Trucks, Taxes and Triumphs: Our First Week in Florida
Updated: Sep 10
June 3 – 9, 2025
📍Location: Hollywood Beach, Florida
Our US journey began in Hollywood, Florida - the sophisticated, low-key alternative to the neon chaos of Miami. Following a friend's recommendation, we traded congested highways for a pedestrian paradise. Imagine a sun-drenced promenade where the only traffic is the rhythmic glide of rollerblades and bicycles. With pristine white sand and crystalline water all to ourselves, it felt like the ultimate sanctuary.
But the serenity was short-lived. We were on a high-stakes mission: finding our own set of wheels.
Since we arrived a day late, our rental car was no longer available, so we had to find a new one. As soon as we dealt with that, we emerged in the exhausting theater of American car dealerships. It's a world of high-pressure sales: prices are higher, the procedure is long, because every manager wants to know everything about you and then starts to convince you that you should take out a loan and buy a more expensive car. The same time those managers want to close the deal right after the test drive.
After several test drives we thought we had found "the one" at a Lincoln garage: a Ford F-150 that checked every box. But a strange engine noise and a baffling tax debate stalled the deal.
Pro-Traveler Tip: Always do your homework. The dealer insisted we pay Florida sales tax, but as foreigners, we knew the "Montana trick" - doing the registration through an agency in a tax-free state. When the dealer wouldn't budge on the bureaucracy, we knew it was time to walk.
Just as we were honestly considering catching a flight to Montana to bypass the headache, we decided to give a private seller named Fercho a chance. It was the best decision we made all week.
Hidden in Miami Gardens was exactly what we were looking for: a Ford F-150 Harley-Davidson Edition. This wasn't just a truck; it was a statement. Outfitted with aggressive off-road tires and a massive Tesla-style Android screen, it felt modern, rugged, and more than capable of hauling our future adventures.
Fercho knew what he had, and the price reflected it. But after a night of deliberation, we went back with a counter-offer. By June 7 - just four days into our search - we closed the first deal, successfully haggling the price down by $1,000.
First mission accomplished. We celebrated our triumph at Billy's Crab restaurant.
On June 9, even before the car was registered and without temporary license plates, we drove our new 4x4, which we ended up naming Fercho in honor of its previous owner, further to Fort Pierce in search of a trailer.
Comments