Registration of Imported Vehicles. Canada

[Peachland Pair]

Do you know that if you purchase a vehicle in the USA that it must be on an "ADMISSIBLE LIST" with riv.ca to import such a vehicle and that without that sanction you cannot register that vehicle in Canada. In trying to comply with these "regulations" which are embodied in the MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY ACT, I called the office of the RIV.CA to inquire about a CLASS B MOTORHOME, a 1997 DODGE RAM 3500 XPLORERVAN, and in the discussion the representative after some delay stated that the van was admissible under section 5 and 6 of the act. What she had located was a 1997 DODGE RAM 3500 EXPLORERVan. In fact the vehicle that I was inquiring about was made by XPLORER MOTORHOMES a division of FRANK INDUSTRIES and not converted by EXPLOER VANS. a totally different company. But in my ignorance of all this import restrictions felt that on the advice of checking from the MOTOR ASSOCIATION that I could fly to CHICAGO and purchase this vehicle and all would be complyhing with the laws.

Well that is not the case, and after investing $11,000 and getting provincial inspection and insurance I find that I cannot register this vehicle, I cannot even park it on the steet legally. I brought i home with an ILLINOIS TRANSIT PERMIT which has expired. In inquiring with TRANSPORT CANADA on the phone, they tell me I have to take the van back to the US.. To further add to the expense,.

All this of course is to satisfy the MOTOR VEHICLE SAFELY of CANADA, when in fact a US RESIDENT can drive this identical vehicle into CANADA and stay for a year. Also the limitation on the act wall allow that in 15 years after manufacture I can import the vehicle. which implies that in 2012 this vehicle will be safer then than it is now. I assure readers that I had no intention of bringing an INADMISSIBLE VEHICLE into Canada, and if the rep of RIV.CA had told me correctly that the " X, P, L, O, R, E, R, Vans were inadmissible I would had continued my search.

On Feb 22 I wrote registered letters to my MP, the Minister of Transport, and the head of RIV.CA regarding my dilemma and expense and being hobbled in any plans to acquire a camperized van. To day NO REPLY.. I do want something in writing, since I would like some discretion in the application of this law, in that the restriction will be expired in less than 22 months, and the fact the van is in CANADA was not of my doing. I felt I was following the authority that governs such matters.

I am amazed and shocked by just how callous the "verbal" repsonse has been with the authorities and just how lax and tardy I have been treated in not even an acknowledgment with regard to my written request for direction.

Annoyed and shocked
PEACHLAND PAIR

[grammafreddy]

The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Keep trying. It's a bummer when someone in government screws up and you have no recourse. They are not very accountable, are they? Try going higher in MV, maybe??

Or ........ find a place in Oroville to park it for a few months until it is registerable. There's some nice places around there to go camping on the weekends while you wait

[Peachland Pair]

The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Keep trying. It's a bummer when someone in government screws up and you have no recourse. They are not very accountable, are they? Try going higher in MV, maybe??

I wish that were the case Granny. Seems that they will listen and hear your requests but when you put it in writing and lay out the events and document the expenses and ask for a ruling or direction in writing that the INERTIA of BEAURACRACY set in. I have had this WHITE ALBATROSS in my front driveway since DEC 30, except for some mechanical work to replace brakeshoes brakepads rear axle seals and new DEEP CYCLE battery. All prior to applying for the $205 FEDERAL INSPECTION FORM which they will not give me. I have paid over $500 GST on the beast at the border for a vehicle that they tell me to return to the US. Now that I have serviced the VAN and upgraded the components needing attention, it is dormant and chained to regulation. I cannot register it without the FEDERAL INSPECTION FORM 1 being stamped, and even though I have paid the fee cannot get the papers to have it inspected since it is INADMISSIBLE.

The catch 22 red tape run around. Those at TRANSPORT CANADA tell me to take it back to the US and trade it in on one that is ADMISSIBLE. I have gone to a lot of expense and felt I had a good vehicle that would serve my purposes to visit relatives and aquaintences without imposing on any of them. However TRANSPORT CANADA want me on speculation to take it our of the country so that the stigma of the error of RIV.CA indicating that the van was admissible before I bought will be negated and they can wipe off the slate. I will however have to go to more expense and still not have a vehicle that I can register in Canada.

And when you think about it.. even the MINISTER of TRANSPORT or my MP really is only a fixture in the government and likely know little about the MOTOR VEHICLE ACT or what the RIV.CA does, And who knows my fall might be out of a job with the election coming. And maybe that is more a concern to him than a dude in Western Canada with a WHITE ALBATROSS VAN in his driveway.

