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Moab Outdoor Adventure HOP – Sold Out, Wait List Only
Location: Moab, Utah If you love outdoor adventure, then this HOP is for you!Moab, Utah, is a perfect climate for outdoor events, and Escapees has an exciting, action-packed outdoor adventure awaiting your arrival. Photo courtesy Gail Bixby Photo courtesy Lisa Mullins Several days will
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3 events,
Harpers Ferry Hangout
The West Virginia town of Harpers Ferry is rich in history and stunning scenery. During the seven-night Harpers Ferry Hangout, you’ll learn about the town’s role as a strategic transportation hub during the Civil War, hike some of the area’s rugged topography, and raft on its beautiful rivers.
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Santa Fe Hangout (SOLD OUT/Waiting List)
During the seven-night Santa Fe Hangout, you'll explore the Spanish colonial churches and Mexican missions of one of the oldest cities in the country, as well as its modern arts scene, award-winning cuisine, and beautiful setting at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
Mark, I have a RM2863 Dometic Electric/Gas refrigerator. It has started shutting itself off. When it does this there is no power to the control console. This happens in both the Electric and Gas modes. If I wait awhile, I can sometimes reset it. Other times I must wait for over two hours and then it may reset for a short time or run normally. I suspect it is a problem with the control panel or the motherboard. Do you have any other ideas of what could cause this problem?
Thanks, Gary Christiansen, SKP# 42899
Hi Gary
It may be the control board, but it might also be a problem with the 12V power going to the fridge. Open the access panel outside and have a look. You should be able to find a small 12V terminal block. That’s where the fridge gets its power to operate the controls. Make sure nothing’s loose or corroded, and if you have a meter, check the terminal block to see if at least 12V is present when the fridge quits. Also, check the 12V connections at the control board and give the fuse a wiggle if there is one. If you can’t find any issue with power, then I’d suspect either the control board, the eyebrow panel, or the connection between them.
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TTYL!
Mark
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I went on line to download Paul Unmack’s 7 articles on “Your RV Refrigerator”. What comes up is a printer unfriendly page. When printing out it cuts 1/3 of the pages off on the right margin. Would you send me a link where I can print out the full pages of all 7 Articles.
Myrna Patterson SKP 111772, @ pinkurple@yahoo.com
Our apologies, but we don’t have these articles available as a single series PDF at this point. You may want to try copy/pasting the text to a Word document for easier printing.
Links to website store no longer work
Our apologies for that. Unfortunately, we believe Mac is retiring from his work in fire safety, which may be the reason his website is not entirely functional anymore.
Wouldn’t a list of a few specifics be helpful in establishing a paper trail? e.g.- Set up a bank account in the new state or register to vote. This is particularly important for full timers who don’t have a physical home- owned or rented- in a specific state.
Definitely! On our domicile-specific page of the site, we include a step-by-step guide for each Texas, Florida, and South Dakota. https://escapees.com/education/domicile/ Just click on the state in which you’re interested, and you’ll see the steps pop up. While these are specific to each state, many can be applied to whichever state you choose for your domicile.
This article is contradicting what you wrote in “Timing a Domicile”. Essentially, the impression one has after reading both is that domicile is entirely arbitrary, outside of extenuating circumstances, and that a judge can decide whatever they want about it.
People are mainly interested in legally changing domicile for tax and other purposes, so a focussed account of how that works in terms of case law would be very helpful.
We shared your comment with our CEO, Shawn, and this is his reply:
“I don’t see these articles in conflict at all. They expand upon one another. The article entitled “Former State Breakup” deals with the concept of making a clean-break from one state and establishing connections with a new state—which require actual physical presence in a the new state. So, how much time must one spend in their new state to establish and maintain a domicile? The article entitled “Timing Your Domicile” addresses that concept in more depth. Yes. Courts are empowered to make a determine about how much time is sufficient. One day may be sufficient. However, as a best practice, one should make routine trips back to their state (and county) of domicile—as suggested by both articles. For further clarity on a particular set of circumstances, one may always contact Susie Adams (800-260-1615) for a free, personal domicile review.”
This is excellent advise. We’re first time RVers and will start RVing in 4 years. TY
We are already Florida residents but are wanting to be full time rvers and considering selling our home and keep Florida as our home base we are thinking about buying land to come back to every so many months and afew years from now build a home on it and we’re just wondering if this is allowed? Also we have a 10yr old we want to home school rather we are full or part time rvers is this allowed? We cant think of a better education then home school and traveling to see the places a child is reading/learning about ? Thank you
Hi Susan!
Many RVers have done just what you propose- purchase land in a place where they would want to settle long-term.
Homeschooling also shouldn’t be a problem, as long as you are following the state guidelines.
However, we aren’t qualified to offer case-by-case detailed advice on domicile and financial plans. We highly suggest you reach out to an attorney who specializes in domicile if you are seeking more personal guidance.
I have signed up for Escapee’s mail service
With a start date of July 1st I am currently going through my 1st class mail accounts like my Amazon Credit card, my bank loan on my RV, my insurance, etc. All of them want proof of a permenant address, utility bill, drivers license with new address…But I want to keep.CA as my permanent residence not Texas. I simply want to have my mail forwarded and not set up a household in another state. Even my.cell.phone number is an issue..what to do? How can this be set up..I pay all my bills online. Help
Hi Karen!
Have you called Escapees headquarters yet with your question? It’s one we get fairly often, and many of our call center staff are well-versed in helping you navigate those complications.
What if you have a physical presence in multiple states? We spend, on average, 8 months/year in the RV in various states. My current ‘residence’ is a small rental apartment in San Francisco, which we maintain because it’s my current work state, for which my insurance, benefits, and pay/bonus structure are based. This is the case even though I transitioned to permanent ‘telecommuter’ status years ago. We also have a place on the NC coast, considered a secondary home, that we rent as a vacation rental in our absence. And since we are traveling the vast majority of the time, I’ve updated most mailing addresses for financial stuff to our mailing service, which is in Beaverton, OR. If I look at my credit report, I see the addresses from all 3 states listed as mine. The 2 or 3 months per year we aren’t traveling, we spend it equally in either SF or NC, although we have gone over a year without staying in either. When I retire and no longer what SF to be my primary, but don’t want to give it up either, what hurdles are there to transition to a domicile in yet another state?
Hi Steven!
Yours is a fairly complicated situation. To avoid giving inaccurate advice here, we highly recommend you contact an attorney who specialized in domicile. We direct many of our members to contact K. Susie Adams, an attorney that works closely with our club and our members. Her contact information is in another comment above.
We are wondering if you kept property in a trust in your original state if this would preclude a domicile change to another state…?
Hi Gaius!
For the most accurate answer to your question, we recommend you reach out to Loring and Assocciates directly. K. Susie Adams is their lead domicile attorney now, and can very likely help you with your situation.
My brother has just got an accident. He’s okay but the car is not. It’s been almost a complete mess. He needs to see this information because he’s worrying as to how much would be its diminished value.
Oh no! So sorry to hear that, Joy. Hopefully he’s ok! Feel free to share this article with him if you’d like.
Thank you so much for the WONDERFUL & INSPIRING article, Jen! We’ve been fulltimers for 9 months but still learning a lot. Love your fun and informative writing style.
We are just months from signing on the dotted line for our 2019 Tiffin. Then it’s off to wherever the road takes us. Articles like this inspire and motivate us to get to the finish line (or should I say the starting gate). We’ll be sure to look for new friends and plenty of happy hours. Look for us…we’re American Gypsies.
That’s awesome! Can’t wait to see you out on the road!
Will like to get more information on your RV club
Well, you’re in the right place, Elsia! Feel free to browse around the website to learn more about our benefits, our mail service, our education offerings, and our RV community! If you find you’d like to join, you can click the ‘Join’ button in the menu above.
Thanks for all the info some places say to strip off the old stuff and some don’t who knows which is right? Did it seal pretty evenly over the old sealant?
That’s a good question. We’ll reach out to the author of this piece and see if they have an answer for you!
I’m actually about a yr away from full timing but thought for financial reasons I’d get the process started. I live with a friend in IN and also work part time on a 1099 basis in IN. I’m thinking due to the high recurring taxes on RV registrations which is coming due in a couple months I’d like to get this started. The other question is I’ve seen mention of court cases and such and wondered why by just someone moving to another state basically would prompt a judge or court to even look at a case like that?
Though we can’t speak for every case that has come to court, in many situations, the closer examination is prompted by something else. For example, a former employer may file their taxes that indicate you should have paid income tax, but you didn’t. They dig deeper and find that you earned that income while living in their state, but now live elsewhere, and pursue measures to obtain that owed income tax. There are also situations related to real estate, property, etc where unresolved issues lead to further legal action, which is when this inconsistency of domicile state is found.
I’m so proud of you guys. Well, first I’m relieved you are safe and have gracefully handled this unexpected and understandably scary challenge. Then I’m proud to see you sharing how you chose to laugh as a form of self care that lowered your stress and strengthened your resilience. That’s as practical as using the oxygen mask in an emergency airplane landing, and not such a bizarre comparison since both help you breathe. Fortunately, that laughter is always inside each of us, factory installed from birth before we even learn to speak a language or have the capacity to understand what is funny. It can be even easier to access when we “allow” it rather than force it, which becomes natural by developing a daily practice of intentional and unconditional laughter. Thanks for pointing to the Daily Laughers Facebook group as a resource for support!
Laughter is great or a pill lol but you dhdnt day how you got help out there. Did you rely on a passing car that actually stopped or did you have a device that actually let you search the skies forca signal to get someone to send help. Alaska is a good example of no service meaning no access to call for help. Siri doesn’t work without a cell tower. What did you do? A Gps tracker or walkie talkie might get you 20 mi but I’ve been further than away from any exit and you don’t know who’s answering your distress call. I see you had a truck to disconnect but I don’t use a toad. May get one after all but in the meantime what do we do?
Dave and Teresa, thanks for commenting.
First, Dave, we owe it all to you. When you told us about LY we thought you were insane. But if this is “insanity” then we’ll take it, because LY works!
Teresa, we detached our truck, left the rig by the side of the highway (with almost zero shoulder) and drove into town to call for help. Pretty sickening feeling to leave your rig in such a deserted place.
Without a toad we would have been hosed. However, if we needed to stick our thumb out and get a ride, we would have. There were people who stopped and asked if we needed help (almost all of them were other RVers), and if we did we wouldn’t have hesitated to take them up on it. In the North Country, everyone seems to look out for one another because it’s so remote.
In Alaska some people rent satellite phones, others have devices like the InReach by Garmin, which send a text via satellite to your friends/family in the event of a distress. It’s a paid subscription service.
There are so many peoples in the world who are living like you in a vehicle and full-time traveling. That’s looks amazing to live in a vehicle. but I didn’t have any camping vehicle yet but soon I’ll buy because I also love camping and traveling to new places and discover the whole world the same as you…
Wow! Cool story! Thanks for posting this!
What a great article!! My hubby and I returned home today from our very first RV staycation and LOVED it. We plan to make RV’g a regular part of our life as we grow older and hopefully closer together. The close quarters, shared responsibilities, and removal of outside influences, i.e., WiFi, Television, cellular service, were instrumental in creating that closeness. In the word of Dr. Laura, I am grateful to still be my husband’s girlfriend.
I have been using Escapees Mail Service ever since becoming a full time RVer is 2001 (that’s 17 years I have used the service it has been great.) However, most recently I have not been getting the emails that tell me a package has been sent and providing me with a tracking number.
Thank you for letting us know! We’ll share your feedback with our mail service staff and IT so we can figure out what’s going on.
Thank you. Karen called me this afternoon and we verified that they had the correct email address. It sounds like the glitch is somewhere in the software.
I find it fantastic that my comment was immediately read and a response was made in a short period of time.
I can’t yet say that my issue has been resolved, but I believe that it will be resolved soon.
My respect for the SKP mail service has only increased! Again, I believe that the SKP mail service is great and their response to my issue confirms that opinion.
Here is help! Voting information for every state! Take advantage of it, Check if your registered, early voting, absentee ballots. Hope this helps to see how easy it can be! http://www.Vote.org
So we currently are selling our house in Washington state and going full time RVing. We are going to travel all over the U.S. and don’t know yet what state we want to settle in when we are done. What are your recommendations since we won’t have a home address anymore?
Hi Judy! Congrats on your full-time ambitions!
To make sure your individual needs are considered, we recommend you reach out to Loring and Associates for domicile advice. They do free consultations for Escapees members, and can offer more in-depth solutions for a fee. You can reach them at 800.260.1615
Great informative post. Beautiful pictures!
I knew this article would be from you! Sorry we didn’t get to do the night sky lesson at the Michigan Convergence. Perhaps a future blog post?!
What an excellent example of the camera, it’s settings and uses of them! As a professional portrait photographer I come across hundreds of clients that ask what’s the best way to use my new camera. This is by far better explained then any other way I have seen without getting very technical and over discriptive. Very consistent and to the point with a ton of knowledge. Well done! I also learned a better understanding myself!
Great information! Thank you
Thanks for the info about voting by absentee ballot. I mailed my application to vote by absentee ballot on Sept 25,2018. I am a resident of Box Elder, Pennington County S.D. I use Americas Mailbox as my mailing service. Do you know when my absentee ballot will be mailed to me at Americas Mailbox. Thanks.
Great article Nina as always. You write so well and I am so glad to see you offering your wonderful advice, even from France.
Hope to follow you to these great destinations. Thank you.
For Escapees Mail forwarding from each of the 3 states, is the address you are assigned similar to a street address??. My understanding is brokers like Schwab, E*Trade, and some Banks due to Anti-Terrorism, are now investigating when the address is not clearly a physical location.
e.g. if using Texas, E*TRADE and Schwab don’t care as it looks like a real address but in S. Dakota there are problems?
John Doe
Apt. 1234
100 Rainbow Dr
Livingston TX
but in SD
John Doe
P.O. Box 1234
SomeCity SD
Our addresses are formatted
123 Rainbow Dr, #456
Livingston, TX 77399
They are consistent regardless of state in order to make things easier, for our mail staff and others.
Love SKP parks! I wish Escapees would encourage creation of more parks, the long waiting list shows there’s a great demand and shortage of clean, large RV parks out there. It would be awesome if Escapees invested in more land for future SKP parks.
We love the SKP parks, too!
Escapees has been considering ways to improve parking options for RVers. We agree that more parks, and larger ones, would be great!
Hello,
If I have a business in Texas, I am required “to maintain a registered agent and office in Texas.”
Please see reference below.
I called & spoke with SKP staff in early October 2018 to discuss this issue but am still confused.
Can an SKP Mail Forwarding Service address be used for “registered agent and office in Texas” purposes?
Thanks in advance! 🙂
Here is the reference from the office of the Texas Secretary of State.
https://www.sos.state.tx.us/corp/registeredagents.shtml
Best,
Walt
The quick answer to your question is “no.” However, that’s only because “registered agent” refers to an individual, physically in the state, to receive legal actions and lawsuits. Our mail-forwarding options do not include that service.
