Community Forums

edreilly · 10-01-2016, 08:43 PM

Hi All,
i have been camping all my life, boy scouts, tents wth my wife, conversion van, and now a class c.
We are thinking about going full time and selling our house.
I am very concerned about how do i do my mail, how do i pay my taxes, and
how about doctor visits.
And auto insurance, how do i pay my bills.
grocery shopping.
Iam interested in hearing about everything and anything.

This is a good group been reading for awhile.
Thanks in advance
ed reilly

1bigmess · 10-01-2016, 08:53 PM

The answers are very particular to your very particular set of circumstances. I'll give you info that I have experienced myself, and I hope it can get your thought process started.

I have an address in WA state. I pay taxes, register my vehicles, pay my auto insurance, etc., based on that address. It's my ex-wife's house, where I am domiciled. She handles the occasional piece of mail for me, etc.

All of my bills that are based on that address can be paid on the various websites for the folks I owe the money to. It's pretty safe now to do this.

For the doctor, I cannot answer this easily, as the last time I went to the doctor, the first time in a couple of years, was for a flu shot. I covered it with a small amount of cash out of my pocket.

If you would like to explore more advantageous places to be domiciled, Then TX and SD are the first that jump to mind. It all depends on what you need that being domiciled in another state will provide for your particular set of circumstances, and you really should talk to an attorney that specializes in these matters. If you are an Escapees member, you can get a referral to one that knows their stuff.

Good luck!

kerryvan · 10-01-2016, 08:58 PM

when I pondered the same issues I found many posts on these forums helpful, meaning addressing questions that I did not even know to ask. Reading past posts often have gems of wisdom that may not be stated in newer posts.. I think there are many answers in the following forums:
http://www.irv2.com/forums/f90/

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f92/

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f93/

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f89/

twogypsies · 10-01-2016, 11:25 PM

There's a full-timing section on this forum where you can read about all your questions.

All your concerns have been worked out by full-timers and they're all doable.

The first thing you would do is to pick a state to domicile in and it doesn't mean that you have to stay in that state but certain states are better for full-timers - tax-wise and easier to get a mail forwarding address that is accepted by everyone, especially banks. Popular ones are TX, SD, FL. Then get an address. Most people using a mail forwarding company. We used the Escapees RV Club's for 18 years with no problems. We also domiciled in Texas. We went to the Escapees headquarters in Livingston, TX and within a couple hours we set up our mail forwarding, got our new driver's licenses, registered our vehicles/RV and signed up for voting in national elections. It's a great organization and especially good if you get involved with it. They will be having their Escapade (rally) in Tucson, AZ in March along with a 'Boot Camp' for newbies. Consider attending if you can. You'll learn a lot and will be around full-timers to help answer questions.

Paying taxes - just like you do now. Go to someone to have it done or do it online on Turbo Tax, for one.

Auto Insurance - once you have your new address then start searching for your best rate. We always went through Miller Insurance Co. who will find you the best deal for full-timers. Many full-timers use this company. It's advisable to get full-timers insurance to protect you and your belongings.

http://www.millerrvinsurance.com/

Paying bills - it's best to set up everything via AutoPay then your bills will be paid automatically and you won't have to worry about getting the bill on time. You can't for everything though. We kept our original banks - Fidelity, Vanguard, Wells Fargo.

Doctors - Are you on Medicare? If so, then you're covered wherever you need treatment. We've had surgeries while full-timing so everything is easily done. If you're not on Medicare and have to purchase your own insurance then you'll have to do research on the best plan for you. A lot of insurance changes have been made the past couple years so you'll have to have a plan that you can travel with - a PPO.

Groceries? Just like you do now. Every town has grocery stores.

Go over to the Fulltiming section and start reading previous posts. They will be helpful.

Franka548 · 10-02-2016, 05:04 AM

One thing to consider when picking a state to registrar your vehicles in, is do they require an inspection yearly or bi-yearly, if so you would have to go to that area to get your plates. I know that Texas has vehicle inspections. We have our address as DW's son, then he forwards our mail to us every couple of months, we only have to go back to Ohio every 4 years for our drivers license. I can get my plates for the vehicles through the mail, and we vote by absentee ballot. We spend the majority of our time in Florida right now, so DW set up doctors locally and I don't go to the doctor, so I am good to go.
Frank

SouthpawHD · 10-02-2016, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1bigmess

...

I have an address in WA state. I pay taxes, register my vehicles, pay my auto insurance, etc., based on that address. It's my ex-wife's house, where I am domiciled. She handles the occasional piece of mail for me, etc.

....

Wow! If any mail went to my ex's house or I used her address for anything, she'd have a fit!!

OP, you mentioned Boy Scouts, tent camping, etc, but have you tried RV camping at local campgrounds before doing this FT? Might want to explore that first before making such a dramatic shift as it is nothing like tent camping in more remote areas.

Jim2 · 10-02-2016, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edreilly

Hi All,
....
I am very concerned about how do i do my mail, how do i pay my taxes, and
how about doctor visits.
And auto insurance, how do i pay my bills.
grocery shopping....

Even though when you travel fulltime and have no fixed residence, you still need an official address and domicile state. Most fulltimers deal with this by selecting a professional mail forwarding firm in one of the fulltimer friendly states, Fl, TX, SD. That mail forwarding address becomes your "home" address and is used for all your personal accounts, drivers lic, vehicle registration & insurance, medical insurance or Medicare, Social Security, IRS, voting, etc
Some fulltimers decide to use a close friend or family member to receive & forward their mail.
Taxes - assuming you picked a new home state that has no state income taxes, then you're only dealing with the IRS for federal taxes and you fill out the annual tax forms using your mail forwarding "home" address, just as you did in a sticks & bricks house. Like most everything else these days, most of us file taxes online electronically with our refund directly deposited electronically.
Paying Bills - In todays electronic communication age, its very easy & convenient to have bills paid online, either automatically or manually through your banks online bill pay service. Its also very easy and desirable to have any income sources setup to be directly deposited into your account. To help reduce the amount of hard copy mail you will be paying extra to forward around the country, you should setup all your accounts to be online electronic statements and billing. Cancel all hard copy mailing of monthly statements, bills, magazines, etc. They are all available online these days. As a fulltime traveler, your internet access to everything online will become more important than the mail.
Doctors - depending on your type of medical insurance and your health issues, not much changes here. You just have to decide if you prefer to return to the same area once a year for your annual checkups at the same doctor; or are you ok with seeing 2 or 3 different doctors in areas where you are traveling. These days most doctors have no problem giving you copies of all your lab & test results to take with you to the next doctor. If you're not on Medicare, VA or previous employer group plan, those under 65 having to buy private medical insurance will find limited options that vary state to state and even differences by county within the same state.
Groceries - not much changes here, there are grocery stores of all types all over the country. But since your RV frig, freezer & pantry are smaller than what you had at home, you'll be making more stops at the grocery stores as you travel around.
It all starts with selecting the right new "home" state to use as your domicile while traveling. Some states are very fulltimer friendly, some are not, and some have better medical insurance options than others, for those needing private insurance. Since everyone's situation, personal priorities and preferences are slightly different, there is no one best state for everyone.

twogypsies · 10-02-2016, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Franka548

One thing to consider when picking a state to registrar your vehicles in, is do they require an inspection yearly or bi-yearly, if so you would have to go to that area to get your plates. I know that Texas has vehicle inspections.

You do not have to have yearly inspections if you have a Texas address.

It only applies if you stay in Texas. You're free to just drive through for three days time. You can re-register online and there's a place to check if you're a traveler.