LICENSE AGREEMENT
This Agreement is effective on the date the Intellectual Property is downloaded by the Licensee.
Recitals
A. Licensor is in the business of providing a total support network for all recreational vehicle enthusiasts (“RVers”/ “RVing Community.”) and owns the Intellectual Property, the form of which, is set forth at escapees.com hereby incorporated by reference.
B. Licensee wishes to use the Intellectual Property, for one of the following uses: personal blogs, personal YouTube channels or similar web-based channels, and/or personal websites. The use shall be selected at the time the Licensee downloads the Intellectual Property; and, the use shall hereby be incorporated by reference into this Agreement. The use of the Intellectual Property shall not be commercial in nature.
C. Licensor is willing to grant the Licensee a license to use the Intellectual Property on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual covenants and agreements set forth below, the parties hereto covenant and agree as follows:
Article II: License
A. The Licensor hereby grants to the Licensee, and the Licensee hereby accepts, a nonexclusive, nontransferable license (the “License”) to use the Intellectual Property.
B. No other right or license is granted by Licensor to Licensee or by Licensee to Licensor, either express or implied, with respect to any other trademark, trade name, service mark, or other intellectual property right owned, possessed, or licensed by or to Licensor. Licensee shall not use the Intellectual Property in any manner not specifically authorized by this Agreement.
Article III: Operation under License
A. The Licensee must obtain all governmental permits, licenses, registrations, and approvals needed to produce and market the Product or provide the Service and must operate under the License in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. Specifically, but without limitation, when using any of the Intellectual Property, the Licensee must comply with all laws relating to intellectual property in force, including marking requirements. At the request of Licensor, and without compensation to Licensee, Licensee shall promptly do such acts and execute, acknowledge, and deliver all such papers as may be necessary or desirable, in the sole discretion of Licensor, to obtain, maintain, protect, and/or vest in Licensor the entire right, title, and interest in and to any Intellectual Property; including rendering such assistance as Licensor may request in any litigation, Patent and Trademark Office proceeding, or other proceeding. All use of any Intellectual Property by Licensee on any good shall inure to the benefit and be the property of Licensor.
B. The Licensee may use the Intellectual Property only in connection with goods manufactured, distributed, and sold by or for, and/or services provided by or for, the Licensee in accordance with the specifications, directions, and processes furnished to the Licensor by the Licensee or its representatives and agents from time to time; and, the quality of all goods sold under the Intellectual Property must be satisfactory to the Licensor or as specified by the Licensor. The Licensee must furnish to the Licensor, upon request, with samples of goods sold or distributed, and/or examples of how Licensee provides services, using one or more of the Intellectual Property. In addition, in order to assure that the development, manufacture, appearance, quality, and distribution of the Product and/or Service are consonant with the Intellectual Property used to identify it or them, Licensor retains the right to participate at each stage of development of any Product or any other Material Requiring Approval and to approve or disapprove of any development, manufacture, appearance, quality, and/or distribution.
C. Whenever the Licensee uses any of the Intellectual Property, in advertising or in connection with goods that it sells or distributes, the Intellectual Property must be displayed in accordance with specifications and directions furnished by the Licensor to the Licensee, from time to time. Licensee shall use upon or in connection with the Product, and/or Service, where a United States Federal Trademark Registration has been obtained, the symbol ®. Licensee shall not otherwise affix or use such in connection with nor use any other trademark or trade name in connection with the Product without Licensor’s prior written approval. The Licensee must also clearly indicate the Licensor’s ownership of the Intellectual Property whenever one of the Intellectual Property is used. Licensee agrees to use such copyright notice as may be prescribed by legal counsel for Licensor, from time-to-time.
Article IV: Assignment and Subleasing
A. This Agreement and the License are personal to the Licensee, and the Licensee may not assign or sublicense any of the rights granted to the Licensee under this Agreement without the advance written consent of the Licensor, which consent may be withheld for any reason whatsoever. Any purported assignment or sublicense by the Licensee (or by operation of law) that is not approved in writing by the Licensor will be null and void and of no legal effect whatsoever.
B. This Agreement may be assigned by the Licensor to any person or entity whatsoever.
Article V: Licensorship and Protection of Intellectual Property
The Licensee acknowledges the Licensor’s exclusive right, title, and interest in the Intellectual Property and will not at any time do or cause to be done any act or thing contesting or in any way impairing or tending to impair any part of such right, title, and interest. Specifically, but without limitation, the Licensee will at no time adopt or use any word or mark that is likely to be similar to or confusing with the Intellectual Property. In connection with use of the Intellectual Property, the Licensee will not in any manner represent that it has ownership of the Intellectual Property or any registration thereof, and the Licensee acknowledges that use of the Intellectual Property will not create in the Licensee’s favor any right, title, or interest in or to the Intellectual Property, but all uses of the Intellectual Property by the Licensee, including any goodwill generated by such use, will inure to the benefit of the Licensor. The Licensor will be responsible for trademark registrations and must use commercially reasonable efforts to file, prosecute, and maintain all trademark and related registrations and registration applications for the Intellectual Property.
Article VI: Infringement
Only the Licensor shall have the right, but not the obligation, to prosecute any infringement of the Intellectual Property. The Licensee must promptly inform the Licensor of any infringement that comes to the Licensee’s attention, regardless of whether the Licensee elects to prosecute the infringement.
Article VII: Licensor’s Warranties and Representations
The Licensor is the sole Licensor of the Intellectual Property and has a good right to license the rights in the Intellectual Property to the Licensee in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
Article VIII: Indemnity
A. Licensee represents and warrants that it has the right to enter into this Agreement and to agree to the terms and conditions of this Agreement. The Licensee agrees that it will indemnify and hold harmless the Licensor , and its directors, officers, employees, shareholders, partners, agents, and affiliates, against all controversies, disputes, claims, liability, and expenses (including legal fees) relating to this Agreement, whether sounding in contract, tort or otherwise, brought by a third party.
B. Licensee shall promptly notify the Licensor of any claim, in writing; and, Licensee shall cooperate with the Licensor in the defense of any claim.
Article IX: Term and Termination
A. The term of the License will commence on the date of this Agreement and will continue in effect for a period of one (1) year. At the expiration of the initial one-year term of the License, or any renewal thereof, the License will be renewed for a period of one year beginning on the date of the expiration of the prior term, unless either the Licensor or the Licensee gives written notice of termination to the other not later than thirty (30) days before the expiration of the prior term. If notice of termination is given, the License will terminate on the expiration of the existing term.
B. The Licensor may, at its option, terminate the License prior to the end of its term by written notice to the Licensee if Licensee violates any of the terms of this Agreement.
C. Termination or expiration of the License will not in any way operate to impair or destroy any of the Licensor’s or the Licensee’s preexisting rights or remedies, either at law or in equity.
D. Immediately following the termination or expiration of the License, all rights granted to Licensee hereunder shall automatically revert to Licensor and Licensee shall execute any and all documents evidencing such automatic reversion; and, the Licensee must cease and desist from all use of the Intellectual Property in any way and deliver to the Licensor all material and papers on which the Intellectual Property appear that are in the Licensee’s possession.
E. Licensee shall, within three (3) months after such expiration or termination, deliver to Licensor a complete and accurate statement indicating that all existing inventories of Product have been destroyed and all references to Intellectual Property have been removed from Licensee’s properties.
Article X: Relationship
A. The relationship between the Licensor and the Licensee is that of licensor and licensee, and it is not the purpose or intention of this agreement or of the parties to create a partnership, joint venture, principal-agent, or other relationship for any purpose whatsoever. Neither the Licensor nor the Licensee is authorized to or has the power to obligate or bind the other party in any manner whatsoever except as may be expressly provided in this Agreement.
Article XI: Binding Effect
A. The provisions of this Agreement will be binding on and inure to the benefit of the heirs, personal representatives, successors, and assigns (where applicable) of the parties.
Article XII: Notice
A. All notices and other communications between the parties must be in writing.
B. Notices must be given by (i) personal delivery, (ii) a nationally-recognized, next-day courier service, (iii) first-class registered or certified mail, postage prepaid to the party’s address specified in this agreement, or to the address that a party has notified to be that party’s address for the purposes of this section, (iv) or via email.
C. A Notice given in accordance with this Agreement will be effective upon receipt by the party to which it is given or, if mailed, upon the earlier of receipt and the fifth Business Day following mailing.
Licensor:
Teresa Moore, COO
Escapees, Inc.
100 Rainbow Drive
Livingston, Texas 77351
Licensee:
______
______
______, ______ ______
Article XIII: Attorney’s Fees
In the event of any controversies, disputes, and/or claims arising out of or relating to this Agreement, whether sounding in contract, tort, or otherwise, each party shall bear its own costs and expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, incurred in connection with such action.
Article XIV: Confidentiality
Licensee shall maintain the confidentiality of all trade and proprietary secrets that may be disclosed in the course of providing the services under this agreement. Licensor shall identify to Licensee in advance and in writing any information or data deemed a trade or proprietary secret.
ARTICLE XV: CHOICE OF LAW
The parties agree that the laws of Texas shall govern this Agreement and all controversies, disputes and claims relating to, in connection with or arising out of this Agreement or breach of this Agreement, whether sounding in contract, tort, or otherwise, and whether settled by binding arbitration or by a court of competent jurisdiction.
Article XVI: Waiver
A party’s failure or neglect to enforce any of its rights under this agreement will not be deemed to be a waiver of that rights or any other of its rights.
Article XVII: Headings and Construction
The section headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.
Article XVIII: Counterparts
The parties to this Agreement may sign this Agreement in any number of counterparts, each of which is an original and all of which taken together form one single document. Moreover, this Agreement shall become effective when each of the parties to this Agreement sign one or more counterparts and delivered the signed counterpart to each of the other parties to this Agreement, in accordance with ARTICLE II: NOTICE of this Agreement.
Article XIX: Severability
If any term or provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, the remainder of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect, and, that illegal, invalid, or unenforceable term or provision shall be modified to the extent necessary to render such term or provision enforceable. The rights and obligations of the parties shall be construed and enforced accordingly, preserving to the fullest permissible extent the intent and agreements of the parties, without frustrating the purpose of the Agreement.
Article XX: Entire Agreement, Modification and Integration
A. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties. Each party acknowledges that in entering into this Agreement it does not rely on, and shall have no remedies in respect of, any representation or warranty (whether made expressly or impliedly) that is not set out in this agreement.
B. This Agreement may not be modified other than in a writing, dated, executed by an authorized representative of both parties, stating its intent to modify or supersede this Agreement and delivered in accordance with the Notice clause of this Agreement.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Licensor has caused this Agreement to be executed by offering the Intellectual Property for download on escapees.com; and, Licensee has caused this Agreement to be executed personally or, as appropriate, by its duly authorized officers by downloading the Intellectual Property.
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.
I recently graduated a program in Alabama. I now live full-time in an RV park until I can save money to buy me some property. I want to get married but what do I use for my physical address if I only have a PO box?
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 have been a SD resident for almost 5 years, a traveling RVr. I have not been called but have read what others say. It depends on the county you claim residence. Some will excuse you, others will excuse you but reschedule you for another period during that year. I’ve read Pennington is easier to work with but I have not verified that or had experience other than I claim residency there.
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!
What a great suggestion! Thank you so much for sharing.
Excellent article!! I am 78 and we have been eating whole-food, plant-based for almost 10 years and love the results!!! Lots of energy and no prescriptions and there is lots of science supporting this way of eating. I wish we know about this many years before.
We find it very easy to cook this way and even eat out with some planning. I suspect there are many of us full timers that understand the power of plants.
We have taught classes on the road and at schools and we have been thinking about trying to form a BOF group for recipes and support for the WFPB way of eating. An thoughts?
I found Ultimate Campgrounds Public (UC Public), an app I found last summer. It is great for listing all types of public campgrounds including city, county, national park, state, BLM and forest.
Thanks for that suggestion! I will check it out
Make sure that you leave a review. That is the most important thing to do. You see an app like campendium and you see 1 review for the park you are staying in and 100 campers in the park. There should be more than 1 review.
I like what you said about checking reviews before you decide on a campground to use for your RV. My brother has been telling me about how he wants to take a road trip across the country in the coming year, and he wants to make sure that he stays in quality locations. I’ll share this information with him so that he can look into his options for reading reviews before he chooses spots to camp.
Completely forget to mention a great web site, campgroundreviews.com. I use it all the time. You can search by State and City. Very good Information, reviews and a link to each campgrounds web site. It also lists the address and phone number to contact the campground as well as a link to a map of its location.
Just be careful with mileage on Allstays they can be off. I used them for everything the last two years but found that the mileage is off when I leave a campground and get to the one I picked on Allstays sometimes by 30-40 miles. But I can’t do without this App. Next year going out west and have been planning trip using Allstays
Thank you! I have never tried their trip routing feature personally, and now I know to be careful with it if I do.
I have a feeling the reason their mileage calculations is off is that it is calculated “as the crow flies” and not according to road mileage. For actual road mileage I prefer Google maps, and they are often off in the time it will take you to get there.
It has been a long time since I have thought about the Escapees club and the years My husband, Jack Steves and I were members. This is a wonderful write-up of the clubs beginnings. We enjoyed many wonderful years working at the parks and traveling with the members in the 80’s. Jack died just 8 years ago from heart problems, but lived the 28 year after having throat cancer surgery. I do miss the travels and the great people we met over the years.
Wish the best for many more years to the success of the great ideas of the Petersons. Betty Steves
Hi we live in Arizona but went full time in July. We like it here they don’t tax Social Security here and we have good insurance. Vehicles are registered at our old address same as drivers license. We have a UPS mailbox but apparently they don’t accept that as a residence. Any suggestions as we don’t want to relocate
To find mail-forwarding services (who would then offer you an address), a Google search should yield a few options. We are unfamiliar with the companies available there, and as such, cannot recommend any one of them in particular.
I applaud you and congratulate you. What you do requires tremendous effort and we pray the rewards will be more than adequate. You and your children are living a lifestyle I dreamed of when I was younger. Enjoy all the fruits of your efforts. In ten months, look back on the last year and congratulate yourselves! It will get easier.
Thank you Judy! Some days it’s hard to believe it’s only been 3 months since we started. So much has changed!
The roads are vast and plentiful…..but not every road is for you. Find yours and follow your heart!
I’m not sure how I want to begin this. My situation is a big complicated. My wife and I sold our house at the end of 2020 and went full-time rving as of July 1st of 2021. A lot of that came to a screeching a hole as of October 19th 2021. My wife was struck and killed buy a reckless motor driver hit herat 107 miles per hour.
And that process I lost my two stepsons to their biological dad and that leaves me with our three youngest kids. At that time was 10 months three and five. Soon our daughter our only daughter turned one in December and my two boys their birthdays are coming up in May and June so they’ll be four and six.
She was the income bringer for this adventure she wanted to really do and be a traveling nurse. Our first contract was supposed to be December and we were making our way to Livingston Texas at the RVs escapees. We are also members. I’m not sure if at all I can continue this journey not with the RV that we have currently can’t do it. But I’ve been trying to desperately figure out if it would even be ideal with children as young as I have to try something like this to live something completely different than the normal lifestyle.
My wife and I were very adventurous she died at 33 and I just turned 41 actually just turned 41 two days before her accident. I really cannot stomach or stand Pennsylvania any longer and I need to manage to figure out how to get out of here. We were going to do full-time rving for about to 3 years tops to figure out which state we wanted to live in and call home. We moved in the end of 2019 to South Carolina. But we end up not liking where we lived and we did a lot of traveling while living in South Carolina and found ourselves liking other areas too but I’m sure wherever you wanted to call home.
This is where my injury came into play to my leg and being left go at work and Cassie wanting to really do traveling nursing now that we are no longer held back by the ex-husband. So that’s what we did now I’m in a place where the rain is taken care of for us until the end of June but after that I really have no idea what to do. I’ve been debating on using some of the insurance money and maybe selling the truck an RV we have for a different type of RV I figured a motorhome kind of similar to what you have would probably be more ideal than the older one that we have. I’m not exactly sure if that’s wise or not. My wife started to have a crazy love for Colorado and that’s not hard to believe because Colorado is beautiful but if you do my wife knowing how much she wanted to live south in warmer weather and preferably by the ocean her favorite place to be I found it very peculiar and that’s what started our talks on our way home where we took three additional days and talks went back to let’s do rving again it was something we thought about doing it 2016.
Stories like you give me inspiration but I just not sure with children being that young in the responsibilities with homeschool we chose Texas as our state because Texas has better homeschooling laws than we thought of Florida and I think the other RV location is I want to say Nebraska I could be wrong on that. But if you have any suggestions or thoughts I would appreciate hearing from somebody that’s actually living it and doing it. I don’t mind doing hard work and putting in effort. It’s very rare we get to see my stepsons because of their dads and ass but I can’t base my life just off of that.
Thank you
Jim
Hi Jim! Congrats on pulling things together and planning ahead, researching options for your family. Sounds like your family has really been through the wringer, but you’re going a great job of making the best of the situation.
I’ll make sure Holly knows you’ve commented, in hopes she may have some advice for you. In the meantime, though, you may want to take a look at some of the articles on our Xscapers website: https://xscapers.com/category/rving-families/ Xscapers is a lifestyle group of Escapees RV Club members who work full- or most-of-the-time while traveling, many of them bringing their young families on the road with them. You’ll find more articles from Holly as well as from others in our community who have faced questions similar to yours. Feel free to join our Facebook group for Xscapers, too https://www.facebook.com/groups/xscapers You’ll find others like yourself.
I don’t know if this is an advertisement or an info article which bothers me. I loth ads that are portrayed as public interest info.
If it was written for informing, I would expect the cost would be included. If it is an ad, I expect the cost would be hidden which it is in this article.
I would venture to guess that Rene didn’t include the pricing here because it can vary from person to person, depending on setup. However, you can see the full pricing schedule at https://escapees.com/education/smartweigh/.
Steven, I was more than happy to give a first person account of our actual experience, so that even long-term RVers like myself can have a better understanding of the benefits of weighing your rig. I didn’t include pricing in order to keep the content from being dated, and as Georgianne said, the cost varies depending on rig type.
Sometimes it’s hard to set ourselves fit in the road. You know how painful it is. BTW I am so appreciative you are happy to instruct Zumba here at Jojoba Hills. None of us will ever coordinate the nature of your moves however with your support we as a whole have some good times.
Perfectly perfect post! Thank you for sharing your love for Arkansas.
Hi, Holly! I loved reading your story, and I also applaud you and your sons for embarking on your adventure. And the best part is, they’ll remember this time with Mom forever…they’ll be telling their grandchildren about it in 75 years!!! I admire your attitude of “How hard can it be? Let’s do it!!!” Keep on campin’ !!!
Miss Frizzle said it best….”Take Chances, Make Mistakes, Get Messy” and I live by her words. Although maybe a bit too much of the make mistakes….
I hope my sons do remember and talk about it! We talk about our mishaps now and laugh. We also talk about our favorite adventures.
We are still going strong 1 year in!
Hi there!
I am a single mom and am considering venturing out on the road with my 12 & 2 year old. I am a nomad in heart and spirit but have allowed myself to be sucked under high mortgage payments, bills etc. I have had this thought of hitting the road with my kids for years. Due to Covid and other out-of-my-control mishaps this year, I feel all the signs to market my house and buy an RV are staring me in the face. I’m ready. My son is ready. He has been homeschooling for over a year and so far so good.
I have lots of questions, so any suggestions you have in all areas, please share. I googled single, homeschooling, Rv traveling moms and you were the first to pop up. Love your inspiring story. Hope to have one of my own soon.
I love your posts as it’s easy to understand since you share lots of information, thank you
I’m glad you mentioned that fifth wheel RV trailers are usually a lot bigger than the other non-motorized RV types. My husband and I like the idea of buying some sort of RV so we can start taking our 4 kids on camping adventures when the weather heats up. I’ll have to start looking at used fifth wheels for sale now that I know they’d be a good option for our large family!
I wanted to choise florida but am curious about the 183 day rule there. I am a travel nurse and would not live in florida for 6 months? How can this be bypassed with escapees
Hi Debbie!
The 183-day rule tends to apply to those trying to maintain a residence in one state while also claiming Florida as their primary residence to avoid income tax. This is less of an issue if you plan to only claim one residence, Florida for example, while you’re traveling elsewhere.
That said, it is best to consult with a legal professional when it comes to navigating the intricacies of domicile as individual RVers tend to have individual variables that can change the circumstances.
We typically refer our members to Loring and Associates, attorneys who are well-versed in domicile for RVers. In fact, their attorneys have written most of our articles on domicile and legal needs for RVers. You can reach them at 800-260-1615
The link for the FL Affidavit of Domicile in this article is no longer working. Can you provide one that does? Thanks so much.
Thank you for that. Looks like they’ve changed their link again 😀
You’ll find it here: https://www.sumterclerk.com/_cache/files/5/e/5eb081e6-f6f8-4cda-b286-aec95b7c5331/AC84B6DDF3D3D4FC2100FAF63A073063.declaration-of-domicile.pdf
Have you ever checked out AVA: America’s Walking Club? Look up AVA.org. This is a nationwide group that has walks all over country. I’ll be presenting a seminar at the Escapade this year. Our motto is Fun, Fitness, Friendship. You can find walking events under the “Events” tab. I have been in the AVA (American Volkssport Association) for 25 years. If you like earning pins and patches, you can do that too. I invite you to try some walks.
Hi Susan! AVA sounds great and thank you for sharing the good info! Will keep it mind as well 🙂 I enjoy running myself but maybe this is something we could enjoy as a couple down the road!
Thanks ever so much for this fitness club info. I’ll check it out.
OMG! This is just what I needed today! I literally gained the freshman 15 and needed some inspiration! Great timing for me and tips to help me start a healthier schedule!! Happy Trails
Hi Shawna! I’m so glad this article was helpful! At the beginning I was hesitant to share since it’s always a challenge to stay on a routine long term and there are so many more RVers that have their fitness routines down to a science as it’s their profession as well, but I also think it helps to share the vulnerabilities and ups and downs to show that anyone can get motivated and find their own routine!
Nice article hopefully will motivate folks to do more than sit in their chairs. It’s not that hard to establish a workout routine on the road. Thanks for writing!
Thank you Robin for the nice words! 🙂
Great points to consider..
Great article Veronica! You and Denny are definitely the role models for getting out and making the most of your surroundings. Keep it up!
We started our full-time adventure in Texas and set up our domicile with you all there when we found out we would be moving to Kansas for a temporary job assignment. We were in KS 5 months last year and hope to be few than that this year. Since we had to pay state taxes in KS we got a virtual mailbox in KS also (we have mail service w/ Escapees) but never changed our DL’s or vehicle tags as the hubs intended to retire this year. We just found out we will be assigned in OK next —I MISS TEXAS!! We have a lot on the lake in TX but haven’t established it as a physical address yet. Our Driver’s Licenses and vehicles (including our 5th wheel and Motorhome) are all tagged in Texas. Will I be able to continue as a Texas in Oklahoma?
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/
This is our first time to apply for a ballot by mail in Texas. I have a couple of questions:
When will we receive our ballots? The way I read it we can start returning the ballot when early voting opens (but not before) and must have it received (not post marked) before the polls close on election day. But when do we receive the ballot from the county clerk so that we can meet these deadlines?
On the form it asks for a date range that the mailing address is valid. Is there a problem with ending the range before election day. i.e. I will be at an address from Jan 22 to April 22. Early voting and mail-in starts on April 20, election day is May 3. I am not returning to the county but only have my Polk county address after April 22. Will my application for ballot by mail be rejected?
Hi Ray!
Unfortunately, we cannot predict how long it will take for you to receive your ballot. It depends on when you submit your form, how long it takes to process, and the route it takes to get back to you. If you use a mail forwarding address, that will take an extra day or two as well.
The Primary Election is in March. The May dates you reference are for special elections. From reviewing the Polk County Clerk’s website, it doesn’t appear that there are any special elections planned for this year. With any mail-in ballots, they must be sent to an address outside of Polk County. If you use Escapees’s mail-forwarding service, we offer our members an address outside of Polk County to which ballots can be sent. We collect mail from there, sort into your PMB, and forward to you at your request. More information about this option is in the post above.
Thank you for doing this. If I’d seen it sooner I would have joined in. Amazing how much lint and hair is left in a cave. After being a summer seasonal Park Ranger at Oregon Caves I volunteered one winter and picked lint.
Great article! Thanks for taking the time!
how much does it cost to file the affidavit to domicile
It is typically no more than a few dollars, but can vary from state to state. A quick Google search for “affidavit to domicile fee” plus the state you’re interested in should provide you the answer.
Question: Why would Texas challenge your domicile claim and lose out on what taxes and fees you are putting into the state? I can see that your former state of residence would have incentive to still claim you as a resident for tax purposes. For example, if you stay in California more than 183 nights in a year, California may claim you as a resident and levy taxes on you. Thank you for a very comprehensive article.
We are original Texans (in our younger days before jobs caused us to relocate for different jobs E, N, & W but we’re coming back home to family scattered thru out the state.) However we’re not selling our CA home because our granddaughter plans to move to this area & needs a home. Will this be a problem. Also we had TX DL, insurance, etc in younger days + now living family in area & family burial plots so we think we have some supporting proof for declaring domicile. Any additional thoughts or gotchas we should be aware of?
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 think you have more guts and bravado than most men out there, to do what you’re doing which is living life to the fullest despite the challenges involved. I can say with certainty that when you look back at your life in the future, you will not have many regrets that most of us do that include “would have, could have, should have…”. One tip I would like to give to help you in your travels is that if you ever get to a place with no cell signal, an RV cell booster can be very helpful.
“Would have, could have, should have….” this is actually part of my “Why”. I see so many people wishing they had and I already was wishing I had earlier. I may be broke by the time our journey ends, but I will have one heck of a story.
Thanks for booster tip!
In Texas, when are absentee ballots mailed out to us?
Hi Steven!
Mail-in ballots are sent to you after you request them. If you use a mail-forwarding service, you will also need to allow time for your forwarder to receive and process it then forward it on to you.
I attended the fire safety seminar at the Spirit of The Road Rally. Jim mentioned a particular foam extinguisher that not only puts out the fire, but prevents re-ignition . What is the name of that extinguisher. There are several foam one on the market, but I want to get the most effective
Hi Bob!
Jim typically recommends one of the three following brands- Fire Fighters Inc., Fireade, or Fire Gone. They use a technology that isolates the carbon molecule and puts out the fire.
My husband and I have been Texas residents since 1993 so when we become full time rv’ers in September 2020 establishing our residence and mailing address with Escapees should be easy. However, I can’t find any information on whether we can be considered homesteaders in Polk County in order to get a homesteader exemption on our income taxes.
Hi Vivian!
No, your Escapees address does not qualify for a homestead exemption. You are basically renting the address from Escapees, and therefore do not own any property at that address that would qualify as a homestead.
Would like to receive club news
Hi Linda!
To subscribe to Escapees RV Club News, scroll to the bottom of the page and click the “Sign Up” button under “Newsletter” 🙂 Thanks for your interest!
Thanks for Sharing the History of Escapees Rainbows End. I have been a member of Escapees for over 10 years and wanted more history on the Club.
I totally agree with you when you said that not every RV breakdown is due to a collision. My uncle told me that last time when he took his RV on a road trip, he found out that there were a few dents on it. I will recommend him to take it to an RV body repair shop.
Really enjoyed the two articles on the Escapees history. My wife Karen and I joined in the past year and after planning for five years have domiciled in Livingston. Escapees is an organization like no other RV Club. We enjoyed spending our first Christmas on the road with other Escapees in Livingston.
We have been full timing since 2007. In 2001 I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and was born with an immune deficiency along with a few other comorbidities that I have to manage. My MS plateaued about 10 years ago. My immune system crashes periodically but I have been able to get by infusing SCIG. I have been infusing SCIG (Hizentra) every week. So far so good. We are using the physicians in Reno. I was referred to an immunologist and a nasologist in Reno.
Because coronavirus represents a risk to those of us who have an immune deficiency we avoid places like Las Vegas. Just too many people flying in from every corner of the globe.
AS with most CVID patients, I had a problem with chronic sinusitis but met an ENT in Reno who specializes in treating CVID patients. I have been antibiotic free for 9 months now and have been able to worry less about my MS. From what I can gather Haley has to manage something akin to an immune deficiency. Let her know that we live in a 29′ 1976 Airstream. It is tight but we try to spend as much time as we can outside.
The IG distributor I have been working with have allowed us to wander aimlessly around the US and Canada and we have traveled to Europe several times. In 2016 we took 5 months to drive to and from Kenai, AK. We just go slow and build in time for me to find a place to infuse and take advantage of the wilderness around us.
Be advised, usps.com is not accurate in listing specific zip codes that accept General Delivery. And not all post office local phone numbers will be answered by humans, so you can verify that they do accept G.D.
Yep, that is definitely an issue with some locations! Even those who do have staff answer the phones can often take several minutes of ringing and/or being on hold to get through. Unfortunately, there is not an easy solution to this if you are not yet physically near the P.O. you’re trying to reach.
thank you!
You didn’t address UPS Smart Post or FEDEX Sure Post, where the private shippers use the post office for the final leg of the delivery. If you know your seller is going to use one of these 2 delivery programs, then you can still address your delivery to “General Delivery” at the post office & they will accept it because they are sharing in the revenue from that shipment. But if you use General Delivery & your seller sends the package by “regular” UPS or FEDEX, the package may go to the post office, but the post office will then charge you extra for handling the package, since they did not share in the revenue like they would have with a Smart Post or Sure Post shipment.
I’ve run into way too many post offices that accept general delivery only for “new to the area” residents that have a permanent address that will be available within 30 days.
I got caught by the Austin situation once also. When I showed up, the only clerk was very put out that I wanted to pickup my package. She told me it wasn’t in the office several times. After I showed her the online status, she agreed to go look even though she assured me it wasn’t in the office. Needless to say, she came back with it saying that someone put it in the wrong place.
I’ve also run into post offices where you can talk to the person that handles General Delivery and they want to talk about RV living.
I had one Post Office where I missed the open hours and the Postmaster let me fill a forwarding address online so I could pick my mail up at my next stop.
A workaround for the UPS/Fedex problem:
When I order something online and don’t know for sure it will be shipped USPS (e.g. amazon, etsy), I simply add “PO Box” to the address. It forces the shipper to send via USPS/Smart Post/ SurePost.
Name
General delivery
PO Box
City, State zip-9999
Small businesses will sometimes reach out to ask about the missing P.O. Box number but I just explain the situation and they’re happy to ship it general delivery.
We have seen several RVers try this successfully. Unfortunately, it doesn’t consistently work, but when it does, it’s handy!
Several bad experiences in Florida caused me to stop trying to use General Delivery. First of all, it may be impossible to get anyone to answer their phones. One postmaster told me that they are not required to answer their public phone numbers! I chased one package back and forth across Fort Myers. It ended up at a PO that does not support General Delivery, so they returned it to the sender.
I have found that General Delivery varies greatly from Post Office to Post Office. I have been the most successful when visiting the Post Office and asking, “How do you want this addressed?” I just came from a post office which gave me two addresses even with different zip codes for the same location depending on what was being sent.
Worth mentioning that many post offices will only take your mail for 30 days. This is especially true in FL.
As mentioned, you cannot rely on the Post Office website at all. Here again, visiting the local PO is very helpful. I have also had a Post Office require that I fill out a form in advance to be able to receive General Delivery.
We have had the best luck at small town post offices. Always have a tracking number.
Amazon is the hardest since you do not know how it is being sent. I tried the PO Box trick, only to have it returned to Amazon. In a small town I have talked to a UPS driver and asked them, “Who is the best in town to take my package and hold it for me?” They gave me a small shops name who was happy to hold my package.
Another issue that RVers face if they drive an oversize vehicle, is to go to Google Earth and see what the parking lot looks like! Most POs only have angled parking, and if you are driving a larger motorhome, you may have to park on the street and walk a ways to get to the post office!
We have been using General Delivery for the past 4-1/2 years, and have only had minor issues with it, as stated in the article and comments. Most of the issues have had to do with the inconsistencies within the USPS. They should all have the same rules, but they don’t, and the web sites are not always accurate! Still, if you do your proper research ahead of time, it can work well, as it has for us.
Every RV that I have ever bought I have checked over by an industry professional. This is very important as many times I have been saved from buying a lemon as they find things that I can’t or don’t see. It might cost a little money to have a professional look over it, but it is cheaper than having an RV that falls apart after a small amount of time (water leaks are the worst I think).
I got my dowel and propped the escape window open. I found it was difficult to maneuver myself out even though I’m in good shape and not overweight. Later, when I lifted the window a bit further to remove the dowel, it came loose and fell to the ground. $140 to replace the broken glass. Windows in new coaches don’t have regular hinges; the new ones are designed to detach when you raise them to approximately horizontal! I’m glad I practiced and hope other folks can profit from my experience.
Unfortunately I purchased a 7 year warranty from Wholesales Warranty and have been disappointed with the claims process. I went through every hoop to file a claim for an electrical short in my coach and it took the RV technician 6 hours to locate and replace the electrical lines while constantly keeping the warranty folks in the loop. I’ve had my rig 2 years, it is a 2018 Vegas, and at the very end of this very long day they denied the claim as a manufacturing defect because it appeared the electrical wire was rubbing on a screw in the wall. Very disappointed.
We recently attended a mini seminar at Boomerville concerning fires caused by RV absorption refrigerators. Apparently this is a major cause of RV fires. It was a pretty easy decision to purchase an ARP refrigerator control unit after the presentation. This unit monitors boiler temps and will shut the fridge down to allow it to cool before the boiler is damaged enough to cause a fire. The leading cause of overheating is running the fridge while out of level. The ARP control is cheap insurance that can save your rig or possibly even save your life. It should also extend the life of your refrigerator. I would recommend taking a look at purchasing one of these units.
Best article . thank you for the sharing.
Good post!
We moved into our Solitude in July 2018. Fire has been a concern because there’s only 1 door, both ends are elevated and items that may cause a fire are between us and the door. I have an extinguisher in each room, 2 fire blankets in the bedroom. Our bedroom emergency exit is a 26″ window 8′ off the ground above the dresser. With items on the dresser and the height it would be near impossible to get out so we’ve planned to use the door.
THANKS MARNI!
I appreciate the tips, especially reminder to have personal contacts & emergency stuff in order. I have a few contacts, depending on my location.
This is great – thank you Marni!
Thank you very much for this article. I’m implementing ideas that I hadn’t thought of.
Stay safe. Hope to meet you both someday along the Rv trails and adventures.
Excellent and timely! Thanks much
This is totally what I needed to hear. I will look into some of your suggestions. I have to unplug the news too, limit time once a day. Mornings. Thank you!!
One strange thing about South Dakota that’s a disadvantage is that memberships are taxed in SD. For example, I have a Thousand Trails, Hulu, Costco, etc. members and every one of these are taxed! If you have a credit card where the zip code is SD you’ll be taxed on these memberships. It adds up.
We made a similar choice, traveling 3,000 miles in 7 days to get back to the sticks & bricks, which we had hoped to have sold by now! I hear you about the grueling drive. Glad you two had a place you could hunker down.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience. That’s a lot of miles!! Glad you made it safely.
Thanks, nice report.
We appreciate your feedback Mike!
We live full time in our 5th wheel trailer. Our address on our driver license, IRS, Medicare, etc is Rainbow Drive in Livingston TX with Escapees.
Can I legally purchase a handgun in Texas using that address?
If you use that address as your domicile on your other legal documents, you shouldn’t have an issue using it to purchase a firearm.
What a story, guys. Please, continue to stay safe and work hard. I know this article will help others know that the struggle isn’t an individual one. Let’s do it together (6 feet apart and no more than 10 people).
For sure Myles! Thanks for your comment and stay safe.
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this. I had heard part of it through friends that originally told us about Escapees when we were contemplating going full time. The fact that Escapees had fought through the courts to be a recognized, legal address for full timers for voting and banking and the mail forwarding service was what convinced us to join. We have not been disappointed! There is much more you offer that we hope to take advantage of some day.
Thank you for story. We were due to retire, sell up and travel in our fifth wheel. Hopefully, this will be a distant memory soon!! Stay Safe!!!
We hope so too! Travel is a BIG part of our life and we want to get back to it. Best of luck to you when it’s safe travel!
Hi. I’ve been a California resident for 15 years, and a full-time RVer for the last 5 years. I’ve been using a PMB box from CA, but I need to change my official address soon, because of the AB5 law in California (I cannot work as a freelancer anymore if I “live” in CA). The RV and the car are not on my name. So, I’d just need to change the address on my ID card and make the new address official to the IRS. I don’t care which state is (TX, FL or SD) and health insurance and vote place is not an issue now. Do I still need to “Establish professional and social connections within the county of domicile.?” If I stay in South Dakota for example for a week, would that be enough to do what I have to do?
Hi Claire!
With a situation as specific as yours, we recommend you reach out to Loring & Associates (the attorneys who provide most of our domicile information) for a free consultation.
This was so fun!! Makes me want to look into more escapes events! You guys are awesome!
Hey Rob! That orange shirt in the last pic is great! Where did you get it?
These RV’s share their happy moments with family and friends via Facebook. This keeps our family close. I love them
Thank you for this valuable information. We are just now in the beginning stages of selling everything and starting on our new adventure. This answered some of our questions.
GOOD STUFF! Thanx for this seminar.
Martin Frahme, Morristownship, NJ
I found this line of thoughts, decided that our daughter should read it and save it…. the whole thing, for reference. This covid 19 situation has really put folks around here in a situation. Not knowing where to park the RV, our daughter is now parked in a friend’s driveway, just waiting for the lifting of the law saying she must stay there Until she leaves the state where she is parked. Good thing she has friends…
Any info for Disabled Folk’s? Etc.
Hi there,
Information regarding accessibility and accommodations will be specific to each event, so no, we don’t have much generalized advice to offer beyond checking with event organizers.
A couple of points that may be particularly useful for you, though, are to stock on up medical supplies and medications in advance and keep some sort of backpack or shoulder bag with you for snacks, water, personal needs, etc to minimize the number of trips you need to take back to your rig in a given day. All of our big rallies offer transportation assistance for disabled guests, but it may not always be immediately available (due to transporting others in need), so having some necessities with you will hopefully prevent emergencies.
Great article, very informative! Thanks for laying out so many factors to consider and the different options.
Great info.