There are a number of companies that will perform that function for a fee, though, so you can still use the Escapees mail-forwarding service while having your agent elsewhere in the state.
Hello SKPs,
Thank you so much for your reply. Much appreciated!
Do you know of any “registered agents” in the Livingston area? If not, how about in Polk County?
Thanks in advance! 🙂
Best,
Walt
P.S. Has SKPs ever considered offering a “registered agent” service for your customers that have a business in Texas?
It would be much more convenient for a customer of yours that wants both a mail forwarding service AND a “registered agent” to have the same address instead of having to have two addresses and having to pay two different companies.
Here’s an example for your future consideration. Thank you!
https://www.scanmailboxes.com/registered-agent
We are looking for information regarding your club. thank you, Jim & Jacque
Then you’re in the right place, Jim! Feel free to browse the menus above to learn more about our benefits and services. If you are looking for a general overview, clicking on “About” will give you a little history of the club and walk you through what we offer.
We have lived in Illinois for 50 years. We live in our RV. We recently sold our house but kept our P. O. Box for mail. What can we do about a physical address? Can joining Escapees help us solve this problem?
Hi Beverly!
Yes, our mail forwarding service supplies a legal physical address for customers to use. We can forward your mail to anywhere in North America so you don’t have to worry about it as you travel.
Dear SKPs,
Any answers to my questions above?
(1) Do you know of any “registered agents” in the Livingston area? If not, how about in Polk County?
(2) Has SKPs ever considered offering a “registered agent” service for your customers that have a business in Texas?
Thanks in advance! 🙂
After consulting with our leadership, we don’t know of any registered agents off-hand.
As far as offering that service for our members, I have passed the suggestion along, but don’t have any information to provide you at this time.
I agree, we need more co-op parks, espically in the east. Does anyone know why Escapees stopped developing new co-op parks? Is anyone working on developing new co-op Park?
Hi Ken!
At this time, Escapees is not participating in the creation of new co-op parks. For a smidge of history- Escapees didn’t create the existing co-ops, either. Each of the SKP co-ops currently operating was actually founded by members who put their time and labor into building the park. Escapees offered some financial support through parts of that process, but we do not own or operate the co-op parks.
We have recently retired and have a home in VA. At least for the immediate future we will be keeping our home, but may in the Spring sale it to downsize. However, because of family, we will always have a house of some sort in VA. We will be part-time rver’s, but would very much like to domicile in FL. We have already moved our life’s savings to a company in FL. We attend church there when we are in town, I have a drs appt there in Jan and we have many great friends there. We will be spending at least 4 months there at a time and with our occasional travel there, should have no problem reaching the 6 mos residency. I realize we will need to move our vehicle registration and insurance to FL and would like to do that before the end of the year. Our problem is, for this year, it won’t be possible for us to get to FL until roughly the 2nd week in Jan to change our driver’s license. For tax purposes, we would like to have our vehicles registered there before the end of the year but I’m concerned about insurance and our driver’s license. If we move our registration on our vehicle, we also have to purchase insurance in FL, right? I’m concerned that we can’t get FL insurance with VA driver’s license, if only for a few short weeks. What is your recommendation? Is there any way to make this happen before the end of 2018 and still have adequate insurance coverage. I realize its all a matter of timing and I just don’t know if this is possible or not at least until 2019
These are all really important questions. I recommend you reach out to Loring and Associates for legal advice on these matters. You can give them a call at 800.260.1615
Thank you for the advice. We just got a 7 week old Australian Shepherd. I have been taking her out every hour to learn to potty. The nights are the most difficult as she hasn’t learned the potty pads just yet. We will try some crate training at night. She peed on our bedspread last night and today. We try to take her out as soon as she wakes up. We have a couple of toys but we need a couple more. I will try some thin raw hides and check they are made in the US. Thank you.
Hi Judy! How is the training coming along? It’s been a couple of months now and I hope all is going as planned. Those Australian Shepherds are really smart and I bet she’s coming around!
I am looking for a used class B or small class C (20 feet) to live and and travel in. I am a senior citizen and would like to travel with your group. Thank you
Thanks for the tips! We have a 40 ft. 5th wheel and we’ve also stayed at campgrounds in Pinnacles, Grand Canyon, and Hot Springs National Parks. We definitely recommend all 3.
There are two types of Toy Haulers. One has independent garage from living spaces as in Class A and Class C (example: Outlaw) and most 5th Wheel; and the other which has no dividing wall which is like residing inside a garage with petrol smells which are pull trailers.
Don’t forget the Class B+ which is the Van design with slide/pop outs.
Back in other 1960’s Truck campers were first known as Skip on’s, and there were Camper Shells that rested on the lip of the truck bed, had height and a Door which replaced tail gates; Class Cs were call Chassis Mounts Campers.
Ahhhhhh photos of my previous home…Ocean Beach….thank you
Nice! I am going to save this. Lots of good information here. In 2019 we are going to the SW. Grand Canyon, Bryce, Zion Sedona. Traveling from Michigan. I am going to check your blog to see if there is information there I can use. Thank you.
Desert camping is definitely super underrated. I think everyone should try it before they knock it! You won’t get a better look at the night sky than you will out in the middle of a desert.
I have lived in KY for 1 1/2 years, and I am living in my motorhome. I plan to travel the country in it, living in it full-time. I am still going to continue working, as my job allows me to work from home full-time. I am a licensed mortgage loan officer in IL, IN, KY and FL, and the company I work for is licensed in those states as well. I am confused as to what I am supposed to do, to legally be a domiciled resident of FL, while actually only visiting there once a year. I have no family members traveling with me, no estate or financial issues that need to be transferred. I am not a ‘member’ of a particular church or organization, besides my employment. I basically have no legal ties that bind me anywhere. I am new to full-time RVing, but hate making mistakes, so good sound advice on the easiest way to legally achieve FL domicile status would be deeply appreciated. Thank you!!!
Thanks. Have wanted to try this care but been nervous about crossing the border.
Karen, we give detailed instructions for how to walk from the border crossing to Dr. Bernal’s office (it can be confusing once you enter Mexico) on our website link here: https://roadslesstraveled.us/mexican-dentists-finding-affordable-dental-care-in-mexico/ That web page also provides more information about our experiences with Mexican dentists in various parts of Mexico including Baja California and southern Mexico. Good luck! -Emily Fagan
Having been an Escapee’s member for the past three years and having been a full time RV’er for those three years I have found Escapees to be an excellent resource for RV’ers. In our planned travels it has not worked out to attend Escapee Rallies nor to attend Escapee special functions. With that said I feel like a member of an organization but not a member of a community of experienced RV’ers. I read much information coming out of Escapees but it appears to be directed primarily to those new to RVing.
In this past year I have the opportunity to work at the Escapee’s CARE Center for a month. It was a most rewarding experience to assist RV’ers who were too old to stay on the road and CARE provided excellent assisted care at a most affordable pricing. I learned about CARE and volunteering there while traveling and speaking with other Escapee members who had volunteered in the past. I can’t remember reading any posting over the past year about CARE and how wonderful volunteering can be helping making the whole program function in an affordable manner. CARE is where I really felt being part of community of RV’ers.
Thank you so much for your kind words (and works)!
I’m sorry you felt under-served by our educational resources. Yes, many are targeting new RVers and helping to resolve some of the anxieties and concerns that come with being a new RVer, but we also have quite a bit of content from, and for, more experienced RVers. Do you receive Escapees magazine? Our editor works hard to ensure there is a good mix of information in each issue. There are also quite a few articles in our blogs on both Escapees.com and Xscapers.com that are meant for all RVers, regardless of experience level.
We do promote CARE throughout the year with blog and social media posts, and each issue of Escapees magazine includes an article about CARE, but I will work with our community manager to see if we can work more posts into our social media content.
I appreciate your feedback!
Georgianne
Marketing Director
I’m new to rving have a 95 E350 Born Free 24 foot it’s really a cool RV and recondition it like I have automobiles any helper, so be great like to find some more Born Free owners
Great article, CJ! Thanks.
Can you use Escapees physical address for Social Security. Im selling my home and need a physical address. I receive Direct Deposit but once a year they send a letter telling you about Cost of Living increases ect ect. And if it can’t be delivered it’s sent back as address unknown and they stop your benefits. ?
Hi Marijo! Yes, we have quite a few members who use our mail service for all of their mail, including Social Security. If you’d like, give our office a call (the phone number is at the top of the page) and they can walk you through how our mail service works!
Great post CJ!!! You and Art are “Rock Stars” when it comes to be physically active while traveling. I am so grateful you are willing to teach Zumba here at Jojoba Hills. None of us will ever match the quality of “your moves” but with your encouragement we all have fun and get great exercise doing our unscripted solos!
Hey guys, I have a special circumstances that I have a question about. What do I do about needing a home state for a gun carry license. I know this is beyond the mail topic, but if I’m looking for a home base to operate from, I need to consider that also. Fortunately I am a veteran, so my Georgia drivers license is good till I turn 65, but my gun license needs to be renewed every 5 years. What can I do about a permanent domicile for that?
Hi David! For unique circumstances such as yours, we recommend RVers reach out to K. Susie Adams at Loring & Associates. She is well-versed in domicile law, and has offered many of our members free consultations in resolving their unique needs.
Great article Cj! These are easy, fun ways to get exercise in every day. I have taken other Zumba classes since I moved from Jojoba Hills, but NONE are as FUN as yours! Plus, your teaching style is so upbeat and dare I say, sexy, and perfectly fits the Latin music. Dance on Sista!
ps We are planning to visit JJH in March, but due to a conflict, will not be able to attend Escapade this year. Would love to see you and take a class if you are there, but if not, have a wonderful time Escapade. xoxo T
Let’s get a group on fitbit challenge
Life
Great article! I appreciate the insight. I would love to see the video but the link does not seem to be working. 🙁
Thanks for letting us know! Our IT team is looking into it now, and hopefully we’ll have that fixed soon.
Your teeth journey looks like a adventurous journey 🙂
Do you still recommend Dr Bernal?
Do you have any info about implants and/or bridges?
We live in Fort Worth TX. Do you have any recommendations for a dentist ion Mexico closer to us?
Patricia
We still recommend Dr. Bernal, Patricia. He does implants and bridges. Anything he doesn’t do — like root canals — he has colleagues in town that do. I know nothing about dentists on the Texas border. We have more detailed info about dental care in Mexico at this link: https://roadslesstraveled.us/mexican-dentists-finding-affordable-dental-care-in-mexico/
Dear Ms. Adams,
I am a full-time RVer and want to establish my own company. It is a virtual bookkeeping company. My domicile is in Livingston. Do I need to register my business in Polk county?
Thank you,
*edited to remove personal contact information from public view*
Ok…. All this sounds great but I have a question that doesn’t seem to have been addressed. I live in an RV full time but I can’t move it (yet). When I do, I will need to participate in a mail forwarding service and that said, I get between 5 and 10 pieces of mail PER YEAR outside of online shopping which mostly comes via UPS. Items that might come via USPS fall within that 5 to 10 pieces of mail per year. Is there a way to customize the fees based on such a minute amount of mail per year? I’m asking for future reference only. Thanks.
That’s a great question! The lowest ongoing tier of service we offer is $95/year for Category A (which means no mail sorting). Temporary service may be something for you to consider, if you know when you expect that mail.
For a better explanation of your options, though, we highly recommend you call and speak with someone in our customer call center. They can walk you through all the options for consideration, and hopefully answer your questions on the spot.
It’s nice to know that people are trying to innovate how roadside assistance works! Here in the Philippines, we have a similar service that offers 24/7 roadside assistance which includes battery and tire change, towing and even an on-call mechanic! It’s good that companies are utilizing the advancement of technology to very useful services like this.
As an Escapees member, I plan to Domicile in Florida, using the Sumter Oaks RV Park in Bushnell, FL to register my vehicles and obtain my driver’s license.
My understanding is that my mailing address will still be Livingston, Texas, except for anything relating to my vehicle registrations and drivers license.
If I am understanding this article correctly,
Should all of my financial institutions have my Bushnell, Florida address as my permanent legal address, or my “next of kin or another contact individual?” And, then should I list the mail service address in Livingston, Texas as the address to where all correspondence should be directed?
Thank very much.
Dave
Hi Dave!
Both are good questions. You are correct- you will have a Florida address for all mail that must be mailed to a Florida address for legal reasons, AND you’ll have a Livingston, Texas address where everything else should be sent. Because your Florida address will be your residential address, you should use that where specified and/or required. However, many companies allow for an alternate address for mailings, which is when you would use your Livingston address.
If you’d like a more detailed follow-up, I recommend you call our office and speak to one of our customer care staff who are more familiar with the details of our mail service.
I try to understand to get prepared to be RVer for a while, to do so, I want to sell my house and live in my RV and drive around country for a while (a year…).
According to Dave Koch idea with the address To a RV Park Resort in Bushnell FL, how does it work ?
If I do not want to stay at one place, but I need an address for Tax, driver license (I am already a Florida License)…What is my option:
– I pick a RV Park Resort in FL
– Do I have to pay monthly a Lot at the RV Park? Or I can use the RV Park Address as a Storage ?
In a mean time a storage address would help for my Allstate RV Insurance.
So my question is: Is a Regular Storage in FL is enough and can become my Permanent legal(fiscal) address? Or it has to be at a RV Park Resort but as “Storage” agreement/not paying a permanent RV camping Lot.
As you see this is my hardest part to jump into that free life, I am still not seeing all the pictures. I do not want to get in a trouble with IRS, my auto Insurance, my Mail…
Hi Jean!
There is some information implied in Dave’s questions that you may not be familiar with.
The park in Bushnell, Florida is owned and operated by us, Escapees RV Club. It is also a satellite location for our mail forwarding service (https://escapees.com/mail-service/). These two things in conjunction have allowed us to offer our members addresses at this park that are used with our mail forwarding service, and may be used to establish domicile if they wish to do so. They must be signed up for our mail forwarding service and complete the proper club and state paperwork to use our Florida location as their domicile address.
There are many steps to establishing domicile, much more than renting a storage space or RV park lot. You must be able to receive certain legal documents at that address, which is why storage facilities don’t typically work for the need you described.
I am not a legal nor financial professional, and can’t offer you advice on either topic. However, we do work with professionals in each field who are familiar with the unique needs of RVers (Legal: https://escapees.com/benefits/endorsed-vendors/, Financial: https://xscapers.com/category/mobile-finances/) . I highly recommend you reach out to a professional for advice specific to your situation. There are lots of variables that can affect your options, and a professional is trained to know what they are and how they can help or hinder your goals.
Hi. I am a Full-Time RVer and a Life-Time Escapees member. I’m also already a Floridian and have a Florida driver’s license that is renewed/sent to a local mail center in my town. Most of my bills are auto-pay on-line. Driver’s license, insurance cards, tax time papers, special letters and the Escapees magazine are the only mail I receive at the mail center.
