RE: Pet Bird from USA to Canada and return to USA - How?
Heya!
We have a cockatiel....and only had a slight problem with a customs agent on the Canadian side who didn't know damn thing! (and had massive attitude to boot!) We purchased a Cocoa in the US (we are Canadian citizens) and have had no problem going back and forth during our travels. The one time there was trouble was with this particular person when first importing Cocoa over to Canada. We even stayed overnight at the boarder to deal with it in the morning because he was completely out of his mind and nasty. After a bit of commotion the next day (and a few calls), I finally proved them wrong. I signed a paper saying I had the bird for 30 days without contact from other birds, and that it was my PET....then we were on our way. No problem since then. It was the Canadian boarder that was without a clue. I had to go to the US side to ask advice and they were totally rolling their eyes, basically implying that the Canadian side was....um....ridiculous! They seemed to know more about Canadian regulations than our side....wild!
I'm not sure about the US side when you are FROM the US but like I said, we have no problem going back and forth and usually Canada is weirder about stuff like this then the US, or so I've found.
You generally don't need cities forms, but it depends on the type of bird you have. Budgies, cockatiels, etc are fine. The larger/exotic type like cockatoos may be a bigger deal. Best to call them and find out....
Good luck!
Edit: Read the post above and realized yours IS more exotic....for sure more of a problem. Sorry you couldn't make your trip:-(
RE: We think they are Making a Mistake!!
If your making a list for your bud to check over, Id recomend finding someone on this board or elsewhare that has the same unit and knows what to look for.
For me it would be everything mechanical. Im guessing its a gas model, so here goes
Cooling system,
If dex cool was used (orange) check the radiator for any type of sludging from not using distilled water
Check for signs of overheating (since the trans went) (white smoke on startup, hard to start (make sure your freind isnt starting a warm motor (ie started before he got thier), after warm check for large signs of condensation on the oil cap or a valve cover vent, and signs of clatter/knocking (upper and lower motor) after up to operating temperature
2 Oiling if equiped with a guage presure should go up to mid-high range as soon as it starts, a 10-15 second delay could mean a worn motor that is allowing too much bleedback and should settle down after driving about say 1/4 guage at idle(guessing its not a numeric guage) if you can send out a sample to check for coolant and fuel
3 Trans should be crisp and tight (exspecially being new) should shift from forward to reverse and back with no cluncking (also tells if a u joint or rear end needs attention) I also run test drives by "beating the hell out of it" and make sure it shifts the same after doing so,, smell and look at the trans fluid compared to new trans fluid, if it smells burnt or has a black/dark particles, run for the hills
4 brakes and suspension,,,,, take it to a shop somewhare around flint, most will pull the wheels for free and check everything out (have them check out the master and lines also) if it costs you 40 bucks to do this, do it
5 Electrical and charging thier are pretty cheap units to check this, somtimes autozone will check,, also plug into the OBD port to see if thier is any "history"
6 Check all the mounts nuts and bolts (my brother bought a jeep whier they replaced the trans and the transfercase was loose and it had a vibration on the highway)
Personally I worry about the mechanical more then the house stuff, the mechanical is ussually thie highest pricetag to repair/replace
See, now this is stuff we'd never know! Going to write this down now. Thank you so much, we really appreciate it!!!!
RE: We think they are Making a Mistake!!
We did pretty much what they are thinking about last year. We live in the Canadian prairies and purchased a used Itasca Suncruiser in New York state.
My comments are as follows:
Do alot of homework regarding the vendor, the motorhome and the importation regulations and requirements.
Get as much information about the vendor from the Web and other sources such as BBB etc.
Contact the manufacturers of the Motorhome AND the chassis for information regading equipment. options, recall status etc. The RIV (Registrar of Imported Vehicles) will not give them their Federal stickers without documented confirmation of recalls from both MH and Chassis manufacturers (dealer documentation is useless).
Get as many photos and maintenance documentation from the vendor as possible, including title status, and communicate directly with the previous owner.
Although their is definitely risk involved, we decided on a specific model and shopped throughout North America for what we wanted. We provided a deposit that we were prepared to give up if upon inspection we decided not to complete the deal. After all research was done and all documentation was obtained, we flew to New York and drove our rig back.
I now have a 2" 3 ring binder of paper regarding the purchase and registration of our Motorhome.
Everything did not go smoothly by any means but we are now in Texas enjoying the weather and our new winter home.
It can be done.
Thanks so much for all the info! Glad it worked out for you and I only hope it works out like that for us as well.
We've done everything except calling the manufacturers. I've looked up the recalls just for peace of mind, haha.
I cannot seem to find much information about the dealer, I have already checked out the BBB.
In any case, still trying to work out the details. I am waiting for another dealer out in Maine to get back to me....they are the only one with the same unit that I can find (floor plan, year, condition, etc). As you can see, we're still at the beginning here!
Man I wish one of these were in Florida:D
Thanks again for the info. I've got pages written out already!