From my experience, my AmEx Card was threatened with closure since I didn’t have a physical address. I called, chatted, or went self-service online after every email or paper mail. Every time it was “fully resolved”, until it wasn’t. This went on for probably a dozen times over 9 months, until it didn’t. Not sure why, but they accepted the last one for more than 2 years.
Just 3 months ago, TDI Ameritrade complained. Sent them a picture of my driver’s license with my address, they haven’t complained again.
It seems to help to say that I while I like to use and/or invest through you, I have other accounts that accept my life style.
We’ve also found AmEx to be more difficult than others when it comes to the whole address thing. They were actually the reason we ended up switching our cellphone bill (and one bank address) to a relative. It was the only thing that stopped them.
Nina
Question: We are full-time RVers. We were getting our mail delivered at an RV park. One day, when I was going to pick up our mail, the gal in the Grocery Store (where we picked up our mail) was sorting through the mail. I asked if I could get my mail. She says to me “Don’t you know it is against the law to hand out mail, while I am sorting it?”. I had/have no idea there was such a law, especially at an RV Park. So, my question is: Is there such a law? I can’t find anything on the internet about this situation. I am thinking this employee was just being a jerk. Thank you for any information on this.
As far as we could find, no, it isn’t illegal. However, it can be inconvenient to the staff and recipient, as you may have had more mail to pick up than had currently been sorted.
Good article, Nina. I’d like to add some thoughts about using credit unions, though. We are full-timers and are generally perfectly happy with the service we receive from our credit union based in Nevada. When we need a good chunk of cash, however, the fact that it’s based in a specific state proves to be a challenge.
For example, say you’re in Colorado and you found a great deal on a trailer and you need to take $5000 out right away. While you do have “shared banking” when you’re in other states, our experience has been that there is a limit to how much you can withdraw – $1000 a day maybe. I don’t know if that’s the case with all credit unions, but I can say it’s been a real sticking point for us. I also find that not all credit unions are shared banks with mine, which reduces the access even more. Yes, there’s ATM, but the daily withdrawal limit on those is even smaller.
We are on fixed income, so having balances in two banks is not really very practical for us. We have decided to go to a national commercial bank so access to our money is not so darn frustrating.
Very good info Tawnya. We’ve never personally dealt with credit unions, so it’s good to hear your perspective. I wonder if other RVers have run into that problem? I do think you’ll find the problems you mentioned easier with one of the regular brick & mortar banks. Hope the switch goes smoothly!
Nina
Excellent article Nina!
I’m new to making the most of my Escapee membership but I just retired, have a lovely 2002 Rialta RV and am looking forward to the adventures ahead! Thanks for the inspiration.
Do you have any suggestions for a PPO? I’ve heard there is an RV Specific medical insurance provider?
You may want to check out http://rverinsuranceexchange.com/ to see what options they have.
Hi Karen,
We get our insurance through the Florida Healthcare.gov exchange because we are Florida residents. Our policy is with FloridaBlue. If you’re a Florida resident, you’ll have several options for PPOs. I’m not sure about other states, but, like Georgianne said, the RVer Insurance Exchange is a good place to start.
We’ve been fulltimeers since 2002 and have never had to use an ATM or otherwise had to pay a fee to obtain cash. Many (most) retailers allow debit card cashback withdrawals without a fee when purchases are made — often $100 or more per purchase. For larger amounts, a visit to any handy (not our own) bank teller has always resulted in the needed debit card cash withdrawal — without ever being charged a fee.
I loved the Tucson hangout and will attend more when able. Rob and Laura took good care of me after I took a bad fall the first day. Also came down with a bad cold and Laura was able to provide me with some cold meds. I wasn’t able to join all the activities but really enjoyed the side trips and potlucks. The last night party was wonderful with the status Crowes. If Tucson is the site of another event I would hope for warmer weather. Great hosts and lots of nice people.
Rob and Laura are two of our favorite RVers that we’ve met during our 4 years on the road. The Escapees community is blessed to have them as members and we are grateful to consider them friends.
Sounds good. Thanks for trying new things for us to participate in.
Thanks for the great and detailed Information!
How lucky your children are to have such a courageous Mom! The life experience you are giving them is invaluable. I envy you that you do not let fear get in the way of living life, especially as a single Mom!
Thank you, Caroline!
My dog is elderly (16) and recently went deaf. She had never barked much before and was never a problem with excessive barking. Since she has gone deaf it’s bark, bark, bark at everything and or nothing at all. I have watched her lay down and every few minutes bark, look around, bark then lie still? I give her leash a tug to get her attention and talk to her (yeah, like that helps) and she will look straight at me and bark, then lie back down.
Any ideas on deaf dog bark training.
Hi Jim,
I would certainly start with the stuffed toys that Jeannie talks about in this article. Have one near your dog at all times. You may have to start with something really tempting, that smells good. Peanut butter is mentioned. My Aussie is 14 and deaf. I think small dogs are more apt to this behavior as since they can’t hear they tend to startle easily and fear getting stepped on. Thank Jeannie for the great tips above. 🙂
Hello Jim,
I have to say that I haven’t worked with deaf dogs personally. As Janice stated, your dog could be barking because she is feeling insecure about what’s around her and may have the need to bark to keep the “bad stuff” away whether it’s perceived or real. The trainers who work with deaf dogs use hand signals for commands after getting the dog’s attention. You may want to find one of those very special trainers near your area through the APDT. Here’s their website: https://apps.apdt.com/eweb/DynamicPage.aspx?webcode=TrainerSearch.
I wish the best of luck to you and your sweet, older dog.
Jeannie
Very good training tips. I would be hesitant in teaching a barking dog, how to bark again on command, once the barking is solved. You and I could do so, but the average pet owner with a “problem” behavior cannot follow through to make this transition workable. There are too many variables in stopping the original barking problem. Anyway, just my .02.
We live in our 5th wheel since 2012 and will be retiring to an Escapees site in Casa Grande later this year. I am an AKC and ASCA Obedience judge and Rally Obedience judge, Author of the Rally Course Book, Novice through Master.
Janice Dearth
Janice,
Thank you for your input. You definitely have good points about teaching the average pet owner how to teach their dog to speak on command. Like you stated, there are many variables in stopping the original barking issues so just focusing on this would likely be enough to tackle.
I would add that if anyone wants to try to teach their dog to bark on command, to do so with the help of a trainer. For the amateur dog handler it’s often easier to work with a trainer than try to follow a video because a trainer gives immediate feedback and helps with correcting any mistakes that are made.
Thanks again for your comment.
Jeannie
Another thing to note when having your RV insurance work done is to ensure that you always use a reputable repairer. Quite often your insurance company will be able to provide you with a list of recommended or repairers that they endorse. Having work done by quality repairers ensures that your RV is not compromised and protects the resale value over the long term.
One other (and big) consideration for full time RVers (and maybe others) is the cost of vehicle insurance. We found that insuring our toad and Class A for fulltime coverage is 3 times as expensive in Texas as in our “home” state, many thousands of dollars more, nearly wiping out the advantage of no income tax…. Just one more consideration.
Robert,
I too got sick of Directv. If you have minimal Internet access on your RV, try a streaming service like YouTubeTV, not youtube, but YouTubeTV. I get my local channels and about 60 other channels for around $50/no. It usmuch cheaper than Directv and if you have only about 2-3 mbit service, relatively slow, ir will work acceptably. More is better, but you can watch anywhere on anything ( tv, phone, tablet, laptop, etc) . We were SO happy to dump Directv and use this service. You can also use their free online DVR service to .”tape” an unlimited number of shows, unlike Firectvs limits.
I hope it helps you
What was the cost of a complete install like that?
Quite often when you hitch up the toad, only one of the tow arm extensions will fully extend and lock in place. I make a quick little back and forth turn in the motorhome (left then right) when I start out so both tow arms extend and lock in place.
Great tips. Never thought of soaking the dry food and then freezing the Kong! Definitely be buying a weeks worth of them now!
Good info! We switched months ago, and have been feeling much better.
Thanks for the great article!! I could be a “ditto” there, I’ve been searching for 3 years for the right RV…which is probably the wrong way to go about it. Fear is the stop…but we’ve downsized and are so close to just making it happen. Was going to start with a 24 foot with me and my boys and a cat and guinea pig.
I see so many people start out in one rig and end up in another. You won’t know until you get out there. I just took the plunge, and while there are things I would love to have, overall, I really like our choice in RV.
Great Article! I was born and grew up in Concord where the Minuteman is present even today. In my family, all but a few men have served, and we’ve lost a couple too in WW2 and Iraq. Another thing to remember on Memorial day along with the fallen is those who came back from Vietnam and other conflicts whose souls were damaged or dead inside.
Your mini-infomercial on Insta-Pot just didn’t make sense to me and I do about 95% of our cooking. We are fulltime RVers (for 17 years) and our RV galley/kitchen is fully usable and functional without one of these gadgets.
Lockie said she had three electric pressure cookers and bemoans the “earlier” versions that many of us grew up with. She even states, “have you seen some of the photos of stovetop cookers gone awry?” Well, No, I haven’t. At least not in the last 30-40 years and that’s a guess. Years ago, in the rare instance of my hearing that a pressure cooker had “gone awry,” it was ultimately determined that it was misuse that caused the problem.
Lockie mentions that one of these cookers will replace (and I quote) “rice cooker, egg cooker, bean pot, yogurt maker, cheesecake maker, pasta cooker, sauté pan, slow cooker, steamer and more.” I certainly don’t have all these gadgets in my kitchen now and no plans to get them. Plus, I can cook rice, eggs, beans, and pasta perfectly using the basics such as a pot, water, and the item.
Plus, with one Insta-Pot, everything has to be cooked together—like a soup or stew. While we enjoy these occasionally, we do not want it for every dinner.
It seems that promoting Insta-Pot as the ultimate in cooking enhancements is a bit of “overkill” and not an effective replacement for other skills.
Hi there,
We asked Lockie to write this article due to the numerous inquiries we get from RVers, asking about electric pressure cookers (such as an Instant Pot) and how they work for an RV kitchen.
While you may not find purpose in some of the features she discusses, there are others who do. We’re happy you’ve found the approach that works for you! 🙂
We rejoined Escapees earlier this year while in Quartzsite.
We came across an outlet mall while we were heading into Las Vegas. While roaming around a Williams-Sonoma store, I spotted a display of Instant Pots. One followed us home.
We have enjoyed using our Instant Pot a lot. We’ve cooked pork loin, carna guisada, beef roast, Anastasia & pinto beans, and sweet potatoes, for which, I am happy to report, they all came out tasting great.
What are your favorite things to cook, either entrees or side dishes?
Can I keep my rental property in Ca and still have a domicile in Texas or do do I need to sell it.
Because we are not legal experts, we at Escapees refrain from offering legal advice. I encourage you to reach out to Shawn or Susie at 800.260.1615 to get a detailed answer to your question, as there are often unique variables and nuances to consider.
Yes, you can have rental property in one state and your domicile in another state. However, in a state like California, which is very aggressive at questioning your claim of domicile outside the state, you need to carefully follow all the Ten Commandments of Domicile. You need to keep detailed records of your dis-attachment from California and keep all records of your attachment to Texas so if and when you receive the California tax letter questioning your claim of Texas domicile, you can prove you really did move to Texas despite that California real estate.
One concern with Instant Pots/Pressure cookers is the humidity/steam released when opening the pot, even after the “natural” release. Easy solution we have is to take the Instant Pot outside to release the steam and the initial opening which releases still more humidity. It may sound inconvenient but it really isn’t a big deal and spares us the humidity. Ribs are amazing done in the Instant Pot, as well as tri tip, and takes less time and doesn’t use propane for the oven. Quick finish on a grill for those that like a little char and they taste like they cooked a long time. We have found it simplifies and quickens a lot of meals, especially after being gone all day doing things. Same results as a slow cooker without all the time.
I love my instant pot! I use it nearly everyday and sometimes more than once a day. It’s wonderful to cook a dozen hard boiled eggs in 5-10 minutes. The shells just fall off. A 6 qt will cook two racks of ribs in 25 min. I make yogurt at least every week…so much better than store bought (and you know what’s in it. Only using one cup of water rather than a pot full to cook eggs, pasta, etc is another plus. I’ve made sous vide steak several times and cheese cake…yum! You also can cook more than one thing at a time. It’s called pot-in-pot cooking. Anyway I love mine and wouldn’t want to do without it.
We’re full timers and appreciate Lockie taking the time to write this article. I carry a different brand of the electric presser cooker as I just liked that it appeared to be a bit easier for clean up than the Instant Pot. I was hoping for some recipes so maybe she would be willing to share some. I’ve heard that there is a Ninja version of the instant cookers that has a browning element in the lid so will probably be looking into this to replace the one I have sometime in the future. Thank you Lockie for sharing 😉
My husband and I are full time RVers. We love our Nonja Foodie as it has a wide variety of functions. I admit that I wa fairly skeptical but my husband follows some food bloggers who have wonderful recipes. Thank you for this great eticke
I wouldn’t think of RVing without my IP. I use it a lot, mostly for rice as it comes out perfectly. I, however set mine for 4 minutes when cooking rice and have never had a problem. It’s great for pulled pork. As for the steam, I just throw a folded kitchen towel over it when I release the steam. Of course then I have a wet towel to deal with. I wouldn’t recommend it for cooking posole. The kernels turn to mush and don’t bloom. On another note: I just acquired the air fryer lid for mine and can’t wait to try chicken in it.
Could you please let us know what you think about the air fryer lid?
I turn my pressure pot on before I do anything else. By the time I’ve got my ingredients around, the pot is hot. This reduces the amount of time it takes for the pot to come to pressure once I add my ingredients and secure the lid.
SD requires mailbox owners to put ‘PMB’ on their Drivers License address. PMB addresses are invalid for the purchase of a firearm from a dealer.
I attended an RVillage Rally where the PotHeadz ladies presented two different seminars. The huge room was packed both times and over a third of attendees were men. It was eye opening.
It’s great that there is a collaboration between Winnebago and RVing groups. But – (1) who are they actually soliciting feed back from and (2) are they really listening? Even though I am a member of both Escapees and of WIT I feel “in the dark” about what decisions they are arriving at. What exactly are they learning? How will future designs be different? How is Winnebago evolving it’s designs?
I spent most of my career in OEM automotive upper management. I saw many times where new product designers paid more attention to design trends (both good and bad) than they did to the customer. They paid even more attention to what their competitor manufacturers were doing (good or bad) than to what made sense to and appealed to customers. (Example – why so many autos offered only with totally black interiors? In the SW sunlight is so intense one can actually get burnt on the hot black seats! It was because designers decided that all black was the “cool” look to have – did not care about practicality to daily drivers at all). I am afraid that I seeing similar things with RV manufacturers.
My wife & I have been full timers in our Adventurer for a number of years now. We have attended – and still attend – many large RV shows – on both coasts – and visited many dealers and as well as smaller, more local shows. But for the most part – rather than being “blown away” by new models we come away feeling that many new models have strayed away from some of the small features and user friendly design features which we have found very important in our 2005 which make real full time living more convenient, pleasant and possible.
For example – we toured the new Horizon models at several shows, and both came away with the feeling that it’s interior was so WHITE that it did not feel homelike at all – instead more like a hospital. Toured the new Adventurer and found it was not only missing some of the small touches and details which our 2005 already had (or used to have), but it displayed some design features which made no sense – a big step backward. One of these was the side entry door which did not open all the way – it was limited to 90 degree, perpendicular to the body, by a gas retaining strut – (most of which I have seen snap off in many other RVs (of many different brands) after limited use). The door was limited in this way because the outside awning strut was located right next to the side entry door hinge. (But why? Could have located the awning strut forward some to clear the doorway). But with the door opening only 90 degrees it could not swing back out of the way, and the thickness of the door (3-5″) narrowed the entry width into the coach. We know that there are times when large items have to be moved into and out of the RV – like furniture. And to do so you need every mm of door width to squeeze such items through. In our model we barely were able to take out the 1 piece Splendide washer. As well as the 27″ CRT TV. Or to replace the large heavy “recliner”. These would have been impossible in the new Adventurer because of the narrower doorway.
Now I realize that this doorway design is not necessarily on each floor plan – but it made us wonder on that particular floor plan – “What were they thinking”. How did this pass any user-friendly testing?
OK you say – that is just 1 feature. But the list goes on. Location of light switches is critical. Just as in any home there is a flow through the unit, and switches should be conveniently located as it’s occupants move about. I do not want or need to be “hunting” for a light switch every time I enter the BR for example. Same problem with the newer multiplex systems which many new coaches have gone to. May be convenient to be able to control lighting throughout the coach from single locations – but when I enter a room and just want to turn the light on there is no such thing as a simple toggle switch there any more. Instead I have to hunch down and study the multiple switches on the multiplex control and try to figure out which one controls what. Or how about having showers with molded in shelves to hold soap & shampoos? Some models have none, and of the models which did they did not offer retaining straps across them to hold these items in place when traveling. Our 2005 had them – standard.
I can go on – to such things as having as much kitchen counter space as possible. So why do there continue to be some models which do not have fold flat stove top covers to help with that? Why are there some models which have no light switches right by – and in – the entry door way? (Not so much Winnebago – but some competitors).
* Why don’t many manufacturers include a ceiling vent fan over the bed? Everyone knows that when boondocking most cannot run their A/C. So on hot summer nights having ventilation there is wonderful! But I had to cut a 14″ x 14″ hole in the roof myself to install one. How come this need was not obvious to RV designers years ago?
* Newer features we like include electric fireplaces, “L” shaped couches and solar pre-wiring.
* I wish more coaches would include LiFePO4 house batteries as standard – instead of the old fashioned lead-acid golf cart batteries which have been used for over 60 years – but which never got any better. They are really heavy and just do not seem to last very long in RVs no matter what. Most coaches should also include a battery meter so the owners can really see what is going on with their house batteries.
* Models should include a small roof solar panel which does nothing except keep the engine battery charged up while parked for extended periods. (Our 2005 included that as standard – though for the house batteries, not chassis. I re-wired it over to the engine battery because we use and charge up our house batteries daily, but people tend to totally forget about the engine battery. It will self-discharge if just allowed to sit there.) The manufacturers obviously realized this engine battery discharge problem because many included a dash “Battery Boost” switch to enable the use of the chassis batteries to help start the engine. But since the engine battery also powers other things like leveling systems, slides and the retractable side step it is critical to keep it charged up all the time anyway.
* Many models need larger grey water tanks. In our experience the grey tank is easily the 1st to fill up – often weeks before the black tank.
* How about offering a real “Boondocking” package? One that is really useful and practical? Such as having sufficient solar panels to charge up a large Lithium battery bank, working through a large inverter? How about offering larger tanks too? Or including a sealed trash bay specifically designed to hold trash while out boondocking before we are able to responsibly dispose of it?
Anyway – we could go on. There are many features and details which are important in RV design, but I really wonder how well the manufacturers are actually listening? All too often the only thing they seem to be concerned about are the exterior full body paint colors. Or the interior design collection colors. They often seem to pay more attention to the colors of the bedspread, or window treatments than anything else. Not saying that having pleasant interior colors (NOT glossy antiqued cabinets – who came up with those???) are not important, but I am saying that there are many, many other features which can really enhance RV living. And it has become apparent to me that most RV designers have never really lived in an RV. Because if they had many other features would become more critical to them – and you would see that in production models.
I just wish that all manufacturers would actually listen to the real users of their products to help make them more usable and desirable.
I am ready and willing to offer my thoughts – are they ready and willing to really listen?
Thank you for your feedback!
There isn’t truly a ‘short’ answer to your questions, but I’ll try to be brief. For the majority of interior changes, they take time. A lot of time. For example, the Forza mentioned in the article was the result of conversations and focus groups that happened two years prior. This lag is due to a number of factors, including data collection, testing prototypes, working with parts manufacturers, redesigning production processes, and making adjustments at every step as necessary.
From my own conversations with Winnebago reps, I have learned that preferences are not as universal as we often think they are. RVers are unique when it comes to what they want in their home on wheels. Not all prefer boondocking just as not all prefer campgrounds. And in either environment, preferred features can vary greatly. This is where their consumer research programs, focus groups, and workshops become very important. They collect data through each of these interactions in order to see which changes are most likely to appeal to the widest range of RVers, making these changes more cost-effective so that their RVs remain as affordable as possible.
I hope this helps answer some of your concerns. I’ll share your comment with our Winnebago contacts, too.
To avoid excessive steam/humidity in my small Lance 1475, I use my 8 qt outside. While it’s making dinner for my dog (yes, I spend more for her food than myself) or myself, I enjoy sitting outside and reading.
I recently purchased a Mealthy CrispLid for my InstantPot (it fits both 6 & 8 qt), so now I have an air fryer (enjoying my sweet potato no oil fries) to add to the assortment of the other products I don’t need to purchase.
Thank you Lockie for the information. I too went to the Instant Pot in my RV because of it’s multi use functionality in the RV. I loved it so much that I actually purchased the Ninja FoodI that has the function of air fryer and all the functions of the Instant Pot.
These appliances do require a willingness to learn how to use them but once you do most people will love them!
Leaving Carson City today in Hwy 50! Very excited to see all the sights mentioned in your blog.
Thank you for your quick response.
I realize that each RVer is different, and that not all would want a boondocking package. But boondocking – as a practical RV option – has become more and more popular amongst many – if not most – of the RVers we talk with. But I did suggest it as an optional package – not mandatory. Though having a really good battery system is more and more critical to many, especially as the use of residential refrigerators and electric cooktops increase in many models.
My main point is that there are many relatively small design features and conveniences which can make a big difference to RV occupants. That is one of the reasons we love our 2005 so much – because it has many features which we have grown to appreciate over time. And we noticed that some of these are missing on new models – very puzzling to us.
I appreciate your passing along my comments. Would love to have some input on future products.
Thank you!
I am not an RV’er but I just took an early retirement (61.5) from my job in California and plan to leave the state in July. I will most likely not have any income for the rest of this year and will be living off savings. I have friends in Tennessee who will allow me to use their address and I plan to travel a great deal for the next several months. I have also found a very good medical insurance policy through Tennesee that will allow me to get treated anywhere in the U.S. This fall I will start searching for a permanent residence in New Hampshire (unfortunately I do not know anyone there). CA car registration renewal is due June 24, and is of course a lot of money. Question is should I pay to renew and NOT get a Tennessee DL and Car Reg and simply wait till I settle in NH, or is it better if I declare domicile in TN even if I don’t intend to live there permanently? Any help would be much appreciated!
Hi there,
Because we are not legal experts, we at Escapees refrain from offering legal advice. I encourage you to reach out to Shawn or Susie at 800.260.1615 to get a detailed answer to your question, as there are often unique variables and nuances to consider.
We live in NH and are thinking about heading out full time RVing – wanna buy a fixer upper house? 🙂 jk sort of?
We would likely sell and choose another one of these states to domicile. NH car registration and property taxes are a bit higher than most places but there’s no sales tax and no income taxes. Good thing is, if you car is older the registration will be lower and stay lower. Newer cars are usually a few hundred or so to register if not more. I would prob. just register in CA and not worry about it again till NH?
Thank you for the great read. You have given me some ideas to implement in my daily routine. Thank you for the suggestions!
We are going to be in the Quartzsite are in January and want to know if there is going to be any events for Escapees? If so how do we sign up, cost. Is it on the BLM land? if so which one? Newbie as you can see. Thanks you so much for your help.
Typically, yes we have at least an event or two around Quartzsite each winter. However, with the current risks presented by the pandemic, we are not yet able to confirm plans. As we are able to confirm plans, we’ll share that information through updating our event calendar here on the website, and by announcements in our newsletters and on social media.
South Dakota taxes groceries, which is possibly the most regressive tax possible. Your overall tax burden may be low here but the social costs of their policies are high.
Alyssa, your rent an RV 1st story popped up on my phone. We’ve rented twice now, but not looking to own because of the rare use, both with Cruise America. The best prices and they go thru everything you talked about before turning the key. Yes basic but can’t beat the company, leaving again in Oct for the desert sw. You with film background would like where we’re planning, hwy 395 and hwy 191 in California and Utah, 100s of movie sites on both! Sam and Mary Phillips.
We will be selling out home in CT in September and setting out as full-timers for at least 2 years. We are escapees members and our plan is to domicile in TX as we are more likely to settle there than SD or FL. That being said, we really DON’T know where we will ultimately end up. If we do settle in TX in the long run, it would possibly be in San Antonio, not Livingston, as we have friends there. My question is: will there be domicile issues if we register vehicles, drivers license, etc., with a Livingston address and then establish our connections with doctors, dentists, etc., in San Antonio? Reading all these cases about people who were sued by their previous states because they do not look like they are truly domiciled is making me nervous.
Do you absolutely have to be physically present in TX in order to establish Domicile? Is there any way to do it remotely? I would need to register an airstream and a truck.
You can change your Vehicle Registration via the mail as long as you are outside of the state of TX. Once that is done, though, you have 90 days to visit anywhere in the state of TX to get your Inspection/Drivers License. If you are in the state of Texas at the time of registering your vehicle, you have to come directly to Polk County. DL and Inspection can be done anywhere in TX.
Great article Holly!
Thanks Jason!
If you were to use the Livingston address for domicile (therefore choosing Texas as state of domicile), would you have to get a dentist/doctor in Livingston, join local clubs/churches in Livingston, etc. also, or would doing so in the state of Texas be sufficient? For instance, if one were to show the intent of domicile in Texas but has recommendations of doctors/dentists in Houston instead, is that suitable? Thank you!
Using professionals in the Houston area should be ok. Many Livingston locals use medical and other professionals in nearby towns and cities 🙂
We are looking into replacing the flooring. It has carpet and some sort of tiles right now, but we do not want carpet and there are 2 slide outs. One drops down when it reaches the farthest out position and the other doesn’t when sliding out. What is a good product? any tips appreciated
Thanks
Funny how we have the opposite problems in the summer. I think I struggle just the same winter and summer. Leaving my reflective insulation in the windows all year now.
We are current Texas residents and are domiciled here. My question is, if we sell our house here and full-time rv can we still use our existing address for DL, auto reg, etc. or do we need to use an escapees address or a family members address? Thx for the help.
If you no longer own the property at the address you intend to use, you probably don’t want to use that address for domicile. Financial institutions, government agencies (like TXDOT) and others will want record of your ‘permanent’ address and may send sensitive materials to that address from time to time, even if you are set up to receive most communication via email or phone.
I am a firm believer in roadside assistance. I was on the way back from a incredible vacation on the beach when my truck pulling my fifth wheel broke down a hundred and eleven miles from home.
if I didn’t have the roadside assistance with Good Sam’s it would have cost me over $1,000 do I have it towed home so I am a firm believer on roadside assistance.
Lisa, great article.
You’re so right about the library being an RVer’s best friend! While serving on my university’s Nursing Alumni Society, I found myself with 100 on-line scholarship applications and no WiFi in our beach campground. YIKES! What to do?
I am pleased to recommend the Barbee Library on Oak Island, NC. They saved my day, actually 3 days, and I finished the project before deadline.
Kathy SKP#143724
Based upon the recommendation to have a TPMS on our trailer as discussed in Escapees Magazine I decided to research the various TPMS vendors and decided that Tire Minder was the one I thought was the best. I contacted Innovation Tire due to an ad in Escapees Magazine and asked several questions via email which Michael responded to in a matter of literally minutes. I ordered the i10 4 transmitter system for our Dutchmen Kodiak and received it promptly from Innovation Tire. Installation was straight forward and the system worked as advertised. One transmitter failed and Michael called me to discuss the issue and immediately sent a replacement. I cannot say enough about the excellent customer support provided by Innovation Tire. I give them 10 stars for great customer service.
We have the 6 qt. Instant Pot and love it. I have the double stack pots that I can use doing meat in one and veggies in the second pot. I also love making cheesecakes in my Instant Pot. I also have the Instant Pot Blender and have ordered the Instant Pot Vortex 7:1 air fryer . I bought the Air Fryer lid and fry basket, but I think we will like the vortex for its rotisserie even better.
I do love my IP when we are in our sticks and bricks but I find it not useful for our style of RV travel. We are mostly no hookup boondocking types so running the genny to use it just doesn’t work for us. I do enjoy its versatility but I not a daily user. I do think those who are with hookups would enjoy having the IP on board to save not heating up the rig in warmer months.
Totally agree with you Lisa. One of my favorite public libraries is in Sierra Vista, Arizona. Home to Fort Huachuca the Sierra Vistaa library has all the benefits you mention AND a large parking lot. When we moved out of our home to go back on the road, I donated 3 car loads of books to the Friends of The Sierra Vista library. Their store is HUGE with a selection to match so there is always another book I would like to buy 😉
I agree – great article – and public libraries are a great asset to use when on the road.
But not to be a “Debbie Downer”, public libraries are not free. True – there is no cost to use the facilities or enjoy a book, magazine, rest room, music, free Internet, but please be assured, someone is paying for this service you enjoy. I also realize as an RVer, we stay in local communities and add to the economy.
But libraries are funded with local tax dollars, which most libraries get very little of. I often wonder how my local library stays open! I can tell you, here in my town, there is a lot of fund raising.
So my point being, if you use a public library, consider a small donation to the “Friends of the Library”, donate old books that can be sold in a library thrift store. By doing this, especially in todays digital world, you will help keep public libraries open and the communities that support them will appreciate it.
Glenn SKP# 128059
I purchased the Ninja Foodie because it does it all!! We use the Air Fryer function a lot! We love chicken wings, fish for fish tacos, zucchini chips, etc. By having the Ninja Foodie, I only have to bring one appliance and fewer pots and pans. I have baked banana bread in it and it came out wonderful. There is no food you cannot do in the Foodie! Making it a perfect appliance for the RV. As far as steam, when doing a quick release I hold a folded dish towel over the vent catching most of the steam. And while we’re in Texas, we can use a bit of humidity, due to the high heat and very low humidity.
I love my Instant pot but sure could use a good cookbook for it. Any recommendations?
Your article was right on target, Lockie. I loved your analogy of us Boomers growing up in the Cold War with visions of mushroom clouds when using our “manual” pressure cookers. My mother used her pressure cooker regularly and I was given the usual warnings. She gifted me my first pressure cooker along with more warnings. Then one day years later it happened. I blew up the beans. Beans everywhere – ceiling, hood vent, floor, counter, every crevice of the stove, down the side of the refrigerator, on the windows, curtains, cabonets, kitchen table, light fixtures. Yes, the whole enchilada. I cleaned up and kept using it. It’s that good. Then I discovered the electric pressure cooker. I bought a 4-quart Fagor that is virtually identical to the InstaPot before InstaPot became the household standard. This smaller size was all we two needed even before fulltiming and I wouldn’t be without it. It’s truly a space saver in our RV.
For those who are perfectly happy without a pressure cooker, that’s terrific. I doubt we who have used and loved any version of the InstaPot would ever go back.
I bought the non stick insert for the IP. Much easier cleanup after browning stuff.
Going to look at the ‘Mealthy Crisp Lid’ as I just did sweet potato fries in oven, when
114 degrees in Tucson. HiHi
As a Tucson librarian I can tell you we are more than happy to see RVers, good thing since I’m in that group too. While our, and many other systems are offering limited admittance and service during this frustrating and scary time, know that all Pima County Libraries have wifi until that reaches outside the building. Too, we will print, make a few copies and send a fax for you until you are once again able to come in again to do it yourself. Life on the road can be bumpy. We can make it a little smoother.
I’m a full timer and have owned an InstaPot for six years. I just bought a new InstaPot that has more amazing features than my first one. I use my InstaPot all the time and couldn’t imagine life without it. I’ve found many thousands of recipes online along with tips for using my InstaPot. I just had to begin using it and experimenting with recipes. It’s so easy to use and cuts meal preparation down.
My uncle has been thinking about renting an RV so that he can travel more and can see more of the land around him. He would really like to rent one from a professional so that it can be really nice and find what is best suited to him. Thanks for your tips about how he should consider what engine is in the home and the different weights can really affect how it drives.
I know this sounds crazy, but libraries are also good for books! Many libraries have ebooks you can check out digitally and read wherever you happen to be.
Do you have any knowledge of how long it is currently taking to get all of the official paperwork and related activities accomplished in Polk County to establish domicile? I had heard that the Polk County office for DLs is about 2 months behind, for example. Is there a way/place to get things done expeditiously (understanding that COVID has changed everything). Thanks?
Hi Mark!
To get an informed idea of how long delays are, you should reach out to the Polk County DMV. They resumed regular operations on June 1, so the backlog may not be what you expect anymore. https://www.txdmv.gov/tax-assessor-collectors/county-tax-offices/polk
What if you have the perfect rv but it is old and needs updating? I love the floor plan and everything about my class c but it is a 2001. I want the same everything in a newer class c. I have been looking at different brands but the floor plan doesn’t exist anymore. How do I go about locating what I want? Beverly Bishop #51441
Have you thought about updating your current RV? Since it seems perfect for you otherwise, maybe a few upgrades and some paint is all you need. You can find a lot of inspiration on Instagram and in Facebook groups. If you really want a new RV, you’ll have to be ready to for some research and trips. Do what you can online to find similar floor plans and then you’ll want to evaluate them in person. Create and follow your needs and wants lists and be ready to compromise since your desired floor plan doesn’t exist anymore.
Hi, looking for some domicile advice.
We sold our house and will be going full time Sept. 1. Currently we live in Michigan and our son will be attending University of Cincinnati as a freshman this fall. We will be renting a storage unit near him and will probably visit him frequently. I think we should make our domicile be in Ohio but I’m not sure that is the smartest idea. We aren’t retired yet and pay for our own health insurance.
Do you have any advice as to why or why not we should do that?
Thank you!
Though there are many commons factors to consider in most domicile situations, there are ample variables that make establishing domicile a unique process to each RVer. If you would like to discuss the specifics of your situation, please reach out to your attorney for advice.
If you don’t currently have an attorney, give Loring & Associates (the authors of this post) a call at 800.260.1615 to schedule your free consultation and they will do their best to answer your questions!
Please keep in mind when researching Road side Assistance that some Road Side Assistance companies struggle many times to find a flat bed tow trailer if you brake a leaf spring or axle for longer and taller trailers. (Remember that many times its impossible to just tow certain break downs by hooking and towing behind using the rv tires and wheels. Also parts for repair companies are only available near larger towns and limited 8-5 pm Monday-Friday. (Not all rv parts are universal), also spare tires mostly can be replaced if you have a spare tire on the rim most of the time.
Apologize for this sad most often reality, but as a Road side assistance company owner in Sacramento, CA I heard some horror stories.
Hopefully this information will help you as you inquire about the abilities of trusted Road side assistance programs.
If under 26,001 lbs a class C is good. But it’s easy to get a Class B non-commercial license in TX. Just need to read a supplamental guide for commercial laws regards loading, lengths, widths, heights, safety checks, and lights (stuff you’d want to know anyway), take a written test, then drive the rig around with an instructor. Not much more difficult than getting a class C.
I just watched this webcast and thought it was very informative. I’m not in the market for a Class A or C, or a travel trailer, but am seriously considering a pop-up truck camper .. so, I definitely wont be “full-timing” in it. Nonetheless, this webcast had a lot of sound, useful info and gave me a few things to consider that I hadn’t thought of previously. This was a really nice service and you guys all did a great job .. thx!
Our situation:
We are FL residents but don’t live there. We bought a motorhome and and tow car in Ormond Beach FL a year ago. Now we have a FL D/L and our vehicles are registered in FL. Our mail goes to a UPS box in Palm Coast FL. We have our minimal mail forwarded to us about every 3 months. We are mostly in S. California and AZ but do travel to other states periodically. We move about every 3 weeks.
The big problem we have with the UPS location we chose is their address. Some financial institutions know this is a place of business and will not accept the address….especially “Unit 200 #320 “. We cannot register to vote using that address either. How can we get around those things with you?
Carla
Our Florida-based mail service addresses are actually tied to a place of residence (same with our SD and TX addresses). Many of our RV parks, including the one in Sumter County, offer long-term residential options in addition to short term stays. Because of this, even though the park is a place of business, there are legitimate residential addresses at the same location. When establishing domicile, even as a traveler, you are stating that you intend to return to the place in which you claim domicile. You can’t live at a UPS store, but you can live at one of our parks.
Thank you Becca. Even though we dont own an RV at th moment, we are SKP member in anticipation of getting a travel trailer soon and seeing the sights I have been promising my wife for 40 years. Hopefully this fall we could be on the road. Your suggestions are good, thanks again.
John and Linda Weber
Round Rock, TX
For those of us Texas absentee voters under 65, I think the correct ZIP code for Shepherd, TX is 77371 (not 77351).
Thanks for the heads up! We fixed the typo.
Hi Shawn – we’ll be buying our first rv in a couple of months. We’ve already been told by the dealer and manufacturer that it could take 8-12 mos for the rv to be built and delivered. We will definitely need to do financing for 75% of the purchase price. Do we apply for the financing at the time of purchase or upon delivery of the rv? If the latter, that would allow us to save +$$ during the build-and-wait period and make a larger downpayment. Thanks!
That article was VERY WELL WRITTEN.
My wife and I were first time buyers in 2005. We bought a used 1985 YELLOWSTONE 5th wheel and are still using it to this day. It does the same thing a brand new one does. Sure we have had to put some money into it, but it was well worth the money. Keeps us dry, cold in the summer and warm in the winter.
We are getting ready to retire and hit the road full time in a few years and are always on the hunt for that right unit for the right price.
1. I would recommend considering a LIVING TRUST, which was completed absent from an otherwise informative, easy to understand document. This structure eliminates your estate from the lengthy & expensive PROBATE PROCESS.
2. For those that are a little more document “handy” there are websites (LAW DEPOT,etc) that offer very good documents that you can customize to suit your situation & are very inexpensive. At a minimum by reviewing the documents online prior to visiting an attorney you will be better prepare for the information that will be needed. Most attorneys charge ridiculous fees to draft what for most people are straight forward documents. 3. One document that is not available online is a irrevocable trust (can’t take the assets back). This document allows you to maintain direction over assets during your life or becomes active to direct your assets after your death. This is quite important when minor children are part of your planning.
4. OK all you attorneys out there, start lam blasting me. (I’m laughing)
Good information, would like to read about the exact tow bar you choose to install. Also as in previous comment having an idea of installation cost would be a good reference starting point.
Thank you for the clear and concise explanation. Very helpful.
I have 2 questions:
– Under Connection to Community, you ask about connections to Livingston, but then switch to the more general reference of Texas. I’ve lived in DFW for the past year and have changed the address on my DL, car registration, RV registration and registered to vote in Polk County. I have connections in DFW that I will maintain, but not in Livingston. Do I need to come to Livingston for any length of time?
