Title and Registration

Bombfixer wrote:
This isn't really an answer to your question, but information for you to consider as a Traveling Nurse. My wife was a Traveling Nurse for quite a few years before she changed careers. Anyway, we often got caught up between different states and their residency requirements regarding vehicles, taxes, etc. We actually had to hire a lawyer and keep him on retainer to deal with these matters. At one point, we had to file income tax returns in 17 different states one year. Some require you to change your drivers license and vehicle registration if you are in that state for as little as 30 days. Seeking professional advise would be highly recommended.

You may need a good accountant for tax returns but legal advice?
There are many ways you can interpret the irs residency requirements to fit your personal situation.
As far as drivers license requirements go, yes it key be a " requirement " to change your dl but you do not need to provide proof of residency at a traffic stop. And for any other reasons, no one cares what state your dl is from.
Trust me, I've been there many times. Just walked in and got an AK ID last week. Passport, SS card and a utility bill, no questions asked. $15 here your ID. Registered my vehicles, sleds and atv last yr with a WA dl. Just renewed the WA tags on my car online yesterday and having them mailed to my AK address. No problem. Now I will have them when I travel back to WA in a cpl weeks and drive the car that has been stored in my shop in WA since last May.
Crossed 4x into Canada last year with truck and trailer tag combinations of WA, NM, CO. No questions asked.
Oh, registered my 4 wheeler in CO last year. Don't even live there anymore. WA was hassling me because I didn't have enough "documents" to register it there. Plus hey wanted $700 tax on something I already owned. Had the tags mailed to WA as well.

Not trying to be trite here. Just bored sitting in my camp on the North Slope of AK right now and want to express to everyone that you don't need to worry about this type of stuff.

You can find the title and registration costs on each states dmv website.
Regarding where you register it, don't worry. Register it in whatever state you wish or whatever state you happen to be in if it is advantageous as in cheap reg cost.
You DO NOT need to be a state resident to register a vehicle.
I've moved 9 times in the last 18 years and I re register vehicles sometimes right away if I'm being reimbursed for the cost as part of my moving package or not until they expire otherwise. I have bought vehicles in states where I was living but not a resident and just titled and reg there. No problem.
Same with your drivers license. Don't worry about it. You have a good excuse for your state dl if you get pulled over. What are you going to do get 5 licenses a year if you move that much? I've only been questioned about that by the cops maybe once or twice ever...... And been pulled over a few more times than that! Hahaha
Even if your dl does not match your plates. It's not a big deal.
I currently have valid drivers licenses in 3 states and vehicles and toys registered in 3 states.
No way I'm going to mess around with changing everything over every time I am in a different state.
Don't sweat the little stuff.
Some other advice. If you travel, some warranty on a used MH will probably be tough or impossible to collect on if you are not where you bought it. Also a new engine unless it is really high miles typically means the prev owners beat on the vehicle or didn't maintain it. Stay away from that one.
Look in the southwest this time of year. Tons of RVs for sale by snowbirds that made their last road trip. Lots of deals to be had.
Not sure what type of MH you are looking at or want, but try to find something on a popular chassis so it's easy to get repairs anywhere. IE. Chevy Ford, cummins, etc.
Hope this helps.

Indiana excise tax is only for vehicles less than 10 years old. Buy a new motor home and the plates will be expensive, an older used one not so much.

Obamacare plans are very weak also, only BCBS offerings and no PPO plans. I changed residency recently because of that. Got a much better plan in Arizona and it is an excellent BCBS PPO plan.

If you're a AAA member, they can probably tell you. In Calif, it's based on the value. Never owned a Motorhome, so don't know the specifics. If no AAA, check with your local DMV for an idea on costs.

BTW, I paid around 33K for my Tundra back in '07 and the tags were around $600!

If you travel a lot there are 4 states you should consider

South Dakota
Texas
Florida
Nevada

I'm nto sure but SD is looking kind of good, save that my birthday is in the winter.. This makes Texas a good choice for me.

So where am I registered? Michigan of course but then... That is where I lived for most of my life and who pays my retirement benefits.

I am, however, looking for a travel companion.

This isn't really an answer to your question, but information for you to consider as a Traveling Nurse. My wife was a Traveling Nurse for quite a few years before she changed careers. Anyway, we often got caught up between different states and their residency requirements regarding vehicles, taxes, etc. We actually had to hire a lawyer and keep him on retainer to deal with these matters. At one point, we had to file income tax returns in 17 different states one year. Some require you to change your drivers license and vehicle registration if you are in that state for as little as 30 days. Seeking professional advise would be highly recommended.

How long do you plan to work in California? Might need to check their rules regarding registration of vehciles if you are in the state for an extended period and are working there.

Another thing to consider is inspection and emissions. Some states require them yearly, some never. You would need to take this into consideration for your travel schedule.

If your home is in Indiana, you probably have no option to register elsewhere. Also Indiana would probably be much less expensive than California.

The cost of registering the RV will probably be about 1% of the sales price, and about 8% or more for sales tax depending where you live.