Community Forums

IrGer · 07-16-2021, 04:49 PM

Hi and thanks for having us.

My wife and I, living in ireland, have decided after a health scare on my side three years ago and almost two years of dreaming of a RV trip in the USA to finally set a date and make it a reality.

We want to set off a year long adventure right at the beginning of the new year and hope with some help we can make this all possible.

I know it is rude to join and ask for help so soon, but some of the rules and hurdles are quite confusing for a non-US citizen.

We are planning to buy a RV as this is much cheaper than renting for such a long period of time, but rules and different information spread throughout the internet are more than confusing.

I hope to find some guides and maybe some friendly people along the way here in this community.

Thank You

MSHappyCampers · 07-16-2021, 04:52 PM

Hi ! Welcome to IRV2! We're sure glad you joined us!

FWIW, right now is the worst possible time to buy an RV! It's definitely a seller's market!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

smiller · 07-16-2021, 05:03 PM

To elaborate, the popularity of RVs skyrocketed during the COVID shutdown and the market is probably as hot as it has been in decades. But while that works against you in the initial purchase it will help when you sell (at some point the market will cool off but I would expect that it will still be strong in a year.) RV travel has always been popular in the US and as a result there are a bewildering number of vendors and options (even if supply right now can be a little short.) What type and size of rig will you be looking for?

IrGer · 07-16-2021, 05:25 PM

We totally know that it is a sellers market, but that shouldn’t be an issue, as we are prepared for a little higher initial purchase cost.
We are looking for a C with a bunk for our smallie and enough space and low mileage to keep us going throughout the year and the miles we planning on doing.
We have several friends all over the states, but our initial starting destination right now would be AZ for New Years and the start the trip from there in early January. So we are looking of purchasing in AZ, if that is even possible as a foreigner… there are quite conflicting information out there and we don’t really want to go down the LLC route in Montana, we don’t mind the extra cost for a “legit” setup. We spend a ton of time researching and surfing the inet for reliable info, but it is been quite tough or very outdated.

So our hope is, that the forum might be able to guide a little bit.

smiller · 07-16-2021, 06:36 PM

One thing that is often a surprise to foreigners conducting business in the US is the wide variations in laws from state to state, and this is especially true when it comes to vehicle registration in terms of both cost and paperwork. Generally though, citizenship is not required per se but you will want to have a local address in the state in which you will be registering the vehicle. Not having a US driver's license may be a problem in some states but not at all in others. Also taxes and fees can vary immensely, and since these are usually based on the value of the vehicle the difference can be particularly significant with an expensive vehicle such as an RV, meaning literally many thousands of dollars difference. As you seem to be aware there are various legal tricks that can be applied, but this would just add to the complexity.

Arizona would be on the easier side to get the vehicle registered, but unfortunately has high registration fees. Long story short, you should be able to make your purchase and register the vehicle without much difficulty, but you should do some research to pick one of the easier states in which to purchase as some will be easy and some a real pain in the neck or needlessly expensive.

momdoc · 07-16-2021, 07:59 PM

Welcome to the forum.

You are joining a good group of friends here with good information to share. Read the various threads here and ask questions as they come up or add information if you can. YOu will find a lot of the informaiton you are looking for in these threads

Good luck and enjoy the adventure!

**TonyDi** · 07-16-2021, 08:55 PM

Nice to have you here with us.

Browse the forums and ask questions. It's never too soon to look for assistance. That is the purpose of this forum. Our members are always willing to help if they can.

Make yourself at home and let us know what we can do for you.

IrGer · 07-17-2021, 12:12 PM

Thanks everyone

If you google about that particular thematic, the results are quite washed out and mostly not up to date(for instance paper versus e-titles) and a lot of posts are rather against it or pointing towards it being not possible or super hard.
I am sure there are loads of people doing and did the exact same thing, but very little is written about it.The hurdle is not so much the tax or fees, but rather what are the ins and outs of registering the title, license plate and getting insurance, particularly in Arizona, as this for us is the easiest place for starting our journey.

smiller · 07-17-2021, 02:00 PM

I live in Arizona and have several vehicles registered here but of course am not an expert in your special situation and can't give guaranteed answers, nor would anyone on the forum (unless you are lucky enough to find someone who works at the AZ Motor Vehicles Department.

) However, looking at the web link below from the ADOT web site it seems that a US driver's license is not listed as a requirement. You will need proof of insurance coverage but I believe that Progressive Insurance (a large US insurance company) will provide a policy for an international driver's license, and there may be others of course.