– How likely is it,, or under what circumstances, that you’ll have to defend your domicile?
Thanks again.
Currently we live in MI, both have a few firearms and our CCP. I read somewhere that in SD you can not use the Escapees address to purchase firearms (not sure we will be purchasing anymore) but it brought up the thought on transferring CCP. Also does TX have the same restrictions on address as SD?
Dawn: Sorry for this late response. You should have no problem registering firearms and purchasing firearms in either South Dakota or Texas using the Escapees address. Since the Escapees address is allowed as your permanent address on the driver license in both states and since the requirement for firearms allows you to use your driver license as identification to purchase the firearms, then there should be no problem. If you have any problem in this regard, please let us know.
The southwest is Great! We winter in Tucson at Voyager RV park because it has great amenities, but for a lower cost with hookup, the Pima County Fairgrounds are just up the street and directly off I-10. Escapees holds their annual Escapade at the Fairgrounds in a number of years because it is so close to all the natural beauty of Tucson (biking, hiking in the mountains and national parks) as well as great food and culltural activities.
We are waiting to see if the LTVA will be offering having permits this winter. We can’t camp long term unless the garbage, water, and dump site is open. We’ve camped at the Wash and Quartzsite LTVA each year for well over 20 years. Will hate to miss this winter there.
Love the desert and definitely can be as spread out of grouped together as you like. Southern California in general and San Diego area in particular is super expensive, no matter when you stay. Checking on RVillage, Campendium and Boondocers Welcome wasn’t very helpful. We went to visit some old friends right after Quartzite, and the best rate we could find was at the nicest KOA we had ever seen. Great pool and other family amenities if it had been warmer. The few dollars less to stay at Mission Bay would have been eaten up in fuel costs, plus the aggravation of driving time in traffic.
We’ll definitely avoid the south coast of CA in the future.
We are interested in the volunteer program for 2021
We are escapee members
Ty for your help
Hi Stan and Kay. Thanks for your interest in the Carlsbad Caverns Restoration Hangout in 2021. At this time, we are waiting to plan this event until we better know what the COVID-19 situation will be like in the spring. The project requires working in the cavern, of course, which has limited ventilation, and in addition we are often working in close proximity to each other, so we’d want to be sure we could conduct the project safely. Also, the National Park Service is currently strictly limiting the number of people who can be in the cavern at any given time. If and when we do announce a 2021 restoration hangout, we’ll notify members on our Hangouts Announcements email list first–so if you’re not signed up for that yet, you can do so at escapees.com/hangouts.
You go girl! I’m about to buy my first RV and travel with my 3 kids. I have 7 year old 3 month old twins reading your article made me feel alot better traveling on my own
You can do this! Just keep your chin up. There are always going to be bumps in the road but remember, it’s the adventure of a lifetime that many can only dream about!
I travel with a motor coach and jeep both owned and registered by the same Montana LLC, my drivers license is from a state other than Montana, I have a rental agreement from the Montana LLC for the motor home and the jeep.
I never say the I HAVE A MOTOR HOME REGISTERED IN A LLC etc…..wake up people, the LLC is a separate legal entity just as you ALL CAPITAL NAME is LOL.
Keep remembering the last storm we evacuated for . . .
Day 1) The storm will be coming up the east Coast of Florida! So we head up to Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park. Get checked in, get set up and got some sleep.
Day 2) In the morning, looked at the new track, and it looks like it was going to come straight up through the center of Florida!! So we packed up and headed west to Apalachicola. It was becoming Ground Hog Day! We got set up and got some sleep
Day 3) Once again, in the morning, the new track took it straight up through Apalachicola!!! I was sure I was being chased by the hurricane! It was at that point, we decided we were going following another RVer couple and headed to to the Escapee’s Rainbow Plantation RV park in Alabama! It was a wonderful park, and a wonderful time. Also, it was very nice to be able to bring our house and all out “stuff” with us! Good times!!
I just wanted to give my heartfelt thanks to that RV couple. Thank you for sharing all the knowledge, the lessons, and your great RVing advice over the years!
Thank you for that information, it was very helpful in preparation to take the Written test. Little worried about having to parallel a 5th wheel RV but we will see how that goes.
Drove the same route this year in our 45′ motor home and it was great!
Good road conditions. Plenty of places to stop. More traffic than expected.
We are Full time RVer’s with 2 houses and 5 acre vacant lot in Maryland, we are considering docile in Texas. We rent both houses and set our 5th wheel on one of the rental property that has a detached garage for us to stay in while we are home visiting family. We stay about 3 months in the summer and then move on. Since we rented out our residence we are actually don’t have an official address. We are planning to purchase a home in Texas somewhere in the next few years, after we sell all our properties in Maryland. We want to start the domicile process sooner.
How difficult of a process am I looking at? I am open to all options.
Thank you David, this is a great article.
What is the process if I have a class “A” cdl in another state and change my domicile to Texas?
Dave, unfortunately I’m not familiar with the requirements to transfer a CDL from another state to Texas. I’ve heard that some or all of the testing requirements are waived, but I don’t know much more than that about the process. I’d suggest contacting the Texas Department of Public Safety to find out for sure. I CAN tell you, however, that once you have your Texas Class A CDL, you will also be able to legally operate any type of RV for private use under the same license.
We are considering changing domicile to Texas. It looks like we would fit into the Class C requirements. Please let us know if we will need to take a written, practical, or both to obtain a Texas Class C driver’s license.
Sharon, assuming you already have a passenger vehicle license in the state where you’re currently domiciled, you won’t need to take any tests to change to a Texas Class C license. Class C covers all standard passenger vehicles, and is the license you get by default (unless you’re driving a motorcycle). The procedure is outlined on the TxDPS site here: https://www.dps.texas.gov/driverlicense/movingtotexas.htm.
David,
Thanks for the quick reply.
Follow up question. What is required to keep our motorcycle endorsement that we have on our Alabama license? I didn’t find that answer in the link provided.
Thanks,
Sharon
Sharon, I don’t know on the motorcycle endorsement, although I’d guess that it’s treated like the rest of your license–paperwork and fees, but no testing.
I had to take the written test when transferring from CA to TX.
Thanks David
We are in process of selling our home and plan to travel in our RV for the next 2-3 years. We bought a 2017 Tiffin 40AH brand new and have added 6 180 watt solar panels and are installing 6 LifePo batteries. We would like to know our options.
Thank you
Hi there!
To learn about what options you have for RV insurance, we recommend you reach out to an insurance broker like FCIS. They will be able to take your information and find which companies offer the kind of coverage you want or need.
I have a bed bug bag on my mattress. It keeps any bugs out. After my dad getting an infestation in his apartment. He got them from the apartment next to his when they went through the wall through the electric sockets. We found out you can get them very easily.
Having FL domicile for the last fifteen years, I can attest to low taxes, no tax on groceries, no property tax on vehicles (just yearly tag, which is super inexpensive), insurance seems to be average to below average in cost, they allow for CCW, and extensive medical services. Isn’t much to see here, once you’ve been to the beaches, but it’s an amazing place to call Home.
One big disadvantage to a Florida domicile, is if you plan on parking your vehicle for an extended period of time — for example, you’re going to be traveling overseas. Florida requires one to maintain auto liability insurance at all times. If the insurance is cancelled or lapses, Florida will suspend your driver’s license, with fees and fines to have it reinstated. You can surrender your plates (effectively unregistering the vehicle) before cancelling the insurance, but would then need to re-register upon returning.
If you’re doing this for a once-in-a-lifetime trip, it might be a minor inconvenience. If you’re planning on being away a few months each year, it becomes expensive, and hassle, or both.
Alyssa nailed it. Before our first purchase we rented a 5th wheel for 1 1/2 weeks. We quickly learned we could fulltime easily. One other suggestion is to go to RV shows. It gives you a chance to spend time in different Floorplans. Take a notebook with you to create a list of pros and cons on each Floorplan you’re interested in. Plan on spending several hours in each model. This is going to be one the largest purchases you’ll make. You’ll want to get it right the first time.
Thank you for your reply Kerensa. I have come to the realization myself that what I have is the best for me and what I need to do is put my energy into upgrading and fixing what I can. Too bad the floor plan isn’t available anymore because it is totally livable for long periods of time. Maybe one day I will come across another one much newer and will be able to trade up. Beverly Bishop
We are considering living fulltime in a Class A.
We have been renters and will give up our place when we move into an rv fulltime. We live in California and I love my health insurance but not the taxes, vehicle registration fees, auto insurance etc. What do we do?????
The recommendation we hear most for those in your situation is this:
Think about where you would want to return to once you’ve decided to stop RVing. To strengthen your domicile claim, you will need to establish professional relationships in addition to moving things like your licenses, registration, and insurance. For some, this means finding medical professionals in your desired state of domicile to whom you return when you’re in the area. For others, this may mean joining an organization (such as a religious, volunteer, or professional organization) with whom you can stay in touch while on the road. You also need to think about where you will want to visit on occasion- do you see yourself going back to that state to visit once you make your domicile claim? Answering these questions for each of the states you’re considering can help you figure out where will be the best place for you to domicile.
There are so many variables to consider that it can feel overwhelming. If you still aren’t sure what to do, we recommend reaching out to an attorney who specializes in domicile and the needs of RVers to get their input. They won’t likely tell you where to stake your claim, but they can help you work through your questions and better understand your options.
These are amazing tips to staying fit on the road. I RV full time and hike to stay fit. When the hiking is good, meaning I can find trails and the weather cooperates, I stay fit since it’s something I enjoy. But if the hiking is bad I tend to get a little lazy. I was thinking of taking up yoga inside the RV (which is a challenge) on bad weather days. I carry light free weights but forget I have them, lol.
It’s nice to see even the fitness gurus (you guys) have the same challenges in working out and staying fit as the rest of us.
Thank you for the tips.
Hi Allison, thanks for the comment! It’s not always easy to get those workouts in, but consistency is key. Get those dumbbells out!! 🙂 Chris
It’s good to know that you do not have an obligation to remain in the county that you have marked as your domicile. I would love to have an RV one day but I was confused how it works. If I can still go wherever I want to then I am okay with that.
Help please. I am new to RVing. I am getting a bit confused as direction I should go and appropriate steps to take.. If you have another home in another state, but want to use Escapee mail service and tag an old classic car in Texas because it is cheaper, do you have to register the car and get a TX driver’s license? Are there other requirements to utilize TX tags? Must car insurance be in Texas?
Hi Martha. You have to choose one and only one state as your legal domicile. Then you register and insure your vehicles, get your driver’s license, vote, etc. in your domicile state. In general, you can’t domicile in one state and register and insure your vehicles in another. So if your question is, “can I keep my current domicile in the state where my house is but still register my classic car in Texas?”, the answer is no.
Simply using the Escapees Mail Forwarding Service won’t automatically make Texas your domicile. Many members use the service just as a mailing address while maintaining domicile in another state. On the other hand, if you do want to make Texas your domicile, there are additional steps you have to take besides just using the Mail Forwarding Service as your address.
Your home in another state may or may not present a challenge to establishing domicile in Texas, if that’s what you want to do. Domicile itself is a complex subject, but you may find this article by Susie Adams, an attorney specializing in domicile issues, helpful as an introduction. There’s also a section of the Escapees website devoted to domicile for RVers. At the bottom of that page, there’s a form where you can request a free legal consultation for your specific circumstances. I’d encourage you to do that if you still have questions after reading the material above. Good luck!
Hello. We are starting full time for the second time. We spent 20 on the road and have been off 4 years. Just had to get back out there. We are both 83 years old. That in itself isa challenge. We are in 30 to this time where before we were in class A or 5thwheel. Any suggestion for people our age. Walking has always been our main stay to be fit.
Wow, 20 years on the road and now back for round two…that’s incredible! Keep it up with the walking, walking is amazing. I encourage adding in some resistance training. Perhaps get a light set of adjustable dumbbells or a high-quality set of resistance bands. I would go for the resistance bands, myself. Good luck out there – Chris (Irene Iron Fitness)
What a brave soul. Looks like you and your kids are having a blast. As for me, I live in Tucson AZ , have bought a 2020 Thor Quantum in Mar. just as the virus hit. Havent taken out the RV, but maybe in Jan or Feb.
Hi Susie,
Thank you so much for your generosity with your time to help guide me in my transition to full-time RVing.
You are great example of selflessness.
Safe travels to you!
Sincerely,
Debbie Johnson
Costa Mesa, CA to Green Cove Springs, FL
Great summary of your RVing past and present. So exciting! Definitely a different road than Andersons usually take; must have come from your father, the rebel who first left Long Island!
Love following you two on Facebook! Makes me feel like I am there. Also gives me hope that perhaps one day I can make a goal and see it to fruition, especially such a big lifestyle change. So admirable!!! Thanks for taking us along for the ride. It doesn’t hurt that we have become campers over the last few years as well.
Excellent info all in 1 place!!! I’m saving this article. Ty for your effort! -db
Do you need a 5th wheel for the test? We are texas residents and looking to buy a 1ton truck and 6-8mo get a 5th wheel. We will buy that out of state more then likely while we are on assignment somewhere. Can I take the test and get legal beforehand.
Matthew, you need a trailer meeting the requirements for the class of license you’re testing for. Since you specified a fifth wheel, I assume that means that you’re planning to get a fairly heavy trailer for which you’d need a Class A Exempt license. It doesn’t have to be your trailer–you can borrow one–but the GVWRs must get you into the right class. Some people have reported that they were allowed to test with a rented utility trailer with a gooseneck hitch, but others have said they were turned away with that kind of setup because it wasn’t an RV, so it’s hard to know. Most people wait to take the test until they have their own trailer.
I more then likely will be doing this near the Livingston escapees headquarters, do you know of anywhere near there that might make this possible?
By “this” do you mean renting a trailer? If so, unfortunately, I don’t.
Thanks we’re in S. Florida looking for a use Class A or C right now.
We are looking to buy an RV and this was very helpful.
Wife, and I did the same went from a 37’ National class A to a 24’ class B Airstream Interstate GT ext. Just finished a 4254 mi trip, $532 for fuel, 232 gals diesel,( 18.3 MPG. Average) , and still have a king size bed, and air ride suspension. Very comfortable, a breeze to drive, and don’t need a tow. Very happy with the down size…
Beware of scams on Facebook Marketplace now. They bait you will a low price and have some sad, family story of why they are selling it and get you to make transactions via EBay. They assure you that you will get your money back once it’s been “delivered “ and you change your mind…you will never see the damper or your money again. They often use the same photo in multiple ads in different cities so that is a red flag right away.
Can anyone tell me what they think is the best 5th wheel rv for living in in cold weather?? I’m in a cougar right now and it’s not working for me…..
Hi Kim!
There isn’t a lot of back-and-forth conversation in the comment sections of our blog posts. However, you’ll have better luck with the information you seek if you ask in a discussion forum like RVNetwork.com or in our Facebook and RVillage groups.
I fell for something similar to the last scheme. Guy said his camping partner had died and he was no longer interested in camping. Paid $1000 down on a 1986 popup, changed my mind on the drive home. Seller said my money would not be refunded so I was out that $1000.
Dark Sky RV Park in Kanab, UT offers up some of the darkest skies in Southern Utah! You can see the Milky Way just above, while you camp with billions of stars.
Interesting article. Thanks.
I love how you worded this entire blog. It’s not “do this” “don’t do that” “pros vs cons”. It’s straight forward and perfect for those considering travel nursing. Thank you.
Thank you so much! There’s definitely not a one size fits all in travel nursing. Everybody’s circumstance is different and what they want in an experience is too.
How does a private campground owner that offers Escapees discounts go about posting a Work Camper Position Open for couples. We are open year round and need work campers couples. They can visit our website or Google Camelot RV Campground in Poplar Bluff, MO and find our website. Click on Workampers at the top of the page for information.
We provide a Free RV site with full hookup; water, sewer, electric 30/50amp, cable TV, WiFi, and a propane station on premises. Also offer compensation. We are close to town for everyone’s shopping, dining, and miscellaneous needs.
Hi there!
You are welcome to post your open position on the RVer Job Exchange, where RVers often browse for employment opportunities. You can also browse the resumes of RVers to see if any are a fit for your campground!
https://rverjobexchange.com/
Is there a contact number we can call to talk to someone about setting up a domicile/residency? I’ve done some reading here but honestly…I’m confused.
Hi there!
Yes, you can contact us at 936-327-8873 and we can try to help! (Our phone number is at the top of the page if it’s easier to tap there.) If your questions are more in-depth than we’re able to advise, we can connect you with a trusted attorney who specializes in domicile.
Enjoyed reading about you and now look forward to meeting you at the next Escapade if that works into your plans!
Congratulations on your new life from also-new full-timers (June 2020 from NH)! Bryan & Eileen @TurnbullsTravels. Hope to see you on the road!
Rule #1 – The simple answer is to take only what you will use with you. Each trip we reevaluate what we have aboard our RV.
Rule #2 – Buy only what you need & will use, not what you want when on the road.
Things that you want you can buy once you return to your home base.
gloria Jean from Calif. I hope to see you in Quartsite in January. It will be my first gathering too. I love your excitement for your new adventures. Keep up the good work.I am an R.V. er since the 90″s and love it.
I travel alone in my 24″ Winabaggo View. I have my Rescue dog along all the time. Since I am alone and her name is Honee. Clever Huh? She came with that name. SOOO I still have my Honee.Hope to meet you in Quartsite Ariz.
Arizona and apparently now Texas are a 30 days only, then you need a PO Box. Just picked ours up at the Congress PO and was informed
Thank you for responding with this. I’ve been using general delivery for almost a month now, but every time I go to my PO, they always say I have no mail. I find it a bit weird.
Have you previously confirmed that the location you’re visiting is the site of that area’s General Delivery service?
Often, towns with multiple post offices will designate one location for General Delivery, even if the zipcode on your address differs. For example, in Austin, TX, RVers camping at McKinney Falls State Park will have mail sent to the 78744 zipcode there as General Delivery, but all General Delivery actually goes to the downtown post office and must be picked up from there.
Wouldn’t it make sense to have the address like
Name
Phone number
General Delivery
City, state, zip.
So they could give a courtesy call for individual that are stranded.
Long story short
Wallet got lost, canceled cards, then reorder new cards, sending to Nevada then family going to send them out to me in Oregon in general delivery.
General Delivery should have some choices that would cost a fee.
Well that’s my thoughts
Yeah sure, just what I need. 123,283,398,236,298 people who got my # from the envelope calling me daily.
That’s why the military stopped using SSN’s for mail delivery several decades ago.
30 day limit is only for how long a mail piece can be held, not a limit for receiving this service.
Each USPS location has some flexibility in customizing their rules for handling General Delivery. There are some post offices that restrict the length of time you’re permitted to use General Delivery before they’ll start declining your mail or direct you to use a PO box. This is why we recommend you check with each location before you plan to have your mail sent there as General Delivery.
It’s a relief to know that there are RV insurance plan that can also cover the total loss of the vehicle. I’m thinking about being more open to the idea of going on long road trips in the future so that I can see more of the country as part of my bucket list. Maybe it would be best to start looking for RV insurance estimates starting next year.
I am looking to get a Class A to drive a Semi tractor in front of my 5th wheel. I suppose I will have to take the whole house with me to get the driving test done? Is there going to be any kind of confusion with the Class A exempt being taken in a ex-commercial rig?
Russell, yes, you must take the test with your trailer connected. Your second question is harder to answer, because it may depend on the testing center and individual examiner and their experience with non-commercial HDTs. You’re certainly not the first one to do it. I’d think they would be fine letting you test with it, since the license you get wouldn’t let you drive commercially, but you might have to explain it to them.
On the skills portion of the test, you may be required ( depending on location) to do an air brake test. Simple procedure, just need to understand how it’s done. Be prepared.
Hello, I am strongly leaning towards Texas as my domicile (from California), however, after reading the mail program and such by Escapees, it brings up a few questions. My mailing address as part of Escapees would be Livingston, TX, however, I have closer ties to Austin. When it talks about local ties, community, doctors, dentists, etc, I consider Austin as my home and the place I would return to. Can this be done, even with a Livingston, TX address? Thank you.
I like that you mentioned that having different options for floor plans is one of the advantages of a fifth wheel. When I retire, I’d like to spend it traveling the country and meeting all sorts of people from different places. I can see how having a huge and versatile living space would be important for that kind of lifestyle someday.
We are already Florida residents (since 2013). We are in the process of selling our home, our permanent residence, and will be full-timing in our RV only. It appears continuing to be FL residents makes sense. What steps would need to be taken to accomplish this through Escapees? Would we have a FL residence address? Would that be a street address?
We will be setting up mail service–will our mailing & residence be the same?
Hi Kathy!
We have a handy guide on our website that walks you through the steps to sign up for our Florida mail service https://escapees.com/education/domicile/florida/
To answer your other questions, yes you would have a street address at our Sumter Oaks park in Bushnell, FL. However, to minimize your costs, you would also be assigned a mailing address at our headquarters in Livingston, TX. All state-required mail (registration, license, etc) would be mailed to your FL address then forwarded to our TX facility for sorting and storage until you’re ready to have it forwarded to you. There is a per-item fee for items forwarded from FL to TX.
All other mail, including personal letters/cards, bills, etc, should be sent directly to your TX address to avoid those fees.
If you have further questions not answered on our website, we recommend you reach out to our Member Services Team at 936-327-8873.
I’m so excited to see you guys on the road! I look forward to the day when we can finally meet in person.
I searched ‘single mom RV’ on google, expecting to find nothing. I’m planning a cross-country move at some point in the next year or two and realized it would be the perfect time for my now 6 year old daughter and I to travel the country. Glad to see I wouldn’t be the only single mom out there. Thanks for sharing!
Am retired and living in Va right now. In January we are purchasing our 1st RV and plan on traveling the country as full timers. I want to change my domicile back to Fla. Will be keeping our house in Va but plan on letting our son and daughter live there. Would that have an effect on us transferring domicile to Fla?
Though there are many commons factors to consider in most domicile situations, there are ample variables that make establishing domicile a unique process to each RVer. If you would like to discuss the specifics of your situation, please reach out to your attorney for advice.
If you don’t currently have an attorney, give Susie and Shawn a call at 800.260.1615 to schedule your free consultation and they will do their best to answer your questions!
Why do more and more Walmarts do not allow to park overnight in their parking ?
Unfortunately, many of those decisions are the result of numerous abuses of the courtesy. From overnight guests turning into multi-day stays to guests dumping tanks, abandoning trash, blocking needed parking spaces, etc, some stores have chosen to disallow overnight parking to hopefully limit the number of problems. There are also cases when the city has gotten involved due to excessive abuses and related issues that trickle into the surrounding community, leading to them disallowing any form of overnight camping throughout the city, outside of campgrounds or RV parks.
In some cases, it may also be due to lobbying from the local businesses to drive RVers and travelers to their RV parks, hotels, etc instead of those visitors staying overnight in parking lots for free.
Nice catio! We have only 1 slide on each side ?. We went w/ an outdoor room, which works when we’re going to be outside anyway, and have a leash/harness for Zoe for walks she takes us on. We did have a rattlesnake come exploring when it sensed Zoe out in her enclosure (“yurt”), but since we were out by her we ‘discouraged’ it adequately. Too bad I can’t post a pic of the snake after it had coiled up under our coach steps. If you want, send us your email & I’ll send some pics of us walking Zo as well as of the rattler.
Do you need a ladder to assemble this when you get to your destination or can you assemble it from the window?
Over the years we have had 5 cats who RV with us. The first 2 were full timers who travelled from the Florida Everglades to Fairbanks Alaska. We start all of our cats young with a harness so we can walk them wherever we go. They like to go out so much that usually after we set down the jacks and push out the slides they are standing at the front door, ready for a walk. One of our little guys was such a good mouser that he would go out and within minutes, stuck his paw into the grass and pulled out a play toy. We have a couple of places to put litter boxes and found that having a Dyson rechargeable vacuum was great to clean up the litter and the dust which we used every day. Having pets with us has truly been a wonderful thing!
We typically assemble it on the ground and then lift it up into position. We have a walkable roof, so one of us climbs up the RV ladder and the other lifts the catio up to them to put into position. It’s very light weight, though, and a single person could pretty easily do it from a ladder.
We do need to get up to the roof to install the catio. We use the built in ladder on the back of the fifth wheel. It is probably possible to design one that could avoid getting up on the roof but this worked for us.
How awesome! Loved the article. And the catio is brilliant. Something like that would be great even in a bricks and sticks dwelling!
Loved this blog. Such great advice and creative solutions to the most common issues with RVing and taking cats. Thanks for sharing. God Bless and Hapoy Trails to you both.
Thanks! Great article. We’ve been traveling with our cat, Sunnie, for eight years. He does exceptionally well but hates riding in a car or truck. Therefore, he rides in the 5th wheel. He LOVES cardboard boxes so we put two different-size boxes on our bed for him. The bed sits directly over the 5th wheel hitch, so is not as rough a ride as elsewhere in the rig. We put towels that smell like us in the boxes along with a couple of catnip mice. He is so used to traveling with us that when we are ready to travel, all I have to say is, “It’s time to get your boxy box,” and he hops up on the bed and settles in. As with all family members, we need to stop at rest areas or big store parking lots to use our facilities. We feed him and give him water at those intervals and give him time to use the cat box (which lives in a stackable washer/dryer closet in our bathroom–not W/D obviously). You can’t hurry a cat, so it can be a 15-30 minute break, which is good for us as well. When he’s done eating and using the potty, he goes back into his box. He is not an outdoor cat, but we open all the shades for him when we arrive at our camping destination. I usually take him outside on my shoulder for a walk around the rig so he can see and smell where we are. If it’s a beautiful day and we’re home, we open up the windows, too.
We full timed 2 summers working at state parks with our cats (and LARGE dog); interesting…. but it worked. Each time we had 3 cats and the dog; the most excitement was the night we came home, opened the door, and our young grey tabby shot out and straight up a tree – in the dark! My darling husband never hesitated; went right up the tree after him, and despite being scratched pretty good, came back down triumphantly bearing Squeaky. He said if he hadn’t done that, he could have been killed, so he did what he had to do. Surprised we’re married 27 years?
Our cats never traveled but we live on 65 wooded acres they freely roamed. Your black cat is a ringer for one of ours. We had two black cats. A brother and sister from the same litter. Skunker and Skunkette. They have passed now, but we had Skunkette for 18 years. Really enjoyed your photo.
Great Catio! How much weight will it hold? We have 2 cats but one is a 30+ pound Maine Coon. Thanks for sharing your tips!
Hello, this has been helpful so far. I am trying to figure out my situation as well. My current address is in CA, however, since the pendemic i’ve been working remotely not in CA. I am giving up my CA rental in one month and going full time in a van. If i buy the Van now, i will have to pay CA sales tax and register it in CA, even though i am not going to have a CA address in a month. It doesn’t seem to make much sense to do that if i don’t plan on staying in CA. But i need to buy the Van before i move, because i will need it to live in. I’m also paying state income tax for CA, even though i’m working remotely. How could I handle this situation most efficiently?
If you find you have more detailed questions about your specific situation, reach out to Susie at Loring & Associates for a consultation. http://www.loringlaw.com/
We haven’t pushed the limits, but our cats combined are a bit over 20 lbs, and it doesn’t seem to flex too much. I’d guess it would hold 30 lbs without much trouble. If you wanted to be safe, you could increase the size of the PVC a bit for more strength and rigidity.
Thank you for the history! It’s great feeling more connected to the group through stories like this.
Robert: There may be a problem if you change your address to Florida, but still have the house in Virginia. The question can’t be answered without us also considering “the rest of the story”. If you would like to give us a call, we can walk you through the process of changing your domicile to help you determine if you meet the legal criteria. K. Susie Adams, Loring & Assoc. 800-260-1615.
I currently live in PA but planning to move to Mexico for retirement. I’m a renter and considering setting up residency in South Dakota. If I live full time in Mexico how does that affect domiciling in SD. Will PA come after me for residency?
Reading this article gave me hope and the courage to take my 15 year old on the road. My mom just passed away so we have nothing holding us here anymore. I’m glad you wrote this. Thank you?
Hi Steve. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Since you have a rental agreement with the MT LLC, do you need to file a tax return for the LLC. Thanks for any comments.
Same question as Stuart T! If we choose Livingston but visit other areas in Texas and spend time in them as we roam the country, does that show domicile/intention?
I am experiencing a similar situation. We purchased a brand new Forest River destination trailer from Gander RV, owned by Camping World. On the walk thru before closing, a stain on the floor of the bedroom was pointed out to us and they told us it is from the glue used in the installation of the floor. Rather than wait 2 months for the material to be delivered they made a stipulation to accept delivery based on the repair of the floor when the material arrives. 2 months later the material arrived and when the tech removed the stained vinyl flooring black mold was everywhere under the vinyl floor. The tech reported the mold was active as the sub floor was wet and glossy. Gander RV picked up the trailer 3 weeks ago and I have heard nothing from them despite phone calls with no response other than someone will call. I hope not to have to hire an attorney because I will rescind acceptance of the coach based on misinformation as to the cause of the stain. I don’t think we can ever live in that coach because they do not know the cause of the mold and it is probably in the walls and under the floors. I wrote to the CEO of Camping World on the onset and his aid responded that they will make Forest River aware of the situation, but that was 3 weeks ago. I am writing one more letter to the CEO, Marcus Lemonis hoping I will get a positive response. I always said there is thing worse than a used car salesman and that is the RV people who sell RV;s, new or used.
I am currently dealing with a mold issue among many other issues on my 2022 Forest River (Coachmen) Freedom Express Liberty Edition travel trailer. Purchased brand new the day after Thanksgiving 2021 and it was in for its first service for warranty repairs the first week of December 2021. We didn’t use it again until March of 2022, and it required warranty service again at that time. Took it out for a third trip in June 2022 and once again – required warranty service which included a mold issue and a recall for a potentially explosive gas line issue. General RV, the dealership where we bought it told us they didn’t have openings for service until “around October”, which rendered the unit useless to us in the interim. When October came and we hadn’t heard anything we called to get a specific date and time for the appointment and they said, “Sorry, we just can’t take it until February”. So after eight consecutive months of not being able to safely use this unit they took it in on February 9, 2023. We notified Forest River at this time as well. The unit remained in service for 63 days. The mold issue remains unaddressed and now, as of the date of this post, it has been 101 days since we notified Forest River of the issues as well. I’ve spoken with Forest River’s outside legal counsel several times and made attempts to settle. I won’t agree to the lowball settlements they’ve proposed which they have tried to attach full releases to to eliminate their liability, so it’s looking like I’m going to proceed with a lawsuit. I’ll be hiring outside experts to include a biologist to evaluate the mold issue, structural and leak detection experts to determine the cause, extent, and remediation process of the mold damage, and a diminished value expert who can quantify the loss of value associated with the large number and frequency of issues on our brand new unit. Will update this thread and others relevant to our case for public awareness. We may be looking at a class-action suit if we are able to gather info on enough other similar cases.
As fulltime RVers, and Escapees members, we appreciate all of the work you do on our behalf..
Thank you
The Mountains
Thank you. That’s very kind.
Thanks for all the great information. I now have my Class A exempt license for my F450 and 5th wheel. My question is about the tow vehicle. I’m considering stepping up to a MDT as a tow vehicle that has a GVWR of 29,000 pounds. I’ve read that a vehicle with a GVWR greater than 26,000 pounds requires a CDL. I’m not using it for commercial purposes, just to tow my 5th wheel. Is my current Class A exempt license sufficient for the tow vehicle in this example?
Alan, glad you found the article helpful. No, you do NOT need a CDL if you move up to a MDT as your tow vehicle. As long as you’re not using it for commercial purposes (which you’re not if you’re just towing your personal RV), all you need is the Class A Exempt, which you already have. (By the way, the reason you may have seen “Private Vehicle – Not For Hire” on the side of MDTs used this way is to make it clear to law enforcement officers that no CDL is required.)
That’s good to know! Thanks for the quick reply.
Alan
The IRS treats one-member LLCs as sole proprietorships for tax purposes. This means that the LLC itself does not pay taxes and does not have to file a return with the IRS. As the sole owner of your LLC, you must report all profits (or losses) of the LLC on Schedule C and submit it with your 1040 tax return.
I would venture that the rental income and the costs incurred by the LLC to maintain, store, license etc the RV would not generate a profit that would create a tax liability.
We need to have something like the lemon law for cars, for RV’s.
Thank you for your post. We continue to pursue lemon laws for RVs; and, we have an on-going discussion with RVIA with that goal in mind.
Mail forwarding seems to be very efficient. May look into joining Escapees and the Mail Forwarding in the Near future. Thank you for explaining the process so that it was easy to understand. Thank you. Shonna
Beyond the information provided here. I am interested in helping in anyway I can. Thank you for all you do to provide information to all of us!!
Thank you for the offer to help. It’s members like you that make a real difference. From time to time, we do have advocacy issues that require member support. Typically we make those calls-for-action via our newsletters, social media outlets, or via email. As such, I encourage you to monitor those outlets, from time to time.
Thanks for your informative blog! We are getting ready to hit the road with one large dog, one small dog, and one tuxedo cat. All are indoor – outdoor pets and Batman the cat free roams. I love the Catio, we will come up with something similar for sure. Since he is not lead trained we will get a vest and start ahead of time. He loves to go for walks when we walk the dogs for exercise, usually follows along, so hopefully if we start soon, it will be normal by the time we hit the road. Our special guy is funny in that he will poop in a litter box, but he won’t pee in one. He likes to ‘spray’ when he pees even though he is fixed. He marks our 5 acres I suppose. But I see lead training as the only solution for that. Thanks again, you will be part of our careful planning as we set up our FT RV life!
Hi my wife and I are getting ready to hit the road in our 5th wheel this summer, we also are new to the Escapee family, Can anyone give us some RV park suggestions, we will be in the Maryland area around August 1st and stay till the end of September, then move onto Tennessee till November and stay in Central Florida for the winter? any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thank you’
Mark&Gina
Yay! We’re excited to welcome you to the road 🙂
Campendium is a great resource for RV park reviews. You can also check out RVNetwork.com if you’re looking for more specific recommendations from fellow RVers who have visited the area. You’re welcome to join our Facebook groups, too, if that’s more your style!
http://www.facebook.com/groups/xscapers
https://www.facebook.com/groups/rvtofreedom
I have lived in Florida for 40 years
Have recently sold my house and bought a rv
I have a virtual address here in Florida were I receive my mail
Do I have to set up a domicile here also
I would also like to know the answer to this, hopefully someone will answer soon.
Most used RV’s are out of my area, so between Covid restrictions & travel costs it’s not practical to see each unit I’m interested it. Is a professional appraisal sufficient to base a decision?
Road Report by John & Phyllis Ramares
Fellow Escapees,
We are moved by stories of early RVing pioneers. Our gratitude goes out to those pilgrims that first carved out the RV lifestyle.
Fortunately for us Joe and Kay were around for first hand advice and guidance.
This RoVers Roost history of development article helps us all realize the power of friends helping friends.
We are in our winter quarters in the Rio Grande Valley, anxiously awaiting Spring travel season.
We Pray that Y’all are well and have many RVing memories yet to make.
Safe Travels,
John & Phyllis Ramares
My husband and I helped with ‘Pair-A-Dice” co-op in NV. We were there from first on the ground until after the ‘occupation party’ celebration when each member moved onto their very own site. It was a wonderful time. We’d leave home in WA St. when the rains started in the Fall, and return in time with the flowers coming up in the spring. Those were such wonderful years!! great friends, wonderful projects, such hopes and plans! We left a photo album on those memories in the Co-op library, and have shared it’s 2nd copy with many friends and family. My husband’s health began to fail and we had to sell out, but we’d had wonderful years before that, and never regretted any of that time or effort.
“Old Hobo” B. Boyd and Madora Boyd
For the reasons above, I would highly recommend seeing the RV in person to do an inspection. I don’t think I would feel comfortable buying an RV without seeing it myself. At the very least, I would recommend a zoom call and lots of in depth questions! Or perhaps sending a friend or relative…
Great article. I’m also scared by those who say their truck can tow their trailer “just fine” or with “no problem”. That usually means they haven’t checked all the items you note.
I think one of the problems is the “maximum trailer weight” ratings that truck manufacturers publish. That’s what too many people site.
When we started full-timing, the predecessor to RV Tow Check saved me from buying too small a truck for our 5th wheel. The Ram dually we bought made towing comfortable. Not only were we towing safely, but cross winds and 18 wheelers on 2 lane roads didn’t require me to “saw” the steering wheel, to keep on the road.
Thanks for the article!
I’m considering changing my official residence to either Texas or Florida. Is there a comparison chart or website that lays out the respective taxes one would pay if legal address was either in Polk County, TX or Sumter County, FL? I’m currently shopping for an RV. The sales tax and future renewals, along with if there are any required inspections for an RV and Vehicles seem to be the tipping point on which state I pick.
Great information, thank you!
My husband and I have two RVs: a Class A motorhome (>26k pounds) that we typically vacation in (with a toad <10k pounds), and a very light fifth wheel (<26k pounds) that we typically work in (towed by a Ram 2500).
Based on all I've read, we will need Class B non-CDL licenses. Will they require us to bring both RVs to the skills test, and test both of us in each one? Or, can we choose which to bring for the test?
Thanks again! :o)
Hi Mandi. Yes, you’re correct that you’ll need a Class B exempt to drive your motorhome, with or without the toad. Since you described your fifth wheel as “very light”, you probably need only a regular Class C license for it. The only situation in which you’d need a Class A (not B) for the fifth wheel would be if the combined weight of your Ram 2500 plus the fifth wheel exceeds 26,000 lbs, which it probably does not.
Whichever class of license you need, you do not need to test in more than one rig. Once you take the test in any RV meeting the class requirement, you’re legal to drive all others in the same class and in any lower class.
Thank you, David, we greatly appreciate the prompt reply and info!
My husband and I have been full-timers for 14 years and traveled most of the USA and Canada. Great lifestyle. About 6 years ago we bought a membership in Pahrump Nv. What a blessing that has been during this health crisis. We are now planning on being here about 9 months of the year and traveling the other months to the north to see our family. If we don’t want to take the coach we can leave it here while gone. We have made lots of friends who do the same at the campground. It’s nice to know we always have a “home” to come to, especially now that the parks nationwide are filling up and hard to find just an overnight site in popular spots.
This was an easy to follow plan for “Blackwater” maintenance. This is a topic a lot of RVers know little about and avoid but this has taken away the mystery’ and fear. Nice job. Thanks.
When wanting a General Delivery do I have to list my name? Can I list name as Resident?
