Rant: low hanging trees on city streets

Don't recall if the OP ever stated that there was a ordinance in the community where he had his trouble with low lying branches near the curb roughing up his awning. And as far as garbage trucks go, many places you haul your garbage to the transfer station and clearance for them isn't a problem. Many times local ordinances only specify clearance heights for the travel-way portion of roadways, not the parking area next to curbs.

wintersun wrote:
If your rig is so tall that tree limbs are a problem on residential streets then stay on the truck routes which are posted. In effect you are driving a truck for all intents and purposes and no reason for cities to cut and damage trees for your convenience. Feeling a little priviledged are we?

News flash: the law CLEARLY states that trees MUST be trimmed for a 12' clearance! This is NOT complicated! Also note: I'm not sure I have EVER seen a residential trash truck lower than 12'!

If your rig is so tall that tree limbs are a problem on residential streets then stay on the truck routes which are posted. In effect you are driving a truck for all intents and purposes and no reason for cities to cut and damage trees for your convenience. Feeling a little priviledged are we?

Our town of 5000 has a total highway budget of 566,000 dollars, not including snow removal. For that we are going to trim trees? Trust me if I ever see one of the town crew doing anything with a tree, besides alleviating a clear and present danger I will be at the board meeting raising hell about wasting our precious resources.
By the way our hiway department instituted a hiring diversity program:


They hired an in-law!

I do expect that main traffic routes are free of overhanging obstacles. For instance, our little city's emergency snow routes, which bear our heaviest traffic year round, should be passable with tall vehicles since snowplows and dump trucks are tall. But during the summer, there are flags and banners and potted plants overhanging one lane. In one commercial area the city actually planted 100+ trees all along the new street, and they are 3' from the curb. :h

Oakman wrote:
Sorry this happened to you. If you were in an RV park I would agree with you about the trees but curb parking on a city street, I disagree.

What good would a sign do telling you of the low tree branches? You admitted that you could tell the branch was low and your wife guided you into the spot. You simply forgot about the tree branch when you left, that’s on you as far as I’m concerned. We all make mistakes and it’s human nature to want to blame someone or something else for it, but learn from the experience and don’t park on city streets.

I agree and think it's unrealistic to expect city streets to be designed basically for commercial sized 18 wheelers. When towing I realize I'm not a car so I'm always aware of my limitations and if I have the slightest doubt simply don't go there. I have lost count of the number of gas stations that I have passed on where either the layout or dips/slopes of the entrances or exits just cry out AVOID ME!

Even some interstates in major metropolitan areas can be a nail biter with an RV such as downtown Chicago and the freeways roads thru and around NYC. One year just for the heck of it in our yearly trip to Chicago decided to go thru town instead of taking the Tri-State since I went to college right in town and that was a nail biter fighting and watching for all the crazy drivers weaving this way and that getting on and off the freeway and changing lanes like ants forging.

Larry

This thread reminds of one of the reason I like my 9'6" coach. Never worried about a branch yet!!

We just got back from a weekend camping in the woods in Tennessee for the annual story telling festival at Bandy Creek. The campground is super nice and very well kept up. The rv sites do have some tree limb issues but if you watch where your going most can be avoided. Our site (the same one we get every year) always has the same limbs hanging down at the rear of the site. I held them up out of the way while grandson backed the rv into the site. Works every time.

We just bought a new to us Thor Mandalay. Our neighbor's tree limbs hang way down for this one to go under. Our old one had no problems going under them. He rents the house out so I called him and told him of our problem. Next day he was here to trim them up and told to me to tell him what needed to be trimmed.

Wow!! I can't imagine all these folks actually knowing the height tree limbs have to be cut.. I live just outside a city that is proud of its trees.. you are discouraged from cutting trees, especially in certain areas... city has worked hard to develop tree ordinance and become certified as a "tree city".. One area that has low hanging limbs along the side is often pictured as a representative of the beauty of the older part of town. streets have huge live oaks along both sides, creating a canopy that is really beautiful. The center is higher, but I would not take my TT down the street unless it were a real emergency.. I would go elsewhere and walk or unhook.

Area where I live the county doesn't have enough folks to maintain trees along roadway. They are responsibility of property owner. I have had limbs that hung over the roadway and never heard from the county. When I realized the garbage truck was catching them, I got out and cut them. I guess the county could have told me to cut them, but they don't have enough time to deal with enforcing that, they have so many other issues to deal with.