New here, wonder what way to go, RV-wise

We just sold our SportsMobile. Basically an E-150 van with a couple of windows and a raisable top. Parked it in our driveway for five years without a whimper from our HOA. And they can be a real dog on rules. We upgraded to a Phoenix Cruiser 2100. At only 22' long, and would fit in our driveway, but the HOA would have a total fit it we did that. We plan to park in a rental/storage facility nearby. Maybe something like this could work for you.
Just a thought!

I've done the truck camper thing briefly with my parent back in the '60s, and unless I was planning a lot of back country camping, I wouldn't consider it. Just too restrictive. I'm lucky enough to live in a small town, and since I bought the vacant lot next door, that's where I keep my TT.

My folks always kept their TT on a storage lot, then drove out and brought it home the day before they were planning to leave. Mom would do the packing that day while Dad was at work, then they were ready to hit the road as soon as he got home. I have to assume that Austin will let one sit for 24 hours to load it up before a trip, then again after the trip for unloading. I've never heard of any place that doesn't at least allow that.

We've been leaving from the storage lot for years. I doubt the city council will let you park anything but a completely inconspicuous class B on your property... one of the ones you wouldn't enjoy camping in for more than a couple days. I don't see what the big deal is with your current situation.

Now, noting your current rig: that is a lot of trailer for a half ton. Doable for sure, but something that wouldn't be too comfortable to drive. I did that for a while with a F-150 Ecoboost and a 30' TT. If that is part of the reason you are looking at other options, you might just consider correcting it with a new truck or trailer or rig that still consists of a trailer stored at a lot.

You haven't really talked about what you do. If it involves moving around continuously, staying on highways, a B (van conversion) can work, and since it need not be any larger than a full size SUV (sizes range from under 19 to 25 feet) it might be parked in places that have large vehicle restrictions, though it might be trickier if you have to deal with commercial vehicle restrictions.

Truck camper works better, on an appropriate truck, if you want to go off road or use wilderness roads. A small camper on a tall 4x4 pickup retains most of its ground clearance, while a B typically has less ground clearance than the original commercial van, because of the RV stuff that gets hung off the frame under the floor. Not all designs, but typical.

If you spend a lot of time living in it, a small A or C motorhome might be more comfortable than a camper van or truck camper. This depends on how many people and how much space each needs, and how you feel about daily conversion of multiple-use spaces.

You might check all your rules (HOA as well as city codes) on RV parking, because there might be more to the restrictions than length. My city has length and height limits defining what can be parked in a driveway and what needs to be hidden behind the house.

For long-term camping I have a 29 foot C that I keep in storage. For traveling, and as a base for tent camping, I have a 12 passenger van from which I've pulled seats and done some minor conversion. As a passenger van of that size, the city code treats it the same as a large SUV, though it is about a half foot taller than a 4WD Suburban.

If the city doesn't allow TT parked at homes. Maybe any type of RV isn't allowed to be parked also. Check with the city or HMO rules.