Selling Canadain RV in USA after trip?

[andy_w_90]

Hello all

this is my first post and after some advice.

I am heading south on a road trip in my RV in may from B.C Canada to Arizona USA and hope to sell the vehicle there after the 6weeks.

What issues will i face and is this possible?

The vehicle will still be Canadian Registered and insured.

Any help will be good

thanks Andy

[colliehauler]

mayo30 wrote:
RV's are way cheaper down south,factor in currency exchange and probably see a substantial lower number then you are planning on.

I would second this you would get more for it in Canada.

[JaxDad]

I've done this before, sort of, helping out family friends after the husband passed away in Florida and the widow wanted to sell off their unit.

In the end it was easier and cheaper to just bring the unit back to Canada.

You will encounter a real Catch 22 unless you already have a purchaser before you cross the border.

Here's how it works.

When you get to the border and declare the unit as being imported into the US they will charge you taxes and duty and give you the paperwork to show it is now a US unit.

This where it gets sticky. Technically speaking the unit is no longer a Canadian unit and cannot go down the road with Canadian licence plates on it. I'm not saying they will enforce it every time, but I've seen it happen.

The other issue is that if you don't have any luck selling it down there, and want to bring it back to Canada you will have to import it and pay Canadian taxes all over again as if you'd never owned it.

It's a whacky quirk of the tax and vehicle registration system, even within Canada (and most States) that when you move from one jurisdiction to another it triggers a new set of payments.

A friend of mine who flies a helicopter works 6 months in the west and 6 months in Ontario every year. He found it was cheaper to buy a second vehicle and just leave one in each place permanently than it was to re-licence one truck twice a year.

[answerswillvary]

Moved from Roads and Routes to General RVing.

[valhalla360]

jporietis wrote:
I was looking at selling a car to someone in Montana last year. The recommended procedure was to transfer the ownership in Canada to the new US owner. The new owner had to be in Canada. As I remember ICBC (BC insurance company) then issued a temporary permit to the border. The US resident just drives to US border and does his thing. There was no requirement for submitting paperwork ahead of time like we do buying in the US.

If you can get buyer to do it great because you just put all the import hassle on the buyer. He doesn't just drive across the border and it's imported free and clear.

[Veebyes]

As one who has bought in one state to be registered in another & also bought in the US to be immediatly exported I can't stress the importance of gathering imformation & organizing paperwork first.

Tatest has provided good imformation. Trying to 'wing it' on the spot will quickly turn into a nightmare trying to jump through all of the hoops.

Good luck with it.

[tatest]

It will depend on what kind of RV.

First, you are importing it. There is a general exemption from certifications and duty for vehicles casually imported by visitors, if the vehicle will be in the U.S. for a year or less. But that is not what you are doing, you are importing it for sale. That makes you a commercial visitor, and the importation becomes a business.

Motor vehicles in the U.S. are subject to DOT safety and EPA emissions certification. While U.S., Canada and Mexico are more or less a single market for automobiles, and there is no great difference in standards, something sold in only one country may not have certification documented for the other countries.

Non-motorized RVs won't have EPA certification, but there is still a certification procedure for DOT safety requirements. Here, one would hope that the customs agent clearing the importation would have the good sense to waive EPA certification.

Then there is customs. Duty might range from 2.5% to 25% depending on how the Customs Bureau chooses to classify it. It is possible there may be no duty on a trailer, but it might end up being taxed as a car.

If you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, there are procedures (including duty exemptions) for importing a vehicle bought in Canada. These assume a physical presence in Canada for the purchase, and clearing the customs and certification at the point the border is crossed.

Customs information page.

If you do not qualify as a citizen or resident, you cannot import a motor vehicle for sale without an import license.

Bringing it in as a casual visitor, then selling to a qualified buyer, can create major paperwork headaches for the buyer. This could make it difficult to sell.

[jporietis]

I was looking at selling a car to someone in Montana last year. The recommended procedure was to transfer the ownership in Canada to the new US owner. The new owner had to be in Canada. As I remember ICBC (BC insurance company) then issued a temporary permit to the border. The US resident just drives to US border and does his thing. There was no requirement for submitting paperwork ahead of time like we do buying in the US.

[mayo30]

RV's are way cheaper down south,factor in currency exchange and probably see a substantial lower number then you are planning on.

[valhalla360]

I suggest contacting the US Customs office to determine what if any import taxes and paperwork is needed.

Also it could be an issue for your visa if they decide your trip is buisness not pleasure. You don't say what type of RV or explain your motives regarding profit.

[Scottiemom]

We have friends who purchased a Beaver coach from a Canadian friend while in Arizona. The big problem is that he said Canada does not use titles. He did eventually get the job done, but he said it was a nightmare getting all the paperwork done to register it in the U.S. He told us he would never do it again.

Dale

[DCS7]

In Wisconsin, you would need importation papers in order to transfer ownership to a new buyer.

[horton333]

Trailer or motorhome?

[Jim_Shoe]

I`m just guessing here, but different states have different requirements. Maybe an Arizona resident on here either knows the answer or can find out for you.