Brits buying an RV in Canada

[HeatherLane]

We are finally getting close to starting our adventure of touring the USA and Canada so looking for an RV in earnest. We have seen one in Alberta, Canada but after doing some research it seems this is a very complicated way to buy an RV for a tourist. Does anyone have any experience? I read too that we would have to pay a sales tax to the Government but I can't find what the percentage is. The articles I was reading were from Europeans, is it more straightforward when Canada is part of the British Commonwealth? There are many RVs in the USA but I have found that the Canadians have masses of insulation and all their vehicles are winterised.
We have found a Mercedes Sprinter B class 4x4, the advantages being it's easier to park up anywhere as it fits in a standard car parking space and this is a plus when visiting the national parks. On the down side, it's small and we may end up in the divorce courts.
I have tried contacting local dealers (our daughter is in Minneapolis) to buy a reputable refurbished van but they sell really quickly and I'm not even getting replies to the vehicles advertised.
At the moment, the idea of buying a car and using hotels sounds appealing but that's not such an adventure. I see boondocking photos and fall in love.
Any advice/help gratefully received.

 

[TonyL]

I cannot speak for buying in Canada, but I would guess there's a greater choice in the US and a good many people on the forum have bought there.
Some buy in states with no sales tax, others like us buy where we find what we want and register it in another state. This saves considerable amounts of money.
At the end of the day, you must buy where you feel more comfortable.
The strongest piece of advice, do not even consider paying a deposit unless you've actually seen the unit or had it professionally inspected.

 

[chims]

There is no provincial sales tax in Alberta, but there is a Federal Goods and Services Tax of five percent on all purchases from dealers. No tax if sold privately. If you're planning on buying and then selling in Canada after your trip, I think it would be easier to sell if it was purchased in Canada. The main reason is that there may be safety and emission requirements, as well the odometer and speedometer will be metric rather than imperial.

We sold a camper van to an Austrian couple a few years back and all they needed to do was get a safety check done and then purchase insurance. There is an "Alberta Happy Campers" group on Facebook where you might be able to get more information on buying and selling.

 

[Isaac-1]

Keep in mind permanently importing an RV into the US from Canada can be a real paperwork headache, and likely involves lots of fees. Meaning you would likely need to return the RV to Canada at the end of your trip either to sell it or store it there. From what I have read on these forums, even re-importing an RV from Canada that was originally sold in the US can be difficult.

ps don't limit yourself to a small class B / B+, we have a 28 ft class A and are often towing a small car (Toyota Yaris), and have successfully camped at several national parks, along with many other smaller campgrounds, and can almost fit in a standard parking space if we can back in and overhang the curb, see my avatar photo.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Sound practical advice from Chims. Visitors to the US & Canada are often surprised that taxes, vehicle & driving regulations, etc. often vary by state or province. That stems mainly from the physical size of each and the desire for more local control. Alberta alone is almost 3x the size of the entire UK! And there are 13 provinces in Canada...

 

[Hfx_Cdn]

Sales tax runs from a low of 5% in Alberts (because there is no Provincial sales tax) to a high of 15% in Atlantic Canada, which is both Federal and Provincial harmonized. Oh, BTW Gary, there are 10 Provinces and 3 Territories, with the territories all way north.
As for buying or selling, there will be some issues that will need to be handles, but usually it is the buyer who needs to deal with those. For example our odometer had to register in KPH, but the milage didn't matter, proof that any recalls had been performed was another, but nothing too onerous, and would not apply to you if you are registering the RV where you buy it. However, you should check out insurance coverage requirements.
Another consideration will be pound to C$ versus pound to US$. I think you will find the rate is a lot more favourable with the C$. Unfortunately unless you plan on bringing it back to the UK, I cannot think of any political advantages of being part yo the Commonwealth.
Alberta is RV country and there usually are a lot of units listed for sale.
Oh, by the way there are several US States that do not have Sales Tax, for example New Hampshire is one. You would have to check it out.

Ed