Technical Towing car across border

What paper work do I need to trailer my race car over to the USA from Canada

 

Perhaps asking this border question on landracing.com would give a current answer as a bunch from Canada are making their yearly trips to Bonneville next week.

 

If you’ve got an ownership in your name to prove you owned the car before leaving Canada then you should be ok, I’ve done that and not had a problem. I have been asked both for cars and trailers if I owned them before leaving Canada and if I had any work done to them while in the US
If you don’t have an ownership I understand there is a form you fill out before leaving Canada so that when you return you have proof you didn’t buy the car in the US.

 

I suspect the border people will expect to see the race car on the return trip too ... meaning, you might want to be truthful up front (to the border people, not us) if you are crossing the border in order to sell/deliver the car.

 

Suspicious world we live in nowadays...

 

Interesting, I wonder what would happen if say you trailered your car across the border, and wherever you went someone fell in love with it, you strike a deal and sell it.
Then come back with an empty trailer?

The crap I think about sometimes…

 

I liked your other response better

 

Thank you yes trying for my first trip to Bonnivile

 

We have crossed into Canada many times to go racing.
In addition to the race car I will advise you to have a complete list of everything you are bringing with you. That includes inventory of what's in the trailer - tools, pit bike, driving apparel, spare parts, etc. That way there are no issues with " where did you get this?" if you get pulled aside for a thorough inspection.
Yes, be truthful. I noticed when the border guard asked me questions like "How long have you been in Canada?", "Where have you been in Canada?" " Citizens of what country?" etc. that he glanced at his computer screen for verification. He already knew the answers to most of the questions he was asking.
We pull our race car with a motor home. Another racer once relayed a story to me: After going through the usual questioning the guard said, "Enjoy your visit in Canada. Oh, you may want to check inside your bathroom. You left a bottle on the counter top." They had a way to scan the interior of your bus as you passed through the gate.

One more caveat: Leaded gasoline has been banned in Canada except for use in aircraft and competition cars (as of 2013). You may want to see if exceptions are still in effect if you are using leaded race gas. I do not know if bringing race gas across the border is still allowed.

 

The trailering vehicles across the border thing has always been a do it by the numbers thing.
I had a friend from Canada who bought a lot of cars down here and hauled them back to BC and a friend here who hauled most of them for him. The buyer let a near perfect Chevy ragtop go down hill bad because he let it sit down here until it was 25 years old so he didn't have to pay the Canadian duty on it.

As the others said, proof of ownership of all vehicles involved is the main thing., Probably more so when going back into Canada than coming this way. Coming this way they will most likely want to know that you own it and aren't planning on selling it and then want to look in your coolers to see that you aren't bringing a bunch of alcohol over what ever the limit is.

Have fun.

 

No experience with it myself but a buddy buys and sells stuff all the time between the two countries, he said he calls the boarder and forwards all required paperwork a few days before he crosses, said no problem then, they apparently don’t like surprises

 

I've done it a dozen or so times over the years but not recently. It would be best to contact by phone both US and Canada authorities to find out each set of requirements and to ask any specific questions you may have. A few minutes on the phone could save you hours at the border.
Its been my experience that the US border agents are primarily concerned with the origin of the vehicle and whether there are any liens. The Canadian side is primarily concerned with collecting any import fees if applicable.

 

you mean written ownership? Many racing vehicles are hand built and have no offical paperwok...What would cutoms like to see?

 

Yep, was going from Detroit to Windsor for an evening outing in 2002, in a company pool mini van with 3 co-workers. Canadian border officers didn't like something and proceeded to strip the interior and seats out of the van and make a big pile.
Said thanks you're free to go.

Hmm, had to go buy some tools to at least put the seats back in and spent the rest of the week in evenings getting all the interior back in to be able to return the pool vehicle.

 

Damn. That’s harsh.

 

Yep, year after 9-11. They didn't care. Asked if we could use their tools and they walked off. hand tightened the driver seat bolts and drove to get a wrench set, never went into Canada.

Been to Windsor plenty of other times, fun place. Nice restaurants.

 

. . . he calls the boarder and forwards all required paperwork a few days before he crosses"

Good to have a friend like that when you're crossing the border.

 

This is what we need to do at work when buying from and selling into the USA . We have had stuff turned around at the boarder because the vin is off by one digit or the forklift is listed as a Yale when it’s a hyster ( for those who don’t know they are identical trucks built on the same line .)
Yup. Don’t wanna give the boarder guards a hard time .

I’m sure asking as you can prove one way or another you own it snd didn’t buy it in the states your golden. A phone call or visit to there web site will go miles to having a fun trip .

I have had my fair share of run ins with the boarder guards . To many long boring stories from my youth visiting New York , buffalo and Chicago as a dumb kid with my friends and getting pulled in for “ questioning “. Never had anything , never did anything but they left more then one car in a pile of nuts and bolts after hours of looking for something with nothing to say . Ok free to go with out an explination of what they where looking for or why .

anyways , I’m older now and don’t have the problems of youth anymore


What are you bringing to the salt snd what class are you competing in ?

 

After spending 57 years living within 20 miles of that line on the map and making a lot of trips across it, this is why I no longer have much desire to cross it...