Canadian AS stranded in US!

[TRIPPPIN]

Originally Posted by Len n Jeanne

p.s. Given our senior ages, we did think about selling Bambi II in Spokane. But this is even more complicated. When we bought it from Airstream of Spokane and drove it home, we had to go through a fair bit of rigmarole to get it inspected, licensed, and insured in Canada. So it is now officially a Canadian RV. To sell it in the US would essentially require importing a Canadian RV into the US. We still might have to transport it to Canada so that we could take it back through to the US for import purposes.

Next question. Anybody know a good customs broker in Washington or Idaho?

Plan B is, of course, just to sit tight and continue to pay for storage in the US, but we'd hate to miss a second camping season.

I think you can sell it to a dealer easily in the USA. Selling to a private party is another story. It is not as complicated as you may fear because it is a US spec. US origin trailer and therefore is only returning. FWIW I am a former car dealer who sold cars from Canada into the US. Cars imported to Canada are very easy to sell back into the US especially if they previously had a US state title. I hope you find a good solution.

[InterBlog]

Have you thought about putting out private pleas for a commercially-licensed driver (essential worker not subject to quarantine) who could take your trailer across the border along with whatever else (s)he needs to transport? Or maybe just by itself?

A guy worked an analogous Hail Mary hustle in order to get over the otherwise-closed New Brunswick border recently. He put an ad on Kijiji asking for someone to give him a cross-border trucking gig because he is commercially licensed and he needed to see his dying mother in NB. Perhaps some creative thinking could be applied to your situation to achieve a similar workaround.

[Len n Jeanne]

Thank you, folks, for your suggestions! Albert, esp. for your offer to contact someone in Creston.

We were too busy today to get on the horn about this problem but will start making those extra phone calls.

At one point, we did offer to sell our AS to Airstream of Spokane. They do a fair bit of business with customers from western Canada. The owner said that he did not want to get involved in the whole customs hassle (which would probably necessitate our bringing Bambi II back to Canada and then turning around at the border order to import a Canadian RV into the US.) Ironic since we bought it in Spokane to begin with and used Airstreams for sale are in big demand right now.

We will also check out that customs broker, Have Doula. Spring is here, so now we're less inclined to sell, but they may know a lot about cross-border trucking.

Probably you've all heard that there is now a huge demand for RVs, and many models are unobtainable without a wait of many months.

We'll keep you all posted, and further advice is welcome.

[AlbertF]

Originally Posted by AlbertF

Jeanne, I’ve reached out to a friend in Creston to see if he knows anyone who crosses the border regularly for commercial purposes. I’ll PM you if he comes up with something.

Unfortunately, while he knows of people hauling into Montana, he has no local contacts that could pick the trailer up. I’d keep looking for a commercial hauler. Talk to a local RV dealer. They will have independent drivers with one ton pickups bringing them trailers regularly. Maybe one of those would pick yours up from Spokane Valley.

[InterBlog]

I also know of a person who is actively in the market for a smaller trailer and MIGHT be willing to endure some hassle in order to buy one (how much hassle, I cannot speculate). I will send a link to this thread to that potential buyer.

[farvernugen]

I had a trailer brought up by a commercial driver....I went to the border, paid the gst, got the Form A, and the driver drove to a strip mall down the street......I hooked up, and drove away. Was not at all an issue. Customs is not going to follow you to your house....they barely looked out the window to see if there was a trailer there.

This was last fall BTW.....

Cheers, Scott

Originally Posted by Len n Jeanne

Your suggestions on how to retrieve "Bambi II" would be most welcome.

We have a Canadian licensed and insured AS that has been stranded in the US (stored at Airstream of Spokane, in WA) for over a year now, due to covid-related border closures in both directions. We're here in eastern British Columbia-- we can actually see the northern Idaho panhandle from here-- but it's not really feasible for us just to pop south and get it.

We have both had one covid shot. Canada in its wisdom does not have a lot of vaccine (it's all imported,) so there is a 4-month delay to get shot #2 for most people. We don't see the Canadian covid situation or the border closure easing up soon.

Some non-solutions:

1. Jeanne could probably drive into the US with her US passport as a dual citizen, but would have to quarantine in a Canadian hotel for two weeks on her return. She has never driven towing the AS before now and is a little reluctant to start now, solo. Len is a Canadian-only citizen, so cannot get through the border for what would be recreational travel. (We're about a 3-hour drive from Spokane.)

Right now BC is mandating residents to stay put in their own provincial health district.

2. We contacted Canadian customs at our local border crossing. They do not want a US driver to drop our trailer off at the border while we retrieve it with our own truck at the customs station. They recommended a commercial trucking company who would drive it to our home, as the drivers can cross the border for commercial purposes-- although not all of them do.

3. We've contacted three commercial trucking companies so far in BC/the Spokane area, but no luck. Two that used to transport RVs across the border no longer do.

Anyone know of a Canadian or US commercial trucking company in the Northwest states or BC/Alberta that could either tow our AS to BC or put it on a flatbed truck?

