Written by
Amber Hobert
Published on
July 9, 2024
Fulltime RVers have a lot of needs while on the road and always wish they could meet these needs without much hassle. For example, we all like the idea of personally receiving our mail and packages. This may, however, seem impossible when you are traveling across the country for months. So, you may find it convenient to put your mail on hold or have your family members or friends collect it for you.
If you put your mail on hold, it will pile up at the post office, and you may miss important mail that requires your immediate action. Involving your family members or friends may compromise your privacy. These anxieties kill the thrill of the generally enjoyable slow-paced RVing lifestyle.
How then do you enjoy your outdoor lifestyle in an RV and also personally get your mail and packages wherever you are? Signing up for mail forwarding services is convenient for receiving your mail while living in an RV.
This article will help you understand what RV mail forwarding is, including the process and the benefits of signing up if you are RVing fulltime.
If you understand what RV mail forwarding is and how it works, you will be ready to hit the road in an RV for your new adventure without worrying about how you will receive your mail. So, what is RV mail forwarding, and how does it work?
RV mail forwarding refers to mail forwarding services offered by commercial mail receiving agencies (CMRA) to individuals who are RVing fulltime.
It is a fast and easy way for individuals without a permanent residential address, such as those who travel in recreational vehicles (RVs), trailers, etc., to receive all their mail and packages wherever they are.
Commercial Mail Receiving Agencies receive your mail on your behalf and send it to you wherever you are. CMRAs charge an annual fee for your mail forwarding account and bill you for every mail sent to you based on how much it weighs and the type of service selected. You can opt for several mail forwarding options, including shredding junk mail to reduce the volume of mail you receive and save money.
Mail forwarding is a convenient way to ensure your mail and packages are delivered to you wherever you are.
If any of the following statements describe you, then you need to sign up for mail forwarding:
• You are a fulltime RVer who cannot receive mail in time through your permanent residential address
• You are constantly traveling and wish to maintain your connection with family and friends
• You are a traveler who wants to keep their residential address private
• You are busy and have no time to sort out all of your mail
• You are traveling abroad and would not wish your mail to pile up at the post office
• You are not a permanent resident of the state you currently live in
• You are a digital nomad
RV mail forwarding is only one of the many needs you may have while traveling full-time. Your other needs as a fulltime RVer may include:
• Where to register your vehicle, motorhomes or RVs
• The need to maintain your residency
• The need to keep your driver's license current
• Where to get auto or health insurance
If you are an RVer planning to visit or tour South Dakota, you may be interested in the services offered by RV mail forwarders operating here. CMRAs registered in south Dakota provide the following RV mail forwarding plans:
• Digital mail accounts
• Physical mail forwarding
• Junk mail shredding
• Mail scanning
• On-demand mail forwarding
When signing up for RV mail forwarding, choose one or multiple plans depending on your needs.
This service allows you to receive your mail digitally through a secure online account. Your mail forwarder scans mail upon receiving it. The scanned copy is then uploaded to your online account, and you can view it from anywhere in the world. This online account also allows you to change your contact information whenever your location changes while RVing.
This service allows you to receive a hard copy of your mail anywhere any time. Because you will always be at different places while traveling, you need to ensure you can receive your mail anywhere without losing it. Whenever your location changes, log in to your digital account and change the address to match your current location.
This option saves you from having annoying junk mails forwarded to you. Junk mails may include coupons, sales notices, among other unnecessary mail. With your permission, your RV mail forwarding service provider will shred all junk mail and not pass any of it to you.
This service option enhances your privacy. You can always decide which mail is scanned for digital forwarding and which should be forwarded to you in hard copy.
RV mail forwarding plans from some agents may also include:
• Notifications for mails received and forwarded
• Mail tracking numbers
If you are a fulltime RVer, one of the things you may want to take care of is how to get your mail while living in an RV. There is an option to put your mail on hold or have members of your family or friends collect it for you.
These options are, however, not viable, considering that you may be away for many months. The most convenient way is to register with a CMRA in a state of your choice, and you will be able to receive your mail wherever you go.
CMRAs have an account setup process that is easy to complete and affordable to maintain.
The steps in organizing the logistics of receiving your mail while traveling include:
• Selecting your preferred RV mail forwarder
• Choosing an RV mail forwarding plan that suits you
• Completing a signup form
• Getting your account
If you live in the United States, you have the freedom to choose any state to be your domicile state. You may have many residencies but can only have one domicile state. So, it is important to cut all ties with your current state when you transition to your new domicile state.
States may look for property, vehicle registration, your driver's license, voter registration and employment records when claiming you for tax or census purposes. Ensure you cut all these ties where possible.
Deciding which RV mail forwarder will be receiving all your mail for forwarding is an important step in setting up your RV mail forwarding account. Ensure you choose a mail forwarder who will accept to receive all your mail in one specific location.
Remember that the state where your mail forwarder’s offices are located, is where you can establish domicile. Therefore, you need to choose wisely. The states of South Dakota, Florida and Texas are domicile friendly to fulltime RVers.
