Jack Mayer

Don't feel bad Duane, you are not the only one that has been misinformed on this topic....

It is pretty simple. There are forms to fill out. There is another thread here that tells you exactly how to do it. You self certify the VIN, and have it notarized. You DO NOT NEED an inspection. In the case of one of my Jeeps I NEVER took it to TX or had an inspection in the 3 years I owned it. I simply paid the registration each year. Asking someone in Government how to do something is not reliable and I do not recommend that as the ONLY way to find out something. Their website is fairly good and it is pretty easy to find out the procedures. I believe it is also documented on my website.

Lets see, what have I bought out of state and registered/titled without entering TX? - Three 5th wheels. - Two Jeeps - One Smart car - One Volvo semi truck In the case of the smart car it has NEVER been to TX. All the rest entered TX at some point in time, but never earlier than a year after titling. I've never had an issue. But it is correct you might have to pay a penalty if you register late. Been there, done that.

NO. The FAQ is specifically targeted at an audience of newbies or wannabees. It is not intended to replace the resource guide.

bigjim your interpretation is correct.You would have to somehow get the new RV to TX.

As I said - it is not time to panic about this. We take a wait and see attitude. BUT it is also wise to investigate and consider alternatives so as to be prepared. In our case we "could" get by for a year while transitioning to another domicile. But long term this law - as it is today - will force us to a new domicile. And probably new mail forwarding, even though we are Escapees lifetime members.

I don't think now is the time for people to "panic" about this or take preemptive action. Lets wait and see what happens. That is what I am going to do, anyway.

I seriously doubt that Escapees can get an institution like Merrill Lynch to change their policy. I would not count on that happening and would make alternative arrangements - if it happened that is great, but I have my doubts. BTW, Merrill, for one, accepts my Escapees address. And Alliant had zero issues with it when I joined. But Alliant has an arrangement with Escapees. Actually, I find Alliant to be the best banking institution I have ever encountered.

For some people the reason NOT to domicile inn FL has to do with HDTs. In FL they can not be registered as an RV, and MUST be driven with a CDL.There is no upgraded non-CDL license class as in TX. If you follow the law. So it is not near as convenient as TX if you choose to tow with an HDT. Likewise, SD is out for some people because there are ZERO insurance companies that will provide insurance to constant travelers. One should not assume that a domicile that works for one persons situation will work for all - as Kirk has repeatedly said here and in his published articles. The "pickins are getting slim". If Escapees fails to get the proposed law modified to accommodate those of us who travel out of state I will have to find an alternative state that allows use of an HDT for recreational (non commercial) purposes, AND has available health insurance. That may or may not prove possible. It may eventually become the case that one can not be a fulltimer and stay out of your domiciled state for extended periods legally.

Does anyone know if Escapees is involved in clarifying this bill? I would hope so. The ramification of this - if it goes through and is enforced as I understand it - is that I will no longer be able to use TX as a domicile. Since the ability to return physically to TX each year on THEIR schedule is not there. But that leaves few states that are rational. SD is out. FL is out, because of our truck. Not may state governments give ANY thought to those outside the "norm". This is just another example of it.

The issue with SD for ME is that there are no health insurance policies available there that will cover fulltimers that travel..... NONE. That may change in the future. OR, the TX law may be amended to account for people out of state. Personally, I'll wait and see.....

All Rally's are open to everyone. You do not need to be a member of Escapees to attend. You do not need an HDT. You do not even need an RV. We encourage you to attend a Rally and find out if an HDT meets your needs! An HDT is not for everyone - but before you dismiss them from consideration get the facts. There are currently three HDT Rally's. The National HDT Rally occurs in October each year in Hutchinson, KS. It is a full week of both social and educational events. There is a full seminar schedule on various topics related to HDTs and RVing, as well as organized social events. Manufacturers display RVs of interest to fulltimers, and there is an open house for participants that wish to show their rigs. This Rally has events for both the guys and the gals. Everyone may attend - you do not have to have an HDT to do so. You do not even need an RV - there are hotels in the local area. We encourage people to attend this Rally or the East Coast Rally before buying an HDT. The Rally website is HERE. The online registration site is HERE. If possible, please register and pay online. The East Coast Rally is held in Crossville, TN - usually in April of each year. The Rally is a meeting of owners and people contemplating getting an HDT. Similar to the National Rally, this Rally is a mixture of educational and social events. Historically, it focuses more on social events, but there are still plenty of educational seminars. There are presentation sessions on subjects of interest to HDT’s and RVer’s in general. There are social functions to build relationships with fellow RVer’s, and functions of interest to both men and women. As at the National Rally you may have a chance to sit in and drive an HDT. The Rally website is HERE. The West Coast Rally is currently held in Caldwell, ID - usually in June of each year. The Rally is a meeting of current owners and people interested in becoming an owner of an HDT. Similar to the National Rally, this Rally is a mixture of educational and social events. The Rally is one week long; it started as more of a social gathering but has a growing information sharing and educational piece, including interactive seminars. There are presentation sessions on subjects of interest to HDTer's and RVer’s in general. There are social functions to build relationships with fellow RVer’s, and functions of interest to both men and women. As at the National Rally you may have a chance to sit in and drive an HDT. We encourage anyone with an interest in HDT's to attend. Specific information on the West Coast Rally can be found on the rally website hdtwcr.com (click link, or copy and paste the URL).