We are lead to believe that the country is governed by the people. We are in truth lead by the nose by the BEAURACRATS.. plain and simple.

Thanks for you comment. I will try to get more SQUEEKIER

[bcbudrockz69]

sounds like a good reason to boot out the harper goverment.

im just curius why you not looking in canada for a camper van?

[Ironhorse1]

http://www.riv.ca/VehicleAdmissibility.aspx

That's where you can find the list if you haven't already found it.

[kgcayenne]

http://www.riv.ca/VehicleAdmissibility.aspx

That's where you can find the list if you haven't already found it.

Too bad the text...

NOTE: ALL OTHER CLASS B MOTORHOME CONVERSION MANUFACTURERS NOT SHOWN ON THIS LIST ARE INADMISSIBLE.

...wasn't at the top of the page in bright red text.

[Peachland Pair]

http://www.riv.ca/VehicleAdmissibility.aspx

That's where you can find the list if you haven't already found it.

Too bad the text...

NOTE: ALL OTHER CLASS B MOTORHOME CONVERSION MANUFACTURERS NOT SHOWN ON THIS LIST ARE INADMISSIBLE.

...wasn't at the top of the page in bright red text.

At the time I made the inquiry to RIV.CA, I was calling on the phone to a 1-800 number and never knew that the site existed and was speaking to a rep there. I was contacting them on the recommendation of the MOTOR ASSN where I had inquired about insurance and registration if I found a vehicle in the US. The gave me the 1 800 number.

Had I known or visited the www.riv.ca site before I had made the purchase I would have known that the potential purchase of the XPLORER would have been INADMISSIBLE and would have kept looking.

But is that not how we mount the learning curve and get measured on the BELL CURVE.

ALAS

[zoo]

I feel your pain regarding our ancient system and the goverments failure to change it. I have dealt with many import's into canada and have never found the system trustworthy. You need to double question everything your told from any of these agency's.
I have resently found out that some manufacturers are now using this list to actually keep you from bringing certain vehicles(ORV's) into canada hoping they can force you to buy from a canadian dealer. Some companies are charging $1000 for a generic letter of "recall" that you need as well.
Its amazing how you can register a "home built" vehicle for the first time in canada but not a manufactured vehicle from across the line. Again just an old system and the goverments lack of ability to fix it. ,

[Peachland Pair]

Obviously Zim you have travelled this road. I wish I had before because it is proving to be agonizing with the WHITE ALBATROSS in my DRIVEWAY and nothing to do but wait. I do want something in writing from the authorities before I move the beast. However I do think that they can really just keep waiting. interesting your mention of a $1000 generic RECALL LETTER, I am not sure how that works. but then I am in the virtual purgatory cause I cannot even bet the papers for the INSPECTION.

As you say you can home modify a van and there is no regulations, and as I mentioned a US RESIDENT can drive the INADMISSIBLE VEHICLE into CANADA and stay a year without any problem. And what is even more ironic is that in TWO MORE YEARS this 1997 will be 15 years old and admissible.. and any over 15 years old are admissible. But those beauracrats have a job to do and can make adjustments for COMPANIES but for the individual.. I have been told verbally . NO CHANCE.. so I am waiting for that IN HARD COPY.

Thanks your your support

[intheknow]

Do you know that if you purchase a vehicle in the USA that it must be on an "ADMISSIBLE LIST" with riv.ca to import such a vehicle and that without that sanction you cannot register that vehicle in Canada. In trying to comply with these "regulations" which are embodied in the MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY ACT, I called the office of the RIV.CA to inquire about a CLASS B MOTORHOME, a 1997 DODGE RAM 3500 XPLORERVAN, and in the discussion the representative after some delay stated that the van was admissible under section 5 and 6 of the act. What she had located was a 1997 DODGE RAM 3500 EXPLORERVan. In fact the vehicle that I was inquiring about was made by XPLORER MOTORHOMES a division of FRANK INDUSTRIES and not converted by EXPLOER VANS. a totally different company. But in my ignorance of all this import restrictions felt that on the advice of checking from the MOTOR ASSOCIATION that I could fly to CHICAGO and purchase this vehicle and all would be complyhing with the laws.

Well that is not the case, and after investing $11,000 and getting provincial inspection and insurance I find that I cannot register this vehicle, I cannot even park it on the steet legally. I brought i home with an ILLINOIS TRANSIT PERMIT which has expired. In inquiring with TRANSPORT CANADA on the phone, they tell me I have to take the van back to the US.. To further add to the expense,.

