Week 650 - How do you get mail and packages? - 01-27-2019

How do you get mail and packages?

Another week in Yuma at Rancho Rialto RV Resort.

One of the first questions Full Time Travel Wannabes ask is "How do you get mail and packages?". First, we need to define full time travel. Most of the full time RV travelers we have met, no longer travel frequently. They did, in the first two years, travel everywhere: many or all states and maybe Canada. But after the first few years, they "settle in" in a couple of their favorite places. We even met one couple just this week, who will live in their RV at a single location for the entire year.

For either of these, the one or two location "full timers", receiving mail is simple. Your establish one location as your primary address. In the second half of the year, you can have the U.S. Post Office forward your mail to the second location. Note that the primary address must be in your domicile state. Your domicile state is where you file your state and federal taxes (more on your domicile state in a future travelogue).

If your two favorite locations are not in your domicile state or your travel throughout the year as we do, you will need a "mailing service". We travel "paperless". The only mail we need is our annual vehicle license tags and cards: club cards, driver's license, credit cards, auto club cards, any type of card that you must present in person.

Your mailing service could be a friend or family or a commercial service. Commercial services are priced from $100/year and up. With these services you can request a mail "bundle" to be sent to you at your next location. The location can be an RV park, a house you are visiting or a U.S. Post Office General Delivery. Be aware that General Delivery goes to a specific post office in a city with more than one post office. You must send the mail to that designated post office.

Many commercial companies offer digital service. They scan all of your mail and send you email or texts to let you know you have mail. You can then log in and see your mail and choose to "Send", "Shred" or "Save" for each item.

We have "resided" in California, South Dakota, Texas, Arizona and then back to California. In South Dakota we used YourBestAddress.com and enjoyed the service. In Texas we used RV club Escapees.com and liked their service as well. In California and Arizona we used family members, which is the best! However, it does put a burden on them, for which we are eternally grateful.

What about packages? Of course packages could be sent to your mailing service and then they can ship it on to you. But, this will cause you to have to pay for shipping twice. In this age of "order everything online", you wouldn't want to pay twice. Traveling as we do, you need to plan your online purchases carefully. We arrived in Yuma a week ago and immediately ordered items we needed. As we are here for a month, we have time to received all packages. You need to find out the receiving policies for the park you are at.

Some parks receive all packages at a central location and you go there to pick them up. Others will have UPS or Fedex deliver to your lot number. However, today when you order an item, it might first be shipped by a carrier like UPS, but the final leg of the journey could be handed off to the U.S. Postal Service. Usually you can track the package and see who the final carrier is.

Another pickup location for Amazon orders is an Amazon Locker. You can find Locker locations online. When you item is shipped you will receive a confirmation email with the location and access code. Once the item arrives, go to the location and enter the code on the digital display. The door opens and your package is happy to see you.

Next week we'll answer "What's your favorite place?" Until then, we'll keep playing pickleball and keep praying for pain relief.

With love, Pete, Ellen and Mandy

Photos from January 2019