Fire Arms on board an RV - State to state

[Charlie M]

My wife and I are going full time in August (hoo-ray).  We have been advised by numerous people to have a weapon on board "just in case".  We will be properly trained for all of the safety aspects of carrying a gun.  My question concerns the legal issue as we travel from state to state.  We are talking about a pistol as opposed to a rifle.  I would appreciate feedback from those that are experienced with the state/federal laws.  Thank you.

 

[Wendy]

Do you feel more comfortable with the idea of having a weapon on board or are you thinking you'll have one just because you have "been advised by numerous people to have a weapon on board "just in case""? We don't carry any firearms and have never felt uncomfortable. My parents began full-timing in 1973 and didn't have a firearm and never felt uncomfortable, and still don't. I don't know about state laws but bear in mind that nearly all National Parks have laws against having operational weapons in your possession while in the park.

Wendy
Pahrump, Nevada

 

[Ned]

If we ever found ourselves in a place where we thought we might need a weapon, we'd leave as fast as we could.  We have never carried any weapons in our RV and never felt the need for one.  Also, if you ever intend to cross over into Canada or Mexico, you'll have to leave the weapon behind.

 

[smokeater1]

Much better to have one, be trained and prepared to use it, than wish you had one if the need arises.
There are several was to legally a safely carry a side arm with you in your RV most places you go.
IMHO.  This is a personal decision everyone has to make.

 

[Karl]

Charlie,
If you click on the Advanced Search link on the top of the page, and enter "firearms" (without the quotes), you'll get links to several posts about firearms in rv's. This subject has been talked about many times, and all manner of opinions have been expressed. May prove helpful to read some of them.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Include me in those that don't carry a firearm in the RV, though we do in fact have a .22 rifle at our home base.  I see no need whatsoever to carry one and, as Ned says, if I thought I needed one I wouldn't be out there in the first place. And we camp everywhere and anywhere - not just in upscale, well patrolled campgrounds.

But some people choose to have guns onboard and if you do so, you  will want to have this book because state laws vary widely and local laws prevail:

2007 Travelers Guide To The Firearms Laws in the 50 States

And you will not be able to bring a handgun or ammunition into either Canada or Mexico under any circumstances or conditions. You can get a permit to bring a long gun in Canada, though.

 

[UK-RV]

If you are going to carry a gun in your RV, it would be a good idea to put a big and clear warning sign on each side of your vehicle.

Hopefully it would scare off the criminals, but more importantly, it would allow us to park further away from you as we don't want the bullet coming thru the thin wall of our RV !!

We're from a Country where you're not allowed (99.9% of people) to carry weapons so you would think we'd be a little more concerned within the USA where everyone seems to be "carrying", but we have NEVER felt threatened whilst travelling 28,000 miles around the USA over the last 12 months.

Paul

 

[Ray D]

Charlie:

I?m going to second Karl, in this case. There are some threads that have dealt with this issue and reasonably well. Some have for the most part avoided political issues. It?s generous and thoughtful that folks have avoided political comments, for the most part, on those threads. I, for one, appreciate it.  I think that if you have a specific question or concern, you could probably post to one of those threads, appropriately, and get more light, less heat.

I would suggest either or both of these. Both deal specifically with your question and have a lot of good information. There are others.

http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php?topic=5593.0

http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php?topic=5667.0

If you are interested in detailed/technical issues - what type of firearm or ammo, tactics, etc - I would suggest a firearms forum for that. You won?t escape the political side, there, but the detailed technical information is available from experts and quite a few of them camp, hunt and fish and/or own RVs. I would suggest one or both of these:

http://www.thefiringline.com/

http://thearmedcitizen.net/forums/index.php?s=[


You will get quick and courteous assistance, re: firearms issues,  much the same as here, re: RV issues.

