Relocating and importing

Our research has led us to some solid conclusions.

Since moving to Canada directly would involve Nickie going without health insurance or employment for around 10-18 months, by my current guesstimate, we decided it would make more sense to stay in the U.S. for now and continue saving up while the paperwork is processing.

I looked into what it would take to import our vehicle(s) into Canada. I also looked into importing an RV to Canada. There are things you have to do with U.S. Customs as well as Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA). When all is said and done, it doesn't seem like it's worth the pain in the rear. We even asked about buying a Canadian-made RV and bringing it to the U.S. - that would be considered importing to the U.S. even though it would be temporary, and re-importing to Canada including all associated fees even though it's already made to Canadian specs. Our decision -- forget it. Wait until we land in Canada and buy one then. And part with one or both of our cars before landing, to minimize the headaches.

Thirdly, our current neighborhood is most excellent for driving one absolutely mad, what with helicopter chases, gang members hiding out on the property, and all sorts of other insanity I don't care to get into. So we have been looking for another place to live while the paperwork is in process and such, as mentioned before. We looked into a number of places here in Southern California that, last we knew, were still decent places to live. Very few of them have remained decent - most of them are now gangland, plagued with crime, and falling into disrepair and neglect. We even saw some of this as far north as Santa Barbara! Southern CA is a dump, overall, and getting worse... Northern CA rents are, incredibly, even more expensive than Southern CA. We found all this rather discouraging, and weighed more heavily toward leaving CA altogether; of the out-of-state areas we were considering, that mainly left MN and OR. It seems that Minneapolis, MN rents are expensive like L.A., and I know from my research that it's actually colder in MN than in Ontario, Canada, and I've been buying warm clothes but I really don't think we're prepared to drive into the ice and snow to try and acclimate in the dead of winter. Ditto on the winter thing in upstate NY, which right now is measuring snow in feet, not inches. That leaves Portland, OR, which is a relatively short drive away (about 14-15 hours), has a milder winter, and we've been there and liked many things about it.

So in a nutshell:

• Complete and submit Outside Canada application
• Move to Portland OR vicinity, save up and wait
• On approval of application, sell car(s)
• Land in Canada and purchase RV
  

RVing - Importing & Exporting

Called Canadian Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV), and asked them the following question:

I'm a Canadian living in the U.S. I'm considering buying a Canadian RV and bringing it here while my partner's immigration goes through, then moving back to Canada with it. How long could I have it abroad before I'd have to register it as an export, and what would be involved?

I was told that I would have to export it as soon as I took it out of the country, and then still have to pay to enroll it in the import program and do the associated inspections when I return, even though it's Canadian-made. They recommended I just wait until I move back to Canada and purchase the RV then.

I suspected this might be the case, for the trouble involved, not to mention the money. Other temporary living arrangements are obviously in order.

Their recorded message gives the following numbers for more information when calling from outside Canada:

(204) 983-3500 CBSA
(613) 998-8616 Transportation Canada

Next question: are there camper shell requirements? I called twice because the first gentleman seemed unsure about what a camper shell is. (There is probably another term for it in Canada, but I don't know what that would be.)

None according to Pierre at RIV, 2/9/07 1:42 p.m. PST.
No restrictions according to Mu at RIV, 2/9/07, 2:00 p.m. - just need bill of sale and title.

RVing

The following is a written version of "thinking out loud," if you will, in considering the RV option.


Lisa's RV want list, in order of importance

Stay below 80-85% of tow vehicle's GVWR, or 75-80% of hitch rating, whichever is lower, for best performance (our case: about 2500 lbs)
Toilet with black tank
Indoor shower with gray tank
Sink and freshwater tank
Queen bed 60" wide (full is 53")
Stove
3-way refrigerator (12V, 120V, LP) w/freezer compartment
Furnace
No need to convert bed into dinette every day
A/C or something innovative like ThinkGeek Desktop A/C
(depending on climates we stay in)
Screen room


Research by manufacturer

Casita - Insulation rating? Completely enclosed floor, around 13000 with options. Rice, TX
Scamp - R15 insulation in walls, dry 1750 lbs, antifreeze water lines?, around $13000 with options. Backus, MN
Shadow Cruiser -
Sun Valley - Several small models, X-Treme Lite has R7 insulation
Taylor Coach - Lower cost, all the amenities but still the most lightweight we've seen, all wood inside no particle board (wow!), R7 insulation upgradable to R12. Millgrove, ON


Airstream - Too expensive
Bigfoot - Too heavy
Burro - No cold weather features?, no longer in production?
Escape - Insulated, looks well-built, but wet weight is 2600-2800 lbs, and pricey at CAN$19200 w/shower
Fleetwood - Too heavy
Gulf Stream - Too heavy
Jayco - Too heavy
Keystone - Too heavy
Nash (Northwood Mfg) - Too heavy
Palomino - Too heavy
R-Vision (Trail-Lite) - Too heavy
Sunline Coach - Too heavy
T@b (Thor Industries) - No bathroom,lots of insulation?, heater not for use in weather below 40 degrees (yes, you read that right)
Trillium - No bathroom


Fiberglass trailers - Casita Trillium Scamp Escape Burro

Good information gathered from Lightweight RV News
and RV Towing Tips

Transpo planning - RVing

• Check Canadian rules for importing a trailer
  
• Get truck's full trailering specs from truck dealer
• Make a list of trailers within specs
  
• Do web research, request brochures
• Truck dealer questions
  • Wheel base sufficient?
  • Suspension sufficient?
  • Effects of long-term towing on transmission?
  • Winterizing, i.e. antifreeze, tire chains/snow tires
    
• RV dealer questions
  
  • Tongue weight 10-12% of trailer weight?
    
