My wife and I are retired and live in the UK. We own a house here and all our family, social ties and finances are here. We have no friends or relatives in the US but have visited on vacation 8 or 9 times. We would like to go on an extended 'retirement tour' of the US and Canada. We plan to ship our small motor home (RV) UK to Charleston,SC and spend the winter travelling the SW states (5.5 months). We would then travel up the US west coast and into Canada for the summer (another 5.5 months). I understand that we can do the first part on a US B2 visa, and the Canada part visa free as British citizens.

Having crossed Canada, we would like to cross back into the US and visit New England and the east coast, finally shipping the motor home out of Charleston after another 4-5 months. Would we be permitted to cross back into the US for another 4-5 months before we depart? I realise that re-entry would be at the discretion of the CBP officer at the border, but would we come unstuck on the 6 months in a 12 month period rule? Is that rule set in concrete or do the CBP have some discretion?

If not, Plan B would be to ship to New York in spring, visit New England, then the east coast, across to the south west for winter, apply for 6 month B2 extension, up the west coast in spring, into Canada for summer then ship out of Halifax, Nova Scotia. We would prefer Plan A to Plan B.

We are not trying to 'buck the system'. We just want to make plans that are practical and comply with the rules. We don't want to come unstuck half way through the trip.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks.