| Author | Message | ||
| Les Seiler (Lester)
Registered Member Username: Lester Post Number: 1 Registered: 11-2006 Posted From: 67.158.65.74 Rating: N/A |
We have the opportunity to buy a bus in Arizona U.S.A.We will be bringing it back to Canada to convert to a motorhome. The bus is an MCI and is admissable for entry to Canada, but since it is still registered as a commercial vehicle and not a motorhome, how can I bring it into Canada? Has anyone had any experience doing this? Thanks Les | ||
| joe padberg (Joemc7ab)
Registered Member Username: Joemc7ab Post Number: 47 Registered: 6-2004 Posted From: 66.38.159.33 Rating: N/A |
Les I donot know wether you have an Air Brake endorsement, if not make sure you have it before you depart. Leave the vehicle designated as a bus. The change to R.V. will come later after you get it home. Insurance and registration check with your local agent and Ont provincial laws/code. Before you get to your selected border crossing, make absolutely sure that the U.S. side has the appropiate paperwork in their possession a minimum of 72 hours before you show up with your new toy, otherwise you will be an involuntary camper stuck south of the 49th . Dont ask me how I know. I fortunatly have a sister that lives close to the Sumas crossing, so I spent some holiday time with her. Once you are on the Canadian side, it went smoothly, some excise tax and gst to pay and I was on my way. I think the journey will be memorable. Joe. | ||
| Buswarrior (Buswarrior)
Registered Member Username: Buswarrior Post Number: 941 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 64.228.90.131 Rating: N/A |
Hello Les. I'm in Toronto. I have a friend who recently imported a commercial coach and he should be fresh with the dirty little details. And, I'm your drive-away service, if you need one. e-mail me direct, if you like! happy coaching! buswarrior | ||
| George M. Todd (George_mc6)
Registered Member Username: George_mc6 Post Number: 42 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 207.231.80.150 Rating: N/A |
Les, A couple more questions: Do you have to re-register the bus before you take it home? I bought my bus from a broker in LA, with expired registration. Bus registration would have been $1400 US, Motorhome (Housecar) registration was $350. It took about 10 minutes to convince the Calif. DMV to do this. I am certain that as a bus, you will have to have a class B commercial license with a tour bus endorsement, and current medical. If you hold one, I'm sorry to take up space. If you don't, and you are stopped, the highway patrol WILL remove you from your bus, on the spot. After paying the fines, tow, and impound fees, a properly licensed driver will have to drive it out of the impound lot. A non-commercial class B license is fairly easy to obtain, and will let you drive your air brake motorhome anywhere in the lower 48. In Ca, no endorsements on a CDL-A means you can drive a stick shift airbrake vehicle, with no axle or weight restrictions. If you take the test with an automatic bus, they put an automatic only restriction on your license. The same with an air over hydraulic brake system in medium size trucks, a no-air brake restriction. But, you GET an endorsement for doubles, passengers, or a tank truck. When you figure this out, let me know. I would look into registering it as a motorhome in AZ, and taking it home that way, the border crossing can't be much worse? George | ||
| R.J.(Bob) Evans (Bobofthenorth)
Registered Member Username: Bobofthenorth Post Number: 117 Registered: 10-2004 Posted From: 142.165.179.173 Rating: N/A |
Just be careful and make sure the advice you get is right. Transport Canada is the agency that regulates vehicle imports and they are the most anal SOBs you would ever hope to meet. My understanding is that you want the coach to be as close to bone stock as possible when it crosses the border to avoid hassles. I know that when we started looking into bringing a converted coach across we eventually decided that it would be better to buy one that was already in the country. If bringing the seated coach across means you need to hire a 1A driver then that might turn out to be the least cost alternative. The other thing to remember is that "tricks" that may have worked 5 years ago don't work anymore. All the provincial vehicle registries are now linked online. It used to be that you could register a vehicle by telling the agent that it had been registered out of province and providing an inspection certificate. Not so anymore. Now when the serial number comes up as unregistered in your province the system checks cross country and, if it has never been registered in Canada, looks for the vehicle import information. (Message edited by bobofthenorth on November 27, 2006) | ||
| R.C.Bishop (Chuckllb)
Registered Member Username: Chuckllb Post Number: 37 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 4.240.213.186 Rating: N/A |
I'm with George....worth a try. Worst case....remove the seats. Donate or sell them to a local transporter and you are on you way.  Mine is from AZ and they were most cooperative in all paperwork (Flagstaff). RCB '64 Crown Supercoach (HWC) | ||
| Roderick W. Chandler (Rod)
Registered Member Username: Rod Post Number: 25 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 69.30.188.128 Rating: N/A |
I seem to remember a short while ago someone from Canada was looking for seats to put back in because he was having problems crossing without them. I would check very closely before removing seats. | ||
| RJ Long (Rjlong)
Registered Member Username: Rjlong Post Number: 1117 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 67.181.163.170 Rating: N/A |
Les - Pay very close attention to what BusWarrior said. Since he doesn't live that far away from you, and is familiar with the process AND the license requirements, an email to him would be well worth the time spent. "He's a good man, Charlie Brown!" | ||
| joe padberg (Joemc7ab)
Registered Member Username: Joemc7ab Post Number: 48 Registered: 6-2004 Posted From: 66.38.159.33 Rating: N/A |
Les Any coach brought into this country must be complete, unless it is older than 1972 and on the approved list. Privately converted coaches are a no no and only a select few of the commercially converted units will be considered. And they tell us that we live in a free country! Joe. | ||
| Tim (Timkar)
