User Tag List

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 13
  1. #1
    Site Sponsor sande005's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    White Bear Lake, MN
    Posts
    1,483
    Mentioned
    21 Post(s)
    Tagged
    1 Thread(s)

    First time Snowbird - mail

    Finally making the trip, and fleeing Minnesota winter for 3 months at Gulf shores, AL

    Planning mail forwarding is vexing me.
    We'll be there for 3 mos, (Jan-March), plus maybe on the road for the first half of April seeing the sights.
    Not enough mail, or long enough period, to pay for specialized services (Post office or private).

    Local PO tells me it takes 7-10 days for temporary forwarding to take effect. And the same for it to stop.
    So it seems like I might need a PO Box for longer than 3 months. And they only come in 3 month rental blocks. Sigh.
    I tried reserving yesterday for 6 mo. But after the card was charged, found that if I don't bring a form in and get the keys within 30 days, the box is not valid, and I get no box or address until I show up in person. We'll be getting there about the end of the first week of Jan. So I canceled, for now.
    Seems if I set forwarding for Jan 1, there is a "black hole" where there is no place to foreword to until I get to the new PO around Jan. 9. If forwarding after 1/9, then there is a gap between leaving and arriving where mail sits in my box at home for 3 1/2 months....

    Any words of wisdom as to how it can all work out?
    2017 Imagine 2670MK
    2012 F-150 SCrew, Eco, 4x4 6.5 box
    Max. Tow, HD Payload, Airbags, ProPride hitch
    (Previous: Jayco 26.5RLS Fifth, Revolution Pinbox)

  2. #2
    Rolling Along
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Location
    The Independant State of Alberta
    Posts
    696
    Mentioned
    8 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by sande005 View Post
    Finally making the trip, and fleeing Minnesota winter for 3 months at Gulf shores, AL

    Planning mail forwarding is vexing me.
    We'll be there for 3 mos, (Jan-March), plus maybe on the road for the first half of April seeing the sights.
    Not enough mail, or long enough period, to pay for specialized services (Post office or private).

    Local PO tells me it takes 7-10 days for temporary forwarding to take effect. And the same for it to stop.
    So it seems like I might need a PO Box for longer than 3 months. And they only come in 3 month rental blocks. Sigh.
    I tried reserving yesterday for 6 mo. But after the card was charged, found that if I don't bring a form in and get the keys within 30 days, the box is not valid, and I get no box or address until I show up in person. We'll be getting there about the end of the first week of Jan. So I canceled, for now.
    Seems if I set forwarding for Jan 1, there is a "black hole" where there is no place to foreword to until I get to the new PO around Jan. 9. If forwarding after 1/9, then there is a gap between leaving and arriving where mail sits in my box at home for 3 1/2 months....

    Any words of wisdom as to how it can all work out?
    Where ru staying in AL? Do they have a mailing address? If so just get somebody to forward ur mail.

  3. #3
    Long Hauler
    Join Date
    May 2020
    Location
    All over - Full-timing
    Posts
    2,557
    Mentioned
    46 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by sande005 View Post
    Finally making the trip, and fleeing Minnesota winter for 3 months at Gulf shores, AL

    Planning mail forwarding is vexing me.
    We'll be there for 3 mos, (Jan-March), plus maybe on the road for the first half of April seeing the sights.
    Not enough mail, or long enough period, to pay for specialized services (Post office or private).

    Local PO tells me it takes 7-10 days for temporary forwarding to take effect. And the same for it to stop.
    So it seems like I might need a PO Box for longer than 3 months. And they only come in 3 month rental blocks. Sigh.
    I tried reserving yesterday for 6 mo. But after the card was charged, found that if I don't bring a form in and get the keys within 30 days, the box is not valid, and I get no box or address until I show up in person. We'll be getting there about the end of the first week of Jan. So I canceled, for now.
    Seems if I set forwarding for Jan 1, there is a "black hole" where there is no place to foreword to until I get to the new PO around Jan. 9. If forwarding after 1/9, then there is a gap between leaving and arriving where mail sits in my box at home for 3 1/2 months....

    Any words of wisdom as to how it can all work out?
    Call the park you are staying at and ask if it is okay to have your mail forwarded to them. It's usually okay with most parks.

    Then go to your local post office and fill out a temporary forwarding form with the end date 7 mail delivery days before your last day. Then, as your time there is coming to a close, go online to usps.com and submit a mail hold for then next month. Choose the option to have them deliver the mail once the hold expires.

    No cost on any of that.


    EDIT: The hold mail for as long as you need, if you are traveling somewhere else for a few weeks.
    Last edited by MoonShadow_1911; 12-02-2022 at 02:55 PM.
    Mark & Mary. Full-timing across the USA (and Canada)!
    Current Coach: 2021 Grand Design Reflection 320MKS
    Current Rig: 2019 Ford F350 SD Crew Cab, w/8' box, Lariat, SRW, 6.7l Diesel

  4. #4
    Site Sponsor sande005's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    White Bear Lake, MN
    Posts
    1,483
    Mentioned
    21 Post(s)
    Tagged
    1 Thread(s)
    It will be the State Park, and they won't receive mail, even on a very short term basis.

    For the gap period, will "General Delivery" work out? Getting someone on the phone at a local PO there is an exercise in great futility. And no one at the national PO help center can advise on the details.....
    My local one, in person, is very helpful, but they can't assure me what will happen at the "remote" one.....
    2017 Imagine 2670MK
    2012 F-150 SCrew, Eco, 4x4 6.5 box
    Max. Tow, HD Payload, Airbags, ProPride hitch
    (Previous: Jayco 26.5RLS Fifth, Revolution Pinbox)

  5. #5
    Long Hauler
    Join Date
    May 2020
    Location
    All over - Full-timing
    Posts
    2,557
    Mentioned
    46 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by sande005 View Post
    It will be the State Park, and they won't receive mail, even on a very short term basis.

