RV Parking On Residential Property-Where Can You Park an RV

Where Can You Park an RV?

Parking an RV after a camping trip can be pretty challenging. This fact gets even further complicated since RV parking on residential property involves adherence to some regulations. On other occasions, parking an RV on residential streets of some cities is entirely free. 

To avoid violation of parking regulations, utility trailer parking on the residential street sides may be the best option for you. However, RV owners aren’t that lucky in some cities since this move is illegal. 

RV Park

Can I Park an RV in my DriveWay?

Yes, you may park your RV in your driveway. The price of parking RV in storage facilities has been on the rise. It isn’t easy to get an RV parking facility that charges less than $100 per month. Also, most RV parking facilities offer outdoor storage.

A camper parking facility offering indoor storage would charge relatively high. For that reason, parking RV in your driveway is economical and somehow safer. 

RVs parking in your driveway can save you a lot of other troubles. One of the advantages of parking RV this way is that it saves a lot of time. When you park your RV in a storage facility or another person’s property, you have to make frequent visits to ensure that your RV is safe. 

Things to Consider Before Parking an RV In Your Driveway

In case you opt to park your RV on your driveway, there are several facts that you should consider. These facts are:

  1. The rules that apply.
  2. The driveway slope.
  3. The view and thoughts of your neighbors.
  4. The size of your RV.

Rules That Apply

Many cities have put several rules in place to govern parking for motor-homes. As an RV owner, you need to conduct proper research and find out about all the regulations relating to RV driveway parking in your city or town.

If you move forward to park your RV on the driveway without obeying the local rules, the authority can impose a fine on you. An RV owner who does not follow these rules may have a citation in other situations. 

When researching the local laws about RV parking on private property, do not forget to include the local community guidelines. Your community may have put some rules regarding RV driveway parking. Ensure that you follow all these rules. You may also consult your landlord or the community leader regarding the subject.

The Driveway Slope

Consideration of your driveway slope should be on top of your mind. If the driveway is slopy, you may have problems reversing your RV. The main issue during this maneuver will be the back bumper hitting the ground. 

In some other scenarios, the curb may be too high. In such a case, you will need to use two ramps. These ramps will help get the RV in or out of the driveway. Such a move will help prevent damage on the underpart of your RV. 

If your driveway is completely flat, you will not need any additional special equipment when getting in or out of the driveway. 

The View or Thoughts of the Neighbors

Before parking RV on your driveway, you should consider the views of everyone living nearby. The local authority may allow you to use your driveway as an RV park in some cases. On the other side, this approval may go against the wishes of your doorstep neighbor. 

For that reason, your neighbor may call the homeowners association near you and raise a complaint. In case many neighbors support this complain, you may stop parking the camper from the driveway for the sake of everybody. 

The Size of the RV

Size is another crucial factor to check before considering camper parking on your driveway. You need to have a clear look at the dimensions of the vehicle. For example, when looking at the length of the RV, you need to make sure that it does not extend past the sidewalks when parked. 

The sidewalks must remain free to allow safe movements of people. 

If the length of your parked RV extends beyond the sidewalk, you may get a fine from the local authority. In many places, the administration considers sidewalks a public way. For this reason, you need to consider the length of your RV before opting for driveway storage. This move prevents you from paying local authorities RV parking fines. 

Still on the size of the RV, consider the width of your RV before opting to park it on your driveway. The RV should not be so broad to fill the driveway almost entirely. Such a situation may cause you problems, especially when you share the driveway with another person. 

In other cases, if the width of your RV is too wide, Your parked RV may extend to your neighbor’s space. Such a situation may worsen further if your parking for motorhomes is permanent. 

The size of your RV include its height. Up to now, many localities do not have laws or restrictions regarding the measurements of RVs. In the same case, you should not neglect the height because of that note. 

Still on camper parking on your driveway, you should consider any internet/phone lines or electrical cables above your driveway. If your RV is too high, it may damage the wires during the parking process. For this reason, avoid parking it on the driveway. 

Alternatively, you can look for a technician to remove the cables from your driveway to make it ideal for parking your RV. 

Can I Live in an RV?

