# Topics > Gear-Up! >  Frustrated new comer from Oz!

## Mik

My family & I wish to purchase a vehicle & travel trailer in the U.S. & travel extensively for 6 to 8 months & I have been reading that it isn't as easy as that. 
In Australia anyone can come here, purchase a similar set up have them transferred into there name & hit the road. What are the requirements for doing this in the U.S.?
I am reading insurance & U.S residency is required? Can I give the authorities a friends name in Nebraska & purchase insurance once i've purchased a vehicle? I will already have travel insurance, will this do?
Also, How do I upload a photo to 'My Profile'?
And, I am 'maping my Route' & because we will be traveling all over the U.S. it is going to take me forever.
For example Just to travel from L.A. to San Fran via the coast road Hwy 1 or 101 I had to put in several start & finish destinations so the 'blue line' would go the route I wanted to go & not onto the quickest main hwy route. Is there an easier way?
Also after I have 'Saved' all of my 'Routes' am I able to join them up to get one continuous route on one map?
Mik

----------


## Lifemagician

Hi Mik, and Welcome to the The Great American RoadTrip Forum.

Someone will be along soon, I am sure, to respond to your specific questions.  

My advice to you for a trip of this scope is to get a good wall sized map of the US (my preferred map is National Geographics, for the detail it shows) and start by routing your trip on it.  If you have the map laminated, you can draw on it with white board markers.  Or you may prefer to use sticky notes.  You can then use the electronics to find further detail and calculate distances.

Enjoy the planning.  It is such a big part of the trip.

Lifey

----------


## Mark Sedenquist

The RTA Custom Maps were designed to enable you to create custom routes.  This is done by the use of waypoints.  Here is an explanation of that is done -- you don't use the start and finish exclusively.

And no, there's no way add routes on top of routes to create a complete map.  But I've been able to create 3000+ mile maps that were not on interstates -- I think you'll find much more flexibility than you've found so far.

And yes, paper maps are fine -- but the advantage of the RTA Custom Maps, is that you can also see those road trip attractions that we've personally vetted and recommended for your trip planning. And it's a lot faster than a paper map. * Average time to create a ~ 1000 mile route with detailed mapping is about three minutes...*..

Mark

----------


## AZBuck

> My family & I wish to purchase a vehicle & travel trailer in the U.S. & travel extensively for 6 to 8 months & I have been reading that it isn't as easy as that.


Nope, not even remotely that easy. Australians are eligible for the Visa Waiver Program meaning that you do not need to apply for a visa prior to arriving at customs. One will be issued when you get here (the stamp they put in your passport). But it will be valid for a maximum of 90 days. If you want to stay in the US for longer than that you *will* need to obtain a visa prior to your departure from Australia. You should immediately contact the nearest  American embassy/consulate and take this up with them.

It also nigh onto impossible for foreign nationals to own vehicles in the US. Part, but only part, of the problem is that in our federal system of government, car ownership, licensing and registration are matters left to the 50 individual states, and each of them requires that you be a legal resident of the state before they will let you do any of those things. Having a friend or relative who will 'lend' you their residency and citizenship for this purpose would help matters, but note what you are asking of them. They would be the owners of record and thus they would be legally and financially responsible for whatever you do in the vehicle you are 'borrowing' from them. 

I realize that none of the above is welcome news, but that's just the way it is. knowing what you're up against won't necessarily stop the frustration, but at least if you know where the walls are, maybe your head won't find them as often.

AZBuck

----------


## Mark Sedenquist

> Also, How do I upload a photo to 'My Profile'?x


MIK, there are three ways to get to your profile to edit your photo:  (any one of them will work -- but you only need one way in)

1) Click on your username when you are logged in
2) Click on the "Forum Settings" and then do the pull-down for "Edit Profile"
3) Click on the "Forum Settings" and then click on General Settings

In any case when you reach your profile -- look at the left-hand column, you'll see a link for "Edit Profile Photo"  and when you click on that -- you'll see the instructions for uploading photos.

Hope that helps

Mark

----------


## Mik

Thanks AZBuck for the heads up thus far. Sorry, I wasn't implying that a friend take on the responsibility of ownership of the vehicle & travel trailer, but that we use her residence as if it where ours so we could still purchase & insure in our name. Therefor being our responsibility.
Proof of citizenship however, is certainly an obstacle. I've heard that the state of Wyoming is more relaxed on all this? Cheers once again.

----------


## Mark Sedenquist

> but that we use her residence as if it where ours so we could still purchase & insure in our name. Therefore being our responsibility.


But just so your clear on this.... the legal standing for ownership of the property would vest with your friend, since you're not a legal resident and therefore by law have no means to vest the vehicle in your name.  Now.... Lifey, one of our senior members is one of the few people I know whose been successful in getting title to her vehicle (she lives in Oz).  Here is the saga on what that took to accomplish....

Getting ready to get licensing  (oops, have to look for this later)

Looking for the vehicles

Mark

----------


## Lifemagician

Mik, Please do not PM or email me again.  All questions and answers are on these forums.  I do not give private advice.

Especially in this case, with you having edited your original post, making it look as if both Mark and I ignored the first part of your post.  When in actual fact, the first seven lines of your original post were not there when we responded.

All the information is in the link provided... and in some other threads.  No doubt a forum search will deliver them to you.

