Ban on RV home storage in San Jose

[red1ton]

The city is looking into a ban on storage of RVs that can be seen from the street. This is going to be a big problem for lots of people who store their camper, like me, or 5th weeler, etc. in their driveway. The ban is supposed to reduce "blight" in the city. I hope this ban does not take effect. If it does, I don't know if I will keep the camper or sell it.

 

[whiteknight]

red1ton,

The Good Sam Club has done some work in this area and has a RV parking rights manual. You might be interested in looking this up. Seems like these restrictions are getting more common lately.

 

[Dieselnerd]

Our city council tried to pass a bunch of new regulations on storing boats and RV's 2 years ago. At the council meeting the hall was packed and everyone that came was against the new laws, no one appeared at all that was in favor of any new regulations. The council had all kinds of brainless ideas on why we needed the change. Foremost was that there were lot's of regulations in other cities and none in ours. The people present asked if there were complaints and the answer was "no" but there might be in the future so just in case, they wanted to have laws on the books. Needless to say they were made to look like fools and they decided to wait until there were a bunch of complaints before considering regulations again. That was 2 years ago and nothing has ever been mentioned in council meetings since then about boat or RV storage regulations.

 

[NVR FNSH]

The folks that STORE their RVs & boats in the driveway or on the street need to learn a little common courtesy. I have no problem with parking the rig in front of the house if you are loading/unloading but to park it there is unsightly. There is a guy around the corner from me that stores his 35ft MH on the street and it is an eyesore.



I store my 36 ft 5th wheel on the side of my house BEHIND a gate.



If you can afford the toy (& truck to tow it?) you can damn well afford the storage fees.



Brian

 

[JWhitcomb]

NVR FNSH, I can assure you that storage in the Santa Clara valley is one place you cannot afford to store it. There are very few places that cater to RV storage in the area and those that do charge monthly fees that will surpass the monthly payment. Land here is costly, as in a 700 sq. ft. house worth $400,000 and a spot big enough for a few RV's is hard to find.

 

[RustyJC]

Many, if not most, deed-restricted subdivisions in Harris County (Houston, TX suburbs) don't allow RV storage on the homeowner's premises. It's right there in the deed restrictions when you buy the house. Deed restrictions are a necessity here since neither Houston nor Harris County has zoning - without it, your neighbor will be raising turkeys and pigs in the back yard (I've seen it in subdivisions where the restrictions are unenforced!)



Our covered storage with 30 amp service, wash rack, air compressor, dump station, 24 hour access, owners living on premises, etc. runs $78/month. No big deal... . ya gotta pay to play.



Rusty

 

[NVR FNSH]

Originally posted by JWhitcomb

NVR FNSH, I can assure you that storage in the Santa Clara valley is one place you cannot afford to store it. There are very few places that cater to RV storage in the area and those that do charge monthly fees that will surpass the monthly payment. Land here is costly, as in a 700 sq. ft. house worth $400,000 and a spot big enough for a few RV's is hard to find.

Unfortunately, I'm all too familiar with the situation in the Bay Area - I live in Santa Rosa. My sister just sold her 1200 sq ft house in San Carlos for $585K... . When we bought our house in SR (Oct '00 - height of the bidding wars) we made a conscious decision to find a house where we could store a trailer. That decision kept us out of a few neighborhoods.



If you can't afford to store it maybe you shouldn't buy it? I feel guilty enough with my trailer next to my house. I couldn't bring myself to 'storing' a trailer/MH in my driveway or on the street.



Brian

 

[Mark_Kendrick]

It's very different to buy a deed restricted house than to own a house and a TT or motorhome and then have it outlawed. It's not fair to the current owners of motorhomes. In the SFC area realestate is just too expensive for that. Land in Houston is nothing like it is in San Francisco.



I like my 67 acres in KS. I could put in and RV park and not bother anyone.



NVR FNSH,

is SR, San Ramon? If so, I'm here doing work for Chevron in Bishop Ranch 3 and staying at Bollinger Canyon and San Ramon Valley Blvd.



Gimme a call. We can drain a beer or two. I've been here sine November and will be here for a good while longer.



Later,

Mark

 

[Dkevdog]

I think it is all a matter of what shape and how good a condition it is in. NVRFINISH talks about keeping one along side a house- Unless you have 12' walls I'm sure your neighbors see it and I'm sure it might be considered an eyesore to some even there. If it is a clean rig, kept nice, I don't have a problem with it in a driveway. There is a real nice Lazy Dayz in the driveway a few doors down, and it is 10 years old but in excellent condition. I would far rather look at that than the POS travel trailer in my neighbors side yard. I am against ordinances that tell you what to do with your property. Besides, if they outlaw parking them, what's to stop the neighbor from painting the house Orange to get even??



Kev

 

[dresslered]

Mark-

While you're in the area, try to make it out to one of the RamRunner's meetings: http://www.ramrunners.org/

 

[Mark_Kendrick]

I should be able to get to that.



