CSA designation changes what?

[gandttimes]

I have searched the forum high and low,but could find nothing on this,so I hope this is not a repeat.
We are contemplating a new A/S,and are searching in Canada (where we are) and several U.S. dealers near by.
In 2005 we ordered a new trailer from an Oregon dealer and ordered it with the CSA package. I am being told by a Canadian dealer that this is no longer possible to do,yet when I call the dealer I ordered from before,they say that they still can,while another US dealer who is a bit closer says ,no they can't?
I have also searched all the import rules that I can find and nowhere does it state that I need the CSA designation.
I have been trying without success to find out what exactly the CSA package changes,but no one seems to know,and A/S won't tell me.They tell me to ask a Canadian dealer,and they won't or can't tell me. What's the big secret?
One dealer says they think that the rear lights are different?
Does anyone out there know?
Thanks
George

[masseyfarm]

If you buy from the US side and then want warranty in Canada, you may have to go to the back of the line????????????

Talk to your Canadian Airstream dealer with the price you think you can get across the border, and I think he will come very close to that to keep you happy.

Bay Star, Essex, Mountain Aire, Kountry Star or Ventana in Penticton BC | New RV's, Campers, Motorhomes or Trailers

Midtown is in your area.

Dave

[Wingeezer]

Perhaps the best way to get to the the truth would be to call or email Jackson centre directly.

It seems to me that I read or saw on a wiring diagram, that AS trailers built to go to Canada had 12 circuits protected by 12v automotive fuses whereas the US trailers used 12v breakers.

We imported our used 2005 AS from the US and it has 12v breakers.

I wouldn't think this would be a CSA issue though, I would have thought that if their truly were CSA requirements they would have pertained to the 110v circuits.

Perhaps it was - and may still be(?) the case that when they build a trailer to go to Canada, the 110v wiring and fixtures must have CSA certification markings on them?

I do know that when we imported our US licensed Airstream to Canada, there was absolutely nothing that had to be changed in order to register it. Just the mandatory
CTC inspection that took all of five minutes - if that!

Seems to me at one time, the exterior clearance light placement requirements in canada were slightly different than those in the US. I don't think that would be a CSA issue though but rather DOT.

I recall before we agreed to buy our trailer, I did verify that the clearance lighting met Canadian DOT requirements.

I don't think it is something you need to be very worried about although I certainly understand that if you are buying a new trailer you want to get it right!

Brian.

[gandttimes]

Originally Posted by masseyfarm

If you buy from the US side and then want warranty in Canada, you may have to go to the back of the line????????????

Talk to your Canadian Airstream dealer with the price you think you can get across the border, and I think he will come very close to that to keep you happy.

Bay Star, Essex, Mountain Aire, Kountry Star or Ventana in Penticton BC | New RV's, Campers, Motorhomes or Trailers

Midtown is in your area.

Dave

Dave, I had that back of the line issue with my 05, but one call to A/S straightened out the issue right away. I am not saying I wouldn't buy here. Midtown were quite nice to talk to, but I am selling my 20 ft privately, and I don't think I could convince my wife to wait 3 or 4 months for a new one. There is just so much more selection down south .
George

[gandttimes]

Brian, my 20 ft has breakers too, and it's csa. I think that basically all I can tell from pictures of both US and Canadian spec trailers is the placement of the side marker lights, and they both fall within the guidelines that the DOT show in their examples.
My major concern was if there were any differences in the propane systems , but it doesn't seem so except for the protective covering on the lines which I suppose could be done after the fact.
Jackson Centre finally gave up an answer that agrees with your observation . They said they thought it was the placement of the side marker lights and not much else. Quite a bargain for the $400 plus cost of CSA !
George

[richinny]

the power cord might be longer too. it was that way at one time in the past.

[Snedwid]

while touring the factory, I noticed a coach that had double clearence lights,,, I thought it was great and asked about it, was told that it was required for x port to Canada.

[gandttimes]

Odd thing is the double clearance lights on the Canadian one are close together where the US model has them spread further apart ,with one being closer to the to top which makes more sense to me.
Anyone know about wiring gauge being part of the difference?
George

[Aage]

I wonder if your insurance company would have anything to say about buying a US version, non-CSA?

