Planning a couple of years on the road in the US/Canada

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AlexBuck2409

Member
Joined
Aug 8, 2023
Posts
8
Location
United Kingdom
Hey all,

I have been reading threads here for hours now and would like to express my gratitude for all the incredible support and advice on this site. It's made my dream feel a little more real. I thought it would be best to share my exact situation and see how it lands, so here goes. Please excuse any of my naivete at this point in my journey!

First and foremost, my girlfriend and I are self-employed UK residents. I run my own business from my laptop and take a monthly salary from that, and my girlfriend is a content creator online too, so no ties to an office job or a 9-5 to worry about. It's probably also worth pointing out that my business is a US-based company located in Delaware, and I have a US based business partner, located in NJ. Perhaps that would be useful in my pursuit here.

I am looking to finance an RV in the US, which I've read is best managed by applying for the finance in the UK? I have a deposit of around Ā£18,000, but won't be able to purchase what we're looking for without a loan, as am looking to buy at around $75-90,000.

Our visa applications are in, and I know this journey is not going to be straight forward in setting up, but lifes too short to miss out on something we so desperately want to do. So here's to hoping that with all of your help we can get from living in a cramped home in the UK to being on the road out in the US.

Any suggestions as to anything I should be looking at, anywhere I could go for financing (perhaps my bank?), or anything at all that might be useful to a UK buyer with a dream would be amazing.

Our visa applications are in, we're awaiting a decision on those and will then be looking to find a way to finance the van/RV and get the ball rolling. I have questions about registering the van in the US, perhaps I could use my business address for that? Or perhaps theres a reason why I shouldn't do that? And the couple of companies I've spoken to so far in the USA have told me I need a US drivers license if I were to finance through a US company, which I do not have...

I guess this is the first of maybe a few posts from me as we navigate this new world, so thank you for your patience!

Thanks!

Alex
 
I should add that my girlfriend has family in Pennsylvania. We could potentially ask them for some help with registration/ownership, whatever would help us while still being 100% legal?
 
Hi. I can't give specific advice as your situation is different but I can tell you that a friend set up a Montana LLC and purchased a fifth wheel and truck (although not financed) without US licence. Having said that I don't think a licence is difficult to obtain. Different states require different licences and if you get a large vehicle you may need a higher classification.

I also suggest you check your UK licence as it may not have the category you require to drive a large vehicle and I'm not sure if you need to have that to drive one here, but I'd certainly be more comfortable having it than not.

If your business partner agreed perhaps you could use your business to finance it?
 
jackiemac said:
Hi. I can't give specific advice as your situation is different but I can tell you that a friend set up a Montana LLC and purchased a fifth wheel and truck (although not financed) without US licence. Having said that I don't think a licence is difficult to obtain. Different states require different licences and if you get a large vehicle you may need a higher classification.

I also suggest you check your UK licence as it may not have the category you require to drive a large vehicle and I'm not sure if you need to have that to drive one here, but I'd certainly be more comfortable having it than not.

If your business partner agreed perhaps you could use your business to finance it?
Click to expand...
This is really helpful thankyou! We are looking at converted vans so shouldn't need any sort of additional license. Will be a standard size vehicle conversion. So that's okay!
 
AlexBuck2409 said:
We have applied for B2 travel visas. Is that going to be an issue if we're working while traveling?
Click to expand...
Yes. You cannot work if travelling with a visitor visa. Not sure if they'd find out but as you have a US based business you may get some questions at the border. A standard question is about your working situation.
 
jackiemac said:
Yes. You cannot work if travelling with a visitor visa. Not sure if they'd find out but as you have a US based business you may get some questions at the border. A standard question is about your working situation.
Click to expand...
Ahh okay! I will look into that. Thanks again. All useful info I need to start delving into the detail of
 
It would appear that you are interested in a Class B RV. They are beautiful for travelling, but cramped for an extended trip as you described. Many refer to them a "divorce in a can".
You will also run into similar problems upon entering Canada on a tourist visa while working.

Ed
 
I can't help on any of the visa issues, however when it comes to traveling in an RV in the US on an extended trip, I personally feel that my wife and I would require something in the 34-37 ft Class A or Super C size range, plus pull a small car around for such adventure to not end in divorce. We currently have a 28 ft Class A which we bought in 2016, and up until covid we were averaging a about 75 nights in the coach per year, taking trips up to about a month long each, or most recent trip was a 3 week 2,800 mile loop in May from our home in Louisiana to the Badlands of South Dakota then over to Hannibal, Missouri on the banks of the Mississippi river before heading home. Even in our 28 ft coach, we start feeling the need to not be in the same room with each other somewhere around the 3 week mark, since our coach does not have a separate bedroom, the only practical option other than spending time in the bathroom is for one of us to get out of the coach for a bit, either going for walks, doing laundry in the laundry room at an RV park, etc. however even doing this the stress of being in the same room constantly will build up until we get back home and have a bit more elbow room.
 
You may need to explain how you run a business in the US from the UK.
It seems quite a complicated set up. Are you employed by the American side, or equal partner?
Immigtation will want to know why your job cannot be done by an American.
A work Visa is the safest option, but i have no idea what's involved.
 
AlexBuck2409 said:
It's probably also worth pointing out that my business is a US-based company located in Delaware, and I have a US based business partner, located in NJ. Perhaps that would be useful in my pursuit here.
Click to expand...

