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Originally Posted by franktafl
We’re considering full timing. There are a ton of things that come to mind immediately. Driver’s license, passport address, car registrations, mail, checking account, etc. did you sell your house... what then after that?
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I’ll start with the last Q first... did you sell your house? In my case, yes. I moved around a lot for work before I retired, so I had no real attachment to it. There was no way I could afford upkeep & maintenance on both the house & RV fulltime, and I figured I can always buy another house if I get tired of this one day.
Fortunately for me, I simply “moved” all my residence info to my dad’s house, in the same state (NC). That’s where I store the personal items I don’t have with me on the road, so it’s honest & it works. All my mail goes there... and once a month or so I call him, give him an address where I’ll be for a few weeks, and he sends it all to me. My vehicles are registered there, I’m licensed there, and my insurance based on that address. That is also my tax home.
If a similar option doesn’t exist for you, there are other option that I’ll get to below...
All of my financial stuff & bill payments are handled online. As for banking accounts... while local hometown banks & credit unions will usually offer you better service (especially if you have a long history with them), you’d do well to open an account at one of the larger banks, if you don’t already have one (PNC, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, etc.). There are times you will need their services on the road someplace far from home (check cashing, fee-free ATM, notary services, etc). If you are a vet, don’t forget about USAA bank or Navy Federal Credit Union... as they’re national also, and usually have a branch near the larger military bases.
If you don’t have the family connection option to use as a permanent address... there are services out there available for you.
Both, Good Sam and Escapees RV clubs are 2 of the most prominent. Costs are varied based on what level of service you want. In the case of Good Sam’s options, I believe they offer 4 levels... from basic “residency” service, to daily scanning & emailing .pdf files of all mail. You get a Florida address that you can use for everything... permanent address, use the address for Florida drivers license & vehicle titling/registration, and it becomes your tax home too (no state income taxes).
All of that said... I HIGHLY recommend the book, Living Aboard Your RV (4th edition now?) by Gordon & Janet Gorene. You can find it on Amazon. Great info in there that addresses almost anything you can think of.
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