aztex

Howdy, Starting the process of Texas Domicile. I got a little confused Looks like getting the drivers license and registration the one thing that has to be planned with DPS appointments which I have done for March 3. Escapees told me step one is make an appointment which I have done. But... There's not an option for "new resident/DL/registration" and I just chose "Service not listed or my license is not eligible" option. Will this suffice or is there a specific option I should chose for such business? Reading through the guide provided by Escapees it looks like some other paper work that will require a few days. Can other business such as Affidavit of Domicile be done on walk in basis or do I need to make other appts.? Looks like I can do my banking remotely and I have arrange a few local business and associations I will contact while there. How long should I plan on being in the Livingston area? I'm in no rush and may enjoy staying around for a while but if I have to firm up reservations asap I better do so for the business I need to accomplish..... SKP park was "open" when I spoke with them a week or two back... Thanks!

Problem with a shot gun is it's not a good idea to have around the campfire. Can't easily carry if the situation warrants.... I don't mind saying howdy to a fella packing at a campfire but some guy toting a shotgun will be avoided... I think most "assaults" will be when the bad guy has you outside so a good sidearm makes it very simple to be armed. If I'm locked in my RV there's very little for me to be concerned about. Grab a hand gun and hit 911 if need be. Think about it; Bad guys are not gong to come after you when locked inside. Even if a hand gun at that distance will suffice. I have a Colt 1911 .45 for EDC, a Sig 229 9mm for bed side and a Daniel Defense DDM4 "pistol" AR. The AR may be over kill BUT VERY accurate. I can easily make 3" groups from 50 yards shooting quickly. Aimpoint PRO red dot "scope". Over penetration is a concern so back drop needs to be discerned quickly but 30 rounds makes it a prime home defense firearm and scares the bejeezus out of bad guys. Point being from 10 feet the outcome is preordained. Only firearm I've seen hang up is a pump action shot gun.... Aside from just buying a gun and getting advice IF you have the means take a real course on firearm self defense. Google Gunsite or Thunder Ranch and you may find ~$1000 for a weekend intense training may serve you well. You can have all the guns in the world but lacking the approach and mental sharpness they will be worthless. Perhaps some of Masaad Ayoob's books and articles would be of help as well. Jeff Cooper's classic should be read by anyone considering firearms for self defense! Here's a free pdf of it I found: https://ftp.issuu.com/infodragon/docs/principles_of_personal_defense_-_je/28 Good luck!

Not sure what you're referring to... Sincerely, Arizona

Yikes! That crosses SD off the list!

What Kirk posted is in regard to carry permit; not simple ownership of a firearm. To buy a firearm in Texas you need only be a Texas resident. No permit required and in fact no such permit exists!

As I recall.... One does not need a "permit" for a firearm in Texas. An legal address for FFL check but you don't get a permit or card to carry. For CCW.....I don't recall...

Hi, I have a few items I want to ride in my TV and keep away from the elements. I have a tonneau cover that is fairly weather proof but need something better than one of those $10 bins from Lowes. Thanks!

A "pup" is short hand for an electric guitar pick up and YES one must be wary buying guitars or pick ups on line!

Of course! Note to self: finish coffee before interneting...

Hi, I use a 2 stage whole RV system. The RV Water Filter Store Essential system which is a sediment filter and .05 micron CFB-PB10 filter. Then a Berkey for drinking water! The 2 stage gets good quality but still has a "taste" that falls short of sweet bottled water. The Berkey takes it the rest of the way. My water regulator aft of the filters shows 50 (is it psi or gpm?) so no issue with water pressure.

Thanks! I'm trying to avoid doing it twice! It's so frustrating as TX, SD and FLA each have major pros and cons and hard to figure which best for me. I'm just finding myself on the road further from my PO Box in AZ. I thought I'd be swinging through Tucson every month but the ~heat~ has kept me up north for a few more weeks at least. My registration on RV and TV are due in March so have that long to decide... A

Hi, I am about to register for Escapees mail service but not 100% on which state I will eventually use for domicile. I just want a good address and some mail forwarding.. Will this complicate matters down the road if I chose a different state? Thanks!

Welcome! There is a learning curve involved! Yes it's a weird time what with Covid AND "vacation" time! A lot will depend on where you are. Out west MANY more opportunities but the trick is still to find them! Try Allstays app or web site and Campendium. Most of the KOA's I've been to hire people for a spot to park and maybe a stipend. Other sites do too. I'm on my second full time adventure ( actually 3rd or 4th as I did some in a van back in the 1990s) and wish there were some convergences where us type meet up for a few days. Don't get discouraged! It takes a little time to get in the swing of it and it certainly beats the heck out of motel surfing! Have fun!

THIS is what I figured and kept going back to this to the irritation of the broker. I'm curious how far down they drill to deny claims. Would they want to see receipts and if they prove you've actually been in a location more than the one specified as "home" deny the claim? I'm sure many FT'ers adapt their schedule year to year. I wonder if anyone has had a problem.... BTW When I bought my new RV and financed it the insurance broker seemed to infer finance companies don't like full timing in "their" RVs. Could being financed toss a monkey wrench into my full time plans? I can't imagine why as long as I'm insured and paying my bill on time....

Hi, In preparation for picking a domicile state I wanted to chose one that has low fees across the board. I gathered some states like Texas can have very high insurance rates so I called my insurance broker and was told they DO NOT care about domicile state ONLY where the RV will be MOST of the time. I tried to explain that IF I full time I have no clue where I will be most of the time. They defaulted to my previous storage facility in AZ... I tried to say I'm leaning towards Texas but they kept going back to where the RV is MOST of the time... That doesn't even have to be 1/2 year plus one day but simply the longest period the RV is in one place. Home, rv park or storage facility.. It seems very vague...I could claim I stay in a low insurance state "most" of the time and they would have a helluva time untangling what's true or not. BTW "Full Time" is more of an action not a statement so at what point do we "legally" become full time? I ask this basic question because I noticed my policy may say 150 days maximum use as I was pressed at the time as did not and do not know how long I will "full time".....