    For the gap period, will "General Delivery" work out? Getting someone on the phone at a local PO there is an exercise in great futility. And no one at the national PO help center can advise on the details.....
    My local one, in person, is very helpful, but they can't assure me what will happen at the "remote" one.....
    Oh, it sounds like you are going to be relegated to renting a PO box from the post office, UPS store, or another place.

    As a side note, General Delivery is SUPPOSED to work. You might see if your local post office can call the post master of that city, on your behalf. (I have a funny feeling you have tried this already though.)
    Mark & Mary. Full-timing across the USA (and Canada)!
    Current Coach: 2021 Grand Design Reflection 320MKS
    Current Rig: 2019 Ford F350 SD Crew Cab, w/8' box, Lariat, SRW, 6.7l Diesel

  6. #6
    Long Hauler
    Join Date
    May 2020
    Location
    All over - Full-timing
    Posts
    2,557
    Mentioned
    46 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by sande005 View Post
    It will be the State Park, and they won't receive mail, even on a very short term basis.

    For the gap period, will "General Delivery" work out? Getting someone on the phone at a local PO there is an exercise in great futility. And no one at the national PO help center can advise on the details.....
    My local one, in person, is very helpful, but they can't assure me what will happen at the "remote" one.....
    The final option, that I see, if to have a friend or relative gather the mail and every couple of weeks, send it to the UPS Store (or another store) closest to you. Just make sure it is marked "Hold for pickup".
    Mark & Mary. Full-timing across the USA (and Canada)!
    Current Coach: 2021 Grand Design Reflection 320MKS
    Current Rig: 2019 Ford F350 SD Crew Cab, w/8' box, Lariat, SRW, 6.7l Diesel

  7. #7
    Site Team WhittleBurner's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Sitting in the sun! FL for along while
    Posts
    8,061
    Blog Entries
    19
    Mentioned
    90 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    We start a mail forward with usps about a week before we depart and do the full 6 mos allowed by the usps. After the 6 mos I don't worry about it because all our important billings and banking statements are set up to be paperless. So anything lost in the shuffle will likely be minor items like ads etc
    Marcy & Gary
    2014 Grand Design - Reflection 303RLS
    2022 GMC 3500 Denali Duramax Longbed SRW
    2015 GMC Denali 3500 - Retired
    2003 F350 - retired
    Michigan
    We're in trouble now, the dog are bloggin'!
    https://3dogsandatrailer.wordpress.com/


  8. #8
    Site Sponsor
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Location
    Central FL
    Posts
    690
    Mentioned
    3 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Put a hold on your mail at the local PO, when you get to the remote location get your PO box. Call your home PO and change the hold to forward and have them send the held mail to your PO box. When you head back home just cancel the PO box and have them forward back to your home PO, and call the home PO to put it back on hold until you get back.
    2022 Reflection150 226RK
    2022 F150 Powerboost hybrid with 3.5L Ecoboost


  9. #9
    Site Sponsor
    Join Date
    Jun 2021
    Location
    Minnesota
    Posts
    1,559
    Mentioned
    25 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    This won't help for this time around but something to consider for future. A few years ago when we started planning for travel including a few months in the South over the winter, we chose to drop our street side mailbox and get a PO Box in town. Obviously, we changed the addresses for everything to go to the mailbox. But rather than deal with mail forwarding, we made sure everything (I mean everything) was switch to electronic only.

    We then set up autopay by credit card on everything that allowed it. We don't like companies drafting direct from our savings or checking accounts so anything that cannot be done with credit card autopay, we pay using online banking to cut checks if the bank doesn't have electronic transfer in place with the company.

    When you rent a PO Box, they hold everything as long as needed and as long as your box is paid up to date. Pretty much 95% of the mail is garbage but it is held till we get back. With all the online and mobile account access we can always see how much we need to pay Discover, medical bills, etc., and when we get home we have primarily junk mail to sort through. But there is so little that after 3.5 months, they were able to stuff it all in our box and didn't need to hold any of it in the back room (which they would do if needed).

    Something to consider. My parents have been dealing with headaches of forwarding mail back and forth between MN and FL for years and it is always a headache. They are always worried about if the mail will stop when it's supposed to, or whether a bill will show up in time to not be late for payment, or whatever. I say avoid all that headache and move to electronic everything and don't have a care for what goes to your mailbox while you're gone.
    Chad
    2023 23LDE 965W Solar, Victron Multiplus, Solar Controllers, Cerbo GX, 4x280AH DIY Lithium Batteries, SeeLevel Tank Monitoring, Shock Absorbers (Replaced 2022 22MLE)
    2022 F350 6.7L Superduty, Carbonized Gray, Ultimate Lariat Pkg, 4WD, Crew Cab, 160" Wheelbase, 3.55EL Rear End, 3566# Payload
    Adaptive Steering, Ultimate Camera Pkg, 20" Wheels, 397 Amp Dual Alternator, ARE Topper (Replaced 2004 F150)

  10. #10
    Setting Up Camp
    Join Date
    Jul 2021
    Posts
    25
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    We've been through this mess a lot. Mail forwarding has never worked very well, mail will go missing and you can never count on when it will start or stop.

    It's more expensive, but we have our mail boxed up at the post office. It's the only way we get everything. We prepay for the shipments and can call the post office and change the address we want it sent to on the fly.

    You should be able to prepay for this service, find someplace that will accept your mail when you get there and notify your local post office of the address.

    Good luck.
    2018 Ford F350
    2019 Momentum 394

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

DISCLAIMER:This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Grand Design RV, LLC or any of its affiliates. This is an independent site.