YouTube video request; what happens when someone passes away while RVliving?

[Calaverasgrande]

My mother passed away about 8 months before the pandemic started.
It took us about 18 months to get it all handled, and that isn't just because of the pandemic.
Some stuff just takes a long time.

 
  She liked to call herself a gypsy, which I know is a pejorative term for Roma. But she meant it in the hippie sense that she is wanderer.

When I was a kid we had a VW Westphalia and put thousands of miles on it.

When she was retired she drove her Honda CRV all over the country. Staying at campgrounds or motels.



She started a will many times and never went all the way of finalizing and getting it notarized and witnessed.

Luckily in NY state this did not bite us. The default disposition for most things was pretty much how she spelled it out in her unfinished wills.

In some states however, a portion of the estate goes to the city or state itself.

I'm not a lawyer so don't ask me which. I just know from looking up probate that sometimes you lose a portion of the estate to the government, beyond the taxes.

Also, there are many horror stories of families being bled dry by shady probate lawyers.

In New York even though my sister and I did almost all the legwork, we still had to hire a lawyer to do the legal filings.

Which was about $5k.

That was a lot, but not unusual for the type of work apparently.

I've read of other families losing north of $100k to lawyers who kept finding more things to be done and filed until there was no more blood to be wrung from the stone.

It was a massive amount of paperwork, driving around and just dealing with stuff while still grappling with the emotional disaster of losing our sole parent. (father bailed right after my sister was born).

Thankfully my sister has been an independent contractor in New York for the last 25 years. So she is used to being pushy and demanding of whomever she hires. So we didn't get taken for a ride by the lawyer and paralegal. Though they both seemed disastrously unorganized.

We also had a hard time with her storage unit upstate.
Had to keep paying for the unit for a year while we waited to get the papers from probate court.
That was a couple thousand down the hole.
In the end it all got done, though we had a few sibling fights over it and some uncles tried to grab some things.
Par for course.


I'm in my 50's and decent health. Been vegetarian/vegan for 34 years. Don't drink or smoke or eat junk food. Still, I'm going to get my

will done in the next few months just to save my sister the headache if the unthinkable happens on the road.
Or if I develop cancer as seems to be common in my family.


And I  will actually get it notarized.

(really an un-notarized will is pointless!)

I would not advise anyone to do those online cloud based wills.

Our mother had one of those.

However, while she was in the hospital for the last few months of her life such bills were not paid.

We covered the obvious bills like power and water out of pocekt, but how could we know she had a cloud based will?

And not being paid, it expired like any other cloud service does. So it was wasted money and effort.
I'd also advise people to make arrangements for the passwords of their computers and devices, as well as a list of passwords for bank, bills, online services etc.
I have no idea how other people deal with this stuff. I'm a computer guy. I was able to hack my moms computer and get the passwords we needed to turn off utilities and cancel services.
Otherwise you will need a death certificate and a lengthy conversation with customer service for each and every little thing.
BTW Google and Facebook and their associated websites were very helpful and fast when it came to closing accounts.
Amazon was not.
We still do not have a straight answer to what is going on with our mothers self published books.

 

[waky]

i have sorted out all my stuff before i leave i have nothing to give its already given. my car and what in it wont amount to anything they want. so that may be the best and cheapest solution is sort it all out before you hit the road. if i die out there somewhere im pretty sure someone will claim or steal it before it would get to anywhere anyway.

 

[LVLouisCyphre]

My question has been grossly misinterpreted. My affairs are in order and I have a holographic will attached to my bricks & sticks fridge along with a will. I know what legally should happen, my question is what typically does happen in real RV life when a deceased RVer is found. People should know the good, bad and ugly of this lifestyle.

My question is what typically happens to an RVer when they die on the road or at a campsite?

What's going to be on my rig and people I trust and part of my tribe will be where the instructions are when I pass away and also instructions on how to access an electronic copy of them.

I want my rig towed back to my designated estate administrators or executors of my will. I have a few.

Is their rig and possessions that they keep with them typically stolen?

What happens to the deceased remains? Does the RV community show respect for the deceased? How is that respect shown? Does a deceased RVer have their final wishes followed where their remains are arranged to be sent to family?

There's much opportunity for opportunistic crime when someone passes because of the mentality "they're dead, they don't need it anymore."

What I'm looking for data or accounts of how the RV community deals with the deceased; good, bad and ugly.

Bob basically farts glitter and rainbows when it comes to this lifestyle. It's not all true, Everything has a good, bad and ugly especially if I die on the road. With everything you have a positive and negative and there are trade offs. I want to know what typically happens when an RVer dies. I wish Bob would touch more on the bad and ugly so people can make more informed choices.

