A pile of Danish questions

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Gunny said:
Maxine, there are so many scammers on Craigslist who will try and separate you from your money, I would not send a penny until you actually lay eyes on the RV.

Look on RV TRADER and check with some dealers there. I looked for both los angeles and las vegas and there were quite a few at or under $10,000. If you can find a dealer that has a unit like you want, email him and explain what you are doing. Again, don't send any money. A reputable dealer will try and sell you a unit, not steal your money.

If you find something of interest in california , call the dealer and ask him how to title it in Nevada. You still have plenty of time to find what you want. I'm sure there are some members on this forum who know of a dealership or live in the area who could assist you. 

I'll send the link to RV Trader soon.. 

Rob

Thanks Rob
I am looking and learning. Trying to decide what is right for me, but I will wait to buy until I land. I need to stand in the vehicle and get the right feeling.
It will be my home for the future, so I need to trust it :)
And if I did find a vehicle before I land, where can I store it?
If any of you are speaking to a dealer in near future, maybe you can ask about the buying in another state?
Thanks for looking out and protecting me :)
Hug from Maxine
 
In my short time on this forum as a member and a couple of years lurking in the background I am of the opinion that this is a decent, honest group of people who have a certain mindset and will willingly help others. I am by no means an expert , or even a novice, in the vandwelling life, but I consider myself a good judge of character.

I can call a dealer and find out what they can offer. Costs me nothing but a bit of time. Storing one can be done at many areas, Public Storage is a large Company who will store fairly cheaply. Others may know of a better place. I will post a dealers reply tomorrow, I have to sign my life away for my new ATV. If you PM or email Bob Wells, the owner of this forum, he could probably have most of the information you need and he is a stand up guy. Meaning he's honest and lives this life.

Once you and your RV get to RTR there will be a group of people who truly want to help. I was impressed last year just by the offers I heard to help someone.

I will finish a post tomorrow. Rob
 
I just called a dealer in Lake Havasu Az. and spoke to Jeff. They offer warranty on their units and if you found something you liked he would store it at no cost until you got here.

His email is [email protected]

I know nothing about them other than the ad was on RV trader. But it might be a start. Won't hurt to email him and chat a bit.

Later..Rob.

http://www.cowboysrvmart.com/index.html
 
Maxine: You'll find the US to be a vast country to explore. It's a great idea to go to the RTR right away and get a really good understanding of what could be ahead. 2 people I knew from Europe benefited from hanging around with us. We were able to give them a lot of good info and ideas. Hope you have a great time while you are here.
 
You know.....it is starting to sound like you have already moved here , in your mind !
So let me be the first to say....Welcome to America , land of the vandwellers (VOA).
 
Gunny said:
I just called a dealer in Lake Havasu Az. and spoke to Jeff. They offer warranty on their units and if you found something you liked he would store it at no cost until you got here.

His email is [email protected]

I know nothing about them other than the ad was on RV trader. But it might be a start. Won't hurt to email him and chat a bit.

Later..Rob.

http://www.cowboysrvmart.com/index.html

Thanks for the link. They look good but are to big and expensive! I want something about 20" so I can stay in a parking lot and have some ease to drive it :)
I am from a smallll coutry :)
Maxine
 
vanman2300 said:
Maxine: You'll find the US to be a vast country to explore. It's a great idea to go to the RTR right away and get a really good understanding of what could be ahead. 2 people I knew from Europe benefited from hanging around with us. We were able to give them a lot of good info and ideas. Hope you have a great time while you are here.

Hi vanman2300
I am looking very much forward to meeting you all and learn from you. I hope to become a member of your tribe to participate and give smiles, help and knowledge.
Together we are strongest.
:) Maxine
 
rvpopeye said:
You know.....it is starting to sound like you have already moved here  , in your mind !
So let me be the first to say....Welcome to America , land of the vandwellers (VOA).

Thanks rvpopeye
I am smiling to you from Denmark :) :)
It fits my need for freedom SOOOOO much and I do in some way already feel at home. Strange, I haven't landet yet.
Lets hope I can get through with the paperwork.

