My wife and I will be retiring in the spring and are planning a long trip with our travel trailer, cross country. We both have CCW from Ohio and know of the reciprocity between some states. My concerns are for keeping a loaded pistol on hand in our trailer at night for protection. The pistol would only be loaded and in the RV while we are in it. Would our RV be considered our home? Are there any frderal laws that would allow us to have a weapon in our RV while we are in it or would it strictly be a matter of "states rights" as to the law. Thanks in advance for any information pertaining to this question.

There are a lot of different opinions in regards to this question and I guess the answer varies from State to State. I usually carry in my coach regardless.
If you're interested a few good discussions on the subject over here at IRV2,,,, http://www.irv2.com/forums/f59/guns-104012.html

Hope this helps

Check the states you'll be traveling thru. Handgunlaw shows RV possesion rules as well as other CCW issues. Handgunlaw.us

__________________
Pete.

My parents travel the country in a 40' Country Coach. Like may RV'ers they keep a hand gun in the coach unloaded until night time.

They have a three inch Sp101 357. First two rounds are snake shot and the rest full power 357.

They know the snake shot isn't ideal but they are concerned about the close proximity of other RV'ers in the park.

They keep it in a Gunvault bolted on top of a cabinet.

If you break in and come down the long hallway towards the bedroom, your going to get peppered with snake shot followed by 357.

I also know of a few people that have a pistol grip 20 ga shotgun for the same purpose. They hide it under the bed when traveling.

My parents are elderly and aren't concerned about concealed carry laws or traveling with guns. They figure that any cop with a little common sense will understand. I hope they will.

You'll really have to check with the State that you are in at the time. My opinion is that while asleep at night in my RV I consider it my domicile (at least for the night) in Texas one can have a loaded firearm in a vehicle so at worst here, the RV would be a vehicle, yet only this year did Texas make it legal to carry a gun (without a CHL) on a boat, and many people live on their boats.....or at least sleep on them.

State law rules here, Doc. Check em out before you go.

__________________
NRA Certified Instructor

I don't know..
I tell MY citizens that travel throughout the country to REALLY be careful with a handgun....there are States where simple possession of an unregistered firearm in a vehicle means a trip to the pokey....
I always suggest a shotgun in sporting configuration. No tactical lights, no flashlights mounted, just a plain jane wood stocked shotgun.
MOST cops, EVEN in an gun oppressive State won't think a thing about a bird gun in a closet of an RV...Your mileage may vary

In some states, it would be better to be caught with the body of a murdered nun and child porn in your trunk than to be caught with a handgun which you can't legally carry or possess.

Courts and judges seem to be quite sympathetic to pedophiles and killers; gun owners, not so much. YMMV.

Play dumb and if you shoot anyone, just tell the cops you thought RV meant Revolver Vengeance.

__________________
Thirty characters. Exactly...

Even in California, you can have a loaded concealed handgun in your RV and outside it as long as it is within your 'campsite'.

Thanks for all of the great advice and suggestions. I will check the applicable state laws before I travel. As far as I know, fed law allows UNLOADED in a vehicles trunk or a locked box with the ammo in seperate compartment if there is no trunk on your vehicle. This is supposed to be a valid way to transport a handgun anywhere in the U.S. As for the travel trailer, that seems to be a different matter.
Thanks again.

Hey Sipowicz, I like your reply. As for palying dumb, I am very good at that - just ask my wife.

Really depends on the state that your in, many states that have Castle Doctrine laws specifically designate any thing that can be considered a domicile to include campgrounds, sheds, shacks, etc. Handgunlaw.us would be a good place to start as well as the state police of the areas you will be in.

Past performance is not indicative of future history. I have carried several loaded weapons in my RVs over the years and never had a problem but then I have never been stopped or questioned while in the RV. Several years ago, we went to a RV rally in GA. Many of my friends were there and we took our guns out to show each other. The park ranger came by and joined us in a gun discussion.

My thought on the matter is unless you need the gun or acting stupid with one, there will not be any issue of your having one.

I'd be careful depending on your own interpretation of the FOPA. Fairly recently a guy traveling on a plane with a firearm was arrested. He followed all the rules for transportation, but missed his connecting flight. He took his bagage, including the firearm to the hotel for the night. Next day when he declares the firearm for the connecting flight he was busted. NJ interpreted the FOPA to say you're not allowed to have direct access to the gun. BS of course, but he's still got a court date and a confiscated weapon.

__________________
Pete.

My wife and I RV'd full time for 10 years and travelled a great deal of the US, with several handguns in the 5th wheel and 2 or 3 in the truck at all times. A lot of that earlier time was even without any state's CCL. We didn't worry about the various state laws, as our guns were always carried concealed, and never, ever talked about. I've personally carried 365 days a year for over 40 years and never a problem, as I will never cause the problem myself, but will try to end it if there is a threat to me or my wife, and not worry too much about it, as I believe right prevails wrong. I always considered my RV our permanent residence as that was all that we had, and I could prove that to any LEO. Just stay out of Canada and Mexico, which I'd do anway.

I've always heard & operated under the assumption that when parked the RV IS your home. The particular state you are in can have a bearing. Then there is the adage about being judged by the 12 V carried by 6.

If you'd asked mine, she would have told you I wasn't playing...

But that's off-topic.

When I've traveled in the western states, I've kept it in the trunk while going through Oregon and California in particular since they don't recognize a Washington carry permit. I'm okay in Idaho and Utah.

That said, if I'm on the side of the road with a flat or other vehicle malady, I'm going to damn sure to have my carry piece on me.

Thanks again for all the sound advise.

I don't have much to add except to say states are different. I know a RV is considered a home in Alaska (where I was a cop), either in protecting or burglarizing. It Wyoming, where I retired, any vehicle is considered an extention of the home.

Now with that out of the way, I'll spam the thread with a story.

I was in Lander to shoot a rifle match. I travel with a horse trailer with living quarters, but a camper all the same.

I got there before the match and set up just out side the gate to the range in a pasture. Not much around. Some time in the middle of the night I woke up because someone or something was banging on the trailer. Rocking it. I tried peeking out the windows but in the dark I saw nothing.

Then it sounded like something was trying to get in the door. I pointed my 642 out the door window and activated the laser sight and lit up a horse poking my window with its nose.

Silly story I know, but it scared me a bit to be honest. I went out to chase the horses away and found there was about a half dozen.

Be careful where you park. If I was smart I would have looked around and found out I was in a horse pasture to start with. If you know where your at you can know what to expect.

(before you ask, it was public land, not private.)