Domicile etc

[SnooMc]

Hey Nice Airstream folks,

We've made the decision to sell the house and go full-time, likely this summer. We still have to buy the AS and the TV (because the set-up we have will not work for full-time) and sell the house. We're residents of Colorado, and the simplest (but not cheapest) option is to register the new AS/TV here and pay $$$$$.

Question: we have time before all the buying happens to run to South Dakota with our current little trailer and set up residency there.
Worth it? Advisable?

One problem I see is that if we wait till it's warmer to go north, and wait to sell the house until then - say, May or June - that puts us into the "high" season for AS prices.

Advice appreciated from those who have been there; done that (or not, if you considered and rejected the idea.)
Ranee

[uraljohn]

Contact "Americas Mailbox" in South Dakota. We were just at the Tampa RV show and picked up all the detailed info from the owner. He was at the booth answering questions. When we change domicile it will be with "Americas Mailbox. Check them out. One stop and all taken care of. Happy travels. There is a very good YouTube video about this company.

[Rounder44]

I'd check with Escapees!

I was considering keeping AZ or perhaps one of their suggestions.

Escapees has it all worked out for you!

W

[SnooMc]

Thanks, folks. It sounds like it might be worth it (although we realized we could buy the tv and the trailer and then have a month to register them, during which time we could run to SD.)
We don't ever plan on living in Colorado again - we'll come through to visit our families, of course - but it's too stinking cold here. Twenty-eight years in the military made us nomads anyway, with no real "home." Half the reason we are going full-time is to figure out where we DO want to settle down, eventually.

[Rocinante]

Escapees is good, and with them you can domicile in TX or FL. We use St. Brendan’s Isle in FL, and they will help you establish FL domicile.

If you’re buying ACA health insurance, be sure to investigate those options as well when choosing your domicile.

[Adventure.AS]

If you are planning on buying a new Airstream summer isn't the 'high season', it is now. This is because of the RV shows and the length of time it takes to have your new trailer built. I would also expect that the interest in used trailers starts now too.

[SnooMc]

Ray B, would you suggest waiting till fall then? We can do that...just have to put off selling the house for a little bit, or suck it up and live in our Outback (although, we'd like to sell the Outback in the "high" season also.)

[Adventure.AS]

Originally Posted by SnooMc

Ray B, would you suggest waiting till fall then? We can do that...just have to put off selling the house for a little bit, or suck it up and live in our Outback (although, we'd like to sell the Outback in the "high" season also.)

Some dealers keep an inventory of trailers for sale, but may not have the floor plan that you want. If you have to order a trailer it can take several months for delivery. You can often negotiate a reasonable price now for a future delivery. If you are a strong negotiator you may be able to get a good deal now, rather than waiting and be able to enjoy a summer season camping.

If I was in your position I would talk with dealers now as you never know until you ask how good a deal you can make. And find someone you are comfortable with and a dealership that has a good reputation for after sales service (and there are many). You don't have to buy at the closest dealership now as the Airstream can be serviced at any dealer or you can always take it in to Jackson Center, OH where it was made.

Don't be afraid to travel across the country or even in to Canada to get the best deal. As you know with the exchange rate your money might go further in Canada and dealers such as Can-Am in London Ontario have sold lots of units going back in to the USA. When we bought our trailer we thought we could get a better deal buying in the USA and importing ourselves, but after getting several quotes we were able to secure the best deal from Can-Am, about 100 miles away. They are experts at setting up hitches on all kinds of TVs from SUVs to vans and of course trucks. The last time I was in to Can-Am, a few months ago, they were setting up a brand new Porsche Cayenne with dealer tags from Texas so you could consider bringing your new TV to them when you pick up a trailer from them and enjoy touring Canada while here.

[SnooMc]

Ray B,
Thanks - we hadn't considered Canada (especially not THIS week!)

We're headed to our local dealer this week to see what they have...
Ranee

[Hyo Slvr]

I know when we were looking for our AS, we had a specific floor plan and colors in mind. The dealership didn't have it in stock. The dealer has 2 choices basically (short of dealer trade) order it from Jackson Center or ask the factory when the next unit you want is scheduled for build. It's more than likely going to another dealer so your rep needs to reach out to them and see if they're willing to let it go for another one later (unless it a customer order and not just going to be stock). I tried working w/2 different dealerships that only would order. We were told anywhere between 6 weeks and 3 months to take delivery. We ended up going with Nature & Me RV in Traverse City, MI. Even though it was a full days drive, it was worth it. Larry got us what we wanted and at the price we wanted in less than 4 weeks! We save 12K through him vs. the other 2 closer dealers. Give him a shout, I would buy from him again hands down!

[SnooMc]

Hyo Slvr - thanks - will keep that in mind as we look. We are *really* flexible as to the timing, so we have several options!

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by SnooMc

. . .
. . . or suck it up and live in our Outback . . .
. . .

Are you talking about two human beings living in a Subaru Outback?



Please clarify . . . thanks.

[SnooMc]

Otra 15 -
LOL, NO. We have a 24' Keystone Outback Terrain - we've lived in it for as much as two months at a time, but it's not really set up for full-timing.