How Full Time RVers Get Mail

The #1 question we get about our nomadic RV lifestyle is 👉  “how do full time RVers get mail?” 😂  This seems to be everybody’s first mental roadblock.

If you’ve ever wondered how we manage to receive mail on the go, we’re here to tell you exactly how RVers get mail 📬✨

How RVers get mail – Mailing Services

Mailing services are ideal for individuals, travelers, RVers, expats, businesses, and others who need a reliable way to view their postal mail online. There are a number of mailing services available (which we’ll get into later), but here’s generally how all of them work 👇

1. Subscribe to a Mailing Service

Start by subscribing to a reliable mailing service. Once you’re all signed up, you’ll be assigned a new address. With your login credentials in hand, you can easily access your virtual mailbox through a secure website. Convenience at its finest!

2. Complete USPS Form 1583

Once you’re subscribed to the service of your choice, you’ll be required to sign a USPS Form 1583. This gives the mailing service the legal right to open mail on your behalf. After all, opening mail that isn’t addressed to you is considered a felony, so this is a formality to keep everything in order.

3. Update your address

Next, let your mail senders know about your new address. You can update your address directly with them or head over to USPS.com to conveniently issue a change of address online. You’ll want to make sure all your important mail finds its way to you, no matter where you are.

4. Decide next steps when you get mail

As your mail starts to trickle in, your mailing service will scan the outside of your envelopes to give you a sneak peek. Then, it’s decision time. You typically have three options:

• Open and scan: If you can’t wait to delve into the contents, you can have the service open your mail, scan it, and securely deliver it straight to your virtual mailbox. No more waiting around!
• Forward to you: Should you need the physical copy, you can have it forwarded to your desired location. It’s like having a personal mail carrier wherever you go!
• Shred it: If you don’t want the mail forwarded or it contains sensitive information, simply instruct your mailing service to shred it, and it’ll be safely disposed of. Peace of mind guaranteed.

Now that you know the ins and outs of our mailing services, you’ll never miss an important mail on your nomadic journey.

RV Mailing Services

There are several popular mailing service options that RVers choose. With each service, there’s a number of factors you’ll want to consider including price, what that price includes, cost per scan, forwarding cost, mail information availability, and what other services are available with the service. The following services are not the only services RVers use to get mail, but they’re the most popular. Let’s start with the mailing service we chose.

Traveling Mailbox

Traveling Mailbox (affiliate link 🔗) is a Certified Commercial Mail Receiving Agency with the United States Postal Service. That means they’re legally allowed to set up private mailboxes and accept mail from the Postal Service for others. We chose Traveling Mailbox because they are affordable, gave us plenty of scans each month, and, best of all, they have an app.

• Price:
  • Basic $15/mo (3 recipients)
  • Extended $25/mo (5 recipients)
  • Business $55/mo (10 recipients)
• Scans Per Month:
  • Basic = 40 envelopes, 35 page scans (charged $5/package received)
  • Extended = 100 envelopes, 85 page scans
  • Business = 200 envelopes, 180 page scans
• Forwarding Costs: You choose what pieces of mail you’d like to have forwarded. You pay postage + $2 per shipment (not per piece).
• Other Benefits:
  • Mobile app
  • Check depositing: Cost of postage to mail to your bank + $4.95 admin fee
  • Mail and Package Holding: if you need to hold on to a physical copy of mail or a package more than 30 days, you can pay an additional fee for them to hold it for you.

Escapees is a well-known name in the RV community. They offer campground discounts, RV membership discounts, job exchanges, boot camps, roadside assistance, domicile services (no idea what a domicile is? Check out our post here 👉 Establishing Your Domicile as a Full-Time RVer), communities to meet other RVers, and MANY other services – including Mail Service.

• Price:
  • Plan A = $110/year
  • Plan B = $120/year
  • Plan C = $150/year
• Scans Per Month: The scanning service is an additional $100/year and is only available to those who purchase plans B or C referenced above. This means you’re minimally paying $220-$250/year just to have a plan, PLUS $0.50 per scan.
• Forwarding Costs: You pay the actual cost of postage with no markup to forward your mail. You must have a minimum of $25 funded in your postage forwarding account. You will be asked to add funds if it drops below $25. On plan A, you have no choice but to receive (and pay for postage) for all mail, including junk, that you’ve received.
• Other Services
  • Mobile app
  • Choice to review mail with a live person

Check out the video below to see how RVers get mail through Escapees scanning services 👇 or this in-depth article on how their service works.

• Price:
  • Premium = $224.10/year ($249/year without Good Sam membership) – share mailbox with the whole family
  • Business = $399.50/year
• Scans Per Month: 20 free scans a month, including all inside pages; no fees for packages received
• Forwarding Costs: You pay the actual cost of postage with no markup to forward your mail. You must have a minimum of $25 funded in your postage forwarding account. You will be asked to add funds if it drops below $25. On plan A, you have no choice but to receive (and pay for postage) for all mail, including junk, that you’ve received.
• Other Services
  • Mobile app
  • Physical address in Florida that can be used for residency/domicile purposes
  • Check depositing
  • Choice to review mail with a live person 

As you can tell, there are a number of different factors to consider when looking into a mailing service as an RVer trying to get mail on the road. From price to what’s included to the number of people on the account and extra services included, there’s a lot to consider!

Hopefully, this was a good start to help you understand how RVers get mail, what a mailing service is, how it works, and the top 3 services to consider. Best of luck in finding your favorite mailing service!