Buying in the US to bring into Canada

shillee · 03-13-2014, 11:15 AM

Hi all,
I am new here and we are looking at potentially buying a trailer from RV direct. We are new to the RV world so still doing research but are leaning towards an X213 right now.

I have tried searching but obviously my search words are not finding what I want so I am now posting.

Is there anyone from Ontario here who can help us out with what we need to do and extra pricing we have to consider if we buy a trailer in the US to bring back to Ontario, Canada?

If the Jayco's have the CSA certification, do we need to get them checked here again? What fees to we have to look at? Any prep for going through the border? I want to understand all this before plunging in and purchasing something that may not be a great savings if 'other' costs are added in.

Smiles,
Shillee

Salsa03 · 03-13-2014, 11:29 AM

Hi ...from Ottawa also

Obviously you will have the taxes to pay once you cross the border, there might be some fees also, but I doubt it.

You will need to have all the paperwork from the dealer to prove ownership.

Really not sure for the rest!

Have you looked around, sometimes the prices (and costs involved) are not really worth it!

canuckowner · 03-13-2014, 11:32 AM

I went across the border to buy mine new in 2011. At that time the CDN dollar was above USD, so it was a no brainer as far as savings.

It was very easy to do. The dealer and I had agreed on a price over the phone prior to me coming down so I was able to get a bank draft here for the total amount in USD.

Once down there and doing up the paper work I called the 1-800 # for vehicle licensing in our province and faxed them the paper work so they could issue a temporary license/insurance. That process took maybe one hour.

The dealer had the paper work done up for me to take to the border. When I got to the border I was asked if I had anything to declare to which I replied a few hundred in shopping and that travel trailer behind me.

Customs had me come inside with the paperwork (receipt) and I paid the $200 importation fee and the GST on the sale price. (No sales tax was charged from the dealer by the way).

Once you get home you just need to have Canadian Tire complete an inspection form and send that off which cost me around $30 maybe?

Then when you get your permanent registration/insurance for the trailer they will charge you the PST on the unit.

So basically it costs you about $250 maximum in extra fees to bring it across. There is no duty because it is made in North America (yay Free Trade). You pay your federal and provincial taxes here as you would if you bought it local, except you are paying tax on a potentially much lower purchase price.

Hope this answers your questions. I would buy another down there any day. The USA has a completely different attitude when it comes to the consumer and being competitive on price negotiation. Canadian dealers wouldn't even talk price with me over the phone and that's what sent me looking over the border, where I found customer is king. At least that was my experience. Just a quick internet search will show you many dealers (not just RV Direct) who post there prices and discount off MSRP on their sites. See if you can find local dealers doing the same. You should expect at least 30-35% off MSRP.

sask934 · 03-13-2014, 11:44 AM

I went to many dealers here in Saskatchewan and looked at trailer....found two that I liked. I went home and called the US dealers RV direct was one of them and asked for their best price.

With our current level of the dollar being 89 cents or so. I factored that into the equation. Then I had the best price I could get south and went back to the dealers armed with this information. I bought my trailer at the RV show in town and had already started the negotiation dance for the floor plan I liked best. I knew the best price I could get in the US and when I got the dealers final price I paid $500 dollars more for the trailer then I would have if I bought at RV direct.....but when you consider gas and time needed to travel back and forth I was much better buying in Canada.

You live a lot closer to the big dealers then I do, but the above are considerations not to mention service etc. Unless it is substantial difference I would not bother. The 11% on the dollar was the killer. If our dollar was at par then it would have been worth it.

shillee · 03-13-2014, 11:59 AM

We were looking at a 2013 X213 that was more expensive here but it is now sold at RV Canada. They are asking me to look at the 2014 model which is listed for $26K (versus the $21K for the 2013 model they had). They said on top of that I have 'administration/predelivery/freight' is another $2549. And then the taxes on top of that.

I thought that buying from RV direct at a cost of 17.1K plus about ~$300 for their admin fee could still offset the trip since we are close since taxes are applicable no matter what.

I figured I might be able to get the local dealer down a bit so that would potentially help offset it and then I could support a Canadian dealer who is a 30 minute drive from us.

That $2.5K from the dealer seems hefty but maybe that is what all dealers here charge for those 'mandatory' fees?

Smiles,
Shillee

shillee · 03-13-2014, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salsa03

Hi ...from Ottawa also

Hi Salsa03!

You have the trailer I would love to have of all we have seen but we don't have the vehicle to handle that and we have decided we are not buying anything new at this point. We drooled over that one in RV Canada last year when we saw it.

This will also be our first trailer purchase so are looking at some mid-range options as I have no desire for a tent trailer. I need solid walls

Salsa03 · 03-13-2014, 12:07 PM

RV Canada is sometimes great on prices (if you are ready to negociated LONG with them),,,,but HORRIBLE on service afterwards.

I had bought my first TT there, didn't even go there for some servicing after warranty.

I bought my Jayco at Leisure Days in Gatineau, GREAT service, GREAT price.... I went back there 2-3 weeks ago and there recognized me and knew my name and the unit model I had bought...that's impressive... The salesperson that had sold me my TT at RV Canada didn't even recognize me 2 weeks after the sale!

The mandatory fees, they all have those, hard to get away from them, but I found that they often lower the price of the unit a lot more than they used to!

Salsa03 · 03-13-2014, 12:08 PM

After having travelled in a Kodiak 25QS for 5 years, we decided it was time to get something better... for our needs at least!

shillee · 03-13-2014, 12:09 PM

Thanks for that info Salsa03. We will check them out as well. It is good to hear recommendations that are local since we don't have any point of reference for this at all!

