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4 hours ago, Kirk Wood said:

You clearly have every right to do whatever you choose, but those of us who have extensive experience will continue to advise others based upon experience, both our own and that of many others that we have known. If you do as advised, ask your agent to put his advice into writing, then sign the document with his insurance license number. 

 

 

4 hours ago, jc2 said:

I agree with Mr K.  Any agent that would recommend something of that nature shouldn't be in business.  Bottom line folks is do what's right and you will benefit in the long run. :blink: 

 

I guess I don't see what I'm doing "wrong" in the eyes of the law or company policy.  If I declared my RV as my full time residence on my taxes and my insurance and the BMV etc then yes, I'd be in sketchy territory.  That is not the case,  I see where you guys are coming from if someone is officially "Full Time" with no secondary home base the rules change.  I don't declare this as my primary residence, my mail goes to a physical address as well as my BMV and tax info.  I'm never at the address as we are on the road and only go there to catch our breath or maybe something needs fixed.  We do not own the place, we "rent" a spot on the property from a family member.  

My insurance agent is awesome and has been insuring my family for generations.  I take a little offense to someone saying they don't deserve to be in the business or that they don't know what they are doing.  If you have a physical address to claim on taxes (owning or renting) then you can cover your RV just as someone who only vacations twice a year.  The rules change when you claim your RV as your primary residence "officially".  There is no chart or spreadsheet to say "Fulltime" aside from that one rule.  If you own or rent land, condo, apartment, or a shack in the woods and claim that as your primary residence then it doesn't matter if you spend 99.9% of your life in the RV, that's the deciding factor.

I appreciate the knowledge and help from you seasoned full timers.  I'm always learning and expanding this new set of guidelines for this odd life I've chosen.  That being said I have signed paperwork from a huge company that says I'm covered.  I tailored the policy with my agent and made sure the monetary value for the contents was spot on and feasible.  I have two campers, five vehicles, a motorcycle, and a tractor insured through them so they know me and my family well.  I find it hard to believe that this well established company would be doing something shady or underhanded for my benefit.  Sounds like if we decide to drop the address and go official "Full Time" it's going to be time for a different company and policy.

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3 hours ago, Eric A. said:

I don't declare this as my primary residence, my mail goes to a physical address as well as my BMV and tax info.

If you still own a house and have home owner's insurance on it, you really don't need the kind of coverage we were speaking of, and which State Farm does not write. The reference was to those who have no stick home and a mail service for domicile address. 

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

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

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20 hours ago, Kirk Wood said:

If you still own a house and have home owner's insurance on it, you really don't need the kind of coverage we were speaking of, and which State Farm does not write. The reference was to those who have no stick home and a mail service for domicile address. 

Or have an apartment with renter's insurance. Both homeowner's and renter's insurance have liability clauses that vehicle insurance doesn't have. It's good to have that clause somewhere but we don't really care where you have it.

Linda Sand

Blog: http://sandcastle.sandsys.org/

Former Rigs: Liesure Travel van, Winnebago View 24H, Winnebago Journey 34Y, Sportsmobile Sprinter conversion van

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10 hours ago, sandsys said:

Or have an apartment with renter's insurance. Both homeowner's and renter's insurance have liability clauses that vehicle insurance doesn't have. It's good to have that clause somewhere but we don't really care where you have it.

Linda Sand

 

On 7/4/2017 at 6:14 PM, Kirk Wood said:

If you still own a house and have home owner's insurance on it, you really don't need the kind of coverage we were speaking of, and which State Farm does not write. The reference was to those who have no stick home and a mail service for domicile address. 

I definitely see the difference now, just seemed more convenient to use a family members address as home base logistically.  We are only 2 weeks into this full time adventure after selling our stick and bricks and everything that wouldn't fit in camper. Seemed like everything we did required an address and we didn't have one so we agreed to "rent" a piece of property to appease the legal and intrusive side of this world.   Didn't realize that insurance companies cared one way or the other, seems odd since my camper is rated and built by the manufacturer as a full time unit.  So what keeps someone from "renting" a piece of yard space from a friend or relative for $1 a month (just to have a cost on record) and using that address as your legal address but having all mail either P.O. Boxed or mail serviced?  Is it a situation of just not having a person willing to extend that favor to them or is it a gray area legally speaking?  It all seems like a bunch of red tape and jumping through hoops already from what I read.  System doesn't like road gypsies from the looks of it so far.

