22 ms·

I was wondering about the legal ramifications of living in an RV. I know that San Francisco doesn't allow it and occasionally cracks down on it, primarily becau

I was wondering about the legal ramifications of living in an RV. I know that San Francisco doesn't allow it and occasionally cracks down on it, primarily because we have such a large homeless population that often camp in RVs. I suspect that most cities in the US don't allow you to actually live in a vehicle unless it's within a designated area (RV park for example). Maybe Austin is an exception. Of course, it could just be an image thing. I suspect that if you kept it clean and in good repair, and moved often, then you could probably get away with it. RVs covered with graffiti, are missing panels or have 800 bike frames hanging off the back tend to make you a good target for a fine, and probably impounding.

johnwatson11218 17y ago
In many places you can park one night in the Wal-Mart parking lots. In small towns you can see many people parking overnight. I don't know at what point they would start to mind.
- dkokelley 17y ago
  Probably as soon as you stop buying supplies, or when other customers can't don't have parking spaces. They're private lots, so you could be there forever if they allow it.
- chaostheory 17y ago
  Walmart is not a safe place to park. My memory may be off, but as for retail locations; it is one of the worse places in terms of crime.
  - catch23 17y ago
    That usually depends on the city. There's a Walmart here in Mountain View, but your only worry is being robbed by ex-Yahoo employees.
- msisk6 17y ago
  Most Wal-Marts will allow RVs to park overnight for several days as long as you don't setup camp and park far out in the lot away from the store. A lot of RVers stay at Wal-Mart on their travels. But some cities have ordinances forbidding overnight camping, even in private lots if it's against zoning rules. These towns are usually located near tourist attractions that have pay campgrounds nearby. You can google "wal-mart rv parking" and learn more than you ever wanted to know on the subject...
tynan 17y ago
It's not really a big deal. I've spent a total of two years in downtown Austin, LA, and SF. I've had two visits from police, both of which were basically formalities because of complaints by nearby residents. In each case they were polite and implied that I could keep doing what I was doing unofficially.
- petesalty 17y ago
  I'm sort of surprised by this. I live and work in the bad end of SOMA/Potrero and I've seen a lot of crack downs in the last 8 years. Admittedly it happens when RVs tend to group up for long periods of time but I have seen the police swoop in, impound and tow. Might be different if it's just a single well maintained RV.

johnwatson11218 17y ago

In many places you can park one night in the Wal-Mart parking lots. In small towns you can see many people parking overnight. I don't know at what point they would start to mind.

dkokelley 17y ago
Probably as soon as you stop buying supplies, or when other customers can't don't have parking spaces. They're private lots, so you could be there forever if they allow it.
chaostheory 17y ago
Walmart is not a safe place to park. My memory may be off, but as for retail locations; it is one of the worse places in terms of crime.
- catch23 17y ago
  That usually depends on the city. There's a Walmart here in Mountain View, but your only worry is being robbed by ex-Yahoo employees.
msisk6 17y ago
Most Wal-Marts will allow RVs to park overnight for several days as long as you don't setup camp and park far out in the lot away from the store. A lot of RVers stay at Wal-Mart on their travels. But some cities have ordinances forbidding overnight camping, even in private lots if it's against zoning rules. These towns are usually located near tourist attractions that have pay campgrounds nearby. You can google "wal-mart rv parking" and learn more than you ever wanted to know on the subject...

tynan 17y ago

It's not really a big deal. I've spent a total of two years in downtown Austin, LA, and SF. I've had two visits from police, both of which were basically formalities because of complaints by nearby residents. In each case they were polite and implied that I could keep doing what I was doing unofficially.

petesalty 17y ago
I'm sort of surprised by this. I live and work in the bad end of SOMA/Potrero and I've seen a lot of crack downs in the last 8 years. Admittedly it happens when RVs tend to group up for long periods of time but I have seen the police swoop in, impound and tow. Might be different if it's just a single well maintained RV.