More Tips on Importing U.S. RVs to Canada

Favorable exchange rates have Canadians shopping online RV classified ad websites like RVT.com for great RV bargains. Importing a used U.S. RV into Canada is far less complicated than most Canadians believe and the savings make the effort well worthwhile. Choosing to import a used U.S. RV opens the vast American RV market to online RV buyers in Canada. Thousands of well-maintained, attractively-priced used RVs are available from U.S. RV sellers on RVT.com.

In our last post we told you how to import a U.S. RV into Canada. Today, we’ll share a few more tips on the importing process:

1. You’ll have to pay a duty fee when you bring your RV into Canada. Contact the Canada Border Services Agency to for information about duty fees and taxes.

2. The Registrar of Imported Vehicles requires that RV importers obtain a recall clearance letter from the RV manufacturer. If recall repairs have already been made in the U.S., ask that the clearance letter specify that.

3. When you cross the border into Canada, have the following paperwork ready to show customs officials: title, registration, sales receipts (if buying from a private owner, a signed letter stating sale particulars will suffice as a sales receipt), recall clearance letter.

4. At the border, you’ll be given a Vehicle Import Form to complete and will be expected to pay import fees. Note, fees must be paid by credit/debit card. To pay by check, you’ll need to make prior arrangements with the Registrar.

Canadians Snapping Up ‘Cheap’ U.S. RVs

Canadians are ardent RV fans. A favorable exchange rate has many Canadians shopping south of their border for RV deals. Canadians are regularly checking online RV classified ad sites like RVT.com (which lists both Canadian and U.S. RVs) for great deals on U.S. RVs — and they’re finding them.

If you’re Canadian looking to score extra savings by buying a U.S.-owned RV, you’ll need to do a little online research, complete the proper paperwork, pay some taxes and sometimes a duty fee. Importing a U.S. RV into Canada isn’t that a difficult process and the savings make it well worth the effort.

Here’s how to import a U.S. RV into Canada:

1. Before you start RV shopping, check the information on Transport Canada website to find out which RV makes, models and years are allowed to be imported. Then start checking RVT.com until you find the RV you want to buy.

2.  On the Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) website you’ll find detailed instructions and helpful checklists on How to Import a Vehicle into Canada. Pay attention to information you’ll be required to report to U.S. Customs when you cross the border and information on registering your imported U.S. RV with the Canadian registrar.

3. After arriving in Canada you’ll have 30 days to complete vehicle modifications required by the Canadian government (refer to the RIV instructions noted in #2 above), obtain an RIV inspection and license your RV in your province or territory.

More tips on importing U.S. RVs to Canada next time.

RV Sales on the Rise; Statistics Tell the Tale

There have been a lot of news stories about Baby Boomers flocking to the carefree RV lifestyle and budget-conscious families embracing the RV traveling as an affordable family vacation option. Anyone in doubt has only to take a look at the statistics to be convinced of the growing popularity of RV ownership. A whopping 565 people purchased RVs on RVT.com last month alone! RV sales are on the rise with online RV purchases leading the way. RVT.com logged nearly half a million site visits last month that generated 1.7 million RV ad views.

For RV Buyers, online RV classified ad websites like RVT.com offer RV buyers incredible selection (more than 35,000 RVs listed), valuable RV buying tips, handy ad and price comparison tools, convenient at-home shopping, and a wide range of both new and used RVs at excellent prices. 

For RV sellers, online RV classified ads on RVT.com offer a nationwide and international pool of motivated RV buyers, plenty of tips on how to create a dynamic RV sales ad that will sell your RV fast, helpful pricing guides, easy 5-step RV ad process, and superior help from our experienced customer service staff.

This is what one satisfied RVT.com sellers had to say:

“Great site! Sold the coach just weeks after advertising. I had the identical ad and pictures on another site for 8 months and never got an offer.” – M. Johnson of Virginia

Whether you’re buying or selling an RV, experience the RVT.com difference.

RV Down the Road Less Traveled This Summer

With retiring Boomers and budget-conscious families tuning into the affordability of RV travel, the ranks of the RV nation are swelling daily. Savvy RV buyers are shopping for quality used RVs on the Internet RV sales sites like RVT.com and snapping up great RV bargains. With a record number of RVers expected to be traveling this summer, you and the family may want to explore some of America’s less well-known RV vacation destinations.

Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in southwest Oklahoma is home to America’s largest herd of American bison, AKA buffalo. Buffalo were reintroduced to the refuge in 1907 and now number 650. Huge bison herds used to roam the American West in pioneer days. Relive that experience.

Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado is the ultimate sandbox - 30 square miles of towering sand dunes, some 650 feet high! Take plastic saucer sleds so the kids can enjoy sand sliding. Plenty of wildlife to see: elk, bighorn sheep, lizards.

Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona features fossilized trees 225 million years old. Water-borne minerals gradually turned these trees into rainbow colored rocks, some as big as a bus. You can’t take samples from the park, but there are plenty of rock shops nearby where you can pick up souvenirs.

Crater Lake in Oregon offers pristine deep blue waters and gorgeous RV camping. At 1,943 feet, it’s the deepest lake in America, seventh deepest in the world. Fed by snowfall, it fills the caldera of an ancient volcano.

Low Gas Prices Make RV Travel Even Cheaper

Good news for RV owners: Gas prices unexpectedly fell over Memorial Day weekend! Traditionally, U.S. gas prices start inching up before the end of May and continue to rise and remain high throughout the summer travel season. Earlier this spring, price watchers were predicting that gas prices could top $3 by the end of June. In a pleasant surprise for people who vacation in RVs, just the opposite is occurring.

Last weekend gas averaged $2.79 a gallon nationwide, down from $2.91 in early May; and gas prices are expected to continue dropping this summer, a combination of worldwide oversupply and a strengthening dollar. Interestingly, the decrease in gas costs won’t impact airplane fares which are expected remain high — 24% higher than last summer — due to recessionary cuts in the number of flights and available passenger seats. What it all boils down to is that RV travel is cheaper than ever before compared to other travel options.

Budget conscious families are taking heed of the vacation savings offered by RV travel. Buying in a used RV online pays for itself in a few seasons of travel when you count up the savings in air fares, hotel rooms, rental cars and restaurant meals. Cheap gas just increases the savings!

Another budget saving tip for RV travelers: This is a good year to indulge the kids in a theme park trip. With the economy still struggling, many high-ticket theme parks like Hershey and Six Flags are offering big ticket discounts.