aussie1
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Re: Fifth Wheels with left side or rear door
Hi Rod Norm and I have been travelling to the USA for the last 6 years. We have a fifth wheel and F250 that are currently in storage in Phoenix. In Aust. we have a 31ft caravan with the same grey and black tank system as our fiver. We went down the same route you are considering and after extensive investigation we decided against it. Not saying it can't be done - it certainly can however we felt that having a rig in both countries was a better solution for us Not only are there issues with purchasing, importing and compliance but when you get it all back here there are other problems like caravan parks that are not designed to cater for very large rigs. In that they don't worry about trimming trees any higher than the usual caravans, a long rig has difficulty maneuvering tight corners and very short campsites. In fact we have been told on many occasions that campgrounds just don't have room for a 31ft rig. We have also been told that if we take up two sites then we have to pay for two sites. Also there are very few campgrounds that cater for units with grey/black tank systems. The number is increasing however it is still very limited. If I can be of any other assistance please don't hesitate to PM me. I wish you luck with whatever you decide to do. Cheers Paula PS I should also have mentioned that when we were considering bringing the F250 back (In the US it has a towing capacity of 16,000lbs)we were told that the tow capacity of the vehicle would be 4,500kgs (about 9,900lbs) Don't ask me why, I thought it may have had something to do with all the damp as it came across the ocean and shrinkage of something was a problem. lol487Views0likes0CommentsRe: Storing a Motorhome near Phoenix airport or Las Vegas
We had a problem with storm damage to our 5er two days before we were due to leave for Australia and dealt with Orangewood RV in Phoenix and have used them since. We found them to be very helpful, efficient and the work they did on our 5er was very well done. Cheers Paula286Views0likes0CommentsRe: Storing a Motorhome near Phoenix airport or Las Vegas
G'day We store our RV at Coyote Pass RV in Phoenix. I know it isn't that close to the airport but the good thing is that the SuperShuttle will actually pick you up from the storage facility and take you to the airport and will do the same on your return - taking you to the storage. We use it all the time when we are commuting between Australia and picking up our RV. We find Judy at Coyote is very cooperative and helpful. Good luck with your search. Cheers286Views0likes0CommentsRe: Couple from UK buying their first RV!
Bumpyroad wrote: Roads Less Traveled wrote: It's one stop shopping at Escapees, so if you don't mind paying the slightly higher sales tax and registration/insurance, then it's a little easier. But the folks at Alternative Resources are great to work with and make it very easy to get established in South Dakota too... the part I don't like about Texas is their vehicle inspection. just another piece of red tape I don't want to wrap myself in. bumpy We also were concerned with the vehicle inspections however they only have to be done when/if you return to Texas. Our initial inspection was done in July 2010 when we first purchased the truck. We didn't return to Texas until January, 2013 which is when we had the second inspection done. Not expensive either. Cheers298Views0likes0CommentsRe: cougar x-lite 26rls 29ft
Hi Mabel we had the ordinary cougar 26rls which served us well however we hated the bedroom because it is just so difficult to make the bed and no room on the sides of the bed (where the wardrobe is) to put the blankets. We then traded for a 291rls light weight which we love. No problems at all Cheers83Views0likes0CommentsRe: Home school and permanent address???
Given that most of us here a just a tad beyond the age group where we need to consider this sandpiper1 I suggest you look at this website which may be a starting point for your thinking. http://homeschooling.about.com/cs/supportgroups/a/hsingusa.htm I am away that there are quite a few people who do travel with children and that there are many support groups out there that can help with the legalities etc. Cheers354Views0likes0CommentsRe: Full-time insurance
We have ours insured with National Interstate through Explorer RV and cannot speak highly enough of them. We had a claim two days before we were to return to Australia. Within 48 hours the claim was approved and the repairer had been paid. The roadside assistance guy who helped us the night of the problem, volunteered to pick up the 5er after it had been repaired and take it to the storage facility. He disconnected the batteries, filled up buckets of water and left it exactly as we would have ourselves. I believe that the test of a high quality insurance company is how they react and treat you when you have a claim. National Interstate has my vote.357Views0likes0CommentsRe: Couple from UK buying their first RV!
Magor wrote: Hi Everyone Not sure where to start. I have so many questions. Here’s our story. We currently live in the UK. Starting in early 2014, we want to buy an RV and spend part of each year (3-6 months) touring around the US and Canada but starting in the US. The US is a big place so I can see us doing this for many years to come! My wife is English, I’m Irish but as we are both non-residents of the US, it creates some complications. We will not have a permanent address in the US so we need to figure out how to buy, register and insure a vehicle. From research, buying an RV won’t be such an issue but the registration and insurance might be more complex. Because we are not permanent residents (we will be visiting on a B2 visa that allows for stays of up to 180 days), I do not think it is possible for us to apply for a US drivers license. We will apply for an International License based on our UK license. I believe that these International Licenses are recognized by the authorities in the US and certainly good enough for renting a car but might be harder to find an insurance company to work with? So my first few (of many) questions to come…. Have you any advice on how to buy, register and insure an RV in the US as a non-resident? Will a temporary address be acceptable for the registration of the vehicle? Can I register the vehicle in my name but at the address of a friend or colleague? Once the vehicle is initially registered, do you need to re-register if you subsequently change address? If Insurance is hard to arrange in my name, can I have a US friend insure it but include me on the policy? Is there any down-side to doing that? Is it possible to apply for a driving license as a non-resident in ANY state of the US? So if there is anyone out there who has experience of Expats like us trying to join the great RV community then please help!!! Kind regards Magor Hi Magor We are Australians who are doing what you plan to do so let me just start by saying it is not as difficult as you may think. Yes you need a permanent residential address in order to be able to license and insure vehicles however an easy way to do this is through a group called Escapees in Texas. They can provide an address, mail forwarding service and access through their membership to banking facilities. You do not need to purchase your vehicles in Texas however if you are registering them there then you will need to pay taxes in Texas. We bought our F250 in North Carolina and the 5er in Indiana. I do not believe there is no need to obtain an international drivers' license. We have driven around for over 2 years on our Australian licenses and when we have been required to present them to law enforcement officers they have never been queried. I think there is some sort of reciprocal agreement between some countries - you may want to check it out between UK and US but I would suspect it is the same as for us. Once the vehicle is registered unless you change address to another state I don't think it would need to be re-registered although US citizens would probably be able to answer that more accurately. Insurance is not hard to arrange in your name however be prepared that it is expensive. Without a US driving record we foreigners do have to pay a heftier rate. We insure our vehicles with National Interstate through Explorer RV. We did have cause to make a claim and couldn't speak highly enough of the assistance and response we received from them under extremely difficult circumstances. (We were leaving for Australia the next day) I do not know the situation with other states however I do know that you can obtain a Texas driver's license as a foreigner however we have never felt the need. I am very happy to help with other questions so please PM me if you would prefer. Cheers Paula89Views0likes0Comments
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