Duty On Imported Motorhome

[Joe917]

Has anyone here imported a completed motor home to the USA?
Not a fire truck or a bare chassis, but an original expo truck built on a truck chassis, Unicat, etc. (over 25 years old).
What was the import duty?
A car is 2.5%, a truck is 25%. That is it for information on the CBP website.
I would like to hear from anyone who has been through a motorhome import.
When we imported the motor home Germany to Canada we paid a 6.1% non-NAFTA duty(plus HST).
Cheers, Joe

 

[TheFlyHighKid]

Was wondering the same thing?!

 

[Neil]

I will be watching this as its a possible option for us when we start our USA leg of our journey. Our truck might have to become american to get insurance

Neil

 

[Sitec]

I'm following this too, as also want to know. Are you looking to import it on a temporary basis or perminantly? We'd be wanting approx 2 years on a carnet if that's an option.

 

[VerMonsterRV]

I will be watching this as its a possible option for us when we start our USA leg of our journey. Our truck might have to become american to get insurance

Neil

Not sure if it is a problem with it being an American truck. For us it has been more of a problem being an old truck that was converted to an RV. These trucks are not common and when the average American hears about a 30 year old truck that was converted to an RV, they immediately envision a broken down school bus parked illegally somewhere.

 

[Joe917]

I want to try to keep this thread focused on the duty.
If anyone has imported an expedition truck to the USA please let us all know what was the duty paid?

 

[charlieaarons]

My experience is only for the camper part which was done on Germany: 2.5%. The cab-chassis had already been imported new (U500NA) and somehow magically Unimog North America paid only 2.5% because it was officially described as “implement carrier” rather than “truck” which gets charged 25%. So when I re-imported and wasted a week dickering with US Customs in Jacksonville Florida I paid the 2.5% just on the camper cost. Which was substantial even so.
I believe from my research in 2006 that a complete RV is 2.5%, but I am not 100% sure about that applying to the truck chassis part. And I am not sure if the 25% truck duty applies to truck chassis >25 years old. And it’s possible that a bare cab-chassis is only 2.5%; the Japanese mfgs used to install beds on Japan mfgd cab-chassis in the USA before they started making them here, for duty reasons.
This sort of stuff is just one of the reasons I use Halifax, being a US citizen.

 

[Joe917]

My experience is only for the camper part which was done on Germany: 2.5%. The cab-chassis had already been imported new (U500NA) and somehow magically Unimog North America paid only 2.5% because it was officially described as “implement carrier” rather than “truck” which gets charged 25%. So when I re-imported and wasted a week dickering with US Customs in Jacksonville Florida I paid the 2.5% just on the camper cost. Which was substantial even so.
I believe from my research in 2006 that a complete RV is 2.5%, but I am not 100% sure about that applying to the truck chassis part. And I am not sure if the 25% truck duty applies to truck chassis >25 years old. And it’s possible that a bare cab-chassis is only 2.5%; the Japanese mfgs used to install beds on Japan mfgd cab-chassis in the USA before they started making them here, for duty reasons.
This sort of stuff is just one of the reasons I use Halifax, being a US citizen.

So an expedition truck, (completed as an expedition truck 25 years ago) that is 25 years old will be seen as a motor home. 2.5% duty.
A new habitat on a 25 year old chassis will be assessed duty in 2 parts, 25% on chassis and 2.5% on the habitat.
Thanks, Charlie.

There must be someone on this forum that has imported a complete, original 25 year old expedition truck. I would love to know exactly what duty they paid.
Everything points to 2.5% but I would love to see confirmation.

 

[charlieaarons]

Maybe an old truck chassis will be > 25%. Maybe zero. At any rate, even at 25%, the total will be low unless it’s something like a renewed Steyr 12M18 from Excap. In that case, if a US citizen, recommend coming into NA via Halifax 1st. And....
Also, if a Unimog, pull the tractor/implement carrier (2.5%) thing out of the hat.
They made me get a customs broker after 4 days of going around in circles, in Jacksonville in 2006.

 

[Neil]

There must be someone on this forum that has imported a complete, original 25 year old expedition truck. I would love to know exactly what duty they paid.

So would I as its now nearly impossible for me to get my 33 year old foriegn registered vehicle insured in the USA so importing it is about my only option if i want to visit there , which i do.

Neil

 

[Neil]

Joe. I have sent you a message

Neil

 

[Pntyrmvr]

So would I as its now nearly impossible for me to get my 33 year old foriegn registered vehicle insured in the USA so importing it is about my only option if i want to visit there , which i do.

Neil

If there is any place in the world that will insure oddball or unique vehicles it’s the US. If Skippy can build a rig in his driveway and get insurance anyone can.

Keep trying.


"Talk is cheap. Whiskey costs money."

 

[Neil]

Sadly not. There seems to be a cut of for foreign registered vehicles over 19 years old. ( ours is 33 ) Progressive and Thum were the only two companies that would touch us but they have now declared they will no longer do this.

Its not the age or the type of vehicle that is the issue, its the fact that it is foreign registered.

This is why importing it and getting it US registered is an option. If we do this then many companies will be available.

Thanks , it might not be needed for a couple of years so things might change

Neil

 

[Keyne]

So an expedition truck, (completed as an expedition truck 25 years ago) that is 25 years old will be seen as a motor home. 2.5% duty.
A new habitat on a 25 year old chassis will be assessed duty in 2 parts, 25% on chassis and 2.5% on the habitat.
Thanks, Charlie.

There must be someone on this forum that has imported a complete, original 25 year old expedition truck. I would love to know exactly what duty they paid.
Everything points to 2.5% but I would love to see confirmation.

That's really interesting information. I wondered about importing completed trucks or chassis and cabin separately. The costs for the cabin could be substantially higher than the chassis, so at least that could be a lower duty. For instance,e a MB Chassis with a Blissmobil box the $200K box would "only" be 2.5% instead of 25%. That's a huge impact to the overall cost. Never thought they would do the 2 part assessment.

 

[4milesurfer]

So an expedition truck, (completed as an expedition truck 25 years ago) that is 25 years old will be seen as a motor home. 2.5% duty.
A new habitat on a 25 year old chassis will be assessed duty in 2 parts, 25% on chassis and 2.5% on the habitat.
Thanks, Charlie.

There must be someone on this forum that has imported a complete, original 25 year old expedition truck. I would love to know exactly what duty they paid.
Everything points to 2.5% but I would love to see confirmation.

I imported an Excap Doka + BlissMobil box a few years ago. US Customs taxed it as a chassis + mobile home and not as a single unit. According to the Customs department, they did this because BlissMobil advertises their boxes as standalone capable dwellings (i.e. mobile homes) that are easily removable and can be placed on the ground or a foundation for use as a dwelling. I was required to provide copies of purchase documents to US Customs as part of the import process.

My understanding from the Customs department is that they have allowed others to import their expedition trucks as RVs (motor homes) when the dwelling portion could not easily be removed. In those cases, the import tax rate was much lower than 25%.

I can provide more specific CARB information if you're located in California.