How many fulltimers?

Here is a question that will end up being asked by the next time the US Census is taken. Are you a FT RVer or do you live in an RV full time. Yes, there is a difference. If you take the time to walk around many of the RV parks and campgrounds that offer long term residency you'll no doubt find those who are living in and RV as a means of survival. They aren't able to afford any other type of conventional housing. The economy in recent years lead to an increase of those moving into RVs as a permanent dwelling. They don't move and if they do it isn't far.

So the question will probably be phrased as to how many miles do you travel in a year with your RV. How many states have you stayed in the last 12 months. Good thing to keep receipts and records of your travels otherwise the state you might be in for six months or more will come looking for you to pay taxes in that state claiming you are a new "resident" of.

As states face greater financial shortages, they will once again start enforcing existing residency ordinances and create new ones...some in past years had as low as a 90 day rule. If you resided in their state for more than 90 days, you were considered a resident and required by that state to document yourself accordingly...license plates and drivers license and pay taxes!

Another task that the IRS will be handling...Taxes, Healthcare and Residency enforcement.

ImagesByHawkeye said:

... As states face greater financial shortages, they will once again start enforcing existing residency ordinances and create new ones...some in past years had as low as a 90 day rule. If you resided in their state for more than 90 days, you were considered a resident and required by that state to document yourself accordingly...license plates and drivers license and pay taxes!
...

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That would be foolish and short sighted in my opinion.  As a "real" RV full-timer, this rule from a particular state (especially if they try to enforce it) would force me to take my coach and money and spend it in another state before this time period elapses.

As slow as legislatures move, and as much bickering is required to get anything passed, I don't see a national push for consistency any time soon.

Most states already document a 30 day residency for driver's licenses, but, practically speaking, it is not worth the enforcement effort. It will come into play, though, when you apply for some public program run at the state level and some other issues like insurance.

Since even RV'ers don't have a consistent definition, I am not looking for anything but a bunch of goofy laws that are easily circumvented in the near future. This full time definition is going to be a tempest in a teapot for a while.

bucks2 said:

I thought I was lost one time. I had no clue where the heck I was. I made one call to Homeland Security and they pinpointed right where I was, who I was with and where I'd been.......... The nice lady on the phone even reminded me it had been over six months since I'd been to the dentist and that I hadn't called my mother lately.

Ken

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That's funny!

ImagesByHawkeye said:

SNIP
As states face greater financial shortages, they will once again start enforcing existing residency ordinances and create new ones...some in past years had as low as a 90 day rule. If you resided in their state for more than 90 days, you were considered a resident and required by that state to document yourself accordingly...license plates and drivers license and pay taxes!

Another task that the IRS will be handling...Taxes, Healthcare and Residency enforcement.

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Co still has that requirement (90 day) and enforces it they find out you have been in the state for 90 days or more. They don't seem to aggressively enforce in it the Grand Junction area. Probably because there are so many oil field and transient workers in the area.

As states face greater financial shortages, they will once again start enforcing existing residency ordinances and create new ones...some in past years had as low as a 90 day rule. If you resided in their state for more than 90 days, you were considered a resident and required by that state to document yourself accordingly...license plates and drivers license and pay taxes!

Another task that the IRS will be handling...Taxes, Healthcare and Residency enforcement.

Click to expand...

Nothing new to that. Nearly all states have laws that make you subject to local taxes and fees if you "reside" there for more than some period of time, typically 90-180 days.  And they are enforced whenever they have time and evidence to back it up - some places like Colorado and Washington and Massachusetts have made big news doing so.

By the way, the IRS, a federal agency, has nothing to do with those state laws or the collection of state & local taxes, and no legal authority to get involved in any way.

The US Census already includes a question about your type of residence. You are asked whether your residence is a single family house, apartment-type building, a mobile home, or a "Boat, RV, van, etc.". This is part of the American Community Survey and required as input to several HUD programs that are mandated by federal law. I think that data is available to states as statistics, but does not identify individuals, so census data would not help identify tax evaders.

There are a lot of laws that haven't been enforced, but again money is the issue and if they can levy a hefty enough penalty it will offset the costs. They might not go looking for you for this but if you get stopped for something else...you can bet if they can they'll enforce and collect. The Feds are now taking away retirement funds and benefits from the military retirees, which at one time was sacred...NOT ANYMORE! 

I can remember being stopped for speeding once. The second question I was asked was..."How much money do you have in your possession? If you don't have $200.00 you are considered a vagrant...and that'll be another $50 over and above the speeding ticket."  Of course I had proof of insurance which sufficed in lieu of the $200 cash. If you have any of your old insurance cards from back in the day, most had a statement on them that your auto insurance company would post up to X amount in such cases to avoid you being arrested for vagrancy.

Our insurance cards post a bond guaranteeing appearance for the ticket, not a deposit to prove we are not vagrants.

God Day folks.. I gotta queston,, the wife and I are deciding about  full time RVING .....What is on your drivers license? we plan on selling our home..so what state do we live and where ? since our RV will move often...thanks Scott

Check the forum library in the full timing section, particularly the article on choosing and establishing a domicile.  Your choice of domicile has numerous considerations, like vehicle and driver licensing, insurance, taxes, etc.  The important thing is to firmly establish it yourself or the states will choose for you, and it won't be to your advantage.

Be careful when you ask about "full timers" simply because it covers a lot of different people.  Full time ( I have been for about 3 years ) to me means traveling and hosting at different places enjoying the travel.  To about 50% it means living in trashed out RVs in trashed out RV parks,  drug addicts and bums that live in dumps.  That is why so many RV parks only allow (other than hosts) a set amount of time before you have to move on or change spots (makes you clean up the crap under your RV) and even more do not even allow a rig over 10 years old to even stay there.