Possibly our next step is to contact RV dealers in our health district (Interior Health, which extends from the Alberta border through Kelowna, BC,) to see how they get their US-made RVs through.

Hoping to go camping this summer.

[gypsydad]

If your set on selling, i would simply call the original dealer and discuss. They likely would help sell it at your price, or even be interested to buy from you and take care of the paperwork. AS's are rare...

[GetawA-S]

Len n Jeanne, have you contacted Escape Trailers to see if one of their drivers would be interested in a back haul? (I realize that Spokane and Chilliwac are on opposite ends of a big state/province.) It’s a long shot, but those drivers would know the ropes of the border crossing.

[DavidsonOverlander]

You could also try contacting Northern Lite Truck Campers in Kelowna or Bigfoot Campers in Armstrong.

[tjdonahoe]

Jennene better go down and get it..3 hrs a short run..my wife drives our ram with the 13 31’classicwith no problem....just do it

[Len n Jeanne]

Great suggestions, folks, thanks. We now have a lead on a trucking company in Vernon, BC. We filled out a form with the information they requested,, and hopefully will hear something positive back.

[Len n Jeanne]

Just out of curiosity, I checked flights from our nearest airport to Spokane, WA. The best connection that Orbitz could come up with:

(Normally Spokane is a 3-hour drive from our home.)

1. Cranbrook, BC (a 1.5 hour drive) to Calgary, AB

2. Calgary to Vancouver, BC

3. Vancouver to Seattle

4. Seattle to Spokane.

On my own, I came up with.

1. Cranbrook to Calgary

2. Calgary to Denver

3, Denver to Spokane

Not counting the 2-week hotel quarantine returning from the US to Canada.

Still waiting to hear back from that trucking company....

Moral of the story: Keep your AS with you at all times!

S

[farvernugen]

I can give you the name and number of the guy that brought my trailer from Missouri to Ontario if you are interested.....PM me and I'll look up his info. If it is yours, and is licensed in Canada, there would be little issue.....other than paying him. Just don't pick it up at the crossing, get him to take it inland a bit, then take it home yourself. Cheers, Scott

[Tin Can Tena]

Call Saskatoon Hot Shot Service they brought mine back from Montana and we very reasonable. They shuttle RV’s back & forth across boarder all the time!

[GaryTheNomad]

I think I've got the answer you're looking for!

I faced a similar debacle having purchased my 75 Trade Wind from a couple in Calgary and imported it to the US without any issue. This was after months of people suggesting customs brokers, commerical trucking companies etc.

Long story short no commerical trucking companies want anything to do with a private load right now because it's not worth their time when they have more money to make on long distance hauls.

Jim of A1 Towing in Shelby Montana is your guy if anyone can do it. He cut me a surprisingly reasonable rate to drive up from Shelby to Sweet Grass and tow it across so I could self import at the border. The Canadian border agents were grumpy with him but let him across and this seems to be the case.

Since you've already purchased it and own it, no import paperwork to do. Just say it broke down and he's towing it across if anything. Once he's there the likelihood they turn him away is pretty low.

The American side at the Sweet Grass crossing is definitely the voice of balance and reason and heard I was hiring Cole International and said no need if you're coming all the way to the border. Just have him pull it over and self import with a few papers.

Further this was after days of calling every tow company, trucking company, chambers of commerce across Alberta and Montana until I got a solution. Ultimately it was the new owner of Lewis and Clark campground who told me he had 1-2 RVs with mechanical issues get towed to opposite sides of the border by Jim.

[jcl]

I would look for any local BC hotshot service that picks up from or delivers to the US. They will use a pickup and just tow it. If you are flexible with timing a local one will also look for a back haul opportunity.

Point is, you need a delivery service, not an RV delivery service.

[Murman117]

Have her drive down with tow vehicle, have a friend or hire someone to drive with her and airstream to border, friend or hire gets out and she drives the tow vehicle and airstream about 1/2 km of total driving. No hotel quarantine required just home quarantine

[Tyathensga]

+1 (604) 783-3548

[dvgofaz]

How about this...come to the US, grab the Bambi, and just go camping until the madness is over? It's a great time of the year to explore the Oregon coast, Utah, Wyoming...turn this into an opportunity, you didn't buy a AS to sit at home.

[EKJR]

We live in Pt Roberts WA, a tiny 5 mile enclave south of Vancouver BC. Unlike people transiting to Alaska, we do not get to transit the 20 miles through Canada to the US “mainland”.

BUT I digress, to your issue. Over the past year Pacific Coast Yacht Sales have moved a lot of boats, and I believe trailers, for people from both sides of the border who were stranded without their toys. Give them a try at 604-708-1980 and see if they would make the trip to Spokane, or if they have other recommendations.

Meanwhile, if you decide to come to the west coast to pick up your trailer from them, Jeanne should call the Pt Robert’s fire department Chief. The last I heard, he had Moderna doses looking for arms.

Good luck!