Yes, you’ll want to use your name in the address. Otherwise, USPS will have nothing to verify the mail is yours when you come to pick it up, and may not release it to you.
We are retired and have friends that live in Florida that will let us use their address. can we rent out our house in California and still be residents in Florida
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/
Hello-
We are Texas residents and have purchased our 5th wheel toy hauler in Minnesota. We anticipate picking it up later this spring, spending time up north and returning to Texas later in the year. Will we be able to register our RV and get our license plates before obtaining the class A drivers license? I do not believe we will have access to the appropriate size rv prior to our departure from Texas.
Thanks for your input.
Dee, yes, you can register your RV in Texas without first obtaining the Class A Exempt license.
You should also be able to register it initially in Texas when you pick it up, rather than first registering it in Minnesota and then re-registering it in Texas. If you’re buying from a dealer, the dealer’s title agent can register it in Texas. If you’re buying from an individual, you’d have to do it yourself by mail, but the instructions are all online. That will save you from paying registration fees twice–probably only a couple hundred dollars, but still.
I am thinking of getting into travel nursing with an RV but I am having trouble finding campgrounds that are open year round, allow longer than 30 day stays, etc. Do you know if any resources available to find this info?
Where are you looking specifically? I know the north can be very difficult to find RV parks in the winter but we tend to chase the sun and never had a problem in the winter in the warmer areas. Sometimes you can let them know your a nurse and they may let you stay longer than their usual open times. As far as long stays we’ve only come across maybe 2 RV parks that haven’t allowed it. I usually first go to travel nurse Facebook groups that are geared towards RV travel and look up other city or hospitals in the search bar and see where other nurses have stayed. Then I use Google and the RV Parky app to find any others.
Can I use your Infographic above, if I give Escapees RV Club credit?
Thanks in advance,
https://www.theadventuretravelers.com/latest-rv-industry-statistics-trends-data-2020
Sure! Send us a link/tag when you’ve got it up 🙂
Our Latest RV Industry Statistics, Trends & Data (2021) page is up. If you can, please change the link above to: https://www.theadventuretravelers.com/latest-rv-industry-statistics-trends-data-2021/
Thanks again for your wonderful infographic!
This article was fascinating on many levels. First, it is a subject in which I have a substantial interest. But, I’m curious why no co-ops have not been established in the southeast U.S.? North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia all would seem to be really good SKP co-op locations particularly given how crowded and expensive private and even state/federal parks have become.
Each co-op was created by members who had an interest in living at those locations at least part-time. I suspect the co-ops are concentrated in the western and southern states because those areas are, for the most part, known for more temperate climates that RVers enjoy, and therefore where enough RVers were financially (and otherwise) invested to help make those co-ops happen.
It’s been several decades since the last co-op was started, and changes in laws and regulations related to that business model have made it harder to successfully build and run an RV park co-op.
I’m very curious about where you found the halters you use to walk your cats outside. Do you have info you can share about the source? I’m trying to adapt my cats to road travel and teaching them to walk on a leash is part of my plan.
It’s the Kitty Holster Cat Harness, and you can buy it on Amazon.
I don’t know if I should be discouraged at the fact nobody was under 30.
Fair point, but keep in mind this survey was circulated two years ago now, and only represents a sample of RVers. There were respondents under the age of 30 at the time, but the percentage was even smaller than the next tier of responses.
That said, a lot has changed in the RV community, thanks hugely to the events of 2020. While there were plenty of RVers under 30 on the road in 2019, I suspect there are even more of you now 🙂
Hello,
I know it is a bit on the nose, but there are tons of jobs available for distance delivery of things like pets or motorcycles. There are several companies I am sure, but I am familiar most with CitizenShipper and Pet Transport. Both have been around a while and if you learn how to use their platforms, I think you can at least pay for your travel if not more so.
Does anybody know if theTexas Class A (non-cdl) for operating RV’s reguire a physical if you have high blood pressure?
No, it does not. Physicals are required only for CDLs.
David,
First off, thanks for this article.
I was told this morning at the DMV I would have to have a medical card and is required for all non-cal class A and B exempt licenses.
When I got home, I called the DMV call center and asked if the medical card was required. They told me that it was more of a DOT requirement than anything else due to the size of the vehicle.
Anyone else have a similar experience?
Thanks,
David
David, I think the DPS office gave you incorrect information. It happens occasionally since they don’t see many applicants for non-commercial licenses, so they often assume that the CDL requirements apply to those. Unless there has been a very recent change to the law, which I doubt (and I couldn’t find anything in a quick Google search), medical certificates are required only to exercise the privileges of a commercial driver’s license. Since the exempt Class A/B licenses are by definition NOT commercial, no medical certificate is required.
David, many thanks for your guidance and help. Other than this article the details are very sketchy. I obtained my license today, after running into some initial problems at a location that does a large number CDLs each day. There was some confusion over what was required to get me registered for the tests, which may have been complicated by me not explaining myself clearly. I ended up going to a different location, gave them my paperwork, took the written test, had my driving test scheduled and was out the door in about half an hour. Today I took the driving test and was headed back home in less than an.hour. As I said before, many thanks!
Thank you so much for this article! It was very helpful for me to obtain my Class B non-CDL. The Texas website is just not very clear on this.
That is, unfortunately, a true statement. 😉 Glad you found the article helpful.
A perfect RV! Good luck. Somewhat like cameras or purses, so many designs, each attractive in its own way. I have a small 2013 Ford Transit Connect van. Great to drive, lightweight, very economical. Am thinking of building a teeny trailer to tow behind it… to hold a bathroom and kitchen with table, nothing more… since sleeping in the van is excellent. I love boondocking, which instantly gets you up against the fact that solar just doesn’t produce much power… forget that AC on a hot day. Maybe add a $7,000 200 lb Tesla house battery to the little trailer… charge should last for a week? And here the search for perfection becomes ridiculous. Real limitations, like the weight of water you’d carry for 2-3 weeks off grid. Ouch! But what’s really fun — daydreaming about all this, and in the meantime taking short 3-day trips from my Tombstone, AZ out to the beautiful BLM and State land all around.
To learn to drive a car, you get a learners permit. Is there something similar for learning to drive an RV?
There is, although you may have to work a bit to get a DPS office to issue you one, because most of them don’t know about it. You’ll need to first take and pass the knowledge test and comply with all its prerequisites (application, fee, vision test, thumbprint, etc.). Then ask the staff at the office where you take the test to issue you the learner’s permit. You may actually receive a CDL learner’s permit for the license class you’re seeking–I’m not sure if there is an exempt/non-exempt distinction at the learner’s permit stage.
Note, however, that a learner’s permit in Texas requires a properly licensed driver in the right front seat. That means that a learner’s permit benefits you only if you are taking lessons from or at least accompanied by another driver with the appropriate Class A or B Exempt license. If you’re planning to practice solo or with someone else who also doesn’t yet have the appropriate class of license, the learner’s permit won’t make you legal.
CDL applicants train with an instructor before they take their practical test, which is why the CDL learner’s permit exists. But most RVers teach themselves. For that reason, most RVers don’t bother with a learner’s permit–they just get their Exempt license as quickly as they can.
I pay about $157.00 a month for my car insurance. I checked on RV insurance and was told it could be almo $400. a month with State Farm.
We are with State Farm and have RV (A Class) on its own policy and pay only $300 a year!
Doing the Math is quite crucial to know how much weight a tow vehicle can realistically tow rather than answering it directly. There are questions that need to be considered as well not just acting things aggressively. Appreciate this article! That’s why it needs to have a professional to get things done
You made a good point that buying an RV is a bit similar to buying a home because it has to be customized for my own comfort. That should be what I will think about when buying motorhome chairs after buying my own RV. Proper support for my back would be very important to have.
What written tests would I have to take for a Class A 45ft Coach flat towing a Wrangler?
1. The Texas CVO General Knowledge Test.
and what about the Texas CDL Combinations Test.
Im trying to figure out which tests to study for.
Thanks, John Rome
John, because your rig is considered a combination since you’re towing your Wrangler, you’ll need to take both the General Knowledge test and the Combinations test. You’ll also need to have your toad hitched up for the driving test so that the entire setup qualifies as a vehicle requiring a Class B Exempt license.
We have a question- we sold our home in Texas and have a UPS Store address we rent a yearly box we had many years before selling our home. We travel back and forth between Tennessee Arkansas and Texas but will be venturing out to other states. We tried renewing iur drivers license using the UPS Store as our address and mailing address BUT…. Texas Renewal online knew thr UPS Store was not our main residence and would not let us renew without a physical address even though the UPS Store is considered a physical address for most all other reasons to use it as such. How do we get our licenses renewed if we dont have a home or apt? How do u make them understand our RV “IS” our home? We own a few lots in Livingston but no mailbox or structure there dont know how to make that work do u have any suggestions?
Unfortunately, plenty of RVers run into that issue when using a business address as their personal address. It’s a common pushback when using USPS PO boxes, UPS boxes, and similar, as they cannot be residential addresses. Our mail-forwarding service is able to avoid this because our customers are also able to live there, since our headquarters is also in an RV campground along with permanent residential properties.
If you have friends or family in Texas, you can try using their address instead. Quite a few people are able to do this with success if you prefer to not give up your UPS box.
Hi Shelly. As a former mail carrier, I don’t recall if it’s an actual law, however when sorting, we did not give out mail because we do not know if it’s actually your mail legally. Naturally, some people find this upsetting, so the solution was that individual would provide ID to verify that is their mail or they could just wait patiently and allow the carrier to finish. You’d be suprised how criminals will use your address to obtain illegal items such as fraudulent checks, drugs, and identity theft.
Hello Brenda:
For environmental reasons, my partner and I decided not to ever buy a motor vehicle. I, living in NY for 20 years, and he, living everywhere before we met, never really needed a car, and I rented one when needed. However, for various reasons, we are considering buying a motorvan now, that we are living in Berlin. We want something with a compost toilet and where we can pack our bikes and that causes the least environmental footprint. We have also been left in awful economic circumstances with the pandemic, and because of it, its been a nightmare to find lodging in Berlin, where we have been going from one short term rental to another. This is one of the multiple reasons why we are considering a van. Do you know where in Germany we can buy a cheap van? we are mostly concerned about it having a good engine, something that will not need continuous repairs. We are also not planing to drive it around too much, short 200km trips every 15 days maybe. While working in a specific place, we wont even move. We just need it to be discrete, and fuel efficient. We were planing to convert our own. But after searching a lot, we do not know where we can go for a Sprinter, or a Ram or Ducatto. Do you have any advice for us, completely newbies? We are in our mid 40’s. we want just the basics, toilet, sink and stove, a bed for 2, as much storage space as possible, as much energy efficiency and autonomy (solar) as possible. being able to carry out bikes. In your knowledge or experience, would furnishing our own commercial van be cheaper? His father has a professional carpenter’s workshop and we might be able to recruit him to do insulation and wood paneling. Or buy a proper camper, redo the interiors?
I would appreciate your feedback!
Fabulous information for all of us! Informed, smart information to get healthy on the road or stick/brick home. Because I have been focused on health for over thirty-years I know! At age 79 and physically well due to exercise & proper sleep. Organic and healthy foods. Meditation and socialization. Really understanding your current health. Determined to get healthier. Insisting on longevity. Needing to model for our grand children. All covered by Christine in an honest fashion. Looking at their bods, they live their words. The one thing I would add to Christine’s wonderful advice is your mentality. If you work your body at least three days a week including cardio will improve mood. You will go from negativity to positivity. Waking up in the morning ready to enjoy this day. Celebrating life itself!
I love using stretchy bands for my muscle preservation exercises. I use the 4KOR set which come with a strap that I put around the truck door. With the strap at about shoulder height, I find I can do most chest, back and arm exercises. I bend at the waist to do shoulders and pull-downs. They are light and fit in a small bag.
In addition I road and mountain bike, lake kayak with an inflatable and disc golf (which isn’t high energy exercise, but lots of fun). We are on our 5th year of full time in a 120 sq foot Escape 21 trailer.
If you get a Class A Exempt, does that also allow you to drive anything that would only qualify for a Class B Exempt? In other words if I am required to have a Class A for my trailer and get it, yet drive my friends Motor Home (that he is required to have a Class B Exempt for), I am covered or do I actually have to get both an A and a B?
Yes. Each class also authorizes you for a lower class. So a Class A Exempt also covers Classes B and C. You would not need to pass a separate test for the motorhome.
Hi @elle. I am not overly familiar with things in Germany, as we live in France but I can provide some pointers.
For buying a vehicle IMO the best site in Germany is https://www.mobile.de/. They list both new and used vehicles, as well as campervans, motorhomes and vans. Dealers and private individuals use the site all over the country, so it has an enormous selection. I suggest you start your search there.
As for the conversion, that could be a little trickier. I know that in France it’s very difficult to get conversions registered, and there are many rules you have to be met to make it happen. I’m not overly familiar with the registration process in Germany, but I’m almost certain your van will lose its operating license (as a van), once you start converting it. So it will need to be re-registered. I would highly suggest looking into these regulations on this before you embark on a conversion. You may find that it’s much simpler and easier just to buy a used campervan off the lot.
Good luck with your search. I hope you find what you’re looking for.
Nina
Thank you David, that is what I thought, but was having a hard time finding confirmation
I’m wanting to rent out a space to park an RV for nurses any ideas ?
where are you located!
I just signed up for the “Escapees RV Club’s” annual membership. I have been perusing the website and I did not not much diversity. Is the club welcoming to everyone?
Hi Christopher! Welcome to Escapees 🙂
Yes, we are definitely welcoming to everyone. We have members from lots of different backgrounds, interests, lifestyles, and more. Our events and services are inclusive and open to anyone.
Thank you for this article. We are 43 and grandparents and our last adult child will be moving out next month. My husband wants to sell the house since market is hot and get an RV and travel. We have been married for about 24 years now and we feel like it is our turn. We never really had a chance when we were younger since we started so young. We also have my dads house that we inherited that my other son and his family are in. It is hard to think if us not being there physically but I love what you said about bath time. That too is mine and my granddaughters time when she visits us. She is 2 years old. Definitely a grandmother thing. We are all super close and they live about 25 minutes away. So this article gave me a little bit of peace for doing it. Thank you
What a great article…thank you!
We have our C license but need to get our Exempt Class A or B; we do not presently tow but expect to in the future. I assume we should take the combination test even though we wouldn’t be towing for the driving skills test. Correct?
Also, the State’s “easy” appointment system is confusing as to what service I am requesting. Am I asking for the “Return for written test?”
Sorry to ask stupid questions but whoever thought you should be able to call or email the DPS? Alas…
Jay, whether you need to take the Combinations written test depends on whether you’ll be towing for the driving test. If you need a Class A or B Exempt license because of your towed vehicle, then you would need to tow that vehicle for your driving test. (The general rule is that you must take the driving test in a vehicle that meets the requirements for the license class you’re seeking.) I’m guessing from your question, however, that you’re needing a Class B because you’re driving a motorhome over 26,000 lbs. GVWR. In that case, you would not need a towed vehicle for the driving test, therefore you would not need to take the Combinations written test. Your Class B license would then still make you legal to tow a vehicle not exceeding 10,000 lbs. GVWR, even though you didn’t test with it. The only thing you would NOT be able to do would be to tow a heavier vehicle or trailer, because that would require a Class A Exempt license–but that’s a pretty rare situation for a motorhome owner.
On the scheduling system…yes, it’s confusing! Since you already hold a Texas Class C license, you’d click “CHANGE, REPLACE OR RENEW TEXAS DL/PERMIT”. I think that “RETURN FOR WRITTEN TEST” applies only if you’ve already submitted your application and fee at a DPS office but didn’t get to take the written test. This is a relatively new system, though, so if you discover something different please let us know.
Hi, really good info. Thxs!!!
I’m trying to get my class A Exempt license. I need to take the written test in the dallas/collin county Texas area. However, it looks like the written tests are by appointment only and they are book up till at least end of July/beginning of Aug 2021. Its March 18, thats 4-5 months from now. Are they really that booked up, or am I looking at the wrong place by the DPS web site?
Kevin, before COVID you could just walk into a DPS office without an appointment to take the written test. But during the pandemic, DPS instituted the online reservation requirement. I don’t know how booked up they are, although 4-5 months seems pretty extreme–but I suppose it’s possible. You’re looking at the right place in the online scheduler, though, if you clicked “CHANGE, REPLACE OR RENEW TEXAS DL/PERMIT” (if you already hold a Texas Class C license) or “APPLY FOR FIRST TIME TEXAS DL/PERMIT” (if you don’t).
How should an extended vacationer handle mail? For ex, when we go away for a month, we typically visit a number of locations so we have the local post office hold our mail till we get home. But they only hold it for a month. We’re planning a 3 month trip to Alaska and we’ll be constantly on the move. Do you have any suggestions on how best to manage our mail short of asking doctors, etc to email us instead of using regular mail? Thanks!!!
For longer needs like that, you’ll typically need to work with a mail-forwarding service. If you have an idea of where you’ll be at various points along your trip, you can ask your mail forwarder to send your mail to a destination you plan to visit in a week or so, and have it there ready for you when you arrive. (You’ll want to work with that campground, too, and make sure they allow this)
You can also look into mail-forwarders who offer mail scanning. That will allow you to see the front of the envelope and determine if it’s worth forwarding, holding, or if you’d like to see the contents of it, too.
Our (Escapees) service can do all of this for you. We do have options for short-term/temporary mail forwarding, as well as a scanning option. You can reach our Member Services Team at the number at the top of this page and they can walk you through the options available for your needs.
Hi David,
Thanks for the reply. When I was looking at the Texas Schedule appointment, I had tried both CDL “Apply for first time Texas CLP/CDL” and “Service not listed or my license is not eligible” which both are backed up for many months. I did however, take your advice, and selected the “change, replace, or renew Texas DL/Permit” and I was able to get an appointment in April.
My only concern, is if the DPS location I picked, does the Class A – non-CDL written test.
Thanks for your help!!
Kevin
Kevin, the last time I checked, any DPS office that does the written test can give you the ones you need for a Class A Exempt. They’re all computer based. Note however that this is not the case for the DRIVING test–only certain DPS offices give those. In any case, you should be fine taking your written test at the office where you made your appointment.
I am a native Texan and current resident in the Houston area. My wife and I are going full time and have sold the house. We are currently using our son’s apartment for our permanent address but are considering Escapees for mail handling. I assume this would require us to change our permanent address on DL, LTC, insurance, etc.. I assume the first 5 steps still apply but the rest are moot.
I too am curious about this. We’ve always been renters but thinking about living in the RV full time. Everything is already based in Texas so while I know we’d need a ‘permanent’ address immediately, I think the vehicle registrations and voter registrations could be pushed out until it’s time.
I was amazed that the main post office in New York city only opens general delivery from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (two hours) that’s beyond imagination. For the worst i mean.
This article is enormously helpful, thank you so much! The DMV is never an easy agency to work with and you have made this process very easy to understand and follow! Sincere thanks!
David, I just took the special requirements test today and told them I will be towing a Jeep and they said it’s under 10,000lb and I didn’t need to take the Combinations test, only special requirements. I also don’t need to bring the Jeep for the driving portion of the test.
Marty, assuming you’re driving a motorhome, what they told you is correct. Your motorhome requires a Class B exempt license because of its weight alone. You don’t need to tow another vehicle for it to qualify as a Class B-type rig. Therefore, you don’t need to tow anything for the test, and for THAT reason you don’t need to take the Combinations written test.
With a motorhome, the only reason you’d need to tow another vehicle for the test (and take the Combinations written test) would be if your towed vehicle was over 10,000 lbs. GVWR, because that would bump you up to needing a Class A exempt license. The general rule is that you must take the driving test in a vehicle (or combination of vehicles) that meets the requirements for the class of license you’re testing for. And you need the Combinations written test only if you’ll be driving a combination of vehicles for the test. Clear as mud, I know.
Glad you found the article helpful. Good luck on your driving test!
My question is about the new Texas DPS appointment scheduler. It took me a month the get the appointment for the application for a class B exempt for my Motor Home. Now I am trying to schedule the drivers test. They have a selection for RV and another for Class A B exempt driving test. Which one do you select for a Motor home towing under 10,000 lbs? I selected RV and I am worried I selected the wrong one since there are two selections that seem to cover the same thing. I will towing a 4500 lb jeep wrangler four down so I do not need the combined vehicle test. Thank You T.O.M.
Welcome! I am an early Retiree due to medical reasons. Hubby is still working, when he retires we will travel.
David,
Thank you for such a well-written, in-depth article on attaining a Texas Class A license. Without your article, I would have spent many hours searching for all the Texas Class A requirements. They are not easy to find!
I passed my Class A driving test with my F-350/Fifth Wheel combination on 25 Mar 21 and wanted to pass on my experience. I studied the material found in Section 14 of the Texas Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers Handbook, and the Combinations Test material found in Section 6. The CDLStudyBuddy.com practice exams for the Special Requirements Test and the Combination Vehicles Test was an outstanding resource. In fact, I could have passed the test by just taking the practice exams several times.
I took my test at a DMV (close to my house) that was not on the list for the Class A driving test. And as you mentioned, they had no clue about Class A license testing requirements. I was only required to take the Texas CDL Special Requirements Test. It took less than five minutes. I then received a Class A learners permit. The restriction placed on this permit only allowed me to drive with someone over 21 who possessed a Class A license. That meant I was driving illegally since I don’t know anyone with a Class A license. This is a definite flaw in the process.
I went online to sign up for my driving test, but the link included in your article did not work. I recommend you use this link instead: https://public.txdpsscheduler.com. All the dates were months in the future, so I drove to the New Braunfels Texas Department of Public Safety, 119 Conrads Ln, New Braunfels, TX 78130. They made me an appointment for the next week. I was very impressed with the operations and people at the New Braunfels DPS office. They were very knowledgeable and helpful! I would highly recommend taking your Class A driving test at this location.
My test was scheduled for 1005 hrs and I arrived 25 minutes early (you can arrive up to 30 mins early). I parked and went inside. They scanned my appointment sheet and told me to go back to my vehicle and wait for an examiner. After about 10 mins the examiner came over and introduce themself. They checked my registration and insurance and then asked me to put on my lights, blinkers, flashers, and brakes. Once everything checked out they got into my truck and explained the process. I did not have to back up or park, just drive around. I drove a couple of miles on I-35 southbound and then exited the interstate. I then drove on the city streets for a block or two and then took the interstate northbound back to the DPS office where we started. The entire drive took 20 mins max. Once we arrived back at the DPS truck parking area the examiner said she would be right back with my license. It was that simple.
All in all, it was a painless process. You could tell that the DPS examiner wanted me to pass and made it a stress-free event. I highly recommend everyone who is required get their Class A license. The DPS folks told me that if you get pulled over and do not have the correct license the officer will make you leave your RV on the side of the road since you don’t have the proper license.
David, I want to thank you again for writing your article, it made getting a Class A license simply and painless!
Kind Regards,
Tom
We’ve been members for 2 years, I have yet to find a list of all the Escapees RV Parks. We’re up for renewal, until we see the list and know we have access, not renewing just yet.
Thank you.
Hi there!
Sorry you’ve had trouble finding our park information. If you hover over the “Benefits” tab in the menu above, you’ll see “RV Parking” in the drop-down menu. Clicking on that will bring up information on Escapees RV Parks, SKP Co-ops, and our discount parking program that includes hundreds of parks that offer Escapees members a discount on their rates, as well as other options.
https://escapees.com/benefits/rv-parking/
I hope this helps!
As a retired USPS Clerk I can certainly appreciate the system of forwarding. Congratulations on your smooth running system and this informative story SKP 90101
Some of these pics bring back such memories! We’ve only been around since 1986, but what fun we had then! I consider the pics family pictures. Thank you, Joe and Kay!!!
Great reading about the early days again!!
Thank you everyone, my wife and I are looking at toy hauler 5th wheel and it’s a must sell. I agree I want a inspection. Any advice I am so grateful
Thank you so much for including getting us in your top 10!
Great job! I just started a blog. I’m pretty excited!
Thanks for the shout-out Escapees!!
Great list! We were aware of a few of these blogs, but most are new finds. Looking forward to learning about these travelers. Thanks for putting this together, and for including PropaneandBourbon.com
Thanks for the article. Inclusivity is important. I too feel not welcomed at times when RV camping in the past. Let’s continue to thrust forward and make those uncomfortable, comfortable!
Thanks for including us. What a nice surprise! Scott Fox FoxRVTravel.com
FYI, I just took my class A written test and they required me to take the combinations tests as well. They said it was because I was going to tow a fifth wheel. So, study up for the Combinations test.
They were trying to set me up with a Class B license at first, but since I’ll be towing about 16K lbs I told them I need a class A license. So, research, research, research.
We are selling our home in Phoenix this week before moving to Washington to live in a 5th wheel camper on my wife’s brothers property. It’s possible, the fiver won’t be moved for a while and just used as our summer home before we travel to Nebraska to spend September and October at my sisters house. In November, we might spend a month in Boulder City, Nevada at my wife’s sisters house before looking for an RV park back in Phoenix to spend the next six months, before we return to Washington for the summer of 2022. We are trying to figure out where to domicile and it seems like the best choice would be Bend, Oregon, where another of my sisters lives. Arizona wanted $1200 to register the camper. Washington State wanted $4300. I think Oregon wants just over $300. Plus we plan to buy a new truck to pull the 5th wheel, this summer and would like to register it in Oregon as well and save many thousands more. We may even get drivers licenses there with my sisters home address as our address. I’m retired from California corrections and get our health care from Cal-PERS. We have essentially spread ourselves out over many western states and don’t think there will be any domicile issues with any of them. We are both retired and do not work. I receive a tax free disability pension from Cal-PERS, a small check from the state of Arizona, and social security. Even though we will spend summers living on the north side of the Columbia River, just over the Oregon State line, we will probably do most of our shopping in Astoria, Oregon. I plan to call and schedule a consultation to discuss our plans to register our camper and a truck in Oregon, and what sorts of things we might want to do to be part of the Bend community.
Many rv parks will ask you how old your rig is. It doesn’t matter how well you have taken care of it or its appearance. They reject units that are over 10 years old.
Hi Sharon!
You’re correct that there are parks that disallow RVs that are more than 10 years old. However, there are also plenty willing to waive this restriction if you can demonstrate that your RV is in good working order and has a well-maintained exterior. There are some parks that aren’t willing to compromise, but that shouldn’t discourage someone from getting a used RV if that’s what they prefer and is within their budget. There are plenty of parks happy to welcome their business 🙂
I don’t need RV parks like that. Stuck up snoops.
I mean I do own a 2021 Winnebago which I bought new out of the box. But still my first trailer a bought for $5,000 loved it for 2 years am upgraded. I want to be around all different people.
Never had a park problem regarding age and have never had one ask. I will do a bit more reading to see if I am missing something. Regarding new or used, you better know what to look for or you will not be happy with the learning experience.
General delivery sucks I spoke with a 40-year veteran of the post office when I asked questions about my options for holding my mail what the 40-year postal veteran left out is that my mail would circle around the state of Texas I guess for 10 to 14 business days or longer with no guarantee that I would receive my mail. I’m currently waiting on a contract that was mailed to me via the post office on April 1st and now it is a possibility that I may not even get the mail because the supervisor at the post office where I live indicated that if I don’t get my mail in the next 10 to 14 business days I may have to choose to start the process over. what the what. I expect for businesses and yes this includes the post office to be reasonably knowledgeable about their products and services. Telling me that you’re a 40-year veteran employee of the post office does me no good if you leave out pertinent information and then demonstrate an attitude of I don’t care because it’s not my mail this has been a complete cluster f for me and I still don’t have my mail.
I’m here in Ogden does anyone have information on why my Packages would keep getting returned to sender if the address of the post office and the general Delivery address both on package the post office said it can’t have THIER address on it only general Delivery has anybody heard such a thing
This does sound strange.
Are you using the standard General Delivery format for the receiving address? https://faq.usps.com/s/article/What-is-General-Delivery
Good luck with your new endeavor! I’m sure you know that successful franchises are built on quality control. Consumers (campers) will expect a consistent level of service and standards among all the franchises. Therein is your challenge. I highly recommend investing in a great quality control and management system to effectively assure your organization a successful outcome. Your customers will demand it.
Happy camping!
Tony Shurts, MBA
Member # 148485
Great article Dave. On the contrary about six month lease lot owners. We are lease
lot ownerss in the Beautiful Evergreen Coho SKP park in Chimacum Washington. Of course we spend that six months every summer from our winter home in Yuma. It was our home base when we full timed. Benson SKP park is a great choice for the SW. Hope you get your lot soon
Thanks Michael! We stayed at Evergreen Coho a few years ago. What a beautiful area, and a great summer retreat! We will definitely visit again next time we’re in the Pacific Northwest. We actually finally became leaseholders at the SKP Saguaro Co-Op in Benson this past January. I updated my bio to reflect that.
Looking forward to new camping opportunities in the future.
One thing that’s lacking is good parking pad materials, good maintained stone pads should be a Minimum. Most pads seem to be dirt,sand and not level in any form. I truly wish a program to upgrade the pads would be considered. I have construction equipment experience and would be glad to help at various locations.
Thanks
G Belanger
Where are all the new parks?
They will come! 🙂
This is great news but we echo the comments that a strict minimum and ongoing standard must be maintained as you have for your properties. A suggestion would be a team(s) of “mystery shoppers/campers” employed/or trained volunteers to do unannounced inspections and on the ground reviews/stays as well as a Quality Control department with teams who would be ever vigilant to ensure and work with a franchisee to ensure they maintain their parks AND do upgrades as the traveling RV communities demand/expect. There needs to be penalties or revocation of the agreement for failure of a franchised property to meet or exceed expectations. These issues have been the significant downfall of other franchised name/entities in the camping world for sure as we travel and see such a huge range of quality control level of parks, customer service, amenities, etc. from totally run down and dangerous to high end with showing pride in their product. So glad you are expanding your reach and happy we are lifetime members!
In order for a park to be approved as a franchisee, there is a set of guidelines they will have to meet, and standards they will have to maintain during their time as a franchisee. Our goal is to encourage the opening of more parks that uphold Escapees values and quality! 🙂
David,
Thanks for the information in your article. I use to have my CDL when I was younger and drove 18 Wheelers. Well I am 60 now and that expired a long time ago. I am renting a Motor Home in July of this year to drive with my grandkids and family from Houston to Amarillo Texas. The RV I have picked out requires a B class license as it is 44000 GVRW and greater than the 26000 min for the C class license that I currently have. I don’t own a motor home to take the driving portion of the test….I would think this is pretty common but I am not sure. I assume I could ask the Rental Place to allow me to take the test with the specific vehicle? Is that normally what takes place with folks with the same issue.
Thank you,
Darrel
Darrel, sorry I missed seeing your question sooner. If you had a Texas Class A CDL at one time, do you still have the Class A or B endorsement on your current (non-CDL) driver’s license? If so, you have everything you need. But assuming you don’t have that, then you raise a good question concerning licensing for drivers of rented RVs. You’re correct that you would need a Class B Exempt license to legally drive your rented motorhome. But I’d bet that rarely, if ever, do RV renters actually obtain the required license for the short time that they are driving the rented vehicle. (Most RV owners don’t even bother! 🙁 ) So I guess I’d suggest doing two things: first, ask the rental company if they (or their insurance) requires you to have a Texas Class B Exempt license to drive your rental. If they do, then they should already have procedures in place to allow you to take the test in their rig. If not, then ask if you could borrow the rig to take your test before your rental begins. I’d guess they’re going to want to charge you for that day. Second, call Texas DPS in Austin, and ask if you can take the driving test in a vehicle you do not own. The answer is probably yes as long as you have the required current registration (on the window) and proof of insurance, but I don’t know that for sure. If you are able to get an answer, please reply and let everyone know what it was!
I agree with Gerard. A well-maintained gravel pad, properly constructed, should be the minimum, with a concrete slap the expectation. Every site should have 50A, FHU service. Assume that each site will be occupled by a 45′ multi-slide RV with a Class VIII tow truck and runaround car or a 50,000 pound 45-foot MH with towed. In other words, assume that everyone has the largest possible combination, and those of us with smaller rigs will easily fit.
Use COE or State campgrounds as the model for lot spacing. Plenty of space between lots, with appropriate ground cover. All lots should be level, even if it means that each lot is terraced.
Thanks for including us in this list! What a thrill for us to be in such good company! I look forward to reading about other bloggers experiences. Sally and John
Excellent article and excellent thread. David and Susie, we are in somewhat of a similar boat. We are former residents of CA who moved to the East Coast 15 years ago. We are now retired and planning a nomadic life for a few years, spending time in our RV and traveling out of the country. Part of our RV travel time will be spent in CA, where we have owned an inherited property for the past few years (we have not lived in it, it has been a rental property since inheriting it, and we have consistently paid CA income taxes on the rental income). We are soon eliminating all contacts with the East Coast (selling our house, closing bank accounts, etc) to travel. What are the chances of CA challenging us, if we file income taxes based on part-time residency in CA (based on our time there in our RV and claiming the rental property income) and use a SD mail forwarding address in SD on the tax return? Are mail forwarding addresses “red flags” to CA?
Taxing a car multiple times is the same as stealing. Pay sales tax when car is purchased. if that was a used car the sales tax in theory was paid on it when titled for the first time. I digress, pay the sales tax and then they want property tax on an already taxed item every year. Um no thanks. Giving more money to already inefficient people doesnt make them (government) suddenly more efficient. And to the one comment about taking advantage of “perks” but not wanting to pay…. I pay income tax to the state and federal government. The purpose of having attractive tax laws from one state to another is to lure people and businesses to that state. Its not an illegal act or a scam. Taxation in this country is out of control, and people are fed up with it.
Just a thought, David: Would you with the “smaller” rig be willing to pay the $100+ fee for such a huge space? Would I with the self-contained unit and no desire to hook up be needing all that? Many of us would not.
What happens if you fail the color vision test?
I could not find any specific information to answer your question. You would probably be referred to an eye specialist for further evaluation, just as you would if you failed the visual acuity portion of the test, but I don’t know what would happen after that. I would guess you might have limitations placed on your license (like daytime driving only under 45 mph).
I am fixing to retire within the year and buy an RV, thanks for all the help on this web site,..
As far as I know there are currently only two major rv manufacturers offering floor plans suited for people with disabilities. They are Winnebago and Newmar. I think they deserve special recognition in making sure they include these people when designing their rigs. There may be more companies to add also- these are the only ones I’m aware of.
Thanks Drew! Yes, those are the only two major players I located. Reached out to Newmar but never heard back. They do make a lovely rig!
Absolutely amazing write-up. Clear tone and instructions. Thank you!
Please just don’t become another KOA. Some are great, most are not as advertised as far as amenities, available hook ups, etc.
Ethics in the RV business seems to be waning – witness the poor QA of new RV’s in this booming trend. Yes, you are in business to make money – absolutely nothing wrong with that. Just stay true to your values – and verify that franchisees do as well.
Go for it, and good luck. I am one of the SKPs who helped build a park, it was work, but it was also Lots of Fun. We looked forward to our winter of working on it while ‘home’ for the summer. My husband really lived this fully. He was happy with working, and the many great friends we made. We really missed Pair-A-Dice park after we had to sell out and stay our regular home all year. He died about 6 months later, but felt he’d been useful to the end.
Madora
Its a shame that a lot of rv parks have gone to the
Greadey parks and the well off parks instead of park for the everyday people and the retirement on fixed expenses people.
One of our goals with Escapees RV Parks is to keep them afforadable, though we understand that is a subjective term. We aim to support more parks that are for RV enthusiasts, focusing on the daily needs of RVers moreso than vacation-centric amenities.
My wife and I have lived in Texas for most of our lives and for the last 30+ years. We are selling our home and becoming full-timers and plan to use the Escapees mail forwarding service. We still own a parcel of unimproved land in a Texas “resort city” and I am listed as the life estate beneficiary of my (currently unoccupied) parents’ homestead (also in Texas). Will we still need to take other steps to show our domicile as being in Livingston, other than changing the address on our DL and vehicle registrations?
Hi Scott!
To discuss more detailed information such as yours, we recommend you reach out to Susie directly at Loring & Associates. She offers free consultation calls, and could likely help you with this question and more. http://www.loringlaw.com/contact-us
We love the mail service. Everyone does such a great job, and communicating with the mail team always results in professional responses. And that fellow at the window that helps us when we happen to be in Livingston… that guy is super friendly and professional!
Hi Holly – What a great, informative article. I am so happy you have had success with our Original Tick Key™. I have had Lyme Disease since 2005 and started this company in 2007. I love our product and am super excited when I hear others love it as much as I do. Thank you for the mention! And, thank you for your faith in our tick removal device. Donna
We are brand new too. Class A used Fleetwood Pace Arrow. Still getting it cleaned out and cleaned up. Hubby retired but I work remotely. Next project before we actually start to travel is reliable internet – boy is that a confusing subject. Thinking about a Verizon Jetpack and a cell booster. Hoping that will work. As long as I can get good, reliable internet we will be able to travel for months on end. Really excited
My husband is disabled. DuneSport designed and built a custom toy hauler to accommodate his needs. Thankfully, his needs are not degenerative. We love our trailer and enjoy a few months each summer of adventure. Escapees has opened our world to meet like-minded travelers. Thank you for the informative and well-written article.
Tracy I’m so glad you and your husband found DuneSport! They do make some amazing rigs! Enjoy your travels and thanks for the kind words. See ya down the road sometime 🙂
FYI…Just went through the process this week with Texas DPS to apply for upgrade from Class C to Class B non-CDL using the guidance in this article. Based on my experience this article is spot on. As a side note the DPS appointment scheduler in our area of Texas showed no appointment availability for weeks or months so we decided to search for appointments in rural west Texas towns, bingo. Choose you day and time. Great excuse for a road trip.
K. Susie and Shawn, thank you so much for taking the time to author this very complete article and educate us all on this important topic. I had no idea! Your article really pulls it all together nicely and is super-informative. This has been a great resource and extremely helpful!!!
Best regards,
— Steve
Great article!
Planning to beat the shot clock. Kathy, my wife of 33 years and I plan to purchase a rig and begin our great American tour SOON. Thanks for featuring the handicapped RV segment. I have managed to adjust my activities to manage a career in real estate in spite of 40+ years of MS, COPD, osteoarthritis and now AMD, only one eye so far, that just turned wet. Kathy is 10 years younger and in great health. We hope to get on the road 2022 but I will have to do all the Grunt Work. Being a builder/remodeler converting the rig or installing accommodations should be minor problems. But learning from others has been my life and all ideas for adjustments are greatly appreciated as are the ones in the articles you included. Thanks again for the thoughtful articles. Bill and Kathy Mays Plano, Tx ( soon to be “LivingRoom2roam”) maybe??
