It occurs to me that as I pore over RV brochures that one thing I have NOT thought a lot about was traveling with guns. Some of it has easy answers. NFA stuff stays with my son, the co-trustee. Some states, like CA and NJ, I'll probably just not visit (or only very briefly....maybe if that national reciprocity thing happens). Some times I may have to put stuff in storage, or ship to a dealer elsewhere, say if I want to transverse Canada to see Alaska.

But with all that, it seems like if I keep a basic (very basic) stash of say a 12-ga pump, the ever present G19, and the .308 bolt-action, I should be okay with most states, correct?

How do you all travel with firearms?

There are a couple of RV forums that touch on that subject regularly. Forrest River Forums would be a good start, it's a larger RV forum with anything from weekend warriors to diesel pushers. Also if you have a CCW check with USCarry for reciprocity plus they may info on RV carry. Chris

Interesting question. We don't full-time and have only been through friendly states from Florida to Michigan. Some RV parks have written restrictions, but I've never been asked.

We are not Full Time RVers yet. Like what Chris said, you can check
Forest River Forum (even if you own a different brand
Motorhome). Plenty of information about this topic.
In fact, there is even a SubForum for Canadian Travel. But be warned about that site, it is nowhere near like this forum. Some people there are not very friendly.

For 2016 and 2017 Summer Trips to Canada (Ontario, Toronto, Vancouver BC and Victoria Canada), I did not bring any firearmss in the RV as I did not want the hassle of dealing with the Canadian Customs. We just had to be very careful when staying overnight at rest areas and pick a well lighted rest areas. When we travel within the US, I just bring my M&P shield and Ruger LCP for pocket carry. I have my NV, UT and FL CCW ID with me all the time and research my route to find out which areas I can and cannot carry. When we go to California, I just lock eveything in a small safe that I bolted inside the RV. We also carry small canisters of airhorns to attract other people’s attention, if needed in case of emergency. Also carry a baseball bat and hatchet inside the RV. Although I wish I can bring a higher capacity pistol with me all the time and a pump shotgun.

quote:

ship to a dealer elsewhere

No.
If you ship a handgun to a dealer in another state, you won't be able to get it from him.

Would he be able to ship it to himself in "care of" the dealer? If so, that is something you would need to work out with the dealer beforehand.

You are doing the right thing now, preplan where you are going and what is allowed in in each state. I avoid the eastern high regulated states, California Illinois, Canada, Mexico. I have held a friend’s handgun while they traveled Canada we later met to transfer it back to him. Also when you are full timing and do not have a permanent residence it makes it harder to purchase a hand gun.

While not a legal expert, I wouldn't eliminate travels to CA because of it's gun law. Assuming you're carry just a simple revolver or pistol, as long as it's unloaded in a trunk or otherwise secured part of the RV, I don't think you're going to get too much grief from anyone. Also, I assume you're not going to run into police anyway, right? I'd avoid the large capacity magazines to be safe though.

Or just skip CA.

I've been living in an RV for a few years now and travel with a pistol. Texas license covers me for most places. I use a CCW phone app and usacarry.com to research laws of the places I'm going. Some states are absolutely off limits (mostly on the east coast), and others are "keep it in the motorhome" states. So far, so good.

RV forums are not really a good source of info for this. The vast majority of people won't understand why you want to carry, and many others will be ill informed about the laws. Threads usually degenerate into vitriol and get locked.

quote:

Originally posted by AllenInWV:
Some times I may have to put stuff in storage, or ship to a dealer elsewhere, say if I want to transverse Canada to see Alaska.

ISTM there might be a business opportunity here?

My wife and I have also talked about RVing. Never mind the non-free states, such as California, we have family in Canada. It was one thing to set out from SE Michigan to go explicitly to somewhere in Canada for a couple days. Ok: Disarm at home. But when travelling N. America and wanting to go into Canada... Only current choices seem to be: Go unarmed full-time or don't go into Canada.

Trusted (e.g.: Bonded, insured, whatever) secure storage on the Canada/US border, possibly with optional transport to a different exit point?

quote:

Originally posted by Mike the Texan:
RV forums are not really a good source of info for this. The vast majority of people won't understand why you want to carry, and many others will be ill informed about the laws. Threads usually degenerate into vitriol and get locked.

Same thing that happens on sailing forums. People who don't see the necessity for providing for one's own defence take extreme offence with the idea there are those who do.

quote:

Originally posted by Russ59:
While not a legal expert, I wouldn't eliminate travels to CA because of it's gun law. Assuming you're carry just a simple revolver or pistol, as long as it's unloaded in a trunk or otherwise secured part of the RV, I don't think you're going to get too much grief from anyone. Also, I assume you're not going to run into police anyway, right? I'd avoid the large capacity magazines to be safe though.

Or just skip CA.