Later,

Mark

 

[PHaller]

storage fees?

I live in Walnut Creek, East of San Francisco 30 miles, and store my trailer beside my home behind a closed gate too. I checked into storage fees on a 37 ft. 5th wheel. The least expensive around here locally was around 400$ a month with no cover and no electricity... just a fence around a large parking lot. lousy neighborhood too. If I was willing to drive 30 miles to a storage lot in Brentwood, the fees went down to around 250$.

Comparing prices accros the country is just not a fair comparison. Sure, I could live in Texas and pay no or low state taxes and very low registration fees and even get covered storage for ,what was it? 78$ a month, but I'd have to live there, and be around all those Texans.

All kidding aside Rusty, the fees vary widely from location to location. Here, they are very high. That's why I store my trailer next to my 70 year old house in an old neighborhood that should have been torn down 50 years ago but, because it's worth 850,000$ as is, I did not tear it down. I also make more money owning it every year just from rising home prices then most make working... even in Texas, but that's California. I too would be more then a little upset at regulations added after the fact, for RV storage.

Mark, PM me after May Madness. We are 10 minutes away from each other. We'll can get aquainted and have a beer or two togeather. I too am a member of the Ram runners. I could hook you up with a ride to there if you would like to go some 3rd Tuesday each month. . CTD isn't a truck, it's a lifestyle, no matter where you live!!

-Paul R. Haller-

 

[dodger22]

I posted a similar thread to this about a month ago. My neighbour has been whining about my 5'er parked in my side yard. He didn't complain directly about the parking but about being overlooked (from the windows of the 5'er we could look into his rear yard and pool). He *****ed too about the fumes from his pool heater wafting down over his patio because the 5'er is taller than his stack.



Our city ordinances require that it be parked on "non-organic" material and be behind the front of the house, which it is. Now, if he decides to move his fence closer to the property line - it's about a foot away right now - then I could have a problem swinging the backend in.



Richard

 

[NVR FNSH]

Mark,

I'm in Santa Rosa - ~60 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge. I could be convinced to meet up somewhere for a beer or two. Might even convince me to come down to a Ramrunners meeting. It's a bit of a drive but it would be nice to put faces with names.



Dkevdog - my trailer is a '00 Patio Hauler 351 & it's spring over axles. It does stick up above the fence - by a long shot. Unfortunately, my neighbor is on a corner lot so there back windows look right out onto the trailer When the 6ft fence finally comes tumbling down due to rot it will be replaced with an 8ft fence. I keep praying for good wind storm - I just can't bring myself to knocking the fence over with the trailer Oops.....



I guess I came across a little heavy handed earlier & I didn't mean to. I've had neighbors that stored their bus conversion MHs on the street or in the driveway sticking out across the sidewalk... ... . It's just inconsiderate IMO. Part of the cost of ownership is what am I going to do with this thing when I'm not using it. I can't imagine that there are too many driveways in San Jose long enough to park a trailer w/o it sticking out into the sidewalk.....



Brian

 

[Mark_Kendrick]

Paul and I are gonna get together next week if ya wanna go. it'll tues or wed eve.



I'm gonna try to make the Ram runners meeting. Either way, drop me a note w/your contact info.



-- email address removed --

 

[JWhitcomb]

Mark, I too would like to extend a invite to Ram Runners meeting. Great bunch of people who are full of info and it is always cool to see 25 or so Rams take over a parking lot.



Brian, I grew up on a sheep ranch in the hills above Healdsburg, great area.

 

[Mark_Kendrick]

barring work or a natural disaster I plan to make the meeting on the 21st.



Thanks for the invite.



Later,

Mark

 

[BigMike]

Boy I feel lucky living in a small town up here in the great Northwest. I rent covered storage with 20 amp service for $390/year. Only 6 miles away. You can rent secure open storage here for $25/mo. I bring my 5er over to my house when I'm getting ready for a trip or unloading. Kind of a pain in the rear but I'm willing to sacrafice for the joy we get out of camping. City rules say you can't park in the street more than 24 hours. I can fit mine into my driveway and have left it there up to a week. No complaints from the neighbors yet, but I don't do it all that often. I live in a pretty upscale area and it would bother me if one of my neighbors stored an RV on his property. I plan on selling in a couple of years and retiring to central Oregon where I have purchased a lot that has plenty of room for RV storage. Oo.



I visit the bay area frequently and love it, but am so thankful I don't live there. I don't know how people can afford it!!

 

[bombero]

Mark; I agree with you. When we bought out RV paying for storage was one of the things we considered. We live in a up scale neighborhood in Santa Rosa I would never store our RV in the driveway or infront of the house. Along side would be OK if we had room. Which we dont> We have a sh-t head down thw street that parks a large boat in his driveway and a motorhome in the street. Any way happy RVing11

 

[NVR FNSH]

bombero,

What part of town do you live in? I'm in Wikiup - right off Airport/Faught.



Brian