Bill and Kathy I love your spirit! DO it! And please keep in touch with me, I’d love to follow along. Thanks for the nice note.
Awesome write up.
I needed a Class A for our big 5th wheel and as you point out the local DMV office struggled with what test were needed. I did not need the combinations test, but did need to take the Special Requirements test.
However – The Special Requirements test has been renamed. It is now called the Texas Commercial Rules test. The questions are exactly the same as the Special Requirements test from CDL Study Buddy. It seems that this is just a name change for the test. You may want to update the article with the name change.
Thanks for the article. This helped eliminate a lot of confusion and helped me guide the folks at the DMV.
Kevin, thanks for that feedback. I have updated the blog post with the new name of the test. That name makes a lot more sense than “Special Requirements” anyway!
Bought low mileage late model used class C twice. Made money on the private sale of the 1st, found the 2nd 1700 miles away and used the return trip as the shakedown. Awesome experience and ended up with the perfect unit for us. Heck traveling to find the right deal is half the fun.
Doesn’t sound like a not – for – profit model. One draw for me to visit Escapee Parks has been the desire to support the club affiliates knowing the quality of camp site and community prior to actual arrival. More parks are needed and your encouragement for their development is applauded.
Beautiful Work was done here Thank you
Why wouldn’t someone just get mail forwarding in whatever state allowed online vehicle registration and drivers license renewals if their needs were minimal? My income is going to be very low, I don’t need to vote, and I can bank online. What am I missing here?
There are many variables that affect where those without a permanent address choose to set up mail forwarding and/or domicile. You may not choose to vote, but retaining that ability is important for others. Their choices for health insurance, auto insurance, etc are also affected by where they establish domicile, so they take that into consideration.
If you don’t need any of those things, then yes, your options are much simpler to figure out. 🙂
Wondering if you can tell me, we are going o be shipping a skoolie from Panama, to Europe. Wondering are there restriction on length of RVs for national parks in Europe, and are there the same waste hook ups for sewage and water?
Cheers
@Shawn West You will definitely find more size restrictions here in Europe, not only in campgrounds but also on roads and in towns. You will likely need a truckers GPS & have to call ahead most places to ensure your vehicle can be accommodated. Plus you will need to be prepared to pay more in road tolls & ferry costs (anything above 3.5 tonnes in weight is usually charged more in road tolls, and lengths larger than 6 m are charged more for ferries). It’s not impossible to drive larger vehicles here, but it definitely limits you.
As for hookups, the majority of European campgrounds do not offer hookups other than electricity. Water is sometimes offered (sometimes), but sewer is never an option (RV’s here generally use cassette toilets which you remove and dump at a centralized dump area). If you’re bringing a US-style RV to Europe I recommend a macerator and long hose so that you can dump your black tank where you need to (the casette dump areas are not always convenient for drive-through).
Nina
Thank you David! My wife and I will be upgrading to Non-CDL Class-A. From your article (just to confirm)…
We will complete and bring with us to our DPS Office completed DPS Forms DL-14A and CLD-2, and the appropriate documents and payment. We will complete the TX Commercial Rules Test and TX CDL Combinations Test at that office (testing must be at DPS, not at home, correct?), and leave. Then we will return on our appointment day and times with our rig to complete the skills test (we already set up appointments approximately 60 days from now).
Is that a good plan?
Brian, it sounds like you have everything lined up correctly. Yes, you do have to take the knowledge test at a DPS office; you can’t take it from home. Good luck!
This is great. One thing. I’m about to retire and am looking for the closest thing to a tiny house. It seems as if a park model would fit that bill. if I go that route of course I’d have to find a place to park it. I really don’t need entertainment space, like a card table. I’d use it for writing. I’d prefer a work space or an office type space.
Any suggestions?
Hi Stephen!
You’re correct, park model RVs are built with the intention of staying in a single spot for longer periods of time, compared to other RV types.
Keep in mind, RVs are fairly easy to customize yourself, or with the help of a friend, if you find one you really like but is maybe lacking something you want.
For example, you say you don’t need an entertaining space. You can remove the furniture you don’t want and replace it with a desk, maybe more cabinets for storing office supplies and work materials, and a comfortable office chair. It’s tough (and sometimes quite pricey) to find the RV that meets ALL of your wants and needs right off the lot. If you’re willing to put in some time, creativity, and a little sweat, you can take one that has most of what you’d like, and have fun converting a space or two to really meet your needs perfectly.
We are going to become full – time in a year & half. So how far in advance should we get a domicile address?
How far in advance is really up to the individual. A couple of things to think about when making that decision for your family are:
– how many professional/legal/government connections you’ll need to update (those can take a bit of time to sift through!)
– changing domicile typically requires changing mailing addresses, and in the case of state licenses and registrations, you’ll receive some important items in the mail. Do you want to give yourself enough time to receive all of your new mailed items at your current address, or have them forwarded while you’re on the road?
– Are you selling or transferring real estate as part of this process?
If you aren’t sure about how you would answer these, or you have more questions, I strongly encourage you to take advantage of the free consultation offer from Loring & Associates. Many Escapees members have consulted with them and sought their help in figuring out their unique situations. http://www.loringlaw.com/
Another to add to professional services is travel / cruise travel agent. When we went full-time, my wife was able to keep her travel agency that she’s built over the past… almost 15 years now.
Remember: Always use a travel agent instead of booking directly with the cruise lines! Your agent is one that will sit on hold for you during issues so you don’t have to. And most don’t know this (we didn’t!) that using an independent cruise travel agent *doesn’t add any cost*! Furthermore, an agent that’s part of a larger agency often has access to blocked off groups that result in better rates!
Hello…single mom of a soon to graduate HS kid and I am just buying our first RV to hit the road for a crazy adventure. Needless to say I’m terrified but excited…never done anything like this. All my vacations have been get from point A to point B and nothing in-between. I live in Southern CA and would love to connect and maybe do some traveling with other single moms or parents out there.
I am not a member. But Bud and Cathie are now neighbors of mine and my husbands. They are great folks. We watched them turn a lot into a get away. Got to know them a little bit, also Hondo. Really good folks.
Hey David,
i am scheduled to take the skills test on June 9 in Canton Texas. I don’t have a rig and so I am wondering what to rent to take the skills test. I have been told that Diesel rigs complicate things because of the air brake and air ride. I’ve been told to look for a large gas model. I am not having much luck locating gas models of motorhomes that exceed 26,000 lbs GVW. So I am wondering what are the options for diesel models. Does taking the skills test with a diesel model mean that I will need to acquire extra knowledge of air brake system?
Thanks,
Trent
Trent, that’s not surprising–I suspect that most if not all motorhomes that are heavy enough to need a Class B Exempt license will be diesel pusher models just due to their weight. However, you shouldn’t need any detailed knowledge of the air brake system for the skills test, beyond the ability to operate it under normal driving conditions. In other words, you won’t be quizzed on that specifically as you would if it was a CDL test. And I’ve never heard of anyone being tested on the air ride subsystem.
That said, if you’re planning to eventually buy a motorhome that heavy–which I assume you are, or else you wouldn’t be seeking a Class B Exempt license–it wouldn’t be a bad idea to familiarize yourself with air brake systems by reading section 5 of the Texas Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers Handbook, just for your own education.
On the other hand, if you’re planning to buy a gas motorhome that’s less than 26,000 pounds GVWR, you don’t need a special license at all, unless you intend to tow an unusually heavy (more than 10,000 pounds GVWR) second vehicle. In that case, you’d need a Class A Exempt and you’d need to have your second vehicle in tow for the skills test.
Do you happen to know; My wife and I are planning to establish domicile in Texas this October. I have a Nevada Non-Commercial Class A that allows me to drive my Truck and 5th wheel. The requirements are the same for Texas and Nevada so I already know I will need the class A Commercial Class A Exempt in Texas. It is vague on the DPS website if they will accept my Nevada license in exchange for a Texas license, waiving testing requirements. DPS does not take phone calls and does not reply to my question via email. Thank you.
From what they state here: https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/driver-license/moving-texas, your license should transfer.
Have you tried directly contacting the DPS office at which you would apply for your TX license? They can be easier to reach than the state office sometimes.
If you do find that you need to retake the test, one of our members (and event directors) wrote a great article on taking the Texas drivers license test as an RVer https://escapees.com/texas-drivers-license-requirements-for-rvers/
A lot of this article is from the twilight zone. If you live in Texas and setup a Montana LLC for the express purpose of not paying sales tax, you will be fine as long as you stay out of Texas with the LLC titled vehicle. If you purchase within Texas, in order not to have to pay sales tax, you have to sign a Tax Exemption Certificate that basically says you will remove the vehicle from the state and not bring it back. And if you do bring it back, you understand that you will be liable for the tax (at this point labeled as “use tax” but is the same amount). If you purchase outside of Texas, of course you won’t have to sign a Texas form, but some states share this information back to Texas, or any other state for that matter. Regardless, the law is the same, if you bring it back to Texas, you will need to pay use/sales tax. Other wise, Texas doesn’t care. So, in the story above where Dianne is traveling in Washington…that’s exactly what she’s supposed to do…stay out of Texas. She owns the LLC and the toad, so if she’s properly insured, the only issue is her speeding. The State Trooper can call Elvis if he’ll answer the phone, but it won’t matter. She’s not doing anything wrong. Avoiding sales tax by using a Montana LLC is not illegal nor a scam. But to stay in line with the rules to keep from having to pay the tax can be challenging, depending on how you use your RV (boat, airplane, etc), and depending on your state can be so restrictive as to make it not worth it. It certainly isn’t for everyone. I would suspect most people who do this fudge here and there when it comes to their home state. How much actual risk there is involved with that…who knows.
I can’t Thank You enough for your explanation of obtaining a non commercial class a. Just completed and passed my driving test on June 11th! I was absolutely prepared! Took my written test at the Mega Center in east Ft Worth and driving test in Canton, Texas!
David, thanks for the shout-out. I’m glad the article was helpful to you. Congratulations on passing your test and being legal to drive your rig!
THANK YOU! I have been looking for RV disability resources for several years planning our upgrade to full time. My wife is in a wheelchair and I have ramped our used 5th wheel Toy Hauler (profiled in Trailerlife May 2020) but remained frustrated by narrow camper doors and rough campsite ground. We usually follow the campsite steps outlined by Patrick & Colleen by calling ahead (especially for dry sites), limiting travel to 6 hours a day, and our solar system usually keeps us cool or warm for days at a time. Oh yea, the lift captain chair in the truck is a life saver. Thank you again,
I have had other mail forwarding services in the past, but the friendly staff and professional service that these folks work hard at providing is unsurpassed!
Thank you for the article on RV’ing with disabilities. While my husband and I are physically mobile, he recently experienced kidney failure requiring Dialysis. Through research we discovered peritoneal Dialysis which allows us to travel with a machine that treats him each night while he sleeps and does not require clinic dependence 3 days a week. While traveling, the supplier provides everything we need monthly, delivered directly to our campsite. I strongly recommend to anyone needing Dialysis, that they check into this type so they can continue to be mobile and enjoy their life.
I have a current Texas Class B CDL and School Bus endorsement. I do not currently drive school buses,, but I’d like that option in my retirement. I now also own a fifth wheel with a GVWR of 18000 lbs which puts me in Class A range because my 1 ton dually has a GVWR of 14000 and the trailer is over 10k.
To keep my bus driver endorsement, do I have to upgrade to a Class A CDL? If so, I am guessing that my truck and fifth wheel will not be suitable for the Commercial Class A skills test. I also assume that I will need a new DOT physical for an upgraded CDL. I am stumped what to do. I do not want to give up my school bus driver endorsement, but I also don’t need the headaches affiliated with obtaining a Class a CDL. Advice?
Chris, I don’t really know enough about the CDL licensing to be able to answer your question accurately. I would think that you could hold both a Class A Exempt and a Class B CDL with the School Bus endorsement at the same time…but I’m assuming common sense in a governmental agency, which is not always a safe assumption. 😉 I would highly recommend calling the Texas DPS in Austin to ask–or better yet, stop in at one of the CDL testing centers and ask someone knowledgeable there. Sorry I can’t be more help. If you do find out the answer, please reply back on this thread so everyone can see it!
Cheers to you, muy Lady & hats off to you Sir Hubby. Your story gives me some warmth and a bit of hope & faith back to mankind. I have been disabled for 5 or so years now. I decided when I get my money from Disability that this is exactly what I want to do, see my country. After being homeless and pennyless, with no where to be we bought a small camper and we can go where ever. There are still essential things that I need to invest in & articles to familiarize myself with and we have been told to go. It takes me twice as long to get things done and I have nobody to rely on. Can I hook & unhook, & connect & maintain, ect all by myself? Or was I just dreaming? Thanks for letting me vent, fret & worry.
TeeAnn
Thank you for the quick response! I will post what I find out,
We love the mail forwarding service. It gives us the freedom to pack up and go when ever we want. I will be calling tomorrow to upgrade our level and add the scanning service. Thank you to all who make this invaluable service happen. Safe travels! Jim and Susan #104895
Way Cool! Looking forward to seeing this next year. Possibly at Indio and/or Quartzsite.
Sorry we’ll miss everyone at Convergence. Our 2021 calendar was maxed out with shows, a rally, and Almond Harvest duties into October before the convergence and big shows were announced. Then a Halloween rally (for which I am wagonmaster) before the holidays kick into full gear with craft shows.
Congratulations on a job well done and thank you to all those who helped and donated.
Do you ever travel East of the Mississippi?
We do!
Next year’s Escapade will be in Tennessee. There are also smaller events currently being planned that will head East for a bit 🙂
What a feat! You folks are the greatest! So sorry I’m too old to RV anymore but I’ll sure enjoy reading about the trailers ‘escapades’. Have fun + stay safe y’all!
The link to the TX CDL handbook is broken – even on the DPS’ own website. – http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/internetforms/Forms/DL-7C.pdf
use
https://www.dps.texas.gov/internetforms/Forms/DL-7C.pdf
Thank you! We’ve updated the link.
Hello again, David –
So after several rounds of calls to DPS Austin, CDL Division, and confirming with the dedicated CDL Office that I will test with – here’s the scoop:
I make an appointment to take the Combinations written exam and submit an application for a Class A Permit. After 14 days I will be eligible to take the driving test with my combination / rig that meets the Class A requirements (trailer over 10k or combination exceeding 26k). No air brakes test needed, unless I were to be driving a Class A diesel pusher with air brakes, of course….
With successful Combinations, Pre-trip and driving tests, my license will be upgraded to a full Class A CDL – and my school bus and passenger endorsements carry forward.
Chris, that’s great news. I’m glad you were able to find out the answer and that it worked out well. Thanks for sharing the update!
Mark,
Your name came to me this evening after all these years.
I have often wondered how your career developed after moving on from our company.
i always enjoyed working with you.
Your story is interesting and will serve as an inspiration to me and many others.
I hope this message finds you well and happy.
I would love to hear from you if you get a chance.
I’m considering a few states for possible domicile. Aside from licensing and vehicle registration, my big obstacle is insurance. In almost every state, the insurance companies ask for the place where is vehicle is regularly garaged…no PO boxes or private mail boxes allowed. Their response to me is that just because the state may register the vehicle, does not mean they have to insure it. So, how do I get around that insurance issue?
Can’t wait to see this marvel! Congrats! We’ll see it in Rock Springs AND in Forest City at the Winnebago Grand National Rally!
Thank you, thank you for acknowledging the LGBT community in the larger RV world. It is awesome to read about the diverse couples who are taking part in leisure RV Travel and full time RV living. We often feel/felt a bit alone out there sometimes and it’s nice to know that we are part of a bigger community.
Thank you for your kind words! And thank you for being part of our community ❤️
You are so welcome Tony! I’m glad you enjoyed the article. Keep in touch!
Isn’t another plus of the truck camper is that it can park pretty much where a car can?
Thanks very much Brandon for your itemized RV-type breakdown.t
A long time vehicle mechanic advised me that automatic transmissions have much more torque going forward than backward. Therefore, drive forward onto leveling blocks whenever possible. I’ll also note that the stepped leveling “ramps” shown seem good for 16″ tires, marginal for 19.5″ and unusable for 22.5″.
For new motorhome RVers, remember that the parking brakes are on the rear wheels. Preferably keep both left & right rear tires “contacting the ground” when using leveling jacks.
Thanks for the tips! Will definitely consider these tips for safety towing!
always start with a used one and then if you like it get a new or custom one.
This was great!
Any issues using the Ford “back-up assist” on the skills exam??
Jeff, that’s a great question. I can’t say for sure, but I’m going to guess that you will not be allowed to use the backup assist feature on your skills test. I’m basing that guess on two things. First of all, when I took the test (in a 2012 Ford Super Duty), I was docked some points for using the rear-facing camera on the truck to gauge the truck’s alignment with the trailer during backing. The examiner told me that she wanted me to use the mirrors. Second, DPS is licensing you to drive any vehicle in the license class–and since not all tow vehicles would be equipped with Ford’s Pro Trailer Backup Assist system (or its equivalent from other manufacturers), but they WOULD be equipped with mirrors, the examiner is going to want to see that you can back up successfully with just the mirrors. It’s not necessarily “real world”–if it was, they’d allow you to have a spotter with a radio outside, like my wife and I always do–but there is some logic to their approach.
So in summary, I’d say you should be proficient and confident in backing without Backup Assist. It won’t hurt to ask the examiner–before the test begins–if you can use it, and if they say yes, then by all means go for it. But if they say no, you’ll be prepared to do without it. (Let me know what they tell you; it would be interesting to know the official answer for future reference.) Good luck on your test!
Lockie,
This is a beautifully written article that makes me want to go to Arkansas! Thank you!
Julie Smith
Hi Lockie,
Great read! Love riding motorcycles in Arkansas. Tell everyone to join the Birds of a Feather – Twist Your Throttle – https://www.fb.com/twistyourthrottle for Escapees motorcycle (sidecar, trikes and more) riders! And we will definitely be riding Arkansas again 🙂
Well written Lockie, now you need to do a piece for the other beautiful parts around Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas.
Consider getting amateur radio license. Cheap Chinese radio will help keep you informed. Emergency nets pop up before, during, and after the storm. When all else fails!
I’m confused about what people are calling “RVers”. We are waiting for our order of a SylvanGo. This is the kind of camping we can afford, both economically and environmentally (we will be towing with an EV). Can you point me toward blogs with lighter weight recreational campers? Thanks!
At this point in time, we don’t have any articles for lighter-weight trailers like the SylvanGo. But thank you for bringing up the suggestion! We’ll look into adding that to our topics in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, you may find more weight-related advice from those who travel in pop-up campers. Though they’re heavier than a tent trailer, they’re still similar in that they involve canvas/nylon walls and share some interior features and construction.
thanks for the list! New finds for me. Like so many others, we’ve started a travel blog as well, as requested by our friends and family. New to blogging and new to RVing (fulltime), hopefully you’ll read our blog sometime.
Sherry Christiansen
sharingtheviewfromhere.com
David, just finished the process to get my non-commercial class B CDL. I want to thank you for this great information. It really helped take the mystery out of the process. Here are a couple things I experienced that may help others. First, the DPS folks in Texas are awesome. All were very helpful and also have the tough job of letting people know bad news if they don’t come with the right documents. With Texas Real ID, there are pretty strict requirements and I heard the DPS tell several folks that they were going to need to find a way to get a certified copy of a doc no matter what. Thank goodness I had all of mine in order.
I will say that when I went in for the application and written test, I was asked for my CDL medical exam. I gently reminded the person I was there for the non-commercial CDL and it was not an issue.
The test was a little more difficult than I thought in how the questions were worded. Be careful to read every question and all choices.
I took my road test in Garland. First, you have to bring the RV to a fire lane that runs along the back side of the building. I came in headed the wrong direction and the evaluator asked me to find a way to get it turned around. She waited patiently for me to come back. Trying to find a way to turn around was a feat. I had to go out on the Mai road a few parking lots to get turned around. Recommend calling ahead and google map the area before you get there.
My evaluator was awesome. I didn’t have to do any backing but my road test took me through major construction and detours on I635. I told the instructor I should be earning two licenses for that. She was very empathetic with the challenge. I passed with flying colors and she told me I did better than many of her CDL applicants. No discrepancies. I did find a video of a trucker who filmed the driving test by himself and it was very helpful, but I realized it was from a DPS office that doesn’t do skills tests anymore. I don’t have the link anymore but I would recommend searching for similar videos.
Somewhere I read that you have to take the distracted driver video course before the skills test. I took the course and printed the certificate but was told I didn’t need it since I already had my license. I would recommend the course to everyone regardless. It is a tear jerker but will never look at my phone while driving again. I wish we could enforce distracted driving laws better…it is so dangerous.
I hope this helps someone.
Thanks again to David for the awesome details.
Mike
Hey Mike, you’re welcome, and I’m glad you had a (mostly) good experience on your test! And thank you for sharing all those details so others can benefit from them.
WE WENT FULL TIME RV WITH DOMICILE IN LIVINGSTON , BUT WE HAVE NOW WENT BACK TO WORK IN VA , WE HAVE ARE RV IN A RV RESORT , CAN WE KEEP OUR DOMICLIE STATUS ,
There are a few variables that may affect your domicile. For example: Is the work permanent or temporary? It is probably best to contact Susie Adams for a consultation regarding your domicile : 800-260-1615.
Can I keep my domicile in Virginia an still use your mail service say in Florida
Hi Russ!
Yep! You can still use our mail forwarding service to handle your mail, even if you aren’t using that address to establish a domicile claim. However, if you aren’t using the address for domicile, we recommend you use our Texas mail service, as it will be much easier for you. Because all mail is ultimately sorted and sent from our Texas facility, it is more efficient to use one of our Texas addresses and avoid the slight delay that comes with using our Florida or South Dakota locations.
After tent camping for several years and at 68 years old I found sleeping on the ground became difficult. A friend of mine had a friend with a 20’ motor home for sale. It was a 2010 Majestic with a blue book value of $20-24,000. I got it for $14,000. I put a new A/C in the cab and made improvements in the camper. It’s perfect for my wife and I and our dog. We can drive it just about anywhere and park it in a regular parking space. It’s almost like driving a large pickup. In 3 years we’ve taken it to Maine, Montana and Vermont.
Love to try a new RV. But being on a budget. Buying used for our 1st RV. This is perfect.
This is a great article. Thanks for posting Reet. We currently have our Class A motor coach listed on RVTrader.com, have posted to a few RV groups and let our friends and family know we are getting off the road and back to work (after an extended sabbatical). We will look into your other suggestions as well (and want to avoid the scammers). It is a great RV and has been kept in pristine condition. We hope to find a new owner that will love it as much as we did.
Thanks for the article and tips. We are embarking into the lifestyle 10/1/21 and will be bringing our “at least 12 year old” per the vet, black cat. Loved seeing your mini panther enjoying the lifestyle! When we adopted him on 3/20/20 the humane society listed him as 5 years old. Anyway trying to figure out how it will all work has been challenging and we hate to distress an already old man/cat. We’ve been reading facebook postings and think we have a solid plan. He’s been using his harness for outdoor adventures and seems to really enjoy it. The saying of 1 more liter box than your total number of cats is a question I have. Do you have 3 boxes for your two cats?
We only have one litter box for the two cats. We were a bit worried at first that it would cause problems, but we decided to give it a shot and see how they did. It ended up being fine, so we never added a second (or third). We just make sure to keep it clean, and the cats seem happy with it.
What is your experience with the utilization of Nitrogen in place of routine air for RV tires
Most tire air loss is from bad rim seals, tire punctures or valve stem problems. If you have a slow leak and don’t carry a nitrogen gas supply with you and use an air compressor with air, you have defeated the idea of using nitrogen gas in tires. It is recommended to have a good air gauge, use a TPMS and keep your tires inflated to the proper pressure after getting the RV weighed.
I heard that nitrogen was not the ‘best’ as it’s hype. It it really better than just plain air? I need proof.
For our one-month trip, we requested USPS hold our mail. Worked out pretty good but we did have someone apply for an unemployment account in our name and address. Not certain I would recommend completing a Hold Mail with USPS. A 3rd party Mail forwarder who is located in your town.
Great article! As a TST tire pressure monitor dealer I give several seminars at rallies and provide much of the same information. I’m always surprised at the folks that don’t purchase a tpms even after reading or hearing the information. I believe TST is the best system available but even if you don’t choose TST I recommend getting a tpms of some manufacturer after spending thousands of dollars on your RV a few hundred more for safety should be a no brained.
Please update for 2021
Easily done! 🙂
The two counties we look at in South Dakota and Florida do not currently have any information on 2021 elections. We’ve updated the dates for Polk County, Texas.
The voter guide is typically only done every four years or when there is a landmark vote that affects RVers. For your annual voter guide, we recommend the non-partisan League of Women Voters guides where they list candidates, issues, etc., with brief explanations of platforms of candidates and breakdowns of proposed amendments, bills, etc. https://www.lwv.org/
It appears the link for the S.D. Affidavit of Domicile in this article is broken. Could you provide a link to the pdf file? Thanks very much.
Thanks for letting us know! We updated the link above, but you can also find it here: https://dps.sd.gov/application/files/4716/2863/2910/residency-affidavit-2021.pdf
Hi
My name is Dennis single rv whats the best way to get start
in this group I live in Indianapolis in any info would b appreciated
Thanks
Hi Dennis!
To clarify, do you mean joining the Stonewall BOF group mentioned in the article? Or are you referring to joining Escapees? (you would need to be a member of Escapees in order to join the Stonewall BOF, fyi).
Im in the Escapees I think I joined Stonewall whats the best way to find about events
thanks
Have you checked out the Facebook group? https://www.facebook.com/groups/220962542419379
We are also full timers. I have had them all in my sticks and bricks home. The larger IP, the Ninja Foodie. Now I have the 3 quart IP. I love the size. Makes more than enough for the two of us and takes up less room. I invested in a nice Ninja oven so I can air fry or bake when I want to. As for the steam problem. I set the IP under the oven hood, turn on the vent fan and it works great!
We own a house in Hawaii, and one in California. We’re about to sell the house in CA, and trying to figure out how we deal with the challenges that creates. No way we can take our Sprinter Van and car to HI and get them inspected, so would it make sense to register them in Washington, where my daughter lives?
We are also thinking about buying a ski house up in Canada as our only fixed property on the Continent. Anyone figure out how to register cars in Canada? I think they only allow 90 day visit with a vehicle, so parking the cars up there sounds like it would be difficult.
Thank you for this info. Have been camping alone for couple of years so after getting in and out of truck to recheck my backing in I decided to get a rear camera. Spent a little more on it because of the radius it has. Makes backing up a breeze. I do still get out to check out every thing a couple of time. I like reminders.
Can you drive your Class A RV to the skills test without your Class B non-commercial license?
If you fail the skills test, can you drive your Class A RV away?
Mike, this is a common situation. Technically, the answer to both your questions is “no”, but as a practical matter, people do it all the time because they usually have no alternative (that is, another properly licensed driver who can transport the RV to and from the testing site), and DPS understands that. Here’s the best answer I can give you, from the blog post:
Thank you for the article. I needed to upgrade my class B non cdl to class A non cdl. my non cdl B was from job as a firefighter, class A non cdl needed for fifth wheel 16800lbs plus tow vehicle 11400lb.
I went to Fredericksburg for the written test. when I arrived I was told I did not need to take the written test I would only need to take the driving test since I already had the B non cdl license. They called two other supervisors in other cities to confirm. It was decided i would not need the written test. 4 weeks later I Just took and passed the class A Exempt license road test in Kerrville. It was pretty simple route. I did have to do the parallel parking and straight backing part. was given lots of room for the parallel parking part.
Would like to say the employees at both facilities were very pleasant and helpful during the process.
Rey, yes, it makes sense that you would not need to re-take the written test when upgrading from a Class B to a Class A. It would be the same test you previously took for your Class B, and since you passed it once, I assume they feel there’s no point in making you take it again. Glad everything else worked out for you!
This was perfect. Only thing I would add: on the road test, the vehicle inspection, add the following:
The front license must be attached to the vehicle.
We went today and were immediately told we could not take the test because our front tag was on the dash, in the windshield. We were informed that it had to be attached to the front bumper. We had to cancel our tests, drill holes in the fiberglass (no pre-drilled holes for a license plate), attached the license plate, and then reschedule our tests.
That is the only item that we suggest be changed.
Hi Kelly. The post does say, “If any of this equipment is not working properly, or if you’re missing current license plates (front and rear), windshield wipers, rearview mirrors or safety belts, your vehicle is not legal to drive.” But I’ll clarify that they must be mounted on the vehicle.
I am going to be renting and RV in Europe and I have started the reservation process. It is from camperseverywhere. They are requesting my Drivers License and Passport, is that normal?
I love how you suggest checking out an RV for yourself before you purchase one used. My parents are hoping to purchase a used RV. I will pass along your suggestion to them so they find the right one.
My aunt and uncle want to find an RV park to stay at. I agree that it would be a good idea to check reviews online. I’ll help my aunt and uncle research and use online reviews to choose a good RV park.
My Boy adopted me in a campground when I had been a fulltimer for 6 years. He moved right in, and we traveled together for the next 10 years before becoming part-timers. Because he loves the outdoors, I tried walking him, first with a leash on a cat collar and then with the harness that was available at the time. As cat owners know, cat collars are breakaway, and breakaway he did!! He then backed out of his new harness and went to explore a diesel pusher. Somewhere along the line, another RVer suggested I put a small puppy collar on him with attached leash. That worked. Cowboy is now 17+, thinks he is a dog, and still loves that morning walk.
P.S., You DO have to keep an eye on them. One time CB climbed a tree next to the RV with his puppy collar on attached to a rope connected to the RV. Thank God the rope was short and the tree limb low. The puppy collar did not break away. It only took once for both of us to get the message.
If you get the Escapees roadside assistance be sure to put it in both your names. If you don’t they will only pay for meals for one of you while repairs are being done or for airfares.
Thank you for this insight! We reached out to Saferide to learn more about this situation, and they confirmed they are updating their information to reflect this and avoid future confusion.
Great tips, thank you.
Hi there
We are Brits who came over to the US many years ago and we were graciously allowed to stay on your parks in Palm Springs and Texas where we met Kay the last time we were there.
We also remember going at the Escapade at Sacramento where we were cheered just for being Brits. Why? I don’t know but it was very heartening. We were part of the International Caravaning Association then which has members in many countries. Joe and Kay greeted us warmly and we remember when Kay sang ‘I fall to pieces’.
We are now not so young and have parked our RV away now but we will never forget our memories of you kind people.
Peter and Gina Jannece
Chichester
England.
My question is a bit different. We have been residents of Florida for 30+ years, owning a house and raising 5 children. We also own a vacation home in Ohio.
Last month we sold the Florida home, and bought an RV. We will be traveling in the RV and spending time around the country seeing sites and visiting our adult children/grandchildren. However, will we also spend 4-6 months at the vacation home in Ohio.
How do we keep Florida as our Domicile? We do have adult children in Florida too (not the same town or county as where we sold out home) they are willing to let us use their address. But not sure how that works? Would we need a rental agreement with them, to prove domicile in Florida? We still have our DL, voter’s registration and car insurance. Do we just change the address to our’s sons home? even if we do not live there?
Thank you very much.
Hi Sharon!
You can reach Susie and her team at Loring and Associates http://www.loringlaw.com/
They will be better able to answer your questions, including information specific to your situation, over the phone. They offer free consultations for Escapees members! 🙂
I took both the written and skills for the Class A non-CDL October 2021 at the Lubbock DPS DL office. I have a 44ft 5th wheel. The state no longer requires the Combination (Section 6) test for RVs. Also the examiner only requires me to back in a straight line with my TT.
Congratulations on passing your test, Ben, and thanks for sharing your experience. The requirement for the Combinations written test hasn’t been uniformly applied…some offices require it and some don’t, I assume because of their general lack of familiarity with the non-commercial licenses. So I’d still recommend that anyone planning to tow a combination be prepared for that test, even if they end up not having to take it.
I have had a SD resident status for 14 years & have had no problems. How many of you are going to buy a fire arm, so I don’t see that as a problem. How many of you are going to stay in SD & buy groceries there? I don’t see that as a problem. A lot of states tax groceries Missouri & kansas being 2 that do. I have my car insured in Kansas & full timers ins on MH. I saved over 3,0000 a year because SD does not have property tax on vehicles like Mo. does. All my bills go to my Daughters in Kansas so she can pay them for me. I think you just have to pick the state that best suites your needs & easy enough to get to for renewel of driver license. I am with Americas Way & they get my car & MH license tags for me each year, also if you buy another MH they will take care of the transfers on it.
I’d suggest buying an Autoformer instead of a surge protector. They’re more expensive but most of the problems you have in campgrounds are due to low voltage.
We need to do living wills ,power of attorney for health, Power of attorney for finances, and someone to check our will which was made out many years ago in IN. Cost is a factor can u reply. We r Currently staying in Fl and are escapees.
Hi Linda! You can reach Susie directly at Loring and Associates. http://www.loringlaw.com/ She and her team will be happy to schedule a free consultation over the phone to answer your questions.
I am new to RVing after recently retiring, and want to get into a group to find out where I might find current information for 2022 events?
Hi there!
If you look under the “Community” tab in the menu above, you’ll see information on all the different event programs we have. Each event program has it’s own calendar of events for you to browse. (heads-up that many events coming in the next few months are already sold out)
To be among the first to learn about new events being announced, you can sign up for each program’s email list. These tend to learn about new events a few days before the announcements make it to Member News (our members-only email newsletter we send bi-weekly).
I hope this helps!
We have just gone Full Time in our RV. We are from Colorado. For now, we have our address listed as our daughter’s address in CO. We have our cars registered in CO, drivers licenses in CO, insurance, wills all written in CO, registered voters in CO, medical care, etc. all in Colorado. We intend to spend 3 years on the road, and will be returning to CO every 6 months. Based on everything I see here, should we just leave things the way they are, with the exception of utilizing a Mail Service? Do we need to “claim” domicile in that situation? It seems like a lot to do and lots of movements, and changing insurance and doctors, etc. and if we choose to come in off the road within a year or two, we would have to do it all over again. Any insight will be appreciated. Thanks much!
Hi Cathy!
You can reach Susie and her team at Loring and Associates http://www.loringlaw.com/
They will be better able to answer your questions, including information specific to your situation, over the phone versus in public website comments. They offer free consultations for Escapees members! ?
While traveling from New Mexico to Pennsylvania. While in Texas a semi truck backed into my 2020 Keystone Raptor 413 Toy Hauler. We were parked at a travel center in Texas. My family and were resting in out 5th wheel when we felt a jarring impact. All our exterior lights were on and there was a large open space on the left side of us. A semi truck driver attempting to back his trailer into the empty spot next to us managed to hit our 5th wheel. The trailer smashed the large window, punctured the roof, tore off the shoreline connection, tore apart the fuel tank and Guage ( for any toys like atv’s) and damaged a 5ft section along the side. Dealing with their insurance company has been horrible. It has taken them 4 weeks just to determine what the commercial carriers insurance covered. My family and have been living in it since the accident. They haven’t even offered to have someone cover the 3ft by 4ft hole in the side or temporarily patch the roof so water doesn’t flow freely into many areas when it rains. We have had a loss of use of our 5th wheel as well as diminished value. Looks like this may end up in litigation.
I am struggling between SD and FL. We will not need health insurance so that levels the playing field more.
Still, SD has some major financial pluses. First, my research shows FL is 40% higher than National Average and SD is 40% below. FL has a big 1 time excise tax on all vehicals but registration is much less through the years. If you buy a new RV or truck SD 4.5% FL 7% sales tax.
So where’s my struggle-the odds are we’d be in FL almost every year even for just short periods, we’d rarely be inSD except to get Drives Licenses. There’s some advantages of being in your state of residence like a lot of State Dissbled Vet benefits, hunting, fishing license fees, free entry into state and local parks verses out of state resident fees.
Still SD is where I a l
eaning and no one is locked in anywhere we can all change again later.
I think that the headline of this article is misleading ” Escapees Parks An Underappreciated Member Benefit”. Many of the parks are booked a year in advance (as a guest) or are on a first come first serve basis. The Escapees Co-Op parks in Florida are a good example..very difficult to get into. My husband and I have tried for a few years and have not been able to get a site; however; I have not tried to book a year in advance as some people do. The beautiful park in Yuma, Az. is a first-come, first-serve basis- and we have had the good fortune to be a guest there several times. We have our name on the list to be a lot owner at two of the parks…we are trying to visit others to see if we would also be interested in purchasing a lot at them as well. We have visited 5 Escapee Co-Op Parks and stayed at 4. All a good experience and all different.
I cannot believe that any Escapee member does not know of these great parks. Thank you to the Co-Ops!!
Thank you for this unique blog entry. I’m about to embark on a six month trial of full time rv living with 10 cats, a large dog and two small dogs. I bought a fifth wheel toy hauler with a sixteen foot garage and two lofts. I’m hoping my litterbox solution consisting of a bread rack tied to the floor of the garage and 10 litterboxes will work. Most of my cats are older and sleep a lot, so I’m hoping the two queen size lofts with large windows will accommodate them. I have to move out of my rental home quickly and cannot afford to buy a home in my area. Living in the rv will allow me to save enough money to buy a house or possibly a new rv if it works out for me.
Paul & Mao… good article. I have a Mr Buddy propane heater connected to a 100 lbm propane bottle with ~ 20′ of propane compatible hose linking them (the only regulator in the circuit is the mfg supplied one on the Mr Buddy heater). I am getting oil in the heater tubes which effects the flow thru the orifice and causes the burners to shut off due to the thermocouple not getting adequate heat. if the oil is coming from the 100 lbm bottle, how did it get into the bottle in the first place?
Regards,
Where did you get your tank filled. Was it in Quartzite, AZ?
We are currently with another mail service in Texas and were told today that we can NOT use that address in order to vote because it is not a real address. We had used it in the past but due to voter fraud and the changes recently made, they will not longer accept it. Your website says you can use Escapees addresses for voting. How are you different that other mail services?
Hi Vicki!
Without knowing which service you’re referring, I can’t answer with certainty. However, a common reason other mail forwarding services run into issues is that they are solely business addresses, which means they can’t be residential/used to confirm residency. Our mail service is headquartered in the middle of an RV park we own and operate that includes both short- and long-term rentals and leases. Often, the ability for our mail service customers to live at our addresses is what makes the difference.
