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beanboy's avatar
beanboy
Explorer
Jan 27, 2016

Mail Forwarding?

Greetings, we'll be going on an extended (8 mo's) road trip this summer and I'm curious how other RV'ers have handled having their mail forwarding. We live in Florida and we'll be traveling out west then up to Alaska then east to Maine before we head back south next fall. Any suggestions? Thank you!

19 Replies

  • I heartily second the recommendation for St. Brendan's Isle. We have used them for 2 years
    Amazing service.
    IMHO, Post Office totally unreliable for forwarding/temporary holds.
  • You do NOT need a mail forwarding service if you are just going on a long trip and it is NOT permanent.

    The United States Post Office offers 'temporary' mail forwarding for FREE.

    Go on line to the US Post Office site on line and click on mail forwarding. You can have your mail forwarded to a relatives house and then they can send it to you upon your phone call where you are at general delivery and/or read it to you, or scan it and send via email.

    The mail forwarding is for 4 month increments and renewable for every 4 months thereafter right on line. And you 'maintain your home address' for when you get back.

    AND the more important thing is you DO NOT have to 'call' each and every one of your accounts to change your home address for each and every one of your bills which you would have to do if you use a service. And then have to change the address again when you get back. :R

    From your post you are not full time RV'ing without a physical address, you are taking a long trip and maintaining your home address.
    So all you need is a temp forwarding of your mail.

    https://www.usps.com/United States Postal Service
    Be sure to click 'temporary' change of address.

    Have a good trip! I always wanted to do Alaska and didn't get a chance to. Bring back lots pictures for us! :C
  • www.myrvmail.com in Crestview FL. We used them for a year and they were great. They have different levels of service. Their top service will scan your mail then shred it or forward. You can read the mail online. They have lots of info on their website.
    For temporary (not full timers) mail forwarding I would use UPS. We have used them for several packages with no problems. Right now our daughter collects our mail and we provide an address for her to forward about once a month. Of course we have online and auto bill paying so our mail isn't all that urgent. We buy postage paid envelopes and small boxes from the post office for her to use so she doesn't have to pay the postage.
  • I am a full-timer and I use "Your Best Address" out of Sioux Falls, SD. I rent a PO box from them for $10/month where my mail accumulates until I request that it be forwarded to me wherever I'm current parked. Of course I pay the postage.
  • You have three choices:
    1. Get a trusted neighbor, relative or friend to pick up your mail from your box, sort out the junk, and forward the rest to you to an address you specify.
    2. Go to a UPS store or similar and hire a Private Mail Box (PMB). Then change all of your accounts ( banks, credit cards, medical, IRS, Social Security, everything in your life) to the new address. Then call the store and have them mail the box contents to you.
    3. Similar to #2 above. Go to a mail forwarding company that caters to full time RVers. Google mail forwarding to find them.

    If you chose #2 or #3 above, you will considered as "moving" as far as your credit report, and other aspects of your life. When you return from your trip, if you go back to your previous mail handling, you will have to "move" again back to your previous address.

    The Post Office will not hold your mail and then send it to multiple address as you travel about the country.
  • Find a local mail boxes are us. Ups store or any number of other places and rent a box. Do a change of address at the post office. When you get set for several days, call and they will box up and ship you all the junk mail. The other more common option is to do online bill pay for everybody. Then have a neighbor, kids or someone pick up your junk mail once a week or so, sort it and toss the junk mail. Phone call back home maybe once a month to check for inportant stuff.
  • St Brendan's Isle in Green Cove Springs. Florida.

    Excellent service - very approachable, ALWAYS answer the phone. You can set up mail delivery by phone or email to anywhere in the world. Service gets handled the same day. We've been in the office numerous times in person ... very courteous, nice group.

    https://www.sbimailservice.com/index.html

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