Is law enforcement notified?

Does the tribe reasonably secure their rig and property of the deceased?

What happens to the deceased RVer's pet(s)? Hopefully the deceased RVer has been found before their pet(s) have started eating the deceased as food. This does happen. IMO, if you're near death, you shouldn't have pets because they will outlive you and use you as food when you pass on. You can't take care of yourself and dying and shouldn't be caring for a pet. Once a pet does this, they've become undomesticated and need to be put down.

What are the worst cases of RVer deaths that have happened and crimes committed against the deceased? Where did they happen?

If I'm terminally ill, I would want to surround myself with RVers who will ensure my wishes are followed including my pet(s) taken care of.

Part of living is planning for your death. While it's a morbid subject, it's something we all need to do.

 

[bullfrog]

Every state has a system for dealing with a death. It starts with a wellness check or a report. As soon as that occurs the state determines who is to be notified which usually includes a medical examiner. Living in an RV is no different than living in a sticks and bricks house in a community. The risks are the same as far as what happens to your belongings and your remains. Community is made up of people. In my opinion the people living on the road are the best community I've ever been associated with. If you die in your house in an urban community crooks will watch for your death/ funeral notice and steal everything you have in many cases. Sell what you can and give it to who you want to have it and get on the road before you turn into a worried mess mentally. Your comments indicate a lot of insecurity and mistrust of people, you really need to learn to relax and enjoy life.

 

[Cammalu]

They just call the police. I haven’t heard of anyone robbing the deceased.

 

[crofter]

....My question is what typically happens to an RVer when they die on the road or at a campsite? 
.....

There is no such thing as typical death. Two well publicized dweller deaths have happened recently and you can review them for yourself to see how different they were.

In case you forgot, HDR (HighDesertRanger or Mike) was one and a member of this community. Gabby Petito was another and not a member of this community.  Another person known from gatherings called Dan was posted about.

If you search out the threads I am sure you can determine for yourself the answers you are seeking.

Main point to remember concerning posessions: you can't take it with you.

The person responsible regarding posessions after death is the executor of the will, and most likely not a member of this community.

The person called to pronounce cause of death and call the funeral home is the county coroner of the place where you die. Or could be a medical doctor such as ER physician. Most likely not a member of this community.

If you die where a ranger or camp host finds you, that person will call the authorities and start the process.

If you die where no one finds you, you will be reported missing to the authorities by whoever you check in with, and may be listed as missing if not found during a search.

So if you are very concerned about dying alone in nature (some would choose this) then have an arranged check in person. Even old people in RV parks have a daily check in call.
-crofter

 

[rvwandering]

LVLouis - to put your mind at ease a bit:

I've known four full time nomads who died while on the road. Three died in the hospital or hospice. One died in his sleep while camping with friends. All were looked after by their family by birth or their nomadic family during their illnesses and while they were hospitalized. Their vehicles and property were also looked after.

Family was notified and all proper procedures were followed. Their possessions and nomadic homes were disposed of as they would have wished. Nothing was stolen or damaged.

Two pets that were left homeless were adopted by nomads.

I have never heard of anything bad happening in our nomadic community when a member died. On the contrary I have been heartened by the compassion shown and the willingness of fellow nomads to interrupt their lives to help when needed.

You have done all you can to prepare for the inevitable. Go into this life with open eyes and an open heart. You will be fine.

 

[crofter]

My uncle got off the road onto a piece of land. Couple of his kids were with him at the end.
-crofter

 

[simply lesa]

I helped bury 2 people who died while on the road. Do others a favor and put some kind of information in your glove box because we can't always access phones. Don't believe everything someone else has told you about death or veteran's benefit. It might not be true.
The "vultures" will circle!
As health declines or age gets up there in digits - consider giving your special "things" to the people who you want to have them. You can benefit by seeing their reaction. Have an idea what you want for your pets! or your Girlfriend who doesn't know that you still have a wife and kids hundreds of miles away!

Tell someone where your important documents are - email a "trusted" someone?

HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS AT CAMPFIRES and spread the info!

You control what you can while you can.

Let me tell you that it's incredibly difficult to climb all through someone's house/van hunting for any kind of information - and to then have the surprise of a legal wife n family and having to break the news to the live in girlfriend who thought she was getting a van!

 

[LVLouisCyphre]

It's a moot point. I've made the decision due to my declining health which now includes me losing my vision and increasing chronic pain from failed back surgery syndrome to go to a Swiss VAD (voluntary assisted death) clinic in Basel hopefully by the end of the year when my apartment lease is up and hopefully having my body donated to science.

