Buying a trailer from the states

[Coltye]

So i'm looking for a new travel trailer,i've looked at dealers here and kijiji and other places and the prices are crazy at best. So i was just wondering if any fellow members could point me in the right direction of buying one from the states.(heard thats the way to go) Any info or experiences/advice is greatly appreciated thanks.

[dadof5]

Process is easy. You need the bill of sale and the title to the trailer when you get to the border.

The Internet is full of options for sites to shop on, or have a friend look around down there. Arranging for payment is sometimes the tough part as they dont like Canadian bank drafts and you can only carry up to 10k in cash across the border.

[Albertadiver]

Went fantastic for me. Dealt with Tony Shupe at Bretz RV in Montana.

Everything he said was exactly true and the whole dealership was fantastic to deal with.


http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=104535

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=102546

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=97655

[Albertadiver]

Originally Posted by dadof5

Arranging for payment is sometimes the tough part as they dont like Canadian bank drafts and you can only carry up to 10k in cash across the border.

X2 - Had to wire funds direct from account to account. Dealership I purchased from was good.

[Coltye]

Right on thanks guys i appreciate it,does it seem to you guys that more and more people are buying in the states?

[Ken07AOVette]

Originally Posted by Coltye

Right on thanks guys i appreciate it,does it seem to you guys that more and more people are buying in the states?

Absolutely, I talked to the border guards the last time I went down, and they said there are hundreds of units crossing daily.

[Albertadiver]

Originally Posted by Coltye

Right on thanks guys i appreciate it,does it seem to you guys that more and more people are buying in the states?

Local RV dealers wouldn't give me the time of day.

At the end of the day though, price was my reason for going to the states. Even with fuel, tax, etc. I saved at least $5,000.00 on the trailer I bought vs. a similar model here.

[dadof5]

Only other comment is to ensure that if you will want to use your trailer in cooler conditions, you should ensure it has been built to northern specifications. Many trailers from the south are built with lighter windows, lighter insulation, etc. Some of them won't winter as well.

There are definitely some deals to be had if you buy right. Don't underestimate the Americans though. They too like to make a buck! The larger your budget, the more you can likely save.

[Bucket Dan]

We bought from High River Auto plex. The wife and I went to the RV show last year and found a floor plan that suited our needs. I found the trailer in the states for quite a lot lower than at High River. I talked to the sales guy (John) and showed him the ad. In the end he made it worth our while to buy from him. Not saying they always do this, but its worth a shot. Saved the hassle of going to pick it up and everything was inspected and ready to camp!

[fordtruckin]

Originally Posted by dadof5

Process is easy. You need the bill of sale and the title to the trailer when you get to the border.

The Internet is full of options for sites to shop on, or have a friend look around down there. Arranging for payment is sometimes the tough part as they dont like Canadian bank drafts and you can only carry up to 10k in cash across the border.

Where did you hear you can only take 10K in cash across the border? You have to Declare anything over 10K. You can take alot more across the border than that, just declare it. (this is info from the Border Guards at Kingsgate and Sweetgrass).

[dadof5]

Originally Posted by fordtruckin

Where did you hear you can only take 10K in cash across the border? You have to Declare anything over 10K. You can take alot more across the border than that, just declare it. (this is info from the Border Guards at Kingsgate and Sweetgrass).

I will clarify: You can only take 10K across the boarder in either direction without declaring it. If you take more than that in cash you will have to answer more questions before (if) they let you across. Has a lot to do with the laundering/trafficking protections.

[newguy]

we have bought many trailers and misc. stuff from the states. it helps to have a us bank account that you can access when your down there. we write checks and get money orders with no issues. make sure all your paperwork is in order. all reputable dealers know the procedure...

[fordtruckin]

Originally Posted by newguy

we have bought many trailers and misc. stuff from the states. it helps to have a us bank account that you can access when your down there. we write checks and get money orders with no issues. make sure all your paperwork is in order. all reputable dealers know the procedure...

Pretty sure you have to have a SSN to get a bank account in the States these days. I know they required one from my wife when she moved down here with me. I agree though having a bank account State side is great if you live in up north. Gotta say I'll be keeping mine if I ever move north again.

[Spidey]

Originally Posted by Bucket Dan

We bought from High River Auto plex. The wife and I went to the RV show last year and found a floor plan that suited our needs. I found the trailer in the states for quite a lot lower than at High River. I talked to the sales guy (John) and showed him the ad. In the end he made it worth our while to buy from him. Not saying they always do this, but its worth a shot. Saved the hassle of going to pick it up and everything was inspected and ready to camp!

x2 We bought a 2012 unit from them last year in late June after the spring buying hype ended and they came in at about 1000 bucks more than I could find for the exact same unit in the states. A grand to not have to travel to the states and mess around with getting it across the border is worth it IMHO. Not to mention warranty work and supporting local businesses...

I heard that last year a lot of the suppliers dropped their prices for Canadian retailers because of this very issue.

[Coltye]

Originally Posted by Spidey

x2 We bought a 2012 unit from them last year in late June after the spring buying hype ended and they came in at about 1000 bucks more than I could find for the exact same unit in the states. A grand to not have to travel to the states and mess around with getting it across the border is worth it IMHO. Not to mention warranty work and supporting local businesses...

I heard that last year a lot of the suppliers dropped their prices for Canadian retailers because of this very issue.

Thanks for all the info guys, thats a good point Spidey i might try that at a couple dealers in the next couple days just to see what they say. Whats the worst that can happen they get ****ed off and tell me to get out of the store.