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Establishing a legal domicile/residence isn't just having a mailing address at someone's house.  What will you do when you are required to do jury duty in the county of your friend/relative?  What if they issue a bench warrant?   Are your friends/relatives going to be forwarding mail to you?  Do you want to vote in their precinct?  Does that state tax your income?    The answers to those questions are why a lot of us choose to use a mail forwarding service that gives us a legal, physical address in a place that looks favorably upon fulltimers.   Carefully choosing that residence can make a difference in SO MANY areas, including marital law, how estates are handled, medical coverage, taxation, registration of RVs, enhanced drivers licenses and on and on. 

Barb & Dave O'Keeffe
2002 Alpine 36 MDDS (Figment II), 2018 Ford C-Max HYBRID
Blog: http://www.barbanddave.net
SPK# 90761 FMCA #F337834

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7 hours ago, Eric A. said:

Seemed like everything we did required an address and we didn't have one so we agreed to "rent" a piece of property to appease the legal and intrusive side of this world.

You quite obviously do not understand the issue of domicile. Let me suggest that you begin by reading this article from Escapees Magazine some years back. Insurance companies care because their premiums are set based upon the costs of repairs and risks associated with the location you live in. 

It is important to realize that those of us who live in an RV with no permanent physical address that houses our "stuff" or that we return to are a tiny percentage of the total population of the country or of most states. Very few states actually address these issues because of the economic impact of the RVing public, like TX & FL do so most laws completely ignore this lifestyle and assume that everyone has a physical home somewhere. In addition, the states write laws intended to protect the state's interests to prevent nonresidents from benefiting from their services without paying for them. The US Census Bureau estimates that less than 0.005% of the population lives in homes categorized as "other" which includes boats, RVs, and several other atypical residences. Even though that comes to 1.15 million people, it is so small a share of the total population that most states and the federal government do not even consider us in the writing of laws. 

Very few of us ever experience a legal challenge to our claimed domicile but when it does happen it can be a disaster! 

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

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

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9 hours ago, Barbaraok said:

Establishing a legal domicile/residence isn't just having a mailing address at someone's house.  What will you do when you are required to do jury duty in the county of your friend/relative?  What if they issue a bench warrant?   Are your friends/relatives going to be forwarding mail to you?  Do you want to vote in their precinct?  Does that state tax your income?    The answers to those questions are why a lot of us choose to use a mail forwarding service that gives us a legal, physical address in a place that looks favorably upon fulltimers.   Carefully choosing that residence can make a difference in SO MANY areas, including marital law, how estates are handled, medical coverage, taxation, registration of RVs, enhanced drivers licenses and on and on. 

So do declared Full Timers not have the the same issue with jury duty? I've read articles about claiming your "home" state based on benifits to this lifestyle, would you be required to do jury duty there? If so it's the same issue as I'd have.

Not much worried about a bench warrant, but if that unicorn popped into my life I'm assuming the verified letter goes to my declared address and my relative would alert me along with my other important mail.

No interest in voting in the circus of politics, maybe on the local level again when I find roots down the road but I've lost my taste for the rodeo show of Washington.

I'm self employed and yes, I file in the State I've always lived and have my address declared

Funny how statistically low the number of "Full Timers" there are when it seems to be everywhere in media and forums alike.  I guess like any other area of life, when you enter into it you notice it more than when it wasn't on your radar.

Thanks for the thinking topics, I have much much, more to explore 

 

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1 hour ago, Eric A. said:

So do declared Full Timers not have the the same issue with jury duty? I've read articles about claiming your "home" state based on benifits to this lifestyle, would you be required to do jury duty there? If so it's the same issue as I'd have.