I now plan to do more traveling and like the Escapees mail set up where I can see my mail on-line while traveling and either print it out, ask to have it discarded or ask to have it forwarded to me. My present mail center does not offer this option.
My question is: Do I still have to fill out the Postal Service Form 1583 and mail it back to you, even though I already have a Florida address? I don’t think the U.S. Post Office in my town even has my mail center address recorded anywhere!
Hi David!
For the most complete answer to your question, I recommend you give our office a call. They are well-versed in the ins and outs of our mail service, and can answer your question as well as follow-up questions you may have.
Wow! Mark your story is wonderful. How inspiring. Thank you for sharing your adventure.
Fabulous write-up Mark! So glad our paths crossed at that Convergence in Alaska last year … sorry, year before last! Time flies!
Looking forward to cheering you on when you come to the UK to run a 5k here too. Our front door will always be open for you!
Best wishes,
Mandy & Rick
Hi Mark, Great story! Jeff and I feel lucky to be a couple of the people you met on your adventure! We have enjoyed following your travels. I hope you write a book. We are still RVing. Maybe our paths will cross again. Until then safe travels. Jeff & Shelley Hollis.
that’s a lot of miles! Both on your RV and you! Totally awesome!
Looking for a company that provides sun products that cover the top of my 40” 5th wheel? John C.
Pretty good article you got here! A lot of folks don’t know all that goes into a roadside assistance package, especially for RV’s, so something like this to clarify it all is pretty useful. Shoot, I’m a towing company owner myself, and it’s stressful seeing how few of my customers know the difference between a one-time job and actual roadside assistance — now when they ask me about this, I’ll know exactly where to direct them. Thanks!
Thank you! I appreciate the feedback.
Fortunately, I get to work with some honest and up-front people in the industry, which has helped me get direct answers to a lot of tough questions. Unfortunately, some of this information I had to learn the hard way, first!
There is a follow-up article in the works for this year. If you have any advice or other information you think may be useful, feel free to send me an email at marketing@escapees.com!
Your story is wonderful. I have been a runner since I was 50 years old. I am 62 now. I am working on running in every state, 23 so far. I am retired and thinking about buying a RV and becoming a full-time Rving. I still have fears about traveling by myself. I been doing a lot of research on RVing full time. I hope to try it next year. Keep Running….
Hello, we are planning to travel in America and Canada for 6 months, beginning in may 2019.
Do we have a chance of obtaining a membership or is the waitinglist to long?
Greetings from the netherlands,
Rob and Margriet.
Hi Rob and Margriet!
There is no waiting list to join Escapees as a member. Just click “Join” near the top right corner of this page, and you can sign up online.
You do need to be an Escapees member to stay at any of the 11 SKP co-op parks, but there is no waiting list to stay as a guest at one of those parks. The only wait is to PURCHASE a lifetime lease at one of the parks, which you wouldn’t do for a six-month visit.
Enjoy your travels around the beautiful North American continent!
Had an interesting time reading this. Thank you for sharing experience and ideas!
do your recommend any dentist in los algasdones
Thanks for explaining that the goal of roadside assistance isn’t to completely fix the problem, but to get you back on the road so you can follow up with the issue. My son will be getting his driver’s license soon, so I’ve been doing some research to better understand how roadside assistance works. The info you shared definitely gave me some clarification, so thank you!
I appreciate your feedback, Amy! I’m glad to know this article has been useful for you.
As a motorist, I highly recommend you (and your son, if you’d like) look through the details of your roadside coverage. It is definitely an important service to have available when you need it, but knowing what is covered will help prevent sticker shock when you are already upset about something that’s gone wrong. For example, I was stranded on a holiday last year while en route to a friend’s home 4 hours from my own. That’s when I learned my roadside coverage through my auto insurance only covered 10 miles of a tow. I was in between home and my destination and didn’t want to spend my evening stuck in the middle of nowhere… so it cost me $300 to get back home where my mechanic could address the problem. I definitely wasn’t expecting that. Had I known ahead of time, I would have made a different decision that would have saved my social plans and my bank account. Thankfully, it was just my SUV and not an RV, or it would have been even more $$$.
I agree with what you said about the comfort that accompanies the knowledge that help is within reach. When it comes to RV accidents, it’s best to know a reputable collision repair service in order to get it fixed properly. My neighbor wants to purchase an RV, so I’ll make sure to help him find a collision repair shop in the event that he gets into an accident.
We don’t know any dentists in Los Algodones.
Emily Fagan, did you feel safe while you were in Mexico, for your dental procedures? TIA.
When we first went to Mexico for dental care we knew nothing about the country and we were nervous. Dr. Bernal was wonderful because he said, “You don’t have to decide if you want to get a new crown right now. Why don’t you go away and think about it and come back if you feel comfortable!” which we did.
However, we ended up living in Mexico for the better part of four years when we cruised our sailboat up and down the entire Pacific coast of Mexico, and during that time we grew to love the country very much and felt extremely safe throughout our time there.
So, when we return to Mexico for dental care now it’s like going home. I don’t know if that helps, but it is the experience we’ve had. You can learn about our sailing cruise in Mexico at this link: https://roadslesstraveled.us/our-Mexico-cruise-aboard-groovy/
Here’s my question. If I buy my rv in another state don’t I have to pay the tax and license and all in that state even tho’ I plan on making my domicile in Florida. It’s all confusing to me. Do I buy my rv in Florida to avoid having to do this twice?
Jan, we bought our motorhome in Wisconsin and drove it home with a bill of sale and a temporary plate we had obtained before we left. Once back in Texas, we registered the vehicle and paid the taxes at court house. In 2015 I purchases an auto from a dealership in Louisiana and they handled the Texas registration details for me.
We are new Escapees and Xscapers. We are a full time family of three with a twelve year old. We love the SKP coops we’ve stayed at so far. Unfortunately we have at least 20 years before we can buy in at our favorite parks, and can only stay 30 days per year at the coop in our own state. It would be nice if more SKP coops were family friendly, but it seems they’re going the other way with our favorite (Wachula SKP) just going 55+.
Hi JM. We’re glad you like the co-op parks. You’re right, though, that most of the current parks either have a 55+ age requirement to buy in (this is often because of state tax laws) and/or don’t allow children except as visitors.
However, there is good news on the horizon! At the very end of last year, the club announced plans to create a campground/home base park specifically for the Xscapers demographic. Our aim will be to provide working-age RVers a place to connect and become a part of a like-minded community of working nomads. As you might imagine, this will be a multi-year project with many logistical details still to work out, but the wheels are already in motion. Watch the Xscapers blog and Escapees magazine over the coming months for more news on this exciting development!
If I have a friend in a state can I use her address and she will forward my mail. Would it be smart to purchase my rv in that state to license it instead of doing it twice ? So confused.
I’ll give you my (non legal) thoughts on how I’m approaching this. I am almost one year into full timing. I still have my same po box in the town I took off from in California. I use a good friend’s home address in the same town for things like credit card accounts, or for anything where I need a physical address. I got rid of ALL of the paper mail I could. I bank online exclusively. I have my mail forwarded to a mail service (switching to Escapees service soon). I get VERY little mail, read most of that after it’s been scanned, and sometimes I’ll have a few things forwarded to me or to my friend’s house.
I expect that this year I will decide on where my domicile will be. I’ve felt no rush to do that, and I still don’t, but I think that’s coming before too long. Meanwhile my truck is registered at my po box, and my trailer is still licensed in another state where I bought it. I’m not going to do anything in South Dakota, Florida or Texas because I don’t expect to spend any time there. Oregon, Colorado and Nevada are on my maybe list right now. Considerations are cost and ease of registering vehicle and trailer, as well as if I think I’ll actually spend time there. State income taxes are basically a non issue for me, so not a deciding factor. And I also consider that I am a proud Native Californian, I have MANY friends there that I will continue to visit, and I might just keep things they way they are right now.
I think the real bottom line is that you don’t have to change your domicile soon… or ever. Go travel for a while and see what you think in a few months or a year. Enjoy your travels!!
Good information. I would also suggest, make time to get some exercise. Maybe a 30 minute period. I find this next to impossible when on the road.
This is FANTASTIC!! Thanks for writing it! Romany Life
Thanks Diane. FYI Goodwill CEO profits in excess of $2.3M per year!
https://www.countryliving.com/shopping/a18198848/is-goodwill-a-nonprofit/
Great tips!
Also consider scanning or taking photos or items you are hesitant to get rid of. This way you will always have an electronic version of it and don’t have to take up precious space in your RV.
Thank you for all the great ideas
Don’t forget to study the schedule so you’ll know what time you have available if you want to volunteer. Volunteering is a good way to meet people. You’ll be entered into a special drawing when you volunteer. Stop by the Volunteer/Info/Lost and Found booth for details.
Yes, that’s true of Escapade, but probably not every RV rally.
Thanks for the tips! I hadn’t thought of meal prepping but what a great idea.
Hi Jim, do have any advice or insight into automated fire suppression systems for the engine compartment, refer… so on?
Hi Gary,
I am a firefighter of 44 years and a new RV owner as well. I have done some preliminary research on fire suppression systems for engine compartment fires. I will attach a website for you that might assist in your research. Additionally, I have replaced all my dry chemical fire extinguishers in my coach and tow vehicle with halatron extinguishers. This is a colorless, odorless gas that breaks the chemical composition of fire and suppresses it immediately without a dry chemical. Hope this helps.
Mark
http://www.usscgroup.com/fogmaker-fire-suppression/
On my Class A I have added a fold down step below the rear escape window, as well as white assist handles on both sides to make it much easier to exit the coach, with a wooden prop dowel in the wardrobe next to the window. We have even practiced exiting the coach this way twice to be sure of our movements in a hurry.
We do not have a fifth wheel yet, but have a Chevy 3500 Duramax Diesel. We know the weight of the truck and are trying to select a fifth wheel that will keep us in compliance. Any help would be appreciated.
We purchased a 2019 Keystone Cougar Half-Ton 27RES on December 1, 2018. On January 12, 2019, the trailer was delivered (winterized and unused) to Camping World of Colfax, NC for a scheduled appointment to have a paint protection application. The trailer exterior was damaged at the shop which required a trip to the body shop 2 times. When it was delivered home on February 21, 2019 it had extensive water damage in the bedroom – 6 inches of water inside the window cavity. The wiring harness was not operating properly, the window frame was broken, the front wall was soaked, the mattress is covered with plastic and wet, the comforter was soaked, the pillows are wet and stained, the carpet is soaked, the cabinetry has been damaged, the tv mount is not installed properly, the slide out does not operate and they are blaming all of this on the manufacturer – Keystone. The trailer was in perfect condition when it left my home. Camping World says there is no diminished value – however I tried to trade the trailer in with them and they said it is not worth what I had paid for it.
I didn’t know there are places where you can buy a site within an RV park, and there are places where you can rent. I guess I just thought that they were all rent. I think especially if you had a place where you bought a site for your RV it would be important to have someone who can service it nearby so that you would know where to go if something went wrong. Thanks for the tips on what to consider when choosing an RV home base.
I like how you talked about researching before making the decision to buy an RV brand-new is critical since it’s an investment on the same level as getting a car and getting a new RV also means that you have the manufacturer’s warranty–usually up to a year. At the same time, one should also consider that getting an RV new also means that it’s open to initial upgrades and being free of known RV issues for the first few years of owning one new. If I had the chance to buy a new RV I would make sure to look around for something that would definitely get my money’s worth.
After 25 years and buying both new, the first 2 times and used the 3rd and last time, I’m happy with each decision that I made at that time. It’s a very personal choice and I can only tell you what worked for me and my family. I was self employed and struggling. I wanted to get my family out so we bought a new slide on camper. We are a family of 5 and at the time they were 7,6, & 4 years old. That worked great for 4 years but soon the kids were bigger, the weekends started to happen more often and loading and unloading the camper on the truck for a weekend started to become a chore and deterrent. 12 to 15 times per year and many successive weekends. I also enjoyed a enclosed trailer and it was a big chore to set up behind the rear overhang of the camper. I lost about 50% on this purchase after 4 years.
I purchased a new diesel pusher. I could just turn the key and go on the weekends. The kids kept the close inside and the refrigerator was all stocked. It took several years to work out all of the “new bugs that the factory missed. I did all the work myself and learned all about Diesel pushers along the way. I drove that for about 125,000 miles. It was a mid grade DP and after 125K miles and 19 years, on mostly California highways, the drive train was still doing great, but the coach was needing attention. I sold it for about 8% of my purchase price. Or as I like to think about a $1 per mile of depreciation
Last year we purchased a high end DP, used. It needed a lot of work, but after a thorough going over and 3 hours of negotiating, I purchased this Coach used from a private party. It has great bones, great skin, just some repairs that a prior owner was unwilling or not able to perform. Nothing major, just work. After about 10 days of misc attention and repairs, I believe now, I can have 10 to 15 years of life out of this unit and only loose 12 to 15K per year and probably spend $4 k to $ 6 k per years on maintenance (tires, battery’s, general repairs by the manufacturer) with a 10 to 15K mile per year usage.
I have no regrets. I would do it all over again. But don’t decide purely for financial reasons. All of these are expensive and some days are better than others owning a coach and traveling, but I loved spending quality time, 1 on 1, with the family on our outings
I will say that this is probably the most expensive way to travel compared to a cabin or 3 week destination type vacations. This “expense” study, does not fit here but a topic that I have debated with other many times over the years.
Hello, you have a great finesse in writing the blogs. Keep on writing more on these lines. Enjoyed reading this, great insights. Thanks!
Another important thing to consider when deciding whether to buy used or new, is the interest rate on the loan. New RVs, like autos, have lower interest rates, and used has higher. Also, with new purchases, the length of the loan is longer, making payments lower, while used rates are not only higher, but financial institutions grant less time on those loans, often to the point of you making almost the same payment for new or used. The only real difference is the total amount paid in the long run.
I appreciate what you said about new RVs and how they come with the latest technology and features. Buying an RV is a worthwhile investment if you plan to use it often. I want to buy an RV for my family, so I’ll find a dealer in my area that has amazing and affordable models.
Taking the time to perform the proper maintenance procedures can help an RV owner avoid a lot of issues with their roofing over time.Neglecting to do proper RV roof maintenance is a recipe for disaster. If unsure about how to properly maintain an RV’s roof, the owner will need to take the time to find the right professionals to assist them.
Great Basin NP is another Dark Sky campground. It’s in Nevada just west of Utah. I attended an evening program with ranger who provided larger scopes. Camped in nearby town & drove into park for program.
Nice article, very well written – friendly, clear, concise, high value content in a minimum of words. You write very well.