Thanks all! Any thoughts on Santa Fe Skies RV Park as a place to wait out the 14 day quarantine? I'll be in the region specifically for business purposes and absolutely essential for me! Still can't figure out the exact nature of the quarantine. I can't not go and I can't shut my business down for 2 weeks either. Very conflicted! Have to get to post office several times a week.... Otherwise I'm set up as boondocking with no cause to hit a store or any facilities. I've been isolating for several weeks already and mask up and have yet to be closer than 10 feet to anyone. Quick store runs... BTW IF quarantine is a solution why are NM C19 rates rising? Such a baffling disease.....

I suppose the caveat would be if you're getting out of the RV game entirely or have another lined up 100%. Just did a search of a large local dealers inventory and Airstreams are sold out. 54 units incoming ~80% spoken for and no promise of arrival dates... Mid priced 5th wheels very few and over $100K models have slim pickin's! Class A diesel; sold out Class A gas; 1 in stock, 16 incoming and half sale pending.... Dozens if not 100's incoming with no delivery date posted... Question is; is the panic over or will people plan for long term, next summer RV'ing? Sales traditionally slow in the fall. Dealers play fast and loose with sales numbers so I'd be even more concerned about a pig in a poke buy... May be a risk trying to score big money on a sale right now in hopes of stepping into a newer model...again above caveats noted. But flipping RVs is a losers game.

Hi, I have to head to Santa Fe / Albuquerque region for business buying. 14 day quarantine means I'll have to find a good inexpensive park to camp at. I still work and need power and it's hot so may as well be full hook ups now.... Looking at $50 a day sites all that fit the bill. Albuquerque parks get low marks on Campendium so working my way up north...both geographically and cost wise! Any suggestions? A boondock spot would be cool for 2-3 days but I need to be near town or post office for almost daily shipments... Thanks!

I gotta tell ya.... Getting my Airstream when I did back in March was THE best decision I've made in a long time! It's a 2019 and last one in stock almost nationwide. I found one other NOS across the country for 10% more! I backed out of the deal twice and dealer sweetened the deal each time till I could't refuse! Now you can hardly find one! Dealers that had dozens in stock down to less than 10 if that! I spoke with Tweedy's in Texas about some gear and he explained to me they are selling better than ever BUT now very concerned about replenishing stock! Being in business myself I get the problem of selling out and not able to restock. Worse than no sales in one sense... You can always have a sale BUT when shelves empty you're out of business! I think this may last a while....don't manufacturers build for spring sales and slow production in summer /fall? Remains to be seen if they can adjust production as they will be hurting for lack or appliances and small parts as well! DON'T SELL YOUR RV! I guarantee you will regret it!

Electrical first! Get that surge protector EMS to analyze the power! If this is wonky you'll have to address it pronto and/or move to another site. No sense in settling in only to find no power... Then water. Make sure you check pressure, use a regulator. I generally arrive with empty or near empty tanks so no rush on that. I'm from the school of keeping gray water closed to keep sewer critters out. Takes a minute every couple days to drain and a good 8 days to get black water to 80% on my rig.

Thanks, It's drag because I can't find out WHAT the plans would cost new...I'm sure more but if a payment plan...may make more attractive... I guess they change plans over time but still honor old plans. It's still strange to me they would accept them and seems like they could cut it off at anytime without warning although I know this has been going on for some time...

Hi, I'm currently on a free year pass from buying a new RV. While not the ideal situation all the time it is pretty helpful and does save money as all of the ~8 parks I've stayed at have been well kept and safe. I see numerous membership options when I search online but TT does not seem to offer any of the better ones on it's site. The ones that allow 3 weeks stay and moving directly to another park. I understand buying a pre-owned membership perfectly acceptable but I can't find any information on TT about what possible benfits there could be from buying directly. It appears they no longer offer such plans... Anyone have any insights to this? Am I just missing it? There's dozens of other sites that explain them but nothing on TT dot com.... BTW. They don't answer the phone or emails so that may be my first red flag but curious none the less! Thanks!

Well... I have an established relationship with my bank and a deep business credit line. It's Bank of America who despite bad rep have treated me very well the past 20 years... I believe there is a branch near Livingston which helps. I had investigated a while back and determined it will require a trip out to sort through. No big deal. I'd love to go and and waiting for an opportunity. I only brought this up as the biggest challenge I've found running a business from the road and full timing. BTW there is nothing to stop you from running a small business through personal checking. Etsy, Ebay as far as I know. Depending upon your business an official business with checking licenses etc may or may not be necessary and save a lot of preliminary hassle. Although I'm confident I can untangle this it has consumed some effort with no resolution so far...

Most pressing... Will my bank recognize the mail service for my business. Over the phone no one could answer this in the 100% affirmative. Seems business banking works under different rules than personal banking,

Hi, I have two Etsy shops. Currently full time but using a friends address for banking and hence business license and taxes. Arizona so not too bad. It's going to rely upon what your bank accepts for an address for business. I was able to get personal checking and credit cards from same bank transferred to PO Box but they wanted a real address for my business. I'm considering Texas domicile but too many question about banking with no clear firm answers. I anticipate it working out but probably have to get to Polk Co. to do it in person. Lot's of ins and out about how to run it from the road too. Feel free to contact me for more specifics that may bore the general public here! Here's my shops! https://www.etsy.com/shop/AztexSilver https://www.etsy.com/shop/AztexTurquoise