Hi George, the oil is put into your tank when it gets filled. Oil contamination is generally from the bulk propane plant. I am told that the positive displacement gear pumps for transferring the LP have oil misters to lubricate them. Other than LP being a petroleum product, I am told this is where the source of the oil is.
Stay safe, Paul and Mao Unmakc
I am a solo rv enthusiast, I am a xcapee member that has a concern about the very experience you speak of, I have been to s few rv sites and have experienced the same feeling, as I look at some of the pics I didn’t see any color and. that was a concern of mine. I don’t do social media therefore I won’t be able to connect with the likes of. however I am a member of NAARVA but have yet to attend any events, I would like to thank you for the insight, very informative..
Upstream Adventurer
Has ANYone ever had to parallel park a 43′ motorhome?
At least once, if they’re licensed in Texas 😉
On the driving test, yes, definitely (but not always). In real life, hard to know, but I’d imagine it happens. I know we’ve occasionally had to parallel park our fifth wheel–the whole rig is 62 feet long hitched up–but never within the tight confines that you’d have on a driving test!
I love that Xscapers is sharing our experiences!!
I have been following a group in Facebook about moving to Florida. One member just moved and was told by the tax collector in her county (not Polk) that vehicle registrations are by appointment only now and the earliest one is in February. She moved there December 10 so that’s a pretty large backlog. Has Polk County instituted this same policy? and if so, any idea the current wait for an appointment? Thanks!
Sorry, Anthony, but I’m confused by your question. You said you read this in a group about moving to Florida, but it sounds like you’re asking about moving to Texas?
Our addresses in Florida are in Sumter County. Polk County is where our Texas headquarters and mail service are. Which state/county do you mean to ask about?
Regarding their backlog, you can reach out to the Polk County Tax Assessor’s office here to see what it currently looks like: https://www.co.polk.tx.us/page/polk.County.Assessor.Collector They are very familiar with Escapees members.
Thanks Georgianne, I am considering both FL & TX but confused the counties in my previous post. I understand that folks domiciled in FL still use the TX location as the primary mailing address except for state-specific mail for FL, which gets shipped to TX. Is there an option to pickup state-specific FL mail in-person at the Sumpter Oaks campground if one is staying there or in the area when the mail arrives?
Sorry for the delay in answering you, but I wanted to check with our Member Services Team before I misspoke.
There isn’t an option to pick up mail at Sumter Oaks. Because mail is forwarded on to TX, we don’t have a sorting or distribution center there for mail.
Hi
We are planning to ship our RV (MB Sprinter) from US in order to travel Europe (3-4 months). Since our van is “US wired” (120 voltage), can you recommend a “converter” or similar that can be used when charging at campgrounds.
Thanks
John
Just wanted to give an update for anyone in the central Texas area. I took my class A driving test today at the New Braunfels DMV. Easy course to navigate, 5 mile course down IH35 north a couple of exits under IH35 and back up IH35 North back to the DMV. Total trip took about 20 minutes. I have heard stories about driving on tight roads with little room to navigate and tight turns. Hope this helps anyone looking in central Texas to take your driving test.
I have a container garden from the summer and started a raised bed garden this fall at the RV park I am living at in Oregon. I have to garden! No way I cannot. I’ve been gardening since I was in my 20s and now I’m retired. I also save seed. I am starting microgreens inside for the winter while I wait for my garden in the early spring. I have a lot of fall/winter veggies slowly growing waiting for the light to change much more in Feb into early spring. Can’t wait for greens, over-wintered broccoli, onions, fava beans, garlic!
@John – The most basic thing you’ll need to buy is a step-down transformer (230v down to 110v). They are sized by wattage, so make sure to buy the size you think you’ll need to run your most power-hungry appliance*. I don’t have a particular brand in mind, so just hunt around for a decent quality one.
*A few things to note:
1/ Frequency differences: US electricity operates at 60Hz, whereas everything in Europe operates at 50Hz. These days most electronic devices are designed to run on either 50Hz or 60Hz, so they won’t care either way, but certain appliances with frequency-sensitive parts like motors and solenoids are designed and wound for a specific mains frequency (e.g. things like A/Cs, microwaves and washing machines) and may suffer a bit with the incorrect frequency. You can buy transformers that convert both voltage AND frequency, although they are pricier than simple step-down versions, but from reading through various forums most folks don’t seem to worry too much about it. Still, if you’re worried look for a transformer that does both.
2/ You can’t run it all: EU campgrounds tend to have very restricted electrical supplies. They are generally rated at 16A or 10A, sometimes as low as 5A (all 230V of course), so even if you get a mega-sized transformer you won’t be able to plug in and run everything in your US-style RV all at once. Most of the time you’ll have to conserve/limit what you turn on in order to prevent tripping the main power supply. So plan on running your appliances one at a time and size your transformer for that.
Hope that helps!
Nina
Would you believe Saga of Roadside Assistance – First Time I’ve used this service and not impressed. Easy Peasy flat tire change on Travel Trailer, had spare, had tools but needed assistance to raise trailer tire off ground More than my equipment could accomplish. Now for the sad sack story – flat tire discovered on stopover at Murray Family Farms fruit stand on Hwy 58 Bakersfield/Barstow Fwy 17 miles East of Bakersfield CA. Called for roadside assistance at 1:00 PM during nice dry sunny day while in fruit stand parking lot. Tow service office personnel contacted me twice via phone during interim which is good to keep me updated – but during second call learned they were coming from Lancaster CA – which makes NO Sense as Lancaster CA is 70 miles away vs Bakersfield CA right down the road at 17 miles away. Driver called earlier saying he got dispached at 3:08 PM from Lancaster CA and is still enroute. It’s NOW 4:39 PM arrival with daylight coming to an end shortly as Sun will be setting in few minutes.
Nothing else to do but wait and write this diatribe….Good thing I’m retired and full time RVer with Patience of Job.
Yep 70 miles from Lancaster CA vs 17 miles from Bakersfield CA (a much bigger urban area). Wonder if Roadside Assistance Dispatch knows how to read a MAP and wonder Why they assigned this call to a towing outfit 70 dispatch – wonder what gives with Roadside Assistance Dispatch picking 70 miles away service provider.?
Chris from A-1 Towing Excellent job – finished 5:10 PM.
Thank you for your feedback! I’ll pass it along to our contacts at SafeRide as well.
On a personal note, I’ve been in a similar situation before. Because of how roadside assistance companies work (contracts with local providers), it may have been that either they didn’t have an agreement with anyone in the closer town, or of the contacts they had, no one would be available for hours. Even though Lancaster was further, it may be that they had the closest available driver to come assist you in a relatively reasonable amount of time. Because they pay for that driver, whether by mile or time, it’s in the best financial interest of the roadside company to find someone close to you who also has the tools or truck to do what is needed.
I have used General Delivery (GD) dozens of times in my RV travels. I have never been charged an extra fee for anything, but as a retired postmaster I suspect that might not have to do with GD itself, but for a package sent using a competitor (UPS, Fedex, etc) and not by the special procedure where the competitor pays the postage for the final leg of the transportation. I did have a package returned the same day it arrived at a post office in Arizona. I had tracking to see what happened and spoke with the postmaster who informed me they only provide GD to those who apply in advance for it. As a retired postmaster I know the regulations, which do not include an application for GD. The regulations also provide for service up to 30 days for “transients” (travelers) as well as extended service for new residents until they can get home delivery. I ended up sending a complaint to the District Office in Phoenix and got an email back from their marketing director with profuse apologies and assurance the postmaster I dealt with would be required to follow the regulations in the future. My main advice to anyone is always have things sent to GD with a tracking number. In addition to proof of what happens to an item, it saves you having to make trips to check whether the item is there, as you can track it online.
Great article! Though I passed my written test for my nonexempt Class A last year I was not able to get a driving test scheduled in time. My biggest issue was I need to find a trailer that is between 10,000 and 15,000 lbs to pull behind my diesel pusher (max towing capacity is 15,000). I am getting a stacker trailer but do not yet have it.
Wondering if you have any ideas what I should pull behind the RV to meet the requirement and also what I might be expected to do skill wise with a trailer behind my unit? I was thinking a small trailer with a heavy skid steer or generator to meet the weight requirement but also be nice and short to keep the driving test a bit easier for me.
Thanks again
Carl, I’m afraid I can’t offer much help as to what you should tow for your test. Anything in the weight range you stated would work. Another option, of course, would be to just wait until you get your stacker trailer and then take the test with that. If your motorhome’s GVWR is 26,000 pounds or less, then you can drive it without the trailer without needing a special license. But I’m guessing from your question that the GVWR is more than that, meaning you’d need a Class B exempt to drive it without the trailer and a Class A to drive it with the trailer, and you’re trying to avoid testing twice.
As far as what maneuvers you’ll be expected to perform, what you’re towing has no bearing at all on that. (The one exception being a vehicle towed four-down that can’t be backed up without damage.) So as on any other Class A or B test, you should anticipate having to do either a straight back, offset-back, or parallel park.
We love ATVing in the desert. However the more people that ride the more garbage we are finding. Whether it’s intentional or accidental please pay attention to how you secure garbage. And if it’s intentional shame you you!
So delighted to meet you and your family (virtually)! The past few years I’ve been on the road extensively, “practicing” full-timing while waiting for my wife to hit retirement age and I’ve been sorely seeking diversity in the places I visit and the folks I meet. As an old white guy I’m often mistaken for being a member of “the club” in spite of my plethora of equality, voting rights, pride and BLM stickers adorning my camper. It’s absolutely grueling to meet someone and realize they’re completely comfortable sharing their distasteful comments with me just because I look like them. I usually try to politely end contact and walk away but sometimes have been backed up against a wall where direct response is the only way out – some of the racist, misogynistic and awful things I’ve heard can’t compare to what you’ve experienced but it’s a sure way to feel unwelcome and ready to leave. The few & far between places I’ve run into folks who look like the demographic this lifelong urban dweller finds comforting have been damn near heartwarming. I’m likely someone who’s asked TOO many questions and asked about your experiences since you’re unfortunately out of the norm in my travels, I’ll certainly try to remember to keep my enthusiasm in check but be assured I’m looking forward to crossing paths with somewhere on the road!
There are many community gardens. If one stays seasonal, that might be an option to investigate.
HI folks these are old posts so wondering if someone sees this? We are going to head north to B.C. from Florida and have all kinds of questions, does anyone have a similar experience of going to BC or Canada for 6 months (over summer) and then returning to the US?? If you do, please let me know, we are heading up in late May 2022! (Currently it’s January 30, 2022) 🙂
Hi Ali!
If you don’t get a reply from the writers here, you can try sharing your question in one of our Facebook groups (such as https://www.facebook.com/groups/1390922794285601) or on our discussion forum, RVNetwork.com.
I want to use General Delivery for anonymity. I don’t want to get a P>O box and don’t want one particular person to know where I live, Will this work?
General Delivery can work for that, but each post office’s requirements can vary. Some may require you to provide personal information ahead of receiving the package, others restrict how many pieces of mail you can receive via General Delivery before they require you to get a P.O. box, and still others only allow general Delivery for a defined amount of time, and will refuse all other mail for you received after that period of time.
In short, you need to reach out to the USPS local office you’ll be using most to find out what their requirements are, if any. If you plan to be mobile, plan ahead and reach out to each post office you plan to use before having mail sent there.
I am a new escapee member. I own property in Okalossa County, Florida which I bought when I was in the USAF and have been renting out for the last 20 years. I am leaving my job in MD and and my lease here is up at the end of April. I intend to full time for a while. The tenant has a lease until at least Jan 2023. Can I use my Florida Address to redomicile and get my FL drivers license and registration or am I better off using the Escapees Mail forwarding address?
We recommend you speak with a legal professional regarding the specifics of your situation. From the article above:
“Though there are many common factors to consider in most situations, there are ample variables that make establishing domicile a unique process to each RVer. If you would like to discuss the specifics of your situation, please reach out to your attorney for advice.
You are also welcome to give us a call at 800-260-1615 to schedule your free consultation and we will do our best to answer your questions!”
I am excited to have stumbled up this article. My husband (50) and I (44) are looking at joining the nomadic lifestyle in the next few years. No later than him turning 55. I am excited with reservations about uprooting and doing this. That reservation is 100% rooted in leaving a supportive community and having to come out time and time again never know what the response will be when that happens. I happy to see there is a group we may be able to join and build friendships within that are members of the community and allies. Trust when I say that I know it won’t always be friendly but with a community of support it will make it easier.
JD, thank you for the nice note, you made my day. I’m so glad that the article is giving you that extra nudge to get on the road with less reservations. Hope to see you someday in your travels! Best wishes.
Sorry not sorry. Don’t mean to be snarky but cannot help but feel insulted reading these condescending lame instructions meant for adults but written as if the audience were middle-schoolers. Tips are welcome if they address things specifically pertinent to this rally/venue that one might not have considered. But to tell me to wash my hands, pace my schedule, and not run out of stuff is just plain a waste of time, which I resent. Pls reconsider your audience in the future.
Hi Melinda,
This article is purposefully generic so that it could apply to most any venue (“an RV rally,” “your next RV event”). We are a club for all RVers, including those who may be attending their first RV rally. If you have something helpful to add, feel free to do so in the comments here and we may incorporate it into the article in future edits.
I am currently a FL resident with my house selling this month. It should be fairly simple and painless to move over Drivers license, vehicle registration and voting registration? I also have a LLC, I would be able to move that over to the physical address in FL as well with no issue? My CPA advised that it is best to keep my LLC registered in FL. I travel 70% of the year for work with said LLC. Any insight is greatly appreciated.
We recommend you speak with a legal professional regarding the specifics of your situation. From the article above:
“When you’re ready to take the leap, you may find our Ultimate Guide to Establishing Domicile as an RVer helpful as you plan your next steps. If you find you have more detailed questions about your specific situation, reach out to us at Loring & Associates for a consultation.”
What is your definition of “recommended tire pressure”? To me that means the cold pressure written on the tire, for example G rated trailer tires are 110 pounds.
I had escapees weigh my trailer in Livingston where I also learned recommended pressure, more complexly, can be per tire based on the load on that tire. Charts are available by tire manufacturer, I’m told, that give a recommended pressure based on the load weight. I’ve never used them but was told by the Weight Master that I could run them lower than 110 to cut down heat and make for a softer ride. In my case, I am considerably under the trailers max gross weight capacity. Is it best just to run them at the pressure printed on the tire? On hot days while traveling I go down to 105 pounds but have been told I’d be fine at 100. We travel fulltime and I’ve met a lot of folks and had the discussion which includes some running G rated tires with a cold pressure of 110 as low as 90 which I fell is risky even if you know the weight supported by tire. Sorry for the long post but this is a topic of debate.
Jim Koca, the author of this post, also oversees our SmartWeigh program, so his answer won’t likely differ from the advice you received from the Weighmaster who already helped you. The charts they reference are designed for exactly your question. If you aren’t sure where to find them, this page of tools for after your weighing should help!
https://escapees.com/education/smartweigh/forms/#tireinfo
Our TPMS has notified me 3x of problems, one was part of tread broke off and tire was losing air, one was a rock puncture in Baja, and once I had one tire get much hotter than the other three. Turned out the wheel bearing was bad. I wouldn’t drive without TPMS.
What is the sequence of events in becoming licensed when moving to TX from another state that does not have any special license requirements for driving a 43′ class A RV? Specifically, do you first have to make an appointment to exchange your non-TX license for a TX Class C license, and THEN make another appointment to take the Class B Exempt written test, and THEN make a third appointment for the actual driving test to complete the Class B Exempt requirements? OR, can you start right with the Class B Exempt test appointment (acknowledging the gray area of driving your rig to the skills test without being licensed to do so). Right now, using my non-Texas, non-CDL (exempt or otherwise) license, I am currently legally driving my rig in Texas. If I have to give up that license and obtain a TX Class C license to just begin the TX process, I’m arguably being forced to drive illegally from that point forward. Since we are full-timers and have to move our rig from time to time, this is a real catch-22 situation for me. Thanks for your input
Jim, that’s a great question. I haven’t explicitly asked, but I’m virtually certain that the answer is that you do NOT need to first get a Class C license–you can go directly to testing for your Class B Exempt as your first Texas license.
Here’s my reasoning: when you move to Texas from out of state, you can continue to drive with your out of state license for 90 days. As you note, you can legally drive your rig with that license under the laws of your “old” state, so you’re OK in Texas as well under the reciprocity rules.
Then when you apply for a new Texas license, you surrender your old state license, and Texas honors the license class you had in your old state. In other words, if you were applying for a Texas Class C license, which would be equivalent to your old license, you would have no testing requirements–so for practical purposes, your old state license functions just like a Texas Class C license up to this point. So it stands to reason that you can upgrade from your old state license directly to a Texas Class B using exactly the same procedure as you’d follow if you were upgrading from an existing Texas Class C license.
Along the same lines, the Texas Driver License Application Form DL-14A indicates that any existing state license is treated the same as a Texas license. It asks, “Have you ever had a driver license.. in Texas or any other state?” and if you have, you provide that information on the form.
Even if you were to fail either the written test or the driving test for the Class B, I think you’d still be OK: I’m pretty certain that you don’t surrender your old license until the Texas one is issued to you, so you’d just continue to drive under your old state’s license until you passed your test.
Good luck with the upgrade, and please do let me know if anything I’ve said turns out to be incorrect!
I have a beautiful RV parking spot that I would like to offer to travel nurses. Where is the best website to list my rental?
We just listed our space in Mesa, AZ on Airbnb. Might be a good fit. Hip Camp might work for you as well.
So glad you have kept this blog going. I just wanted to follow up on my original question and my experience taking my non-exempt Class A driving test.
Firstly, when taking the test the it is the vehicle’s GVWR and trailer’s GVWR that matter for the test. in my case I rented a dump trailer with a GVWR over 10,000 lbs to pull with my 41,000 lb motorhome. Initially I emailed DPS licensing division to ask them if the trailer really needed to have a GVWR over 10,000 or if any trailer would work. A dozen emails later they were still stuck on the fact that I only needed a Class B license for my RV. The concept that I was testing for a Class license so I would not have to retest later went right over their heads. They just did not know the answer.
I did have a skid steer in the dump trailer as well for my test because i was not sure if they would want the trailer to actually weight over 10,000lbs for the test. Luckily I reviewed the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration rules on strapping down cargo so I have the skid steer properly strapped….not that my examiner knew the specific rules but it was obvious I was well secured to the trailer. Another note for anyone testing with a trailer is to be careful to follow the the rule that the total length must not exceed 65 feet. I was very careful to make sure I rented a very short dump trailer for my test. They don’t weigh a lot and have high GVWR’s compared to their length.
I took my test in Castroville and they were great. It was simply a quick ride around with a civilian examiner who stated from the start that she just wanted to make sure I could drive my RV safely. It was a very low stress event and was simply a quick drive. They completely understood it was a non-exempt license versus a CDL. I highly recommend that testing location and applaud the staff for getting it all correct!
Thanks for following up, Carl, and I’m glad you had a good experience with the test. You are correct that it is always GVWR, not actual gross vehicle weight, that matters both for DPS and the Texas laws.
My former employer (with whom I still have some benefits) FORCES me to use ExpressScripts for long term medications. In the years I’ve been forced to work with ExpressScripts, I have NEVER been happy with the “service” they provide. It’s worse that getting teeth pulled. In my many RV treks, I’ve spoken with HUNDREDS (if not thousands) of other retirees and NOT A SINGLE ONE had anything good to say about ExpressScripts. I suspect if ExpressScripts’ entire staff were replaced by untrained monkeys, the service would improve.
Oooph! Sorry to hear of your experience with them, John. That can be soooo frustrating! We had Optum Rx in my old employer’s plan and thankfully they did well by us. Hope things get better for you!
I’m so sorry you have had a terrible experienced with Express Scripts. My husband and I have used them for many years as retired military personnel. I have found them to be kind, courteous and willing to help. We full times for 10 years and had many occasions to call in prescriptions to different service centers around the country. Our needs were all patiently met whether it was getting an emergency supply at a local pharmacy or shipping meds to a new location (and there were many).
Perhaps being “forced” to get long term refills through Express Scripts is being reflected in your conversations with them. So be of good cheer and keep trying to get a good outcome.
David, Thanks for the article. My wife and I are moving to Texas From Washington) with intent to be full timers based out of her sisters home. Establishing residency is going to be an issue. I don’t plan on being in Texas long enough to complete all these requirements in the first year of retirement. May have to suck it up and pay 2 times the Taxes and register the RV i just bought in Washington.
Jim, glad you found the article helpful. Domicile is not my specialty, but I do know that you should not have to pay sales taxes twice. If you already paid tax on the RV in Washington, Texas gives you credit for that (as I think all states do). That doesn’t apply to title and registration fees, though–if you’ve already titled and registered your RV in Washington, you will pay those fees again when you eventually re-title and re-register the RV in Texas. But there you’re only talking about a few hundred dollars, not thousands. Remember that Escapees has partnered with Loring & Associates, a law firm in Livingston that specializes in domicile issues, so that you can get a free consultation to answer questions like that (and others you’ll probably have about changing domicile). You can request the free consult using the form at the bottom of this page.
This just happened to my husband … he was called for jury duty in Livingston. We were in western NM at that time, heading out on 8.5 months touring the Pacific Northwest. He went online as directed by the summons, and there was a box he could select stating that he is an Escapees member and unable to participate. Easy Peasy!!
I found this article very helpful, thank you.
I have read that oil often enters the propane tank when the tank is being overfilled. Fillers are supposed to leave space in the tank for heat expansion and leave a place for the propane to evaporate into. If the tank is overfilled with liquid then oil can easily be pumped into the regulator and on into the lines. So, overfilling tanks is the most common culprit.
Hey David- Great info… A link no longer works (Handbook link, specifically) as DPS has changed from http://www.txdps.state.tx.us to http://www.dps.texas.gov... (NOT a complaint, just thought might be a helpful update- as some others have been updated!)
Complete new link for other user’s ease: https://www.dps.texas.gov/internetforms/forms/dl-7c.pdf
Thanks for the heads up, Eric! We’ve fixed that one, and are working on the others that are similarly affected.
This is valuable information and now I am asking the stupid newbie question: how do you find these great boondocking locations? Is there a site? For instance, I’m currently in Ohio having some work done on my rig and would love to find a spot as mentioned in the Akron area.
i have the typical apps – RV Life and all but I don’t see this type of camping mentioned.
Thanks in advance.
Regards,
Steve
This post on our sister site, Xscapers.com, should help with that! https://xscapers.com/finding-great-boondocking-spots/
You can avoid any accidents and keep your RV safe from dangerous CO levels if you have RV carbon monoxide detectors.
Thanks for the RV tips. My wife and I want to travel. We will think about getting an RV.
If you have a license for motorhome plus trailer from another state (one which does not have a maximum total length spelled out), do you need to retake all the tests to get same/similar license in TX? What if your total length with trailer IS over 65 feet? Do you have to take the test with a rented trailer (as noted above) that makes total length under 65 feet?
AJ, I’m not quite sure what you’re asking. It’s the gross vehicle weight rating(s), not the length, that determines what class of license you need in Texas. If you are licensed in another state–such as Florida–that does not require any special licensing for heavier RVs, your license would entitle you to a Class C license in Texas. If you need a Class B Exempt license in Texas due to your vehicle weights, then yes, you would have to take all the applicable tests to qualify for that license.
With respect to length restrictions, the longest combination you can legally tow in Texas is 65 feet, regardless of your license class. If your motorhome/trailer combination is longer than that, I definitely would not bring it to your driving test, because I doubt you’d be allowed to take the test in it. (Realize also that if the length of your motorhome/trailer combination exceeds 65 feet, having the Class B Exempt license won’t keep you from being cited during a traffic stop for violating the length restriction.)
Thank you for explaining about why you should have RV insurance. I’ve been wondering if I should get RV insurance for our new RV. It seems like we’ll need to get it, and it could be good for us to have it in place before our vacation this summer.
The link in this section is out of date:
“(Unlike the knowledge test that you can take at any DPS office in the state, only certain DPS offices administer the skills test.)”
Thanks, John! We’re working on getting the links updated, as they aren’t all 1:1 replacements. DPS moved their website and rearranged some information, so it’s taking a little longer to locate and confirm the new URLs. You’ll see all the links updated this week 🙂
I would love to know more on having appropriate health insurance while traveling!! My husband is disabled and I have medical issues as well but we hope to travel in a few years. Health insurance has been a challenge and we would greatly appreciate any feedback for help!!
I appreciate the information about medications from Mexico. We’ve thought about getting what we can for my husband who has no coverage for his medications, of which he takes a few that are still over $100 per month even with GoodRx and filled at Walmart (we’ve found Walmart to be the cheapest for the medications we’ve needed). Time to dig deeper before we make our way SW.
Hi, Adrienne! Yes, Jeanne has found Walmart Pharmacy to be the most cost-effective for her, too. GoodRx is sometimes on par with our health insurance plan copays, sometimes not. She also found that most of her meds in Mexico were about the same price as at Walmart. You can possibly find some Rx’s for less down there, but just be sure of what you are getting. 😉
Costco has great prices, too.
This is such a great perspective. I wish we could find good national-coverage health insurance. We found one insurance option that will cover us nationally, but they don’t cover much, don’t cover any pre-existing conditions (because they’re not “true” insurance), have no yearly deductibles and no max out of pocket. We basically pay $1000 per month for “but what if we are in a horrible car accident” and hope we get at least some stuff covered. We are also finding paying out of pocket and stating we are uninsured gives us a discount. Which is infuriating.
We are so sorry for the loss of Nancy. but we are glad that she was able to live life o the fullest while still managing her health care needs. Your information is very helpful and inspiring to others who worry about leaving home. May God bless you on your solo journey.
Anyone have tips for Navigating pain meds as a full time Rv’er? My current state(Texas) requires monthly visits for prescriptions which is fine while living in sticks and bricks but we are planning to sell the house and embark on this adventure. We are considering wintering in Florida every year and possibly buying land there which would then let me set up my doctors there, but that only covers the months that we are there. I am still going to need a plan to deal with it the other months.
I have been taking something called Suboxone for the past 13 years. Primarily, it is a drug that helps with withdrawal symptoms of opioids. However, it also helps pain as an added benefit. Suboxone really did save my life in many ways, but recently I had a major spine surgery that was successful! Now, the Suboxone feels like an anchor to me, and I’m attempting to taper off. My husband and I are considering full-time RV life, and Texas requires I visit my doctor every month to get my Suboxone Rx. However, since Covid, these monthly visits have been virtual, and then I get a urine drug screen at any Labcorp location. Given these circumstances, I don’t see why I couldn’t do visits and screen on the road, especially since this Schedule II substance has very little opioid, and another drug that blocks ALL absorption of opioids if drugs of any kind are abused. This is about the only thing that anchors us to Dallas. Any suggestions would be very much appreciated!
I’m a recent full-time RVer, most recently a resident of Washington state. I’ve found lots of info on TX, FL, and SD being the most popular domicile options, but I’m trying to find information on any potential downside to keeping Washington state as my domicile. My husband is a 100% disabled veteran and gets his medical through the VA, but health insurance is a big deal for me as well as dental and vision for both of us. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Tim!
Those three states tend to be popular due to rules around domicile and the lack of state income tax. However, as you’ve mentioned, there are lots of factors to consider when looking for the best state to call home, including health insurance, vehicle/RV insurance, ability to prove your intent to reside there, etc.
Asking your question in an online group/forum such as https://www.facebook.com/groups/rvtofreedom or https://www.rvnetwork.com/ would likely provide some first-hand experience from others in your situation.
Thank you for sharing such a personal story. We are blessed to be somewhat new (2 years) full timers with good nation-wide insurance, and your perspective is both calming and encouraging.
Thanks for the post! I really appreciate this kind of information. I am very impressed with the author of this blog and I hope you will share more useful articles on roadside assistance in the future like this masterpiece.
So what has happened to community events at Rainbow end. It feels like any old RV park. We volunteered at the Care center last year and found a wonderful caring community that was completely separate from the rest of Rainbiw end. We found the club house closed and no events planned. We found in our travel talking to fellow escapee members a universal disappointment after a visit to Rainbow end. There is no Escapee experience there just a old park that isn’t very friendly
Hi Paul! You’ll be happy to know things have opened up since your last visit in October. The clubhouse has reopened, and you’ll find a busy list of activities, including a weekly ice cream social. We hope you enjoy your next stay there!
I live in Nevada and wondering if there are people in Chapter 14 Mesquete. Wondering what their activities are. How do I search for news about this Nevada Chapter
Hi Dawn!
To get in touch with any chapter, you’ll need to log into the member website then look for the chapters under the “Community” menu. Each chapter is listed there with location and contact info! 🙂
This thread was very helpful, so I’d like to share my experience.
I failed the written test on the first try. The test is based on Section 14 of the Texas Commecial Vehicle Handbook. The handbook has a chart (figure 1-2) that shows which sections to study for each type of license, but It doesn’t show section 14. They mailed a new Class B license to my home with a restriction requiring a Class B licensed driver to be with me.
For the skills test, I had to drive an hour and a half to Bryant where I could get an appointment within the 90-day limit following the written test. The next available appointment in my local facility was 7 months out.
Although I arrived 25 minutes early for my 2:00 appointment, they didn’t take me until 2:40. (They never asked if I had a licensed driver with me on the way to the exam facility.) Then they repeated all the steps I had to get the restricted license – 2 forms, finger prints, new photo, eye test, pay $11.
I completed the one-hour, no-line ITD (Impact Texas Drivers) course, but I’m not sure I needed it. They didn’t ask for it, but it may have automatically shown as completed in the syste. (A person next to me was not allowed to take the skills test because she had not completed the course even though the Texas .gov web site says it is not required for drivers over 25 years of age.)
Then I was told to go to the RV and wait for the examiner (~15 min). She checked the registration, insurance card, and tested the horn, turn signals, flashers. For the skills test we went on the highway, stopped at stop signs and traffic lights, turned left across traffic and backed straight back (no parallel or off-set parking). I passed with a few points off for turning the wheel too much to keep the motor home in the lane in a heavy cross-wind and not staying in the right lane to turn to into a tight street on the right (I was conscious of the requirement, but chose to cross the middle line slightly).
Overall the process was not too difficult, just tedious.
Thanks for sharing your experience! Glad to hear it was relatively painless 🙂
Dave – to get my Class B, Non-CDL (i.e Exempt) license in Texas, do I have to take the ELDT training that is discussed in the TX DPS website? This website says that ELDT is now required for all Class B CDL licenses, but I can’t seem to get clarification on this from DPS, regarding a Class B, Non-CDL license.
Thanks,
Robert Kienlen (Dallas area)
Robert, it’s a great question and I don’t have a clear answer for you. (See the comment directly above yours, for example.) I’d recommend being on the safe side and taking that training–that way you’re covered if it’s needed. It’s not a big investment of time.
Hi, Dave! Sorry for the delay! Pain medications/schedule II medications are a tough one. Perhaps you can set up official domicile in Florida sooner rather than later (before you buy property there) and get set up with a provider who will work with you, maybe without that monthly visit requirement? I have also heard of folks able to have scripts called in to the local pharmacy, have a family member pick them up for them, and then forward them to wherever you may be at the time.
It is good to see an article by someone who “walks the talk.” Great article.
David – I finally got hold of TX DPS, by both phone and email, and have verified that an applicant for a Class B, Non-CDL (exempt) license does NOT have to take ELDT training.
Thanks, Robert K.
Thank you, Robert! Another member who recently tested got the same answer from TX DPS at the test center. I’ll update the blog post to reflect that information. (By the way, I misunderstood your original question–I thought you were referring to the Impact Texas Drivers [ITD] program, which as far as I know is still required for all driver’s license applicants. But ELDT definitely is not required, except for CDL applicants.)
Informative article! Thanks for sharing, because I really love reading a great article like this one. I hope to publish more articles in the future about the roadside.
The wastewater from the RV’s toilet is sometimes referred to as “black water” in a camper. Gray water, on the other hand, comes from various appliances and fixtures, such as the sink and shower drain, and should not be confused with rig water.
Hello and thank you for this excellent info.
Last month (May) we sent in our Texas vote-by-mail request forms for the 2022 general election. They got rejected. I was just told that they need to be sent within 60 days of the election. This is a change from 2020. They are not making it any easier!
I’m trying to find the link to the closet that you mentioned. I’m not finding it. Hovering over the Escapees picture about downsizing doesn’t allow for opening in a new link. Is there another way to find that information?
Hi there!
This blog came from a webinar Donna did with us a few years back. If you follow the link at the top of this article (that directs you to that webinar), you’ll see several links in the show notes that answer your question and others you may have.
My Grandma and Grandpa were full time RV’ers when I was growing up. They retired from it 30 years ago because my Grandpa was losing his Eye sight. I wish I know more about their rv life. But if any of you seasoned RV’ers remember a Glenn and Margarete Ellis, That’s my grandma and grandpa!!!
I’ve participated in these discussions at other rallies, conventions. My #1 request is computer workstation areas for tow, some type of filing cabinet drawer and room for a laser printer. Lots of people travel with laptops and the kitchen table is a mess to work at.
We agree with you! When we had our 38’ Foretravel, we had a custom desk built by Davis Cabinets in Junction City OR. It had two computer stations and plenty of storage including a pull-out tray for a normal size printer. Loved it!
When did any state achieve authority over another for teaching a titled and registered vehicleof that state. Llc’s are entirely a separate tax entity of that state.
See the Louisiana Supreme Court case about this very issue. It’s not illegal to register a mh in another state when it begins to an llc of that other state and avoid taxes of any other state. Regardless of where you live
My family loves to travel and visit different states. We do family bonding by going camping. We do usually rent an RV every time we plan a long trip. It helps me when you mention looking after every detail of a rental RV from the tank, pumps, lever, and every little component, especially the engine. In this way, we can be sure of a safe journey.
Yup! Like Louise said, they’ve now got a box you can select that says “Escapees RV Member” that will automatically excuse you in Polk Count (Livingston, TX).
I was thinking of domiciling in Florida but that doesn’t seem like such a good idea anymore.
I have a F450 and 52′ horse trailer with full living quarters and slideout. It dies put us over 26000 so I would need a Class A non CDL for that. We also have a single axle peterbilt that is only used to also pull our horse trailer, also putting me over 26000. Would my class A cover me when driving the Peterbilt as well?
Also, could I use the 450 and trailer to take the driving test?
Thank you for reading the article and your comments. Regarding your questions, in the section “Do You Need a Special License in Texas for Your Rig?” there is a link which takes you to the Texas Department of Public Safety website. The page has updates effective February 2, 2022 and should contain current information that you will find helpful.
Did the written test on 6/15/2022 at Hillsboro, they were not familiar with the Class A exempt process but they called around and got all their info together. Took the section 14 test with no issues. Scheduled the skills portion at Canton Tx on 6/28/2022, they actually called me twice to see if I wanted an earlier slot…evaluator came out, introduced herself, went over my license, insurance and registration (Truck and 5th wheel) checked lights and horn, hopped in and gave me the briefing on the test and ask if I had any questions. Skills portion consisted of five right turns, seven left turns and that was it! No interstate driving (even though the test center is on the I-20 service road) no backing at all, just a leisurely drive down the I-20 service road through Canton, back down the service road and done! They never ask if I had a licensed driver with me. ELDT is not required, I took the 1hr impact Texas drivers online course but was never asked anything about it.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Mark!
Bri, sorry for the delay in replying – I’ve been out of the country for a few weeks. A Class A exempt license qualifies you to drive any Class A or B rig (as well as a Class C passenger vehicle, of course). So yes, your Class A exempt would cover both your vehicle combinations. And similarly, you can take the driving test in any vehicle that fits the definition of the license class you’re applying for, so you could use the F-450 and the horse trailer for your driving test.
Thank you for this inspiring and uplifting story! It is refreshing to hear about overcoming adversity to continue doing what you love. I too would like to know more about navigating the insurance and and medical systems to get the best care. It sounds like Nancy was a pro at that. You obviously are very good at negotiating as well. It is refreshing to read about others who choose to “live their lives” rather than just “be alive”
13 years of experiences and memories can be a lifetime for some.
Hey
Appreciation for your post.
My dog does a lot of nibbling and i was like wondering. I then did the following:
Giving him chew toys. Carrying dog’s favorite toy and keep it in your pocket whenever you’re around him.
Non-contact play. Rather than wrestling with your dog and engaging in rough play, encourage games that have little to no contact.
Taste deterrents. If the above solutions don’t work, consider using a taste deterrent. Spray it on areas of your clothing and body that your dog is fond of biting.
Can your domicile be in Delaware: drivers license, voting, mail forwarding address, but register your RV in Montana to safe on the registration fees? And what additional fees and taxes are in Delaware?
Thank you for reading the article and taking time to reply. Given the specific nature of your questions, we recommend you reach out to legal counsel directly so all factors can be considered in the discussion.
Any suggestions on getting RV Camp spots when you only get 2 weeks before a new contract starts? We just got a contract and I’ve called almost every RV park in the 5-10 mile radius and they are all booked up for the summer. Thanks!
What did you end up doing? Any advice? My wife and I are in the same situation.
What’s the online link to pay the 2nd half of my Balloon HOP fee?
Following is the link for the Balloon Fiesta HOP: registration@escapees.com.
Such a great article. We’ve been to RoVers Roost many times and spent 4 months there in 2020. So grateful to Kay and Joe, and all dedicated workers that made RR and all the other Co-op’s available to us.
Thank you for the kind and thoughtful comment.
Thanks for the article and the above replies! Just picked our mail for the first time in two months, and found a Jury Summons with a report date only a few days away (and us 1400 miles from Livingston)! Went online, and found that you have to complete and submit the questionnaire first telling them you are a qualified juror. After submitting it, you then get to a page that provides a link to request to be excused. One of the options is the “Escapees RV Member” as described above. Pretty simple once I got past the submit step.
RVParky is my go to app. It also has a www website you can use with a PC. It pretty much does everything paid apps like RV Trip Wizard does (finds national-state-local campgrounds, campground reviews from actual users, calculate miles, cost/gallon, exports map info to GPS, etc.). Best of all it’s FREE,
Hello. When and where can I sign up for this RV Boot Camp in the Pima County Fairgrounds? I’m an Escapee’s member, but can not find where to sign up on this website. Thanks.
Thank you for inquiring about RV Boot Camp. Please call 936-755-1060 for assistance.