Dwright · 03-13-2014, 03:09 PM

You not have to pay the normal Ontario taxes plus a $230 dollar fee at Canadian Tire for the RIV sticker. Also make sure there are no recalls on the trailer. Most US dealers now what paperwork you will need. The biggest issue with the low dollar right now is that you pay the taxes on the Canadian equivalent amount of what you paid at the dealer. I bought one in Michigan back in 2011 when our dollar was at par. Just watch out for warranty work. Some Canadian dealers won't help you out if you bought in the US. I just traded in my US purchased trailer and the Canadian dealer knocked me down $500 to get a TSSA inspection done so he could sell in Canada. Not sure on this but what I paid back in 2011 and what I got on trade it was all worth it

clubhouse · 03-13-2014, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shillee

Hi Salsa03!

You have the trailer I would love to have of all we have seen but we don't have the vehicle to handle that and we have decided we are not buying anything new at this point. We drooled over that one in RV Canada last year when we saw it.

This will also be our first trailer purchase so are looking at some mid-range options as I have no desire for a tent trailer. I need solid walls

I settled on the first Travel Trailer we bought, in retrospect I wish we would have held off a little and bought the TV we needed and then bought the TT. For us within 2 years we upgrade TV and TT to what we initially wanted. That was a much more expensive way to go.

You don't mention what you are towing with, but the white hawk 25BHS has a lot of similarity to the BHBE but a lower weight.

shillee · 03-14-2014, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clubhouse

I settled on the first Travel Trailer we bought, in retrospect I wish we would have held off a little and bought the TV we needed and then bought the TT. For us within 2 years we upgrade TV and TT to what we initially wanted. That was a much more expensive way to go.

You don't mention what you are towing with, but the white hawk 25BHS has a lot of similarity to the BHBE but a lower weight.

We expect to keep the truck another 4 years or so I figure. It is a 2006 Nissan Frontier SE (tow capacity 6100lbs...can't remember what the hitch allowance is right now). We don't put many KM on each year so even if we keep it another 4 years, it will then only have about 125K on it.

We figured with something like the BHBE, DH said he would potentially even be considering an F-250 for better towing.

Salsa03 · 03-14-2014, 08:39 AM

You're right... I have a Sierra 1500...and I'm finding doing the math (dealer didn't have all the data when we bought it last August) that the tongue weight will have to be monitored closely....

A 2500 would be a better choice, but the truck is only 3yo and not even 35,000km on it...I don,t want to start thinking of changing it....

Seann45 · 03-15-2014, 10:41 AM

BE aware that Canadian dealers are putting pressure on the govt to make it so RV's being imported into Canada, by individuals, have the CSA certification. when this starts happening it will add thousands to the cost...

Rustic Eagle · 03-15-2014, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seann45

snip..... have the CSA certification. when this starts happening it will add thousands to the cost...

Jayco on many RV models presently offers "Canadian Standards" as an option for $200 to $300 depending on the model..., not sure how this option relates to CSA certification.

Bob

Slapshot100mph · 03-17-2014, 10:47 PM

I am on imported trailer #3 right now and very happy with the process.

The savings can be quite significant depending on the unit and certainly worth the effort. I picked up my Premiere 375BHFS last summer in Michigan and based on what I was being quoted by dealers here in Alberta I saved likely in the ball park of $15,000 even after accounting for the expense of going to pick it up.

As mentioned previously when you cross the border you will pay the GST and PST if applicable but you will be paying it on the likely lower sales price you will have gotten in the states. Then there is the RIV process which costs around $200 if memory serves. Its a little bit of an inconvenience with having to get the inspection but on the three RV's I've imported its a very minor annoyance. On my second one actually I was able to do in en route during my return trip. The folks at RIV were quite accommodating and emailed me my 2nd form (you get form #1 at the border) required for inspection later on the same day I crossed the border. Pop into a Canadian Tire, ask them to print the form and voila....30 minutes later you are back on the road.

With the dollar being a little soft right now some of the savings have been eroded for sure so it will depend on the unit. In my experience you realize more benefit as the price of the unit increases. In my case the prices quoted were separated by over $18,000 so for me it was a no brainer. In fact when I got the spiel from the dealer about how importing was expensive and a pain in the backside I told him my previous history and asked him to do what he could do. I did not ask him to match price but I wanted to keep my business in Alberta and if he could make it more palatable for me I'd love to do business with him. He didn't even return my call.

Anyway, from my experience going stateside is awesome and the two dealers I have dealt with have been spectacular. Both are in Michigan and would deal with either again. I won't put their names here but if you want some contact coordinates PM me and I'd be happy to share.

Plus on another note.....you get to go on a nice road trip if you want. I drove from Fort McMurray to Michigan twice and loved it! Almost enough incentive for me to start looking a new floor plans again! Ha ha

All the best.

Bassdogs · 03-18-2014, 07:37 AM

Sounds like Canadian dealers are betting on the fact that most customers won't look outside the immediate areas when they look for an RV. Maybe your dealers are a bit more greedy but the ones in the US aren't much better. To get the best deals, you should shop the on-line dealers. We live in Ky but purchased our White Hawk from RV Connections in Middlebury In [2 miles from the factory] and saved about $5000 over the best quote from area dealers. 2nd advantage is you can order exactly the options you want and the wait is usually 6 weeks for pickup.

3firetrucks · 03-20-2014, 09:54 PM

I saved thousands on my trailer, by purchasing it in the U.S. It's not a CSA standards model. Bringing it back to Canada and licensing it was so easy, I cold hardly believe it. I took it to local dealer to have it checked out and no one even questioned the lack of CSA standard certification. The can dollar was worth more than the U.S. dollar at the time which also helped the decision. We are super happy with the tt.

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