Now i'll go to sleep. Its 23.20 here.
night from Maxine
 
Maxine said:
Thanks Gunny
I have the option to land in Las Vegas or Los Angeles. I think Loa Angeles will be nicest because of the temperatur?
I will then be standing with my Backpack and nothing else :) From there on out, I will be trying to find a Vehicle.
I will try to land in December, so I have time to find a home and get a little ready to the RTR  at 17. January by Phonix.
I will make an adresse at: jbmailroom.com in Nevada 
I do like the A's and C's but I am a little afraid that they are to big to go Boondocking?
I am about 5.5 feet high!
I am using this forum shamelessly and I do get lots of kind help. I need it and is very thankful for your friendly words.

Hug from Denmark
before making my final choice one of the things i would e-mail the rv dealer when you find something that you like.. you might have to have a class b put on a flatbed truck with a BOL and shipped out if you don't want to pay CA taxes!!! i know they hire a company to drive the bigger rv's out of state but i am not sure about a class b since there so small.. personaly i would not buy an rv in ca you'll have to have it smogged!!! i think nevada is the same way to i thing sorry my ultimate state would be NH no sales tax!!! and you don't have to smog your vehicle
 
Maxine said:
Thanks rvpopeye
I am smiling to you from Denmark :) :)
It fits my need for freedom SOOOOO much and I do in some way already feel at home. Strange, I haven't landet yet.
Lets hope I can get through with the paperwork.

Now i'll go to sleep. Its 23.20 here.
night from Maxine

http://www.roadtrek.com/

here's some class b's. i would run like hell and run like my hair was on fire with anything on the sprinter platform meaning mercedes. since they put all of this emissions crap on them there nothing but problems!! and sprinter vans have lack of customer support you just can't walk into any mercedes dealer and say fix it it has to be a sprinter dealer since there so special. and you'll more than likely be waiting for parts for days since there so special. also it will cost you out the ass to fix it once the warranty runs out :s
 
Hilsen fra USA! Jeg ville gjerne svare deg på dorsk (?!) men ingen andre ville forstå...

I lived in Norway for a little while, and traveled around other nearby countries (including Denmark). If you have not been to the US before, you will find some things surprising if not shocking.

Most things cost 50-80% of what they do in Denmark. Gasoline and diesel for example are roughly 4 DKK per liter, and the price changes more than it does in Europe. Food, clothing, vehicles, vehicle parts, and most random things are significantly cheaper. Taxes are lower. Healthcare can be a lot more expensive. For that matter, most government services are at a much lower level than in Scandinavia, or are through private companies, or don't exist at all. If you come to Los Angeles for the first time and expect European levels of public transport... you're in for a surprise.

The level of government involvement and oversight into what you do, especially related to vehicles, varies from state to state, but in general is a lot less than what you're used to. Getting a driver's license is ridiculously cheap and easy, which means there are a lot of idiots on the roads. In California, for example, there is exhaust emissions testing and annual registration costs, but no safety inspections. In Florida, they check the vehicle numbers and mileage but not much else. In Pennsylvania, they do safety inspections including tires, rust, glass... In Montana, they check nothing at all, and you can register an older (11 years or more) vehicle permanently, with a reasonable one-time cost. So if you see a car going down the road with a broken windshield, three different "donut" spare tires, a dangling bumper, coughing up a big cloud of smoke, and a complete idiot behind the wheel, all perfectly legal... welcome to the USA.

On the other hand, less regulation means that alternative lifestyles like vandwelling are easier to get away with, even if they aren't necessarily more or less socially acceptable. With 50 states' worth of half-assed bureaucracy, it's a lot easier to "fly under the radar" than in northern Europe.

The US is huge; it's about the size of the entire European continent, and some parts of it feel enormous as well (other parts feel close and crowded). The cultural region of Southern California - between San Diego and Fresno, more or less - is by itself bigger than all of Denmark and with several times the population.

Have you considered what kind of visa to come and stay here with? I wish it were as easy as just...showing up, but it's not (and neither is Scandinavia, or I'd still be there).