  • Functionality of water system and tanks in the cold?
  • Insulation rating of roof, floor, walls?
  • Location of tanks, i.e. will they increase tongue weight?
  • Withstand full-timing?
  • 3-way refrigerator? (12V, 120V, LP)
  • Weight rating of bed(s)?
    

RV sale - YAY!!!

The "Deed" has been done! We have so much to be thankful for.

Because the RVing season is basically over, I knew finding a buyer would be much more difficult than during the summer. I had exactly one response to my ads, and upon viewing the RV they loved it and immediately commented that it's "sooo clean!" and made me an offer on the spot.

We went to her bank together and I was present while she bought a bank cashier's check from her bank. I made a point of going immediately to a branch of my bank just across the street from hers. It cleared immediately, with no 2-day "hold" like they sometimes do.

Since DMV's website is not forthcoming with clear information on the paperwork let me just outline it here.

• Fill out and sign Certificate of Title (pink slip). Top portion goes to you, bottom portion to the buyer.
• Fill out and sign a Bill of Sale (REG 135), found on DMV's website here. Keep a photocopy for you, original goes to buyer.
  
• Fill out and sign a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (aka NRL) (REG 138), or you can now do it online here.
• Buyer brings Bill of Sale (REG 135) and Certificate of Title (pink slip) to DMV. There will be a transfer fee, and if I understand correctly, the buyer will also be required to pay the sales tax at that time.

We are immensely grateful because when I met the buyer at the storage facility, I found that there had been an RV fire just on the next aisle, a few feet away, the previous day. Yes, almost immediately after weeks of problems and setbacks had culminated in finally getting the RV washed and waxed, the RV was splattered with soot and charred debris! Even so, there was PLENTY to be thankful for. Despite the burning debris flying from a total of 3 RVs going up in smoke, ours was not one of them! And all our irreplaceable photos and personal belongings had only just been cleaned out, so that if it had caught fire only a couple weeks prior, we would have lost some of the things we most cherished. Thank you God!!!

What's more, the RV owner whose rig had malfunctioned and started the fire was fully insured, so the 2 families whose neighboring RVs caught fire will be getting reimbursed for their losses. My deepest thanks to God as that whole thing went 1000 times better than it could have.

RV prep - Wash and wax

Hallelujah!

After many (and I do mean many) trials and tribulations, I have finally managed to get someone to actually show up, and wash the RV within the restrictive parameters set by the RV storage facility.

I took out a free ad on CraigsList and will wait a bit to see what kind of response I get. I'll post flyers at local RV parks, too. I just can't see spending $90 or more just to get 3 lines or so in an RV magazine, unless I absolutely have to.

RV prep - revised to-do

Called last week and couldn't get someone to come for RV detailing until tomorrow, Monday. I will meet them at the storage place to pay them and decide if I'm going to have them wax it too (based on how good it looks). The last few steps will involve:

1. Bringing back items that made it here, that should be left with RV
2. Bringing water (for cleaning), drinking water, scrub brush, baking soda, checkbook, camera, hand sanitizer, personal fan with batteries, and newspaper (believe it or not, newspaper leaves windows very sparkling clear and streak-free)
3. Securing all windows and vents in anticipation of washing
4. Scrubbing the tub and shower while detailers wash
5. Washing windows inside and bathroom mirror, if I have energy
6. Emptying last few items out of interior and the front compartment
7. Inquire at office - what did they do with our hitch lock?
8. Pay detailers
9. Take photos of inside and outside for posting in ads
10. List RV online and in print publications - post pics where possible

RV prep, Locations, and some thoughts

Well, after spending most of the weekend emptying, dusting, scrubbing, wiping, and sweeping the RV (or recovering from it, LOL), I can finally say it's almost ready for sale. I still need to do a couple of things, but it's looking very nice inside. There is no access to a water hose or anything there in the storage facility so I'll have to hire someone to wash down the outside. Here's hoping it will fetch a fair price!

Some good news: one manager of the RV storage facility called this afternoon and said he'd found the info for a guy who regularly does RV detailing there, and better yet, he might even make us an offer on it while he's at it. If he's willing to offer a reasonable amount, I can't think of anything more perfect than that!

We're still talking about where we're going to go. For one thing, it's very important to us to live in a gay-friendly area, something we unfortunately always have to consider.