All this of course is to satisfy the MOTOR VEHICLE SAFELY of CANADA, when in fact a US RESIDENT can drive this identical vehicle into CANADA and stay for a year. Also the limitation on the act wall allow that in 15 years after manufacture I can import the vehicle. which implies that in 2012 this vehicle will be safer then than it is now. I assure readers that I had no intention of bringing an INADMISSIBLE VEHICLE into Canada, and if the rep of RIV.CA had told me correctly that the " X, P, L, O, R, E, R, Vans were inadmissible I would had continued my search.

On Feb 22 I wrote registered letters to my MP, the Minister of Transport, and the head of RIV.CA regarding my dilemma and expense and being hobbled in any plans to acquire a camperized van. To day NO REPLY.. I do want something in writing, since I would like some discretion in the application of this law, in that the restriction will be expired in less than 22 months, and the fact the van is in CANADA was not of my doing. I felt I was following the authority that governs such matters.

I am amazed and shocked by just how callous the "verbal" repsonse has been with the authorities and just how lax and tardy I have been treated in not even an acknowledgment with regard to my written request for direction.

Annoyed and shocked
PEACHLAND PAIR

Its up to you to go on the RIV site and look up whats admissable and whats not.Its entirely your fault so lets not be blaming anyone but yourself.You claim you got insurance?Thats impossible.You cannot buy ICBC insurance without valid BC vehicle registration.You say the Van is here and not of your doing?then how did the van get here??
I have a better one.ALL BIGFOOT RV products are produced in Armstong BC canada.ALL bigfoot products sold in the USA are also inadmissable back to Canada even if it has a CSS decal on it(canadian safety standards)yet the same vehicle as long as it was never exported to the USA is leagal to register,insure and drive in canada and thats a fact!!!!

[Peachland Pair]

Its up to you to go on the RIV site and look up whats admissable and whats not.Its entirely your fault so lets not be blaming anyone but yourself.You claim you got insurance?Thats impossible.You cannot buy ICBC insurance without valid BC vehicle registration.You say the Van is here and not of your doing?then how did the van get here??
I have a better one.ALL BIGFOOT RV products are produced in Armstong BC canada.ALL bigfoot products sold in the USA are also inadmissable back to Canada even if it has a CSS decal on it(canadian safety standards)yet the same vehicle as long as it was never exported to the USA is leagal to register,insure and drive in canada and thats a fact!!!!intheknow

Posts: 64
Joined: Jan 21st, 2010, 1:18 pm
E-mail intheknow

Well much as I am shocked at your infallible knowledge of what are the facts and your critique of what actually happened. You are not correct in any of your postulations sir But with a handle like INTHEKNOW. I guess you have to profess such when you do not know the facts.

1stly., Are you categorically stating that unless you are internet equipped and versed in the use of a computer you cannot apply for clearance for a vehicle with the REGISTER OF IMPORTED VEHICLES?
I was not aware of the site but was advised by the MOTOR ASSN of the RIV's 1 800 number and inquired there, and got a mistaken verbal OK.

2ndly I don't understand just how you can state that it is impossible to get insurance on a vehicle that is not registered. Now you make the assumption that I am a resident of BC and have insurace through ICBC. I am not a resident of BC and my insurance carrier allows me to add a vehicle to my policy on their 1-800 number and faxed me POS so that I could get the ILLINOIS TRANSIT PERMIT.

3rdly. Every statement I have made in this thread is a fact. No opinion or supposition. I drove the vehicle back to CANADA, and I crossed the border with it and filled out the FORM 1 and told the CUSTOMS OFFICER that I had called the RIV on the 1-800 number and was told that this vehicle was admissible under sections 5 and 6. and did correctly fill out the form with the exact proper ID and manufacture of the vehicle. I was fully confident that I was importing an ADMISSIBLE VEHICLE. It was only when I paid the $205.00 Fee online and applied for the FEDERAL INSPECTION FORM that I was made aware that the vehicle was inadmissible.

At the border I even at the suggestion of the CUSTOMS OFFICER returned to the US CUSTOMS and had the TITLE DOCUMENTS stamped by the US officer as EXPORTED from the US

But you can make further assumptions and doubt and question what has been conveyed as no possible or fabrication as you imply, but I assure you what I have stated is TRUE.

PEACHLAND PAIR

[Peachland Pair]

Well, sooner or later we do find the answers, if we keep looking. Further to my initial posting on this topic and the responses that were made, I was hoping for some direction and accounts of others experience. However I have stumbled upon an interesting site that does have some detailed assistence to those that might be looking for a vehicle. I think you will find this site very informative and I wish I had found it before I had began my search for a CLASS B.

http://www.frugal-rv-travel.com/Import-an-RV.html

Any comments ??