Class B: Driving on Parkways and Tolls

[sueleibo]

I am considering purchasing a Class B, specifically something from Sportsmobile, around 23 foot. 2 questions: are you able to drive them on Parkways (NYS parkways prohibit motorhomes, for ex.) and do you have to pay extra tolls on highways?

Thanks for sharing!

Sue.

[1775]

You cannot drive your Class B - mostly because of its height on some parkways in New York and Connecticut. I have not come across any in New Jersey that are a problem. In New York there are general height restrictions on anything named "Parkway" - as opposed to expressway, turnpike, highway, thruway, etc. Parkways on Long Island are posted at entrances - "No vehicles over 7'10"" The overpasses can be lower than this and without an exit ramp before you get to them. We have driven on parkways when we know for certain (having driven the road first in car) that the overpasses are high enough. This doesn't work when you are driving your Class B somewhere that you have not been. This is what an RV specific GPS is good for. You may get pulled over for being on a "Parkway" in NY but it is important to know for yourself what the height restriction is on that road. You can't drive a Class C or a Class A or any type of trailer on the parkways but if it is a conversion van and you are under the height restriction you have at least some reasoning to present if you get stopped. In NY the registration is "Passenger" and there only is Passenger or Commercial and in NY you are paying in that registration to be able to use the parkways.

The Garden State Parkway allows trucks so you are good to go on that. It is pretty safe to say that if a truck can drive on it, so can your Class B. When in doubt follow the trucks.

As to paying different tolls - we have not been charged a higher toll on the NJ Turnpike. We are almost always charged a higher toll on the PA Turnpike. The bridges may or may not charge a higher toll and we have been charged higher on the same bridge on some trips and not on others and there is no way to dispute this - they always say you do not qualify for the lower car toll. There is a bridge from NJ to PA that will charge a higher toll if you use an Easy Pass and not if you pay cash. Other bridges and roads with toll takers will charge you more when the toll taker sees that it is a Class B RV and not just a van. It really is hit and miss what you may pay - at least in the Northeast. Many of the tolls weigh the vehicle as it goes through and that determines the toll -and the Class B is in the higher weight class.

Also be aware that some tunnels and bridges do not allow propane so you must route around those.

The East Coast is where you will encounter both the restricted roads issues and the toll issues the most. Get south of D.C. and the tolls stop as do most of the restricted roads.

[loggenrock]

We take our B on the Saw Mill River pkwy regularly. The difference is ours is on a Chevy chassis, not a Sprinter, so we definitely look much more van-like than camper-like... the big issue is height - there are bridges on that route that have less than 9 feet of clearance! I'm 8'3" measured (varied based on load in the van) but avoid things with less than 8' 6" posted. On some of these bridges (the parkway has stone arched bridges) you gain clearance by using the passing lane vs the travel lane, so I tend to slide towards the middle when approaching them. If you go to the websites for either NY parkways or CT parkways they do have the definitions listed. I actually printed them out and carry them with me just in case someone questions my presence on either parkway! ST

[AsheGuy]

sueleibo wrote:
...are you able to drive them on Parkways (NYS parkways prohibit motorhomes, for ex.)

And they mean any motorhomes. I tried the Taconic State Parkway for a short distance and got pulled over. The officer was nice and just gave us a warning.

[ChiMom]

Like Shearwater above, we have been charged different tolls from cars on various state turnpikes based on different things. The Ohio Turnpike's use of height to determine the toll seems the most ludicrous, but it is what it is. I believe that any highway in New York State labeled a Parkway is closed to any type of RV or trailer. These expenses, like gas price fluctuations, have to be expected and budgeted for in RV travel.

[tatest]

It is just a van, even if you van use it as a motorhome.

Be aware, however, that there have been a few roads or parkways, though rare, prohibited to vans and pickup trucks, even if used as private transportation. The whole SUV, conversion van, pickup as daily driver thing may habe whittled away at these, but there still may be a few of these snooty streets around.

I'm not sure, a lot of today's limos started out as trucks.

[stan909]

Sportsmobile can make you a propaneless version so even going through tunnels will be no problem.

[sueleibo]

Thanks all for some great info!

[Supercharged]

sueleibo wrote:
I am considering purchasing a Class B, specifically something from Sportsmobile, around 23 foot. 2 questions: are you able to drive them on Parkways (NYS parkways prohibit motorhomes, for ex.) and do you have to pay extra tolls on highways?

Thanks for sharing!

Sue.

I have a B+ 29 ft. do I pay the same as a A or C model or the B model?

[TinyoneRV]

Shearwater, Like you we've experienced variations in tolls on the WV turnpike. Sometimes the attendant notices the refrigerator grid and charges the motorhome toll. Mostly, however, they charge the auto rate and then we just say thanks and move on.

[garmp]

That's one of the biggest advantages to a Sportsmobile type, they are almost stealth as they say. Looks and acts like an ordinary van, until you stop and set up camp. Home Owner Associations don't bother us about our vehicle in the driveway one bit. It looks like a van. It is a van!
Never had an issue with tolls, not even on ferries it is virtually considered a car. I truly believe the height plays a large part in it. Get the Sportsmobile with a penthouse top, rather than the turtle style top and you can hardly tell the difference from the exterior. Interior wise you can do what you want. These people are GREAT to work with and have a wonderful product.

[Executive45]

Why do we DRIVE on PARKways and PARK on DRIVEways.....:h:h:h.......Dennis

[retraite]

Sue,

As others have said, sometimes you're charged by the number of axles, sometimes by the number of wheels, sometimes by weight, and sometimes by height. In NY I think it's a combination.

However, in NY, if you go through the appropriate bureaucratic steps, you can get an EZPass for your B (or any RV for that matter) that will "toll" you as a passenger car, but the EZPass is license plate and "combination" specific. I.e., in our case, we use a "B" and pull a utility trailer, and that's how we "filed" with the NYS folks. Once you have it, the only requirement is that you have to go through one of the "manned" toll booths so the attendant can confirm that the EZPass tag "matches" the vehicle they're looking at, and it's then entered in the system as a passenger vehicle and tolled as such.

However, if you simply drive through one of the automated lanes (even though you may have one of the "special" EZPasses), their sensors "see" that you're over 7' 6" (I think that's the number) high, and you're automatically tolled as a commercial vehicle. Same in the attended lanes unless you have that "special" EZPass.

In our case, we "carry" two EZPass transponders (NY and home state) and one SunPass transponder (Florida) and use the one we need at the time.

Cheers.

[Shearwater]

It varies with each tollway. Some charge by number of axles so you pay the same as cars, others charge by weight or something else. The Ohio turnpike charges by vehicle height of all things. The last time we were on the W. Va. turnpike, we were charged 3 different rates at 3 different tollbooths.

I don't know about the NYS system.

[sodajerk]

We have driven in all 48 lower states in the past 10 years. Alaska this summer). We have not had problems with tolls and parkways. We are just under 10 feet tall, so not much problem with low bridges, just watch the signs. In Delaware, the toll lady got out to count how many tires on the ground (4), so we paid the car rate. Crossing the Mackinac Bridge, the lady charged us more because we "slept in the van." In more recent years we get a toll tag, ez pass, etc. for the area we are visiting. In California, it saved us waiting in a long line to cross some bridges. I wish there was a nationwide tag.
As others already noted, be aware of restrictions for tunnels, on ferries, they usually want the tanks turned off.
Happy camping.