I have a 1998 Monaco Dynasty 38″ Cummins Motor Home. I can’t travel anymore and would like to donate this vehicle.
Is there anyway I can publish it in your website. It has low mileage but I haven’t start it in at least 5 years. The motor and generator never had a problem. Now it would need all rubber parts replaced. Any advice would be welcome. Thank you,
Thank you for your response. Options to consider for sharing information on the vehicle include Escapees/Xscapers B/S/T group on Facebook and the classifieds section of the magazine.
I am sure you have had tons or replies but my Husband and I might be interested!
This is great to hear! Please pass the word that if you are domiciled here in Livingston, Texas and you get the jury summons, there is a way to respond that will help you preserve your domicile in Livingston, Texas. Follow the process to the point where you can check the box that says “Escapees RV member”. DO NOT check the box that says, “not a resident.” Best to you and if you need any further advice on domicile, feel free to call me at Loring & Assoc, 800-260-1615 or stop by our new office at 621 North Washington Livingston, Texas.
Hey Guys!
Thank you for spreading the word, I’m Harro from Europe-Roadtrip 🙂
So cool to see people like yourself are sending customers my way.
Thank you and Gods bless.
great article. We are Southern California Kaiser members and they do not ship out of California nor do they send refills to non Kaiser Rx. I wish we had some help to be able to figure out how to get refills for my husbands heart meds and meds.
Your quoted price for Boondockers Welcome is way off…it was $50 before Harvest Hosts bought them, now one year is $79. Still pays for itself in 2 nights.
Thanks for letting us know! This was written in 2019, and a lot has changed for them since. We went ahead and updated the figures 🙂
I’m new to Texas and no one in my department can point me in the right direction. I’m a firefighter and need to get my class b exempt. What test is it that I take and what do I need to study. Is it the normal driver’s license knowledge test every already takes, or is it the CDL knowledge test that I take and what do I need to study. Any help please.
Hi Chris. Are you needing the Class B license to drive an RV for personal use, or to drive a firefighting vehicle? If it’s for an RV, please read through the article above. It specifically answers your questions about which tests you need to take and what to study. If you’re needing the Class B license for anything other than driving an RV, I’d suggest contacting the Texas Department of Public Safety’s help line in Austin, as the requirements may be different than for RVs operated for personal use.
Filled out the form online and did not see any box to check for “Escapees RV member”. Maybe they removed it? Will be calling them to ask questions.
Yes, your best action is to call in to complete the Jury Duty process.
Last spring we evacuated 5 times to tornado shelters in Alabama. We also had high winds the previous fall from hurricane. The last tornado was a F1 direct hit on our storm shelter 200 feet away from the rig. The Class A 2014 Forest River FR3 RV tipped sideways enough that debris flew and was caught under the back left tires. We narrowly missed a total loss of our rig. No damage was found anywhere other than leaves and dirt on the sides. Hundreds of trees fell, but near us, just short of the camp site. The next week I went and bought two ground anchors from the Tractor Supply Company. In the past I used these to tie down my plastic tunnel green houses on a farm. One went in the ground at the hitch, the other at the front frame. I used large ratchet straps to anchor down the rig . The goal of this is to not have the rig ever roll. Even with other damage from wind or tree the motorhome needs to stay stationary. The fact that the back left tires were off the ground and we sustained no structural damage was impressive. Obviously this is not for short term camping, but I can put these in the ground in about 20 minutes if need be. (afternote: When I left Alabama after 5 months, One pf the anchors would not “unscrew” from the clay soil. A tractor loader could not pull it out. A testement to how strong these anchors are.)
Good article. I have a question – I own a dually (GVWR 14,000 lbs) and pull a 5th wheel (GVWR 16,000), we are considering selling the 5th wheel and getting a motorhome. I would prefer to get the Class A license (since that should cover al A,B, and C ratings. If I sold my fifth wheel before I could take the driving test – could I just rent a flat bed trailer with a GVWR of at least 12,000 to use for my driving test?
Yes, you should be able to do that. Other members have rented trailers for their test in similar situations. Or, you could take the test before you sell your fifth wheel–that would give you a Class A license which would cover you no matter what kind of rig you end up with.
Arkansas is one of my favorite places, my “Happy Place” is Lake Degray, try to make it there for several weeks each fall.
What is the age we are not required to go to jury duty?
It varies by state, but the general consensus is 70. Make sure you verify your home state’s guidance on this, though.
Thank you so much for this article! Its been a dream of ours now for a few years and now I’m even more determined to make it come true. All the best Mark and Linnie
Does the site include any hook ups? I don’t see any mention about hookups.
No, no hookups available as all campsites are for boondocking only.
“Escapees will have Boondocking, “rally style” parking and a private tent for inclement weather, socials and catered meals.”
Thank you David! I use the service but this article explained several aspects I had not considered. Appreciate the info.
This article is very informative and helpful. We are considering moving our mail to a mail forwarding service, because of a particular issue, credit cards being inactivated! When you are on the road and you get a fraudulent charge on your card the bank or card issuers will promptly inactive you card leaving you stranded and unable to get a new card. We normally place a mail hold on our mail for 30 days, once expires the mail will be delivered and we set up a new 30 day hold, a family member or friend will then pick up our mail and place it in our home, we may get 2-3 pieces of viable mail in a 30 day stretch, we are normally home by the next time the mail hold expires. Exception to this process is credit card being mailed to our home address and we can’t get to it. But I also find the process of finding a postal office that will accept general delivery, the info on the USPS web is lacking and phones are never answered so you have to actually visit a post office to find out if they accept general delivery. If this was part of the offering of mail service forwarding I would jump at the opportunity, but it seems that as a paying customer we still have to do that research ourselves and figure out where mail can be delivered, not as helpful as I thought it was going to be.
I had the same problem with my RV sewer system. I used a plunger and a bucket and it worked great.
Excellent article, can’t disagree with anything you mention. I spent years on a SAR team before retiring to RV, & if folks would take these simple precautions they’re much safer. Like you say, doing activities alone isn’t to be preferred. But none of us wants to just stop living & experiencing the outdoors we love because we at times have to do it alone.
Great article, Joshua! Glad to see that you had a good experience with your first workamping job. Jeanne and I want do our first camphosting or workamping position next year, since we’ve been traveling fulltime at a pretty quick pace over the past two years. It helps to read about others’ experiences, so thank you for sharing yours! Happy travels to you and your family!
We are “former” Texas residents and have established our Domicile address in Livingston. We have no plans to return to Texas, but from what I’ve read, so far, it looks like I may have to return for a short visit just to get our vehicles inspected and re-registered. This is a problem for us since we have a transport service move our 5th wheel back and forth between Colorado and Arizona. Is there a workaround for this? Or, are we forced to make an annual trip back to the Lone Star State?
It’s a good idea to establish some sort of connections in Texas beyond just a mailing address, in case Colorado or Arizona choose to question your residency status. There are cases where states have sought back taxes from “visitors” who actually qualify as residents. Making occasional trips to Texas for visits, to maintain connections, etc., help strengthen your claim that you reside in Texas legally.
That said, no, you don’t have to return to Texas annually for your inspection. You can renew your registration by mail, and when it comes to inspections, you are expected to update it as soon as you cross into the state next time you’re traveling through. Some say the grace period is three days, but I’ve also heard some officers will issue citations sooner (though the county will often dismiss those as long as you get it inspected ASAP and can provide proof of completion).
An RV carbon monoxide alarm typically lasts five to seven years. You would need to replace the batteries in your battery-operated RV carbon monoxide detector once a year to make sure it continues to function properly. The carbon monoxide detector in your RV should be replaced after five years because after that point, its functionality is very much in question.
Great article. I have hiked and backpacked my whole life, but have never done more than a day hike solo. That is changing however, and I am confident in my abilities to stay safe. I also carry a PLB with 10,000 amp hour battery bank (those small rechargers sold on amazon.)
I carry at least 1 backpack meal and trail food, as well as a small jetboil and 1-person tent when I am headed in to rough country or bad weather, even when planning a day hike. Often a small injury can prevent you from walking even 1 mile to the trailhead parking. In very cold, hot or wet weather than can be life threatening.
In our backpack trips, sadly we have become used to finding a solo or group hikers that are experiencing an emergency with no useful provisions. I have provided first aid (I was a medic in the military,) and provided food, water and shelter. We have more than once come across a hiker who lost all there gear when a bear walked off with their kit. We have also come across hikers who lost the trail of their group and are alone, miles in to the back country with nothing, not even a bottle of water.
S
Great article!
How to find a virtual mailbox in Texas which will satisfy a domicile requirement, please. What questions to ask before signing up for a specific service, how to determine which service will meet that requirement vs. others which will not.
Hi Hector! You’ll likely find this article answers most of your questions: https://escapees.com/how-rvers-get-their-mail-guide/
I just did a 30 day trip in Nevada photopraphing the stars in old ghosttowns and abandoned mines.
James, that sounds like it must have been a fun project! I bet the photos are great!
I have been a resident in East Texas for 16 years. My house is selling and am on the fence to go full time RV’ing or live for extended periods in Panama and returning to Texas for short durations. Would Escapees be good for both possibilities?
Our mail-forwarding service could help you in either situation. If you choose to remain in the U.S. and travel full-time, our service can serve as your mailing address and forward your mail when requested, as well as serve as your domicile address.
If you choose to live abroad, we can still receive and forward your mail, but you’ll have to look at residency laws in Panama to see if your visits there would affect your ability to claim U.S. residency. (It is likely still possible, but we are not qualified to offer personalized legal advice on domicile. Instead, we encourage you to reach out to domicle-experienced legal advisors, such as East Texas Legal.)
May we participate in a chapter rally if we are not members of that chapter. We are just starting our full time RV life and would love to start connecting with others. We will be in Northern CA for the month of December visiting family. This rally would be great before we head further north.
We are interested in the Chapter 38 Rally at Kit Fox RV park in Patterson, CA November 30-December 2, 2022
Hi Heidi!
Each chapter runs a little differently, so instead of giving you incorrect information, I shared your question with the leadership of that chapter and our club’s Chapters Directors. Someone should reply to you soon via email 🙂
Ok just went through the process online! Hope this helps. Now I’m not sure all the processes but it went something like this for me.
Login using your jury number without the zeros and date of birth. Next page couple page is info. phone number, email. Next you get to the qualifying questions and employment info page fill out the required items. Hit submit! Now here is where people are having problems, I think. The next page asks you if you are ready to come serve do you think you are qualified at the bottom it has to options “yes” or “no”. I hit “no”. Now if I am remembering correctly it took me to a page where you click on the dropdown menu list of disqualifiers in which Escapees RV is one of the items on the dropdown list! I clicked on it and hit submit! The next page it stated, Excuse was approved, and you are no longer required to show up. I printed that page, but I also went to the profile info page where it stated in RED letters “Excused” No longer required to show up. It was pretty simple but the page after the questionnaire would trip people up and the next page it doesn’t really say to click on the sentence that says disqualifications and chose. Leas I don’t remember seeing anything like that. Just knew the sentence was clickable and when I clicked it the menu dropped down, lol!
I was born and raised in TX until I was 30 years old. My husband and I left on military orders, but returned, then moved to Florida (on orders) and returned again. We’ve lived in Arizona for the last 8 years, but will sell our house this spring and come to TX in our motorhome to get the process started.
I’d like to set up the doctors, vets, banking, etc., in my home town of Wichita Falls–does it have to be Livingston? And if we own no other property except our coach, are we satisfying the Time Spent rule?
We plan to spend some time in Texas every year for all the annual appointments, and often winter there.
Hi there,
First, thanks for your service!
At Escapees, we aren’t licensed to give personalized advice regarding domicile. This is why we work closely with companies like East Texas Legal (https://eastexlegal.com/) who are licensed and qualified to take the details of your situation and give you reliable advice on how to proceed. If you’re a member of Escapees, East Texas Legal offers free initial consultation sessions on estate planning, domicile, and other full-time RVer issues. They should be able to answer your direct questions as well as help you figure out what’s best for your situation.
Oh! The one question I needed to ask and didn’t. I read that “you have to spend one year living in TX before it’s legally your Domicile State.”
Is there a time requirement–as in a specific number of days–to start?
Thank you.
We have a beautiful piece of property in Colorado that we would love to rent out to traveling nurses. We just don’t know what sites to post to. Suggestions? We have a traveler that randomly found us and we love her!
We also have a space for an RV to host travel nurses. I’m a nurse that’s live and works in Santa Cruz, Ca. Would be fine with 13+ week stays .I’ll follow this thread. Thanks-
Sorry just seeing this post. My suggestion is you can list on airbnb, travel nurse gypsy housing facebook page, hipcamp, and if you see any other travel nurse housing fb pages.
Your story is remarkably like mine, and I enjoyed reading your blog. We left Tampa, FL in Feb. 2020 as fulltime RVers, and the pandemic erupted six weeks later just as we were leaving Mardi Gras in New Orleans. We spent the next 2 1/2 years running from Covid, finally deciding in August 2022 to settle down. I’d love to communicate more with you. Please contact me for continued sharing of stories.
Wow. Sobering. Honest.
Well-written post. Worth the share. I am pretty sure this would help readers especially those who are new to towing services and how it works. Thanks!!
Excellent writing. I could feel your angst and despair. My husband and I have been fulltime for 21 years. I dread the day we have to settle down and furnish an apartment. At least we won’t have to look for work. And we don’t have children depending on us. You are a strong, capable woman, Holly. An inspiration to me and, I’m sure, others.
We have one in our RV we were camping 2 weeks ago and our detector went off at 1:20 am come to find out we had a slow leak a pin hole in the line our camper is 5 years old so please check your hoses it saved our lives so don’t be without a detector
In today’s day and age. Ignorence abounds. So sorry for what you have to put up with. You are foraging a path and you are heros. Even though you shouldn’t have to be in this day and age. I am a conservative white man who goes hey that family looks like people I’d like to meet and get to know there story. I find all people fascinating. Why the hell are modern people still acting this way. Not a question just baffled. I am not someone who runs from people with ridiculously stupid things to say about others.
I would rather stick around and try to get them to see the light so that they may change their minds. Anyway you great adventures keep up the work you are doing and with God’s grace you will make this world a better place.
So what do you use around the skylights?
Hello Holly,
I read your article. I want to reassure you: taking the “natural” path of healing with Lyme is not going to shorten your life. I am a retired physician and I have had Lyme for over 30 years. I had multiple co-infections. I refused antibiotics, I took the “natural” path. Now in my late sixties, I have more energy and I am more focused than most 30 years old out there. Just keep taking your herbs, have a good way of eating, and stay away as much as possible from EMFs and EMRs. Speaking of which, I do not see any article on this site about how to decrease the unhealthy effects of electromagnetic radiations while Rveing. Are there any? Thank you. Happy New Year!
This article helped solidify my decision to use this service. We love our daughter, but she did a terrible job of being the recipient of our forwarded mail. She was relieved to know we would remove the burden from her busy life as a professional and mother of three.
We are very proud to offer the Mail Forwarding Service at the lowest possible, and most affordable rates. We are glad to hear that you were able to unload this burden from your daughter. We hope you are beyond pleased with how we are doing. Make sure to call or contact us with any questions or concerns.
I’d like to join waiting list for the Maine HOP in September. I am not currently a member of Escapees but have been considering becoming one for a while and will be happy to do so. Thank you.
One annual membership fee of $49.95 (US$59.95 in Canada and Mexico) entitles you to participation in both the Escapees and Xscapers communities, and gives you access to all of our support services, educational resources, and discount programs! Join the Escapees RV Club here – (https://member.escapees.com/members/MySKP/renewmembership.aspx), or call Call 936-327-8873 with your credit card. We will issue your SKP membership number usually by the next business day. Upon renewing your membership, you can register for events and potentially get onto the waiting lists, if they still are open.
One annual membership fee of $49.95 (US$59.95 in Canada and Mexico) entitles you to participation in both the Escapees and Xscapers communities, and gives you access to all of our support services, educational resources, and discount programs! Join by phone, and our friendly and knowledgeable staff will assist you. Call 936-327-8873
Great resource. Looking to buy and had no idea where to start.
I’ve owner 3 different rv’s and founded the best-selling is to check plumbing first then electrical. When checkung plumbing verify the “BLACK TANK” IS NOT OBSTRUCTED,or partially used with hard dried residue. TIRES should be inspected for WEAR DATES located on sidewalls. If air ride check air bags for wear, you’ll most likely want a new mattress. Hopefully this helps.
This is a great primer-type article for folks considering full-time RVing and what type of rig may meet their needs. It certainly is a highly individualized, personal choice issue!
Jeanne and I put in a lot of time and effort determining what type of rig might be best for us to live, remote work, and travel full-time in. That preparation and research, along with a good measure of luck, I’m sure, resulted in our first and only RV (30’ Class A, towing) being the perfect rolling home for us over the past five years! 😊
Just read this article. Was very informative. Looking to buy used to travel with grandbabies. Great information 👍
IMPORTANT – Russell Dale Turley is correct. The online digital works at https://www.co.polk.tx.us/page/polk.district.clerk. You complete the form and it’s not until you submit it, that you have a chance to either say YES or NO about serving. You indicate no, and then there is a dropdown and there it was MEMBER OF ESCAPEES! Online works!!! Thanks for a great article and amazing service
I have the same problem with my mr. heater little buddy. I got the oil from a Blue Rhino exchange tank, so over filling was not an issue as they notoriously under fill their tanks. However, the tanks have to be hydro-static tested from time to time to make sure they still have structural integrity. The process involves totally filling the tank with liquid and pressurizing it to a high test pressure. For some types of pressure vessels they use water but for propane tanks they use oil. improper cleaning after testing can also leave oil residue in the tanks and exacerbate the oil fouling issues with filling. There are little inline filters for these small heaters that are suppose to help. I don’t know if there are any for plumbing in to RV lines seems like some one should make one.
Where can I find those filters for LP heaters
Hi Daniel, see this link:
https://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Fuel-Components-Universal-Replaceable/dp/B00EP1UYCE/ref=sr_1_5?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.c-HF1ojsuVqtXQWIPUMbddBrtAubpwjMAgwWquCm2ScFksZJOVBo2zPS3KU0EuxkjxwyhqNMrIZFvT5b1aP2xetwG5oSmgi31wFgcldos-4e6Dnk9Gy0qL-odWHR3BhSsrQ94Gl7KdyFtPMj0UaNWzC2Pfoll9gmO36ZCCmS5TIlz8CuPdt0Qv9DwRdqKzX_cUrR5Lsh79YUGx3WzOPEXOI1b3H5SoQYjtxO5dS24V0.h5o5rrVBvfaa2PRF3ST0Ur3DTg4eZEBBEFM02xd-AAU&dib_tag=se&keywords=propane+line+filter&qid=1710371672&sr=8-5
Great information. Almost experienced the eBay warehouse scam today. It just didn’t feel right so we moved on. Now that I’ve read this article I’m glad we didn’t fall for the scam. Thanks for the great assistance.
Wow, some of those wouldn’t even make my top 20.
Now Glacier, that should be at #1
Does the physical address in Florida and Texas show up as a residential address? I tried to use the MyRVMail address in Crestview Florida and financial institutions will not accept it.
The addresses we use for our Texas and Florida mail service are tied to campgrounds where you CAN reside. This has been helpful when the technicalities of residence are challenged in state legislatures, as customers of our mail service can potentially reside at that location if they choose to. I can’t promise every reference database of addresses has them marked as residential versus commercial (there are several used by various industries), but on the occasion that our members run into these issues, they’re usually navigated pretty easily and quickly. Our Member Services Team is also available to help with those questions when they arise.
Certified inspectors charge $600.
Ask “What was the last thing you had worked on & what is the next thing that I will need to work on?”
Has the roof ever leaked?
Shop around for insurance.
You are not welcome at very many RV parks with hook ups. I wish I would had known this about older RV’s before buying our 1989 P30 Winnebago. It only had 44,000 miles on it, it was in a police impound for 5 years. So it needed some cleaning but it was like new beyond that. But I had no idea that most places won’t take RV’s 10 years and older. They are usually turned away when you try and book. Some wait till you get there before asking anything more than how long your motorhome is, then say nope when you get there. Always call before you book anything! You didn’t cover this part. Beyond that good article.
We’re sorry to hear about your experiences! Fortunately, there are plenty of parks that may have that rule but are happy to make an exception for an RV that is in great working condition with a clean, well-maintained exterior, even if it’s technically older than their rule states. It helps to have exterior photos handy via email or text message that you can send ahead of time.
Thank you for an informative blog post! We are getting ready to purchase a RV and this post helped!
I believe a fact check needs to be posted for ‘D Willemin’. A “hydrostatic test” is where the tank is put into a test vessel, the secondary test vessel is then filled with water. The tank within the test vessel is then filled with air. The amount of expansion of the tank is then measured by the water pressure in the test vessel.
Maybe they changed the procedure?
Stay safe, Fridge Defend
It’s nice that you pointed out how appropriate insurance coverage for the RV is so important and could be the difference between enjoying the lifestyle for years to come or having a single claim bring your adventures to an end. My father just bought a new RV, so now we are planning to have it insured. But before we could decide, we should probably check out all of the RV insurance options first.
Though this article is coming up on 3 years old, it is still pretty accurate. The difference being I didn’t have to take an eye exam, I had to make an online appointment for both the written test and skills test. 2 forms of proof of residency was required along with the 2 forms of ID. Also, when you schedule your driving test online, (after you pass the written) the example in the article where the RV was circled in red was unavailable for me to click. I had to go to “other services” to the far right and on the bottom, highlighted for me to click was “I’m required to take a road test” this is what I had to do.
I just found this link after spending time on the DPS website – this was VERY helpful!
CDLStudyBuddy.com is not working. The test choices come up, but they don’t do anything when you press them.
Thanks for reporting this. You’re correct that their site isn’t working properly. I’ve edited the post to remove the reference and links to CDLStudyBuddy.com, and to note instead that there are many other practice test providers that can be found through a Google search.
Thank you very much for the great guidance you offered in your article–I kept referring to it all through the process in obtaining a Class B Exempt license for driving a motorhome! I couldn’t have done it without your article!
Any thoughts on stopping rocks from hitting the toad? Mud flaps on the RV or shields either vertical or horizontal?
So raw with reality. I feel you and just consigned my RV … I too was feeling less intrigued about travel, particularly as a solo. I don’t know what my future holds but sounds like, between your blog and our roller coaster of emotions, we are bound for an adventure either way. Here’s to staying busy living, regardless of how or where we’re doing it! 💖👊🏼✌🏼
My wife is looking at traveling nursing this August. She is a dialysis nurse. We have a 35 ft 5th wheel and plan on seeing the country. I am going to retire and travel with her. We also have a small dog and bird. We are going to keep our place in Florida. Can you reccomend agiencies and the best way to locate RV parks. Thank you.
Escapees has a park finding tool that you might find helpful!
We are in white county ark and would like to know where to advertise our RV park for travel nurses we are open year around?
Hi Daniel! Here are three Facebook Groups where you can list your RV Park for Travel Nurses. There are more, but when we did a search on Facebook, these top three came up: Travel Nurse Housing – The Gypsy Nurse, Travel Nurse Housing Rentals by Landlords, and Traveling Nurses Housing. Your RV park will be appreciated!
What should I do if I paid a deposit down on the purchase of an RV and now the seller won’t return my calls and text? I have a hand written bill of sale signed by both of us showing what I paid and what the balance is to be paid in full at the title transfer. Which we agreed to do at wells fargo bank. Thank you for your informative blog.
What should I do if I paid a deposit down on the purchase of an RV and now the seller won’t return my calls and text? I have a hand written bill of sale signed by both of us showing what I paid and what the balance is to be paid in full at the title transfer. Which we agreed to do at wells fargo bank. Thank you for your help.
Thank you for sharing your experiences with camping while black. It’s good to know that there are people of color out enjoying rving and showing your kids the world. I hope to break free soon and join other rv families. We’re empty nesters but still tethered to work.
God bless your journey,
Cher Lyons
Since 5th wheels make up a large segment of the RV industry why not list speeds for 16” and 17.5” tires.
Thanks for sharing this! There is lots of rcism in the outdoors, unfortunately. I am in various social media groups and have posted some job and camping questions since I’m interested in the lifestyle—just to be responded to with rude comments and on a few occasions insults, same even calling me a spammer and spreading false information about my profile!
I’m 100% sure is because of my Latina name. I’ve seen posts from these people replying to their own and they are very kind and gentle with them. Rcist are despicable and they don’t like it being called out for who they are.
general delivery is for people down and out in life/the homeless to have an address to receive mail. not for people who live the home free lifestyle to get amazon packages delivered and held for them for free. this is for emergencies, rver should stop being chintzy and pay small business mailbox shop to receive packages and mail.
Chincy? Seriously, try working for a company that does infrastructure and is coast to coast. It has nothing to do with being cheap, believe it or not some want to pay bills on time and not spit out excuses…
Chintzy? 1st off, not sure “home free lifestyle” means.
Secondly, “hold it for free”? The postage has been paid. Furthermore, It saves them the time and money of sorting, loading in the truck, and delivering.
A PO Box costs $45 for the cheapest one available here. I’m on social security. I can’t afford an additional $45. in just mailing costs for one package.
bob and camille, do you remember us, joel and esta at treasure coast park in fort pierce fl, and then we met up in tillamook for lunch, remember you both so well, hope to receive an email from you guys to tell us how you are doing
Hello, my name is wendy, my husband and I George Brookings have 50 acres in Sedro Woolley, Washington, that we have several RV pads on very much country setting each RV spot has its own yard power, sewer, and garbage included there’s a pond on the property which makes for a nice trail walk lots of different types of birds and wildlife sanctuary we have lots of fruit trees, pears, apples, peach, including, blueberries, raspberries, rhubarb. we are only about eight minutes to the freeway and also to downtown Sedro Woolley. There are numerous different directions to leave this property to end up in Bellingham or Canada to the north or to the east is Lyman concrete, Rockport Newhalem and Highway 20 which is Washington pass over the
Cascades mountains, and to the south would be Everett, Snohomish, Seattle, etc. and to the west would be Oak Harbor, Anacortes, LaConner, etc. please, if anybody feels like this might be a wonderful fit for them don’t hesitate to email or even call. My number is 360 -856 -1894
Hi, this is wendy brookings again I left a message about RVs space rental spots on my property. I however forgot to leave the email which is 1wbrookings@gmail.com. And I’ll also leave my phone number which would be probably more than likely better spot to contact me which is 360-856-1894. I have RV pads that include water power sewage country setting have a beautiful pond for nice trail walks and enjoy the beautiful sanctuary of wild animals and birds. We also have numerous fruit trees, apple pear, cherry peach and berry bushes, blueberry blackberry, raspberry and rhubarb each RV space has its own yard. We are located in a wonderful central area with access to the freeway and downtown within eight minutes. Also to the north is Bellingham Canada to the east Lyman Hamilton, Rockport, Marblemount, Newhalem, and the cascade mountains Washington Pass also to the south Seattle, Everett, Snohomish Arlington and to the west, we have Anacortes and LaConner and Oak Harbor, and all of the San Juan islands if you have tried to contact me by email and have not gotten any reply, please don’t hesitate to call.
Nice post I would like to buy a new RV as soon as possible.
I was using my parents’ address in SC as my domicile. They surprised me last month by moving. (Truly, I had no idea they would leave and go to Arkansas.) I’m now in a bind that I’m across the country with an vehicle, trailer, and driver’s license all registered to an address that no longer is mine in SC. I don’t really have friends or family in any of these states, and since I’m only in my 40s, I’m not really thinking about were I want to ultimately settle or where my Will is going to be in probate. I’m also not in a position to drive across country to SD, TX, or FL. Any adivce?
Awesome information all around. Comments too. Thanks.
Hello! I’m so glad i found you! Years ago we had a delightful lady visit our hair salon in The Woodlands who told me about this group. I saved the little post it note I wrote the details on for 9yrs & just found it this past weekend, I don’t think it was a coincidence! The lovely lady who shared your info was Kathy Parge (I believe that’s the spelling).
My husband & I are just at the beginning stages of making decisions on buying an RV to live in for awhile. Is there anyone we could talk to in person prior to Nov?
Do you need a different battery charger for lithium batteries ?
So glad to see I’m not the only one wanting to see more diversity. My daughter is biracial and she often has said there’s nobody that looks like me.I’m sad but not surprised that in this day and age there’s still such blatant racism and prejudices.
I hope to see you on the road!
Hi, I’m glad to see BOF (Birds of a feather) for Escapees RV Club having the link for Black RVers.
I started as a solo full-timer in 2005. I took the Camp Host class for Escapees with my sister. My sister wasn’t really an outdoor person so she retired after our second assignment. I worked at five Escapee’s RV parks and enjoyed hosting at each campground. There was only two black couples and one solo black female I met in my travels. The solo RVer gave me great advice. Trust your feelings. When you enter a campground for the first time, if you have an uneasy feeling just turn around and leave. On one occasion I did just that. It was while traveling from one Escapees park to the next and my needing to rest.
The majority of RVers were friendly and polite towards me or just acknowledged me with a half smile.
I haven’t worked as a host for sometime, not traveling as much either. I have joined NAARVA and subscribe to two FB black RV groups, including solo women.
Thank you for telling the good and the ugly. Our lifestyle means if you don’t like your neighbor just wait for them to move on or no problem, move to a better site.
HUGS
Can confirm that the online digital form still works for Polk County (Texas)!
Here are the steps:
1) Go to the website: https://www.co.polk.tx.us/page/polk.District.Clerk (you may have to use a VPN if you’re outside the US)
2) Click on “Jury Response”
3) Fill out the form
4) Once the form is complete, you’ll be taken to a new screen. Look at the options at the bottom of the screen, and click on “Excuse Service” (do NOT go to “Disqualify Service,” that’s different)
5) Choose “I am a member of Escapees RV club” from the drop down menu
Submit your excuse and the next screen will confirm that you’ve been excused!
I’ve done this twice so far in the 2-1/2 years I’ve been with Escapees RV Club, and it’s super easy.
I was thinking of moving my domicile to Florida, but I read a post about a guy having to physically show up in Florida and spend over $1,000 in travel. Totally not worth it, especially since I’m traveling outside the country.
Polk County has this down! Makes sense, since they’ve got so many ppl who use Escapees relative to their population. I’m sure it’s easier for them to not have to sort through hand-written excuses.
Jay
I find it interesting that the U.S. Postal website never MENTIONS General Delivery at all!!
As a national service, required by the U.S. Constitution and Federal law, it is appalling there is no required standardization for how the service works. Also, for the working poor who do not have an address and cannot afford a bank account, how can they receive their monthly Social Security Disability checks when the post office will only hold mail for 30 days and they have to wait 30 days to pick up the next check?? They should hold mail for 60 days before sending it back to the sender.
when can we register?
For professional RV roof repair and maintenance, RV Roof Worx offers reliable services. They have the expertise to handle all aspects of roof repair, including sealant application and crack repair. By entrusting the job to their service, RV owners can ensure that their roofs are properly maintained, protecting their investment and avoiding costly repairs in the future. rvroofworx.com
Just sold our home and moved into our RV on our own property. We are planning to buy a class C motor home and travel for a couple years before building a home. We will use our RV on our property as a home base. What is the best type of insurance to cover us and what will it cost.?
Nina, my name is Sam. I am planning on shipping my 1990 Vanagon camper to Europe next year for 6 months and am having difficulty finding insurance for Ireland. What are the options? Does Ireland recognize Schengen area European insurance? Thanks for any help.
B.B is on spot ! There are many places that are prejudice towards older or classic motorhomes/rvs
I hope that it changes !
People living in them and leaving them has done no justice to us classic rv owners .just because we own older rvs doesn’t mean we can’t afford or we are poor ! saying that , there are many people like myself that are old school and believe that the older stuff was built with love and built so much better ! when I purchase a older RV I totally go through it and remodel and update/modernize everything. There are many people that do the same as it’s WAY CHEAPER then paying the price in todays market and quality of work back then was solid !
I have remodeled quite a few classics and have been turned down from private camp places or storage units until they have seen in person or photos and then they’ve changed their tune .
We live a world of judging the book by its cover or quick to judge and that has to stop ! I know it’s tough at times but it’s their loss not ours !
Today’s society SUCKS !
Craig, we’re being gifted a motor home and I have no clue where to start with remodeling it. My husband is a retired Gen Contractor (new homes) but he is NOT a finish guy. (The final detailing). Is refurbishing a motorhome the same as a house remodel??
I would love to join a Black RVer group, Pls reply
Hi there, I have read this very helpful awesome information over a few times, and could quite simply use your help wrapping my brain around it a bit more. We will be upgrading to a dodge dually, or truck of equivalent weight, and a very large, very heavy 5th wheel, as my husband works from home and that tends to add a lot of weight to our RV. Therefore, with what I am understanding we more than likely will land on the plus side of 26000 and want to be on the safe side of the law…so will he need a class A or C non commercial license? Also when I look at the Texas DPS site it mentions places for non exempt testing for class A and B but not C. I want to ensure we are on the right track, as we are considering getting the license now. and currently have a smaller truck and bumper pull, can he qualify for the license with those ? As well if you change out truck and trailer, do you have to change out or update any information on the licensing ?
Thank you for your time and clarity.
Hi Dee. Sorry for the delay in replying. Yes, it can be pretty confusing to figure this out for a fifth wheel/truck combination.
The answer will require knowing each vehicle’s Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR). You can find the GVWR on a sticker inside the driver’s door on the truck, and usually on the street side of a fifth wheel, near the front. But based on what you wrote, I can make some assumptions.
Looking at the chart near the beginning of the article:
– your tow vehicle (the truck) will definitely have a GVWR less than 26,000 pounds (it will probably be in the 10,000-14,000 pound range), so you’ll use the first half of the chart
– your fifth wheel will almost certainly have a GVWR of more than 10,000 pounds
– but here’s where it gets tricky: you have to add the GVWRs of both the truck and the trailer together. If the sum of those two figures is more than 26,000 pounds, your husband will need a Class A Exempt license. If it’s 26,000 pounds or less, he’d just need a regular Class C license.
Since you described your fifth wheel as “very large [and] very heavy” and said the total GVWR will probably be “on the plus side of 26,000”, your husband would need the Class A license. Note that it doesn’t matter how much stuff he puts in the RV–the actual weight is irrelevant for licensing purposes. It’s the GVWR that counts.
The reason you don’t see anything on the Texas DPS site about non-exempt testing for a Class C license is that no special testing is required. A Class C license in Texas is just a regular passenger-vehicle license–the very same one you probably got as a teenager.
You also asked about whether your husband can take the driving test with your current smaller truck and bumper pull trailer. The answer to that is no: he will need to take the driving test in a rig that meets the requirements for the class of license he’s testing for. However, once he has the license, he does not have to change out or update any information if the rig changes.
Finally, I’d recommend that once you have your new rig, you learn to drive it yourself and also get appropriately licensed. You never know when you might have to drive it on your own, even if you don’t plan to do so regularly.
Good luck!
I’m incredibly proud of all of you. Firstly, I’m relieved to know you are safe and handled this unexpected and frightening challenge with grace. Your decision to use laughter as a form of self-care, reducing stress and building resilience, fills me with pride. It’s like using the oxygen mask during an airplane emergency—both essential for breathing. Laughter is innate, installed within us from birth, even before we learn language or understand humor. Accessing it becomes easier when we allow it to flow naturally through a daily practice of intentional and unconditional laughter.
I have RV Park’s in the Sacramento area that has availability If any traveling nurses are looking for a space
Please call Tammy 916-661-4414. And If anyone can tell me a few places to put this message out they it would be very much appreciated. I have had call saying how hard it is to find spaces for Rv travelers now a Days.
Especially if you have children and want to road-school them while doing full time rving, Texas would be the best out of the top three in this situation. Texas has hardly any regulations for homeschooling and is the least restrictive on homeschooling and there are no notification requirements and no testing and portfolio requirements as well as no education requirements for homeschooling parents. Also, Texas is doing away with annual vehicle inspections as well too starting 2025.
If you are going on vacation in a state that requires a CDL for RVs that has a GWVR weight of over 26.000 or 45 feet in length, will your Texas Class B Exempt Non-CDL be valid in that state? I cannot pass the DOT medical exam and get a valid medical card because my blood pressure is too high.
Hi Bryan. Yes, as long as you are domiciled in Texas, your RV is registered in Texas, and you are properly licensed for your rig in Texas (which it sounds like you are–I’m guessing you have a class A motorhome, so the Class B Exempt license would be the correct one), you are legal in all 50 states, even if you’re in a state that has different and/or stricter licensing requirements.
I need help the seller sold me a motorhome full of black waste. It was toxic and I got very ill. Reverse dose not work. It will not shift into drive unless you hold the gearshift. He would not let my husband drive it so we didn’t know that these things were not in proper order. The motor home is awful. We were scammed. What do we do? I’m sick about this.
I am a gay male, 47 years old. I recently lost my husband/ best friend on November 23, 2022. I am seriously considering RV living and within 6 months after clearing up some personal matters I will be ready to purchase my RV and hit the road. I am currently researching my new life style and I am grateful I found escapees and this charter for gay, lesbians, trans, nonbinary communities. I look forward to being accepted on your Facebook page. Do you also hold events throughout the Country during the year to meet like RVers? I am very excited to move forward and experience the sights and of course meeting new friends!
Bernard, I’m so sorry for your loss, my heart goes out to you. I do think that following your heart by traveling and meeting all the great SKPs out there can help you heal. Definitely join the Facebook community so that you can find out about events and gatherings. Best wishes in your travels.
This is a great article. Please add to the “Days End” section of the Escapees magazine, the city of Dumas, Texas. They allow free camping with an electrical hook up. Maybe you already have it.
Thanks for the tip! Days End Directory is run by Guy Gipson, who also submits the column for the magazine. You can submit tips directly to him at https://daysenddirectory.com/#/.
We have had good luck with city parks and county fair grounds. Even had a few with one or more hook-ups. Some have a fee or donation to stay overnight and some with no fees. Then there are the city owned campgrounds which can be a inexpensive alternative. Our hometown has a city owned campground and the rates are cheaper than the local campgrounds. Be sure to give city hall or the local chamber of commerce a call.
If the regional plan covers your continent why would you need the global plan to go to Canada or Mexico?
Thanks for pointing out this typo, Michael! Regional users in the US can use their Starlink plan anywhere in the US, Canada, Mexico, and some Central American countries. The article has been updated to reflect this information.
quote]How much power does Starlink use for RVs?
….Of course you don’t have to leave it on 24/7, ….[quote]
My Starlink (standard rectangular Starlink dish) uses an average of 35 watts/hour.
