

To address your question? Yes...we are absolutely overcharged. If you ask why..it's the exchange. It's border fee's. It's anything but...'we can, so we do.'


Gary Haupt

fortunately, I live right on the border(sarnia ont) and have relatives(in laws) in port huron, mi
I was hoping for a more local(Canadian) supplier

garyhaupt wrote:
To address your question? Yes...we are absolutely overcharged. If you ask why..it's the exchange. It's border fee's. It's anything but...'we can, so we do.'

You're also paying for the Canadian distribution network as well as almost nothing RV related is produced here in Canada ... no one works for nothing. ;)

Princess Auto in Canada has good prices and sales on trailer wheels, axles and suspension parts as well as electrical equipment. Compare their prices as well as others.

atlas trailer coach.at least 50 percent cheaper than e bay,amazon,dealers,you name it.fortunately my wifes company has an account.

We are fortunate that we are only about a mile from the border. We buy all our RV parts and accessories and lots of other things online and get it shipped to a "mailbox" service in Blaine, Wa. just across the border. They charge a few $$ for handling each package. This has saved us many hundreds, if not thousands, over the years we've been doing it. We have only been pulled over 3 or 4 times to go inside to pay taxes. Using a US mailbox is by far the cheapest but not possible for everyone here.

There are other places besides e-trailer that can be a lot less. I've only bought twice from them and I think it was because I couldn't find something elsewhere. If you have a part number for an item, shop 'til you drop on the internet until you find the lowest item cost + shipping cost. Some US companies don't like shipping to Canada and some won't ship here at all.

If you buy online, never use a courier service into Canada. They will cost you a fortune for a brokerage fee, fuel surcharge, taxes, "other" fees and fees on top of fees. I've had a few too many problems with one of them for various reasons and avoid them like the plague. Canada Post can be much cheaper but the problem with them is that your parcel can get held up in Customs for days or weeks. I once had a super rare irreplaceable vintage car part shipped to me from California and when I picked it up at my local post office, one end of the box was open with nothing inside. Customs made no effort to repack and seal it up. That was the last time I used the postal system into Canada.

If you check Amazon.ca prices vs Amazon.com, some of their prices are highly inflated in Canada, like around double and more. Take a Husky hb4500 electric tongue jack as an example - $212US vs $552Can. Makes no sense.

Dealers can be expensive but I've found prices at a local RV parts & repair shop can be decent and I'll use them if I need something quickly. If it's a non-RV specific part like plumbing or electrical, there are many sources here that can be cheaper than the US.

The only way to save big is to get items shipped to a US address across the border. If you can make it work, group a number of purchases around the same time so you only cross the border once to get them.