Registered Member Username: Timkar Post Number: 57 Registered: 10-2004 Posted From: 70.67.246.135 Rating: N/A |
Les...To echo Joes comments, the bus must be stock as it was from the factory. This includes all seats. You must also contact MCI and get paperwork confirming there are no recalls outstanding. US authorities must be sent all paperwork at least 72 hours prior to you showing up at the border. You must first deal with US Customs as you are exporting a vehicle from the USA and then deal with Canada Customs as you are importing a vehicle in to Canada. If the bus was built prior to 1972 you can bring it in whether it is converted or not. Check out www.RIV.ca for details. | ||
| R.C.Bishop (Chuckllb)
Registered Member Username: Chuckllb Post Number: 38 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 4.240.213.109 Rating: N/A |
As a matter of curiosity....what if one has already converted the coach, '75 up....registered in USA as a motor home...then one decided to move to Canada? interesting thread...and thanx. RCB | ||
| R.J.(Bob) Evans (Bobofthenorth)
Registered Member Username: Bobofthenorth Post Number: 118 Registered: 10-2004 Posted From: 64.110.227.34 Rating: N/A |
RCB - in that situation unfortunately "one" would then have to sell the bus. Transport Canada moves for no man. You might find a broker who will tell you he can get anything across. I'd be real careful about giving him any money until you have a registered vehicle in Canada. | ||
| niles steckbauer (Niles500)
Registered Member Username: Niles500 Post Number: 677 Registered: 11-2004 Posted From: 72.91.34.170 Rating: N/A |
Since you cannot import any RV or Conversion other than OEM, I guess you can say that the Canadian government is driving you crazy when it comes to trying to convert your own bus, maybe to the point you might even feel like your going nuts ..... BUS NUTS! Once again, there's proof it's not your fault! Set the blame for your madness right where it belongs ..... on the government. | ||
| R.C.Bishop (Chuckllb)
Registered Member Username: Chuckllb Post Number: 39 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 4.240.213.148 Rating: N/A |
So, RJ (Bob)if I were to purchase property in Canada, live there 5-6 months each year (is that possible?), be a tax payer (you do have them, or?... ...) etc, one would need to leave the coach registered in the USA? Ours is a '64. Appears from the post above we are exempt...?? Something tells me we can only remain in Canada for a short period of time....not 6 months. And how do the Canadians come to the USA and just "move in"....interesting isn't it? RCB | ||
| R.J.(Bob) Evans (Bobofthenorth)
Registered Member Username: Bobofthenorth Post Number: 119 Registered: 10-2004 Posted From: 142.165.179.164 Rating: N/A |
RCB I don't know what your point is. And I'm not about to give anybody legal advice. I didn't write the regulations & I don't necessarily agree with them. The subject of the thread is importing a coach into Canada. I'm just concerned that the OP gets good advice and doesn't end up with a coach he can't import or worse, ends up with an impounded coach. Everyone is entitled to take whatever chances he feels comfortable with. My advice is that importing a late model home conversion is going to be impossible. Importing a "professionally" converted coach MAY be possible but there are no guarantees there either. Importing a purpose built conversion (Bluebird or Prevost converted from new) is the most secure route. If the option exists to import the seated coach then that is the most certain route. | ||
| R.C.Bishop (Chuckllb)
Registered Member Username: Chuckllb Post Number: 40 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 4.240.235.252 Rating: N/A |
No controversy here...no point...just curiosity and questions "what if"...Sorry you were offended.  Thought it was pretty clear. RCB | ||
| joe padberg (Joemc7ab)
Registered Member Username: Joemc7ab Post Number: 50 Registered: 6-2004 Posted From: 66.38.159.33 Rating: N/A |
RCB I sometimes salivate at the stuff that gets sold on the E place, that we cant find here. But this has been home for a long time. Some of us spend time south during the winter, but most are carefull not to exceed 6 months to stay out of the revenuers hands. You folks could do the same and come up here during your hot season. Joe | ||
| jim morrison (Jim_morrison)
Registered Member Username: Jim_morrison Post Number: 3 Registered: 11-2006 Posted From: 72.142.29.218 Rating: N/A |
i brought in a 1968 eagle from Wash. seattle area waited the 72 hours to clear the title no problems on the US. side, the Can. side grilled me on all paper works then it was pay pay pay , had the seats out and a porta potty in and they let me go home then the mto changed it over to an rv no problem just pay thats all our gov. wants is the cash sorry to say, but now i have a 68 silver eagle in the drive it was worth the adventure...jim | ||
| David Dulmage (Daved)
Registered Member Username: Daved Post Number: 156 Registered: 12-2003 Posted From: 142.46.199.30 Rating: N/A |
The RIV program works well. I used it to import my bus to Canada. There are also provisions for returning citizens or residents and those moving to Canada. They do not typically cover those who move south for six months of the year to escape the cold and snow. Transport Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency are probably the best sources of information. Rules for importation of vehicles exist both ways; when I lived in Syracuse, NY in the 1980s, I was permitted to import my 1980 Chrysler Town & Country Wagon, which was manufactured in Delaware, for the duration of my stay (5 years), but I couldn't dispose of it in the USA since it was not certified as meeting EPA requirements. Registering the car required an over-ride at the NY DMV office since the VIN did not show up on the database as a US car. When I returned to Canada, I had a second car purchased from a Chrysler dealer in Syracuse and this was imported into Canada tax and duty free as I had owned it for more than six months. Best check with the regulators - under NAFTA and with the passage of time the rules may have changed. DaveD (Message edited by DaveD on November 29, 2006) | ||
| R.C.Bishop (Chuckllb)
Registered Member Username: Chuckllb Post Number: 41 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 4.240.238.229 Rating: N/A |
Joe...x-actly what I had in mind...and thanx. RCB |