Couple from the UK coming to travel USA and Canada for a year

[weronikasmyk]

Hello,

My partner and I are planning on going RV travelling around US and Canada for a year (6 months each) and are looking to buy the vehicle - that be either a pickup truck and a trailer or an actual motorhome (most likely class C). We are trying to find the best solution for car insurance seeing as we won’t have a permanent address. I wonder if anyone knows which companies offer insurance for those vehicles for tourists with no permanent address/ if this even is an option, and if so, which is the cheapest?

Thank you in advance

 

[uchu]

Welcome!

There are a few members here that also shout out from the fabled land of Albion, and who have done very similar travel plans in the past (or currently!).

I'm sure you'll get a good throve of information.

 

[Tom]

Be sure to visit our Visitors To The USA forum:

Visitors to the USA

Ex-pat Taff exiled in the US

 

[TonyL]

Hi and welcome to the forum.
We're one of the couples that UCHU referred to, who live in the UK but tour for 6 months at a time in the US and Canada.
We've been doing this since 2019 but Jackiemac, who's also a forum moderator, has been doing this since around 2016 and is our go to as the font of all knowledge.
There's also another couple who started 2 years ago.
We have a fifth wheel, Jackie has a travel trailer (what we call a caravan) and the third couple bought an ex rental C class RV ( motorhome)
Insurance isn't easy, as few companies offer it, and don't be fooled, it's also expensive but it can be done.
Each of us have different solutions, ours was to set up a mail address that is not a po box. This also enabled us to sort a US bank account and is a point for registering the vehicle.
I don't know how far you are with planning but my advice before you go too far is to obtain a US B1/B2 tourist visa or you will be limited to 3 months maximum in the US.
Some people on the forum have been unfortunate and after long planning then failed to secure a visa.
I have no doubt Jackie will be welcoming to the forum soon, and I am sure that between us, we should be able to provide nearly all the answers you seek.
We are in the UK until mid May when we hope to return for another touring season.
I would also suggest looking at your time schedule and see if you can't extend that over a few years.
America is vast and has volumes of absolutely stunning scenery, it would be a shame to rush it if you are able to do so.
Please feel free to ask any questions you have either on the forum so others can advise, or by private message if you need more personal information.
Happy touring.

 

[IBTripping]

I would also suggest looking at your time schedule and see if you can't extend that over a few years.
America is vast and has volumes of absolutely stunning scenery, it would be a shame to rush it if you are able to do so.

Agree. A lot of visitors from Europe are shocked at the size of the U.S. and Canada. I'm from the beautiful state of Montana. It's 630 miles from one end of the state to the other end.

 

[Tulecreeper]

Agree. A lot of visitors from Europe are shocked at the size of the U.S. and Canada. I'm from the beautiful state of Montana. It's 630 miles from one end of the state to the other end.

A mere day's drive. It's ~850 miles from Hilt, CA to Campo, CA. People not from there are always shocked when I tell them they can start at the CA/OR border heading south, and 12 hours later they still haven't reached MX.

 

[Tom]

A mere day's drive. It's ~850 miles from Hilt, CA to Campo, CA. People not from there are always shocked when I tell them they can start at the CA/OR border heading south, and 12 hours later they still haven't reached MX.

When I used to tell an English friend/ex-colleague of mine about the distance of some of our trips, he'd reply with "if we travelled that far here, we'd fall into the ocean".

 

[Tulecreeper]

When I used to tell an English friend/ex-colleague of mine about the distance of some of our trips, he'd reply with "if we travelled that far here, we'd fall into the ocean".

Yes, from the northern tip of Scotland at Midfield, to the southern tip of England at Eastbourne it's less than 600 miles - in a straight line. Now, if you were to drive from John o' Groats to Eastbourne you could put on 750 miles. But then, of course, that would mean having to deal with the Scots and we all know what a surly bunch they are.

 

[Isaac-1]

I just want to second, third, fourth, the bit about how big the US is, and even in 12 months of travel it is challenging to see all 48 states the in Continental US. This gives you only about a week on average in each state, 10 of which are larger than the entire United Kingdom, the largest of which, Texas, is nearly double the size of the United Kingdom. Sure there are smaller ones, particularly in the north eastern US, but these areas are also densely populated which potentially limits mobility in its own way.

