Quote:
Originally Posted by Terrylou H
We would buy this trailer in a heartbeat we love our 17.5 Bigfoot and are looking to move up to this precise model but, unfortunately we live in Alberta, Canada and with suspect the duty would increase the price to much. Does anybody know the ins & outs and added costs of bring a trailer like this to Canada?
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Having just done that very thing - I bought a Bigfoot 21 footer in Texas last year - here is what happened in my case.
First I had a whee of a job getting insurance on it in Texas, where they will NOT sell you insurance unless you have a Texas driver's
license. However, the on-line insurance co's such as Nationwide, Geico, etc will be your saviours.
Then towing with the Texas plates still on it, but with my own insurance - no issues.
When I got to the border I found that trailers are treated a tad differently than bringing in cars/trucks as trailers are NOT "Motor Vehicles"
Therefore you do not have to get an "export" certificate to bring it out of the USA - just go straight to Cda Customs.
Customs will want to see the bill of sale and the
title.
You will pay GST on the purch price, but not duty - under Free Trade anything made in USA or in Canada is duty free going either way. (and it was made in Canada in the first place!)
If customs is on the ball, they may note the A/C on it - if not, don't point it out to them - there is an environmental levy on vehicles with A/C
Then, they will send you to a "Registrar of Imported Vehicles" (RIV)
(another fee involved, but relatively minor)
The RIV will take all the particulars.
You will then have to take it get a Canadian safety inspection. This is done (at least hereabouts) at Canadian Tire and is a joke. Cdn Tire will hit you with the $5.00 per tire recycling fee and issue you with an "all clear", which you take, along with all your other collected docs, to get your insurance and
registration in Alberta.
Eventually the RIV will send you a decal to be put in the side of the trailer stating that it has been legally imported and is in compliance with everything.