I don't know the details of using your Danish driver's license in the US. I had a friend from Germany who had no trouble using her license, but you should look into the details.

Most vehicles of the size class you're interested in are uncommon in Europe: Ford, Chevrolet/GMC, Dodge. They tend to be a lot cheaper to buy and maintain than European models, but often are not made as well. We do have Sprinters, but they cost a fortune, and it can be hard to find a mechanic that can work on them (harder than a US vehicle, anyway). Oh, and we don't have that ridiculous 200% tax on new vehicles, so expect to spend a lot less than what similar things cost in Denmark.

Absolutely don't pay a cent for a vehicle you have not seen in person. There are a lot of scam artists out there, ranging from outright thieves to dishonest but legal used car lots. I highly recommend hiring a mechanic to do a pre-purchase inspection on anything you're seriously interested in.
 
Good advice from B-n-B. Even though they brought the wrong donut. IMO; You will be better served with a traditional USA van based RV, GM, Ford, Dodge, as easy to get parts and repair. USA also has lots of rusty stuff. That is why the south west is a good area to look for used vehicle. I like the RoadTrek class-b. They seem to be mostly built on Dodge bases, They are more expensive in general. Retirement areas are good to find nice RV's such as Florida and Arizona. Others here, will know areas, also.
 
darude said:
before making my final choice one of the things i would e-mail the rv dealer when you find something that you like.. you might have to have a class b put on a flatbed truck with a BOL and shipped out if you don't want to pay CA taxes!!! i know they hire a company to drive the bigger rv's out of state but i am not sure about a class b since there so small.. personaly i would not buy an rv in ca you'll have to have it smogged!!! i think nevada is the same way to i thing sorry my ultimate state would be NH no sales tax!!! and you don't have to smog your vehicle

Darude
NH is up in the cold :)
I am learning and I have to choose a state that I am wanting to stay a lot in. That must be a state that is without winter temperatures below 0.
Cold hurts my back, I want to always be where there is warm :)
I will make a priority list and see which state is most proper for me!
HAve fun and make love
Maxidane
 
darude said:
http://www.roadtrek.com/

here's some class b's. i would run like hell and run like my hair was on fire with anything on the sprinter platform meaning mercedes. since they put all of this emissions crap on them there nothing but problems!! and sprinter vans have lack of customer support you just can't walk into any mercedes dealer and say fix it it has to be a sprinter dealer since there so special. and you'll more than likely be waiting for parts for days since there so special. also it will cost you out the ass to fix it once the warranty runs out :s

Wow do the look great :)
I am unfortunately limited by having to choose what the market has to offer when I land. And for the purse I carry with me.

When and if I choose to stay permanently in the United States, I can better be choosy and make me a home for own requirements and wishes. We'll see with time.
 :) Maxidane
 
if you mean 0f, south is the place
my home state of Texas rarely gets below 30f (0c I thiunk)
the summer, though, can get up around 113f (about 40c)
 
BlackNBlue said:
Hilsen fra USA! Jeg ville gjerne svare deg på dorsk (?!) men ingen andre ville forstå...

I lived in Norway for a little while, and traveled around other nearby countries (including Denmark). If you have not been to the US before, you will find some things surprising if not shocking.

Most things cost 50-80% of what they do in Denmark. Gasoline and diesel for example are roughly 4 DKK per liter, and the price changes more than it does in Europe. Food, clothing, vehicles, vehicle parts, and most random things are significantly cheaper. Taxes are lower. Healthcare can be a lot more expensive. For that matter, most government services are at a much lower level than in Scandinavia, or are through private companies, or don't exist at all. If you come to Los Angeles for the first time and expect European levels of public transport... you're in for a surprise.

The level of government involvement and oversight into what you do, especially related to vehicles, varies from state to state, but in general is a lot less than what you're used to. Getting a driver's license is ridiculously cheap and easy, which means there are a lot of idiots on the roads. In California, for example, there is exhaust emissions testing and annual registration costs, but no safety inspections. In Florida, they check the vehicle numbers and mileage but not much else. In Pennsylvania, they do safety inspections including tires, rust, glass... In Montana, they check nothing at all, and you can register an older (11 years or more) vehicle permanently, with a reasonable one-time cost. So if you see a car going down the road with a broken windshield, three different "donut" spare tires, a dangling bumper, coughing up a big cloud of smoke, and a complete idiot behind the wheel, all perfectly legal... welcome to the USA.

