You and Me and the HST in BC

The British Columbia HST Tax has been out for quite some time now, and not much has changed with regard to Recreational Vehicle Sales. Before we had the Harmonized Sales Tax we had a 7% Provincial Tax and a 5% Federal Tax, 12% same today. Pre-HST when you traded a vehicle in on your purchase you paid both taxes on the difference, same deal now. I don’t think people pay enough attention to trade in tax savings. If you purchase a $50,000.00 unit and you get $35,000.00 for your trade, you will only have to pay tax on the $15,000.00 difference. That means a tax savings of $4,200.00 on the trade value, unless you pay cash and sell your trade separately. The only real change with regard to tax collection on vehicle sales in British Columbia is Private Sales. Before the HST Private Sales only had to pay the 7% Provincial Sales Tax. This Tax has now been raised to 12% and as always is collected by ICBC.

Who Needs RV Service

Proper servicing of a Recreational Vehicle should be the most important part of an RV purchase. We see people in our Service Department all the time who just bought a unit privately and say "He seemed like an honest fellow". Now don't get me wrong, we should be able to put our kids through college with all the service work that's available. I don't think people realize what a reputable Dealer offers in terms of Service. A used RV is kind of like buying a used car and an old house, with an elaborate 12 volt system and Propane appliances. Used car buyers almost always get the vehicle inspected, but with RV's a pre-inspection is less likely. I'll give you a rundown on what we do to each RV we sell. First we inspect the charging system and batteries. We then move to the Propane system where we not only check for leaks but for appliance operation and ensure its up to current codes. If the Propane System is up to code and operational we apply a BC Propane Gas Inspection Decal, which is mandatory in British Columbia. Next we inspect the roof seams, vents, windows and doors for problems with the sealants. Inside the unit we will check the operation of all lights, switches, breakers and fuses. Now we add water and check pump operation and for leaks in the fixtures, tanks and water heater. If that's not enough, we check to make sure all cabinet catches and drawer guides are functional. Finished? Not yet- we still have to check the wheel bearings, brake operation, tires and exterior lights lights to ensure safety. All of this is performed for a towable unit, what about Motor homes? With Motor homes you can add automotive safety inspection, automotive repairs and servicing. We find our average cost to service towable units to be $1000 to $1500 and $2000 to $3000 for motorized units, if we don't find an appliance issue or leaks/dry rot. Once we have performed all the repairs and testing its now time for the most important part, the instructional demonstration. So many issues can be solved if the customer knows the proper method of operating their unit. To sum it up you should ensure your Dealer is prepared to perform all these tasks on your purchase. If you do buy privately, I highly recommend a RV Dealer inspection and Propane Re-certification.