Crossing the border

[FlashJ]

Hey everyone,

Takin the Delica down the Oregon Coast from Vancouver for a couple of weeks... are there any concerns crossing the boarder? Things to expect, watch out for, bring with?

I did a search but didn't find much on this topic. Any bad experiences with regulations etc?

Thanks

FlashJ

[Chewy]

never any problems. If you're licensed here, no real issues. Nootkase and After oil drove down through the states and back again from mexico, they could probably give you some additional insight. However I'd probably say documentation of ownership and the typical passport will do fine.

[marsgal42]

What did you search for? This has come up before.

I've been to Seattle and Portland in Gumdrop myself, and have posted about it here. The closest I've come to an issue is that diesel is more expensive than premium gas in Washington and Oregon, and that most gas stations do not take Canadian credit cards at the pump.

...laura

[kb&2dogs]

we just needed our passports, answered a few questions about where we were headed and for how long, and documentation that our dogs had been vaccinated for rabies. Pretty easy!

[FlashJ]

Thanks for the info everyone, figured there wouldn't be much to it, but since its a couple week trip and I haven't crossed with the Delica yet i wanted to be safe instead of sitting at the border dealing with red tape when i should be Kiting the Oregon Coast :P

I searched "US Border" and "Border Crossing United States". Found some topics related but nothing about this specifically. What I did find made me wonder a bit, on the one hand post were saying you can't buy one in the states, but other posts talked about trips through the states from canada.

Thanks again for the clarification :)

FlashJ

[after oil]

the border is fine, the biggest problem is how long it takes to get going again after a stop in the US... you will be harangued by the earthlings curious about your UFO

[glenn]

Yeah, you have to watch out for rubberneckers. Once you get past Seattle, you'll feel like a rock star.

[FlyingBarney]

Hey everyone,

Takin the Delica down the Oregon Coast from Vancouver for a couple of weeks... are there any concerns crossing the boarder? Things to expect, watch out for, bring with?

I did a search but didn't find much on this topic. Any bad experiences with regulations etc?

Thanks

FlashJ

No problems at all. I go to Seattle monthly, and never have car-related issues at the border (other issues though, plenty ). be prepared to be stared at, at the border and afterwards. Good for the ego...

Simon

[marsgal42]

Thanks for looking - too many people don't.

I've almost been disappointed at the zero official attention Gumdrop has attracted. I've also spent lots of time explaining to people what they were looking at, and gotten lots of "what is that?" and "who's driving?" looks on the road. My favourite was passing a Japanese gentleman on I-5 in Seattle who knew exactly what he was looking at, and grinned from ear to ear. B.C. Ferries people all seem to be Delica fans.

I've often thought we need an FAQ section. I typed up a little FAQ handout and have copies in Gumdrop. Crossing the border is indeed one of the questions. Like any visitor in any vehicle, you are covered by the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, with a couple of extra agreements between Canada and the U.S.A. regarding things like license plates.

While countries further south are signatories too, there are no agreements between Canada and Mexico (or anywhere further south, for that matter) on car insurance, which is why people driving to Mexico have to get a Mexican insurance policy to cover their stay. This is the case for any vehicle, not just a Delica. I've looked at driving down to Costa Rica for my quasi-annual February astronomy gig. I've gotten lots of information from http://www.drivemeloco.com.

...laura