In Switzerland you pretty much can terminate your life by assisted means legally since 1942 for pretty much any reason if you're a legal adult of reasonable mental health. Swiss VAD clinics just require documentation to appease the Swiss authorities that the death was indeed voluntary. One of the morbid jokes about Switzerland is that it's known for suicide tourism. There are plenty of YT videos on it.

I want to emphasize that this is an extremely personal decision. It's perhaps just as extremely personal as living the van life or bricks & sticks. I'm not advocating what anyone should do. I'm doing what I feel I should do for me based on my quality of life metrics I've placed upon myself. I subscribe to the philosophy of you do you. I highly encourage people to watch Dr. Shelly Kagan's Yale Philosophy 176 class on death on YT. It's a playlist of all of the semester lectures from 2007; each approximately 50 minutes in length.

You should always have an end of life plan and know all of your options especially when facing poor quality of life or a terminal illness. I don't want to end up an assisted living facility where my freedom and options are severely limited plus with my State retirement benefit; an assisted living facility would utilize me as a cash cow and it would benefit them to keep me alive as long as possible. I do not meet the six month criteria of being physically terminally ill in the legal death with dignity States. I've heard of fully alert stroke patients who can't move, feed themselves nor speak but their mind is fully aware and they can feel everything they're just paralyzed forever. It's just as bad, if not worse, than being in solitary confinement in prison. You're a prisoner of your failed body. I'd rather know the date I die or choose the date I die than be trapped in a useless body where my mind is fully functional. I'm a great supporter of the late Ms. Brittany Maynard and the awareness and advocacy of the death with dignity movement.

You need to be in reasonable physical health to live this lifestyle and be able to work on your vehicle. I'm not. I'm about at the point to where I can't even change a tire and attempting such would probably have me bedridden for a few days recovering.

You can't live the van life if you're going blind as you can't drive. It would be nice if one could drive via echolocation and see like bats or the creatures in Pitch Black (2000) with Vin Diesel. Some blind people have mastered echolocation or developed a human sonar that's usable while running, walking or even riding a bicycle. Learning echolocation isn't an option for me as I'm also starting to lose my hearing and again puts me back at square negative one that I can't drive nor maintain a driver license.

 

[Gypsyjoe#1]

It's a moot point. I've made the decision due to my declining health which now includes me losing my vision and increasing chronic pain from failed back surgery syndrome to go to a Swiss VAD (voluntary assisted death) clinic in Basel hopefully by the end of the year when my apartment lease is up and hopefully having my body donated to science.

In Switzerland you pretty much can terminate your life by assisted means legally since 1942 for pretty much any reason if you're a legal adult of reasonable mental health. Swiss VAD clinics just require documentation to appease the Swiss authorities that the death was indeed voluntary. One of the morbid jokes about Switzerland is that it's known for suicide tourism. There are plenty of YT videos on it.

I want to emphasize that this is an extremely personal decision. It's perhaps just as extremely personal as living the van life or bricks & sticks. I'm not advocating what anyone should do. I'm doing what I feel I should do for me based on my quality of life metrics I've placed upon myself. I subscribe to the philosophy of you do you. I highly encourage people to watch Dr. Shelly Kagan's Yale Philosophy 176 class on death on YT. It's a playlist of all of the semester lectures from 2007; each approximately 50 minutes in length.

You should always have an end of life plan and know all of your options especially when facing poor quality of life or a terminal illness. I don't want to end up an assisted living facility where my freedom and options are severely limited plus with my State retirement benefit; an assisted living facility would utilize me as a cash cow and it would benefit them to keep me alive as long as possible. I do not meet the six month criteria of being physically terminally ill in the legal death with dignity States. I've heard of fully alert stroke patients who can't move, feed themselves nor speak but their mind is fully aware and they can feel everything they're just paralyzed forever. It's just as bad, if not worse, than being in solitary confinement in prison. You're a prisoner of your failed body. I'd rather know the date I die or choose the date I die than be trapped in a useless body where my mind is fully functional. I'm a great supporter of the late Ms. Brittany Maynard and the awareness and advocacy of the death with dignity movement.

You need to be in reasonable physical health to live this lifestyle and be able to work on your vehicle. I'm not. I'm about at the point to where I can't even change a tire and attempting such would probably have me bedridden for a few days recovering.

You can't live the van life if you're going blind as you can't drive. It would be nice if one could drive via echolocation and see like bats or the creatures in Pitch Black (2000) with Vin Diesel. Some blind people have mastered echolocation or developed a human sonar that's usable while running, walking or even riding a bicycle. Learning echolocation isn't an option for me as I'm also starting to lose my hearing and again puts me back at square negative one that I can't drive nor maintain a driver license.

