Canada Export Information

Now has never been a better time for our friends in Canada to purchase a new or preowned RV. With currency exchange rates at there current values, and our low volume pricing philosophy, the benefits to our customers in Canada to purchase goods in the United States has never better.

We have sold many RV's into Canada over the years, but as the exchange rates have gotten closer to even, more and more customers have been making the trip from Canada to purchase new and preowned RV's. Preferred Auto & RV understands the paperwork and the process needed to ensure our customers to have a pleasant and simple border crossing experience.

The import process is a simple one. We supply all the necessary paper work needed for the border office.

Paperwork consists of the following:

PURCHASE ORDER - showing the vehicle identification number and the agreed to purchase price. This needs to be a signed original as the Canada border agent will calculate the goods and services tax from the paid amount on the purchase order.

RECALL CLEARANCE LETTER - this can be a faxed copy but does need to be on the manufacturers company letter head and must show the Vin number of the vehicle being purchased.

TITLE or MSO - the title or MSO (Manufacturers Statement of Origin or factory title before its turned into a customers ownership title) needs to be assigned to the purchaser by the dealership. You will need to have this document as it will be the only document that transfers ownership to the customer.

With the three documents listed above in hand you are now ready to head home with your new purchase. Once at the border you will need to stop by the United State side first to make sure there is nothing needed for the US border agent. Then proceed to the Canada border agent office where they will ask for the paperwork we have supplied to you at our dealership. They will inspect the trailer to make sure the serial number matches, have you fill out an import form and will collect the goods and services tax and the Canada RIV fee. (We have been informed by several of our customers that a credit card can be used for the tax and fees)

***********Because we are transferring title to the customer and as a dealership doing business in the United States, we have no recourse to recover a vehicle once it has passed over the border. One of our requirements is to have the vehicle paid for before it leaves our dealership, typically we request that a wire transfer of funds be completed in the amount of the agreed to purchase price. This ensures our lenders that the vehicle was paid for before it leaves our possession. Typically a wire transfer of funds can take up to three business days, so planning ahead before making your trip purchase your new RV is a good idea.

Other facts to note with importing into Canada: most websites state that there is a 72 Hour wait period before you reach the border with a vehicle, this is only true if the vehicle is a motorized vehicle such as a car, truck, motor home, ATV etc. With a non motorized vehicle such as a travel trailer or truck camper, there is no 72 hour waiting period to go through the border. you can purchase a travel trailer and head straight to the border with no wait period. In the very near future you will be required to furnish your passports before entering the United States. If you do not already have a passport, it's a good idea to obtain one for travelling to other countries. We have been informed that the time from application to actually receiving your passport can take up to 12 weeks, so planning ahead is a good idea.

Below are links to current exchange rates updated daily as well as other pertinent information needed to import a vehicle into Canada.

Current Exchange rates
Click here
Keep in mind that banks will not always have the same rate of exchange.
We had one customer that contacted several banks, all having different rates and simply chose the one that was to his best advantage.		 Canada RIV website (Registrar of imported vehicles)
Click Here
Remember that a non motorized vehicle does not have the
72 hour wait period before crossing the border.

 

Testimonial from one of our customers who purchased a new travel trailer from us recently:

Good morning Chip,

Thought you might be missing my emails:)

We wanted to THANK YOU for your time on the weekend. It was nice meeting and chatting with everyone there.

We got home Sunday morning around 2 AM-about 2 hours later than we thought-but we stopped a few more times.

The import process was so easy at the border. We first stopped at the US border as this is the process in the information we received. We were told by the customs officer-you don't need to do this step for a trailer. We then stopped at Canada. Took in the papers you supplied and all was in order. Filled out a form-paid our RIV fee $209.00 CDN. The customs officer only came out to check the VIN and date the trailer was manufactured on the label on the trailer-he never opened the door. It took just a few seconds.

We then paid our GST 6% on the sale price. Our stop there only took 15 minutes in total-but I'm sure being there in the middle of the night the process was quicker than during the day. We now just wait about a week and then take it to Canadian Tire (local automotive store/repair shop) for an inspection-they'll stamp the papers and then we go to our insurance office and get our plates, insurance and pay Provincial Sales Tax 7%. AND THAT"S IT!

The customs officer told us they used to do about 1-2 imports a week and now are doing 100 a day. He was even going down the next day to purchase a car for himself.

So after 719 miles trip each way from our house we calculated what the trailer would of cost here-taxes etc. on the sale price here and then added up all our expenses for the trip-gas-food-1 night hotel to go there-and WE SAVED $6500.00!

We're spreading the word to friends-who will hopefully spread to others too. Hopefully you'll see some more business from here.

I also spoke to brother in Seattle last night and he said your prices are really good and no state tax helps. He currently owns a fifth wheel trailer. He said he would let others know about your company.

The only down fall of the trip-the beautiful weather and scenery. We hope to return next year! We can't wait to go camping!!!



Thanks again,

JL and VL from British Columbia