We are in a similar situation and in fact it stopped my wife and I from going into the United States and has put us on Homeland Security's “watch list.”
A few years ago my wife and I both retired from the rat race, sold our house and everything that wouldn’t fit inside the truck and 5th wheel trailer and hit the road. After a year or so of traveling across Canada we decided to winter in Arizona. After we reached the border and gave them our visa they asked us where we live and we said we live in the 5th wheel trailer we are towing. They asked us where our permanent address was and being honest we said we live in our 5th wheel and change the place where we stay so often that we have our mail sent to a post office box in our home town of Kelowna.
Well, you would have thought that we were a couple of high ranking drug smugglers the way we were detained, searched (not only personally but also our 5th wheel by both human border guard and sniffer dog) and interrogated. I said interrogated rather than questioned because they acted like the typical Nazi Gestapo's you see on any German war movie and never once acted the least bit friendly or human, never informed us why they were doing what they were doing and they phoned to verify ever single item of information we gave them, which all turned out to be exactly as we said. Then after almost 12 hours we were fingerprinted, photographed and sent back to Canada. We were told we were now on a “watch list” for trying to enter the United States without having a fixed address and told the only way we would ever be allowed into the United States was by getting ourselves a waiver and even then we would be fingerprinted and photographed each time and only be allowed to stay a certain number of days or weeks depending on the discretion of the border official that day.
Rather than my first impulse which was to never go back to the States no matter what, we went through the process to get our waivers as we wanted to be able to trailer down to Mexico for the winter and yes, when we got to the border we were fingerprinted, photographed and told we could only stay in the USA for one month and to present ourselves to the US/Mexico border crossing to let them know we were leaving the USA and going into Mexico. When we come back we had to do exactly the same thing.

We have since found out that the Border Inspectors are singling out all trailer towing or motorhome driving Canadians going into the USA and turning back all “snowbirds” who do not have a fixed “stick and brick” permanent and provable address. They are giving out some cock and bull story that too many Canadians are living down south for more than 6 months and not paying taxes.

We have since decided never to go back to the USA and rather than tow a trailer through the states to Mexico for the winter we now fly over the states and do not spend one single dime on US soil. Instead we spend all our money in Mexico where believe it or not, people seem to appreciate you giving them your business and paying with your hard earned money.

I know many retired people who have done this very thing. What they had done is to "officially" move to a trusted friend or relative. This way, they have a permanent address to give the gov't for drivers lecense, medicare, taxes, etc.
I don't think it's a big deal to have a sticks n bricks address, as there is just so much out there that you need it for...gov't, banking, etc.

Captain are you a terrorist? We all know that if you do not have an Addy then you must be carrying a pilots license and 400 lbs of C4. Can you be fingerprinted for not committing a crime? Oh wait, owning a 5th wheel is a crime as is growing your own garden or collecting the rain water in some States. The dick-tator in charge down there is a supreme turd that needs to be flushed but I do not think Romney would be any better. I used to fly once or twice a week to Texas but since he was elected tensions have only risen and I do not want to be there when the poop starts flying. As a side note I got about $900 in gas coupons for my ff miles 🙂

Your story is not uncommon to those of us who travel or used to travel frequently. To those that do not it is just blowing things out of proportion. Many get through without issue but if they pick your number you are in for a real treat if the mood strikes them to go the extra mile for quota's sake. Beautiful country but it is so damaged in other ways. I am truly grateful I never moved as planned in 2007.