We actually considered buying one of the Rollerboat barges to tow our bus behind us when we moved into a boat two years ago. I shared my research on these – they are actually a real thing:
https://www.technomadia.com/2017/04/moving-to-water-so-what-about-the-bus/
BTW – a company used to do Mississippi River tours by barge for RVers too!
Cheers,
– Chris
Herman and Helen’s in the California Delta used to offer this barge service. For real. We used to dream about doing that when we had a 24 foot fifth wheel.
April Fools! Love it
The trip from Hawaii to LA with a westerly wind could be called the Pineapple Express. ???
Love it. I used to drive my Vw bug onto a plane in England and drive it off again in Switzerland. I sometimes wonder how much “progress ” we are losing.
Patricia Smith
When it was still allowed, we boarded (drove our RV) onto a barge with 2 other Escapee couples, in Alabama. Went through locks, up the Tombigbee, into the Ohio and then down the Mississippi! Cannot remember the entire routes, sometimes we tied up along the river, sometimes in a city. What a marvelous adventure. Shortly after, the Coast Guard shut down the company, saying it was not safe as a passenger line. We ended up in New Orleans for a few more days of fun and partying. Anyone else remember this trip??
Ha Ha. I imagined everyone in the desert partying with a bunch of blow up palm trees and pools. Pineapples and drinks on the side.
Marathon Motel and RV Park, in Marathon, Texas has amateur astronomers with a nice telescope. This was on the way to Big Bend National Park. We also stayed at the Maverick Ranch RV Park, in Lajitas, Texas,, which had a lights out at 9:00 pm policy for star gazing. This park is just outside of Big Bend. We were at both of these parks during the month of April last year and it was perfect.
Picking up 6 gallon water jugs to refill your fresh tank is difficult for a lot of people. A much better solution is from Amazon or camping World you can buy a water bladder and it will fit in the back of the truck or the roof of your vehicle you go and fill it put it on the roof carefully drive back to wear your camp. And using an old water pump pump from the bladder into your storage tank.
Seann’s idea of a water bladder is great for larger rvs. Eight years ago I decided I needed a way to fill my 75 gal fresh water tank for boondocking, but the 45 gal vinyl water bladder from Camping World was too small, so I contacted the company that makes it for Camping World, New World Mfg in Cloverdale, CA & they offered to make me any size I wanted. I had one made to fill the space in front of the 5th wheel hitch. It expands about a foot high & holds 90 gal. I use a 120V AC water pump from Harbor Freight , about $75, to pump the water form the truck to the rv. I also use a macerator to pump waste water up into my 35 gal waste tote which I carry between hitch & tailgate. I can empty the tote from the truck bed without taking it out of the truck. As a result, we never have to move the rv when boondocking for extended periods. My truck fetches the fresh water & removes the waste water, even if the dump station is miles away, like in the Southwest desert.
I have done Boondocking for many years while gold prospecting.. I have a solar system that charges my Batteries and I have 60 gallon of fresh water on board and 40 gal on the truck for panning the gold and other stuff, as for the propane 2 8 gal tanks witch get topped of after every trip as it runs an 8 k genny when needed (Maybe ran 3 times in the last year) and my fridge and stove. My trips average 2 weeks with 1 day supply run back in to town.
We mainly stay from ft Stockton TX to Yuma AZ, El Paso Tx (Home Base) to Lubbock TX and Albuquerque NM, So as you can think we do not have many nice places like RV parks to stay in. We do have TV and Dish if we want to watch a show. Other then that we just enjoy each other and talk a lot and play cards.
My best advise when Boondocking, is be repaired, have a back up plan and by all means enjoy it your time and please clean up after your self…
I’m a Newby.. Would be traveling alone. Older female but can handle my 24 foot diesel Mercades. I live in Coupeville WA. How do I join this fun group?
Jeanpope3333@gmail.com
Hi Jean!
There is a menu item in the upper right corner of the screen that says “Join.” Click that and it’ll take you through the process of signing up! 🙂
I live in Tulsa, OK and have been planning to head west on what is left of Route 66. I think I’ll add part of the Lincoln Highway to my route home. Thanks for the information.
We have never bought a new RV (and we have owned six) and never would, precisely for the reasons you articulated. We bought our current class A diesel pusher in 2008 with 17,000 miles on the Cummins 400. It now has 107,000 and is going strong. It sold new for $271K and we paid $124K. We have added some things along the way, but are very confident we made the right choice. My wife would like to have a washer and a dryer, but we bought a winter RV port home in Surprise (AZ) that has everything the coach doesn’t. So many friends that bought new spent more time in the shop than on the road. Great discussion of pros and cons.
I have bought two RV’s new and one RV used and have owned RV’s for 20 years. I could add that in my cases the problem issues were higher in the used unit. The issues came mostly from the age of the unit which in my opinion is a maintenance and end of life reality for many of the components which make up the RV. AC units, refrigerators, tires, batteries, awnings, drive train, suspension etc. all have failure rates that increase with age. Short term owners my benefit from buying used, if they are careful to buy ones in good condition that had been cared for. Long term buyers may benefit from new units (although most will require some factory recall and repair issues) where once the initial problems are resolved they should expect years of low maintenance and repair costs before things start to wear out or end of life. Both of my older units required expensive repairs, including all that I listed as examples above. They felt like they had became too expensive to own even, though the depreciation was much lower.
It is an inspiration to know that you found it was possible to find a new mission after the military, working for what you need and being helpful to others. Thats life. The years pass by and before we know it, they’re gone. You are spending your time well. I am encouraged to to the same. Thank you for contributing your story.
Thank you for those words of confirmation. A legacy of service is a fulfilling one to leave.
Thank you for a very informative article. I take fire safety seriously and I didn’t know much of the details provided here. I immediately began shopping for a foam extinguisher. However, it is not clear whether all white extinguishers, even those designated for RV use, use foam. How can one be sure you are purchasing a FOAM extinguisher? Are the rating code and white colored bottle enough?
LOL you had me going there for a min. I thought how awesome till I seen the April fools at the end…………Too funny
I can’t imagine that huge 5th wheel in the photo being towed by that pickup.
Keep in mind the vanishing point perspective of the photo which makes the truck appear small compared to the trailer. That 2007 Ram 3500 SRW pickup towed that 2007 36′ 14k lb. trailer for 50k miles without a problem. The trailer was within spec for that truck to tow, and we traversed the notorious Route 550 — the Million Dollar Highway — between Durango and Ouray Colorado with it twice. We have since upgraded to a 2016 Ram dually 3500 with a 4.10 rear end which also tows the very same trailer quite nicely.
If you are at an RV park or campground, leave your unwanted items in a communal area or next to the trash bin. I’ve shared quite a few items this way and it made me happy knowing my items were going to fellow RVers. I’ve also picked up a couple of useful things this way.
What a great way to share! Please make sure it is ok with the park management that you leave things in communal areas, or ask if there is a more appropriate place to leave them. Not all campers assume items left behind in communal spaces are for the taking versus mistakenly left behind.
Awesome distillation of your experiences! Following the Rohrers is like reading about neo pioneers, with beautiful photos and witty commentary.
So happy you’re following along. I enjoy your traveling tales too!
I’ve been doing due diligence to find a qualified Tijuana dentist, and it’s hard work. Many MX dentists are not even licensed, and those that are “general dentists” are quite different than US counterparts. In MX, “general dentists” combine college with dental training for a total of 4 years. In the US, general dentists go to 4 years of college and then an additional 4 years of focused dental school.
Find a specialist, not a general dentist. They usually cost the same, but the certified specialist has an additional 2-3 years of training plus residency. Check their license credentials. Make sure they use an autoclave to sterilize. Higher technology items like digital x-rays, digital impressions (for crowns), dental microscopes, etc are a plus. Don’t just pop your head in the door and like the way it looks and make an appointment. That’s just dumb.
Hello. Have you found anyone in TIjuana? I also need a Tijuana dentist. I have been looking at DayoDental which says they vet out dentists. Thanks!
Interested in a extended warranty for a 2002 Monaco Windsor 40ft 38000 miles
Great advice, and yes always raise the trailer to make sure it is locked in place.
Does owning land in any state count as a domicile or residency for all the legal mumbo jumbo?
Okefenokee Pastimes in Folkston, GA is also a dark park, they are working on their own dark sky certification. They are providing weekly Stargazing on Friday &Saturday nights for our Guests as well as the Public. Our facilities are also available for Star Parties and Outreach events (call the Office to schedule your event now). As many may know we are located in one of the darkest sky areas in the Southeast (no or little unnatural light pollution), we have decided that we would love to share one of the age old hobbies and offer an introduction to star gazing every Friday and Saturday night. With the dark skies in this beautiful part of GA it makes it possible, for all to gaze towards the stars and dream like so many other countless generations before have done. Admission for the approx 1-1/2hr is $5 per person to help offset the many thousands of dollars we have invested in the equipment and star facilities, each attendee will be emailed pictures taken at the end of the star gazing session for a permanent memory of what you saw that night courtesy of Pastimes Astrophotography (this is included in your admission charge, at no extra fee). For groups or those with their own equipment please call or email the office for your quote. We are working towards our own dark sky certification and will announce it when it happens. We will be accommodating those who are new to the hobby as well as amateur and professional star gazers, if you are interested in basic Astrophotography please bring your own equipment.
Mike, I’ve also spent a lot of time performing due diligence, looking for a Tijuana dentist. I’m looking for the same things that you mention, and it’s HARD to find this information. Even when I see it printed on their website, it’s not always true. And what the dentists consider “certified” or “board certified” or “credentials” varies significantly from office to office. Most of the referral websites, like dentaldepartures.com and certifieddentists.org seem to do no real qualifying or vetting of dentists. They are merely marketing websites sending dentists new patients for a referral fee.
Have you come across a reputable referral website? The vast majority are not. Yelp and google reviews are the best I’ve found, but they are entirely anecdotal with lots of dishonest, biased reviews mixed with some honest, but uninformed and naive reviews. At least it gives me SOME feedback for the various practices. I’m amazed at how many dental practices in Tijuana have NO reviews posted anywhere. I’m beginning to wonder if it’s worth all this hassle. I would like to save the money, but I don’t want to trust my teeth to a lessor qualified dentist. -Mark
Thank you for advocating for us for so many years! Surely RVing would not be the same today had it not been for this organization. We are truly thankful. ?
Great read Cathie!
I was in Rapid City South Dakota Wal-Mart Super Center last August parked under a tree for cool air for me and my dog in a camper van , and there was several RVs there as well and Wal-Mart complained there was to many people Camped in there parking lot and so management had called police to run everyone off and I had not been there very long , maybe a couple of hours.
Great article Cathy. We always follow th Good Neighbour Policy and have been known to point it out to RVers abusing it. It is great to see some Walmarts have designated RV parking. Thank you.
Thanks for the article. I am new to RVing. I can only drive in daylight hours as I can not see to drive at night. I just know at some point I won’t be able to find an RV park.but I am sure I will be able to find a Walmart.
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We live full time in our bighorn 5th wheel in wisconsin. We don’t have any problem staying warm and toasty all winter
We put styrofoam skirting around the unit. We even stayed warm this last winter (2018-2019) when the actual temperature got dowm to minus 48 degrees for a week.
Thanks for sharing such a nice Post. I agree When we live our life on the road, breakdowns can happen at any time. Thanks for make it clear that the goal of roadside assistance isn’t to completely fix the problem. I find this post truly useful & it helped me out a lot.
Thanks, really good article. I think sometimes we think that we will never need roadside assistance
until the unexpected happens, gas delivery and fuel service, and it is important to make sure you will
be able to be towed the distance to your destination.
Emily, I’m a friend of Jen Cohen’s. I have really enjoyed following along on your adventures. I am in the process of setting out on the road, myself. Hopefully will be able to hit the road at the end of this year. Perhaps we will cross paths someday!
Thanks, Brooke! I remember you! Jen has all my contact info; feel free to reach out with questions. Sounds like you’ve got a big adventure ahead.
After owning 6 different RVs since our first in 1973, and having bought 3 used and 3 new, I think that the key to a satisfactory purchase is research and education. Far too many RV buyers choose the RV based more on emotion than on logic. As a career electrical/mechanical service tech, I probably had some advantage in my early purchasing experience but it still requires study to know what you really need & want. Our second, fifth, and sixth RVs were new and looking back I believe that we did reasonably well in each one. A fair purchase price is much easier to discover with a used RV than with new because it is so difficult to find different makes and models that are of the same quality, workmanship, and configuration, while RV Trader and similar locations make comparisons of used RV less difficult. When we bought our new Class A for fulltime living we wanted new so configured it with a local dealer and then took that configuration sheet and shared it with prices covered with 9 dealers selling the same brand in three states, inviting each one to bid on our purchase. Total variation in price form highest to lowest was about 8% of MSRP & nealy 12% of our actual purchase price. We did have to drive about 120 miles and cross a state line to make the purchase.
I must endorse what Emily has said. We chose to take early retirement from private industry that did include health care but a limited income. What we chose to do was volunteer work-camping positions in national wildlife refuges, state & national parks, and a long list of other interesting places. By doing that we cut our expenses dramatically since the host agencies supplied us an RV site with utilities and often other amenities. In return, we saw many new parts of the country and usually did work that we enjoyed doing and had many experiences that we could never have had in any other way. If you have never considered the RV volunteer lifestyle, take a look at the site volunteer.gov and check out the many places that are available.
Thanks for fighting the good fight! Especially if its true that a million more of us hit the road last year, and another million more are expected to follow this year, we need to have some organization and agreement among ourselves as to how we plan to go about this. Just because we are not always tied to a piece of real estate, does not make us lesser citizens. However, neither do we want to become a plague upon the land, as seems to be happening in some of the big cities, like Seattle and San Francisco.
And, special thanks for standing up for our right to vote. Voting can make a big difference – at least locally.
An area which I believe needs attention is that of parts and maintenance for our vehicles. Mostly, we are at the mercy of predatory dealers and repair shops. They know that we do not currently have a lot of alternatives, and gouging seems to be the rule, and not the exception. A nationwide network of repair facilities and parts suppliers, who agree to fair pricing, honouring of warranties and reasonable accommodation of our lifestyle might be a useful goal. Also, I think it would be very helpful to set up maybe a volunteer network of RV savvy and experienced folks to serve a helpline for advice on specific RV repair issues, .While that might take some doing, I believe that it might go a long way towards helping particularly the new and inexperienced in time of need, as well as helping to help all of us to avoid exploitation of ignorance and/or inability. Experience tells me that there are lots of us in this community who are willing and able to share; they need only organization.
I had no idea the club was so involved in helping RVers. Thank you for this article and I would like to get involved in this effort.
Thank you for this thorough and informative article. We are new to the RV lifestyle and this information was just what we need to have positive and responsible traveling.
We are enjoying the benefits of the RV lifestyle today thanks to the work of yourself and others in the past. Thank you!
Love Escapees the magazine is first class and we appreciate the clubs excellent support. Is there a list of which stores welcome overnight parking. The two that I know about are Walmart and Cracker Barrel.