On the other hand, less regulation means that alternative lifestyles like vandwelling are easier to get away with, even if they aren't necessarily more or less socially acceptable. With 50 states' worth of half-assed bureaucracy, it's a lot easier to "fly under the radar" than in northern Europe.

The US is huge; it's about the size of the entire European continent, and some parts of it feel enormous as well (other parts feel close and crowded). The cultural region of Southern California - between San Diego and Fresno, more or less - is by itself bigger than all of Denmark and with several times the population.

Have you considered what kind of visa to come and stay here with? I wish it were as easy as just...showing up, but it's not (and neither is Scandinavia, or I'd still be there).

I don't know the details of using your Danish driver's license in the US. I had a friend from Germany who had no trouble using her license, but you should look into the details.

Most vehicles of the size class you're interested in are uncommon in Europe: Ford, Chevrolet/GMC, Dodge. They tend to be a lot cheaper to buy and maintain than European models, but often are not made as well. We do have Sprinters, but they cost a fortune, and it can be hard to find a mechanic that can work on them (harder than a US vehicle, anyway). Oh, and we don't have that ridiculous 200% tax on new vehicles, so expect to spend a lot less than what similar things cost in Denmark.

Absolutely don't pay a cent for a vehicle you have not seen in person. There are a lot of scam artists out there, ranging from outright thieves to dishonest but legal used car lots. I highly recommend hiring a mechanic to do a pre-purchase inspection on anything you're seriously interested in.

Hi BlackNBlue
I am looking forward to getting choked by your country:)
I would say that the Danish disability pension will make it possible for me to live a life as a  VanDweller! (about 1000$ a month!)
I'm not out to score the most luxury  and the most beautiful, but just live reasonable and live well!
I will be arriving with a 6 month visa, and then see what your land can offer me.

I think I need to go one step back....
First, I come as a tourist and want to working on getting the pulse down to 0. I must find the inner peace and sense of a world that gives me space to be me. That I can be in the desert as long as it suits me, in the big city, on the mountain, the lake ...
there will be bureaucrats everywhere, but as long as my heart is clean, my conscience is good, I believe in the right to do as I please. In the US, that is. In Denmark I do not have that right. Denmark is a beautiful and amazing country. We have social security and safe homes. But our country is built on rules and laws, which is good if you follow the beaten line. But I do not!
If you want to buy a piece of land and turn up a tent to stay there, fine for me. If you want to buy a car and stay there, fine for me. If you want to stay in a hole you've dug, fine for me. If you want to stay in a house in a tree, fine for me. But not in Denmark!
Our community is centered around one thing only, to make money and spend it.
In Denmark, we live to work.

I am disabled and can not work. But I can live! and I want to in freedom, love and respect for the land and with what it can offer.
And there comes your great country into play. With a possibility of freedom.
 
I will bring an international driver's license, find a  home on wheels when I land, and explore your country, in cooperation with you.

Do you live in Los Angeles? Will you check for me if I need an adresse somewhere to buy an RV. Whether it be in your state?
If I can wait with the "making an adresse" in a state, I will like to have some more time to learn more of your country before I decide where to make one.

Have sun and a smile
Maxidane
 
ArtW said:
if you mean 0f, south is the place
my home state of Texas rarely gets below 30f (0c I thiunk)
the summer, though, can get up around 113f (about 40c)

Hi ArtW
I am looking at Texas, but there are many things that I need to consider. I will try to make a list and then I'll ask you all, what you think :)

Have fun
Maxidane
 
There are certainly differences in what kinds of lives people can lead between Scandinavia and the US, but don't overestimate them. The US's reputation for being the land of the free, while valid in the context of the whole world, is... how to put this politely... overstated. Police and immigration officials are worse than western European ones, in my experience (and I have the right to live here and am just a tourist over there). California especially tries to be like Europe, with 1/3 of the benefits and 2/3 of the problems you describe. I don't live in LA, and think it's a terrible place, but I did live in and near San Francisco for a while.

