Home is where you park it. The government would like an address.
The paperwork nobody puts on Instagram: picking a home state, getting your mail, and choosing Medicare that travels.
This is the least romantic page on the site.
It may also be the most important.
Get the paperwork right, and the road gets a lot smoother.
Get it wrong, and you find out in a clinic three states from your plan.
The domicile game
Your domicile is your legal home state. It still matters when your house has wheels.
It affects:
- where you vote
- where you register the vehicle
- your insurance
- jury duty
- which Medicare plans you can get
The popular three
South Dakota. Texas. Florida.
All three have no state income tax. That's a big part of why they're popular with nomads.
Want the long version?
The CheapRVliving channel's video "How to Get a Legal Address While Living in a Van" walks through it.
Where does the mail go?
Mail-forwarding services give you a real address and send your mail to wherever you are.
Escapees Mail Service, based in Livingston, Texas, has addresses in Texas, South Dakota and Florida. South Dakota and Florida mail is forwarded through Livingston at $1 per piece.
What it costs:
- $125, $145 or $175 a year, by category
- plus $50 enrollment and a $50 postage deposit
- first year: $225 to $275
- scanning: $10 a month or $100 a year
A note on names: in July 2024, Harvest Hosts acquired the membership side of the Escapees RV Club. Escapees Mail Service stayed independent.
Medicare that travels
Here's the part that catches people.
Medicare Advantage plans have county-based service areas. Emergency and urgent care are covered when you're away. Routine care out of the area generally is not.
That's a problem when you live everywhere.
It can be a problem at home, too. South Dakota, a favorite nomad domicile, has 15 counties with no individual Medicare Advantage plans.
Original Medicare plus Medigap is accepted nationwide by any provider that takes Medicare. That's why many full-timers choose it.
The timing that matters most
Medigap has a guaranteed-issue window.
- A 6-month open enrollment period starts when you first enroll in Part B.
- If you leave Medicare Advantage within its first year, federal law gives you a trial right to buy Medigap.
- Outside those windows, insurers may look at your health history before they sell you a policy.
The takeaway:
Choose your Medicare path at 65, before you go nomadic.
We honestly believe that this lifestyle will lengthen our lives and has definitely improved our quality of life.Bill & Deb, I Ride Tiny House Adventures
Insurance
Full-timer insurance is not weekend insurance.
When the RV is your home, you need liability coverage that treats it like one. A recreational policy may not.
Tell your agent you live in it. Get it in writing.