Nice article. On the way back from southern florida in late March, I needed a place to stay in northern florida but almost all the parks were full or out of my price range due to the season. I tried several Wal Marts but they said that the local govts banned the practice of overnight parking. I am glad that you stopped this practice years ago but now the small communities are starting up again, especially in Florida. Yes, I could have found a park 80-100 miles out of the way but decided to spend my money elsewhere and drove further north. It seems that if the local businesses like Walmart would allow it, what right does the government have to stop it. Hopefully, you realize your work is not done and will continue to work on stopping this practice. Thank you
Not sure warranty company reviews should be written by owners of RV extended warranty providers. Seems unethical as I would prefer actual RV Users experience over cherry picked reviews.
Thank you for your feedback. We agree- business owners shouldn’t write consumer reviews for their own companies.
Here we reached out to Jeff because we wanted an in-depth discussion of what RV warranties offer and cover. Who better to answer those detailed questions than someone who is familiar with the underwriting process, policy details, claims process, etc?
Thanks for the tips about conserving water. To feel more secure, I will probably carry a few gallon jugs of water on the side. Thanks for your post.
Wow! I felt like I was there with such thorough coverage of this wonderful event. It looks like everyone had a fantastic time! June 2020 is definitely on our radar! Appreciate everything you guys do for us!
In 12 years of going south to the United States snowbirding I have always had to pay duty on purchases over $800 Canadian.
You are welcome, Carol. Happy camping!
How much are you asking for your ten trailer?
What year is your trailer?
It’s true it takes a little while to get used to boondocking when you’re out in the middle of nowhere with no neighbors.
But after a couple times you’ll find that there is no Boogeyman out there.
I use solar panels to keep my battery charged because I like the peace and quiet.
Get out there and enjoy
Thank you Kirk for this excellent Memorial Day reminder of the real meaning of the Holiday, thank you for your service, and for your son’s service.
Great article, Kirk! I agree completely. My family did the same thing. I was maybe four when I learned to make crepe paper roses with Mama and Sis and Jerry. We would put them on graves on Decoration Day, as May 30 was known then. (Late 40’s, early 50’s) Thank you and your family for your service!!
Judy Stringer
SKP 4245
Very well written, Kirk & Pam. I especially appreciate your perspective as one who served — THANK YOU! — and, one who has sons who served — THANK YOU again! My grandmother always hoped the iris & peonies would be in bloom for Decoration Day and would take great bouquets to the family cemetery.
Hello, my name is Tammy. My Husband and I Live in our Camper year round. I was wondering where you buy your Styrofoam skirting at??? We are interested in getting some. Thank You
I have run into this problem with American Express. I have a prepaid debit card that I recently tried to get replaced because the card is old and damaged. I have used a UPS store mail box for about 15 years. They suddenly said that I could not use that address anymore and needed to provide a real physical address before they would send a new card. I have also had this address refused before. My understanding is when they check the address thru the US Post office system it shows up as a commercial address not a residential address.
Hi Mark. Your story is awesome! I am a fellow Michigander and apparently we think alike. I am pledging to run a 5K in every state before I am 50. I turn 45 in a few weeks on June 16, so my goal is achievable (within 5 years). I came across your story after coming up with the idea, but I’d love to chat with your about your experience. How can I contact you? -Shane Perrine
Well said, Kirk. And thanks for the tip on volunteer.gov!
Nice!
Thank you for the survey. I really like the graphics they helped explain the percentiles to me.
I am curious to know:
1. The age range of the solo RVers
1 a. The percentage of M and F.
2. Are the figures representing the same sex RVers indicating there are only women , or mostly, or just representative .
3. What is the difference in the class C vs Bus
I’m a 3 yr RVer and love surveys. This is so interesting.
Hi Ann!
To answer your second question, the icons used to delineate information were not chosen for any reason other than to indicate the kinds of relationships, not the sex of those in those relationships (or not, in the case of the solo data). In regards to the same sex statistic, both male and female relationships participated in the survey and are included in the data.
For your third question, a bus is actually closer to a Class A RV. However, we understand that there are RVers who feel strongly about what kind of RV they drive or tow, so we tried to include the varieties within some of those classes in order to accommodate.
The Good Neighbor Policy are guidelines and are both not comprehensive and over comprehensive. Good common sense should always prevail. I always check with the management to determine if they allow overnight parking and if they do what their policy is regarding levelers, slide outs, and area for overnight parking. If the store has hours, I always try to leave before the store opens. The Good Neighbor Policy is good for those who do not exercise good common sense, but it should be regonized as guidelines and not the law. Individual RV’ers should police themselves and not allow other RV’ers to dictate policing. I have on too many web sites seen these guidelines used to make derogatory comments against RV’ers who did not violate good common sense.
An ongoing problem of receiving mail is when a shipment is sent UPS or FedEx when addressed to “GENERAL DELIVERY, Anytown, USA”. UPS cannot deliver to the post office, and even considers the address “invalid”. Worse, in my experience UPS customer care centers are unhelpful and intolerant to individuals trying to pick up such items.
Idaho Falls UPS has shortened their counter hours, and promptly (same day) returned 3 items to the sender rather than hold them until the following day.
Amazon Prime is also very unhelpful in routing GENERAL DELIVERY items, choosing often to use UPS in spite of “special instructions” which say “USPS ONLY”.
A followup blog post focused on the problems of GENERAL DELIVERY would be valuable to Escapees.
Thank you for the suggestion, Don!
Don, when addressing an Amazon package to General delivery, do so like this:
Your Name
PO Box General Delivery
Yourtown, ST zip-9999
Amazon reads the PO Box part and sends it USPS. And if the item can’t be sent USPS it usually won’t let you complete the order. I’ve done it at least a dozen times. Check for Amazon Lockers in your area too. Now that they’ve bought Whole Foods they’re installing them in many of those stores.
I like that you talked about the dangers of not checking the hitch system. We travel a lot with our boat hitch to my father’s truck and never realize the potential danger that can be. Thanks for your advice on the trailer hitch connection, I will take it into consideration on our next family trip.
Excellent list of resources, thanks!
We’re researching mail forwarding services. We’re FT – without an RV! Now back in the US, we bought a car and are looking at where to establish a domicile and mail forwarding. I’ve just been told by another service in Florida that in accordance with the “Federal Real ID Act” we cannot get a Driver’s License in Florida unless we register a boat or RV in that State. I’ve not found any reference to that on this site. We have a car – doesn’t that qualify?
Thanks for the info. Definitely valuable.
Reading your post gives me hope. we just purchased our first RV with the desire to travel the US and visit all of the baseball parks. I retire next year and th plan is to sell our home and RV for a year or so. It seems itimidating but we will either love or not! We have one 70 lb dog and two 8 & 11 pounders so wish us luck!
It was really interesting to learn about protecting overnight RV parking options. My brother is thinking of getting an RV. If he goes on a travelling trip it would be really nice for him to stay at an RV park.
I totally agree with you you should always have a roadside assistance plan. I mean anything can happen to your car and since it is a machine it is unpredictable. Therefore, get a good company and a great plan for your car.
We, too, are grandparents and though we love our children, we love for our 6 grandchildren immensely. Even being in a sticks and brick did not allow us to spend a lot of time with them – they have lives as well, so we did not want to put our travel plans on hold just to sit around and wait to be able to see them. We also travel back home in the summer months to be able to spend time with them and fly back during the winter (and 1st birthdays..lol). FaceTime has certainly helped us cope with those periods in between when being there personally to squeeze them is just not an option. Also started sending postcards of our travels to them too – they love “seeing” where we’ve been.
One of these days . . . .
Do you include “van dwellers” or “van life” minimalists in your survey results? Are they considered part of the Class B crowd, or Others, or not at all in your research?
If they self-identified as Class B, that is where they were included. We did not have a separate category for vans, since most vans are considered Class B RVs.
Two other National Parks certified as Dark Sky parks. Capitol Reef NP in Utah and Joshua Tree NP in Joshua Tree CA. We have attended programs at both parks and the dark sky viewing is awesome.
At Capitol Reef, programs are held during the summer usually at the Gifford House which is located next to the Fruita campground. Either check the park website or call the visitors center.
At Joshua Tree, there is a private observatory just outside the park entrance station from Twenty Nine Plams. We attended programs during the winter in January. I don’t recall the name of the group that runs the observatory. Call the visitors center at JTNP for information. Campgrounds are readily available in Twenty Nine Plams and JTNP.
My family moved from New Jersey to California in 1959 when I was 6 years old and my sister was 4. After we were settled in our new home near San Francisco, my parents decided we should see all of the sights California and the western US had to offer.
First we started taking tent camping trips on the weekends to places like Lake Tahoe, Big Sur, Yosemite, etc. My dad only had two weeks vacation a year and we’d rent a 15 ft. Aristocrat trailer for the school Easter Week holiday and take longer trips to the rest of the west. He’d take another week off in the fall and we’d rent another trailer and do the same over the Thanksgiving school break.
After a few years as my dad accumulated seniority his vacation time increased to three weeks a year and my parents decided to purchase a new 16′ Aristocrat Main Liner trailer with an actual toilet. No shower or hot water heater, but at least it eliminated the midnight runs to the campground facilities.
When I was old enough to get a drivers license in the late 1960s my first RV was a VW Bug. I modified the passenger seat so it would lay flat and make a bed along with the back seat, loaded up a Coleman stove and ice chest and used it as a camper. That lead to a series of buy’em cheap and fix’em as they broke RVs that gradually increased in quality over the years.
I am working thru the directv system to be granted distant network services (dns) so I can receive network programming. So far I have filed a complaint with the FCC. Full time RVers lose access to network programming when they leave their home territory. For me that is Livingston, Texas. RVers are being penalized due to a recent FCC ruling prohibiting networks to transmit their signal outside of their territory. I have been waiting more than a month with no resolution.
Wow, I believe our story is the same except my husband retired from Air Force. We have two Grandchildren Cole 4yrs and Willow 2yrs. Our son followed in his Dad’s and Grandfather footsteps and is now in the Air Force and is currently stationed in Kansas. We do all the things you suggest in your article with the two exception: 1st-after our visit we choose a photo that is usually of the two grandkids and us doing something fun. We go to Walmart and get the photo printed on a small canvas and hang it in there bedroom so they see it every day. 2nd – We also decided we would hang a map of the United States. When they receive a post card their Mom and Dad put a pin on the map and talk about where we are at and what we are doing. I too feel like we connect with them more in our lifestyle.
To ensure that your winter camping is very safe and relaxing, you will need to prepare your RV both internally as well as externally to ensure that it is set for the cold weather. By preparing your camper for harsh weather, you can protect your engine and other RV components from freezing and other damage. An adequately insulated RV will keep you and your family warm to make your winter camping experience more comfortable and enjoyable.
Im exactly where you are one year behind. Last November I left my MH in San Antonio and drove up to the Twin Cities. My son and his wife found the one thing that would get me to come back in the winter. Carson was born right after thanksgiving. I got back here in May and have been spending alot of time with him, so he will know me whenever I come back. Since he will be older when I leave, we will be doing lots of facetiming. 🙂
Keep up the great work! Thank you so much for sharing a great posts.
Wow. A great article. We sold everything in 2015 and hit the road. We had already taken part in helping to raise 2 grandkids who were 16 and 11 when we left but left behind a 2 year old and 2 newborns. It has been awesome traveling and video chatting nearly every day but they live north and summer is the best time to see the northern parts of the country like Montana, Wyoming and UP of Michigan. We try to visit near end of summer for 4-6 weeks when kids are back in school. Less long term demands from our 3 daughters and more fun time with the grands. Not sure I ever want to voluntarily give up this lifestyle.
Loved your grandparenting story!
We sold our home and everthing in it in Oregon 4 years ago, 2016. We new it was a God thing because the house sold in 2 days. We then worked 3 summers in a rv park with a golf coures as managers. We were only an half hour away from our 3 teenage grandsons (and mom and step dad).
When they were little, I got to have them 3 days +, per week. They loved spending the nights with us. They had their own bedroom with a cool boat bed in it that we had to draw straws to see who would get to sleep in it that night.. And boy did they remember who slept in it last! LoL
Being that the winters are cold in Oregon, the first winter of full time rving, we headed for S. CALIF. and Arizona for 3 months.. I really cried hard when I had to leave my 3 grandboys and so did my 12 year old grandson. I had to miss two of their January birthdays. Thank God they enjoy money in a card. :0) They texted and we sent videos and talked on the phone. IT WAS OK!
We headed back to Oregon to see my grandboys (and their parents and our son too).
MAY OF 2018, we took our youngest grandson on a cruise to the Caribbean for his 13th birthday. The other two for their 13th birthdays chose Disney World and one chose Maui……but now in 10 years, we will have to take our 19 month triplet girls somewhere special! Yes, I said triplet girls. Identical!
This grandma and grandpa were shocked when our son and daughter in law announced they were pregnant right after they were married in May 2017, but they were shocked when (and all of us were also shocked) that they were having triplets! It was a scary time with that pregnancy, but thank God they are all doing well. PIPER was 1.1 lbs Olivia was 2.6 lbs and Sophia was 3.11 lbs. Because of their weight differences, that is how we can tell them apart. They are 17, 24 and 27 lbs now and thriving. The dumb Specialist Drs. wanted to abort Piper.
The girls are 19 months now.
They were born in Nov. 2017 (winter months in an RV, burrrrr actually it was a mild winter.) The girls were in the NICU for 3 months. Only 8 mins away from the rv park. Then when they came home, I lived with them for 3 months. We basicly stayed in Oregon to help for 1 1/2 years.
After the girls turned 13 months, we did take another snowbird trip to Cali and Arizona. I flew home for 1 week to get my grandma fix. We have been back since April 2019 to help again, but now we are leaving to head east towards South Dakota. It will take us a month to get there and a month to get back. We will hit 8 states in 2 1/2 months. Lots of pictures and videos will be shared! I WILL MISS MY FAMILY, but when we get back, we WILL have quality time together.
When traveling thru multiple different states how do you knowing is legal on each state..concealed carry in nys…traveling out west so would be going thru multiple states
Thank you for explaining how to pick an RV park. My family is wanting to take an RV trip. We will make sure that we keep this information in mind when trying to find an RV park.
How do we get ahold of a local chapter here in Texas? We have just started full time rving and would like to meet folks in our area.
If you are an Escapees member, log into member.escapees.com and head to https://member.escapees.com/community/chapters/. Find the chapter(s) you’re interested in, and each listing has the contact information for reaching that chapter’s leadership.
Excellent article. Thank you so much..
I am a resident of Rainbows End, Livingston, Texas. Still traveling to work the summer season in Branson, MO. and always happy to come home to Texas in the Fall.
I have personally experienced having a fellow Escapee stop to see if I needed help on the road. ♥️Dottie Wakley
the facts have been discussed is really important. Thank you so much for sharing a great post.