The Best, (IMHO) for reasonably current and accurate information on the more than 20,000 firearms laws, National, State, and local try:

http://www.packing.org/

Ray D  ;D

BTW, I'm not part of the committee, but welcome to the forum. Glad to see you. Congratulations on your soon to be "full time" status. Wish I was there! Lots of very helpful RV experts here!  ;D

Need to go doctor my tongue. I bit it!  :

 

[Dan Walters]

Charlie,

First of all, welcome to the RV forum.  Feel free to ask questions, participate in discussions or offer advice on whatever your expertise is.

Second, congratulations to you and your wife on going full-time.  My wife and I are still a few years away, but we hope to do the same thing after retiring.  I know you will have many great adventures full-timing in your RV.

Third, I second what Ray D wrote to you in his response.  Not everyone thinks you should NEVER carry a gun under ANY circumstances.  That is their opinion, which they are entitled to, but not everyone feels that way.  If you and your wife are more comfortable carrying a handgun with you on your travels, then by all means do so.  But, as others have said, be sure you do it safely and in accordance with the laws of our land.  The safety part comes from what you said you would do, and that is to get properly trained and licenced to carry a handgun and then practice with it as often as possible.  The legal part comes from knowing what the individual state laws are concerning carrying a hadgun in your travels.  The book that Gary mentioned and the  links that Ray D provided are excellent sources to research that information, and I urge you to look at all of those sources.

Again, welcome, congratulations, and happy travels!

Dan

 

[jhansen1951]

I'm new here and new to the idea of RV'ing in general.  On the other hand, I spent 26 years working as a paramedic and some of those also being a cop.  I personally do not leave home unarmed and consider it cheap life insurance.  As for state to state travel, research the places you will go and get the scoop on local laws.  Finally, I'd suggest a good pump shotgun instead of a handgun.  Hope I didn't step on anybody's toes.

John

 

[Charlie M]

Thank you all for the feed back on whether to carry a weapon or to not.  Based on all that I have read it does not make sense to have one.  If you have to tear down a pistol to the point of being useless, what good would it do you if it is needed "now".  We are 62 and have never felt the need or desire to this point.  Like I had said, some people suggested it.  I guess we will hit the road gunless.  Everyone can now sleep soundly knowing they are safe, at least from us.

 

[Smoky]

I think Don said it best ... there is no hard and fast rule. 

It depends on so many things, including your own experience and comfort, your willingness to change your "carry" method from state to state, the kind of traveling you plan to do ... for example isolated boondocking vs. regulated campgrounds.

Personally I am wary when people say you either must or must not carry.

One caveat, you can RV for a lifetime and not need a weapon on board.  And then just ONCE in that lifetime it might be too late to regret not having one within reach.

I am like many others here.  We have never had an incident that even approaches the need for a handgun, and we often boondock and stay in areas that others often question regarding security.  But I do feel comfortable with the fact that I received personal one-on-one training on how to use a handgun in home and family protection situations.  It is a responsibility and you have to be vigilant in meeting changing regulations from state to state and vigilant in safety and vigilant in refresher training.

The thing that worries Sharon and I most as RVers is the ever increasing violence occurring in this country.  Things are not the way they were 30 years ago, or even 5 years ago.  Judging this issue by examining the past is not very logical.  We embraced RVing as a way to leave some of the urban violence behind us.  (We formerly lived in the DC-MD-VA area, the land of civilian snipers and drug killings.)  But now even here in Arizona, we hesitate to turn on the evening news.

 

[precloading]

It is not a problem crossing into Canada with a long gun. You have to pay 25.00 I believe for a temporary license. I think it is a good idea to have a shotgun along. We do have bears up here, and they can and will make a nuisance of themselves. They have been known to break into trailers. You have to keep it locked up in Canada when left unattended. I have been around guns my whole life and find it humerous to read some of these posts, but I guess if you have never enjoyed target shooting it is understandable. We are often afraid of things we are unfamiliar with.

 

[Smoky]

precloading:

On locking up the shotgun... will a trigger lock suffice, or does the gun have to be enclosed?

 

[precloading]

Trigger locked and out of sight, when you are not in the motor home or trailer it also must be locked.