Not much worried about a bench warrant, but if that unicorn popped into my life I'm assuming the verified letter goes to my declared address and my relative would alert me along with my other important mail.

No interest in voting in the circus of politics, maybe on the local level again when I find roots down the road but I've lost my taste for the rodeo show of Washington.

I'm self employed and yes, I file in the State I've always lived and have my address declared

Funny how statistically low the number of "Full Timers" there are when it seems to be everywhere in media and forums alike.  I guess like any other area of life, when you enter into it you notice it more than when it wasn't on your radar.

Thanks for the thinking topics, I have much much, more to explore 

 

Actually, no we don't have the same issues regarding jury duty.  We use Escapees and when we get a notice of jury duty, I just call, tell them we are Escapees and are in Seattle or Lansing, MI, or Gettysburg, PA, they thank us for the call, excuse us and ask that we volunteer when we are in the area - which we have done.   Everyone in Livingston, TX (home of Escapees) seems to understand what fulltiming is all about and we get great service from them.    We do not pay any state income taxes on our retirement income because we live in Texas.    And we never have to worry about a relative being on vacation and mail not being handled correctly, having a great mail service company that understands fulltimers has made the past 11 yrs a little easier for us.

Barb & Dave O'Keeffe
2002 Alpine 36 MDDS (Figment II), 2018 Ford C-Max HYBRID
Blog: http://www.barbanddave.net
SPK# 90761 FMCA #F337834

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6 hours ago, Barbaraok said:

Actually, no we don't have the same issues regarding jury duty.  We use Escapees and when we get a notice of jury duty, I just call, tell them we are Escapees and are in Seattle or Lansing, MI, or Gettysburg, PA, they thank us for the call, excuse us and ask that we volunteer when we are in the area - which we have done.   Everyone in Livingston, TX (home of Escapees) seems to understand what fulltiming is all about and we get great service from them.    We do not pay any state income taxes on our retirement income because we live in Texas.    And we never have to worry about a relative being on vacation and mail not being handled correctly, having a great mail service company that understands fulltimers has made the past 11 yrs a little easier for us.

Very interesting indeed, I've planned on becoming a paid member, just getting a feel for things.  A lot to process, like how the mail works and what-not.  Thanks for the enlightenment as I've severely hijacked this thread. Many apologies to the OP.

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1 hour ago, Eric A. said:

hanks for the enlightenment as I've severely hijacked this thread.

You may want to start a thread of your own about the issues related to full-time RV living as there are a lot of experienced people here and you could ask anything or bring up any issue. On the insurance side, I still strongly suggest that you get your agent to put into writing the statement "In her own words "Never say the words "Full Time" or "Primary Residence...you guys just travel a lot ." You could well be accused of fraud if she were to deny this. 

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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11 hours ago, Kirk Wood said:

You quite obviously do not understand the issue of domicile. Let me suggest that you begin by reading this article from Escapees Magazine some years back. Insurance companies care because their premiums are set based upon the costs of repairs and risks associated with the location you live in.

That's something I don't understand about insurance for fulltimers--the premium is based on the "garaging" address but the RV is never at the "garaging" address.  Comprehensive coverage is expensive at my garaging address because of frequent hailstorms, but I'm never there so my RV isn't affected by that.

I don't have a better system, but it's a good jumping-off point to realizing that we live in a gray area and I'm more comfortable being insured by a company that knows I'm fulltiming.

In your case, Eric A, it's not your agent who will be deciding whether to approve or deny any claim you make.  That's why her knowing what you're doing may not be the end of the story.

But also, I can't tell what kind of insurance you do have.  Where do you keep all your other vehicles and the tractor?  And do you have any sort of coverage that protects you from slip-and-fall-type lawsuits around your RV?  That's the reason most people have real fulltimer insurance--they no longer have homeowner's or renter's insurance that would provide that type of coverage.