My husband and I just got an RV, so I wanted tips on ensuring we have all our resources in an emergency! I didn’t know a good roadside assistance provider will cover a number of towed miles as part of their annual fee. That sounds like a good investment if my husband and I get stuck somewhere we can’t get out of ourselves, so I’ll find a provider that has high-quality service at a good price, thanks to this post!
What is the governance of Escapees RV club?
Is it’s nonprofit? How are board members chosen?
Escapees RV Club is a privately held company run by a board of directors, elected by the shareholders. The mandate of the board is to preserve the values of the club, as established by Joe and Kay Peterson in 1978.
Joe & Kay have left all of us with a standard which our club will always be able to look up to. Joe was a dedicated man of action and Kay was the most caring person that it has ever been my good fortune to know. Like many of us in the 90s, we joined the club mostly for the mail service and the magazine. Kay entered our life at a time when our family was in need with genuine caring even though we had never met. That day changed our view of Escapees in a way that will be with us all of our lives.
Thank you all for this article as we must all work to demonstrate to the newer members the kind of support and caring that our founders had for us.
This is a great summary of the history of Escapees and so well written. Larry and I were so fortunate to have known both Kay and Joe so “experienced” much of the history. I loved Kay’s book Beating the Odds which tells so much more of their lives and shows what Kay overcame to become the person we knew. I recommend people read it to get to know those wonderful people even better.
Well done. Nice to see the story from start to now with a look to the future.
A great organization with a lot of great people, services and information. Not only for full timers, but also good for us part timers as well.
Loved reading about “our” history! (I’m just a “family” member.) So much I did not know about! I did have the honor of knowing Joe & Kay by emails. Though brief your narrative speaks to a determination of love and care. Of honesty and hard work.Of intellect and foresight. Escapees fulfilled a need in America and Americans to see, feel, touch and behold a world of adventure before them. A new way to not just survive but to thrive. Discovering that a good life is not about acquiring toys. Life is about interdependency. Needing each other and each other helping each other. Kay Peterson’s words of wisdom, knowledge and care instigated a movement. That movement continues to this day through the hard work and care of her family. Within them there is a trust and a determination to extend knowledge, hope and discovery of our monumental country. A country like no other. Impossible to see it all in a lifetime. Impossible to meet and greet all the lovely diverse people within. Between your fabulous informative, caring magazine and your events, “Escapees” is bound to thrive! I do realize that behind the scenes is much hard work! I was shocked when Kay gave me a personal tour of the “Mail Service” in Livingston, Texas. Proud of her daughters work. That building containing all the electronic, mechanical, computerized machines and conveyors was mind blowing. The “Care Center” for Escapees illustrated the love and care that Kay Peterson truly felt toward her beloved “babies” us.
Thanks very interesting article.
HEY, your van conversion looks amazing.
I loved Joe’s stories. He always had one waiting to be told. And Kay always exuded the love of live and the people in it. Then came the next generation… Kathie and Bud. And I truly enjoyed my occasional visits with them, usually at an Escapade or a Fun Days gathering.
One time during a conversation, I asked why something had been dropped from the opening ceremony. The response was that it offended someone… I said, “Now you have a problem, dropping …. offends me”. This brought up one of Bud’s famous grins and next year it was back in the opening ceremony.
I have never regretted our LifeTime membership as an Escapee.
As one Hugger to Another, God Bless.
Larry of Larry & Donna Francis SKP27024
Bob & Vicki Carrico. SKP#44785
Thank you for the wonderful privilege of reliving past experiences through this article. It would be fun for those of us who grew older and wiser with Escapees to share experiences. One good example is the “mail forwarding” system which had it’s own ZIP code, 77399, which was not recognized by the USPS until, was it 2015? Many of us have home bases now but still travel occasionally. We rely on our favorite address, 136 Rainbow Drive #3671, Livingston, TX 77399-1036. We have made many lasting friendships through this beloved family.
As new “full timers” and Escapees members, we particularly enjoyed the interesting and well-written Club History of the wonderful Carr-Peterson family, and many others behind this amazing organization, both then and now. We had suspected that this was an enterprise that many took “pride in ownership” of when we first encountered the patient, kind and informative staff in Livingston, during our initial stages of becoming members.
Thank you all for making Escapees the wonderful, helpful, and influential organization it is today.
Donna and Allen
wonderful Article, Great Adventure, Keep up the Good Work.
Ron Bessette Escapee #128070
Who are the Escapees shareholders? Does the company produce an annual business report and is it available to the public?
Thanks for all you do. Seems like too many are closing the door on us. Perhaps there is a promotional solution where it would help to recognize us. Meanwhile I’m jumping out of the Good SAM thing.
Good article. Biggest problem I’ve run up against is non stop, absolutely can’t break in talking with ah’s where break should be.
We (my husband and I) established domicile in South Dakota 3 1/2 years ago. We spent 1 night there, got our driver’s licenses and registered our truck and 5th wheel trailer there. The mailing service we used went out of business a little over a year ago, and we have not been happy with the service we signed up with (NOT Escapees!) We went back to renew our truck registration (again, a 1 day stay). We have spent 2 of the last 3 winters in Texas – and are trying to get a position in a west Texas park for next spring/summer. We have decided that we want to change our domicile to Texas, because we can say (with complete honesty) that we would love to settle there after our wandering is finished. (We cannot see ourselves spending any time in South Dakota). The article mentions state inspection of a vehicle and a motorhome. I expect to have our truck inspected and registered, but is there an inspection needed on our 5th wheel trailer? I understand checking weight limits, but don’t know what else would be inspected. Just curious – we are just trying to avoid surprises whenever possible.
Any trailer weighing over 7500 lbs gross will need to be inspected. If your 5th wheel weighs less than that, you will be fine. See link below for what items will be inspected.
http://www.dps.texas.gov/rsd/vi/inspection/inspectionCriteria.aspx
HELLO..WE LIKE TO KNOW HOW MUCH TRAVEL INSURANCE WOULD BE FOR A HEALTHY 72 YR OLD AND ONE THAT HAS TYPE 2 DIABETES?..WE ARE THINKING OF JOINING ESCAPEES…..and are interested in your news/magazine..thanks. Martin
Hi Martin!
Health insurance costs can vary widely. To get an accurate idea of what it would cost for your specific situation, we recommend you reach out to a health insurance provider.
Appreciate the article greatly as well as some of the supplemental posts. Thank you for a well-written & thoughtful overview about RV resource management!
That’s cool that private or commercial campgrounds have so many options for amenities, like outdoor furniture or a swimming pool. I imagine that traveling in an RV can make the camping experience a lot more enjoyable. My husband and I have been considering trying it. We’ll have to rent an RV and try going to a resort to see if it’s something we’d like.
I love your simply stated powerful wisdom. My husband and I have a 41 year-old marriage and have traveled full-time in an RV for the past 5 years. I could not have given better advise than yours. Thanks for sharing!
Yep. I figured out that “ahh” verbal trick awhile ago and find it difficult to continue listening when I have my very own comment or opinion or similar anecdote to contribute (one that was appropriate 4-5 “ahhs” ago and that I’m now about to forget)!
If I use the referee “time out”signal to alert the speaker of an imminent breakdown or flare up if they do not yield the floor, it works — but it’s not a feel-good moment for either of us.
You and I need to consider our own minutia so compelling, so interesting, so urgent that we must pre-empt any burgeoning filibuster with the dramatic exciting details about… whatever. The “whatever” is my first hurdle.
Enjoyable updated summation of the history! I joined Escapees in 1995 and I remember some of these milestones when they were being accomplished. When I became a full timer/lifetime member, I didn’t miss many, if any, Escapades/Fun Days between 1997 and 2007, and always loved seeing Joe and Kay at these events! I continue to think of Kay’s beautiful spirit, fun accent, and valuable lessons on an almost daily basis, as I was an impressionable 27 year old when I went on the road the first time. I took so much of what she said to heart. You all have done a wonderful job transforming the club over the years and I can’t wait to get back on the road in 2022 with my husband, Dave. Thank you for all your hard work!
Karen (Steflik) Sheff, SKP#39630
What do we tell the IRS?
We lived in Texas before selling our house there a year ago. We’ve taken the steps of moving our domicile to Sumter Oaks in Florida, gotten new drivers’ licenses, registered vehicles, etc. Do we need to send a Change of Address (form 8822) to the IRS? Part I of the form is titled “Complete This Part To Change Your Home Mailing Address.” We don’t want the IRS mailing things to Bushnell; we want to continue using Livingston, TX for mail. So do we tell the IRS anything at all?
Here is what my CPA said about what to tell the IRS:
“The IRS is not concerned with your domicile unless it is in a foreign country. You do need to let them know if your mailing address changes, so they can send you something if they need to.”
I’m disappointed that Escapees did not provide this answer, but at least now the group has one CPA’s take on it.
My first RV was used and when I realized I like RVing I bought a new one. I like the fact that nobody owned it before me and price-wise it was not that bad. But I definitely had some issues with it which had to be fixed.
With my RV, I do use it a lot and I don’t that much time to service it. As you said here, there are some good reasons to have a roadside assistance place. That way, I would be covered in the event that something broke on it during our travels.
I’m pretty sure that I read this entire article some time ago, was it updated with new information?
Yes, we review and update our legal and financial articles periodically to ensure that the information is still accurate. Thanks for reading!
I am 89 years young, lifetime in Washington State, going full time in Sept. As of yesterday I signed up for a Senior RV park in Salem OR. My account informed me that if I call OR my new domicile it will cost me about $480.00 per month in OR State income tax so that is OUT!! After reading all this great info (provided by my accountant) my knee jerk is to stay a WA resident. At my age I probably wont be traveling for many more years and then would probably return to WA. I could use my Grand Daughter in WA as my address.
First, I need to become an Escapees member. And then what do you think of my, decided in the last 1/2 hour, plan??
Thank You
Bob Beers
Bob:
Yes, the very first thing we recommend when people ask us about where to “domicile” is to ask yourself if it’s best to stay domiciled where you have been domiciled. It keeps everything “simple” as your domicile “stays where it has been” until you take the steps above to change it. So, if you have an address in Washington that you can use as your permanent address, then keep that. You can use Escapees mail service for your mail, but the permanent Washington address for your vehicle registration, driver license, voting right etc. Keep it Simple and have fun!
Great article. I would like to establish a domicile in Nevada. Does the club have any plans to establish the same services there?
Hi Rick!
No, there are not plans to expand our mail-forwarding service to Nevada at this time.
Thank you for the info on domicile. We are full time work campers. Is the domicile issue resolved if we buy a investment property in/around Livingston?
Bruce:
Buying property in or near Livingston, Texas really does (almost) seal the deal for a Texas domicile claim. You still need to show that you visit on a regular basis, and are “connected”, but owning property takes you “that much closer” to the “normal” family that sells their house in one state, moves to the new state and buys a house. The RVing lifestyle makes it trickier, but buying real estate is very helpful to the proof.
My husband and I want to invest in an RV, so I wanted more info on all the options we have. I didn’t know Class A motorhomes have their engine in the back, so it isn’t noisy for any passengers in the front. I’ll have to keep that in mind to find a motorhome that’s gas-powered instead of diesel, thanks to this post!
Very interesting read on the Minnesota case with the Sanchez family. After reading the court document there was nothing they could have done other than rent an apartment or buy a house in SD. Although, the dissenting view at the end was interesting.
Have you been able to turn up any other cases?
What happened after the court case? Even after the dust settled….they were still considered residents of Minnesota.
Could you reach out to the Sanchez family? I know it was a while ago but I’m sure they have some valuable information to share.
Every time we give a talk at RVing gatherings, I ask if the Sanchez’s are in the audience. So far, no one has responded. Yes, I would like to know “the rest of the story” since right now it is just a “cautionary tale”. The problem is that the burden of proof is on the Sanchez’s and it is expensive to keep fighting a domicile issue. If anyone knows any more about their case, please share.
We are currently domiciled in Louisiana. Plan to move in with our daughter in Tx. If we change our DrLicense etc would that be sufficient to change domicile?
Does the Florida Declaration of Domicile have to be notarized by a Florida notary public or will a notary in another state work as well? If it must be sworn before a Florida notary, will a remote online notary satisfy this requirement?
The notary just says “you are you” so I assume a notary outside of Florida will be fine. I know this is true in Texas and I am not practicing law in Florida, but I assume the same is true there.
May have a problem; stopped fulltiming in 2005; bought a double wide on leased land in View Point Golf & RV Resort, Meaa AZ; always stay less than 7 months their residency requirement; am in Canada, now; will be in Austin late Sept and could come to livingston for a consultation…bob paige(bobgpaige@gmail.com)…SKP #13803
Living in a recreational vehicle or camper during the cold winter months poses unique challenges for even the most experienced outdoor hobbyist. Keeping warm and living comfortably isn’t as easy as turning on the furnace and heating up the inside living spaces. Thanks for sharing these great tips.
I want to buy a house and live in MT, yet domicile in So. Dakota. Do you foresee any legal issues with this plan if I follow the steps you’ve provided?
Yes.
Please could someone inform me of the advantages of sitting in a huge circle? How can one hear what is being said with someone across (several feet)? With other conversations going on around you? One ends up talking with the person to the side of you only. Any tips on how we can enjoy circle time?
Hi Lee,
Good point! Typically, the large circles are used mostly when there is someone in the middle sharing announcements, giving a presentation, etc (or when your mouth is full of food and not talking much anyway ? ). When it’s time for more one-on-one conversation, people often break off into smaller groups to engage in more inclusive conversation.
Do you play an acoustic instrument? Ukulele, guitar, banjo, mandolin, dulcimer – or any other? One thing that works for me is using whatever communication medium available to reach out to others who play. I’ve located a couple of folding chairs wihout arms (at Goodwill), some extra music stands and made copies of a number of songs. Inexpensive binders let me carry 3 or 4 copies of the music so people can sit and play (I can’t memorize all the lyrics and changes, so I don’t expect others can either).
Then I put an empty guitar case in the front window, and sometimes even a sign about “jamming tonight at….” I’ve had some wonderful songfests with pros and amateurs. If you’re ambitious, invite others to bring their stuff to a potluck and have a musical potluck at the same time!
This is an awesome idea, Richard! Thank you for sharing.
I know I’ve stumbled upon several sessions like you describe and have thoroughly enjoyed myself even as a spectator.
In addition to meal planning, we do the laundry, clean the RV, and take care of any pressing things that might be coming up in the next week (get dog food, for instance) as I don’t have the energy to think about them during the rally.
All good ideas! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for the article, found lots of useful tidbits here — helped me to realize that maybe I should get roadside assistance for my RV after all. I’ve been going back and forth on the issue for awhile now, but you helped me to consider that not all breakdowns are necessarily caused by crashes. Anywho, thanks!
You’re welcome!