The average time to turn on my Starlink is about 3 minutes!
Therefore, I always turn Starlink off as soon as I don’t need it anymore.
I use an Ecoflow Delta power station because I need a 120v plug.
The power station is charged 24/7 from my trailer’s batteries, and the trailer’s batteries are constantly charged from the solar array (510 watts on the roof).
When the sun is shining, it’s no problem at all to run the whole system from solar and power station. System: laptop, Starlink, external 27″ screen, external mouse and keyboard, is connected to the power station to 120 V.
For winter I have an additional portable solar system with 2×200 watts.
Maximum I can connect 400 watts to the power station 😉
In addition, I can plug 200 watts directly into the batteries of the trailer.
I.e. I need my 3,600 watt LPG generator on board only for A/C and microwave or if there is bad weather only for a few days, I can charge my trailer batteries and the power station
When I moved to another place I just plug Starlink in and everything else works automatically. No change of the position in the Starlink app or search for obstructions is necessary. Of course you need a free sight to the north sky.
Starlink is for me a game changer. I can travel where ever I want and I got always internet connection via Starlink.
Of course, if I don’t need Starlink for WiFi I am using unlimited cellular data via phone or iPad because the don’t need 120V.
I still got the old version of Starlink for RVers and pay $145 per month.
The biggest disadvantage of Starlink is of course the price.
However, when I see some campers on Youtube using 2 or 3 or more phone providers to have a constant connection AND WiFi, Starlink is just about a bargain.
We just bought our Rv and haven’t a clue what to run our starlink and garmin gps on. Want to add solar to help with consumption of these devices. Can you let me know solar systems I should look at? It’s a 2017 Coachmen Freelander 32 fs
Thanks for any info and advice.
Hi- Ive just read your post and found it helpful….we are considering a Starlink purchase in the very near future. The info on the EcoFlow is interesting. We are also researching that unit.
Regarding your comment: ”The power station is charged 24/7 from my trailer’s batteries”. Would you mind sharing how the power station is connected to the trailers batteries that enable it to charge?
Excellent. Making plans based on where friends & family may be located — Dayton, OH — Burlington, VT — Austin/Waco, Texas
Thanks for the info. Trying to save article for future knowledge reference. The chart listing each star link description, helps a whole lot
I’m not sure when you researched for this article, but per StarLink’s app, website and terms of service, Roam can now be switched to residential and back again. Changing to residential is of course dependent on whether that service is available at any given location.
Thanks for catching that, Rick, you’re right. The article has been updated. Per Starlink’s FAQ: “You can change from a Mobile plan to a Fixed (Standard, Priority) plan as long as capacity is available. If capacity is not available, you will not see the option available.”
About ways to limit power consumption: One can use the app to turn off automatic heating function which otherwise will activate to help with rain evaporation not just ice and snow. Also I wish you could plug it in, do your business, and turn it off. However the power on sequence in a new location takes several hours to finish mapping obstructions if there are any, so try to avoid all obstructions. Having a small patch of sky available straight up through the trees definitely won’t cut it but will take several hours of electricity while mapping the sky.
Given adequate power generation and a very clear view of the sky, this technology has been transformative and is getting better this year as more satellite clusters are being deployed. Power saving tips: can use the app to turn off the auto heating function. Any obstructions will extend power on sequence by hours.
Have lots of space for viewing eclipse. http://www.rodeocampgrounds.com
We always go in and ask. Also when we are there overnight, we take time to pick up garbage in the parking lot, close to where we are parked 🙂
Sorry but malls don’t allow overnight parking at least in Provo. The security will remove you and if you don’t comply then you will be arrested. I know.
Thanks for this helpful guide! Question: I am using the SKP mail forwarding service at the Texas address and am going to establish domicile at the Florida address this November. I know I need to give the Florida address to my employer, my financial institutions, and my RV insurance provider. Should I use the Florida address for all of my mail needs? When (if ever) should I use the Texas address?
You should use your Florida address for any state-specific items like your driver’s license, auto and RV registrations, voter registration, etc. Definitely call our Mail Service folks for any other questions you have since they are very helpful and will guide you through the types of items you can send through your Texas address and for ones you should use your Florida address. Thanks for asking!
My brother is a retired astrophysicist and eclipse chaser for more than 40 years now. I went to Beijing with him in 2009 and Wyoming in 2017. I have been planning this Austin trip with him for four years now. He always has the best presenters and awesome viewing. His former college roommmate is a retired astronaut and will be one of the presenters again this year. His programs are always amazing!
The website says sold out, but there may be cancellations. I will be rving in the area already bc one of my sons and a granddaughter live there, but I will be at Horseshoe Bay with the group April 6-9.
Check out his eclipse website here
https://na.eventscloud.com/website/20793/home/
I have been adding a bottle of cleaning strength vinegar to both black and grey tanks while underway. Seems to help. No oder or other stuff detected.
While we focus on RV fresh water tanks in this article, this is a great idea for keeping black and gray tanks cleaner. Thanks for the tip!
Many members now have RVs with AquaHot.or HydroHot.
It would be worth mentioning that bleach causes permanent damage to these units. Very expensive damage.
Hello Boyd! Yes, it is worth mentioning. Thank you so much!
We use a 5 gallon bottle for our coffee and water ( dog.. drinking). Fresh water in holding tank is use for toilet,, shower.. washing dishes
My husband and I sold our home in Ca and have been full timing since then. We want to buy a newer rv. My question is that on any loan app I’ve ever filled out they ask do you own or rent? How do you answer that question? We own our current rv but I don’t think they will accept that. We do have escapees mail service.
Hello Theresa! Just be honest with your loan officer. Tell them you own your RV and that it is your home. If the lending institution rejects your application, try another bank or credit union, especially one you already have a relationship with. Good luck!
Good day David, very good article.
I have a class A greater than 26000. It is registered in Montana with a lifetime registration as it is over the 9 year old requirement for lifetime registration. In your article you mentioned making sure the vehicle had current registration and inspection. Is there anything I need to bring with me to get my Class B license required?
Thanks
Joe
Apparently you’ve forgotten the most important part of any sewer hose; the connectors. I’ve been using a Drainmaster/Wastemaster hose for many years now. It features cam lock fittings, which are much more secure, leakproof and easier to use. https://drainmaster.com/rv/waste-master-videos
Our Valterra sewer hose didn’t connect securely to the Rhino sewer hose. Fitting not universal fitting. Had slow leak.
A valuable accessory is the inexpensive wrench used to connect and disconnect the sewer hose. At age 79, I didn’t have the hand strength to disconnect, or securely connect, the sewer hose to the black water fitting on our motorhome. I bought a Camco Rhinoflex RV Sewer Fitting Wrench Set (2 wrenches, one to hold the fitting on the motorhome while the other is tightening or loosening), cost $10.61 at Amazon.
Henry, thanks for the heads-up. Great info for sure.
I was disappointed in this article because you never mention the WasteMaster system from Lippert. It is an excellent choice and has many advantages over a bayonet fittings.
Been a small business owner using 100% remote working and RVing since October 1998. Remote work initially was by voice call, Fax, and 56k dialup MODEM. The 12 habits are a good summary. Of the 12 we find time blocking, breaks, and self care as our top 3 on the list. We’ve maintained clients on both coasts, so our work day might span 12-13 hours, but we time block to 7 or 8 work hours. We add one habit which is a subset of #9: Knowing when to have a physical client face-to-face. Some clients are fine with a deliverable, some are good with routine teleconferenceing, some like short messaging, and others require more “having you there”. Hope everyone can find remote working successful and enjoyable as we have over the past 25 years.
Hi am Elaine.
Thank you and your husband for stepping off of the beaten path to explore a simpler life in nature with your kids. It is truly a great accomplishment and an adventure that most people would only attempt on the weekends. I love the outdoors, being in nature and just praising the MOST HIGH GOD for such an awesome creation. I have travel and camped in other countries and certainly know the feeling of being the only brown skinned person in the area. WOW.
I am 60+ female and am interested in meeting or starting a group of black RV campers that are Torah practicing Sabbath Keepers. I am hoping to commune with other like minded brown skinned Sabbath keepers that are RVing and/or camping full time or part time. I’d like to know if you have come across anyone else that has the same interest. Or if you might have any contacts that fits this category.
I fish, swim, kayak.
Thank you for your attention given this email.
I have been reading everything I can on 1988 40 ft RVs of any kind cuz I’m not sure what I’m getting my girlfriend is selling me for $1,500 her RV a friend of hers lived in it for 6 years in her backyard it does not run yet however I had a massive flood in my house black water flood from the sewer system so I’m losing two bathrooms I only have two my bedroom and two other bedrooms plus a hallway of everything so so pretty much my whole back end of my house is going to be demolished and I have really no place to go so she offered me this and I’m hoping that it’s as nice as she says it is she says it’s really nice so I’m looking forward to seeing it in the next few days cuz living in a house with mold is just not fun I have three children 16 8 and 9 they are not in the house with me because my insurance company did not pay for anything except enough for me to get the problem with the outside sewer system taking care of on my property so I will never have this happen again I’m pretty much on my own so I feel pretty grateful that somebody came along and said I have a home for you and so whatever and maybe someday I can get it running and find somebody to redo it I’ve been very interested in reading all the different things the warnings and the positive the negatives pros and cons I guess so I’m going to remember those and I’m going to go over my new little house coming in this week from top to bottom I am going to contact an inspector for RVs immediately this week.
So even though I don’t know what it is I’m really looking forward to seeing it and hoping that it’s one of those that’s got metal all over it still I’m praying that it’s not all good although lately my luck hasn’t been that great LOL but thank you for allowing me to share this and I am looking forward to getting it checked cuz someday if it is still in great shape overall I will get it running and try my hand at being a little bit.
If you have a license that is valid in your state of domicile, is that license good in all states or do you need to get a license that is good say in CA if you plan to visit there
You only need a valid license issued from your state of domicile.
The article leaves out two important points. One is clarification of what states require an air brake endorsement. That isn’t an automatic thing even when getting a Class A or B license. The other thing would be to clarify that the requirements apply to the state you are licensed in, not the state you are driving in.
Thank you! We’ll include that in our next update.
Not a big fan overall of Starlink RV. Had it a bit over 1 year and DL speeds have dropped considerably the last year. Don’t notice as much on the upload but not what I was expecting. Wasnt aware that we have to be stationary to use it.. It’s definitely good when mobile cellular isn’t available and your stationary for a bit and need to access the internet and able to connect. Many camping sites have too many obstructions that prevent connecting. Not what we were expecting considering the cost.
Thank you for your submission on GVWR we will use it in our February issue of Scope RV Camping Magazine http://www.clickoncamping.ca with credit of course to Escapees and a link to your website URL
I have a discount code for $50 off Escapade registration but that’s not available until January. Will I lose my discount?
If you’re talking about a renewal coupon, they’re good for two years. If yours was issued in 2021, yes, it will expire at the end of the year and the code will disappear from your payment center.
Thank you. Valuable information regarding domicile.
Does residential Star link work on a boat anchored with little movement
We aren’t as well-versed in boating, but we know who is!
This article from Mobile Internet Resource Center should help answer your question https://www.rvmobileinternet.com/guides/starlink-rv-boat/
You mention a soft gasket for the window so you can run the line in without drilling a hole on the rv. Can you give me more information on what type of gasket this is and where to buy? Thank you. MBK
in place of a bleach funnel, pour the bleach into the water hose before connecting to the rv. This helps to override the built in regulators with water tank fill filter screens on the rvs. My coach will not allow anything to pass the screen at the fill inlet but this works without any problems.
Title 49, Subtitle B, Chapter V, Part 571, Subpart A, § 571.3 contains the legal definitions for the weights in this article. I also like the definition of a “Recreation vehicle trailer” in the same section.
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-V/part-571/subpart-A/section-571.3
This boondocking information is all very good and very helpful for campers to enjoy national parks and state parks without having to search for an RV campground. Great way to enjoy nature and the outdoors. My wife and I have been practicing these tips for a very long time. To enjoy boondock camping, you just can’t do without these tips.
If I stay out of my country for more than 2 month in the same Continent, Will the internet be stopped and I will have to switch from regional to the global service?
That is likely best answered by contacting Starlink directly.
I’m picking up my Starlink system at Best Buy tomorrow and I’m going to install it on my Skoolie. Hopefully it works!
We (the husband and I) are new skoolies and looking into Starlink as we are both remote workers. How is it working out for you?
Hands down the best article I have ever read on this subjct. Thank you for clarifying the issues so succinctly.
We’ll build on the dishwashing tips – we primarily cook with cast iron when boondocking, which requires mostly scraping and just a bit of water to clean – no soap, thank you very much. Also a spray bottle of white vinegar mixed with a few drops of Dawn is a great way to ‘start’ the dish cleaning process.
Will there be special handicapped parking area?
The Party on Plomosa is only a few hours long. There won’t be organized overnight parking for this event.
You missed one. The Seattle RV Show. Bigger and much better than the Tacoma Show. In the past, Seattle RV Show had seminars, where the Tacoma Show did not. http://www.seattlervshow.com February 15 – 18, 2024
I had no idea this group existed . I’ve been a member of Escapees for over 10 years. SKP 125770. My husband, his mom and I lived in our RV during the summer seasons for 10 years. Our home is in Puerto Vallarta. Escapees has helped us maintain a legal US address and to manage our mail.
I hope you share more about LGBTQ+ Escapees.
If any member of Escapees is ever in Puerto Vallarta look us up at our bar, La Catrina Cantina and say Hi.
It’s a fun lifestyle, unfortunately a year ago we were in an accident and rolled our 5er in a Florida intersection. All involved walked away with no life threatening injuries, but It has taken a lot of the wonder of the lifestyle from me and am still anxious at times coming up to intersections.
You say to use the inverter for smaller electrical loads and (portable) generator for larger loads. How do you do that physically when the large loads are hard-wired or plugged in (hidden behind walls) inside your trailer? Do you plug the portable generator into the plug on the camper? (We have a 30ft tow-behind camper). Thank you.
Thank you for your question, Dave. Yes, you will plug your trailer into the portable generator. If your portable generator has a 30 amp receptacle (assuming your camper is 30 amp) you can plug your trailer in using your regular 30 amp cord. Otherwise, you may need to use an adaptor and a different extension cord to plug your camper into the generator.
IX center in Cleveland is huge indoors
I live in Kentucky fixing to buy a 1989 Coachmen Catalina 27 to be going to Canada in would i need to obtain an cdl license?
Hi Jonni! Thanks for asking. If you’re traveling to Canada, you will need to find out the licensing requirements for Canada. You can find out border crossing information here: https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/
When I saw the title “Where to Dump RV Waste:”. I was hoping you’d address the rapidly growing RV population that use composting or non-liquid saturated toilets. BLM, NFS, and NPS have different regulations. Each city and state may have different statutes and regulations. Hope someone will cover this issue one day. Maybe the Escapees website can put together a current guide, state by state, agency by agency, to cover this.
Yes, a sincere regret was definitely not starting sooner.
We have been full-timers for 7 years now, we started with almost 2 years of researching, reading everything available, watching videos, and visiting RV shows before deciding on our new “home”.
We test drove a large number of RVs and saw what were our “dealbreakers” before making a final decision.
For us, due to budget constraints, used was the only way for us, and having read thousands of stories of shoddy build quality on new rigs, we knew that wasn’t for us.
Then the debate on whether to buy Gas or Diesel, I wanted gas because they were cheaper, wife wanted diesel because they stronger – I am so glad I listened to my wife!
Mainly for budgetary reasons, we had to go older to get a price we could afford.
We got lucky and found a 12-year-old Class A diesel, had been stored indoors with 19,000 miles well within our price range allowing us more money for the inevitable repairs/replacements.
We made the right choice, and have as stated, now been in our lovley, loved home for 7 rears already and loving the lifestyle.
PS. As pensioners, we embarked on a living style to augment our living costs by volunteering at Corps of Engineers or State Parks around the country, meeting many people and learning so much while seeing this beautiful country.
If you have regular driver license for the state of Texas can you drive a tamdum motor home thru all us state
Hi Robert! If you’re referring to a tag axle motorhome, the weight of your rig still determines the kind of driver license you need to have to drive it in Texas. Then, check with each state you are traveling into to be sure you won’t need a special license just to travel through (there are a couple that have been sticklers about it). We don’t want you to get a ticket!
Save me a hot dog and a space in the potty queue!
Congrats on 45 years! As Escapee members, the club’s services are invaluable. We look forward to continued growth as we journey with you in our own RV life and the events we’re hosting this year.
Thank you!
For 2024 Texas voting, are we still using the Shepherd, Texas address?
Hi Darrell! Yes, we are. From the article: “Escapees Mail Service members who will be traveling outside of Polk County may have their ballots sent to the following address for a $5.00-per-ballot fee charged to their postage account to help defray the costs for this service.”
Your Name
c/o Escapees RV Club
PO Box 1578
Shepherd, TX 77371
most “experts” tell you to empty your black tank first. good idea BUT I start with my gray tank for the first 3 / 5 seconds this fills your hose and checks for secure connections. then shut down the gray and proceed with the black tank less chance of and ugly spill.
Great idea!
I’m a newbie and will attend the Bash. Looking forward to meeting some great people
Is there not more in Southern CA?
There are many more across the country and we were not able to list all of them. You may want to search online for any that may come up in the area(s) closest to you. Let us know if you find one that’s great and we’ll add it to our list!
There’s a ton more. Seems this website is selectively targeted only a few. Perhaps they have a vested interest in this shows they do advertise?
Hi! We do not have any vested interest in these shows. We do attend a handful of shows, but not all. Please help us add to our list! We’d love to know about ones we’ve missed. Thanks!
We are in stage 1 of buying a 2004 used Beaver Marquis. We have RVed over 30 years so pretty much know the good, the bad and the ugly. We have owned 2 fifth wheels, 3 motor homes and a pull trailer. This project will be a restoration of an oldie but goodie. We are senior citizens and then some, but there are issues we feel competent we can do and there will be things, like paint work, that we will hire out. Stay tuned!
I too talked to a lady today that told me Ebay would deliver in 3 days and I could live in the RV for a month before making my mind up on buying. I don’t deal with Ebay because the finance company is PayPal. PayPal will not help you if you buy something. I was scammed of almost $2,000 right out of my checking account!!!
When you find a decent RV or motor home you best snatch it while you can. They go fast.,
I have a 2023 Thor Chateau 25M on a Ford Chassis. The generator shuts off consistently at a half a tank. The fuel line for the generator is rubber, the tank has an auxiliary draw port.
The line runs along the frame rail to the generator. Does the Generator have an electric cut off as my dealer is telling me on the chassis main fuel pump float assembly to the dash Guage? With the auxiliary fuel port could it be the draw tube is cut short on my 55-gallon tank or could the draw tube for the 40-gallon tank be installed. Does the generator shut off when the draw tube on the auxiliary fuel port is no longer emersed in gas? I have called the Generator people; they say it’s not their problem. I have talked to Thor; they say they don’t supply the Auxiliary port for the tank. So, I called the Ford dealer 2.25 hours away who will do the warranty (if it is covered) with a lead time of 2 months (I have to take it there and leave it till it is worked on it would be a filler job). This is why I am asking the DIY professionals, has this happened before, and where do I start?
Hi John! Thanks for reaching out. While we do have experts who know a great deal about RVs, your specific question can best be answered by a generator specialist. Hop onto our RV Forum or into one of our Facebook Groups for recommendations! https://www.rvnetwork.com/, https://www.facebook.com/groups/rvtofreedom, https://www.facebook.com/groups/xscapers, and https://www.facebook.com/groups/escapeesrvclub. For the Escapees RV Club Facebook group and our Forum, RV Network, you’ll need to have your Escapees Member number handy if you have one. If not, consider joining us! Good luck!
Thank you for sharing your experience. My husband and I are in our 70s and have been traveling full time for nearly 10 years. We have developed significant health issues in the past three years. I would love to know more about how you found primary care providers in various places. Is there a way we can communicate further?
Thanks for all the work you do
Thank you!
You can winterize the RV with air compressor. You can Winterize the RV with Air Compressor. Take off any inline filters from your RV before connecting the air compressor to your system. Next, connect the blow-out plug to the water inlet on your RV, and then connect the air compressor to the system.
Good info, BUT Walmart should be removed from this list. In 2024, every one of them has a “no overnight parking” sign AND a separate “unauthorized vehicles will be towed” sign. Home Depot (at least, in the smaller C. FL city where I am) is also a bust.
It’s ridiculous with the rate of full-time RVers, van-lifers, and straight-up “homeless living out of my car” workers there are in this country that cities and states have been allowed to continue these absurd restrictions.
Hi Yvonne, thank you for your comment. Yes, Walmart has restricted many of their parking lots to overnight parking due to city or county ordinances. However, many still allow it so it seemed appropriate to keep it on the list. We, too, are saddened by these restrictive ordinances but also understand that abuse of these parking options has sadly caused them to happen.
Walmart in Merritt island has sometimes up to 7 RV , and campers a night so I guess it’s up to the store managers, but no problem here in Merritt Island!
Looking for long term rv site somewhere around asheville preferably not in the city but that’s fine. Budget is about 900
Hello Ian. We don’t recommend specific RV parks (except for Escapees RV Parks) but there is a box with links in it within the article for places to look in your specific location. You may also want to check Craigslist or local Facebook groups that are offering long term RV sites by owners of land in the area. Good luck!
I’m disabled and awarded the minimum of 934.00 a month. My dreams is the out doors.Can a single person afford campsites year round on such an income ? If so how and where ?
Hi Casey! Yes, it’s possible to afford campsites year ’round on what you earn a month. Monthly rates vary from place to place so it is worthwhile to search online for RV parks near where you want to live. Then, if their websites don’t give you enough information, calling them will help get you what information you need. We wish you the best of luck in your search and hope you find a nice place to park!
I’m trying to find a parasite for my my 28ft camper year round in Northfield or Tilton, any ideas?, I’m in a scramble to find one,I work 2 jobs as well, so I’m always working, I need some help
Hello Dwayne, you sound very busy. However, we don’t have any suggestions for specific RV parks. You can check online to see what is available in your area (Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, Google searches) for people who may rent an individual RV spot on their property, for RV park websites, or you can ask people at work if they know of anyone who might have a recommendation for you. We wish you the best of luck!
I’m 65 years old looking for a permanent rv site I’m disabled on a fixed income I live Greenvill nc now would love to stay in area
I drained the bleach and water mixture from the lines after letting it sit for 10 hours. Do I have to fill and flush it again if I’m going to let it sit for a couple months now? Or can I leave it all emptied out and cleaned. Then refill before my next trip ?
Hi Tommy, if you added any RV antifreeze to winterize your RV, then that would need to be flushed out of your fresh water system before refilling with clean water. Most RVers only sanitize their water tank and lines AFTER it’s been in storage to be sure it’s clean when they are ready to hit the road. So, you may need to do it again just to be sure no bacteria or mold grew in the lines and tank while it was stored. It’s better to be safe than sorry (or sick)!
Great article; thank you!
I’ve been looking for a non-CDL school that has driving lessons for a TX Class A license.
My plan is to get my TX Class A license while saving up to purchase my dream home (I’m planning on RV’ing full time).
Although I’ve read posts that a lot of people get their RV before getting their license, but I’d rather get my license first, just to make sure I can drive my home home 🙂
If you have any information about getting practical experience driving a Class A RV (while towing a vehicle as well) I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you
Hello Elizabeth! We’re glad you found the article helpful. In answer to your question, we think the RV Driving School is a great place to get practical advice as well as practice driving or towing your RV. You can also take your RV into an empty parking lot to practice driving forward and backward and parking. You are very smart to think about getting some practice before hitting the road so you feel comfortable and safe. Happy travels!
April 11-14 in Arlington (D/FW) TX
https://dfwrvparty.com/
I’m looking for a lot to put a camper to live in. It’s just me n my dog. Don’t need a big lot. I’m a private person looking for a quiet place to live. I lost my husband of 25 years this Dec 24 and having to move. I like my privacy
Hello Joann, we’re very sorry for your loss. We can only imagine how difficult everything is for you right now and having to find a new place to live probably just compounds everything. Many RVers have found private spots to rent online offered by people who advertise space on their property. They are often listed on places like Craigslist or on websites such as https://rvproperty.com/rv-lots/rv-lots-for-rent/. (Please note we are not affiliated with the suggested websites given here.) We hope you have either found a space or will find one soon. Good luck and take care.
Hey, tax queen! Have you ever come across this? My Escapees zip code isn‘t be accepted by TurboTax when I get ready to submit. I‘ve changed it to just about everything I can think of, but no luck. Do Escapees just need to mail our returns in or is there a workaround?
Hi Daniela! We strongly suggest you contact Tax Queen directly since she will not receive this message from here. You can contact her through her website: https://tax-queen.com/contact/ Thanks!
What a Fabulous, Frenzied, Fellowship of FUN! So bummed we couldn’t be there.
RV is having a bit of body and paint work this week. Ummm who installed that ancient fence post in the desert, which eventually became the almost immovable spine of a growing tumble weed!?! Hope to be headed towards Quartzsite on the 29th. Stops in Yuma, a rally in Benson plus a week at Saguaro, and then on to Lake Whitney, Texas for the eclipse. Our single RV space is already reserved with a waiting list of friends hinting…
See ya’ down the road!
Was a great bash, met so many amazing people ! Looking forward to next year !
Looks really fun !!!!
Had the front of our coach painted in Yuma by Mario’s. Mario and his helpers did a beautiful job. It is just lovely. Next year looking at having the back painted.
Thanks for the recommendation!
Are you hooked into a long term contract? Or can you use it on just a month to month base’s?
Hi David, the best place to find that information is to look at the Starlink website for all the details in each of their plans. https://www.starlink.com/service-plans
I’m just now starting to plan down sizing to a tiny home or rv to live in. Ohio has such strict rules for each. I need to be somewhat near Pickaway county which is just south of Columbus. Any help on location for year round rv parking would be appreciated. I’ve tried some websites but I end up in some weird website or advertisement 🙄
Hi Kimberly! Did you try the links in the blog post? They are all working and give you ideas in the specific area you are looking for. You can then call the specific RV parks that come up to ask them their rates or call the owners of private lots. As another option, you can check Craigslist for owners of homes who have RV lots available on their property. Good luck in your search!
Great info . My cat buddy has been a full time rv cat for 8 years and seems to love it .
That’s great!
Great information. We travel with our 5 cats in our motorhome many times each year. If it has been a while since their last trip, we spend a night or two with them in the RV in our driveway before we leave on the trip. And we have photos of each of them mounted in the RV and all their vital veterinary records with us. Each has a registered microchip, and a collar with the home information as well as a handwritten tag with our current campground information. They travel well. And we love having them with us.
Thank you for sharing your experience traveling with your cats!
Great explanation.
Thank you!
Love hearing Joanne and Charlie’s adventurers and advice!
Recently banks, financial institutions, and the DMV require two “proof of residence” documents be submitted when opening a new account, renewing your drivers license, and putting in a change of address with the banks.
These documents must be a utility bill, Internet, or cable bill in your name at the address you’re providing. In other words, a service that is physically tied to the home.
QUESTION: what documents would Escapees supply to me in order to satisfy the banks and DMV? Thank you!
Hi PJ! Generally, when obtaining a Texas driver’s license, you will use your receipt from registering your vehicle in Polk County and your vehicle insurance policy showing your Rainbow Drive address as your proofs of residency. If there is no vehicle to register, the DMV will accept 2 pieces of mail from a bank/credit card/financial institution as proof of residency. We hope this helps!
Thank you for the info Mark. My wife and I are in the initial stages of acquiring a small.class C RV for primarily Boondocking. We will continue to research all applicable information as we are newbies to this. For us, our love for the outdoors and desire to live a somewhat minimalist lifestyle has us on the next part of our now 27 year journey together.
My wife and I are new to RV’s and wanted to thank you for providing a clear and well-written explanation of RV house battery options. We recently replaced the original 12v house battery that came with our Class-C RV, with two 12v flooded lead-acid deep cycle batteries. We considered LiFePo4 batteries but their high cost convinced us to stay with lead-acid for now.
Excellent article, thank you for posting. I’ve got another complication that I think hasn’t been officially answered.
I’m a Texas domiciled driver with a “regular” driver’s license.
I’m moving up to another Class A RV (my third) and it is a big at 43′ with a tag axle and well over a 26K lb GVWR (42K). I clearly, mistakenly, have driven the prior two that were over 26,000 pounds GVWR illegally as I never got a further certification.
I will likely be using a TOAD this time (first time) as well so could be operating in the 40K’s combined weight.
All of my RV’s have been registered to my “company” in Montana, a LLC.
So, the first question is: Does this make my RV for personal use, driven on a Texas license, a commercial vehicle?
Would I therefore have to go through the entire commercial CDL driver system, testing, requirements as if I were a commercial trucker?
Could I use my RV for the driving portion of that commercial CDL test. Assume I’d have to bring my TOAD no matter what, or maybe that actually doesn’t matter if I’m getting a CDL. Perhaps the CDL kind of encompasses all of the exempt classes?
I’m really trying to see if if I can get my exempt class license and be OK driving the RV. The key may lie in that the vehicle is indeed registered to a LLC and while I am the “signing member” of the LLC, my name does not show on any of the registration documents carried in the RV. The tags are Montana Permanent (over 11 year old RV).
I’m a car guy, a certified race car driver with a decade of track days and instruction and a very active and solid driver. My entire career was as an outside salesman with close to a million miles over the last 40 years. Do you think there is a CDL online course I could take or would I need to do a classroom course and do I then need a physical and driver instruction time before the test? My doctor is in Maryland, so is a physical from that doctor good for the test?
Sorry, it becomes very complicated with the LLC and if I look at it on the educated face of it, it must be a commercial vehicle if registered to a LLC. BTW, I have to use Progressive as they are one of the few insurance companies that will insure a MT registered, domiciled elsewhere, multi-state living and houses situation.
Thanks again, Stuart
I have a 5th wheel that has a cable connection in the front bay and also inside. Can I connect the cable from the dish, through the cable connections and connect the router inside my rv?
Hi Paige! Thanks for reaching out. This is a very specific question that really can be answered by experts at Starlink (if it’s a wiring question). However, if you do plan to connect your Starlink through the SPACE where the cable connection is, it might be a nice option so you don’t have to find another place to run your Starlink cable to a different, convenient place which could include drilling holes you may not want.
Two of the best club members I know. Great people!
Hi David,
This is a follow up to my comment earlier this week.
My new RV will be titled and registered to my LLC in Montana (as were my last two 40 footer Class A).
I’m going to have the LLC rent me the RV and TOAD and will carry the rental agreement with me.
So, I believe that I will then be a personal RV driver, not a paid CDL driver, with no issues with the RV being registered to a business. I will be a “retail” renter and driving for personal use.
If this is correct, I believe that I can go to Texas DMV and get a Class C exempt license for a RV over 26,001 pounds towing a vehicle around 4,800 pounds, or even a trailer with a car at up to 8,000 pounds. I originally was thinking that even though I wasn’t a “paid” commercial driver, since the RV was registered to a business I would need the full commercial license. But if I rent the RV and tow vehicle from the LLC, then I’m just a RV driver. This might be why when returning from Canada last summer, the border agent asked if I was from Texas and wife from Maryland then what was Montana (referring to the tags on the RV). I said, oh it is registered to the company in Montana. And he responded with “so it is a rental?” which I didn’t think much about until now. I’m sure they see it all and perhaps many folks “rent” from their LLC.
I’m still a bit confused about the proper choices. In the chart I choose “Change, renew or replace a TX DL/Permit,” and then I select “Apply for first time CDL/CLP,” and then I should select ??what?? Do I select RV under the driver’s test? As I understand it, I need a “Exempt Class C” for max weight and towing but I don’t see how I designate that. I have a regular Texas (car) driver’s license that needs to be renewed this year anyway. From what I’ve seen, my new Class C (or RV or ?) license will expire at the same time as my current license. So, I believe I should FIRST renew my regular license and then return to upgrade and obtain my new RV legal license so it will go the full time until renewal.
Hi Stuart! Thanks for reaching out. As a Texas resident, any time you drive a vehicle over 26,000 pounds in Texas, your driver’s license needs to reflect that. Here is an article for all of the 50 states that includes links where you can contact the agency that can help you with specific questions. We’re intrigued by your situation! Let us know what you find out. Good luck! https://escapees.com/do-you-need-a-special-license-to-drive-an-rv/
Can’t wait to travel with you guys to Costa Rica!!
Great profile, Kavs! We love you both and look forward to when our paths cross again. 💕💕
I just bought a 1997 coachman santara. Redid the interior everything works perfect but the outside is ugly. I live in Baltimore county and need to figure where to take this thing to get the exterior looking good
Hello Bryan, great job on the interior! It must have been hard work! The exterior should be taken care of by someone who knows what to do with the kind of material the exterior is made out of. If fiberglass, then someone who specializes in that. If aluminum, a different specialist would need to be called. We don’t have recommendations for specific places around the country so getting online in your area to search where to go is going to be your best bet. Or, you can ask in any RV groups on Facebook to see if they have someone specific to your area. Good luck!
What I did not see adressed here is, many places require a physical address. I belive all financial institutions and insurance companies require a physical address. Correct me if I am wrong, but I do not believe they will accept the domicile you are talking about.
Any advice for places that require a physical address?
Hello Frank! The use of a PMB address by a financial institution depends on their interpretation of the Patriot Act. Most will allow you to use the physical address of a friend or family member as the address of record for the account and use the PMB address as the mailing address for the account. If you’re an Escapees mail service user, you also have more information on your member dashboard here https://member.escapees.com/members/MyMailService/CIP.aspx/. Thanks for asking!
We live in the country and my cat is an indoor outdoor cat and sometimes brings some disgusting things. we want to go on a trip for at least a couple of weeks and I am so worried about him trying to escape. these tips
have been helpful but I was thinking about there’s a huge dog cage that is collapsible that maybe I can put outside for a little while we were stopped so he can see what’s going on I am so scared to death to leave
Hi Sherry, we agree that you don’t want to lose your kitty while you are on your trip and using a collapsible dog kennel is a great idea to keep your kitty safe!
Just bought a used motor home.. sinks smell like mold… toilet is moldy also.
After dumping and water flushing all can I use bleach and water mixture to let set and then rinse all again.
Hello Lonna, since you have already flushed out the system, you can use the bleach and water mixture we referred to in this post. You should then rinse thoroughly until there is no more bleach smell.
I am a recent widow and would like to know what exactly I need as a part time used [7yr old] Class C model?
1. Not sure I would be pulling my car… or just drive my 24 Class C motorhome to get where I want to go…like to town or seeing things instead of my car.
2. Husband was the one who took care of the insurance for our permanent home and cars and I feel overwhelmed with all this stuff on my own now.
Hello Mary Ann, we are very sorry for your loss. Because you probably have so much on your plate right now, we suggest contacting an insurance company who is familiar with RVs, like FCIS. They can give you the information you need for your specific situation. We wish you safe travels!
Texas is going to be the best place to watch the eclipse this year! If you’re in Dallas, there are plenty of RV parks to park your rv. We are excited for the Solar Eclipse this year! We have spots available http://www.mockingbirdmeadows.net
Thankyou for giving me heads up on things to know before buying a older motor home, I to am old school and believe that nothing gets better these Days with age,but Jesus’s Love in our Hearts!!
Better,Better, and Better!
Does the Business mail forwarding plan also provide Registered Agent services?
Hello Chris. Thanks for asking. No, we do not provide Registered Agent services.
Are there any parks near Lubbock Tx where we can buy an RV spot with full hook up?
Hi Joann! We only have one SKPs Co-op RV Park in Texas where RVers can lease a spot. You will need to get on their website to see what the process is to get into a site such as how long their waitlist is, the amount of deposit, etc. Their website is https://lonestarcorral.com/ These are the only parks we have that allow permanent residency and they are run by their own board of directors and lease-holders. Otherwise, you may need to look at local online sources or contact realtors in the Lubbock area for places you can buy to put your RV. Good luck!
rvproperty.com.might as well be defunct. I contacted a number of owners and the property had been sold sometime ago. 1 owner stated that she has been trying to get her listing removed for OVER 2 years.
Hi Chuck! Thanks for the update!
Come back to Indiana
Hi Bill! We’ll pass on the request.
Do you have campground located in northern New Mexico near the Abiquiu area? Looking for something year round.
Hi Constance! There is an SKP Co-op RV park in Lakewood, NM. https://skpranch.com/?doing_wp_cron=1712253338.8085629940032958984375 We also have an RV park, Dream Catcher, in Deming. https://dreamcatcher.escapeesrvparks.com/ You can also take a look at our Discount Parks Program to see if there is a park in your specific location that will give you an Escapees discount. https://escapees.com/rv-parking/discount-parks/
I am staying at your Congress az. Location. I like staying here because I’m a local semi retired person and price is right, but they say after eight months I need to find another place to go for four months to be able to come back. During last summer it was me and one other person staying in the guest rv section, yes I’m a member and thought they would not mind if they had a paying guest this summer but was told rules are rules. Just a bummer . These parks are comfortable.
Hi John. Thanks for your comment. We’re so glad you are enjoying our park! Our North Ranch location in Congress is one of our company-run RV parks. It is not a co-op park. Co-ops allow for longer stays as a leaseholder. But you must get on their lease waitlist and pay a deposit. That is different than our RV parks. So, the eight-month rule only applies to our RV parks to keep spots open for travelers instead of filling them with permanent residents. Thank you for understanding!
Good luck trying to get any information from anybody at Starlink. There is no phone number. No way to contact them anymore. That’s why I’m on your website trying to get questions answered by reading what people have asked previously.
Hello Mona. We’re sorry you have had difficulty contacting Starlink. That’s disappointing.
I have transferred my residence from Missouri to Livingston Tx Escapees. My Capital One Credit card will not take my new Escapees Address (Livingston, Tx) as a Physical Address. I understand you can use another address as a Physical Address, however I really want to use my Livingston Address as the physical address. Has anyone figured out a way to use Livingston as the physical address?
Hello Gregory. If Capital One won’t accept Livingston as your physical address, then you can’t use it. You can only use it as your mailing address. The explanation is here: https://escapees.com/mail-service/escapees-mail-service-faq/ Scroll down to the section for Banks and Credit Unions.
Hi Greg, I have been using my Rainbow Drive address for Capital One for a long time….however I sometimes wish I wasn’t, as Capital One mailer/ads are one of the only pieces of junk mail I get and I can’t figure out a way to stop it!