I think the devil is in the details of your business. If you business is large enough to have a lawyer you might consult with him/her.

When you say "business partner" and "US based business" the question is how is the business organized and are you legally on the articles of incorporation etc. etc. etc.

From that point it become a matter of can you get some sort of business/work visa. Of course that then leads into tax issues. Americans are taxed globally on their income. Then when they work overseas they are almost always taxed in the host country.

In the reverse situation where you do have a tax presence in the US (by being a company officer) your global income could be taxed. That you reside in the UK probably won't matter to the IRS. However if you resided in the US you may get tax relief from the UK.

If your head hurts thinking about how your business plays into this then perhaps you just consider yourself a "standard" citizen and ignore the business aspect of getting a visa and buying an RV.

However if you come over on a non-working visa and work from your RV, you will be in violation of your visa status.

In terms of getting a $90,000 loan. I doubt any bank is going to loan that kind of money to a non-resident with no assets and no social security number.

You are best to get that loan in the UK if a bank will loan you money to buy a foreign asset. You may be able to get something like a home secured line of credit, but I personally would not put my house on the line for a foreign adventure.

At a median price of $100 a night, $90k buys a lot of hotel nights. There is also the option of a rental with an outfit like RVshare which might make sense especially if you are not going to be full timing.
 
I agree that a van is too small for a long-term trip in the U.S. First, you will need more space for working on your laptops--in fact, you will need two spaces. You might squeeze into a dinette booth, but you will have very little space to spread out materials.

Second, storage for a long trip like you describe will be a serious problem. Most vans are set up for short vacations and you will need storage for business stuff, plus more clothing to adapt to both hot and cold areas of the country. And the beds will be uncomfortable for long term traveling. The least you should look for is a 24-28' long Class C, and even that will make your cramped UK apartment feel large!

Also, most conversion vans are as expensive or even more expensive than a small to midsize Class C! I know that sounds strange, but it is true. You will get slightly better gas mileage in a van, but the comfort level will be awful for long-term travel and working remotely.

And finally, if you have been reading social media stories about how wonderful "the van life" is, know that much of the bad stuff is never mentioned. This includes the cost of repairs, cost of parts for those repairs, cost of staying in campgrounds, and difficulties finding all those wonderful free camping areas they talk about.
 
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Hfx_Cdn said:
It would appear that you are interested in a Class B RV. They are beautiful for travelling, but cramped for an extended trip as you described. Many refer to them a "divorce in a can".
You will also run into similar problems upon entering Canada on a tourist visa while working.

Ed
Click to expand...
Ed took the words right out of my keyboard. I full timed for ten years in vans, class As and a class C. For me, a 32 foot class A was a bit small for one person living full time. I agree with Issac that you need at least a 34 to 37 foot class A (but not a Super C).
If you buy anything less than count on trading it in about 6 months.
 
"And finally, if you have been reading social media stories about how wonderful "the van life" is, know that much of the bad stuff is never mentioned. "

That statement is can't be emphasized enough. Social media and advertisements make RVing and the vagabond / gypsy life sound so free and appealing. IT IS NOT! It's costly! And it's not as "free" style living as one would think.

If you are working from the road, your primary mission is to have solid, sound, reliable internet. THAT in itself is a constant battle.

Next are your utilities. There is propane for the stove, furnace, and water heater (and most likely, the refrigerator too).

There is electricity. Generators are a great back-up, but how do you travel with the fuel to run the generator? And propane run generators run through a LOT of propane. So that means "solar". Solar is not cheap either. And it's not an unlimited source of electricity and solar almost never has the capability to run air conditioners for more than just a few minutes. Not to mention the need for electricity to power your computers.
Water? yes, you need water. If you are not at a campground, water is always a challenge to get.

Sewer? Your holding tanks on Class B's are not that big... You've got to dump them somewhere.

What that means is, you will NOT be able to just freely roam the USA and park "it" anywhere and live free and happy. You will need campgrounds with a bare minimum of electricity and a dump station and a common water spigot for the campground loop.

It seems, the most common price for a State Park campsite (East of the Mississippi River), runs about $35 a night for a minimum of electricity on the site. Some sites run $26 a night for 100% primitive camping. And, State Parks almost always have a 14 day maximum stay and then you have to leave the park. North Carolina has a 15 day rule. You can camp at any one State Park for a maximum of 15 nights over a 30 day period. If you attempt to reserve the 16th night in the 30 day period, you won't be able to at that park. You have to go somewhere else.

Each State Park, each private campground, CoE campgrounds, and Federal campgrounds all have different rules, provide different anemities, and have different prices. AND you need water, electric, and sewage every day to support your "business".

I'm not saying it "can't" be done. Yes it can. Lots and lots of people do it and do it successfully. BUT, it's also taken them lots of frustration, anxiety, and time to figure it all out.

What I'm saying is, the artificial "dream" that advertisements and social media throw out there is all a bunch of BS. Then never talk about the dark side of this lifestyle or the costs involved.

Let's not even get started on RV repairs, the cost of fuel, insurance, loans, food, clothing, and the upkeep of your computer equipment!

Your "dream" is NOT impossible. But you do need a bit of reality, it's not always a pleasant "dream" once you actually start doing it! It can turn into a horrid nightmare real fast if you are not braced for the real world experience "out there!"
 
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