Many asphalt boondockers are wondering what it is about parking their RV on the street that causes communities to feel uneasy.
From St. Louis to San Diego, community legislators have enacted new RV parking restrictions.
These laws have made it more difficult to stay overnight anywhere except at RV parks.
Finding Any Reason to Ban RVs
Citing reasons ranging from lack of proper sanitation facilities to inadequate street width, city officials are only too happy to enforce these cash cow laws.
Alan Harris, president of the Pacific Beach Town Council in San Diego, California said,
It’s been a big improvement. The calls and e-mails we’ve received complaining about RVs have dropped dramatically.
Whether you have a $200,000 motorhome or a DIY teardrop trailer, no RVer is immune from RV parking bans and their expensive repercussions.
Related: 4 Audacious and Creative DIY Teardrop Camper Build Ideas
In San Diego for example, the latest attempt to limit RV parking on streets has caused some of the city’s estimated 100,000 RVers to feel unhappy about new restrictions that make curbside parking almost impossible in an already congested city.
Clairemont resident Dennis Rudd, who owns a larger camper said,
A few bad apples have ruined things for law-abiding RV owners. This is discrimination because the city has made a parking ordinance strictly against us.
New laws prohibit any RV from being parked between 2 and 6 a.m., forcing parking tickets into the hands of many law abiding RV owners who lack adequate driveway parking.
For thousands of RVers accustomed to stopping in scenic spots with ample curbside parking, these new restrictions mean local merchants lose out as overnighters go elsewhere to spend their dollars.
Be a Good Neighbor
Many of the latest RV parking restrictions are the direct result of sloppy RVers who left behind trash and waste water, or who stayed in the same spot for days or weeks.
When an RVer refuses to abide by the universal overnight RV parking code of conduct, everyone loses out on free places to spend the night.
In order to preserve as many “asphalt boondocking” spots as possible, follow these overnight RV parking etiquette tips when you camp streetside:
Industry-Sanctioned Code of Conduct (RVers’ Good Neighbor Policy)
- Stay one night only!
- Obtain permission from a qualified individual.
- Obey posted regulations.
- No awnings, chairs, or barbecue grills outside your RV.
- Do not use hydraulic jacks on soft surfaces (including asphalt).
- Always leave an area cleaner than you found it.
- Purchase gas, food, or supplies as a form of thank you, when feasible.
- Be safe! Always be aware of your surroundings and leave if you feel unsafe.
The highly visible nature of RV travel means all of us are representatives for the lifestyle.
Related: 3 Steps to Go Full-time RVing and Live Your Dream
When you’re tempted to ignore common courtesy because of a long day on the road, it might be a good idea to pause and consider the consequences.
Each of our actions has a large impact on the future of free overnight parking for RVers everywhere.
Thanks for your comment Bob, gosh you’d hope that’s not the case but I guess you can never underestimate the power of incentives…
you must remember that some of these regs come from lobbying from certain commercial segments such as rv parks and storage facility owners. It takes cash out of their pockets so they work very hard on their political connections to stop preople from taking advantage of low cost or free parking. The best way is fines but at what cost to process fines and permit costs.
Thanks for your comment Jeff, that’s great advice. I can’t imagine the trouble you go through with parking your semi rig.
Im all for people being decent in their rvs and parking out of the way, if you wil and we all know its not just rvers, However when cities and towns start passing these cash collecting fines for bogus reasons. Ill hang out elsewhere and spend my money elsewhere. I know it just takes a few to mess it up for alot but if im not breaking the “normal” laws. Leave me be. I deal with the same deal with my motorcycle and my semitruck. Lets all be nice and if you see some one really and i mean really messing up. Say some thing to them. Some may not be aware of what they did. Anyways, just my thoughts. Good day