I've never heard of anyone getting a ticket on a trailer. Frankly, I have never had my trailer inspected other than the first time. That is pretty common in TX. Does not make it legal, though.

Back from the Tampa show. We will be in Summerdale, AL at the Escapees Rainbow Plantation until late February. Anyone that wants to see/talk HDT or New Horizons is welcome to stop by....or even if you do NOT want to talk those things....

Jim, I saw you guys around the corner from me....hopefully you get to see some of the show....

I agree that the most common limitation on numbers is "2". That is the restriction I have on my rental lots, and that is what I see in most HOA/covenants that have anything to say about them.

You guys have been busy....Keep it up - but please keep it to Newbee type issues. Anything that anyone "thinking" about getting into an HDT may wonder about. Insurance, and Financing are open areas. This is kinda fun to watch - I can see people edit it live, and I can see more than one person at a time.

Hold down shift while hitting return and it will not renumber....

It has been suggested (by Softail) that an FAQ document pertaining to HDTs (heavy duty trucks) and the HDT-lifestyle would be useful for newbees/wannabees. I tend to agree. But it is going to take a collaborative effort to produce a highly usable document. So in the spirit of cooperation I created a document and put in the FIRST question and answer. Anyone can add to or edit the document. We will see where it goes. I'll do edits of it "along the way" and will give it to Mark for inclusion in the Resource Guide when it matures enough if it looks useful. Feel free to contribute to other's answers or edit them if they are incorrect. But SIMPLE answers are desired, not a PhD answer - remember, this is for newbees or wannabees. We will see if Internet "riff raff" discover the document and muck it up....it is totally "open". This is a "living" document - so it can and should be updated over time. For contributors - please feel free to edit existing Questions, or to add your own. Please make sure you read what is there so as to not add redundant info. PLEASE do not respond to or add to this thread. If discussion of the FAQ is required, start a new thread. This thread is now locked. If there is a reason to unlock it contact me.... HDT Q&A Document Note: On 11/19/2014 I moved this document to a Word file on OneDrive. It somehow got messed up on Google Docs during someone's edit attempt. Perhaps it will be easier to add things as a Word file.

We will be at the Fairgrounds as part of the Rally group for the Tampa show as well.

We are in Knoxville visiting the Springfields at Raccoon Valley Escapees Park.Leave to day headed south. Will overnight in Montgomery, then be at Rainbow Plantation by Tuesday.

Yes, if you go to either the National Rally in Hutchinson, KS in October, or the East Coast Rally in TN, in the Spring you will be able to crawl around and drive HDTs. It is common to have people come to the National Rally before they purchase an HDT. We encourage this, if at all possible. It is good to know what you are getting into, and to have a realistic perspective of the "product".

I also use three years of emergency fund in cash. This is three years of my high expense years. Any other cash I have is being used to "sit on" for market opportunities. While one can argue - perhaps with some success - that I am "wasting" that excess cash, I have found that having cash available for "opportunities" pays off in the long run. At least historically, for ME. So I am sitting on some cash. Other than that, I'm fully invested - as I've said here in the past: dividend paying, large companies, with a history of surviving downturns and still paying dividends. Mostly US with foreign holdings, but some foreign. Some individual stocks, and some funds.

In Lynchburg, VA area for another week or so, then down to Summerdale, AL.

MikeH, what state are you in? And...welcome to the group!!