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2 hours ago, Blues said:

That's something I don't understand about insurance for fulltimers--the premium is based on the "garaging" address but the RV is never at the "garaging" address.  Comprehensive coverage is expensive at my garaging address because of frequent hailstorms, but I'm never there so my RV isn't affected by that.

I don't have a better system, but it's a good jumping-off point to realizing that we live in a gray area and I'm more comfortable being insured by a company that knows I'm fulltiming.

In your case, Eric A, it's not your agent who will be deciding whether to approve or deny any claim you make.  That's why her knowing what you're doing may not be the end of the story.

But also, I can't tell what kind of insurance you do have.  Where do you keep all your other vehicles and the tractor?  And do you have any sort of coverage that protects you from slip-and-fall-type lawsuits around your RV?  That's the reason most people have real fulltimer insurance--they no longer have homeowner's or renter's insurance that would provide that type of coverage.

Tractor and other vehicles stay at the property we have listed as primary residence (relatives property).  Until we decide to store or sell the rest of the vehicles "said" relative is letting us park them on the property.

i will be looking deeper into my coverage

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1 hour ago, Eric A. said:

Tractor and other vehicles stay at the property we have listed as primary residence (relatives property).  Until we decide to store or sell the rest of the vehicles "said" relative is letting us park them on the property.

i will be looking deeper into my coverage

I take it that you have just become a fulltimer.  Good for you!  You need to officially declare yourself one, as you put it.  You cannot be a fulltimer but pretend not to be unless you want to subject yourself to some possible big problems down the line.  That is what some people are telling you here.

Perhaps you are not in one of the three states friendly to fulltimers (FL, TX, SD) since you said that a street address was required.  (Some use an Escapees address though.) That is why fulltimers have a habit of using one of those states as their domicile.  There is no problem with your getting mail at a relatives or keeping vehicles there.  The problem is pretending to live there since that can likely be quickly and easily found out not to be the case.  Someone mentioned a claim.  Yes, the agent will not be the one taking care of that should something happen.  

You need to be living where you say you are living. And if that is on the road, you need fulltimers insurance to protect yourself and avoid hassles regarding that. 

You may be able to get away with making your domicile in that state, whatever the state, but it could become a problem if not a state friendly to fulltimers. Talking to state officials on your situation with regard to that for taxes and other business may help. They may have dealt with this. 

Also, even if you do not vote, voter registration is considered an important indicator of where you are domiciled. And you just might decide that you want to vote some time. 

Cathy (Catharine) Summerfield Hana

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9 hours ago, cskp said:

I take it that you have just become a fulltimer.  Good for you!  You need to officially declare yourself one, as you put it.  You cannot be a fulltimer but pretend not to be unless you want to subject yourself to some possible big problems down the line.  That is what some people are telling you here.

Perhaps you are not in one of the three states friendly to fulltimers (FL, TX, SD) since you said that a street address was required.  (Some use an Escapees address though.) That is why fulltimers have a habit of using one of those states as their domicile.  There is no problem with your getting mail at a relatives or keeping vehicles there.  The problem is pretending to live there since that can likely be quickly and easily found out not to be the case.  Someone mentioned a claim.  Yes, the agent will not be the one taking care of that should something happen.  

You need to be living where you say you are living. And if that is on the road, you need fulltimers insurance to protect yourself and avoid hassles regarding that. 

You may be able to get away with making your domicile in that state, whatever the state, but it could become a problem if not a state friendly to fulltimers. Talking to state officials on your situation with regard to that for taxes and other business may help. They may have dealt with this. 

Also, even if you do not vote, voter registration is considered an important indicator of where you are domiciled. And you just might decide that you want to vote some time. 

Thanks for the encouragement!  Yes, fresh out of the box "Full Timer" here

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  • 3 months later...
On ‎6‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 4:10 PM, Kstar said:

FYI, we were just informed that National Interstate will no longer be writing RV policies in TX effective 8/2/2017.

I have received the same letter with a year end expiration and my domicile is WA.  They said Safeco is an option they are recommending.  I have a call into FMCA for some quote options.  Kstar what did you change to?

 

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Such good information. Thanks.

 

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