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You don't really want a PO box but a full mail service that will provide you a legal street address and forward your mail to you in time increments you specify and pay for. I know full time truck drivers that use them because they are on the road most of the time and want to domicile in low tax states like Florida. If you have a PO box, somebody has to pick up the mail from it. And many states will not allow you to use that as a legal address.
The travel trailer is being loaned to us...so no cost to us as far as purchasing goes. We already have a PO Box (the home we've been renting is in city limits, which does not have home delivery service for mail)...we are keeping that same PO Box through the summer. I don't think the lack of a physical address is going to be a problem for us...I don't plan to tell my insurance company or my bank that we are "homeless" for 3 months. At the end of August, we will be moving out of the state and changing our physical address anyway.
Other than the legalities of mail, etc... sounds like the best advice is to downsize as much as possible as well as cook outside as much as I am able to.
I have found that downsizing is somewhat liberating .
Go to a hardware store and buy a roll of Reflectix. Cut out pieces to place between the blinds and the windows and in the roof vents. Even with AC it will struggle to keep the interior cool on hot days and Reflectix will make a big difference.
The travel trailer is being loaned to us...so no cost to us as far as purchasing goes. We already have a PO Box (the home we've been renting is in city limits, which does not have home delivery service for mail)...we are keeping that same PO Box through the summer. I don't think the lack of a physical address is going to be a problem for us...I don't plan to tell my insurance company or my bank that we are "homeless" for 3 months. At the end of August, we will be moving out of the state and changing our physical address anyway.
Other than the legalities of mail, etc... sounds like the best advice is to downsize as much as possible as well as cook outside as much as I am able to.
I have found that downsizing is somewhat liberating .
Since it's a travel trailer -- depending on how long it is, you might need extra room that a screen-tent would give -- you could set up a table for meals there and a tent big enough to have a chair and television for anyone who wants to get away from everyone else.
If you're moving away, it might be a good time to spend days off doing some camping-type things -- hikes, exploring the local sights that you didn't take time to see before. You might as well take advantage of the camping lifestyle.
OP, it is a bit like living on a boat. Everything must be stowed away the very second that you are finished with it.
Keeping a travel trailer organized is easy if you do it as you go along. Any slacking off will turn the trailer into a slum very quickly. A shirt on the floor in a house isn't much of a big deal. A shirt on the floor in a trailer has covered half your floor space in dirty laundry.
If that teen has not been well trained previously, you might have a tough time with her. However, that is not the fault of the travel trailer That is a parenting issue.
If you are staying in a trailer park, it is very likely that you can have mail delivered to their office. You can use the address of the park as your address.
I don't do a lot of reduction of meals when using my travel trailer, but there are different cooking techniques. You won't have all the cooking utensils, storage is greatly reduced. It is easier to do a lot of the cooking outdoors. If you cook something with strong smells, the odor will permeate the entire trailer and it will linger.
Yes, for a teen, a tent of her own with a cot and chair might be best -- and she can clutter it as she pleases and it wouldn't have to bother anyone. She could still sleep inside the trailer but have privacy. I think with teenagers, they need privacy, a place they can just be by themselves and be left alone.
If it were me, I'd probably have a screened porch for dining and sitting around and do most meals outdoors.
I don't do a lot of reduction of meals when using my travel trailer, but there are different cooking techniques. You won't have all the cooking utensils, storage is greatly reduced. It is easier to do a lot of the cooking outdoors. If you cook something with strong smells, the odor will permeate the entire trailer and it will linger.
Cooking outside with a Dutch Oven over firewood or charcoal is a learning experience. But fun
how does one deal with an indoor cat while hauling a travel trailer? I'm considering getting a Ford F-150 truck w/ a small trailer and have a well behaved cat. Do I keep her in the kennel during travel (4-8 hrs)? Do I allow her in the trailer while I haul it? Is that allowed? Do you keep the air conditioner on during travel (for pets?). Thanks for any advice.
I don't have a cat, but I camp with dogs. If you ever ride inside a trailer, the ride is extremely rough. Not a nice thing to do to your pet. The pets travel inside the vehicle with you and all pets should be contained in an airlines approved pet carrier while traveling.
The carrier is their seat belt if there is a wreck. They are less likely to be hurt and they won't run away if there is a wreck. The carrier prevents them from slipping out when you stop for gasoline.
If you travel with pets and kids, Before you drive off you verify that everyone is inside, every time that you stop for anything. Make it a habit.
At the campsite, a cat could be loose in the trailer while you are there, but probably should be placed into the carrier any time that the door will be opened. You don't want your cat getting lost in a strange location.
(I have portable fencing for my dogs, but that won't work for a cat)
how does one deal with an indoor cat while hauling a travel trailer?
If it were me I'd BBQ the cat on the first night and be free, but I understand that some people just love their pets, so I won't go there (oh wait I just did sorry).
Quote:
Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke
If you travel with pets and kids, Before you drive off you verify that everyone is inside, every time that you stop for anything. Make it a habit.
Yes this is very important. It's easy to drive off without everyone inside, especially if you have a self-contained motorhome. It's less of an issue pulling a travel trailer because everyone should be riding in the truck. Also, I always check and double check to make sure that the doors/hatches are locked and the step is up after any kind of stop. It's easy to get distracted and drive off with hatches open or even kids standing in an empty lot wondering why you just bailed on them (I did that once, I know).
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