What you do find in the US is a lot of diversity, not just ethnic/genetic, but of cultures, opinions, and values. Scandinavia tends to be much more homogenous; I had a hard time making friends even in Oslo. You have Christiania, but otherwise there's a lot of normalcy pretty much everywhere north of Berlin. If you step out of line, even if it's legal, you will get funny looks. Here, you still get funny looks in most places, but in others (the big cities on the coasts, especially) nobody cares, and in any case you can often find a large group of people who are doing the same thing, or at least welcome you into their tribe.

I have not lived in or spent much time in Denmark, but my impression is that while yes, there's a lot of shallow materialism and many people just want more more more... it's nothing compared to the mainstream culture here. The level of social services you're used to is much higher than what Americans get.

I've lived on a lot less than 1000/mo, but not what one would call comfortably or normally. I was also young, perfectly healthy, and spent a lot of time saving on expenses.

Well, come here for six months and see for yourself! Fordi du kan!
 
BlackNBlue said:
There are certainly differences in what kinds of lives people can lead between Scandinavia and the US, but don't overestimate them. The US's reputation for being the land of the free, while valid in the context of the whole world, is... how to put this politely... overstated. Police and immigration officials are worse than western European ones, in my experience (and I have the right to live here and am just a tourist over there). California especially tries to be like Europe, with 1/3 of the benefits and 2/3 of the problems you describe. I don't live in LA, and think it's a terrible place, but I did live in and near San Francisco for a while.

What you do find in the US is a lot of diversity, not just ethnic/genetic, but of cultures, opinions, and values. Scandinavia tends to be much more homogenous; I had a hard time making friends even in Oslo. You have Christiania, but otherwise there's a lot of normalcy pretty much everywhere north of Berlin. If you step out of line, even if it's legal, you will get funny looks. Here, you still get funny looks in most places, but in others (the big cities on the coasts, especially) nobody cares, and in any case you can often find a large group of people who are doing the same thing, or at least welcome you into their tribe.

I have not lived in or spent much time in Denmark, but my impression is that while yes, there's a lot of shallow materialism and many people just want more more more... it's nothing compared to the mainstream culture here. The level of social services you're used to is much higher than what Americans get.

I've lived on a lot less than 1000/mo, but not what one would call comfortably or normally. I was also young, perfectly healthy, and spent a lot of time saving on expenses.

Well, come here for six months and see for yourself! Fordi du kan!
Smile to you BlackNBlue
Maybe I am naive, but to me the police is there to protect and help me. I do NOT want to see them as potential enemies. When a person choose to be trained as a police officer, it is with the desire to help and serve, not to fight. I think there is to much anger towards them and to little thankfulness. They  are the ones I will go to if i need help, yes?

Diversity is what I love. and lots of space. When I can choose to be with many people and to be in the great outdoors for myself. That is freedom. To believe in what is right for myself, without imposing other my opinions. To look like it fits me and live as I find most fun :)
I love human company, but I will not be judged by their standards, I want my own and respect their. I hate it when people think they know who I am from what clothes I have on and what size I am!

You have the possibility to choose in US. And that I want to try. Space, space, space

Living for a 1000/mo is going to be a challenge, but I am going towards it with a smile. If I want to, I can do it :) "Because I can"
I am young (49) with bad health, and only the expenses there is to keep me alive. Of course I can do it...!!

I live by a saying:
If you do not like me as I am, it is most sorry for you, for I am incredibly wonderful.

I hope to meet you, at the RTR maybe?
Smile and hug from Maxidane
 
Bob was somewhat right when he sang "..cops don't need you, and man, they expect the same." Some police are nicer than others, not so much toward poor folk. I don't want to dissuade you from experiencing our great country. Please come. But keep your options open to return Denmark. Our government is not all that welcoming. You will find many wonderful people here that will help you and encourage you. But US$1000 is a tough life around here. With friends it can be done.
 
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