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Old 04-01-2016, 08:39 PM   #1
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Importing into Canada

I am retiring in June and plan on purchasing a RV hopefully before the end of the year. The model we have decided on is the Forester 2401R with the sofa option instead of the dinette and that's were the problem starts.

Finding a used unit in Canada is hard enough but finding one with the couch option seems to be impossible, purchasing new while still an option stretches my budget a little more than I am comfortable.

So I am now researching purchasing a used unit out of the US were the availability is much higher.

I would love to hear from anyone who has purchased a unit from the US and find out how that went.

Guy
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Old 04-01-2016, 09:49 PM   #2
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Importing into Canada was relatively simple but about a year or so ago the US gov't added a necessary step to export a vehicle out of the US. It has to be registered with the US gov't now prior to export and the only ones who can file those papers are businesses with a tax number of some sort. Not sure of all the particulars, but it was recently talked about in a newspaper article here a few months back. Still can be done relatively easily but his is an added step that you must be aware of and my guess is most dealers in the US won't know the ropes of what this form entails. Most dealers didn't know the ropes prior to this change.
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Old 04-01-2016, 09:51 PM   #3
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I would also think the exchange on the money would be a deal breaker right now.
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Old 04-02-2016, 03:06 PM   #4
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Thanks for the info, I will have to look into that if I decide to purchase in the US looks like it's dealers only. The exchange rate not helping with the decision but it's still workable.
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Old 04-02-2016, 03:16 PM   #5
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When we bought a year+ ago, even at 10 cents on the dollar, the cost of used units compared to new just wasn't a great deal. At 30c I think you'll have a very tough time. And warranty issues for the Mercedes will be a headache. I was told, but can't really believe, that warranty work would have to be done in the US on a us unit. But I've travelled a lot in the US this year, and had more than one warranty call, with no issues down here. I don't know why it would be a problem the other way around. But warranty transfer would be a concern. And while many of our bugs are sorted now, I know Forest River's one year warranty wouldn't be there for you. But we love our 24R Solera. With the couch. Great unit for the two of us. 40000 km this past year! Fun.
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Old 04-02-2016, 06:10 PM   #6
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I don't know if you are aware of this website.

https://www.riv.ca/ImportingAVehicle.aspx
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Old 04-02-2016, 07:05 PM   #7
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I have done it twice.
Although, only one needed the riv.

With the dollar, no way is it worth it now.


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Old 04-02-2016, 10:34 PM   #8
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I have done it twice.
Although, only one needed the riv.

With the dollar, no way is it worth it now.


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How come only one required the RIV? They all require it regardless if they are a trailer or motorhome. Motorhomes are different rules since they are motorized but even the trailers require RIV, although the process is much simpler. The new form I referred to in my earlier post applies to vehicles and motorhomes, not sure if it applies to trailers as they are not motorized, you would have to investigate that. Everything I have imported was prior to that new rule coming into effect.
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Old 04-02-2016, 11:17 PM   #9
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How come only one required the RIV? They all require it regardless if they are a trailer or motorhome. Motorhomes are different rules since they are motorized but even the trailers require RIV, although the process is much simpler. The new form I referred to in my earlier post applies to vehicles and motorhomes, not sure if it applies to trailers as they are not motorized, you would have to investigate that. Everything I have imported was prior to that new rule coming into effect.

One was a 1998 Jeep Wrangler.
The other was a 1951 cj3a.
I had an atv trailer that riv too.

The 15 year rule applies.



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Old 04-03-2016, 01:38 AM   #10
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When we bought a year+ ago, even at 10 cents on the dollar, the cost of used units compared to new just wasn't a great deal. At 30c I think you'll have a very tough time. And warranty issues for the Mercedes will be a headache. I was told, but can't really believe, that warranty work would have to be done in the US on a us unit. But I've travelled a lot in the US this year, and had more than one warranty call, with no issues down here. I don't know why it would be a problem the other way around. But warranty transfer would be a concern. And while many of our bugs are sorted now, I know Forest River's one year warranty wouldn't be there for you. But we love our 24R Solera. With the couch. Great unit for the two of us. 40000 km this past year! Fun.

A quick check on RVtrader seems to show that even with our exchange rate it's not more expensive to purchase an RV in the US, the list prices seem to be slightly less. But I would have to fly in, arrange insurance and return home with all the proper paper work as well as get a RIV & provincial inspection done, it's seems to be a lot of extra work but I live on Vancouver Island and there is only one Forest River dealer here and they haven't been very easy to work with, so I'm expect it's going to come down to do I purchase in the US or elsewhere in Canada if I can find the particular model I'm looking for so I'm not expecting much in the way of dealer support.