[sprinklerdog]

You will get the ole " there's no warranty" if you buy in the states. Even with that, a major repair is still likely going to cost less than what you save in the process. I know a handful of guys who bought from the states with significant savings. One good friend packed up his family and picked up his unit around Silverado fun park in Idaho and spent a week on vacation with his new trailer. His logic was if anything went wrong that needed warranty attention it could be dealt with before coming back to Canada.
Another friend bought his rig out of Michigan and had shipped to Coutts crossing for something like an extra $100. The unit wan't in Mich. to begin with so shipping to the lot was more than shipping to the border. Look in the Mich. area and around, it's like a rash of dealers there. I couldn't believe it when that was shown to me.

Geo

[JB_AOL]

I'm torn.. while I know you can get GREAT deals on certain makes/models. Mine specifically wasn't any cheaper in the states. Being able to negotiate helps alot. I talked them down 30% w/o even trying.

BUT, I was fully planning on purchasing from the states initially. A few people I know have purchased from the states, and the ones that have actually picked it up from the dealership seem to have had better luck. Basically if you get your trailer delivered to a border crossing, if there's any issues with the trailer (which there always is when you PDI it), you are pretty much screwed, and have to fix it on your own. Whereas if you pick it up from the dealership, you can refuse delivery until it's fixed.

[Sledhead71]

We had a great experience shopping down south.. Really wasn't looking for this particular unit, but could not pass up the savings.. Went for a high end toy hauler with all the bells and whistles, saved about 23 K when it was said and done..

Landed cost by the time I picked it up in Great Falls was 51 K, local dealer would not do any better than 74, so pretty easy choice. Crossing the boarder was simple, quick inspection at Canadian Tire and it was done...

Good Luck.

[Rocky7]

We've bought two triple axle 5W in the U.S.

Like others have said, it ain't difficult and there's enough savings to buy a new Rhino and maybe more. It is nerve-wracking to send all that money to the U.S. the first time, sight unseen (at least it was for us) but if you're dealing with reputable dealer, you'll be fine. We asked for references and got some Alberta names.

The border guy we dealt with the last time said: "Does anybody buy these things in Canada any more?"

[sven_68]

I have purchased 2 trucks, and 3 trailers from the states since 2008, and never had an issue. This issue I have is the crooked dealers in Canada charging ridiculous prices. Do a little leg work, save a ton of money.

My most recent purchase(feburary) came from Lakeshore RV MI (great to deal with). I bought the trailer, had it shipped to Minot ND ($1900US shipping), and picked it up in Minot, all for 11k less than ANY dealer I contacted in Alberta. And that included my fuel, time, tax, shipping, exchange, RIV fee ect... They require only a $1000 deposit, and take a US bank draft (available at any canadian bank) upon pick up.

With 11K in savings who cares about warranty, also mostly all trailers built in US are built to same specs for all of North america. Lets not forget, the US has winter too... Some "options" like thermopane windows, insulated floor.. are just that, options... even at a canadian dealer.

Happy shopping... stick it to these Canadian dealers. take you business south.

[jip911]

I just picked up a new 43 footer from the states and it was so easy that I can't imagine why anyone would buy up here... I saved over 25k on my unit and I shopped it around to every forest river dealer within 3000km..

The Warranty is 100% valid up here, so I'm not sure why others have said there not?? must be dependent on Manufacturer...

At the RV show in Edmonton I mentioned the price to a few dealers and they all said the same thing.... (we can't touch that price) but all were quick to hand me there cards for any warranty/service work I'd need.

I dealt with Cheyenne Camping Center out of Iowa, and they were fantastic to deal with, and had the 2nd best price out of the 21 dealers I contacted. I did find it for 1000 bux cheaper but it was 800 miles further and had to be ordered in... PM me if you want any info on this dealer, as I have now had 2 co-workers buy from them since and 2 more are heading down next month and all are 100% happy with there deal.

The process has been described above, and it really is as simple as it sounds... I payed by USD bank draft and didnt even put a penny down before I picked up my unit...

J

[dgl1948]

I just purchased a new unit. I priced at one of the biggest dealers in Canada, located in MB. They were asking $46,800.00. I then called Minot and the exact same unit was $31948.00 . The local dealer gave me the song and dance about all the extra costs when bringing a unit across the border. I explained that I have brought items from the states before and bringing a trailer like this is nothing at all. Next day I get a call from the local dealer and his price is now $32500.00. I ended up purchasing from the local dealer as they have great service, but not $14300.00 great. They will give 1 year service to your unit within 500 KM with no mileage charge.

[Rocky7]

Originally Posted by sven_68

My most recent purchase(feburary) came from Lakeshore RV MI (great to deal with).

We bought one from Lakeshore. The next one we bought from Holman's.

Holman's RV was way better. They even tossed in a 24/7 RV Assist (North America wide) that we did not ask for.

There are warranty hassles when you get back to Canada as local dealers will be miffed. Find a place that will accept your unit for warranty work before you buy - they are around.

[TBark]

Like Sven said, try further east in the US.
2 guys I work with did a deal out of MI or KY if I recall, they shipped to the Montana boarder where they met them.
Price was better than the Minot or Billings prices.

TBark

[jip911]

Another thing to keep in mind is if there are any "extras" you want to add, have the dealer price them in after you receive there price on the unit it self... Things like 40lb propane bottles instead of 30's, extra 6 volt batteries, solar, hoses, etc are half what they are up here.

J

[TBark]

If the US bank acct is not a likely possibility, maybe a Ccard ?
Does anyone have a US based credit card ?
How would one go about getting one ?
Was thinking of one for smaller purchases.

TBark

[dadof5]

Originally Posted by TBark

If the US bank acct is not a likely possibility, maybe a Ccard ?
Does anyone have a US based credit card ?
How would one go about getting one ?
Was thinking of one for smaller purchases.

TBark

I use a US Dollar credit card from a Canadian bank. Works great.