Florida Rules for Truck Camping

[TheCanuckian]

In some states, Texas for one, I can take th cmper off the truck and camp, while having the vehicle available to tour, visit, shop, etc.

Anyone know the rules for Florida??

Thanks

Canuckian

[brholt]

travelnutz wrote:
brholt,

The rules vary greatly from state to state, locality to locality, and campground to campground. Both for public and private CG's.

Copied and pasted from a few various state's campground rules on the books quickly accessed: Dates of passages vary and are but a tiny few of the many statutes and rules you can access.

Wisconsin State Campground Rules under the sectional heading of: What is considered a recreational camping unit?

"No more than one recreation trailer, pickup truck camper or motor home may occupy a campsite. Pickup campers or motor homes pulling a trailer are treated as a single unit and must remain as a single unit."

California:

"Park Rules

Maximum stay is 24 weeks for:
All RV's must be self-contained
Travel Trailers, Fifth-wheels, or Motor Homes only-no park models.
All RV*s must be self-contained. RV*s are expected to have proof of inspection by American National Standard Institute (ANSI).
No Drop Offs-tow vehicle must remain on the property for duration of stay.

Maximum stay is 2 weeks for:

RV*s manufactured 15 years or more from current year.
Any tents, tent campers, camper vans, cabover campers (state law prohibits the removal of cabovers from truck while in the park) and any other type of camper that is not self-contained.

EXCEPTION: If unit, manufactured less than 15 years ago, is fully self-contained, it may remain in the park for a maximum stay of 24 weeks as above. Self-contained is defined as follows: containing separate black and grey holding tanks, fresh water holding tank, full kitchen facilities and full bathroom facilities.

All RVs are subject to an on-site visual inspection."

Phoenix area quote:

"Judoka
04-17-2011, 05:43 AM
Dont drop it in Phoenix area RV parks. In fact, most wont even let it in!"



brholt,

If you'll kindly do the research of my posts from back in 2006 on thru about 2011, you will see that I was on the "Board of Directors" of 2 very large CG resorts in Michigan for 9 years in the 1990's thru the early 2000's. I was actually there and you were not and I had to obey and enforce the rules set down by the state as a licensed CG operation in the state or be shut down. The 2 resorts had both site rental up to 2 weeks sections and membership purchase to own site sections. The owned sites were exempt from the NO truck camper removal from the carrying vehicle statute in the campground as they were owned and taxed as such but campsite renters were NOT! Clearly written and spelled out in the State of Michigan Statute with a law designation number. I do not have access to the meeting minutes records anymore as the CG's have been sold and have new owners now.

Just because you say you lived in Michigan before doesn't mean you knew the rules and laws on the books. It also doesn't mean you even had a TC when living there. I do not need or want any type of apology from you since you did not and do not know the laws and rules.

Travelnutz

Thanks for the reply. As I stated and other posters have added, no one can find the rules on the web that you are referring to. Maybe there were such rules once upon a time - But I don't believe that is the case now. Your original post said "many states" had such restrictions which I found very surprising and contrary to my experience. (I do understand some private campgrounds and rv parks have such rules)

Take Wisconsin, If you would post the links to the Wisconsin rule you posted that might help clear things up. The only thing I could find was:

Wisconsin camping rules

Which has the statement: "No more than one recreation trailer, pickup truck camper or motor home may occupy a campsite. Pickup campers or motor homes pulling a trailer are treated as a single unit." But lacks the part of your quote "and must remain as a single unit". In any case your quote just says that if the Pickup camper (or motor home) is pulling a trailer it counts as a unit - but the discussion is not about pulling a trailer.

The other links would be helpful to as I already provided you with a link to the discussion of California rules where it is ok. I'm not sure what Phoenix area rules have to do with anything as the discussion was about the states that don't allow you to drop your truck camper.

As I said, I could be wrong and would be very interested in seeing the links to the state rules if you know where they are.

[epusher]

I've searched the MCL (Michigan Compiled Laws) database, the rules for campground/rv resort development and operation from the DEQ/Public Health Department and can find no State of Michigan law prohibiting removal of truck camper from the truck at a public or private campground.

But, I do remember a trip just a few years ago to a former rv park turned campground and was told I could not park my motorhome at an angle because of fire code. I suspect if there is such a prohibition on truck campers, it comes down to an individual location, in a specific jurisdiction where they are interpreting very stringently NFPA 1194 which has a paragraph talking about designing sites/campgrounds/rv parks for the safe and efficient placement/removal of camping units.

