Problems with Class Bs used as second cars where restricted.

[Heapie]

Here is the problem. My wife and I have just moved to an over 55 community with a lot of rules. One of them, according to my wife, is no RVs. Our RV is a Roadtrek Versatile 190., which can be a second car, seating four. I maintain that it is a second car and can be parked in the driveway. She says that it is an RV and can't be parked in the driveway.
(Being Versatile, it has more than one use.)
It can fit in the garage with slight modifications.

If I take off the decals, and say it is a second car, how do I defend that? It is registered in Massachusetts as a camper which is the law.

Also, as what happened at a reunion a few years ago, when I said I was bringing a small RV, they said NO RVs. When
I arrived at the reunion, they realized that they had made a mistake. (Most people, when told you have an RV, think Class A, Class C, or trailer.)

Would like to hear from people who have gone through this problem and their solutions.

HEAPIE

[Fastpaddler]

When I downsize from 4000 to 1500 sq ft next Spring I will rent a secure place which is covered and not subject to wind,rain and dirt etc. Will cost me $40 Canadian a month and it is close by. It wouldn't fit in my new driveway which is for parking a car sideways for washing or, in the double garage. There must be a place nearby for the OPs vehicle. I would be a little wary of assorted RVs being parked in driveways in a gated community. Most don't have a lot of space anyway between homes. That's my solution anyway for now as I intend to sell the Sprinter soon so I might not need a place later on to park it.

[Shearwater]

Why didn't you check on the regulations before moving in? At this point, I would just keep your RV at home and wait for repercussions. If they say you can't have it there, then rent/borrow a parking space somewhere else.

[My_Roadtrek]

My Roadtrek wrote:
If it has a bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen, it's an RV. A Roadtrek 190 is an RV, doesn't matter what the chassis is registered as.
Like I have said many times. Be polite, ask the Board if you can park there, if they say yes document everything, (get it in writing) if your the property owner you should get grandfathered in if the rules get changed later on. May be different if your a renter.
If you try and sneak it in, you may tick someone off, and have no chance of getting an approval. jmo

Like I said in a previous post in this thread.
Ask the board, and get the approval "IN WRITING".

[mkguitar]

Bummer- we deliberately stayed away from HOA's.

we have tradesmen who own homes in the area & park work vehicles...one house has purple trim.

I can park my camper van or old caddys in the driveway.

not so in some other neighborhoods....one of the reasons the P/O sold me the van...his HOA

Mike

[Naio]

Thanks for the update. So sorry you are dealing with this!

[Heapie]

Back again. The head of the HOA says that if the RV fits, you can park it for 365 days.

Well, my wife got a notice from the manager of the development who has had complaints and that it is against the rules to park any RV in the driveway unless you are preparing it for a trip. She also said that the plates say CAMPER. Massachusetts made me register the van based upon the VIN number. Massachusetts gets more money for an RV, and a trailer. I believe it is $60.00 a year. A car is $40.00 for three years. I am going back and ask the person who told me I could park it what is going on.

The van is at my other house. I am trying to find inside storage at a reasonable cost.

Thank you,

Heapie.

[Heapie]

I guess wife's rule. When she heard of the HOA rule, she soften up a bit.

HEAPIE

[westernrvparkow]

toedtoes wrote:

Heapie wrote:
Hi Folks,

The president of the HOA said that as long as it fits in the driveway, I can park it there. My wife says that I can park it in the driveway to prepare for a trip coming or going. She says that I have to find another place to park it when it is not being used. Still working on it.

HEAPIE

In that case, this is not about the rules, the interpretation of the rules, or the HOA's opinion on the rules. It is simply a husband-wife argument. She doesn't want you parking it in the driveway.

Actually, it sounds like it is a problem with the HOA. In this case the true homeowner association of one, the wife. Sounds like he needs to fold his cards because logic will not apply, the trump card has been played and it is the ace of "because I said so".

[toedtoes]

Heapie wrote:
Hi Folks,

The president of the HOA said that as long as it fits in the driveway, I can park it there. My wife says that I can park it in the driveway to prepare for a trip coming or going. She says that I have to find another place to park it when it is not being used. Still working on it.