By the way, is it annoying to have such restrictions on where one can live without having people feel it's their business to butt into your life and hassle you about something that's none of their *#@! beeswax, without living in fear that one day they're going to drag you from the back of their truck to the boonies somewhere and then beat you to death? You betcha it is! As I posted in one forum:

...if two people are happy in a gay/lesbian relationship and minding their own business, what gives you or anyone else the right to butt into their lives and start lecturing? You may call it "evangelism," but a lot of other straight people would call it HARASSMENT.

Catholicism condemns divorce, but you don't see Catholics picketing provincial courts and tracking down divorcees to lecture them that they're going to hell.

You don't see Muslims stopping female neighbours to lecture them that it's sinful for them to be going outside with no scarf over their hair.

You don't see Jews stopping people in supermarkets to lecture them that it's an abomination for them to eat non-Kosher foods.

Then why do you think it's okay to harass gays and lesbians in this way?

I don't get why people seem to think it's okay to run around judging other people and telling them how to live. But until they get a clue (or a life), we'd rather live someplace where tolerance is the rule and not the exception.

Anyway, Minneapolis has been looking the most promising as a geographical midway stop in terms of being very gay friendly and having a high quality of life in many ways. It looks like it's clean, has lots of jobs, highly educated people, low crime, lots of walking/bicycling trails, plenty of museums and things to do, etc. People from/visiting there seem to have great things to say about it. By the way one of my favo(U)rite places to check on U.S. cities is CityData.com . It would be even better if they'd also do Canadian cities, and I suggested this, but what can you do?

We've been talking, however, about the fact that it would likely be better and cheaper to just go directly through to Ontario and do an "inside Canada" PR application. Otherwise we'd have to pack up everything in boxes, move, get driver's licenses, license plates, and car insurance for the new state, then turn around and do it all again to go to Canada. As lovely as Minneapolis sounds, I still think it would be my second choice. Which is good to keep in mind, because one of the things I've heard that immigration asks you is what your plans are if your PR application was to be turned down. They want to know that you've discussed the possibility and planned for it. Minneapolis sounds like a truly great place, and a Plan B that we could be quite happy with.

To Do - first draft

This is a rough sketch of things to do. First, things that need to be done regardless of where we move to. Then mixed tasks including things that depend on circumstances, highlighted in blue. Completed items will be marked in red italics rather than deleted, so as not to remove potentially helpful information.
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Finish cleaning extra stuff out of the apartment

Sell the RV (it's in an RV storage facility) - I'd like to get it on the market within a week of today

1. Finish emptying out RV including bedding
   
2. Clean counters, tub, sinks, floor
3. Ask management - where is hitch lock?
4. Hire someone for RV detailing - who does management contract with?
5. Take photos of inside and outside for posting in ads
6. Double-check Blue Book value
   
7. List RV online and in print publications - post pics where possible

If RV sale goes well, we'll put more weight into considering going directly to Ontario

File for Dad's Travel Document - Application for a Travel Document (Permanent Resident Abroad) (IMM 5524)

1. Finish polishing arguments for H&C
   
2. Gather documents to back up H&C arguments - Record of Landing (IMM 1000), driver's license and/or passport, mail sent to this address, etc.)
   
3. Gather Dad's information and fill out the application together
   
4. Get 1 passport-size photo, write name and date of birth on back
   
5. Get Money Order, Cashier's Cheque or Bank Draft - $45 USD or $50 CDN payable to the "Canadian Consulate General"
   
6. Mail application - contact info is:
   

   Consulate General of Canada
   550 South Hope Street, 9th Floor
   Los Angeles, CA 90071-2627

   Tel: (213) 346-2700, Fax: (213) 346-2767
   e-mail: lngls-td@international.gc.ca

   Territory: California, Arizona, Hawaii, New Mexico, Nevada

If the RV sale goes well *and* Dad gets a Travel Document, I imagine we'll go directly to Ontario

Take detailed inventory of all items; this will be needed for the Personal Effects Accounting Document (B4) form, needed by the Canadian Border Services Agency (link here) when you cross the border. There should be 2 lists; 1 for items you've brought with you and one for "items to follow" that will be brought or shipped later. Anything not on these lists will get TAXED so be thorough. Returning residents (such as my father and I) get a $10,000 tax exemption, presumably to assist with importing your car tax-free.

Pack up less-frequently-used items

Label all boxes clearly; better yet, number them as well and keep detailed item inventory on a separate list corresponding with the B4 document - i.e. "Box A, 12 books."

Check with the Registrar of Imported Vehicles at www.riv.ca to see if our cars are acceptable for import (Canadian auto requirements differ from those in the U.S.) - as of this writing, there is a document here - RESULT: yes our cars are ok, but always double check with RIV (see step below)

Call RIV at (888) 848-8240 (toll-free in Canada and U.S.), to confirm acceptability of our cars

Check on requirements for auto insurance in new location

Check on health insurance arrangements in new location (in Ontario, this would be just until we were covered by the Canadian healthcare system)

Look for work

Look for a new place to live in our chosen location

File "inside Canada" or "outside Canada" PR application for wife (breakdown of steps for this will be posted in the future)