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We're leaving in 6 months with the trailer we have...


rjenkins

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Hi,

 

We're brand new members, an empty nester couple with a 19' travel trailer and a small dog. We already know we need a beefier truck to pull our Amerilite, and we also know we'll be snow birding at first, just to see if we like the life-style. Our trailer is pretty light, (4000 lbs) but apparently still too heavy for our Honda Ridgeline, on mountain roads or against a stiff Wyoming wind.

 

We could use advice on a whole host of things:

 

- Domicile? We're in Wyoming, anyone else here? I would love to domicile here mostly to keep Resident status for hunting and fishing licenses, but I'm open to killin' critters anywhere. Any thoughts you all may have are welcome on legal domicile issues, especially where to start, who to talk to...

 

- Downsizing from 1,000 square foot house + single car garage to 140 square feet plus a pick-up bed for storage. Where to start, what to keep, what to definitely take along, any thoughts at all are welcome! This part is more then a little scary, but strangely exhilarating at the same time. Please tell us we're not crazy, cuz we're doing it anyway. ;)

 

- Supplementing our income. Any workampers here? Writers? Crafters? Caretakers? Those are the things I can think of right now. Thanks in advance.

 

Regards,

 

RJ

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First of all, a hearty welcome to you from all of us here on the Escapee forums! We are here to help and we live to give advice so feel free to ask as many questions or offer comments in any forum or subject!

 

You and I have a lot in common as we recently downsized from the 36' motorhome that we lived in for 11+ years to a travel trailer that is 19' long. Ours is an ultra-lite model that has a GVWR of only 3600# and we tow it with a Kia, Boreggo. We left there back in 1989, but we lived in Cheyenne, WY for 18 years and all three sons graduated HS there. We still have many friends there and love to visit.

 

While WY does have many attractive things for use as a domicile when RVing fulltime, the main problem is that they do not accept a mail service as an address for registration or insuring vehicles or for a driver's license. There are only a few states that do accept such as a legal address and that is one of the main reasons that TX, FL, and SD are so popular, along with the fact that none of them have an income tax (as you don't in WY) and none require you to actually spend any length of time physically in the state or any proof that it is where you live beyond your mail forwarding service. If you have someone who will allow you to use their address as yours for the legal issues, you might be able to make it work. I suggest that you might find this article which I wrote for Escapees Magazine to be helpful to you as you consider your choices.

 

You will find a great deal of support here for not being crazy to consider going on the road as there are many of us who have done just that and who now have an RV as their only home, or who did so for many years before returning to part time for various reasons. It is a wonderful way to live for those of us who fit the lifestyle! We downsized from a 1700 sq/ft house to a 36' motorhome and while it brought some hard choices, it was one of the best moves that we ever made!

 

- Supplementing our income. Any workampers here? Writers? Crafters? Caretakers?

There are many here who earn additional income as they travel and several who earn their entire income while traveling by RV. In addition, there are many who like ourselves, spend time as RV volunteers in locations where an RV site and utilities are supplied in return for volunteering for state parks, federal parks or wildlife refuges, one any number of other agencies to thus save a lot of money and so stretch the budget.

 

I really think that you might do well to start by reading a book or two on the subject of fulltime RV living which can be found at your public library or there are many of them available for a very reasonable price on Amazon. In addition, if you look in the signature lines of those who post here, many of us have links to websites or blogs that we keep on the subject of RV living. I think that it would be worth your time to spend time checking those out to see what is out there. You will be amazed by the amount of useful information some of us have on our websites.

 

We are very happy to have you with us and do take advantage of the vast collection of knowledge and experience that our members represent.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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Hi Kirk,

 

Thanks for your response. Yes, we do have much in common, we were in Cheyenne for 35 years, from 1978 until 2013. I married an East High School grad, and we raised four beautiful kids there. Small world, huh?

 

I'm still digesting all the information in your post above, coupled with your fine travel blog. Thanks for putting all that together! I'm sure I'll have more specific questions, but for now I'll just be a sponge and soak up as much as I can. Thanks again!

 

RJ

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......., we were in Cheyenne for 35 years, from 1978 until 2013. I married an East High School grad, and we raised four beautiful kids there.

 

We moved from Denver to Cheyenne in 1971, living on Semenioe Rd. just north of the airport until 82, when we moved to an acreage out north past Ridge Rd. on Powderhouse. We spent a week in Cheyenne last September. Our boys went to Central HS.

 

 

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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