Importing from Canada

[homedad]

We finally identified the travel trailer we want. The problem is that we want a 2016 or 2017 model and no local dealers have one and want to sell us a 2018 model. I found 2 however one is 12 hours away and the other is 4 hours away but in Canada. I live in Michigan. Does anyone have any experience buying a towable in Canada? From my reading it seems that an individual can buy one for personal use and not have to pay Duty. However I don't know the hidden fees or what the trade status is with this administration. Does anyone have experience with this?

[homedad]

What ended up happening was that the dealer said that I can't pick it up and tow it over the border. He would need to deliver it to Port Huron (nearest town to Canada for me). It wasn't a huge deal unfortunately between the exchange rate and the delivery charge and essentially the final price we decided to look closer to home. I think we may have found something in Indiana.

[John___Angela]

Fishhunter wrote:
Bought a TC in Canada three years ago and brought it back..no big deal

Yes we see it often where I work. But remember a truck is cargo, not a vehicle. There are some differences.

Cheers.

[Fishhunter]

Bought a TC in Canada three years ago and brought it back..no big deal

[homedad]

John & Angela wrote:
+ There will be no duties if it is built in North America die to the NAFTA agreement.

+ If it is delivered across the boarder by a THIRD PARTY AGENT...NOT THE DEALER then there will be no federal or provincial taxes.

+ The NAFTA agreement will probably be nullified in the near future so there will be duties on products going north and south soon after. Might want to do it sooner than later if this is the route you go.

Good luck, safe travels.

John

This is what I'm thinking as well.

[John___Angela]

+ There will be no duties if it is built in North America die to the NAFTA agreement.

+ If it is delivered across the boarder by a THIRD PARTY AGENT...NOT THE DEALER then there will be no federal or provincial taxes.

+ The NAFTA agreement will probably be nullified in the near future so there will be duties on products going north and south soon after. Might want to do it sooner than later if this is the route you go.

Good luck, safe travels.

John

[rbpru]

Just double check that the price you pay includes all fees, duties, taxes, preps and etc. Paying these are okay, you just do not want any last minute surprises.

Make it clear you want the total price at pickup.

Good luck

[Jebby14]

I suspect an extra 8 hours drive to be much less crappy than the import process but I could be wrong. great chance for a shake down trip on the way too?

[homedad]

Thanks for all of the replies. The Dealer is Sicard RV in Smithville Ontario. I haven't had the opportunity to call yet. I suppose I'll talk to them then call the customs on both sides just to confirm what the dealer says. I don't even know the actual out the door price yet. This is more about not wanting to go to Georgia and have to tow it all the way home if I don't need to. We'll see.

[Passin_Thru]

WNYBob, Does the Canadian boarder pay rent? LOL You have can hire a brokerage company to move it across the border. It can be delivered to you 50 feet inside the US.
This site tells you all you need.

https://www.frugal-rv-travel.com/Import-an-RV.html

[seaeagle2]

I imported a boat and boat trailer from Canada about 15 years ago. Unless it get changed, because of NAFTA, there is no duty if made in US or Canada or Mexico. The biggest issue I had was that the VIN label needs to say Meets USDOT standards. If the VIN label says MEETS US DOT Standards, you're most likely golden. You need a bill of sale stating what you paid. (Be sure it says US or Canadian Dollars ). The Federal goverment may want to run the VIN to verify its not stolen, and you need a letter stating all recalls have been taken care of. Your state will need to verify the VIN to make sure its not stolen. Then you'll have to pay the tax and license fee. Lots and lots of used pickup trucks sold in the US are imported from Canada. You'll want to double check at the border and your state licensing department before doing it, but the biggest issue I had with my boat and boat trailer was the MEETS US DOT Standards thing.

[rickm]

I have gone the opposite way numerous times, and due to NAFTA, we pay 0 duties, but Canadian taxes at border and when we register. Guess it's not a good time for you for our Canadian Dollar to gain some strength! What dealer in Ontario??

[SoundGuy]

Here in Canada the Registrar of Imported Vehicles handles the importation of US vehicles into Canada ... I would think the US government would run a similar department that handles importation of Canadian registered vehicles into the US. I know some US RV dealers near the border have complete details on the process of Canadians buying a US trailer from them and importing into Canada ... have you spoken to either of these Canadian dealers to ask whether they can similarly offer advice on importing a Canadian registered RV into the US?

[homedad]

Thanks. I intend to do this. Just looking for some real world experiences before I move forward.

[WNYBob]

Call the boarder / customs for both sides to get first hand info.