Staying in Touch is Easy
by Peggi McDonald
So many RVers think of their rolling home as their permanent
residence. Unfortunately when it comes to government, round pegs must
fit into round holes, so everyone requires some form of official
address. However with a few modifications it is simple to enjoy the
Freedom to Fulltime RV. Although each Province or State have
acceptable minimum residence requirements, each area differs. However
in all cases a basic form of residency is required. Simply using an
address especially a post office box may not be sufficient for drivers
licenses, income tax, census, bank accounts and insurance coverage or
even when crossing the border. For instance, in Ontario, Canada, the
minimum residence for medical coverage is a room that's all yours,
British Columbia has a new program referred to as a 'Deemed Resident'.
In some states if you stay longer than six months you are expected to
call that state home. Regulations vary so check thoroughly before
leaving your home area. When John and I go "home" we usually camp in
the driveway, but although we're fultimers, if you asked us where we
live, our answer is "Brockville".
Keeping In Touch by voice mail is really simple.
The most economical way to Stay in Touch is using a voice mail
service. John and I are only 24 hours away from good and bad ../news
because we check our voice mail for messages via an 800# every
evening. Sometimes we leave messages to rendezvous with other club
members. We use the service of Family Motor Coach Association
(FMCA) but several US clubs offer similar benefits…refer to
International RV Magazines (on sale at major ../newstands) for
details. NOTE: Canadian RV Clubs don't offer these services.
However I recently heard of a new form of contact for Canadian
RVers. It's a credit card registry which doubles as a message service.
Cost is only $16.00 Cdn per year, the access number is 800 387 1949.
Another type of voice mail service is provided by the telephone
companies in both countries (cell phones too). As long as a phone
line is connected, for a low fee your system will record incoming
messages plus you can leave a welcome greeting for your callers much
like an answering machine. By dialing an access number it's easy to
pick up these messages at regular intervals from any
telephone.
Other ways to Stay In Touch include…
--a 'Pre-Paid per minute long distance card' which includes taxes
and surcharges in the overall costs of the purchase price. These cards
are sold at gas stations and convenience stores in both countries. A
'telephone calling card' is another source of contact, RVers without a
home phone, can borrow a card from a friend or family member. They are
issued free for the asking from all phone companies. Calling Card long
distance rates and surcharges vary but they are more economical than
putting coins in a call box. Most phone companies in both countries
offer special packages for those not connected to a landline. Some
Canadian features include a 'Call-Me' card that allows calls to one
specific number at home phone rates. and of course a 'fax machine'
sends photocopies of documents over the telephone lines. Several RV
friends stay in touch using 'ham radio' but that's another story as
is using cell phones and e-mail on the road. Maybe next time.
"How do we get our mail?" is the question we are asked most
often.
Our Canadian mail goes to our home address. My sister, opens
anything official looking(maybe it's a bill or payment for an
article); she also has access to our checking and savings accounts.
At periodic intervals she bundles correspondance minus the junk
mail and sends it to our USA mail forwarding service--or to
wherever we are in Canada. This procedure too will work in reverse
for American visitors to Canada. Canadian Mail Forwarding Services are
available too!.
The majority of RVers ask a friend or relative
to handle their personal mail, However USA Postal Service or Canada
Post will forward mail to a specific address. Roaming residents of
both countries can also have mail sent to International businesses
such as Mail Boxes Etc., they even provide a suite and street address.
These offices will forward contents from their rental boxes to various
addresses anywhere, including International destinations, as often as
you wish for a small service charge per mailing, plus the cost of
delivery (mail/courier/express etc.). Although it is more costly than
asking a friend or relative, it is a viable alternative. Look under
business services in weekend ../newspapers for additional
options.
An address in the country your visiting is a definite
asset. We use Family Motor Coach Association's (FMCA) free Mail
Forwarding Service; many others are available. It provides us with
an official USA street address which we give to American RV clubs and
my US editors etc. Club dues for us are sometimes cheaper because club
mail stays in the USA. Mail sent to our US address frequently arrives
faster and we only pay postage from the mail forwarding address to our
location, rather than from Canada to our USA Mail Forwarding to our
present address. Keeping this weekly service active year round works
well for us.Frequent US visitors.to Canada may find it convenient to
establish a similar mail forwarding service in the friendly country to
the north. While we're in the USA, American Priority Post mail reaches
us in three days (the same is true of Express Post in Canada) but we
allow 7-14 days for mail to cross the border. When we don't provide an
address, FMCA holds our mail. These mail forwarding services
either charge a low monthly fee plus postage, a small fee including
postage or postage only. Some services require a three month
minimum; most fees are payable via credit card. Peruse the
International RV magazines and weekend ../newspapers for
additional
choices.
Other advantages of having a local address...we reap the
benefits of purchase rebates. We also have an address to send
product warrantees, plus the street address (not a PO Box) opens
the door to various discount/credit cards of the country your
visiting.
'On the road' banking is also simple.
Most Banks offer telephone banking for a minimal fee. By dialing an
International 800# and punching in your client card numbers plus your
secret PIN#(personalized identification number), you can pick up a
list of latest transactions including deposits and debits, obtain
updated balances of accounts and credit cards, pay bills as well as
transfer money. You simply follow voice prompts or talk to a real
person by pressing 'O'. Computer Internet banking is also available
for those who are on line but it's not as convenient during 'on road'
travels.
Since we're Canadians who travel throughout USA and
Canada, keeping all bank accounts in Canada including a US dollar
account suits our lifestyle. One drawback, when we are not in Canada
we must send all checks (either Canadian funds or US$) to my sister,
our Banking Power of Attorney, for deposit. This solution too would
work similar for residents of either country.
As you can see
Staying in Touch while living on the road is really not much of a
problem. Enjoy the journey, "Catching the RV Spirit is such
fun".
Peggi and John are RV Lifestyle Consultants who understand
the idiocyncrasies of RVers. Be sure to check out the McDonalds comprehensive web page; http://www.rvliving.net/
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