Yes, you can comfortably live inside your RV. You opt for living in a camper while building a house or for any other reason. Before taking such a step, you need to check with your local authority to see if the move is legal. Many states in the USA do not have any laws against living in an RV. Some of the places that allow people to live in RVs without any restrictions are:

  1. Nevada
  2. Washington
  3. Florida
  4. Texas
  5. South Dakota

On the other hand, some cities have enacted laws that limit or prevent people from living in RVs. You should ask yourself what states allow you to live in an RV on your property. To be sure about the legality of living in your RV in your city, consider going through the following laws: 

  1. HOA covenants and bylaws.
  2. County zoning laws.
  3. The city’s nuisance and beautification laws. 

Other Things to Consider Before Living in an RV

While looking at the legality of living in an RV, you should not forget to check other factors that come with this choice. Below is a list of some of the main things to consider:

  1. Know the type of RV you own: RV is a collective name for different recreational vehicle types. These recreational vehicles include trailers, motorhomes, and campers. Trailers should have a towing vehicle for moving them around. 

Different types of trailers usually have features. The main types of trailers are fifth wheels, travel trailers, foldable or pop-up trailers, and toy haulers. 

Motorhomes are more advanced than tailers. This advancement is primarily physical. Unlike a trailer that needs towing, a motor home propels itself. Also, motor homes have different classes. 

Motorhomes in class A are large, easy to use, and luxurious. On the other hand, motorhomes in class B are relatively small. A class B RV can also be a camper van or a sleeper depending on the occasion. Motorhomes in class B are also somehow agile. 

Motorhomes in class C are modest. These vehicles are comfortable and with higher fuel efficiency as well. 

Any other RV that does not have the physical characteristics of a trailer or motorhome falls under the campers category. 

  1. Conduct proper research before choosing a trailer park or an RV park for residence: First of all, you need to know the difference between a trailer park and an RV park. RV parks are never permanent since you need to move your vehicle after some time. On the other hand, trailer parks usually provide a permanent residence to RV owners. 

When conducting your research, check the prices for camper parking in different RV parks. In most cases, this price is never constant. Also, the total payable fee may go up depending on the park’s location or the season. 

To save yourself from paying high fees in RV parks, you can opt to acquire memberships from several RVing organizations. These organizations work by providing discounts on every payment that you make when using their parking services. Some of the leading RVing organizations you may consider are Goodsam and Passport America. 

If you want to live in your RV at a place for a short time, you can opt for a seasonal camping site. 

  1. Keep in mind the essential land factors: If you choose to get a permanent land ownership for your RV parking, never forget to consider main amenities like the water supply, sewer system, health, and security together with access. 

Do not buy land where you may not be able to drill water for your usage. Such a factor is crucial since many lots that are RV friendly never have an efficient link to the main public water supply. For such a reason, you need to dig a well. 

The public sewer system may also be a problem for an RV lot. Many permanent RVing lands do not have access to direct sewer lines. This situation is quite the same as living in an off-grid home. So when choosing land for utility trailer parking, consider one that is not so far from the sewer pipes. 

Security and health is also an essential factor to check. A standard home gives more protection than an RV since RVs are almost like regular vehicles. This aspect depicts that RVs are easy to break in. For this reason, motor homes need to find secure land from theft and other attacks. 

The location of the land should also be near a good health facility in case of health emergencies. 

  1. Discard most of your possessions: Living in your RV requires several sacrifices. One of the main sacrifices is leaving behind most of your household stuff. An RV is not like a typical home with spacious storage areas. So, downsize your life to fit in comfortably when living in an RV. 

If keeping out most of your possessions is difficult for you, you may hire an expert to help you construct more storage space in your RV. Such a move adds convenience, but it makes you incur a cost. 

  1. Get quality insurance: After you choose to live in an RV, be ready to face various challenges. You may encounter scenarios like accidents, injuries, illnesses, and even theft. An insurance can be of much help once such happenings become real. 

When choosing insurance, make sure it covers the replacement of personal belongings in case of theft. The package should also cover the replacement of the RV in case of any damage. In other words, the insurance cover should have a complete homeowners package. Lastly, do not forget to get a separate health cover for yourself. 

RV Parking Sign

Where to Find Local Laws Regarding RV Parking Slots

There are several places in your locality where you may visit and check all the laws about camper parking slots. These places are:

  1. Homeowners association
  2. City regulators
  3. County courthouse

Homeowners Association

Before going any further, you should begin by looking at the local association for homeowners living near the location that you wish to use as an RV parking lot. Once you visit the homeowners association office, print out a list of the rules. Also, check to see if there are any rules referring to RV parking. 

City Regulators

In most cases, towns have local offices. You should visit the regulatory office and check all the laws about camper parking. Instead of making a physical visit, you can make a call and inquire about the laws. 

