The States Again
Salamander
Wed 14 Nov 2018 04:27
Is 2 weeks long enough to doeverything? We cannot book storage unless the vehicle is there nadinsured. We cannot insure it unless they know where it is going to begaraged. AN impossible conundrum to start with. So, in the hire carwe turn up and manage to get a sort of agreement that we are bookedin, but not really booked in because they can't do the paperworkwithout any insurance, but now we have an address to give theinsurer. Next stop the dealership to make sure the vehicle is OK andsuitable. Staying overnight in LasVegas, then onto the dealership –oh, just need to sort out the registration address first, so pop intoUPS Store for a mailbox address, which we have been told (on an RVinternet forum!) is OK.
Vehicle is great, except for a lightfitting and two engine warning lights(!) which they assure us areminor, have to send the vehicle to Dodge to get a sensor replaced So, we try to wire the money, but do not receive a confirmationemail. Blaming it on slow internet we leave the dealership to go toour room. Instead of an email we have been locked out of our accountand it is 1 o'clock in th emorning UK time. Finally we get thorugh onthe telephone to find we have been locked out for our ownsecurity..................hmm, very secure if we can't spend our ownmoney. Murray needed Caroline's assistance as the security questionswere both difficult and numerous. Finally, back intoour account, butthe transaction cannot be processed as it is over their daily limitaaargh (the limit is a security measure, so they don't tell you aboutit in advance!). Muray persuades them to override this limit and thetransfer goes thorugh, with a 0-4 day process time.
Going back tothe dealership, we phone to put our pre-arranged insurnce on risk,only to be told that although the system will quote for non-USdriving licenses, it won't issue a policy until we have one. Now wehave storage, have bought an RV, but have no insurance – oh shit!The dealership contact their broker and after 4 hours the naswer is'no', this time because they won't insure a household which only ownsan RV, we need to buy another car! After we sit for another 2 hoursthey manage to override this requirement – yet another seeminglyimpossible situation sorted out, although our premium is shockinglyhigh. Now we have toregister the vehicle, verify the VIN andhopefully will have a week left for touring.
The DMV do the VINcheck on the spot and we use an agent for $80 to get the registrationcompleted as the DMV always has a several hours long queue.
So, weown an RV, have a USA address, obtained a US bank account and plan tospend about ½ a year in the States.