[travelnutz]

Many states do NOT allow a "TC" (deemed to be wholly livable inside having sleeping and cooking facilities) "their words"! to be removed from the truck because it can't be moved quickly in an emergency or if left abandoned nor is it a licensed RV etc in Michigan. It has a title of ownership only. A tent can be easily moved or totally removed if required and so can a wheeled RV/vehicle. Obviously, the only reason someone would take a TC off is so they can use their carrying vehicle to leave the CG without it!

I live in Michigan and it was the written law here in any CG (private or public) since the 1960's but I haven't checked it out in the last maybe 10 years to see if it still is the law. Regardles, I can't remember seeing any off the truck in out state in a CG but I may not have noticed. There's some that probably will do it anyway, legal or not!

You can take it off on your own property anytime but some areas have a code rule that says it must be stored behind the front facia of the home and not in front of it. The other main rule against a TC on your property is if a governing HOA prevents or limits an RV or TC or boat, etc.

We are grandfathered in and have a signed letter from the zoning board stating so. It states that we can store our wheeled RV or a TC on a currently licensed vehicle on either of our designated driveways but it cannot block the ability of a driver passing to have full view of the roadway for safety. What that means it must be parked close to our home and not on or near the shoulder of the road as it could prevent a driver from being able to see someone on the road right of way or a vehicle entering the roadway ahead.

Our grandfather exemption will cease when we no longer live on the property or sell it or no longer have an owned by us RV on the property ahead of the front facia. My sister and her hubby fought the new ordinance after they got a letter telling them they were in violation of the new code and they had a lawyer send them a letter of "intent to sue". The board then established the grandfathering clause. Thanks Sis! We went to the township hall, filled out and signed their new exemption form and that's how we got our grandfathered in letter back.

[DianneOK]

In CA the homeless problem is so rampant that they will abandon them in the state parks. We had it happen more than once....have you ever tried to remove an abandoned truck camper ? Not pretty, to say the least.

[Dog_Folks]

ChopperBill wrote:
Only rule I remember about Florida is bring money!

Took our truck camper there about 6 years ago. Stayed at the Sugarloaf Key RV park. Back lot, water, electric no sewer. They would send a honey wagon around to pump you out for a mere $15. Price per night $85

It is called the "sunshine" tax. Florida residents pay it too.

[p220sigman]

Florida doesn't have any rules related to having the camper set up without being on the vehicle. Private campgrounds might have such a rule, but you would have to check with whatever campground you were planning to stay at.

[FlatBroke]

Only rule I remember about Florida is bring money!

Took our truck camper there about 6 years ago. Stayed at the Sugarloaf Key RV park. Back lot, water, electric no sewer. They would send a honey wagon around to pump you out for a mere $15. Price per night $85

[pa_traveler]

I think some owners of CG. fear it toppling over on camper owner or someone else. Jack failure of some kind, What other reason could they have? We travel with truck camper,and sometimes take it off depending on length of stay. But if I owned a campground I would have insurance and allow truck campers to remove them if they chose to. I have only heard of one or two jack failures,maybee others have more info,but it sounds few and far between.

[dodge_guy]

So what is the reason for not allowing it off the truck? it`s no different than leaving a tent, popup or TT.

[INBellbuoy]

I've left mine at the campsite @ Topsail & Ft Wilderness. I haven't been to any other campgrounds in FL.

[wbwood]

We've seen one at Topsail State Preserve in Florida. He had a boat also that he left on site. Don't really think there is much difference in leaving a truck camper, an unhooking a travel trailer or pop up camper. If the park allows them to be there, then they can be there. But it would be a private campground that would have any such restriction and if they did, they probably wouldn't allow you in, in the first place.

[doxiemom11]

We have not seen any rule requiring camper to be left on the truck -- however, we have seen a rule that if the camper is taken off the truck and left on site and you go in and out with the truck, then you must pay for a vehicle pass for the truck. If you leave the camper on the truck and it sits on site, then they consider it an RV and there is no vehicle pass charge as the "RV" is included in your camping fee.

[Old-Biscuit]

MrWizard wrote:
if you mean leave it on the "STREET"
i think the answer is NO

if you mean in a campground, .. you paid for the site
it doesn't make any difference if you leave your camper or a tent.. the site is paid for

Paid for site or not...depends on the campground rules whether or not it is allowed.
State/National/COE campgrounds......haven't seen/heard of any rules saying NO.
Private campgrounds......yep seen a few of them with rules that state camper must stay on truck in several different states.

So it depends on the campground.

[DianneOK]

The CA state parks we hosted would NOT allow a camper off the truck.