If you’re a full-time RVer or someone who likes to take extended road trips in your RV, campervan, skoolie, etc, you need an RV mail forwarding service! But what is an RV mail forwarding service?
Well, it’s just what it sounds like. An RV mail forwarding service is a business that receives your mail, holds it for you, and forwards it to your current location when you’re in a spot long enough to receive mail.
In this article, we’re taking a deep dive into RV mail forwarding services. You’ll learn how they work, how much they cost, and how to sign up for them. You’ll also learn about the Escapees RV Club mail forwarding service for RVers that’s been in operation since 1985.
Let’s get started!
What Is an RV Mail Forwarding Service?
An RV mail forwarding service is a service that you can sign up for to collect and hold mail for you while traveling in your RV. When you’re ready to receive your mail, you request a mailing from the mail service and provide your current address to get all of your mail sent to you at once.
Mail forwarding services are an invaluable service for RVers who spend long periods of time on the road, like snowbirds and full-time RVers.
Some mail services allow you to use them as your physical address as well, which is helpful for legal matters, banking, and setting up your domicile as an RVer.
Escapees RV Club operates the nation’s oldest and largest private mail forwarding service. Our mail service was created in 1985 for RVers by RVers and we’ve served tens of thousands of travelers since.
How Does an RV Mail Forwarding Service Work?
In a broad sense, a mail forwarding service holds your mail and sends it to you. But what happens behind the scenes is more complex than that, and you often have different levels of service to choose from. Let’s use the Escapees RV Club mail forwarding service as an example.
When you sign up for the Escapees mail forwarding service, you will receive a personal mailbox number (PMB) along with a physical street address.
Once you update your mailing address with USPS to your new Escapees mailbox, your mail will be sent to our mail room at the Escapees headquarters in Livingston, Texas.
You can also choose to have a separate physical address for Florida or South Dakota to use for legal domicile purposes.
Part of your membership fees upon signing up include a postage balance. This covers the postage for sending your mail to you anywhere in North America.
Your mail will start collecting in your personal mailbox until you’re ready to have it sent, or forwarded, to your current location.
If you want to know what you’ve received in the mail, you can call and speak with one of our friendly mailroom staff members. They will even open and read your mail to you on the phone at your request.
Depending on which mail service package you sign up for, you may even have access to an online mail scanning service where you can view your mail online.
When you’re ready to have your mail forwarded to you, all you need to do is go online or give the Escapees mail center a call. Just provide your current address and select your mailing preferences and it will be mailed out to you on the next business day.
Learn more about how the Escapees mail service works here.
Want to Learn More About Domicile?
For many RVers, the Escapees RV Club mail service also acts as their domicile address. Domicile is the physical location in which you legally intend to return to once your travels are over. Having a physical address is essential for legal matters related to banking, driver licensing, vehicle insurance, estate planning, voting, and more.
However, a domicile is much more than just a “physical address”. We’ve been helping RVers with domicile for decades and working with legal teams dedicated to the unique domicile challenges RVers face.
You can read our domicile guides for TX, FL, and SD and check out all our articles and resources related to domicile on our domicile page here.
Let’s Look Inside the Escapees RV Club Mail Forwarding Service
The Escapees mail forwarding service is a commercial mail-receiving agent. This means it’s officially licensed by the U.S. Postal Service to receive, hold, and send your mail to you.
The Escapees mail center is located at our HQ in Livingston, Texas, and it processes tens of thousands of pieces of mail every day.
First, mail comes in every weekday on a semi-trailer. Then, the mail team gets to work sorting the mail, scanning it, handling packages, handling mail forwardings, and tending to customer phone calls.
Learn more about the behind-the-scenes operation of the mail center and see photos and videos in this article here: A Look Inside the Escapees Mail Forwarding Service for RVers.
Who Can Use an RV Mail Forwarding Service?
RV mail forwarding services are meant for anyone who needs mail forwarding when they are on the road for extended periods of time. You do not have to be a full-time RVer to use a mail-forwarding service.
If you choose the Escapees mail forwarding service, you will need to be a member of Escapees RV Club… But don’t worry, if you’re not already, you can sign up seamlessly during the mail service enrollment process.
You don’t have to be an RVer to use our mail forwarding service – you can be traveling in a car, camper van, skoolie, or any other method. Our mail center will receive your mail, hold it for you, and send it to you anywhere that you travel in North America.
