If you’re planning an extended trip or going full-time RVing, then you’re probably searching for a solution for your mail. If going full time, obtaining a physical address and getting mail while traveling can be like driving an obstacle course. There’s enough twists, turns and returns to truly test your endurance.
You’ll find in some cases you can’t purchase a product online with a “ship to” P.O. Box, requiring that you have a physical address. The good news: there are forward-thinking organizations answering the call for greater flexibility to satisfy a transient population with secure and reliable mail forwarding services.
The UPS Store offers mail forwarding and provides an actual street address. You can have your mail forwarded wherever and as often as you choose. The forwarding service is ideal for anyone in need of a more fluid mail service than your typical P.O. Box.
Al and I took a 6-month RV trip across country and by using The UPS Store mail forwarding service we were able to pick up our mail when we were local or have it forwarded, essentially leap frogging with us as we traveled across the county. We had our mail forwarded to friends we visited along our journey and other UPS Store locations. Not all UPS Stores provide this service however, so you should call ahead to ensure that the specific UPS Store will accept and hold your mail for you.
Another address and mail forwarding solution is to “virtually” move to South Dakota. If you’ve spent time on the open road, you probably noticed there are a lot of RVers out there from South Dakota. Well that’s not because South Dakota produces a lot of snowbirds!
There are numerous mail forwarding companies based in South Dakota that specialize in safe, secure mail forwarding services. You can have your mail sent weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or on demand. Most offer secure portals that allow you to direct your mail where and when you want it, 24/7. You can even have your mail opened, scanned and emailed.
Mail forwarding is not the only advantage to having South Dakota as your “home base.” It can also save you money. There is no state income tax, low vehicle registration rates, and lower auto insurance rates. At the time of this writing, South Dakota sales tax is 4%.
We “moved” ourselves to South Dakota with the help of DakotaPost in Sioux Falls. You can register your vehicles and obtain insurance online, although we chose to go to South Dakota and personally see the process through, and also obtain South Dakota Driver’s Licenses.
If you choose to register vehicles in another state, at the very least – it’s important to have both your RV and tow vehicle registered in the same state. The potential for getting pulled over by a trooper from one of the registered vehicle states is higher when vehicle licenses don’t match. And this could result in a fine.
For more info, go online to TheUPSstore.com or DakotaPost.net and be sure to tell them LifeRVstyle.com referred you. Now you can enjoy Happy Trails without going “Postal!”
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