Hello Gravlore:
I didn’t think I fit the description of your average terrorist but based on the fact that I am on the “Watch List” I guess I fit someone’s description. The thing I have a real problem with is that they also put my wife on the list and this lady is a life long christian who literally wouldn’t say shit if she had a mouthful and now she must be photographed and fingerprinted if she wants to set foot on US soil. The only thing she ever did wrong was to work all of her life, save up enough money to be able to live out her retirement dreams and travel throughout North America in an RV and answer honestly when they asked her where she lived.
I am not going to comment on who the president is and/or should be but I do know that I have very little respect for politicians and the people they put in charge of our basic rights and freedoms.
We had budgeted $5,000.00 per month for our 6 month stay in Arizona when they turned us around and sent us back to Canada and while that $30,000.00 doesn’t mean anything to the border officials I bet it would mean something to the people who we were going to spend it with. In fact if they are turning back the hundreds and thousands of RVers that I hear they are, and each of them was intending to spend even a couple grand a month down there, then they are turning away hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars in times when their economy needs the money the most. That to me is not good government.

Good to hear from you and I look forward to reading more of what you have to say.

You would be wise to stay away from the States anyhow. I absolutely fell in love with the Tennessee/Kentucky areas. If things someday change for the good of the traveler I suggest visiting those areas if you haven't yet. I have stayed in 37 states and think those are my favorites. Wisconsin's Black River Falls area is also very nice. But your looking for a winter spot. May I suggest Winnipeg in January? 😀

I'm on a list with Canada Customs, or whatever it's new name is now.

Several years ago I spent a month in the Seattle area with relatives and was asked to bring back Christmas presents for my nieces. It was early December. I normally go through the Sumas crossing but the road from Bellingham was closed due to flooding, so I ended up at the Douglas crossing.

I had all my receipts and declared all my purchases. I listed the gifts that I was bringing back but didn't have the receipts for them. The customs official was either working for a medal, or a chest to pin it on because ten minutes later, everything in my vehicle was being dumped out on the pavement.

Eventually, I ended up in the interrogation room. I wasn't photographed or fingerprinted, but I had to empty my pockets while the guy went through my wallet, counting the money, and looking at everything else I had. After going through my wallet he magically came up with the amount that I had to pay, which was all the money in my wallet minus the change I had for coffee on the drive back. I was getting quite annoyed by this time and he left me locked in the interrogation room for half an hour or more. I gave him phone numbers of the relatives I got the presents from but he had no interest in that. Instead, he started into a rant about criminal and civil violations.

I finally realized there was no way I could win on his turf, so to speak, and that the only way I was getting out of there was to hand over all the money in my wallet which I ended up doing after spending three and a half hours there. For whatever reason, I have a civil charge on record for attempting to smuggle goods into Canada. The short of it is, it doesn't matter what country you're in, or what agency they work for. There'll always be people who get a belly full of power in a uniform.

And ... I got my postal box renewed. I could tell I wasn't going to get anywhere trying to verify my new location so I brought in an old hydro bill and they checked the name but not the date, so they renewed the box.

Hi Gravlore:
I had many previous visits to the US prior to buying the 5th wheel trailer and that included going across the border on my motorcycle numerous times for trips to California, Florida and South Dakota.
I have always enjoyed the people and the landscapes and particularly enjoy the colours of the trees of the East Coast of the US in the fall, but to tell you the truth I also enjoy looking at the fall tree colours right here in Canada. I can’t see a need for me to ever travel down south past the 49th parallel and with the ability to buy certain things from the US that I can’t get here in Canada over the Internet I can see with a reasonably degree of certainty that I have made my last and final step on American soil, thanks to their ignorant Border Guards.

Hi OutAndAbout:
Glad to hear that you were able to get your postal box renewed.
I have heard so many stories similar to yours that I am led to believe that for whatever reason the Border Service Officers are trained to act that way. I have yet to see one of these people act in a genuinely friendly manner, which is 180 degrees opposite of what I receive when I have dealings with Canadian Custom Officials. I have always received a smile or at the very least a friendly hello from these Canadians. While I am sure if someone runs afoul of Canadian Customs laws these same officials can easily become nasty to deal with, they do not start out that way from the get go.
Just the difference between our two counties I guess.

Dumb question, would giving latitude and longitude work for an address? I would in financing and I know some farms that don't have a "street" address only latitude and longitude. It is acceptable in the finance world.

No, I thinks it's a valid question.