Lifey

----------


## lifechangingyear

I beg to differ slightly on the above advice. I am an Australian resident and bought a car in Texas in April.  Owning a car being from another country is apparently zero issue in Texas.  For insurance we used the car yard's address but were advised by the insurance broker that we could use the hotel address.  Whole transaction was done in 2 hours and we paid for the car on our credit card!!  You will need to apply for the visa waiver online before you travel.  Cost is around $14 for each person.  More than 3 months will be a whole pile of hassle!!  We would have had to fly from Queensland to NSW for a prearranged visit to the consulate. All parties including the children had to have fingerprints done by the Australian federal police at $150 a pop (there were 5 of us!!). So we stayed 3 months and spent the rest of our money in SE Asia!  I had advise from the consulate that if we left after 3 months and travelled to Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean islands that this would not entitle us to reentry as they deem these part of the US for visa purposes.  If you can believe that!!  Also if you get a 6 month visa, i was advised that you had to leave the country to reapply for another one - too much hassle!  Enjoy your planning for 3 months!!

----------


## Lifemagician

> More than 3 months will be a whole pile of hassle!!


I just wrote a letter stating my case, and asking what the chances were to be able to stay longer.  I was then granted a five year visa  (I had asked for five months) with a limit of six months per entry.  On its expiry it was renewed for another five years, without any further questions asked.




> All parties including the children had to have fingerprints done by the Australian federal police at $150 a pop (there were 5 of us!!).


Did not cost me a penny.  No idea why you got that information.  And it was all done at the consulate... not the AFP.  The visa, however, cost around $136.  (With no consulate in Perth, Western Australians need to come to the Melbourne consulate.)




> Also if you get a 6 month visa, I was advised that you had to leave the country to re-apply for another one - too much hassle!


I have just been out of the country for 9 days, and was granted another six months on re-entry.

Neither your experience and advice, nor mine, is standard.  Each case is taken on its merit.  If you have a _good_ case, state it.  You will most likely get what you ask for.

Lifey

----------


## Mik

As I stated in my title, I am a new comer to this site & didn't know PMing people or e-mailing was forbidden! I was kindly told later of the rules by Mark Sedenquist after I had also PM him. Maybe there shouldn't be a drop down window with the options to PM or E-mail anybody when putting the curser over people's user name.  Or maybe your 1st page when someone googles & stumbles across this site should have "The rules" stipulated. Talk about touchy!

Further more The 'editing' to my original post wasn't to make it "look like anyone was ignoring me" How was I to know someone was going to reply within 5 mins of my post.
In my defence, I simply thought of other questions I needed to ask. Again, if you don't want people editing 'original posts' don't give the option.

I would rather it be in a forum style discussion to get the maximum input. It was suggested that you maybe able to help me with my enquiries on buying a vehicle in the U.S. and as you had already responded to my original post I thought my chance had passed (hence the PM & E-mail) so i edited my original post to broaden my chances. 
As I read on, what 'link provided'. Don't answer that. 
Mik

----------


## Mik

Oh thank goodness there are some helpful Aussies, cheers Lifechangingyear for your input.
I'll look into it. Things have obviously changed since my last self drive holiday to the U.S. I did the same back in 1990. Bought a VW van in L.A. from a car yard & hit the road, it was that easy, spent 4 months travelling across & loved it, now I want to take the kids & was gonna do the same until I started hearing of the possible changes since 9/11. The more I delve into though the more stories i'm finding like yours in Texas. Similar to you non U.S. residence have had the same experience in Florida & Wyoming thus far. 
I think Aussies are sometimes that laid back (well most Aussies) we don't think of these things & for most part things work out. I'm putting a little more research into though this time because i'm taking the family.
Just a thought, do the government agencies really think a terrorist is going to buy a car if there intensions are to do harm. :)
Mik

----------


## Midwest Michael

> Just a thought, do the government agencies really think a terrorist is going to buy a car if there intensions are to do harm. :)
> Mik


Well, first of all, yes. You only have to go back 2 years to the attempted Times Square Bombing where the terrorist bought an SUV off craigslist, filled it with explosives, and left it in the heart of New York City to find examples of why this is a legitimate concern. Tracking the registration is one of the key ways that suspect was caught.

But its actually not the buying the car that typically causes difficulties, its the license and registration.

In most states, including Florida, you need a state issued drivers license to register the car, and it's the rules to get a Drivers License that have gotten significantly more strict in the past decade - a direct reaction to the fact that most of the 9/11 terrorists were able to get, and then use, state Drivers Licenses. 

Most insurance companies will also not offer coverage without a US Drivers License and often a Social Security Number. Even in states like Texas, where a DL is not needed to register the car, this can be the bigger roadblock.

----------


## glc

What this all boils down to is proving "legal presence".  Visitors on the visa waiver program may have a hard time proving this.

One example is New Jersey.  They have what's called a "6 point" program.  If you don't have a NJ driver's license, you have to present 6 points worth of ID to register a vehicle.  Proof of address is going to be difficult for a visitor, and a verifiable Social Security number is going to be almost impossible.  Even in states where you can get around all this, it's still going to be difficult to obtain proper insurance without a US driving record.  It can be done, but it's generally very costly.

If you are coming over here for 90 days or less on the visa waiver program, it will be a LOT easier and less costly in the long run to rent a RV.  If you were to buy something, reselling it before you leave can be a hassle.  Also, what do you do about possible breakdowns?  With a rental, the company takes care of it. This is probably better even if you did get a formal 6 month visitor's visa.

----------

