Has anyone been down to Kalispell, MT and bought tires?

We're off there for a weekend shopping at the end of October and thought that we might get the truck some winter tires (no discussions yet please!) while we were there.

Searching on tinternet theres not many tire places that give prices online, so have nothing to compare to - although I have mailed a couple of companies

Also getting flooring too - looking forward to it actually, will be a wicked weekend

www.tirerack.com is good for comparison pricing. I bought some winter tires there a couple of years ago. Although the shipping to Nfld doubled the price they were still cheaper than buying locally!

We used tirerack from the states a couple of years ago for winter tires for the scooby and they were a lot cheaper than buying here, despite shipping and exchange rate. The tires just arrived on the doorstep one evening when I got home from work!

There is also a place online called tiretrends and I think they are in BC.

The place to go
http://www.costco.com/Warehouse/Loca...?Warehouse=745

Any warranty should be backed up by Costco in Canada.

If they are not made under NAFTA be prepared for duty as well as GST. Unless you leave your old ones behind, CBSA may notice a pile of tires in the back.

Does anyone keep their old tyres? What use can they be put to (unless one has a BMX track in their back yard, or a huge pile of something that needs to be covered with a black tarp.

Some of the truck drivers who we see at work and who live near the border always get the US garage fitting the new tires to write "due to puncture/blow out" on the receipt. That way if they get hit for duty on the way back in their argument is that you have to replace all four tires on a 4x4 or all wheel drive. Not sure if it works or not. This of course doesn't work if you are swapping from all season to winter tires and so keeping the other set.

That's a pretty good idea and suggestion.

I bought a new set and left the old ones behind. I was going to claim that my tyres had been slashed through vandalism, if the border guard even noticed which he didn't. But to be safe, and to make this look plausable I scratched "f-off canadian bastards" down one side and wrote "i wish my wife was this dirty" in the dust on t'other, kicked in the other panels, and smashed my front windscreen, before setting light to the interior. Adding the cost of a quart of gas to help the latter, and adding the cost of having the vehicle restored, it still saved me money compared with buying locally.

I have a fiend who works at the Carway border and she was saying that a lot of people go down to the states to do it and that the garages are wise to it so "mucky up" the tires for the journey back.

We won't be trying to do a dodgy on the way back anyway because these are studded winter tires for winters on the rigs - bit of a giveaway eh!

Just wondered if it were a cost effective thing to do. Cheers for the links i'll check em out

OK, I've just realised what a dumbass I've been (they were winter tires)

Forgiven

Swings...or a lot of people use them as weights to hold down tarps covering fire wood piles....and use them to make strawberry beds...

This is soooooooooo true!!

Now I can see how you rationalise your purchasing. You may want to re-evaluate. This could be part of the cause of the financial difficulties you mention.

OH has taken to buying tires from Kijiji, he saves a bundle by buying slightly used tires, but then he does have the advantage of knowing if they are any good or not, I wouldn't have a clue

You can get some decent take offs (love how they use that as opposed to part worn!) thats for sure. Especially at dealerships when customers buy a new vehicle and want to trade in the OEM tires for upgrades. Cheaper than new but with a pittance of mileage on them!