I am with you on end of life choices, this past August I took over 3000mg of morphine that I had been given for pain. Unfornately I was discovered and spent the next month in the hospital, it was touch and go for over a week. Now I am worse off than I was before because now they have taken away my morphine for the pain, what they can't seem to understand is I did it because of the pain. The morphine helped but not enough, all I want is out of this life. I am not depressed or mentally ill just tired of being in pain 24 hours a day. We had a doctor here in Michigan years ago Doctor Kevorkian who helped patients like me and our shitty state sent him to prison for it. Here in Michigan it is actually a crime to try to end your life, sick isn't it. I thank you for the knowledge about Switzerland as now I know I need to save my money for a plane ticket there.

 

[LVLouisCyphre]

I thank you for the knowledge about Switzerland as now I know I need to save my money for a plane ticket there.

It's not just a plane ticket there. There's an extensive due diligence process done by the VAD clinic to appease the Swiss authorities that it was indeed a voluntary assisted death. I'll pm you where I'm going. They have the process down to a science. It takes several weeks for approval. I wish you well and an end to your suffering.

 

[LVLouisCyphre]

There is no such thing as typical death. Two well publicized dweller deaths have happened recently and you can review them for yourself to see how different they were.

I didn't say typical death. I said what typically happens after death in the van life and the disposition of an van lifer's estate which is their vehicle and the property within the vehicle along with their body. Is it plundered or is it guarded until it's been secured by law enforcement and the county public administrator before the deceased's immediate family or will executor is notified? I'm going through probate so I know the legal process. I'm asking what happens on the road. Does it depend on what happens when and where the van lifer dies? I did a search for death on this site and nothing came up. That's not my fault. I did reasonable due diligence on this topic before posting this. I would think the search for death would have brought up something before me posting this.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

As to what happens to your stuff: it depends on who finds your body and vehicle. If they are honest they will contact authorities, if they are dishonest they will rifle through your stuff before contacting authorities.

Authorities can be honest or dishonest.
Authorities will look through your stuff to find contact information. Your cell phone should have emergency numbers that can be accessed without unlocking your phone.

After the body is removed a tow company will remove the vehicle to an impound lot (usually fenced, sometimes video monitored). Tow company employees have access to the vehicle; if they're dishonest . . .

After impound things go into the legal system to determine who and when things can be accessed. There are court, towing, and storage fees involved.

 

[flylo]

https://deathwithdignity.org/ Go to Death with Dignity here in the U.S. Many state it's legal if you've been a state resident for 6 months. Michigan is not one. All you have to do is see 2 doctors & they determine you're terminal then when ready take your script to the pharmacy & have a party, visit old friends or do what you want & when ready mix the powder into a drink, take a nap & never wake up. God bless & good luck!

 

[Gypsyjoe#1]

https://deathwithdignity.org/ Go to Death with Dignity here in the U.S. Many state it's legal if you've been a state resident for 6 months. Michigan is not one. All you have to do is see 2 doctors & they determine you're terminal then when ready take your script to the pharmacy & have a party, visit old friends or do what you want & when ready mix the powder into a drink, take a nap & never wake up. God bless & good luck!

That is the problem with it, you must be within 6 months of being terminal anyway. That leaves out many of us who are suffering now and can't get any relief. Those laws need to change so that those of us who are suffering have a option.

 

[LargeMarge]

Moot -- open to debate, arguable.
.
www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moot

 

[LVLouisCyphre]

https://deathwithdignity.org/ Go to Death with Dignity here in the U.S. Many state it's legal if you've been a state resident for 6 months. Michigan is not one. All you have to do is see 2 doctors & they determine you're terminal then when ready take your script to the pharmacy & have a party, visit old friends or do what you want & when ready mix the powder into a drink, take a nap & never wake up. God bless & good luck!

That doesn't apply to Gypsyjoe#1 and me as we have longer than six months to live. We have far more than six months of physical life left in us. I may very easily live to be 100. Not a life I want to lead being in chronic pain being blind. If you exercise the Swiss option you are pretty much free to end your life with dignity under any circumstances.

 

[flylo]

So move to a state that allows Death with Dignity then when you're ready you can pick the time.

 

[Gypsyjoe#1]

So move to a state that allows Death with Dignity then when you're ready you can pick the time.

Not so easily done as you have to be within 6 months of being terminal anyway. I am 63 and health wise I could live to be 100. If your dog was suffering you would put it down, why can't we be compassionate as a people in this country and allow it for a suffering human being if that is their choice.