The continental US is roughly 33 times the size of the UK, so imagine a complete sampler tour of the UK every 11 days, now keep that pace up for a year.

 

[Tom]

Yes, from the northern tip of Scotland at Midfield, to the southern tip of England at Eastbourne it's less than 600 miles - in a straight line. Now, if you were to drive from John o' Groats to Eastbourne you could put on 750 miles. But then, of course, that would mean having to deal with the Scots and we all know what a surly bunch they are.

We lived in the UK 32 years, so understand distances. Welsh and Scots get on very well

 

[Tulecreeper]

We lived in the UK 32 years, so understand distances. Welsh and Scots get on very well

Scotland - the only country I've been to where I thought a man was picking a fight with me in the pub when all he wanted to do was buy me a beer. The burr on that country boy was unintelligible.

 

[Isaac-1]

We had a Scottish couple celebrating their 50th anniversary as table-mates on a cruise like that a few years ago

 

[Tulecreeper]

Yes, from the northern tip of Scotland at Midfield, to the southern tip of England at Eastbourne it's less than 600 miles - in a straight line. Now, if you were to drive from John o' Groats to Eastbourne you could put on 750 miles. But then, of course, that would mean having to deal with the Scots and we all know what a surly bunch they are.

Got'cha, Jackie.

 

[flexitdriver]

Hello,

My partner and I are planning on going RV travelling around US and Canada for a year (6 months each) and are looking to buy the vehicle - that be either a pickup truck and a trailer or an actual motorhome (most likely class C). We are trying to find the best solution for car insurance seeing as we won’t have a permanent address. I wonder if anyone knows which companies offer insurance for those vehicles for tourists with no permanent address/ if this even is an option, and if so, which is the cheapest?

Thank you in advance

Here is how we did it in 2014.

Form an LLC in Montana.
The LLC purchases and insures the RV. (tax free for non-US citizens)

You just pay the bills and enjoy your travel. ;D

Have a look here, http://www.rvtax.com/index.html
Cost is around $900 US to form an LLC, and around $110 per year maintenance.

Form your LLC first, then choose an RV either privately or through a dealer anywhere in the USA.

When you have chosen the vehicle, before you sign anything, contact your registered agent who will guide you through the process.
Send paperwork to registered agent via overnight courier, plates and registration will arrive in a few days.

In the meantime, apply for Insurance. see here, Home | RV Advantage
( be prepared for a shock at the high premiums, :'( but do not stint on insurance, buy top of the range to avoid problems if you need to use it)

Regards
Allen

 

[TonyL]

We also went the LLC route, costs are higher now, but you will still save the sales tax and trailers in Montana are registered as permanent so there's no need to pay an annual tag fee.
When we went to buy the truck, the dealer refused to let us use the LLC company saying they must register the vehicle.
This rapidly changed when Anne and I got up and started to walk out of the dealership so be aware.

 

[jackiemac]

Hi and welcome.

Good advice above. You will need a US address to get insurance. A PO Box may be sufficient- it's what we use.

Definitely check ability to obtain a Visa before committing to any financial expenditure.

I'm not sure on how you are planning your time. Be aware that much of Vanada and Northern states have very cold conditions during the winter. Many camping areas fully close too. Do your research on this. I agree with Tony though 6 months is short but perhaps you can only spend that long.

Let us know what else you need. Happy to talk on the phone too if it helps. Just start a conversation (envelope) at top of page and we can swap details.

Good luck.

 

[chims]

You might want to start by contacting a broker in North America. See link below.

Car Insurance for Tourists In Canada | BrokerLink

Check out this article on car insurance for tourists in Canada, and find the right information you need to make your travel plans a reality. Contact us today!

www.brokerlink.ca

You might also consider one of the motor associations to see if they have any options.