RE: We think they are Making a Mistake!!
Well,
Ill post like your going to do it reguardless.
Your freind in michigan, is he/she a mechanic. It is also winter time here so are they going to unwinterize it and keep the furnace going for you. At 97, it could be on its 3rd set of tires, or worse, 1st.
When was the oil changed,,, has the oil sat 2 years? (should be tested)
New trans??? why did the old one go out, is it "new" as in rebuilt by the gas station down the street? Brakes, some coaches had issues with em, you dont want to be running down I75 in the mountains and realize this.
Tip to toe, have someone look over the unit that has done it before,, Id rather have to replace a toilet then have to do a full brake job
Also Im pretty sure adkins is being bought/consolidated with general along with a few others. I know general pretty much stands behind what they sell in a used market and they sell/rent new
I know the consolidation is happening soon, Id ask someone there about it.
Good luck, hope you and yours like the unit
Thanks for bringing up those things. I am guessing you read my first response to the topic?
Bryan will likely be flying up to look at it, take it for a spin, and test it very well. As far as our friend picking it up, he's got some experience in these sort of things. Not as much as I'd like but enough to satisfy me after Bryan takes a look. If we check it out and things are good, he will be bringing it down to Florida. We'll make sure it's good to go, no worries. I have written down everything people have said to check for....and also your list. Don't want to miss anything in the excitement.
When we picked up our KZ Escalade over two years ago (it was brand new) I had a checklist that near hit the floor. And I went through it all....but still there is always the unexpected, and boy have we learned from THAT! But I guess this is normal. I'm sure an older unit has the potential of being a lot more problematic, but hey. We'll take it as it comes;-) That's part of the game!
Thanks again.
RE: We think they are Making a Mistake!!
Well, I think they are making a mistake too. Have them do a little reading at this link which summarizes what it takes to import an RV to Canada. Also has links to important Canadian government documents, the least of which is a list of allowed RV's. They could be buying an RV that will not qualify for importation for any number of reasons.
http://www.petesrv.com/help/international_customers.html
Experience is a great teacher and sometimes the tuition in pretty high.
Hey there, please read my previous posts....you will fully understand the 'story' then. We've done our research for months, and there was a big misunderstanding. Scroll back to find my responses.
Thank you everyone for the help but as some have noticed we've got things pretty much well figured out (of course always learning more!) and have been doing the research much prior to this thread. I would like to thank the people who recognized this as well as those who brought up a few more interesting things for us to look for. I also appreciate all the helpful PMs. While there are a few bad apples on this forum (which is why I left here two years ago, but I do realize this is true of any forum and in real life too!), I have found most people this time around (once reading our side of the story) to be very kind and helpful.
I don't think a few folks are seeing my posts at all, and so the beating of the dead horse continues. May I request a moderator close this topic? I think it is well solved. If anyone would like to follow up on our progress, please visit our travel blog located in my sig and on my profile.
Thanks again:-)
RE: We think they are Making a Mistake!!
This thread cetainly shows the value of calm and perspective. I must admit that my initial reaction was one of horror as well, so to those of you who responded, don't take this the wrong way. And now that we've heard from both Mother and daughter, let's look at this again.
Daughter called, excited, and asked parents to check out rig they were excired about. Mother said no because they saw the pitfalls and didn't want to be blamed for having facilitated the coming disaster. Mother worried about this and asked forum for feedback on the issue. Daughter saw it and reacted when she was trashed as an idiot by posters who forget kids grow up...... The peanut gallery chipped in. Now mother and daughter are both upset. In the meantime Daughter and SIL have come up with a better plan, which includes the SIL inspecting it with a friend who will drive it to them in florida.
So, my advice is:
DD, you have received a lot of advice from people who with good intentions are suggesting you be very careful. It's good advice, but if you give us year, model, and price we can give you opinions on how good a deal it is, and why, IF you want that advice. Me, I made up my own mind, and I'd advise you to make up yours. Unless of course you want my advice (Joke!) but this is a great time to buy!
DD, a bigger concern to me is that you may be upset with Momma over this and IIRC you said something about not asking Momma anything again....Remember, she was concerned and asked her friends about your situation. (I'd be concerned about her choice of friends, but some of us do have something useful to say...(joke again!))
Momma, it would be great if you and DH took a day and looked at the rig for your DD. You might save SIL from a wasted trip and prove that DD was right to call you first. (Which we want to encourage, right??) But one of the things I've learned about being a parent is that you're gonna be wrong sometimes and your kids will always sutprise you with how capable and clever they are, even when you're very proud of them. but worrying about facilitating a disaster is not your job. Your job at this stage is to support DD, whatever mistakes she makes. As far as buying up north vs florida, I've found good deals in both New England and Tennessee, so don't worry about the location.
Whatever happens, good luck to both of you.