The local authority can allow RV parking at a specific location but with some requirements. A particular permit have to be in place for you to park in some specific areas. Also, the city or town regulators may ask you to provide further documentation. 

More documentation is for the city/town authorities to let you keep your RV at a specific place. Each city or town may have different laws and regulations regarding camper parking slots. 

County Courthouse 

The courthouse office in your local county is also responsible for giving laws concerning RV parking slots. You can inquire about the rules about camper parking slots in this office by visiting their official website or making a direct phone call. However,  the best way is to make a quick visit. 

The direct visit to the county courthouse can give you a chance to get further explanations about RVs parking slots in that region. Such a move is very effective since some of the laws may be a little hard to understand by yourself. 

RV Parking Ideas for Your Property

Several utility trailer parking ideas create a spacious parking area for your RV at home. Below are some camper parking ideas to consider:

Construct a Garage

Having a storage garage at home is one of the most permanent and secure ways of parking your RV at home. Despite this option having a positive side, it is expensive. 

The total cost of constructing a garage for your RV at home is high. That amount may only cover the basic structure. So, the total cost keeps on increasing when you install other things that make the garage more efficient to use. 

The type of construction materials you choose also play a significant role in determining the total cost. When selecting the materials for every section of the garage, do not forget to consider future maintenance. It would be best if you chose items that cost less during a maintenance process. Also, those items should be durable. 

When constructing an RV garage for camper parking, you need unique measurements. An RV garage cannot be the same size as other parking options. A garage keeps an RV indoors. For this reason, it should be a little bigger than other parking lots. 

Your garage needs to have enough space for opening the main door. At the same time, you need to have a 14-foot (426.72 Centimeters) clearance to facilitate swift movements of the vehicle while moving inside. 

Creating enough space in your RV garage means that you can conduct other activities, such as cleaning your RV freely, while still inside. You may also include other essentials like electricity and water inside. 

Enlarge Your Driveway

Parking in the driveway is one of the less costly ways of storing an RV. To make your motorhome parking efficient, expand the driveway by some measurements. The extension depend on the size of the existing driveway. If your RV is longer or wider than the usual RVs, expand your driveway. 

The final driveway space you create should facilitate easy movements around the RV. You should also have some extra space if you have to park another car on the driveway. 

Build a Carport

 A carport is a good choice for RV parking in your compound. The main advantage of this parking lot is that it is cheaper than constructing a complete garage. Despite this option being much more pocket friendly, it offers a lot of protection to your RV. 

Plastic and metal are the primary materials for making carports. Metal carports come in different sections. Once you get the units, you assemble them using special bolts and nuts. 

Carports are pretty easy to install. In most cases, a day is enough to develop a complete carport for your RV. To properly build a carport for your RV, hire a contractor that you trust. 

FAQs About Parking an RV in Your Backyard

  • Which type of regulations can I expect regarding parking an RV in my yard?

Many cities and regions have several regulations about different sideyard parking ideas. These regulations are:

  1. RV permit for the period it stays in the yard.
  2. The purpose for parking in the yard.
  3. Prohibited activities. 
  • Is there a limit for RV backyard parking?

There are no limitations on the period of parking RV in backyard in most cities. In some cases, you need to confirm further with your local authority. 

Our Top RV Backyard Parking Tips

When parking RV in backyard, you may consider the tips below:

  1. Trim Bushes and Trees.

You need to have enough space for parking your RV. For that reason, make sure you clear any bushes, branches, and shrubs nearby.

  1. Find a way to bring in electricity.

Primarily, light up your backyard RV parking to enhance the security of your RV. To achieve this objective, you can opt to connect electricity from your home to the backyard. . Afterward, erect a pole and install one or more bulbs. The number of bulbs depends on the size of your camper and the area of the parking lot. 

  1. Look out for the roofline.

To prevent any damage to your RV, assess the roofline and make any adjustments. The height of your RV determines the parking position in your backyard. If your RV is more extensive and you want to park it near the house while in the yard, you will have to consider other side-yard parking ideas. 

  1. Consider the view around.

When parking RV in the yard, consider the natural environment. Do not block the view of either you or your neighbors. Make sure that the angle you choose is favorable to the realistic view. 

Camper Vans Parked

The Final Say

RV parking on residential property requires special attention, unlike parking any other regular vehicle. All the steps and tips in this article facilitate a smooth camper parking at home without creating any issues with the authorities or neighbors. 

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