Tell us your RV Unfriendly Communities

Despite taking the GypsyJournal's Unfriendly Communities with a bit of skepticism, what's written there certainly reinforces my feelings toward Arizona. In light of their SB1062, I refuse to go there and leave ANY of my money there. (Yes, it's true That Woman vetoed it... But the legislature still passed it!)

So, when Sally and I head for Burning Man, we stop for an overnight in Albuq and leave with a full tank of fuel just so we do not have to stop until we get to Las Vegas. We do the same if we're headed to Southern California: Overnight in Deming... Don't stop until Indio/Palm Springs.

Arizona will just have to get by without my cash.

path1 wrote:
On several occasions I invited them to stay in our side driveway if they'll only be a day maybe two. I've got a 12 foot wide driveway about 127 feet long that goes right into a side parking spot. One guy backed into my fence. That 127 foot driveway is only about 4 or 5 times as long as the length of his entire Rig, and a 12 foot wide driveway, (as big as a traffic lane) and still he took out my fence! Anyways, we decided we'd fix in the morning. We (him and I) would put the fence back up in the morning, maybe around $50.00 bucks worth of stuff to put fence back up.

Guess what? About 2 in the morning wife hears him taking off. No more Camp Driveway at my house.

Drove the point home to me that...it only takes one to mess it up everybody.

OK there's a view from something other than a HOA.

That was really nice of you, like you said it only takes one to mess things up for others!

(two examples, I don't have any HOA's, but you mentioned parks)

I drive down to a park near us. Not often but maybe once or twice a month. Especially after I give the motor some exercise. Or exercise the generator when our neighbor a fireman is sleeping during the day. Sometimes I'll make a pot of coffee and write some letters/e-mails or whatever. Sometimes a great place for lunch for both of us. Just nice to be at the park away from the house for a change. And we're not the only one there. Many people bring their kids and let them play as the driver stays in the car. Catching up on phone calls or whatever.

So back to your posting...what am I supposed to think when a cop comes by looking over everybody that's parked, just driving along slowly. But Stops in front of me and I see he's looking at my lic plate and mashing it into his computer. I stick my head out and holler "HI, just enjoying the day". He says "the park closes at dusk you can't sleep here". I respond, "I know, just catching up on e-mails". He says "OK but you must be gone when the park closes at dusk". By the way... it's 1:30 in the afternoon.

He just drove by probably 10 or 15 cars all with people in them but stops at me. The only RV in the place. What would you think?

At first I was a little angry, but after thinking about it, I'm glad he stopped and checked me out. Our neighborhood over the last 5 years has become "home" to people that sleep here one night then somewhere else another night. Believe me I'm not against that either. When travelling, I overnight at places that many would not be pleased with. But places look the same to me with my eyes closed. And I'm not making drugs or dumping my tanks or leaving the place a mess.

Remember it only take a few to mess it up for everybody.

(another example) There is an ELKS lodge real close to us. Next door to the Elks lodge is a shopping center. This Elks lodge does not take reservations. First come first serve for their camping spots. They maybe have 12 or 15 spots. It's not uncommon to see RV's in the shopping center, especially in the summer. Several times I got talking with some these ELKS. They are waiting and hoping someone pulls out or they are wondering where they'll go next. On several occasions I invited them to stay in our side driveway if they'll only be a day maybe two. I've got a 12 foot wide driveway about 127 feet long that goes right into a side parking spot. One guy backed into my fence. That 127 foot driveway is only about 4 or 5 times as long as the length of his entire Rig, and a 12 foot wide driveway, (as big as a traffic lane) and still he took out my fence! Anyways, we decided we'd fix in the morning. We (him and I) would put the fence back up in the morning, maybe around $50.00 bucks worth of stuff to put fence back up.

Guess what? About 2 in the morning wife hears him taking off. No more Camp Driveway at my house.

Drove the point home to me that...it only takes one to mess it up everybody.

OK there's a view from something other than a HOA.

jplante4 wrote:


There are towns on Long Island (Floral Park is one) where you cannot park a commercial vehicle (i.e. a pickup) in YOUR DRIVEWAY.

This is very COMMON in gated communities in Florida.

In city of Cape Coral Fla., at one time, you could not park ANY pickup, commercial or not, in your driveway. It must be in the garage, out of sight. That ordinance has since been repealed.

HOAs are basically "ladders up" organizations. This term comes from the practice of finally getting aboard a ship and pulling the ladders up so no one else can board. People move to an ideal community and in order to keep people from moving there and "ruining" it, form a home owner's association and the first thing they do is pass rules that the current residents agree to that restricts the freedoms of the residents to the point where only "like minded" people will move there.

There are towns on Long Island (Floral Park is one) where you cannot park a commercial vehicle (i.e. a pickup) in YOUR DRIVEWAY.

It is not only HOA. Counties can and do dictate RV/boat parking. Our home county restricts RV in front of the house to 24 hours. At all other times it has to be rearward of the front plane of the house. Same with boats.

In some other areas no RV parking of any type is allowed.

These are county ordinance, not HOA rules.

Oh yeah there were also restrictions on how long your grass could be. These were vigorously enforced.

Are people here finding restrictions as to where to park if going to say a resturant, shop or just visit a place of interest while on route to your destination?

Thanks
HOA=Homeowner's Association.

I don't think we got them here but we got the city councillors that passes some of those ridicules bylaws!

There are many cities/towns here in Colorado (not just Gunnison, as noted on that website), that have restrictions on RV parking.

In Fort Collins, one can only park at your residence on the street for 24hours for loading/unloading; in Loveland, it's 48hours. In certain neighbourhoods, HOA covenants won't allow any RV/Trailer/Motorhome to be visible at all, so no parking on your property or in the driveway; one can only load/unload and only for 24hours. Some require that said vehicles be enclosed in a fenced area, with a limited view of the RV/Trailer/Motorhome.

In Fort Collins, municipal ordinance forbids overnight parking at WalMarts and other locations favoured by RV'ers. And it's enforced. Loveland is not as restrictive, and the WalMarts here become very popular, and sometimes crowded with RV parkers.

The above is also true, to varying degrees, in Boulder as well as the Denver Metro area, each city having their own variations on the laws indicated above. In many areas, it's the HOA rules that prevail, and some of the Denver suburbs have some of the most restrictive HOA covenants in the country.

icanon wrote:

bukhrn wrote:
And this is exactly why I choose to live where there are no HOA's, I keep mine in my driveway.
My property is MINE, and my neighbors is HIS.

Feel a little embarrassed but what is HOA's?

You obviously live in the country too, HOA is Home Owners Association, where the rest of the people in your neighborhood get to tell you what you can & can't do on your own property.