Thanks for the comment, finally someone who can see both sides and be reasonable and calm. To be honest, when we started off on this adventure, I posted here quite a bit, but decided against it for the very reason that some people are so brash without thinking. It is very easy to 'speak your mind' behind the safety of the keyboard and monitor. Sometimes I wonder if the same people would be so brave standing face to face. Something tells me that for the majority, it would not be the same;-)
Anyhoo, I was going to get more into what it is and ask for advice, but lately I have learned that sometimes it's not good to ask advice on a forum....it just stirs the pot and I try to keep my life drama free as possible. As you can see the last couple of days I haven't been doing a good job of it. If anyone is interested in what happens, my site is listed below, we will be documenting the entire thing. Right now I'm going to do what I set out to do when I became a part of this lifestyle....I'm going to sit outside in the Florida warmth with a nice drink and relax....and take it all in. That's what life is all about now. Ok, maybe I'll wait till after noon for the drink;-)
RE: We think they are Making a Mistake!!
I cannot understand why, if you are in Florida, which is overflowing with RVs for sale, you would even consider Michigan.
Makes no sense at all.
An unseen bargain particularily one where the dealer is willing to wait six months for his money, sounds fishy to me.
(We have seen no mention of the type, age or cost of unit)
Could be that your mom is not as old and dumb as you think!
Please read my older post (I don't think many are seeing it!). This April thing is simply not true. We would be taking possession in January.
You would think there were better deals in Florida, this is not so. At least, not everywhere. Deals can be found all over if you look hard enough. I am in no way saying what we found is a spectacular deal. In fact the dealer told me that it would go down in price as people were not buying. This RV suits us, we like it and we have a means to get it and are willing to pay what I've offered them. Some may say they would never do that, but it's no issue to us.
Actually I am basing this partially on the last three times we were about to get an RV. The first sold before I could contact them directly, the second sold out in two days, and the next one already had a pending sale right after posted when I called about it. Maybe it's just bad luck, but this time I'm acting. Maybe I have a knack for finding RVs that everyone loves?!
And they said it was a recession....haha.
P.S. Have looked at over 100 RVs since coming to Florida. Michigan gets all the good ones that we love it seems, haha. That's where the first one sold on me in two days while we were 'deciding'.
RE: We think they are Making a Mistake!!
The concept of taking the unit for a vacation in the US after the RV is picked up is not feasible. The US dealer can only provide a temporary permit to their state line. So for every state there will be a permit acquisition. Then you have to arrange for another permit in Canada to get from the border crossing to home.
Heya!
Yup, we realized that last night. We thought there was a 90 day temp permit, but yes it is only for the state in which it was bought. We've found a couple ways around it, still doing the research. It's a little more trouble which may seem silly to some, but, that's the way it is. We like the unit, it suits us perfectly as we saw one down in Florida but it was not in the condition we wanted.
For those who asked, it's a 1997 Damon:-)
RE: We think they are Making a Mistake!!
Hello Othertonka....
Oh, I have been watching. Thing is, my mum flew off the handle about it before she heard the entire deal;-) That's what mums do, out of concern I suppose.:R It is not being bought sight unseen we have arranged a friend to look it over, go though it, test it, and drive it down to us in Florida (he will be staying in it with his family for a month with us down south). This will be in January, NOT April. That would be silly. We have all the information pertaining to bringing a vehicle across the boarder. A pain in the a$$ but doable nonetheless. A lot of things need to be worked out beforehand of course. Bryan MAY even fly up beforehand to have a good look. Not sure yet.
Everyone can simmer down, we're not 'stupid kids'. Risky sometimes yes. Learning from mistakes are a part of life and I have a feeling many of you have had many years of experience doing this. It's our turn. Thank you for your concern. If anyone wants updates, they can be found at our site listed below (our travel blog of over two years, we fulltime on a 5th wheel). I think everyone should tell poor mum to calm down a bit. Like one poster said, we're adults now. Hehe!
Thanks for replying, it is nice to get both sides of the story. If most of the other posters read this I am sure the answers might be different. I wish you well in your endevor.
Thanks. I hope it goes well too! We're very excited!
RE: We think they are Making a Mistake!!
Hello Othertonka....
Oh, I have been watching. Thing is, my mum flew off the handle about it before she heard the entire deal;-) That's what mums do, out of concern I suppose.:R It is not being bought sight unseen we have arranged a friend to look it over, go though it, test it, and drive it down to us in Florida (he will be staying in it with his family for a month with us down south). This will be in January, NOT April. That would be silly. We have all the information pertaining to bringing a vehicle across the boarder. A pain but doable nonetheless. A lot of things need to be worked out beforehand of course. Bryan MAY even fly up beforehand to have a good look. Not sure yet.
Everyone can simmer down, we're not 'stupid kids'. Risky sometimes yes. Learning from mistakes are a part of life and I have a feeling many of you have had many years of experience doing this. It's our turn. Thank you for your concern. If anyone wants updates, they can be found at our site listed below (our travel blog of over two years, we fulltime on a 5th wheel). I think everyone should tell poor mum to calm down a bit. Like one poster said, we're adults now. Hehe!
