The Census says more than 105,000 Americans live full time in RVs, boats or vans, though one RV group says the number is more like half a million.
I would think it's more, which makes me curious why there are still problems re: voting, insurance coverage, residency, taxes etc.
I suppose a number like half a million is still statistically insignificant, but you'd think people would have heard of us. Those puzzled looks when I tell people I don't have a house or land stateside, that I live in an RV? Happens every day. Maybe we should go on Oprah.
Barbilou and Fujimo wrote: ..I would think it's more, which makes me curious why there are still problems re: voting, insurance coverage, residency, taxes etc..
All I know is I am having beginning problems. Have not been able to get to TX or SD to claim my residence. I would be offically 'not' counted.
So for the past 30 days or so I can't order anything off the internet which I had planned on doing for some of my start up items. They won't ship to my local p.o. box I have kept for mail.
My insurance company wanted to drop me after I cancelled the home owners insurance when the house sold...need an address to have car insurance.
Soo, from what I see you have to "miraculously jump from your closing to TX or SD", do not pass go, do not collect 200.00 or you are in a holding pattern of limbo!
31 ft Four Winds
Chevy Tracker 4x4 BlueOx Aventa LX We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned,
so as to have the life that is waiting for us.
Generally it is advised to get the mail service started about 3 months before you leave your S&B address to make sure there aren't any kinks, to get the new checks printed, the address change into financial institutions, etc. That's what we did and it was a piece of cake when we started, everything was already in place.
As to the numbers - there are fulltimers, who never move, but are permanent residents of a local park and still work, and then there are fulltimers, like us, who are movers. The permanent residents shouldn't have a problem with voting any more than an apartment renter would have - but movers may have depending upon the state they are using as their 'domicile'.
Barb
Barb & Dave - full-timing Traveling catpanions Kit (age 18) and Shadow (age 11) Figment II (2002 Alpine 36 MDDS) Mischief (2004 Subaru Forester Toad) FMCA - F337834, SKP #90761 http://homepage.mac.com/barbaraok/ Our blog
I can see it is hard for Americans to have residency. Not much of a problem here in Canada. As for number of full timers, we are a small portion of the population. There has been a lot of speculation as to how many but 150,000 to 250,000 in North America is more likely to be reasonable as we all know it takes a certain type of person to live this lifestyle and most can not do it.
Paul & Kathy
Canada
08 F350 Superduty DRW Power Stroke 6.4
07 Cedarcreek 37CKQS
04 Explorer Sportrac
07 Mirage 5x8 Cargo Trailer
If you write your PO Box number as though it were just an apartment number, you won't have any trouble getting goods shipped to it without question. Hardly worth it in most cases, though. You just end up paying the shipping twice over. As long as your address matches your credit card, you can use that one for your bill to and your actual location as your shipping address without trouble.
The census numbers will always be low. They can't count you if you're on the road. They can't count you if you don't answer. And they haven't counted in close to a decade now. So really, they have no idea. A half million would average 10,000 per state. That seems high. But who knows?
Part of the problem in determining how many are full-time RVers is that even those of us who do this can't agree on just who that includes or what it means. The census bureau lists about 300K as living in "other non-standard residences." That is later defined as boats, RVs and other mobile shelters.
It is really quite easy to get legal residence if you just join Escapees RV Club and use the address that they can provide in Livingston, TX. It is a completely legal address for you domicile, having been covered by an amendment to the Texas constitution. It allows voter registration, registration and insuring of vehicles, SS and Medicare and all other legal documents.
Kirk, that's what started my whole question. While Googling to find estimates of Fulltime RVers, I found this old article re: Escapees being challenged to prove residency.
It's amazing how many there are of us. We were lucky to have a dd who moved to a state with no income tax and no ad valorum tax, so we use her address.
You see B&J, the problem is what some , perhaps those in "charge" call a fulltimer.
Now in 2005, the insurance companies reported over 1 million "fulltime" policies in effect that year. Apparently the insurance companies count those living fulltime in an rv as fulltimers. Many, many of those, most likely in my opinion, 70% or more , are those that we all see permamently set up in those "seasonal turned permament" parks in every state, city and country.
I suspect there may be more, but dont have fulltime ins. coverage.
Hard to tell really. But my best guess from traveling to every state, would be around 1 million, as it seems some times, they are all in the same park I
am in.
Offline
 (Custom) (Custom) (Custom).JPG)
