California Bound?

TTT1953 · 03-28-2011, 04:09 PM

We may be taking a cross country trip from Connecticut to California in August or September. We have been to many states and have never been inspected or searched. I have been told that California searches RV's at the border. I have not been able to verify this and I can't find anything on line. Can someone that travels that way verify or debunk this for me. If they do inspect / search, what are they looking for and what are they limited to, if anything? We are accustomed to providing for our own personal protection, and being searched by law enforcement at the California border could present a problem.

JCM · 03-28-2011, 04:13 PM

They don't search you. They ask you if you have any fruit on board - don't.

4Knights · 03-28-2011, 04:14 PM

Never been searched crossing into California from any US states, if your coming from Mexico then yes you will be searched. There was a post here the other day about state laws concerning guns, here's a link
http://www.woodalls.com/articledetai...eID=1195129#KS

Ron & Wendy 94 Pace Arrow 454

UFO Pilot · 03-28-2011, 04:17 PM

I have crossed the border back into CA many times in my RV. I have been waved thru 99% of the time, maybe because we have CA plates. On the few occasions they have stopped us, all they asked is where we were coming from. All of the inspection stations at the Sate line are just for agricultural inspection. Border inspection stations are further away from the actual border. That is my experience, yours may differ.

TTT1953 · 03-28-2011, 04:19 PM

That was really quick. Thank you all for the info and for the link.

Jimmyzw22 · 03-28-2011, 04:48 PM

They will ask you if you have any firewood also so you might not want to carry that. I have Idaho plates and they just asked if we had fruits or vegetables and or Firewood for camping. Guess they don't want everyone else's Termites.

GreaseMonkey · 03-28-2011, 07:16 PM

Made the trip a few times...

If you are taking the I-10 route (southern) you will come across border checks will they may/may not ask, what country you are a citizen of, to look inside for obvious situations being along the mexican/american border.

I was asked to pull into the "search" lanes. They asked if they could take a look inside, and I said sure. Opened the door, before I could a light turned on (started to get dark) One of the officers took a step, poked his head in, looked left and right real quickly and said have a nice night. All of 3-5 minutes

I-40 route will ask about fruits/vegetables like mentioned already.

Only experiences I've ever dealt with driving cars, towing a trailer, or driving an RV across.

TQ60 · 03-28-2011, 08:24 PM

When crossing in do not be mad if asked, we have a multi-billion dollar ag industry, a simple bug can destroy a large amount of crops and create quarantines resulting in millions in losses.

So please do not even try to carry any kind of plant life, dead or alive across the border.

If asked, then tell the truth, if you are not sure, then ask for the inspector's help, it is their job to protect our food chain.

B Bob · 03-28-2011, 09:14 PM

Last summer when crossing from Oregon to CA a fruit inspector asked to come inside and we had nothing to hide so I said sure. He looked in our fridge. Then left.

Alan_Hepburn · 03-28-2011, 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JCM

They don't search you. They ask you if you have any fruit on board - don't.

If you say "yes" they'll send you straight to San Francisco...

buckeyeduffer · 03-29-2011, 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TTT1953

We may be taking a cross country trip from Connecticut to California in August or September. We have been to many states and have never been inspected or searched. I have been told that California searches RV's at the border. I have not been able to verify this and I can't find anything on line. Can someone that travels that way verify or debunk this for me. If they do inspect / search, what are they looking for and what are they limited to, if anything? We are accustomed to providing for our own personal protection, and being searched by law enforcement at the California border could present a problem.

We have crossed inyo CA several times, and by various routes, and the only thing we ever get asked is where we are from. I think one time several years ago we we asked if we had any fruit with us. Have never been searched.

RedneckExpress · 03-29-2011, 05:29 AM

First time I crossed they asked me twice if I had any dead deer onboard

.

Second time, the inspection person was more busy avoiding Murphy the "ferocious" dog, he was riding in the cab and ran into the steering wheel when he saw the inspector, he was almost a year old and a little over protective.