Crossing borders as Not For Hire - what should I know?

Thanks. I know a lot of you are already wondering what the heck I'm doing. Getting that part out of the way, the truck is actually an "Optimus Prime" replica truck from the movie Transformers. In other words it's just a show truck. My family and I will be driving into Canada to place it on display at a few comic cons. I realize it's a very unique scenario. But I can tell you there is no 'commerce' involved, which is why I'm unsure to what to really expect at the borders (both Canada and US).

 

In progress. Will be done by August. Here's my Facebook page for it if you'd like to see the work so far

 

Thanks for the advice guys. I did call my insurance and they said I was insured for Canada. I plan to call back to see if I can get a letter that states my coverage, just in case they ask.

And here's one update: I contacted the Canadian Border services and spoke with a senior officer (surprisingly they were very easy to get a hold of). I told him about my unique scenario and that the truck is coming into Canada for "show" only. He said all I would need is a letter from the venue stating the specific intentions along with a contact name and number. Any paperwork that might be necessary would be completed at the border (nothing to submit ahead of time).

Fingers crossed, but it sounds like it shouldn't be too bad. Now I'm trying to contact the US agency to ask the same questions. They aren't anywhere near as easy to reach.