We have been fulltiming for about five years and still wonder about this. Do you carry your birth certificates, SS cards, living wills, etc., or do you have them in a safe place at your home base?
Our home base is our son's house and we have a safe there. Do we need to carry these things with us, or can we just get him to send them to us if we need them? We've left them with him some and carried them some. We just have a locked file cabinet. Thanks for input.
Retired Full-Time Army National Guard
2002 Dodge Ram 2500 4x4 diesel
2008 30 ft Keystone Cougar
Prodigy Brake Control
Reese Dual Cam Sway Bars "Loving every minute of Full-timing"
God is good, all the time......all the time, God is good!
It might be worth it to have copies made (and notarized) to keep in the RV with you on the road.....it sure couldn't hurt. This way, you'd have the documents and they would be valid (because of the Notary) to be used if needed, but you would also have the originals in a safe place, just in case. I'm also guessing you've got a small safe in the RV too??
I'm really glad that you asked this...made me think about it for us too. We'll make up duplicates to carry when we travel...as well as copies of the Vet's papers for the dogs. We're not full-timers (yet), but still think we should carry some of these things. All important stuff.
Bill, Claudia, and the Paps
DH Bill / DW Claudia / DD Jenn / DS Chris The Paps! Sophie, Abby, Brandy, Kahlie and Annie
2000 Winnebago "Minnie" 31C, Ford V-10
Purchased April Fools Day, 2008 The Pets
ask yourself a two simple questions... 1. Will i really need it soon? If not, leave it. 2. Would it be a lot of trouble to replace them if they get lost/stollen? If so, leave them. Rent a safety deposit box for $50/yr and leave imporant hard to replace papers in it. Yes, I would carry ss card, medicare card, hos insurance cards, ID, and copy of living will.
great tip above about pet papers... vets/groomers in some states will not see a pet without proof of vacination... the tag isn't enough proof.
We keep everything with us in a safe. The kids have copies of our trust.
Dianne
Fulltimers (8 years)
Volunteering/workamping
Heise Hot Springs, ID for the summer
DataStorm
HAM WB6N (Terry)
2005 Teton 39' Frontier Grand
2003 Freightliner FL60
Life Member Good Sam
Escapees
Geocache..."RVcachers" RV net Blog
Living will, will, POA, health plan card, vehicle titles, alternate credit cards - all carried in a well hidden place within the RV with additional signed copies at home. Emergency contact info posted on refrigerator door.
Having stuf in safe deposit is not a good idea. I was on West Coast and needed stock document on East Coast. Had to make a Power of Atty for friend (faxed) and sent him key (mail) to get the papers from the box.
Depending on state, may be worse if someone dies because access to box may be denied...
Full Timers can also be described as TWT (Traveling With Titles) because you never know when you may need to change vehicle/trailer.
I'm not yet on the road...but I've been thinking this through for years.
I'll be putting the originals into a fire box (I suggest this for everyone) and giving them to my son or a dear friend of mine (I'm torn between the thought of them with my son, who lives like he was still in a dorm ...barf ...and my friend, who has 4 kids who *really* get about!)...the one who doesn't get the lock box, will get copies.
I was going to have copies in my rig for me also, but I think Paps idea of notarized copies is a very good idea - I'll carry those then. Though I'll have originals of the things I normally carry with me.
Why Full-Timing? Because at my age, I have maybe 40 more chances to see flowers bloom.
Well, this question is upon me. We leave Thurs. morning - about 36 hrs. from now. We've set up a trust and will sign the rest of the papers in the morning. We'll be taking the trust papers, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies, insurance cards, will make copies of all credit cards and have that with the important papers in a lock box, yet to be bought. We have 2 safes, but they are too heavy for the 5'er. I figure we can put these minimal papers in a lock box that we can carry between the truck and 5'er. Whereever we are, the lock box will be. Scenario: We leave the 5'er for the day and come back with it burned up - if we have the papers with us, they're safe. HOWEVER, I've also thought of this scenario: We take the lock box in the truck, go sightseeing or shopping and come back to a stolen truck - so now the bad guys have the papers. What to do? THE really important papers will be in a safe deposit box and copies will be with us and instructions will be given to our daughters (co-trustees) on what to do and where to go get things upon our deaths. That's the best I can do. I found papers of instructions of "what to do" that were given to us by a funeral home many years ago in our safe yesterday. So I'll be taking those along and filling everything out and give to the girls for their safe deposit box. Fortunately, if I forget something of importance, I can fly back and get it...
Bill & Linda
Ladymc & Shuttlebird
2008 Silver Dodge Diesel Dually 3500 - "The Silver Bullet"
Towing 1998 35 ft. Newmar 5th wheel
20K Husky Hitch & Blue Ox Bedsaver
Handheld Garmin Nuvi 350 GPS AND Sat. in dash mounted GPS in the truck
READY TO ROLL!
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