Spending so much time on the road is stressful enough, might as well do what you can to lessen that worry 🙂
Georgianne
I’m still dreaming of full-timing and grandchildren, but your article gave me some great ideas. It’s good to hear positive experiences. I look forward to taking future grandchildren on vacation too
Do you have any opinions regarding purchasing a RV through a Montana LLC? Thank you for any info!
We are Nebraska residents with a UPS mail box and difficulty changing our address on our drivers license to that but we directed to the state department of motor vehicles director and after a short visit and explanation was issued a new drivers license with my UPS address. My driver’s license from Nebraska has-been in compliance with the parrot act for years and has the star on the front. We are full-time in our RV for ten years, NE born and bred and lived there until going full time. Now spend two to 6 weeks a year there. Have all of our our insurance and taxation there in the tax me state. But we have income property there that would be taxed there anyway. My recommendation if you want to stay Arizonans, go talk the state DMV. They are the people charged with compliance with the patriot act.
We will be getting a South Dakota address through Escapee’s in a couple months. Then buying our vehicle and 5th wheel after that. Then about 6 months later going full time.
While physically living in Colorado we want to buy, (paid in full) register and license our truck in South Dakota and also get South Dakota drivers license at that time. A couple months after that buy our 5th (with a loan) and register it in South Dakota as well. Our income will be from our jobs in Colorado. Do you know if there any legal issues with doing this and if financial institutions will make a loan in this situation? We have excellent credit ratings.
Thank you
What an excellent article. Some of us forget that living in small quarters can be trying for everyone, especially newbies to the RV world. I’d have to say that the “time out” suggestion is spot on. At least that’s what I have to do. Stop, walk away and come back later. Cooler heads prevail! 🙂
Excellent suggestions. More often than not many of us feel we have purchased a lemon, especially in terms of the litany of problems we encounter and the poor service by RV dealers.
Emily,
Thanks for sharing your experiences! I’ve been considering this for some time now and really appreciate the specific referral to Dr Bernal. Haven’t been to your website yet but I expect it will be wonderfully informative as well. You confirmed my experiences in Mexico with healthcare practitioners in general—we’ve always received excellent care with genuine compassion and a warmth particular to Mexico. I’ve felt well cared for at very reasonable cost and made friends to boot! Thanks for sharing the warmth! Annie
Anyone with a pilots license? Did you lose it because you full time with a PMB. I also live in California. Enough said about that. I have chosen South Dakota for numerous reasons. Selling my house in California. The IRS rule for capital gains is $250 k single and $500 k married. California’s take of Capital gains?
The other issue is the real ID act. My wife has a CA. Real ID Driver License,
passport, S.S. card in her maiden name. Military ID in her married name. I have a passport card, CA. DL, Military ID, and S.S. Card.
She wants leave her belonging in CA. Mine are South Dakota bound.
Gary J
Super interesting reading this history! Thank you Escapees RV Club for advocating for the rights of RV Nomads and uniting the different players in the RV industry with a reasonable compromise!
This is very much the trip I went on July 2019. You are right it is beautiful territory. So much to see and do. Glad to see you at the square dance covention.
We currently live in TX and have all our lives. Now going full time RVing soon.
We want Escapees for mail service.
Domicile – since we are already Texas residents do we still need to file the domicile affidavit in Livingston County?
Thanks
I am from Georgia… and am getting ready to live full-time on my RV… my question is if I have no permanent and take advantage of this way of dealing with a permanent address… How are people dealing with drivers license… tags for cars and RV’s. Presently I do not have to get my car or RV emissions inspected and would like to keep it that way for cost purposes… Can someone please explain how that all works… The mail thing is fine… I get that… it’s the other documentation that takes a permanent address… Thanks for your response…
You are so very welcome, Annie. And how meaningful it is to read these enthusiastic comments written by an RN.
I could tell you many stories of the extraordinary compassion and humanity I’ve seen in the Mexican medical community. Perhaps the most astonishing was a Mexican physician who traveled for over an hour, including doing part of the journey by boat, to reach his patient for a follow-up visit after she’d had a severe accident (many bones broken), all so he could check up on how she was doing as she recovered on her sailboat rather than forcing her to come to his office.
Mexican physicians and dentists have to do regular re-education, just as their American counterparts do, and some have the latest in modern equipment.
But what always amazes me is how much they care about their patients as people and how much they want their patients to participate in making their own decisions in the treatment strategy.
The key is to look for Mexican medical professionals in communities that are predominantly Mexican where the paramount concern is healing, rather than in communities that are primarily ex-pats where too often the paramount concern has become streamlining the treatment process with a clinic facility (rather than an individual doctor’s own office) and making money.
Darren Pederson – I am not a professional offering this advice, just a Full time RVer with a little experiene in your situration –
When we jumped off a cliff in 2014 and decided in mid-air to buy an RV and hit the road, we had a very small IRA and a small medical settlement for an on-the-job accident my husband had suffered. We bought our truck with our IRA money (a 2013 one ton) and found the 5th Wheel of our dreams – but it was $8,000 more than we had in cash. No problem, we assumed we could take out a $10,000 loan to pay the difference, taxes and licensing – but banks will not make loans on RVs if you tell them you are going to be full time residents in the RV. (They think the mobile lifestyle makes it easier to default on the loan). If you do intend to take a loan, do it on the vehicle, not the trailer. Or, if you do apply for a loan on the trailer, do not admit that you will be full-time travelers (makes the lender very nervous!)
Recently we were in South Dakota and considering once we sell our house to register the RV in SD to save $ as over 2.5 million others do. But, we heard some say that the state changed and that they lost their right to vote because they do not reside permanently in SD – is this true? We see told that the state decide that so many oriole could swing the vote of the state so made this change – please help as no savings is worth our vote?
Thank you so much for this information! I just want to be sure that I am understanding correctly. I requested a ballot for the South Dakota primaries. On this request, I marked that the presidential ballot should be mailed to the same address as for the primaries. Should I assume that our presidential ballot will be automatically mailed without a separate request? I am really concerned about the turnaround time and want to get it done ASAP. Again, thank you so much for doing this.
The link for absentee ballots did not work or was down.
Thank you for letting us know! We’ve updated it to http://www.co.polk.tx.us/upload/page/3566/docs/CountyClerk/mail%20in%20application.pdf
In the states (and Canada) we use All Stays Camp and RV to find campgrounds. Is there something similar in Europe that accomplishes the same thing?
We are residents of Travis County, Texas. We are currently living in Costa Rica for the next two tears. Both my wife and I want to vote in the December General election. How can we obtain a ballot and when does the ballot need to be received in Travis County?
Hi there!
You will find all the information you need for Travis County on their county clerk’s website http://traviscountyclerk.org/eclerk/Content.do?code=E.8
Yes absolutely! The biggest is Park4night. It covers everything from regular camping spots to boondocking sites. We use the app constantly and it’s the #1 app one I recommend to folks traveling over.
There are also a few other apps I like and use in conjunction with Park4night, in specific CamperContact (great for Aires) and Searchforsites (a UK based app that has more detailed reviews).
Nina
I have purchased 4 types of used RV’s. Generally, the higher end ones…better built in most cases so less to go wrong.
Does Escapees have recommended lawyer(s) for SD and FL for estate planning?
Hi Elizabeth!
I reached out to our Member Services Team for the answer to your question.
We often refer RVers to Doyle Estes in South Dakota. His email address is doyle@esteslawfirm.com. We also have a contact in Florida, but the person who has their information was out this week. I will be back in the next few days with that info for you, too!
Kathi,
Thanks so much for responding and the great information. This changes our timeline and how we will go about purchasing our 5er and truck. Thanks again.
Thank you for the tip to clean the areas that need to be sealed so that the sealant will stick. My sister and her husband just bought an RV and it’s a little bit of a fixer-upper. I will suggest that they buy some self-leveling sealant and fix the parts that leak before they go camping.
Is it possible (realistically safe & affordable) to take pets with you to RV in Europe?
My husband and I rented a motor home five times for travels around Germany, the Netherlands, and Austria. We loved it! There is nothing like being able to stop for lunch, or cake and coffee, along the “backest” of the back roads, or on a mountain top, whenever one wants. And it’s so convenient having a potty, or a cold drink, available any time. The campgrounds are great. Don’t be afraid to try camping in Europe!
We have been RVing in Europe for over 10 years. We write about our travels in the Escapees group newsletter for the World Wide Travelers BOF. All of our practical articles are at our website. TheRoadGoesEverOn.com. Our camper is stored this winter near Edinburgh and is for sale.
@deb – your question about bringing pets is a great one, with a potentially very long answer. I’ll try to condense it as much as possible 🙂
Yes, you can travel over with pets. They need to be microchipped (with an international chip), and have a rabies shot (> 21 days before travel) plus a health certificate issued by a USDA certified vet (within 10 days of travel) which must then be endorsed by USDA right before leaving. That’s the paperwork. It’s not difficult. It just takes planning!
Then there are the logistics of actually getting them here. Depending on size your pet can either travel with you in cabin (generally small pets only, one pet per passenger) or they have to go in a special pressurized section of the plane. This travel must be booked in advance since planes have limited space for pets.
Finally once in Europe they can travel up to 4 months with you on their US issues health certificate. If staying longer they will need à European Pet Passport which you can get in EU. And when you go back to US you will need paperwork for that too.
I have a ton more details about this on my blog, but hopefully that gives you a taste. We moved over with our 3 pets (2 cats, 1 dog). So it can be done!
Nina
Thanks for a terrific overview.We were just beginning to epxlore whether we might do this next year (2020). Very timely!
I see I can request Vote by Mail as early as January 1 2020. And, the latest date mail-in ballots will be accepted. But, is there a date after January 1 before which mail-in ballots for the general election will not be accepted? Looking at it another way is there a period ?????? to October 23 when ballots are accepted?
Your ballot should be received at the designated address during the early voting period, but no later than the election day for which you are casting your ballot.
thank you so much for this wonderful and comprehensive information.
If you decide on South Dakota, what happens if you get called for jury duty?
I lived all of my life in Florida until my wife and I went full time in our motor home in March 2019. We lived in Pinellas County (Clearwater) but on setting up a mail forwarding account with Traveling Mailbox we used their Orange County (Orlando) address. The Orange County Supervisor of Elections office has now rejected us both twice. Pinellas County initially filed it for us to Orange and they said there was no problem. Then we again attempted it online. The first time only I got a response; the second only my wife got one. We filed separately. Both times they’ve said we have to have a physical residence and a mailing address “residence” was unacceptable. We’re still trying.
Because California is so aggressive about this issue I would love to see some information aimed specifically at people who want to abandon California as their domicile and move to another state. These posts are really helpful and appreciated! Thank you.
I will be leaving California in a couple weeks to move to Texas. I am basically just following the Escapees domicile article, cutting all ties, registering cars and voting in Texas. California might be aggressive but I can’t imagine they would concentrating on small fry. Now if Mark Zuckerberg were to move he would have to watch out.
We agree that window shades are great for insulation and comfort. The biggest reason that our clients request window shades when having their caravan windows replaced is for privacy. Today’s modern RV parks are more packed with holiday-makers than ever, so park owners try to squeeze in as moany vans as they can. This leads to a lack of privacy, particularly when RV’s are parked so close together. As such, we rarely fit anything other than windows with built-in privacy screens.
Love all of your information. This is extremely helpful. Plan on full-timing starting in 2020. Thank you again
John, we abandoned California in Feb 2019 and made Florida our domicile. We got the usual FL drivers licenses, registration, insurance, plates and voter IDs, but went a step further and filed an affidavit with the Okaloosa county Clerk of the Court stating that Crestview Florida was our domicile. We sold our house in CA two years ago so we didn’t have property, but we also got rid of our CA storage locker and transferred ownership of our remaining vehicles to our children who still live in CA. And of course we changed our address with every bank/institution/entity we deal with to FL. We’ll owe some tax in CA for Jan and past of Feb 2019, but we’re locked and loaded if they try to come after us for anything more.
It would be good for readers to know that some essential oils, even high quality ones, are extremely toxic to dogs and/or cats. These include: peppermint, tea tree, citrus (yes, lemon), as well as eucalyptus.
Please remind everyone to check a reputable website for a list of toxic oils and what to watch for in pets.
https://qa.healthtopquestions.com/39103/what-are-the-essential-oils-toxic-cats
https://qa.healthtopquestions.com/39107/what-are-the-essential-oils-toxic-dogs
We have a shower rod and we put a multi-compartment shoe hanger on it for small toiletry-type stuff, bug sprays, small tools, etc. Easy to remove and lay on bed when showering.
Nice article to get “feet wet” about renting an RV in Europe. We’re considering this as an option for our trip to Europe next September/October. Hugs/pets to all!
How wonderful, Brenda. We’d love to see you over here!!!
Nina
Great article! Thanks! Would you take a Campervan, 20 to 23 feet, into Paris, Rome, etc. to find parking in order to sight see or would you leave it parked in the suburbs and find other transportation into the city centers? What are the cost associated with each option?
Hi Kevin,
I would definitely recommend camping outside the big cities and then using public transport to explore. For example there is a decent campground just outside of Paris (near Bois de Boulogne) which has a shuttle to the metro. So much less stress than trying to navigate and park inside the metropolis. Same for Rome. It’s a huge, sprawling city with heavy traffic. There’s a camp just north of town which has easy access in by bus.
Nina
Nina
You left out one area of Escapee activity. Check out the Escapee forums as there is a large, active group that meet there regularly to share information.
You are so right! I will need to amend that. RVNetwork.com is a great place to make connections along with learning about RVing. Thanks, Kirk!
We were all up for changing to Texas ….BUT the Auto/RV Insurance was going to double or more. And the reason was told of the high amount of claims in the last year from hurricane,wind, hail damage . Also our health insurance premiums would increase. So…unable to make the move. Just be aware of all costs.
I live in Florida now but will have my house sold within the month and will be full time RVing. What’s the best thing to do for my address since I want to keep my Florida domicile. Thanks!
Hi MaryEllen! There are several options for you, depending on your resources and preferences.
If you have friends or family in FL who would allow you to use their address, you can pursue that option. There are also mail-forwarding services like ours (https://escapees.com/mail-service/) that handle your mail and also provide an address suitable for establishing domicile.
This is unreadable, could you please post a better copy?
Hi Gizella. Thanks for letting us know about the issue. The attachment itself was OK, but the link was opening to a page on which you had to click the thumbnail to see the full document. We’ve changed it so that the link goes directly to the document, eliminating that confusing step.
Thanks for mentioning FreeRoam! In case anyone prefers to do their research from a computer, you can also use the website: https://freeroam.app
I would really be interested in knowing how you get residency in France. We bought an RV from Happy camper in Sept 2017 then travelled 90 days in western EU then out 90 days in Morocco then back in EU 90 days. We then sold the camper back to Happy camper. Great people to work with ?. But we would like to travel without restrictions ?. HAPPY RVing.