Most people who love RV life find it easy to establish and maintain domicile in any of these three states. There are also many CMRAs established in these states that you can sign up with to process your mail and forward it to you while you are traveling.
Once you find a suitable agent, choose the plans that suit your RVing needs. You may consider the following when choosing your RV mail forwarding plan:
• If you will need your mail scanned and digitally sent to you or just physically mailed to you
• Whether you would like to be notified when your mail is received and forwarded by your agent
• The mail forwarding frequency as you need to figure out if you will want your mail stored or sent out frequently
• If you want your forwarder to shred your junk mail rather than have it all sent to you
There cannot be a one-size-fits-all plan with all these options, and you may need to select multiple plans for convenience.
The fees paid vary depending on the RV mail forwarder pricing and policies. The billing can be weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, or annually.
Generally, the amount you pay for opening and maintaining your mail forwarding account will include:
• Postal deposit
• Plan fees
• Setup fee
You pay for every mailing sent to you, and billing is based on the weight and type of service. Every time mail is sent to you, money is deducted from your postal deposit. You will always have to replenish the account when it runs low.
Allowing your mail forwarding agent to shred your junk mail could be one way to reduce mail sent to you, hence saving money.
There are two concerns when it comes to getting your mail from RV mail forwarder:
• Getting one physical street address that all your mails will be sent to before forwarding to wherever you are
• Having an address for receiving your mail from your mail forwarder
The RV mail forwarding agent you sign up with will issue you with a physical street address. This is a street address associated with your account. This address also constitutes your first step of establishing domicile in the state where the agent office is located. In addition to facilitating your mail delivery, you can use this address to get auto insurance, register your vehicles, get a driver's license, and register to vote.
When travelling, your RV mail forwarder will receive all your mail on your behalf through the physical street address assigned to you. If you signed up for notification plan, you will be notified that your mail has been received. You will then give instructions either by phone call, email, or online request to let your forwarder know where to send your mail.
This brings in another important step, which is choosing your mail forwarding address.
Once your agent has assigned you a physical street address for all your mail, it is time to figure out what your mail forwarding address will be. If you are an RVer who will always be on the road, this may be a little tricky. Travelers who take weeks or months in one destination find it less stressful to receive their forwarded mail.
Generally, your mail can be forwarded to you through any of the following options:
• RV park offices
• The local post office by general delivery
RVers who stay in RV parks or campgrounds with a mail center can receive their forwarded packages or mails through the park.
It is easier to have your mail forwarded to a local post office in the area you plan to visit. When using this option to receive your mail, you should verify the following:
• The actual location of the post office
• That the name in your mail/package matches the name on your driver's license
• How long the post office will hold the mail
• If they accept general delivery
General delivery option is suitable under the following circumstances:
• Where RV parks do not allow guests to receive mail through the park
• When you decide to stay outside RV parks or campgrounds
If you are an RVer who wants to avoid getting a physical street address from mail forwarding agents, the following alternatives will work for you:
• Using family members and friends to forward your mail
• Using USPS mail forwarding services
• Using Amazon locker to receive your packages
You can have a family member receive, sort, and forward your mail to your desired location. You can also use the address of a friend to receive your mail. Once they receive and sort your mail, they can ship it to your location. Using family members or friends may compromise your privacy.
This option allows you to change your address through the post whenever you move to a new location. You put your mail on hold and change the address to match the new location you plan to visit.
You need a lot of time when preparing to use USPS mail forwarding services, and you can easily make errors.
It is convenient to use Amazon locker if you are ordering an item from Amazon. Secure Amazon lockers spread out across most US cities allow you to ship packages and access them using a unique passcode.
Amazon will hold your package in their lockers for only three days, which might be inconvenient.
RV mail forwarding has become increasingly popular because it meets the unique needs of RVers. The following are some of the benefits you will enjoy when you choose to use an RV mail forwarder for your mail:
• Gives you peace of mind while enjoying your outdoor lifestyle
• Your mail gets to you wherever you are
• You do not need to put your mail on hold
• Provides safe and secure mail handling
• Eliminates annoying junk mail
• Reduces mail piling at the post office
• Eliminates the need to bother your family members or friends to handle your mail
• Only few people handle your mail to ensure your privacy is protected
• Some mail forwarding agent offices are within proximity of RV parks, which makes mail delivery convenient
• You can ship RV parts and have your RV fixed wherever you are
• RV mail forwarding agents rarely change their addresses, making them reliable for your long-term mail forwarding needs
• RV mail forwarding agents are flexible and will allow you to change your address to match the different places you will always be at any given time of your travel
Getting your mail while traveling is one of the challenges of being a full-time traveler. It really feels good to know that you can enjoy caravanning all year round across the country and still receive your mail personally.
RV mail forwarding agents have simplified the logistics of RV life. DakotaPost is a reputable service provider in the mail forwarding industry in South Dakota. If you care about the latest technology, excellent customer service, and fair pricing, you might want to consider them for your RV mail forwarding needs.