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  1. #1
    Site Sponsor sande005's Avatar
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    Becoming a snowbird and getting mail...

    Not really full timing, but I figured the people looking at this section know something about it...

    Scored reservations for 3 months at Gulf State Park in Alabama for Jan-March. I've seen UPS and others make deliveries to campsites there. But no information about USPS. Too long of a period for normal "hold mail".
    Any words of wisdom on finding a POBox service, Mail Service or other?

    There is the Post Office, if any boxes might be available, and UPS at their stores offers what they call "enhanced" service. But haven't dug into costs and the like yet. I assume being a snowbird area, demand for such will be high. Ideally, someplace to forward it to for pickup a couple of times a week, and that can receive moderate packages if we do need to order a few items. Don't expect any critical mail, but there might be an odd bill, a magazine, or some other notification/tax forms sent during that period.

    Any suggestions on finding places for this?
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    Site Sponsor Scousers's Avatar
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    USPS allows temporary forwarding

  3. #3
    Site Sponsor theburgerts's Avatar
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    I think you can forward mail, via USPS, for about 6 months.

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    Lynette & Steve
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  4. #4
    Site Sponsor sande005's Avatar
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    Yes, they allow forwarding...but I am looking for a temporary place to forward to, since USPS doesn't deliver to campsites. And I assume competition for official USPS PO Boxes is fierce.
    2017 Imagine 2670MK
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  5. #5
    Site Sponsor Steven@147's Avatar
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    You might ask the campground office you will be staying at what their preference is. Some full time snowbird campgrounds we have stayed at have mail box slots for each site in their office so USPS mail can be forwarded delivered directly to the campground. One campground with permanent sites we have stayed at had USPS lock boxes for each site. Most will also accept UPS/FedX packages at the campground main office or directly to your site. Many snowbird type campgrounds have some sort of USPS accommodations for their campers, they are used to this type of service for people staying there.

    Some campgrounds will only accept bundled mail in a single package forwarded to them at their office, as Escapee's does. If the campground has no USPS accommodations you will be left with getting a PO box either at a local UPS store or at a post office somewhere close to the caampground. Maybe you could have someone at your sticks and bricks collect your mail, then every two weeks or so bundle it in a USPS pouch/envelope and mail or UPS to your campground.
    Last edited by Steven@147; 03-31-2022 at 07:02 AM.
    Steve & Tami Cass - Escapee's, FMCA Members, Texas Fulltimers Since July 2020
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    Site Team Second Chance's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sande005 View Post
    Yes, they allow forwarding...but I am looking for a temporary place to forward to, since USPS doesn't deliver to campsites. And I assume competition for official USPS PO Boxes is fierce.
    I wouldn't assume until I checked. We may get a PO box with street address (an available option) at Aberdeen Proving Ground this time and they are available.

    Rob
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  7. #7
    Site Sponsor ajg617's Avatar
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    UPS Stores (at least some) also offer mailbox services with street address and 24 hour access. When my son moved from Boise back east, I set one up a few miles from our home. Not the least expensive but it worked.
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  8. #8
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    Exclamation General Delivery USPS - BIG FAIL

    So we are also traveling - not full timing - 6 months. Previous season I had used General Delivery in VA, SC and in FL to receive forwarded mail. Never had a problem...now I have had mail returned to sender twice - once from my home address?? (go figure) and now on the road in AZ. I needed to use General Delivery because the state parks won't accept pkgs. We are in state parks for 2 weeks...I called 4 Tucson AZ post offices that said on their individual tool webpage that they accepted General Delivery. I tried calling all of them to confirm before I picked one to use. Not one of them answered a phone call - multiple attempts at each. The Google reviews all give low reviews and mainly they lose mail or won't answer their phones. I decided to try sending to the downtown PO and tracking alerted me this morning that my package has been returned to sender! It said on the top line: General Delivery...just as I had used last year...I tried calling and calling the PO and after a bunch of rings it just disconnects. Called the 800 number and the representative tells me you cannot use General Delivery without getting permission from the PO POSTMASTER! I said - how do you get permission when they won't answer the phone...and the reps response is a broken record - like this is a privilege to use General Delivery, not a right, and you need to have permission before you try to use it.
    So, my advice to others is - don't depend on having General Delivery on the road. The only thing that really works is Amazon lockers...and you cannot get your mail via Amazon (yet). I am sooo frustrated.
    From the USPS website:
    General Delivery is intended to be used for: A participating Post Office to serve transients (people who travel extensively) and those without a permanent address.
    and
    No application is required for General Delivery. Persons interested in General Delivery should speak with the postmaster.
    Catch 22 - You can't speak to the Postmaster if they won't answer the phone.
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  9. #9
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    We took a different approach. We gave up the mailbox at our house and purchased a PO Box at our local post office. We also switched everything to paperless and started online banking for everything. We did this in anticipation of leaving for trips up to 3 months at a time. We really like it. We go pickup our mail when we feel like it, usually about one per week when we are home. As long as we keep our PO Box paid up (we pay annually) the post office will hold everything. We just make sure we do not order packages that might arrive after we leave. If the mail that does come in will not fit in the box after a couple of months, they put it in a bin in the back, but we have a mid-size box and everything fit in it when we went to FL for 3 months this winter. If we order something on the road, we first verify where we can ship it to (someone's house we know, campground, etc.). Since we do all of our bills either set up to a credit card, or online banking, we have no issue with monthly bills. USPS also has "informed delivery" so you can see what is in your mailbox for the most part (not everything gets scanned). Anyway, another option to consider...
    Chad
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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by TS_Breezes View Post
    So we are also traveling - not full timing - 6 months. Previous season I had used General Delivery in VA, SC and in FL to receive forwarded mail. Never had a problem...now I have had mail returned to sender twice - once from my home address?? (go figure) and now on the road in AZ. I needed to use General Delivery because the state parks won't accept pkgs. We are in state parks for 2 weeks...I called 4 Tucson AZ post offices that said on their individual tool webpage that they accepted General Delivery. I tried calling all of them to confirm before I picked one to use. Not one of them answered a phone call - multiple attempts at each. The Google reviews all give low reviews and mainly they lose mail or won't answer their phones. I decided to try sending to the downtown PO and tracking alerted me this morning that my package has been returned to sender! It said on the top line: General Delivery...just as I had used last year...I tried calling and calling the PO and after a bunch of rings it just disconnects. Called the 800 number and the representative tells me you cannot use General Delivery without getting permission from the PO POSTMASTER! I said - how do you get permission when they won't answer the phone...and the reps response is a broken record - like this is a privilege to use General Delivery, not a right, and you need to have permission before you try to use it.
    So, my advice to others is - don't depend on having General Delivery on the road. The only thing that really works is Amazon lockers...and you cannot get your mail via Amazon (yet). I am sooo frustrated.
    From the USPS website:
    General Delivery is intended to be used for: A participating Post Office to serve transients (people who travel extensively) and those without a permanent address.
    and
    No application is required for General Delivery. Persons interested in General Delivery should speak with the postmaster.
    Catch 22 - You can't speak to the Postmaster if they won't answer the phone.
    Our experience with General Deliver throughout the West has been great. Call the Post Office to verify they do General Delivery and they usually answer the phone. All of our dealings have been with small town Post Offices, it sounds like big city POs may be different.
    Last edited by Always Learning; 04-04-2022 at 01:47 PM.
    2020 Reflection 337RLS
    2020 F350 Dually

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