With a signed title, an Arizona address, and proof of insurance the process should be fairly straightforward. If you buy from a dealer the process will be handled for you, else you will need to visit an MVD office. There is no mechanical vehicle inspection requirement in Arizona, only an emissions check in only two counties (surrounding Phoenix and Tuscon.) If required the emissions check is usually easy to pass if the vehicle is in good condition.

A call to the AZ MVD will probably answer any questions you might have, number is below. Once legally registered in Arizona you will have reciprocity in all other states.

https://azdot.gov/node/14026

Arizona MVD (Motor Vehicles Department) phone number: 1-602-255-0072

IrGer · 07-17-2021, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smiller

I live in Arizona and have several vehicles registered here but of course am not an expert in your special situation and can't give guaranteed answers, nor would anyone on the forum (unless you are lucky enough to find someone who works at the AZ Motor Vehicles Department.

) However, looking at the web link below from the ADOT web site it seems that a US driver's license is not listed as a requirement. You will need proof of insurance coverage but I believe that Progressive Insurance (a large US insurance company) will provide a policy for an international driver's license, and there may be others of course.

With a signed title, an Arizona address, and proof of insurance the process should be fairly straightforward. If you buy from a dealer the process will be handled for you, else you will need to visit an MVD office. There is no mechanical vehicle inspection requirement in Arizona, only an emissions check in only two counties (surrounding Phoenix and Tuscon.) If required the emissions check is usually easy to pass if the vehicle is in good condition.

A call to the AZ MVD will probably answer any questions you might have, number is below. Once legally registered in Arizona you will have reciprocity in all other states.

https://azdot.gov/node/14026

Arizona MVD (Motor Vehicles Department) phone number: 1-602-255-0072

Thanks so so much, that sounds quite promising and I will give them a call for sure.

We also got in contact with our friend in that area and as coincidence wants it, he has a long term friend who has several RV parks in the area for decades and might be able to assist us...
Your and his new information really boost our confidence in this.

Thank you

tetranz · 07-17-2021, 02:53 PM

Are you sure that you can stay for a year?

A quick search tells me that a B2 tourist visa lets you stay for 180 days.

IrGer · 07-17-2021, 02:59 PM

We are looking at traveling to canada as well and/or an extension to the B2. However, there is also a strong chance for a J1 development if remote work counts into this(what is beeing research right now), as i work in a quite specialiced field that allows for this. And of course, if we only stay on a B2, than it will be no work.
Also, if the extension or reentry from canada with another 180days, then we might just take a flight trip to south america and come back then.
So i think that side is well covered.

tetranz · 07-17-2021, 03:04 PM

It sounds like you're researching it well. I was just reading about extending a B2. It looks like you can apply for an extension while you're here which of course adds uncertainty.

I'd be a little cautious about slipping over the border to Canada for a short visit and then back again to reset the clock. I know people do that, or at least used to, especially on the visa waiver which gives you 90 days but I think it can be a dicey business.

I'm out of touch with immigration stuff these days but I went through some of this a bit over 20 years ago. Visited a few times on the visa waiver but then got sponsored for an H1-B and eventually an employer sponsored green card.

I'm not trying to put you off but one of your maybe bigger expenses might be health insurance. You mention a health scare so I'd be careful about "pre-existing conditions" as they're called here.

IrGer · 07-17-2021, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tetranz

It sounds like you're researching it well. I was just reading about extending a B2. It looks like you can apply for an extension while you're here which of course adds uncertainty.

I'd be a little cautious about slipping over the border to Canada for a short visit and then back again to reset the clock. I know people do that, or at least used to, especially on the visa waiver which gives you 90 days but I think it can be a dicey business.

I'm out of touch with immigration stuff these days but I went through some of this a bit over 20 years ago. Visited a few times on the visa waiver but then got sponsored for an H1-B and eventually an employer sponsored green card.

I'm not trying to put you off but one of your maybe bigger expenses might be health insurance. You mention a health scare so I'd be careful about "pre-existing conditions" as they're called here.

I agree on the dicey business, as this happened to me just before covid hit on a work related visa and imigration didnt give me the "optional" 30 days grace period stamp when arriving into the states and i wanted to visit some firends of mine after the work period was over, but that got sorted with some phone calls.

Also, as mentioned, we will be open for a short trip and visit south america to get the next 180 days.

I am aware of the health insurance and have looked into this. There are some that insure preexisting conditions if you are stable with them for a certain period of time, what is defneitly my case.
There is a good linkabout it here> https://visaguide.world/travel-insur...ng-conditions/