Conversion Vans not allowed at some RV Parks?

always there is confusion

riva etc. legally deals with permanet location situations
such as trailer parks, or resorts where you buy your site
these are usually city , county and sometimes state regulations

many people travel in vans, cars trucks, and tent camp
tow tiny 'gear trailers' etc..

i know of NO LAW for 'camp grounds' that says the can't allow a camper that does not have an rvia badge/ID on it

of course, private owners of said properties, set their own, on property regulations, as is their right to operate the buisness

It seems like it would be more aligned with the fact that the rig/RV is road worthy vs someone making a judgement which could actually be their racial bias. Road worthy meaning no oil leaks, loud exhaust, loose siding or dangerous condition.

Yes, at one time people were free to exclude those that they didn't want to serve. 10 yr rule is also a prejudice against those who cant afford as new a rig as others. Those RV park owners must figure everything over 10 years old should just be scrapped. I'd guess that the main issue is that they have never had this issue busted down with the proper lawsuit.

Minorities can drink at the same fountains and eat at the same restaurants. Gays, blacks and all others have equal rights as far as buying or renting properties and seeking employment. 10 year rule sounds perfect for a 1940's mentality.

i will grant that the 10yr rule seems to 'financial prejudice'

but the same thing could be said of 'exclusive' country clubs

or gated community's

none of this really has little to do with the OPs question about camper vans

or 'so called' laws saying a park can not accept an RV/camper that does not have a rvia mfg badge

those are misstatements spouted as truths

i would call NONE of it racial, the owner of said places want to cater to more wealthy clientele, that is their choice

I do not frequent those places

MrWizard wrote:
i know of NO LAW for 'camp grounds' that says the can't allow a camper that does not have an rvia badge/ID on it.

This part of the misinformation that is, unfortunately, widely held by a large portion of society. Just because an RV isn't 'sticks & bricks' doesn't mean that, as required in a sticks & bricks, there isn't legally required life safety standards that MUST be met for it to be 'living quarters' to people.

You can't legally build a sticks & bricks in many places without meeting minimum fire, electrical, plumbing and structural safety standards, neither can you live, even if overnight, in an RV without meeting those standards.

In the case of RV's, the RVIA standard is the 'catch all' certification that demonstrates that the RV meets those standards.

In every jurisdiction I've ever looked at, the level of government in charge makes those minimum safety standards a requirement through zoning or life safety regulations.

Some are even more stringent, it came up in discussions regarding importing US units to Canada, where not just minimum standards are required, but the slightly more stringent Canadian regulations must be met before you can legally rent, lease, sell, or even OFFER for sale an RV that doesn't meet Canadian RV safety requirements.

and that is an "IMPORT" issue between two countries

and not the same thing as the rest of the discussion

i've seen some really beautiful DIY RV's posted in these forums
most of those were Bus conversions
some were sprinter vans or other trucks
some were trailers, including a DIY 5th wheel

according to you, these would not be allowed in a commercial campground until they were inspected and certified as meeting RVIA standard

and just Who is this independent certifying body ?

JaxDad wrote:
the RVIA standard is the 'catch all' certification that demonstrates that the RV meets those standards.

:R LOL. Manufacturers pay for a sticker, and pass the cost on with a profit. There's no real oversight, and absolutely nothing to "demonstrate" that they meet any standard.

mike-s wrote:

JaxDad wrote:
the RVIA standard is the 'catch all' certification that demonstrates that the RV meets those standards.

:R LOL. Manufacturers pay for a sticker, and pass the cost on with a profit. There's no real oversight, and absolutely nothing to "demonstrate" that they meet any standard.

That's an unfounded, and frankly, silly statement. As a legal oversight body the RVIA perform routine audits and spot inspections to ensure that the standards, both ANSI and NFPA, are being met.

Yeah, I'm sure those spot inspections are real doozies. Like the 'inspector" preforming his audit at an upper end restaurant over drinks and a surf-in-turf dinner fully paid for by the RV manufacturer. The most pressing item in that checklist is to make sure the manufacturer is up to date on the annual pay-to-play installment.

MrWizard wrote:
and that is an "IMPORT" issue between two countries

and not the same thing as the rest of the discussion

i've seen some really beautiful DIY RV's posted in these forums
most of those were Bus conversions
some were sprinter vans or other trucks
some were trailers, including a DIY 5th wheel

according to you, these would not be allowed in a commercial campground until they were inspected and certified as meeting RVIA standard

and just Who is this independent certifying body ?

It is NOT an 'import' issue, the requirement to meet life safety standards applies to ALL RV's regardless of wether they are imported or domestically built, or even homemade units.

As far as the prohibition, it's not just commercial campgrounds, technically, it's occupying the unit period.

As an example, here is the Idaho Life Safety Regulations Brochure.

In it the preamble states "All structures built for use as a dwelling place, including “tiny houses”, must fall into one of the following classifications and are required to comply with the requirements for that classification."

Then further on, in the case of RV's it says "Recreational Vehicles - The Idaho Transportation Department regulates RVs as vehicles for title and licensing purposes through your county vehicle licensing agency. Their width is limited to 81?2 feet and temporary recreational lodging is the only legal use. The placement and occupancy of RVs is regulated by local planning and zoning ordinances.

RVs must comply with American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standard A119.2 for Recreational Vehicles or ANSI A119.5 Standards for Park Trailers (IC§39-4202). The Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) issues an insignia for compliant RVs and Park Trailers."

Just like with electrical safety and the NEC and the building code, life safety standards under the various State and Provincial regulations all refer back national standards.

You can find similar requirements in each jurisdiction.

In many areas the zoning restrictions actually recite the requirement for all vehicles the c/g rents to be compliant.

BTW, the certification is NOT required to be by the RVIA, there are a number of QC and engineering firms that can also certify that there is compliance.

One such firm, Pacific West Associates clearly state in their information what they do, and why they do it. From the above page;

"Currently in the United States, the requirement for a Compliance/Certification label on an RV is recognized in all fifty States and the District of Columbia. Additionally, there are certain States that maintain their own oversight programs and issue a required State-specific Certification Label.

The Certification Label is a statement from the manufacturer or oversight authority that the product is manufactured to the applicable codes and standards. Those standards are the NFPA 1192 2015 Edition, (Recreational Vehicles) the ANSI A119.5 2009 Edition, (Park Models/Tiny Homes), and the National electrical Code Sections 551 and 552 respectively. This certification label can be sourced from any one of several Certified Agencies such as PWA, or an Industry Association. The Industry Association label is administered to their members as a requirement of membership, however, there are many manufacturers that are not members of an Industry Association and as such, they source certification labels from one of the other recognized Certification Agencies."

JaxDad wrote:

mike-s wrote:

JaxDad wrote:
the RVIA standard is the 'catch all' certification that demonstrates that the RV meets those standards.

:R LOL. Manufacturers pay for a sticker, and pass the cost on with a profit. There's no real oversight, and absolutely nothing to "demonstrate" that they meet any standard.

That's an unfounded, and frankly, silly statement. As a legal oversight body the RVIA perform routine audits and spot inspections to ensure that the standards, both ANSI and NFPA, are being met.

You're funny, and obviously new around here, where stories abound of shoddy electrical work which wouldn't pass muster in a third-world country.

RVIA is not any sort of "legal oversight body," they're a private industry trade association with voluntary membership. Manufacturers self-certify compliance, and whatever rare audits and inspections might possibly happen, they're obviously ineffective.