Cross border travel and Buying RV help.

[IslandGuy23]

Hello fellow RV enthusiasts!

I'm reaching out to this knowledgeable community seeking advice and information regarding purchasing a new motorhome in the USA instead of Canada. Specifically, I'm interested in the Jayco Melbourne Prestige, Winnebago View, and Navion models. I have several questions and would greatly appreciate your insights and experiences on the following points:

1. Cost Savings: Have any of you successfully saved between 60,000 to 75,000 CAD by purchasing a motorhome in the USA compared to Canada? I'm particularly interested in savings on the Jayco Melbourne Prestige, Winnebago View, and Navion Diesel models. (Family of four)
2. Cross-Border Travel: My family frequently travels between Canada and the USA every 1-4 months, spending a few days to a few weeks on road trips. To ensure seamless travel, we would like to have insurance coverage that extends to both countries. Has anyone found suitable insurance options that cover cross-border travel for motorhomes? Any recommendations or insights would be greatly appreciated.
3. Future Plans: Over the next 3-5 years, we are considering purchasing a second place either in Florida or Texas, with the intention of traveling between these states and BC, Canada. Do any of you have experience with a similar lifestyle? How have you managed the logistics of owning property in multiple locations and traveling between them?
4. Tax Considerations: In terms of the best approach to buying a motorhome and potentially saving on taxes, are there any strategies or tips you could share? We are particularly interested in any insights related to tax savings when purchasing in the USA.

Thank you in advance for your valuable input and advice. Your knowledge and experiences will greatly assist us in making informed decisions for our motorhome purchase and future travel plans.

Happy travels,

Brad

 

[Isaac-1]

I don't have any direct input, but was wondering are you looking at buying an RV in the US and registering and keeping it in the US, or are you looking to self import it into Canada?

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

That raises a lot of questions and potential difficulties. Assuming you want to purchase in the USA but title and insure in your Canadian home province, you are basically going to self-import a US vehicle. Most US-built motorhomes are designed to easily comply with CSA standards but there may be small differences to accommodate. And you have to go thru the import documentation process regardless.

I've heard that US prices are substantially lower than Canadian prices for equivalent caches. Whether that amounts to C$60,000+ is something you will have to determine by getting price quotes, or at least comparing sales advertisements.

Some of the potential difficulties are:

• Financing (if required). Getting a Canadian lender to finance a vehicle that hasn't yet been imported may be challenging and may limit the amount they are willing to risk. And getting a US lender to finance for a non-US citizen who will remove the vehicle from the USA is almost surely a non-starter.
• Identifying differences between US and CSA vehicle standards and getting them modified
• Gathering the necessary documents for import (contact Canadian authorities to find out what will be required. Consider hiring an experienced vehicle import agent - they know the ropes.
• If you plan to title & tag the coach in Canada, you will want Canadian insurance. Contact insurers to see which have policies that meet your US travel requirements. Lots of Canadians spend winters in Florida & Arizona, so it's not a rare thing.
• There will be taxes. US state sales tax will apply (depending on where you buy), plus Canadian taxes when you import.

Most Canadians stay in the US for less than 6 months at a time for health insurance reasons. And maybe vehicle insurance too. Check with your insurers.

 

[IslandGuy23]

Thanks for your reply’s! I appreciate it. If it would be easier I would rather keep it insured in the states if it’s much easier and not much for hassles. If anyone if a snowbird and would like to chime in that would be great. We are still a young family and would be frequently going between usa and Canada during the year. Would an auto import have an answer?

 

[Tom]

Great questions, and I hope the answers will add to our extensive knowledgebase. Gary gave some good inputs, and I hope others will chime in.