My main concern is the one you brought up, that Merceds Canada will not honor warranty for a Mercedes purchased in the US, so far I haven't been able to find out one way or the other if that is true.
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Old 04-03-2016, 01:40 AM   #11
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I don't know if you are aware of this website.

https://www.riv.ca/ImportingAVehicle.aspx
I appreciate the link but I was aware of it. I actually do RIV inspections as part of my job.
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Old 04-03-2016, 08:07 AM   #12
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My main concern is the one you brought up, that Merceds Canada will not honor warranty for a Mercedes purchased in the US, so far I haven't been able to find out one way or the other if that is true.
I towed with a VW Touareg purchased and registered in Ontario, while in Florida I had a light come on and went to the VW dealer who explained that I would have to pay for any repairs and try to recover it from VW Canada because they were not the same the way GM, Ford or the others are seamless and that scared me, I expected the warranty to be seamless.
I am in the process of buying a new fifth wheel and what I done was to get a price from a dealer in the US (shop for best deal) then found a dealer in Ontario who would match the US price, it cost me $1525 and more because I added CSA and delivery, my savings even at the present exchange rate are around 35% of what it would cost to buy the same unit here.
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Old 04-04-2016, 11:22 AM   #13
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According to Mercedes, a chassis designated for the USA, if registered in Canada voids the warranty (and vice versa). That is for NEW units. They do this to protect the Canadian dealers from exactly what you are trying to do. BUT, I do think used is a different story.

This is still a gray area, but a US unit, registered in the US with a minimum amount of mileage, but then imported to Canada seems to be OK. Again, not our call, that is a Mercedes call.
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Old 04-04-2016, 02:19 PM   #14
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According to Mercedes, a chassis designated for the USA, if registered in Canada voids the warranty (and vice versa). That is for NEW units. They do this to protect the Canadian dealers from exactly what you are trying to do. BUT, I do think used is a different story.

This is still a gray area, but a US unit, registered in the US with a minimum amount of mileage, but then imported to Canada seems to be OK. Again, not our call, that is a Mercedes call.

Thanks for the clarification Brian, that simplifies my buying decision. It makes sense that they would want to protect their dealers from cross border shoppers.
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Old 04-04-2016, 03:10 PM   #15
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Originally Posted by bclemens View Post
According to Mercedes, a chassis designated for the USA, if registered in Canada voids the warranty (and vice versa). That is for NEW units. They do this to protect the Canadian dealers from exactly what you are trying to do. BUT, I do think used is a different story.

This is still a gray area, but a US unit, registered in the US with a minimum amount of mileage, but then imported to Canada seems to be OK. Again, not our call, that is a Mercedes call.
Remember all that FREE TRADE nonsense, well you and I were not part of it, it is all smoke and mirrors.
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Old 04-04-2016, 03:16 PM   #16
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Dealers/manufacturers can do what they want.

Last fall, I enquired about buying a Mercedes from another province.

They would not sell it to me.
They feared, I would export it to China. ( their words)
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Old 04-04-2016, 03:16 PM   #17
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Like most things it sounds good in practice the reality is usually different.
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Old 04-04-2016, 03:33 PM   #18
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Originally Posted by Kenny kustom View Post
Dealers/manufacturers can do what they want.

Last fall, I enquired about buying a Mercedes from another province.

They would not sell it to me.
They feared, I would export it to China. ( their words)
Lol


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My brother sells Porsche & Mercedes in California and there is a huge issue with Chinese buying just to export back home and sell for double the price. They do the same when each new iPhone comes out.
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Old 04-06-2016, 11:14 AM   #19
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Remember all that FREE TRADE nonsense, well you and I were not part of it, it is all smoke and mirrors.
I agree. To further compound that. For a vehicle to comply with NAFTA, over 50% must be from the USA. Not a big problem until you look at the details.

When I sell a unit to Canada, I have to count the WHOLE dollar amount of the German made Mercedes chassis (which of course includes labor, materials, shipping, etc, etc). However when calculating the US portion I can only count RAW materials. no labor, no fright, no mark up....nada.
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Old 04-07-2016, 03:24 PM   #20
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We have a 2016 2400R with the diesel generator and the sofa instead of dinette booth that we are considering selling for something larger. We are north of Detroit not far from Windsor or Sarnia. It is in perfect shape with all the minor kinks worked out that they all have when new. If you are really serious about buying one in the US and bringing it to Canada send me a note.
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