I would check with them before anything else.

Then, if you are serious that your wife can't wait, why not wait to sell your current trailer till closer to spring? It will probably fetch more then anyways.

[gandttimes]

The plan was to wait till spring. No worries there. Don't think that I'd get many takers with all the snow around.
I can't see that insurance would be a problem as the differences aren't safety related, but it's probably prudent to call. The last one I brought up only needed the letter of compliance and the Canadian Tire inspection.
George

[woof]

We just ordered a 25FB from a US dealer and will be importing it to Canada this spring. The dealer said we do not need the CSA sticker for import and will not have any problems at the border.
I have been told that Canadian dealers will not be able to do any warranty work on the trailer without one. Is there any truth to this?

[scamp]

I bought my trailer in the usa and was super easy to bring across the border I just did the inspection at Canadian tire they were more concerned about tire ratings but passed no problem, I didn't know about the clearance light position or the breakers but when I went to service the wheel bearings I checked the stamping on the dexter axle to get proper axle grease seals. And found out it was a 4300lbs axle and the Canadian version is a 5000lbs axle ,so there are some differences between canada and usa versions

[TinTin]

Originally Posted by woof

We just ordered a 25FB from a US dealer and will be importing it to Canada this spring. The dealer said we do not need the CSA sticker for import and will not have any problems at the border.
I have been told that Canadian dealers will not be able to do any warranty work on the trailer without one. Is there any truth to this?

The dealer quoted here is correct. All modern Airstreams will pass Canadian inspection with no problem. The 'inspection' is certainly a sweetheart deal for Canadian Tire, and completes the paper trail insuring that GST has been paid at import.

[GGB]

Originally Posted by scamp

I bought my trailer in the usa and was super easy to bring across the border I just did the inspection at Canadian tire they were more concerned about tire ratings but passed no problem,

Just an FYI the Canadian Tire inspection is only to ensure the vehicle (trailer) is safe for use on the road, meets the DOT stuff. It is the same inspection that a motor vehicle bought in the US has to go through when being imported into Canada. The Canadian Tire inspection does not give you a CSA approval, not even close. They are completely different things.

In Canada all provinces & territories have their own standards & codes for things like electricity and propane which are the main concern for RVs brought into Canada.

In Ontario there are 2 acceptable certification codes. 1. Canadian Standards Association - CSA Z240 Code and 2. Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) - NFPA 1192 Code. However, both these codes are subject to the CSA Standards for Electrical and Propane (LPG). These are covered by CSA C22.1-09 Ontario Electrical Safety Code with label and CAN/CSA B149.2-05 Code Series as well as CAN/CSA B149.1-05 Code Series for Propane Storage, Handling and Installation. This applies to any person, company or Industry importing RV's into this Province.

For an RV without a CSA sticker the electrical inspections must be performed by an Electrical Safety Inspector and have applied an orange ESA sticker on the electrical panel or inside the door and propane inspections must be performed by a certified RV-1 TSSA (Technical Standards & Safety Authority) Propane Technician and be tagged appropriately (Usually on one of the appliances). Recreation Vehicle Dealers are advised that any type of repair or warranty work should not be performed until such time as these inspections are performed. They could be charged by one of these two agencies and potentially lose their license to do electrical work & propane handling. This is the main reason they refuse to touch the unit that are imported by individuals from the US. What usually happens with better dealers is that they will inspect the unit first to make sure it is in compliance (fee is usually charge sometimes paid by a manufacturer when it is warranty work) and then they will work on it but you still wouldn't get a CSA sticker as it would only be compliant in Ontario. If you moved to another province then you would have to have it inspected again and again, etc. The CSA sticker makes it compliant for every province & territory in Canada. With newer trailers usually there is no problems as most of the electrical and propane items are built and installed according to ULNA standard which is almost identical to requirements in the CSA standard.

When we bought our SOB a few years ago we went and shopped the US dealers and then took the written quotes to the Canadian dealer and got the unit for the same price as the US plus the CSA fee of $370 at that time so not a bad deal as we saved $3K in total on that trailer and no extra time spent going to CT for inspections or paying the RVI fee. We are planning on the same thing with the Airstream we are looking at this year we'll see how that works out .