Options Available with the Escapees RV Club Mail Forwarding Service
The Escapees mail service has 4 service categories available to choose from. It also has temporary accounts that you can use if you’re only going to be on the road for a couple of months.
The categories are labeled A, B, C, and Business.
Category A is the first tier of service. With this package, all of your mail is received and held at the Escapees mail center. When you’re ready to have it sent to you, just call or go online and request a mailing.
Categories B and C offer a couple of upgrades from category A, depending on what type of mail you want to receive.
Category B allows you to select to only receive certain mail types, like first-class mail, newsletters, magazines, etc. This allows you to filter out junk mail and save money on postage.
Category C provides you with custom mail sorting, so you can choose to only receive specific magazines, catalogs, letters, etc.
Business mail accounts allow you to use your Escapees mailbox and address as your business address.
If you only need a temporary mail forwarding service, Escapees also offers temporary options. All temporary accounts are Category A and you can choose to sign up for 2 months, 3 months, 4 months, or 6 months of service.
Learn more about our categories here.
How Much Does it Cost to Use an RV Mail Forwarding Service?
Prices for mail forwarding services for RVers vary and are subject to price changes due to inflation.
Escapees RV Club mail service prices are as follows: (Prices are subject to change)
- Category A: $110 per year
- Category B: $130 per year
- Category C: $150 per year
- Business: $175 per year
- Temporary accounts: From $40 to $70 depending on length
Along with the annual costs, new mail service accounts require a $50 one-time enrollment fee and a $50 postage deposit. Temporary accounts have different enrollment and postage costs.
Learn more about our rates and get up-to-date pricing information here.
How to Sign Up for the Escapees RV Mail Forwarding Service Step-by-Step
When you’re ready to sign up for Escapees RV Club’s mail forwarding service, you can find step-by-step instructions on our Sign Up page here.
Here’s the process in a nutshell!
- Step 1: Choose a service category.
- Step 2: Choose a state for domicile (if applicable). Options are Texas, Florida, or South Dakota.
- Step 3: Download, print, and complete your forms. Email them to us before signing and notarizing so we can be sure it’s all correct.
- Step 4: Get your forms notarized and mail them to the Escapees mail center.
- Step 5: Once we receive your paperwork and payment, we will process it and get you set up with your new mailbox.
- Step 6: Start using your new Escapees RV Club mailbox and address for all your mail!
You can choose to pay online or by check.
Although printing and mailing your forms may feel tedious in today’s internet age, it’s required by law. U.S. Postal Service regulations require that you sign your form before a notary public who will certify your signature. This allows us to legally process your mail for you.
You may email us your paperwork if you use an online notary service, which will eliminate the need to print it out and mail it via snail mail!
You will receive additional instructions about how to fill out your forms when you download the paperwork bundles for the state you choose on our sign-up page.
Are There Other Ways for RVers to Get Mail on the Road?
There are other ways for RVers to get mail on the road, but none are as convenient or sustainable as an actual mail forwarding service.
Your other options include asking friends and family to receive and send your mail or using USPS general delivery in the towns you travel through, but neither of these options is great for the long term.
If you’re shopping on Amazon and want to get your packages as soon as possible, you can always use local Amazon lockers, UPS or FedEx pickup stations, your campground address (if allowed), or USPS general delivery.
Be mindful to verify any option you select before using it, as not all of these options are allowed or available in every location.
Learn more in our comprehensive guide: How RVers Get Mail on the Road.
Wrapping Up
Finding a great RV mail forwarding service might feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be!
There are many mail forwarding companies on the market today aimed at RVers, but the Escapees RV Club mail service is the oldest and largest – plus it was created by RVers who understand the challenges of receiving mail on the road.
If you’re looking for a mail service for your life and travels on the road, consider the Escapees RV Club mail service. You’ll also get access to all the other amazing benefits the club offers, which is a huge bonus!
Learn more and sign up for the Escapees RV Club mail service here.
2 Responses
I find it somewhat difficult to fill out the mail forwarding form because I haven’t changed my driver’s license from Tennessee to Florida. If we sold our house that is currently on our TN driver’s license what do we do?
Hello Tracey, we recommend you call our Mail Forwarding Service folks. They are very happy to help and have pretty much seen it all! You can contact them at (936) 327-8873 or email them at clubbusiness@escapees.com.