Florida RV registration?

[Bagock]

Hi,

I'm hoping a fellow Canadian may have had success or experience with this.

We want to buy a travel trailer to use entirely in Florida. We tow our boat back and forth each year and want to have a trailer readily available down south.

Registering+insuring it in Canada and keeping it in Florida for longer than 6 months is a challenge, but more than 12 months isn't possible.

We're left with the option of trying to register and insure the trailer in Florida, which is fine, as we never plan to bring it back to Canada.

Insurance seems fairly straight forward and the DMV has verified that I can register with a Canadian license, but I need a Florida address and a few pieces of official mail (i.e. US bank account, mail from a government organization, etc.). Has anyone successfully gone through this process using Good Sam's mail service or any other providers? If so, any tips or reassurance is welcome.

[moonstone]

As I posted on another question. If you don't plan on moving the trailer why does it need to be plated/registered?
Many years ago my in-laws bought a used trailer (from a private individual) at a campground in St Augustine that also had a storage facility. The trailer never moved off the property so it was never plated. I seem to remember that dad didn't have an ownership/registration for the trailer since the people he bought it from were going to tell the DMV that the trailer was scrapped.

[silversand]

....we are researching buying a moderate-cost used trailer in Florida, leaving it parked on an RV site and using it as a home-base during winter snowbirding.

We understand that out of Staters who buy travel trailers in Florida (to use for snowbirding) use a Florida service called: America Home Base Inc (AHB), to set up a "street address" in Florida to register their camping trailer to; the American snowbirders who we have talked to who do this have it done through the RV dealership that they buy their trailers from. The following is the AHB price list for registering, titling, tagging a camping trailer in Florida (full service): here-->

....now, this brings up the question: ....how does a Canadian buyer of a travel trailer in Florida register, title and plate a trailer that will reside exclusively in Florida? Well, what I have been able to determine is that the Florida Dealership that the purchase is made at will be responsible for assisting the buyer with the registration and titling and plate....and that signing up with AHB for their mail service (on their website) will provide an address in Pensacola, FL.

Before registering and plating the trailer, insurance is a must. Insurance is 2 part: 1) the insurance part to cover the trailer while it is connected/hitched to the tow vehicle; and 2) the part of the insurance that is comprehensive...and make certain that the appropriate liability coverage level is gotten. Also, because snowbirding can be considered a long occupancy (6 months) and parked at the same RV site, some insurance companies may consider this "full timing"....this is another insurance rate.

That's about all I know, because we haven't consummated a buy in Florida as yet...the other avenue is buying a used trailer from a private individual. The reg, titling and plating to a foreign buyer from a private seller is an unknown to us at this time....

Anyhow, when you find out more, you can share it with us LOL!

[sljohnson1938]

sounds like you should contact an RV dealer in Florida and explain what your plans are and what needs to be done. they should be able to do all for you.

[Michelle_S]

A few years ago we purchased a new 5th Wheel from Lazy Days and was planning on transferring our New York tags from our trade to the new unit. Their Reg person said it could be reg in Florida with Florida tags while using our Rochester, New York address. Didn't need a Florida address or anything.

[BarbaraOK]

Are you going to have a particular site that you will use all of the time - if so, use that as your address if the park will allow it. Or are you going to store for the summer and travel in Florida for the winter, in that case look for a mail forwarder in Florida near where you will store the rig.

[kerrlakeRoo]

It doesnt sound that different than someone setting a domicile.
www.escapees.com
offers mail forwarding services for Florida as well as assistance in registrations and such. You will apparently have to pay a mail forwarder no matter how you do it, you may want to look for one that can help make everything else easier.