Are FT RVers being unnecessarily harrassed ?

[Deuceofspades]

I'd love to hear from other FT RVers and see how you deal with the following HUGE issue we are facing and what experiences (good or bad) you may have had:

FACTS: Does your county zoning laws prohibit you to park your RV on private property and live in it EVEN IF YOU OWN THE PROPERTY AND THERE IS A LEGAL HOUSE ON IT? Los Angeles county certainly does.

FACTS: You can't park and occupy your RV:

1. On public streets and parking lots
2. On private property (even if you own it and there is a house on it)
3. In most RV parks (monthly rentals - if your RV is over 10 years old)

So WHERE are Full Time RVers who own RVs 2007 and older supposed to live / go? Are we expected to simply desintegrate and vanish into thin air? Or give up the lifestyle we love so dearly?

I paid $$$$ for my Monaco RV and it is still in MINT condition inside out. It is a 2006. Where do I go now?

Also why do Zoning people forbid RV owners to have their rigs plugged into power while parked on their own property? And why could you not live in your RV if you own the property and the house legally built on the property and if you have RV hookups. I looked at zoning codes for hours but never could find anything that states you are not allowed to. Still, Zoning officials keep enforcing this odd rule and basically forbidding people to live in their RVs in peace.

I would love to hear from all of you, share your research, experience, advice, pointers etc... Are there any states / counties that are RV friendly? Are there any loopholes or can permits be obtained to legally park an RV on private property and live in it?

Where do you live when you are not bouncing around from place to place?

[kerrlakeRoo]

It wont take more than a single unit staying put in a residential area trying to dump a black tank down a storm drain to start the issue, and in Govt, when you open the door to take action against that one, someone will then apply the same rules to all others that they can.

[garyemunson]

The age of the RV is a subject that keeps coming up with the 10 year rule. I've had RVs older than 10 but I kept them shined up and fixed any exterior damage so unless someone asked to see the registration, they'd never know how old it was. And, I was never asked, if anything just complimented on how nice my rig looked. On the flip side, I've seen unmaintained eyesores that should be kept out of an RV park. More often than not, people who don't care about their possessions enough to keep them up are not the kind of people I want to park next to as they most likely care even less about mine. I don't feel I am being elitist here, It's just that I have worked hard for what I have and expend the extra effort to protect and maintain it. I'm the type of person I like to park next to. If something old is all a person can afford, I understand that but even when I had old stuff I did what I had to do to be sure it was presentable. (let the flames begin).

[rockhillmanor]

So WHERE are Full Time RVers who own RVs 2007 and older supposed to live / go? Are we expected to simply desintegrate and vanish into thin air? Or give up the lifestyle we love so dearly?
I paid $$$$ for my Monaco RV and it is still in MINT condition inside out. It is a 2006. Where do I go now?...

They are called HOA's if you live in a subdivision. And county zoning can include no RV's also.

This is something to 'research' VERY thoroughly BEFORE you buy a house if you own an RV or thinking of getting one.

Even if your HOA does allow RV's that can all change too. Presidents of the HOA change that have different views about RV's, neighbors get a bug about RV's, etc and they CAN change the HOA rules.

Bottom line I would never even consider buying a house within an area that has an HOA.

Full Timers usually sell their homes so need to worry about parking them there. Or are you parking your RV on an empty lot somewhere? :?

[RandACampin]

Q: "Are FT RVers being unnecessarily harrassed ?"

A: NO!

[SCVJeff]

#3- "MOST" RV parks ? The 10 year rule is well known and most here are hard pressed to name any. I'd like to see your list

If you need to live on the street I suggest you head to San Jose. Housing is so expensive that this is a major issue up there, but there are lots living on the streets

[coolmom42]

In my county and city, zoning is very loose. So far as I know there is no restriction on RV parking on private property anywhere; there is a city restriction on an occupied RV on a lot where there is also an occupied house, since the lot is for a single dwelling. Some subdivisions prohibit mobile homes, so you could not set up a RV to live in long-term. I do know of people who have lived in them on their own lot while building or remodeling a house.

There is no restriction on street parking so long as you are not obstructing the traffic lane. That could be a problem on some narrow streets.

If you don't like excessive zoning and restrictions, get out of California, and don't live in a HOA situation.

[2gypsies1]

Deuceofspades wrote:

FACTS: You can't park and occupy your RV:

1. On public streets and parking lots
2. On private property (even if you own it and there is a house on it)
3. In most RV parks (monthly rentals - if your RV is over 10 years old)

So WHERE are Full Time RVers who own RVs 2007 and older supposed to live / go? Are we expected to simply desintegrate and vanish into thin air? Or give up the lifestyle we love so dearly?

Nope... never been harassed. However, we were traveling full-timers so we stayed in campgrounds or boondocked on public lands (BLM/forest service and only where it was legal). We were never questioned about the age of our RV.

There are zoning laws throughout the country.

If you don't travel then you might look into a mobile home park. Good luck.

[doc_brown]

I'm in SoCal, my coach is 2004 and have never had an age issue even at the most expensive resorts, Indio Motorcoach Resort. We can park our rv on our property if it were big enough. At the beach it's a rare piece of property that has that kind of space. We can only park on the street in front of our house for 24 hrs with a permit.

[path1]

Because RV's are such an easy and big target. RV'ers usually don't protest or raise that big of stink. Probably in the papers that you signed when you moved in.

I live in a house that is zoned "single family dwelling" in the 1930's. City says they have to expand the sewer plant as current sewer plant can't handle it all. At a meeting someone asked why does sewer plant need enlarged? It worked OK over the last 20 years? Answer was...Many more people using their "services" and many homes have more than a "single family" leaving in them. Their proof was students enrolled in school and traffic counts.

But they would rather go after RV's being parked on your own property.

Black tank problems everywhere I guess.

[Naio]

Not sure about LA county, but in LA city you will never hear from the city about your RV unless a citizen complains. They call this a 'complaint driven' process. The key is to have good neighbors and be considerate of them.

[Trackrig]

Have you ever had a problem with an RV park and a 11 year old MH - we haven't. Have never been asked how old it is - it's a 2005. If anyone asks, we'll tell them it's a 2008, it's really very simple.

I do understand not allowing the RV to be lived in full time on a piece of property that has an occupied house that I'm sure is zoned for a single family residence. If you're parked in the driveway full time, where do 2 - 4 cars park? And I wouldn't want you parked on the lawn full time either. I don't like home owner covenants, but!

Bill

[DutchmenSport]

We lived in a large town and used the camper on our property all the time. After the 16 years zoning said we had to move the trailer. We did! To a other county completely. We sold the house and got out of Dodge! We driveway camp full time now. Only in the coldest of weather do we sleep in the house. Living in the country has its advantages. Trailer is 100 percent mobile with no permanent hook ups at all. No problems now.

[Lwiddis]

Are you in the Community of West Hills, part of the City of Los Angeles? If so, why would COUNTY of Los Angeles zoning be involved? Please be specific. If in the city, have you spoken with your council member? If in an unincorporated area, have you discussed this with your county supervisor? Why involve RVers nationwide for this local issue? And I agree with Lantley..."Zoning laws are in place to maintain order"

[Lantley]

It's not rocket science. Zoning laws are in place to maintain order.
A property is generally zoned for one dwelling.
Adding a 2nd dwelling/RV can cause lots of issues.
From overloading the water and water system to school overcrowding.
The are a lot of reasons behind zoning regulations. There are lots of places for full timers to live beside right on the street or in someone's driveway.

[Mandalay_Parr]

I have not had any of those problems in my 10 years of full timing.