I spent some time in CA. Check the laws; make sure what you have is within the limits. The agriculture check station is not a place where they root through your belongings.

quote:

Originally posted by Russ59:
While not a legal expert, I wouldn't eliminate travels to CA because of it's gun law. Assuming you're carry just a simple revolver or pistol, as long as it's unloaded in a trunk or otherwise secured part of the RV, I don't think you're going to get too much grief from anyone. Also, I assume you're not going to run into police anyway, right? I'd avoid the large capacity magazines to be safe though.

Or just skip CA.

My wife and I travel to Ca. at least once a year to visit friends and I bring a 1911 with us with zero issues. Ca. has a Castle Doctrine in place that allows you have a loaded pistol inside your home, motel or hotel. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't a motorhome considered to be your home when travelling? I would check to see how that applies in your case.

Jim

Everybody believes CA is so horrible, but CA has nothing on the NE commie states like NJ & NY. In CA, you are fine if the firearm is unloaded, locked, and out of reach. NJ & NY, you get to go to prison for just possessing it.

In fact, when the RV is parked in CA, it is considered your domicile, and castle doctrines come into play. Of course, I’m no attorney, and CA seems to get worse annually.

If your are extra worried, take only the 870. Or get a nice RV safe and a copy of the 4th.

Really no problems in Illinois as long as you account for specific restrictions in Chicago, Cook County,and a few suburbs of Chicago.
Those areas will restrict "assault rifles". There are no handgun restrictions or HANDGUN magazine capacity restrictions anywhere in the state.
Other than those areas of IL. you can have about anything as long as its unloaded and in a "container"(a pistol in a container with a magazine or speed-loader next to it is OK ).
If you have a CCW permit from another state you can carry in the vehicle, just don't exit and move away from the immediate proximity of your vehicle with the gun.

My wife and I did full time RV for 8 years, starting 3 weeks after 911. During that period we visited every state west of the Mississippi except North Dakota. We also were in most of the states east of the Mississippi, avoiding New England and West Virgina.

In the storage under the bed were 2 shotguns, 5 Glocks and 2 S&W revolvers, plus 1 rifle. In the basement storage (5th Wheel) were 2K roound of .40S&W ball, and 200 rounds of Federal Hydrashok, etc.

We stayed on 27 different Air Force bases, 2 USMC bases, 3 Navy bases and 1 Coast Guard station. How many civilian RV parks---unknown. The only time the inside of my 5th Wheel was inspected was by the Kommiefornia Agriculture Nazis who looked in my refrigerator looking for fruits and produce.

quote:

Originally posted by Johnny 3eagles:
My wife and I did full time RV for 8 years, starting 3 weeks after 911. During that period we visited every state west of the Mississippi except North Dakota. We also were in most of the states east of the Mississippi, avoiding New England and West Virgina.

In the storage under the bed were 2 shotguns, 5 Glocks and 2 S&W revolvers, plus 1 rifle. In the basement storage (5th Wheel) were 2K roound of .40S&W ball, and 200 rounds of Federal Hydrashok, etc.

We stayed on 27 different Air Force bases, 2 USMC bases, 3 Navy bases and 1 Coast Guard station. How many civilian RV parks---unknown. The only time the inside of my 5th Wheel was inspected was by the Kommiefornia Agriculture Nazis who looked in my refrigerator looking for fruits and produce.

How did you get onto the military bases with the weapons and ammo?

quote:

Originally posted by 229DAK:

quote:

Originally posted by Johnny 3eagles:
My wife and I did full time RV for 8 years, starting 3 weeks after 911. During that period we visited every state west of the Mississippi except North Dakota. We also were in most of the states east of the Mississippi, avoiding New England and West Virgina.

In the storage under the bed were 2 shotguns, 5 Glocks and 2 S&W revolvers, plus 1 rifle. In the basement storage (5th Wheel) were 2K roound of .40S&W ball, and 200 rounds of Federal Hydrashok, etc.

We stayed on 27 different Air Force bases, 2 USMC bases, 3 Navy bases and 1 Coast Guard station. How many civilian RV parks---unknown. The only time the inside of my 5th Wheel was inspected was by the Kommiefornia Agriculture Nazis who looked in my refrigerator looking for fruits and produce.

How did you get onto the military bases with the weapons and ammo?

Good question

1. My RV was my house. Military personnel are alowed to have firearms in their quarters.
2. NOBODY ever asked.

1. Sometimes. But they need to be registered with the base. You weren't living on base, you were visiting. There is a difference

2. Nobody asked?

Nope. Some Military Police wanted to see inside, opened the door, looked in, said "Nice" and that was it. Like i said, the only one to physicaly enter were the two Agriculture inspectors entering Kali from Oregon.

We only had to enter 3 or 4 bases through their commercial gate. Most bases had a large enough main gate to permit RV entry. Show your ID, and on your way.

About having guns on base, from my experience, personnel living in base housing, NOT the barracks, are permitted firearms in their base housing.