What I got from the postmaster is that a mailing address is linked to an actual land plot. The current exception is a rural route address but those are being upgraded to those blocks of outdoor postal boxes near, or at, the end of a road. Those boxes in turn are linked to a physical land plot, at least, in Canada Post's records. That's why they want billing information from another source to validate the address.

One of my problems with this is that Canada Post has previously been found guilty of selling this information and I'm not sure exactly what information they keep track of. They've always recorded what type of bill I've presented along with account numbers. One year I used my drivers license and they recorded the license number. In an age of identity theft, I don't trust databases no matter who keeps them.

I had all my receipts and declared all my purchases. I listed the gifts that I was bringing back but didn't have the receipts for them. The customs official was either working for a medal, or a chest to pin it on because ten minutes later, everything in my vehicle was being dumped out on the pavement.

Eventually, I ended up in the interrogation room. I wasn't photographed or fingerprinted, but I had to empty my pockets while the guy went through my wallet, counting the money, and looking at everything else I had. After going through my wallet he magically came up with the amount that I had to pay, which was all the money in my wallet minus the change I had for coffee on the drive back. I was getting quite annoyed by this time and he left me locked in the interrogation room for half an hour or more. I gave him phone numbers of the relatives I got the presents from but he had no interest in that. Instead, he started into a rant about criminal and civil violations.

I finally realized there was no way I could win on his turf, so to speak, and that the only way I was getting out of there was to hand over all the money in my wallet which I ended up doing after spending three and a half hours there. For whatever reason, I have a civil charge on record for attempting to smuggle goods into Canada. The short of it is, it doesn't matter what country you're in, or what agency they work for. There'll always be people who get a belly full of power in a uniform.

And ... I got my postal box renewed. I could tell I wasn't going to get anywhere trying to verify my new location so I brought in an old hydro bill and they checked the name but not the date, so they renewed the box.

I have also spent over 3 hours in customs but it was really odd the reason they gave me. It was because I had a tractor unit sleeper put on my 1 tonne truck and they wanted to quote "check it out". I WAS FURIOUS but couldn't show it. 2 Hours with my vehicle in their garage while I sat in a white room. That was coming back to Canada. I find the Canadian side to be absolute crap. American customs rifle through wallets and dump EVERYTHING out of a vehicle (which they do not have to put back). But at least they are usually quite fast about it.

The receipt thing is a really touchy thing. I have left items with hotel staff before because I lost my receipt. I would rather lose 200 bucks in merchandise than deal with the gestapo at the border. It is just too much hassle to go there anymore.

Captain Ahab. I have been from Vancouver to Toronto and everything in between in Canada but I would like to skip over to the maritime provinces someday.

Captain Ahab and Gravlore: I'm shocked at these incidents at the border. Lesson learned: stay out of the US!

Hi Gravlore:
Thanks to my time spent in the military as well as being a bit of a free spirit when I was younger I have managed to travel from one end of Canada (Vancouver Island) to the other (Newfoundland) as well as north to the Arctic and most places in between. I have had good experiences in places, fantastic experiences in some and life was made a living hell in a couple of others, but overall I would not trade Canada for any other country that I have been to and that includes the USA, Mexico and Barbados.
Each place has its own uniqueness and I try to appreciate beauty where I find it but overall I have found the people of Canada as well as the country itself unparalleled.
I do believe that when the SHTF Canada will be a great place to be. Aside from a few densely populated areas and sea ports,(Vancouver, Toronto and Halifax) I can’t see the need for any foreign power nuking the rest of Canada (except perhaps the oilfields in Alberta, which I believe would be valuable to whomever is at war and they would want available) so I feel pretty good about putting together my off-grid home in the north of BC or Ontario.

If you ever get the chance to go to the Maritimes I urge you to go, the beauty of the land is amazing and the people are genuinely great and open.

Hi PrepHer:
Glad to hear from you.
I learned my lesson the hard way and hopefully my posts will keep others from experiencing the same things my wife and I did.