Insurance and Registration

[thimker1]

I own a Class A motorhome. It's currently stored in Pismo Beach, CA. It's registered in CA using a CA address with CA DMV (my fiancé's address). I live in Bradenton, FL. Insurance in FL is $2,400 per year - in CA it's $850 per year. Registration is a bit of a wash except in CA it needs to be "smogged" every 2 years - not particularly an issue.

I'd like to move the motorhome to the East but not FL. South Carolina is my target state. I would store it in SC and use it in SC but I don't have a SC address. Insurance doesn't seem to be an issue with Progressive as they will insure it based on where it resides (SC). However, registering it in SC seems to be an impossibility. Can't register it in Florida unless I pay $200 per month for insurance.

Anyone have any advice, direction, suggestion, re: how I can make this happen?

Thanks.

[tahiti16]

Passin thru the OP is talking about registering the rv where it resides, which does not happen to be where he resides. He also stated that is where it will be used. You comment about pay Caesar, which I agree with mostly, doesn't pertain in this instance. The common one people ask is how to register somewhere else and keep it at home. The scenario the OP proposed is common in the south and east where the states are smaller and many have a vacation home, or RV, in another state. Here in the west not so much, long drive to any border to get it for a weekend! :B
To the OP mowermech has the right idea.

[mowermech]

Passin Thru wrote:
Give us your name and address. We're from the IRS and would be happy to help you. Get Honest. Pay unto Caesar that which is Caesars. you can get into Hot water by dodging taxes and Fees.You people can afford a $250,000.00 Motor Home why can't you pay taxes like the rest of us?

I hope you realize that the IRS is a FEDERAL tax agency. They really don't CARE what STATE taxes you do or do not pay, unless you claim them as a deduction on your Federal Tax return.
Besides, I thought he was talking about INSURANCE cost, not registration cost or taxes.

To the OP; go to the UPS store in the town where you need an address, and rent a PMB. Use your name, the street address of the store, PMB XX, City, State, and ZIP as your Carolina address for registration purposes.

[rgatijnet1]

thimker1 wrote:
I own a Class A motorhome. It's currently stored in Pismo Beach, CA. It's registered in CA using a CA address with CA DMV (my fiancé's address). I live in Bradenton, FL. Insurance in FL is $2,400 per year - in CA it's $850 per year. Registration is a bit of a wash except in CA it needs to be "smogged" every 2 years - not particularly an issue.

I'd like to move the motorhome to the East but not FL. South Carolina is my target state. I would store it in SC and use it in SC but I don't have a SC address. Insurance doesn't seem to be an issue with Progressive as they will insure it based on where it resides (SC). However, registering it in SC seems to be an impossibility. Can't register it in Florida unless I pay $200 per month for insurance.

Anyone have any advice, direction, suggestion, re: how I can make this happen?

Thanks.

I think you need to check with some other insurance companies. I live just north of Bradenton, FL and I don't pay $2400 for all of my insurance policies including my Class A, a Chrysler hemi, my tow Chevy HHR, AND my homeowners insurance. My full coverage Class A insurance, with an agreed up value, PLUS $5000 for personal items is about $350.00 per year total.

[Ramair]

I have everything registered in TX and because I'm a Disabled Vet my tags for the MH is only 3 bucks a yr, paid 3 years in advance. We also have GS insurance which is approx. 1300 with full replacement valve and we our full timing. I agree if you are meeting the requirements of the law and have a resident in a cheaper state then there is nothing wrong with that, you are following the law as it is written.

[xctraveler]

Tax law is made to be bent not broken! So long as I maintained a permanent residence in NY I paid my taxes and did everything in NY. As a full timer with the option of choosing a domicile I selected TX because That is the Escapee Home base and Polk County TX is more accommodating to the needs of full timers than many other places. They have now added Florida as another home. I have not researched it.

If I were keeping a permanent residence someplace where I was spending more than 6 months and a day, that is where I would make my domicile, drivers license, registration, voting etc. There is no obligation to choose to reside in the most expensive place, but for some it may be unavoidable.

[kjburns]

This problem varies a lot from state to state. I'm in AZ where tags are based on the MSRP and reduce each year. It's pricey. I paid almost $3700 last year for registration and about the same for insurance. We have no violations or claims, so it's probably just the cost of the RV. Add that up and you're talking over $600 per month for the right to own it and drive it.

I decided that we don't use it enough to justify the cost. I'm not going to give up RVing, but we are downsizing from a 2011 Tour 42QD to a 2015 Holiday Rambler Vacationer. The MSRP is less than half, which makes the expense a lot more tolerable. The new coach suits the way we'll use it and won't drain the checking account...as quickly 🙂

I'm not one to try to bend the rules and register in another state. I live in AZ so I register it here and bite the bullet. If I registered it elsewhere, I'd probably get caught. I don't want to test those waters.

[Passin_Thru]

Give us your name and address. We're from the IRS and would be happy to help you. Get Honest. Pay unto Caesar that which is Caesars. you can get into Hot water by dodging taxes and Fees.You people can afford a $250,000.00 Motor Home why can't you pay taxes like the rest of us?

[accsys]

The coach in our signature is registered in Green Cove Springs, FL. Annual insurance with AARP/Hartford was $832 last year (no replacement cost coverage due to age, 300,000/100,000 and 1000 deductible) and our registration renewal this year is 65.

[BTPO1]

smacdiesel wrote:
Are CA RV's required just a visual smog inspection? Not sure how they would put my 36' rig on the dyno tester. Just curious.

I was quoted yesterday $1346 a year for full coverage on mine with cash replacement, but I'm not a full timer.

My 27' gas MH gets its Bi-Annual check without the dyno but it is hooked up to the computer along with the visual check.

[smacdiesel]

Are CA RV's required just a visual smog inspection? Not sure how they would put my 36' rig on the dyno tester. Just curious.

I was quoted yesterday $1346 a year for full coverage on mine with cash replacement, but I'm not a full timer.

[dahkota]

We are addressed in Crestview and have Progressive. $1600 a year with replacement and fulltimer's coverage. Definitely check by zipcode; $2400 sounds awfully expensive.

[Twomed]

Buddy in SC pays a tax every year on a 2001 Tiffin of about $2k a year and wants to move it to FL. 🙂

I would check insurance at a different zip code like Green Cove Springs or Crestview mailing services. Both are probably a whole lot cheaper than Bradenton.

My 05 Dynasty is only $1400 insurance agreed value ( Pasco County) just north of Tampa.