Alberta Motor Association

AMA is dedicated to serving Albertans and helping our members protect the things they care about most.

ama.ab.ca

 

[weronikasmyk]

Hi and welcome to the forum.
We're one of the couples that UCHU referred to, who live in the UK but tour for 6 months at a time in the US and Canada.
We've been doing this since 2019 but Jackiemac, who's also a forum moderator, has been doing this since around 2016 and is our go to as the font of all knowledge.
There's also another couple who started 2 years ago.
We have a fifth wheel, Jackie has a travel trailer (what we call a caravan) and the third couple bought an ex rental C class RV ( motorhome)
Insurance isn't easy, as few companies offer it, and don't be fooled, it's also expensive but it can be done.
Each of us have different solutions, ours was to set up a mail address that is not a po box. This also enabled us to sort a US bank account and is a point for registering the vehicle.
I don't know how far you are with planning but my advice before you go too far is to obtain a US B1/B2 tourist visa or you will be limited to 3 months maximum in the US.
Some people on the forum have been unfortunate and after long planning then failed to secure a visa.
I have no doubt Jackie will be welcoming to the forum soon, and I am sure that between us, we should be able to provide nearly all the answers you seek.
We are in the UK until mid May when we hope to return for another touring season.
I would also suggest looking at your time schedule and see if you can't extend that over a few years.
America is vast and has volumes of absolutely stunning scenery, it would be a shame to rush it if you are able to do so.
Please feel free to ask any questions you have either on the forum so others can advise, or by private message if you need more personal information.
Happy touring.

Hello

We have the B2 visa already, we’re planning on doing 6 months in the US and 6 months in Canada. We know we won’t be able to see everything but it’s a start!

We looked at either getting a class C (we don’t need anything too huge, but we are two very tall people with a very big dog! Haha) or a pick-up and a trailer - not sure yet which one would be easier to drive in more rural conditions and at times, tight turns.

We have looked at possibly getting a mailing address with escapees.com and it looks like there’s an insurance company called Progressive that accepts PO Boxes.

Would you mind advising how you set up a mailing address that isn’t a PO Box yourself, please? If possible

We are looking forward to it so much! We have been thinking about doing it so long and it’s finally happening!

Thank you very much for all your help and looking forward to getting some more answers

Xx

 

[weronikasmyk]

Hi and welcome.

Good advice above. You will need a US address to get insurance. A PO Box may be sufficient- it's what we use.

Definitely check ability to obtain a Visa before committing to any financial expenditure.

I'm not sure on how you are planning your time. Be aware that much of Vanada and Northern states have very cold conditions during the winter. Many camping areas fully close too. Do your research on this. I agree with Tony though 6 months is short but perhaps you can only spend that long.

Let us know what else you need. Happy to talk on the phone too if it helps. Just start a conversation (envelope) at top of page and we can swap details.

Good luc

Hi and welcome.

Good advice above. You will need a US address to get insurance. A PO Box may be sufficient- it's what we use.

Definitely check ability to obtain a Visa before committing to any financial expenditure.

I'm not sure on how you are planning your time. Be aware that much of Vanada and Northern states have very cold conditions during the winter. Many camping areas fully close too. Do your research on this. I agree with Tony though 6 months is short but perhaps you can only spend that long.

Let us know what else you need. Happy to talk on the phone too if it helps. Just start a conversation (envelope) at top of page and we can swap details.

Good luck.

hello Jackie!

We

Hi and welcome.

Good advice above. You will need a US address to get insurance. A PO Box may be sufficient- it's what we use.

Definitely check ability to obtain a Visa before committing to any financial expenditure.

I'm not sure on how you are planning your time. Be aware that much of Vanada and Northern states have very cold conditions during the winter. Many camping areas fully close too. Do your research on this. I agree with Tony though 6 months is short but perhaps you can only spend that long.

Let us know what else you need. Happy to talk on the phone too if it helps. Just start a conversation (envelope) at top of page and we can swap details.

Good luck.

Hello!

Unfortunately 12 months in total is all we can do for now, but we will try and come back at some point. We can definitely make a good start

We have a B2 visa so no worries there.

We have looked at possibly doing a P.O. Box with escapees and insurance with Progressive, but is it possible to register a vehicle to a PO Box only?

We both will have IDPs by the time we go, so hopefully will be enough for 12 month period.

I appreciate all the help and information we can get and thank you kindly for your input xx

 

[jackiemac]

We

Hello!

Unfortunately 12 months in total is all we can do for now, but we will try and come back at some point. We can definitely make a good start

We have a B2 visa so no worries there.

We have looked at possibly doing a P.O. Box with escapees and insurance with Progressive, but is it possible to register a vehicle to a PO Box only?

We both will have IDPs by the time we go, so hopefully will be enough for 12 month period.

I appreciate all the help and information we can get and thank you kindly for your input xx

We register in Nevada with our UPS address.

We don't take an IDP.