Canadian border crossing

[rms64]

Hi, I'm planning a 2-3 week road trip for late summer that will include crossing into Canada.

My question - since I'm obsessive about my car, I typically carry a bunch of detailing supplies with me for trips like this. Will the Border folks have an issue with essentially a bag of chemicals in my trunk? Wouldn't want to unnecessarily provoke them.

Last time I made a trip to Banff (2002), and got a little flack at the border (without said chemicals) I guess because I was traveling alone and it just so happened that the G8 summit was happening in Calgary the same week I went. "Sir, have you ever been involed in a political protest?".....

[AntC]

Hmm that may be a tough one, the canadian border patrol, tends to vary, sometimes they may not even search your car, sometime you got stopped, your best bet is to call the barder patrol ( for what ever state you plan to cost in) and ask them !

hope it helps

[rms64]

Thanks! Last time, they went through my car pretty closely - I guess I'm a suspicious character.

[yakky]

I wouldn't even worry about it. Makes me think that you are nervous about the crossing in the first place, and they are getting that vibe. Act like you own the place (both sides lol!), pull up eating a big burrito and act like they are interrupting your lunch. I've been trough with a rental car with FL plates (I'm from VA) and didn't get searched.

[wardpr68]

Canadian here. They won't give you any trouble with it. My uncle goes down to the states and brings me back detailing stuff all the time. If you are searched or anything, it would be completely unrelated. If they ask you about the products just be honest and say they are for detailing the car. Don't worry about it and it will be less likely to be a problem for you. They tend to check out people who seem nervous.

[rms64]

Thanks guys - appreciate it. Not nervous about crossing, just don't want to do anything dumb to complicate things.

[Andr3wilson]

I have been searched once, detailing products are meaningless to them. Try and keep everything in the original packaging and they wont even bat an eye.

Only time you can hassled is if you have large amounts of unidentified chemicals or large ziploc bags of white playdough

Where are you going?

[rms64]

Only time you can hassled is if you have large amounts of unidentified chemicals or large ziploc bags of white playdough

Where are you going?

I'll leave the playdough at home for sure.

Plan is to cross near Minot, up to Banff / Jasper, then back via Vancouver, Washington, Montana, Colorado and someday back south. Huge trip for sure but last time I did it I had a blast and have always wanted to go again.

I posted my original question after thinking back to the last trip in '02 where I was held up in both directions for a couple of hours. Weird. Also, due to reading up on the crossing requirements and seeing some pretty scary stories - I guess the internet is pretty good at highlighting complaints, however.

[Dr_Pain]

Try and keep everything in the original packaging and they wont even bat an eye.