Hi Lyd,
Well I’m lucky in that I’m European by birth (Danish) and my father lives in France. So Paul (who is American) was able to get a long-term stay visa through me.
That said it is totally possible for US citizens to get long-term visitor visas for France. It just takes some paperwork & patience. You apply in the USA for the visa (before you come to EU) and you need to provide a local French address (which is the hardest thing -> most folks take out a longer-term Airbnb rental or something similar), proof of resources (basically enough cash to prove you are not going to be a burden to the system while you are here), and several other documents. The processing of the paperwork takes around 2 weeks. Then, once you land in France you need to go through some additional steps to validate your visa on this side. That’s it!! If you want to stay beyond the first year, you’ll need to renew with all the paperwork again (but that you can do locally in France).
If you’re interested in long-term visa info you can go to the official French Visa application website (https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en_US/web/france-visas/) and read more.
Nina
Lehto’s Law (on YouTube) just reported a ruling by the Illinois Supreme Court which you may want to check out. It could change everything.
Has anyone purchased this extended warranty? Have any reviews of their claim process?
You should mention in the first section about RV Resorts, that many of the parks with ‘Resort’ in the name—aren’t, by any stretch of the imagination. Only way to know ahead is by reading reviews.
I’ve been fulltime for close to 3-1/2 years; two years ago my wife was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer and a year ago I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. My wife lost her battle with cancer in May and I’m still receiving cancer treatment, but with a good prognosis. Being fulltime allowed us to locate ourselves near the Mayo Clinic for treatment and our coach is a right-sized home for ease of living. Although distant ongoing travel is on hold for a while I’m still able to get in some short get-away trips. There will be challenges going forward but I’m still inspired to keep that dream alive. As Joseph Campbell said: “We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.”
Very informative article! Take a look at overnightrvparking.com.
Where is the RV park in the first picture. Beautiful!
It is gorgeous! The RV park in the first photo is in Monument Valley in Utah.
Thanks for all the great resources and links! Very helpful. I’ve been in my van for a year now and always on the lookout for this type of information.
I already am a Texas resident and want to use escapees for mail service and drivers license and registration in Livingston. Yes we are full time. What do I need to do to make this happen
Hi Diana!
You’ll get the most complete answer by giving our Member Services Team a call at 936-327-883. They can help with these questions and more and make sure you have the necessary documents in order before making those changes.
I wonder why you didn’t mention campgroundreviews.com? That is our overall favorite site for RV parks.
Thank you Susan! Campground Reviews is a great resource to use when researching campgrounds. I will add it to the article in the future!
Great article! You may not know that the ALLSTAYS app is only updated for Apple devices. The app owner said Google does not allow him to make updates for the Android app. It has not been updated since 2017. However, ALLSTAYS is updated on the computer website (for those with Android phones, it is a way to use ALLSTAYS).
Yep! In the App section of the article, Carries specifies that Allstays is only available on iOS, which is the Apple operating system.
Thanks for the info!
Thanks for the great article! I’ve used about half of the websites and apps but it’s nice to have more to chose from for various area.
Great informative article! We’ve been on the road 2 years now and agree with many of the items you have mentioned here. Before we hit the road I didn’t know the difference between an RV resort or RV park. Not I just tell myself an RV park should have been named RV park….ing lots.
Question:
Can a maried couple domicile in two different countries?
One is an American citizen (no property) and the spouse has dual citizenship us/other. Only real property owned is outside the USA and is property of the citizen spouse.
Thanks in advance
When and where is the Texas group meeting?
Hi Chris! You can see all of the events currently on our schedule at https://escapees.com/community/. If you’re looking for a specific chapter’s gathering, you can find their contact information on the member website at member.escapees.com.
would like to get quote for insurance an extended warrenty i have a 2006 fleetwood exursion 39s,, with 54,400 milage
Hi Barbara! You’ll have to reach out to an extended warranty broker or provider to get a quote. We recommend Wholesale Warranties, but there are several options available out there.
John, John Mooney,
yes, California is aggressive in their quest for your $$, past, present, and future!
We left Ca. in 2001, selling our house (everything), establishing domicile in another state. We then left the US and lived abroad for 10 years.
For me, the California Franchise Tax Board attempted to collect state income tax on my public employees pension. Since I earned my pension while working in California, according to the FTB, it was still taxable to them no matter what state I was now domiciled in!
Long story short, another public employee took the FTB to court challenging this and his case prevailed, he won…it’s now case law.
This is regarding public employees (police, fire, etc) so may not pertain to your tax situation.
Best to check into this and be prepared.
Please help me understand this too. So he won against CA, what’s that mean for the rest of us? I’m a public employee looking to do just this. Thanks for posting this and your input.
I thought there was going to be a list of best warranty providers in this article?
Sorry you feel misled. This article is intended to discuss the loopholes that can happen in RV warranties, and what to look for in your policy in order to avoid those loopholes.
To add to your article and I feel correct decision…1) when any of the LLC creating law firms are asked for an opinion of its legality they make none and send you a copy of your present state law re who is required to have plates in that state 2) as an insurance agent for many years I also have serious issues of using a “personal Auto Policy” to cover a vehicle that is a commercial enterprise. The personal auto specifically excludes coverage for commercial activities/ventures. If a commercial policy is used it does not provide the broader coverage of a personal policy..
Enjoyed your article…
We have been full time RV for 2+ years. Domiciled in South Dakota.
We sold everything in Iowa where we had lived for almost 20 years.
Our wills were last done in 2017 as I prepared to retire.
Nothing has changed but reading your blog makes me wonder if it would be best to redo our wills in SD. If so it would be boilerplate with no changes. Seems like unnecessary cost at an attorney.
We are sure to be in SD at least once a yes or more often-we have family on both sides.
Have registered to vote etc.
Since we have no real property anywhere I am not convinced it needs to be done.
Full time means the end could come for either/both of us anywhere other than SD.
Your counsel would be appreciated!
Phil & Evy Somsen
SKP #131800
Hi there!
With specific questions like yours, we recommend you reach out to legal counsel directly so all factors can be considered in the discussion. Loring & Associates (who Mrs. Adams works with) typically offer a free consultation, which sounds like it would be helpful in your case. http://www.loringlaw.com/
I get a kick out of people who want all of the perks their taxes pay for but don’t want to pay any taxes
Can we rent one-way?
Here is RVShare’s answer to that question: https://help-rvshare.force.com/s/article/Can-I-book-a-one-way-rental
Each rental platform may differ, though, so make sure you find an answer to that before you book with them.
Great insight and good advice.
I have a friend that owns a house and lives in Arizona, he has a car registered in Arizona, he bought a motorhome in California and is trying to established a domicile in South Dakota. He has an address in SD now and is in the process of getting his motorhome and car registered in SD. The only thing he is lacking it the payment of sales tax to SD for registration. He says he’s not a big fan of SD but seems to speed more time in Texas due to Texas being close to Arizona you can’t help but spend time in the motorhome in Texas while RVing across the country.
My friend wants to sell his house and buy a small place for a home base. Should he have a domicile in Texas instead of SD only because he spends more time in Texas and has never seems to pass thru SD on his trips?
He says registering his motorhome in Arizona would cost $10,000 one time sales tax and about $2000 per year on MH registration only going down about 10% per year. In 5 years he would have spent over $7000 just in yearly registration.
He says he has only 2 choses, rv in Arizona during the winter months and visit family and friends and have a small home base Domicile in SD, Texas, Florida or any state that has a low vehicle registration yearly cost. Or RV in the summer in and Domicile in the winter somewhere warm. Doesn’t want to be in Arizona during the summer months. Him and his wife are both retired on social security fixed income. He has family in Indiana and Arizona.
Him and his wife are selling their house in Arizona but will spend the winter months in Arizona and the summer months somewhere else cooler in the summer. What should they do? Is there a better state for them to Domicile too?
Hi there!
With specific questions like yours, we recommend you reach out to legal counsel directly so all factors can be considered in the discussion. Loring & Associates (who specialize in domicile law) typically offer a free consultation, which sounds like it would be helpful in your case. http://www.loringlaw.com/
I’m hoping this post is still being monitored. i have also heard Mac retired and i dont know how else to get this info. In one of mac’s youtube videos, he displays a telescoping ladder with hooks that go over the window frame. The length was perfect for a 5th wheel bedroom window. Any ideas where this can be purchased?
Thank you for explaining such an easy and simple way to make us understand.
Great article! We looked at doing a Montana LLC ,but it seemed a bit risky so we opted to ‘bite the bullet’ and pay Colorado sales tax when we purchased our RV. Changing domicile to Florida using Escapees was simple when the time came to become fulltimers.
Great infographic!
Can I use the address of a Florida property I own to establish state residency there. Then use this address for all my mail…then have all my mail forwarded to an escapees while we are FT in our RV?
Is there a limit on how long USPS will forward mail to another address?
It looks like USPS limits their forwarding to two 6-month blocks for a total of 12 months. https://www.usps.com/manage/forward.htm
Thank you for sharing very informative article. I recently bought used RV from Texas on November 6th. Drove it to Ca where we live. But we rent both of our houses. 1house has been rented for 4years the house we currently live in will be renting in 10days. We already have contract to rent. We want to be fulltime RVing. Planning to use Montana state to register our RV
LLC. What is the requirement and legal. We also own 2 cars still register CA and I have CA driver license.
I found this article very close to my case… but I would like to make sure if we are going to be legally with our LLC Montana RV register and still have 2 cars CA register.
Thank you for our RVing community and this forum.
We are looking at a trip to Glacier National Park and then on up into Canada to Banff and Jasper National Parks next year up CA2 to TransCanada 1 and then returning on CA93 to West Glacier. Was wondering about the what we will encounter road wise. We are pulling a Keystone Cougar Half Ton (30.8′) fifth wheel with a Ford F150 EcoBoost. Have traveled with this set-up across Colorado and Wolf Pass, came down from Cloudcroft, NM (brakes got hot but otherwise OK, but they were grease contaminated at the time, which we discovered after we arrived back home) and were in Utah last year with no problems. However, this is new territory for us so was trying to figure out what we would encounter. If anyone can help, please reply. Thank you.
An interesting and informative read; I look forward to the next installment!
Looking forward to reading the rest!
WOW! Excellent job with the history. And as said, many of the long time members are no longer living the RV lifestyle as we did in our younger years. But we continue to enjoy the many friendships that built over the years and we still on occasion cross trails.
It is also good to see the enthusiasm of the “Kids”, aka as Xcapers, to carry on the traditions that Joe and Kay spread across the country.
HUGS.
Larry & Donna Francis – SKP# 27024
I find this very interesting and wife and I have an interest in the club possible
Love the details, means more to understand the process.
Good advice! We’re in Asheville NC now but still have Maine blueberries in the freezer and real Maple syrup in the fridge. Happy Thanksgiving!
Really enjoyed your article on the RV diet. It’s simple ,healthy and provides an excellent dietary philosophy while on the road! And by the way it looks great on you!
Michael Aherin
Nicely written with good motivators for those who are reluctant. Thank you!
Ngoc , I’m certain that if a Cal State Trooper were to pull you over and find you had a Cal driver-license, a toad-car licensed in Cal and a motor-home with Montana plates it would not go well….
To avoid that one guy I know never brings his Montana LLC licensed MH into Cal, -ever-. It’s parked in Oregon.
It’s awesome how this article recommended a a private campground offers amenities and outdoor entertaiments. My brother-in-law wants to get an RV to take his family on a trip. I will suggest him finding a campground that will provide him comfort.
Thanks for this article and helping to facilitate voting by escapees members! I just requested my latest absentee ballot application. Maybe Escapees could do some advocating to the Texas legislature to not have to apply for absentee for every election! The county tells me that’s who decided that stupid policy. In California once you apply, you stay absentee until you change it. Texas doesn’t seem to be making it easy to vote absentee. However, Polk County did tell me that they have a new law that people over 65 can now have their absentee application be good for all elections in that year at least. Make sure you note that on your ballot application!
We have a question. We are full-timers who sold our home in North Carolina to a friend who takes in our mail and we still list our address as that same place, have no plans to change. She is getting a notice from the Census bureau.
Our question is, should she count us as “living” there, though we visit maybe 4-5 times/year?
Hi there!
With specific questions like yours, we recommend you reach out to legal counsel directly so all factors can be considered in the discussion. Loring & Associates (who specialize in domicile law) typically offer a free consultation, which sounds like it would be helpful in your case. http://www.loringlaw.com/
Are domicile issues potentially as complicated or less complicated when moving from one non-income tax state to another non-income tax state such as NEVADA to South Dakota? It appears the biggest issues have to do with moving from income tax collecting states to those that don’t have income tax.
In short, the income tax laws only marginally impact the complexity of the change process. The decision to change from one state to another state typically includes an analysis of those laws. But, the actual process of switching does not involve those laws directly.
That said, we highly recommend you speak with a legal advisor regarding detailed questions about the process, as there are many variables that can make the process smoother or harder, depending on the individual. We often direct our members to contact Loring & Associates (who specialize in domicile law) typically offer a free consultation, which sounds like it would be helpful in your case. http://www.loringlaw.com/.
The financial risks of towing outside safe specs are not insignificant. If you’re in an accident and found to be towing outside of safe, recommended limits, you’re open to a possible lawsuit from anyone affected by the accident. And good luck getting your insurance to cover any damage.
Given the expenses and hassles these people had with truck repairs due to overloading, they would have been off with a heftier 3500 to begin with.
Totally agree with you L. It isn’t hard for authorities to detect that an overweight RV was the cause of an accident. More people need to take this into consideration when choosing their rig. Thanks for reading.
Setting tire pressure based on scale weight number and using the Load Inflation tables do not give you the “Optimum” inflation pressure but do give you the MINIMUM cold inflation pressure. Also, remember that all tires on an axle should have the same cold inflation psi and that the inflation is based on the load on the HEAVIER end of an axle. Never round down when consulting pressure chart ALWAYS go up to the next level found in the table.
I am in hope that you may resolve a dilemma? My previous rv was a Newmar Kingaire with 600hp had plenty of get up,however it was illegal for me to drive with a class C Texas license. I have since identified a Thor Magnitude 32 -34′ 4×4 with a dry weight of approx.16,500 lbs. a GVWR OF 19,500 LBS. But a GCWR of 39,000 lbs. What licene do I need? Considering a class C Texas is good
for 26,000 lbs.?
According to the Texas DPS website, classes of license focus on the GVWR.
https://www.dps.texas.gov/driverlicense/dlclasses.htm
We have attended the past 4 Escapades with 3, then 5 and now, 8 other RVers. Each year, we selected a night to provide dinner for the group. It has made dinner so less stressful because we only prepare for one dinner, instead of 6 separate dinners for the week. We prepare as easy or gourmet as we wish…no expectations. We have also invited others, who are camped close by, to join us. As we gather around to eat, we share info. gained from the day’s seminars. Can’t imagine missing an Escapade!