Where Am I From? - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Hina · RV-Dreams Family Member

Where Am I From?

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

I always tell them .....it depends on the season and available parking space!!!!!

53 Merc · RV-Dreams Family Member

Answer like I do, No place in particular. I was oil field trash when growing up, went to 5 different high schools my freshman year. One school twice, but did not count that. Yesterday I was from (fill in the blank as you choose) and let it go at that. Always starts a conversation, which was the intention of the initial question. So, it they look friendly or at least reasonably so, continue the conversation.

el Rojo and Pam · RV-Dreams Family Member

Wow. Never thought of it like that. Being Texas born and Texas raised I'll always be from Texas. But my wife on the other hand always moved because her dad worked for the government.

I guess she has the same problem.

Looking forward to the answers on this.

Red

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

We've had some of the same questions, but lately we've been telling people that our residence is in South Dakota, however, home is where ever the rig is parked. Once we tell them we're full time RV'ers they seem to better understand that.

Loretta · RV-Dreams Family Member

We had some of the same questions. I would have to agree with Ruth, home is where we are parked. EX: yesterday morning we were from Palm Desert and today we are from Phoenix. I LOVE this life! Most of the time though, I will just say I am from all over, America!

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

I get that question alot while Im working at a show or flea market....I normally put my awning out and set up shop under it...when people ask I just point back at the RV and say right there....where else could one go home ,to work and on vacation at one time.

most of those that ask are caught up in the world of stick & brick......they just smile and say they wish they could do it.....(I would love to tell them how easy it really is but why give out a good secret!!)

Neil and Connie · RV-Dreams Family Member

Answer: Wherever we're parked this week.

WestWardHo · RV-Dreams Family Member

We say "everywhere" and you're right it's a great conversation starter.

Sherry

MarkS · RV-Dreams Family Member

The USA, born and raised. Spent time in six states and two foreign countries, three depending on how you count California.

Dog Folks · RV-Dreams Family Member

Answer Quickly and without thought:

What is your hometown?

Use that one.

That's what we do and it makes things so much easier.

Hina · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks for the feedback; I've been pointing to the RV and saying "There! We are fulltime!" Most people seem envious! I may mix it up a little... "We are from Crypton". We are "children of the Universe". We are neither here nor there....

injunear · RV-Dreams Family Member

We say we're from KY but we now live in IN. I was born in Ohio, my family is from southeastern KY. Lived in five states went to 8 schools. The DW calls me a Kentucky hillbilly, but really we're briar hopper.

Wayne

sologal · RV-Dreams Family Member

"God's green acres", is always a good one if you want to continue the conversation.

ClassicRoadTrip · RV-Dreams Community Member

Just a heads up even though it is fun to say we are where we are parked the question and answer do have legal implications. You answer that question wrong to the wrong person and it can bring all kinds of legal pains.

SnowGypsy · RV-Dreams Family Member

I have been moving for over 30 years now, almost 40 on a fairly regular basis. I tell people "I grew up in Michigan and have been moving around since I left." I think you can throw just about any state out there because it is a lot like the "weather questions", just making conversation.

Hina · RV-Dreams Family Member

Road Trip, what kind of legal pains?

ClassicRoadTrip · RV-Dreams Community Member

I will use just two simple examples but the legal implications are actually many that most RVers do not see or know unless they find themselves in one.

The following examples of two situations that happened to real RVers.

A fulltime family with Residency established in Texas and two homeschooled kids was Rving in the State of New York. In the running school year they took a drive into New York City to do the typical tourist thing while at a pizza place the husband an wife crossed the street to buy some things at a store and left the 16 year old and the 13 year old playing on an arcade machine inside the pizza place a beat cop stopped in to buy a slice and asked the kids why they where not in school they said they where homeschooled he asked them where they lived they answered in an RV see where this is going? To make a really really long two week ordeal short this ended with 15k in legal fees and 2 days with kids in social services while the lawyers had them returned to parents while proving residency in Texas and fighting the state of New York of mandatory schooling because they had been in the state more than 60 continues days and because of the state social services where worried about the well being of the minors being "homeless".

While talking to the family this happened they said that in the future the lawyers told them to teach the kids that if a ridiculous situation like this ever happened again if they where asked where they where from to say Texas and they are homeschooled and in vacation. They now are very informed to which states to go and visit in school year and the local laws with homeschooling they said that they will be staying away from New York for now lol

The second is also a New York story while at Virginia I met a retired couple that spent 4 months in New York Rving they are escapees and the state of Residency is South Dakota and I do not have all the details on exactly how all this went about but according the gentleman while at New York he was asked where he was from he replied from New York because this is where he was born and where he lived most of his adult life this answer and the fact they had been in New York 4 months ended up him and his wife having to fight a personal income tax bill from the state of New York now again I do not have the full details of how exactly this came about but the reason I know of this is because when we met he asked me where we where from and we had just started our fulltiming and I answered we are from where we park and he immediately said ohhhh you really do not want to be saying that if you are fulltimers you always want to answer you are from the state of residency and you are vacationing because of the legal implications.

After these stories I took that time and researched how this could be a problem and again because we are talking about legal matters and I am not giving legal advice it is up to each RVer to do his or her homework but in my research these are some areas that depending on what state you are at and what state is your legal residence these are some things that can easily become legal nightmares.

Taxes
Homeschooling
Health Insurance
Car Insurance
Firearms
RV weight and length (Double Towing)

and more.....

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

this is the part most people dont understand....

Miranda Warning.......

You have the right to remain silent....ANYTHING You Say,CAN and Will Be held Against you in a Court of Law..

Any information you Volunteer prior to a Warning is admissible until proven otherwise......

Remember....if you said it ,it must be true!!!

And you are protected in our court systems.....You will be treated as Guilty unless you and the Expensive law Firm you hire can prove otherwise...

Of course the chances of any of this happening to you is right up there with your Refrigerator in your coach catching fire.........it could happen , but more like it wont!!

ClassicRoadTrip · RV-Dreams Community Member

Mike you could have not said it better!!!!!

Technomadia · RV-Dreams Family Member

We usually answer with..... Define 'from'?

Sometimes folks want to know where we grew up, where we're domiciled, where we're parked today. We like to invite conversation if we can to encourage thinking outside the box, and also try to be clear to avoid any potential legal issues.

- Cherie

Hina · RV-Dreams Family Member

Wow RoadTrip, sounds like New York is the place to avoid! I'm not sure of my residency, I guess since I registered the RV in Carson City, I'm from Carson City? Or is it Pahrump NV, because that's may mailing address? Guess I gotta figure this out for the "affordable care" thing too.

Technomadia, yeah, most people at the RV parks are cool, just trying to make conversation. Grew up in AZ, spent 20 years in CA, now in NV. I can tell when someone is probing and digging, if someone seems a little too interested in the fine details, guess it's time to roll it in.

Mike, wisdom as usual.

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

your residency would be the physical address that is on your drivers lic. and registration.............and definitely the one you used to file your taxes

SnowGypsy · RV-Dreams Family Member

For anyone that does homeschool, they need to understand the laws involved. I more than bent the law on that with my son with DS when we were full-timing and did a little this and that to avoid the state laws where we were staying long term. I don't much like government in my business. I would just keep conversations with people that I didn't know well very general and stick with "I grew up.........and I have moved around." I never like anyone asking me a lot of personal questions. You have people that might not agree with your lifestyle or something about you. Change the subject.