Too good to be true?

[Stefano]

You didn't say what state your relatives live in, as that will make a lot of difference in the sales taxes and registration fees paid.

Hi Kirk,
We have relatives in Atlanta, Boston and San Francisco, but we'll start our trip in Atlanta.

The Montana mail service looks OK but isn't one that I have ever heard of. You might find it much easier to use your relative's address as it can be difficult to open bank accounts here using a mail service, while your relative's address would not have that issue. It would also mean that when you leave the US you could give your relative the legal power to sell the RV for you, thus relieving you of the rush to get it sold before you leave.

Wouldn't it be possible to do it anyway if we sign the title before leaving?

I agree with both of the two posts above that the use of an NRIA inspector would be far better than the Lemon Squad. Another RV inspector certification that is valid is NRVTA.

Thank you for this additional information!

 

[Kirk]

but we'll start our trip in Atlanta.

Georgia has a Title Ad Valorem tax of 7% on all used car sales. Like new cars, the amount taxed is based on the fair market value. I believe that also applies to a motorized RV. You should probably check with your relatives to verify this.

Wouldn't it be possible to do it anyway if we sign the title before leaving?

It would probably work with a Montana title but for sure it would if you leave it with your relatives in the state of registration. I would not leave a signed title with someone like an RV salesman, however.

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

OP Welcome to the Forum

So far you received a lot of good information from your original question.

Regarding the RVIA seal, they don't mean anything to me, they are an industry standard that works for the Mfgs, not the end consumer. Useless in my experience and opinion.

Also from experience, there is no such thing as a non-negotiable price. This is even more true when buying an RV during the winter months. RV's in the U.S. all have high asking prices, new or used, that are falsely set based often on the inability to find accurate price figures like those that are readily available in the U.S. auto industry. Negotiate.

A generator may be your best friend when traveling around the U.S. You can stop and park overnight, and in the Western states multiple nights for free and still have an electrical connection to run your lights, fridge, TV, keep the batteries charged, and anything run by electricity. Look up the ongoing thread on this Forum talking about parking overnight in Walmart parking lots. RV'ers here do this at big box stores, church parking lots, and restaurants that encourage it (Cracker Barrel).

As far as size comments go, one of the first things I told my wife when we were shopping for our first RV 17 years ago was "Honey, it's not always nice outside when camping".You will be starting your journey in January which means cold wet weather in many parts of the U.S., even the normal warm weather areas of the country such as Southern states, or the American West/Southwest. Going up to a 27-28 ft Class C would make a huge difference.

Don't worry about where you can go with a 24-31 ft Class C in the U.S. Remember, everything in the U.S. is huge compared to Europe. Our roads are spacious, and our parks, are places to see and go to. E Our campgrounds are huge, especially if they are operated by a government agency such as county parks, state parks, national parks, and C.O.E.(Army Corps of Engineers) campgrounds. I have watched a couple of RV YouTuber videos (Traveling Robert and Endless Adventure) of camper vanning in Europe and yikes some of the roads are narrow. You could drive a 30 ft C right through NY City or LA.

Keep in touch with The Forum now, and later when your adventures begin.