HEAPIE

In that case, this is not about the rules, the interpretation of the rules, or the HOA's opinion on the rules. It is simply a husband-wife argument. She doesn't want you parking it in the driveway.

[PeteCo]

Heapie wrote:
Hi Folks,

The president of the HOA said that as long as it fits in the driveway, I can park it there. My wife says that I can park it in the driveway to prepare for a trip coming or going. She says that I have to find another place to park it when it is not being used. Still working on it.

HEAPIE

Sounds like you need enough trips so you are always in the the trip coming or going phase.

[Heapie]

Hi Folks,

The president of the HOA said that as long as it fits in the driveway, I can park it there. My wife says that I can park it in the driveway to prepare for a trip coming or going. She says that I have to find another place to park it when it is not being used. Still working on it.

HEAPIE

[obgraham]

I know a lot of folks natter on about HOA's. So do I.

However, OP's case is a little different. Over 55 communities have a boatload of rules. Recently we bought in one in Arizona to snowbird in because it has just the things we are looking for. We accept that we have to put up with a bunch of rules, some so silly you just have to laugh. It's almost like being in kindergarten.

And when I pushed them about the Class B, it was the same answer as OP: if it fits in the driveway it's a van. Mine's too tall, so in our case, the RV has to go in a separate lot, about 200 feet away. Not a big deal.

[toedtoes]

bobsrv wrote:
Interesting to find this post. I am going through this situation as we speak. I inherited my parents' home in an HOA community. I arrived here in April and have had my Pleasureway parked in the driveway from day one. Someone with nothing better to do must have seen it decided I can't keep it there anymore because rvs or any vehicles are not permitted to be stored in the community. I advised them that I am not storing it, it is my second vehicle and I do use it. Was still told there are folks complaining because they were not allowed to park their trailers in their driveways and somehow think my van is the same thing so I should move it. I plan to request a hearing and plead my case to the HOA board and see what they say. Interesting that my immediate neighbors that get to see the vehicle everyday have absolutely no problem with it being there and since we are at the back of the community the folks up front that never have to see it are complaining. Anyway we'll see what happens. Has anyone been successful in changing the minds/opinions of the HOA board and convincing them it's "just" a van even tho you can sleep and cook in it?

I would say it will really depend on how often you use it as a second vehicle. Is it more than once a week? Is it once every 2-3 weeks? Less than that? Do you use it on a schedule (every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday) or more willy nilly?

The argument that an RV is a second vehicle really only works if you're regularly using it for that purpose. Otherwise, you're just trying to "cheat" the rules. If you can justify the second vehicle use, then you will have far better luck.

[toedtoes]

Heapie wrote:
Hi Folks,

Thank you for your inport. Here is the results. This is a compromise between my wife, and what is allowed by the rules.

If the RV fits in the garage, you can park it there. If it fits in your driveway, you can park it there, 365 days a year.

The driveway is 24 feet long.

Thank you again for your input.

This discussion is over.

Heapie

Not sure I get your post. It appears that YOU have decided to interpret the rules as saying that as long as the roadtrek fits in your driveway you can park it there all the time. I hope you get lucky and the HOA agrees with your interpretation.

[bobsrv]

Interesting to find this post. I am going through this situation as we speak. I inherited my parents' home in an HOA community. I arrived here in April and have had my Pleasureway parked in the driveway from day one. Someone with nothing better to do must have seen it decided I can't keep it there anymore because rvs or any vehicles are not permitted to be stored in the community. I advised them that I am not storing it, it is my second vehicle and I do use it. Was still told there are folks complaining because they were not allowed to park their trailers in their driveways and somehow think my van is the same thing so I should move it. I plan to request a hearing and plead my case to the HOA board and see what they say. Interesting that my immediate neighbors that get to see the vehicle everyday have absolutely no problem with it being there and since we are at the back of the community the folks up front that never have to see it are complaining. Anyway we'll see what happens. Has anyone been successful in changing the minds/opinions of the HOA board and convincing them it's "just" a van even tho you can sleep and cook in it?