Residential Parking Restrictions for Expedition Vehicle

[uncompromise]

Hi All,

Been reading a lot, and in research mode for about six months. Preparing to purchase a vehicle and looking for some pretty specific feedback.

I'm a frequent traveller and part-time resident of the US. In short, I spend about 3-6 months of the year here - mostly in the Bay Area - and the rest of the time traveling with my clients.
I've been looking into setting up an expedition vehicle as my base while here, so that I have both transport and somewhere to live. One of the things I've been looking into is the parking restrictions for commercial vehicles.
In short, it appears as if anything with a GVWR over 10,000 lbs is not legally permitted to park in most residential areas around the US. Certainly there are some that allow it, but 10,000 lbs is the restriction for those that don't.

I have already found a vehicle that is perfect for my needs, but it's 10,300 GVW, and I feel nervous about buying something at that weight.

So my question is, what experience have any of you had with traveling and parking anything that is registered commercial with a GVWR in excess of 10,000 lbs? There are some awesome box trucks and ambulances out there what would serve as a perfect base for what I want to build, but the last thing I want to do is park my vehicle somewhere and get cited and towed because it's over the weight range (which so many of these vehicles are).

An option that has been recommended is to buy a LWB 4x4 pickup and mount a parted out ambulance or truck box on the back in order to get around this. The vehicle would probably need to be registered in California, although I have contacts all around the country, and could potentially register the vehicle in whatever state made it easiest. Obviously I would prefer an RV or standard vehicle registration to commercial.

I'm 6'1", so I've been looking at vehicles with a box of roughly 12ft x 8ft x 6.5 ft. I've roughed out schematics in CAD and with something that size I can get a shower, bed, kitchen and all daily amenities inside the box.

Any feedback or advice you have would be helpful. Thanks

 

[Bbasso]

Storage places usually have parking for basically any vehicle, some even have covered too.

 

[fluffyprinceton]

Don't sweat the 10000 limit (about which I'm completely unaware - not that I doubt it...) how would anybody know? In California you are not required to post the weight on the vehicle - unlike some states. I'm assuming you are going to store the truck in a paid facility while out of the country? Total non-issue. Moe

 

[OCD Overland]

Residential areas? You're living in it? Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but I suspect that when someone calls the police about the guy living out of a van in front of their house, the cops aren't going to come check your GVWR.

If you're talking about living at an RV park and driving into town occasionally, I don't see a problem, but then those limits are for overnight parking, no?.

 

[uncompromise]

Hey all,
Thanks for the feedback - appreciated!

SF Bay Area is my base, and yes I will be living in the vehicle when in the US. I would NOT be leaving the vehicle in one location and living in it for say a month at a time. I would just be parking outside a friends place in whatever city I was visiting when stateside, for up to a week at a time. I would expect that we would let the neighbors know what was going on to avoid any potential issues. I'm neither a full-time van dweller, nor a part-time traveller, but essentially a full-time traveller who spends enough time in the US to warrant having a vehicle that can serve as home. I also have an electric bike with a 30 mile range on it that I'll be using to get around whatever city/town I'm in.

What I'm hearing is, don't be concerned about the weight, since it's not published on the vehicle, and just don't be a ******** about how/where you park your truck, and it should be fine.

Yes, I will be storing it in a secured parking facility near LAX when I'm out of the country.

 

[jblaze5779]

Only issue I have is that for some reason my HOA seems to think my retired ambulance is a commercial vehicle. I can't leave it in the driveway, I jsut have to make sure I have it parked on the concrete pad around the side of my house behind my gate.

 

[mikracer]

I would try to register the vehicle anywhere other than CA. CA requires smog checks every 2 years and is too strict regarding engine mods and CARB. I heard Oregon has much less fees when it comes to registering an RV and they don't have smog requirements. I also wouldn't stress the weight limit unless you're talking about buying and converting a big box truck. Most people wouldn't know the different when they see a van or truck/camper thats outfitted to be full time.

 

[huskyhauler]

It sounds like you have two issues: (1) registering the vehicle and (2) trying to live in it in urban California.

Urban California is notorious for being a pain in the ***, be it registering a vehicle, or finding a legal place to park it. You could likely get the vehicle registered in a different state but that will give Cali residents one more reason to screw with you.

Here are some things to keep in mind. You want to make sure you can park the vehicle without it intruding too far into the roadway. You also need to make sure you are "living" in an area that does not have restricted parking at random times for street sweeping and whatnot.

To be quite honest, if I were you I would go to great lengths to make sure your vehicle is as unassuming as possible and DO NOT inform the neighbors. If you inform the neighbors you will likely be ticketed/towed/harassed quicker than if you didn't inform the neighbors. With that said, once you are discovered, the meter maids will seek you out and make your life a living hell.

Your best bet is to head away from the Bay area and set up shop close to the BART and commute in. Don't screw with Bay Area residents. They have nothing better to do with their time but to observe and report against anything and everything that does not fit the established rules.

 

[huskyhauler]

One addition to my previous post, if you are going to be spending the majority of your time in the Bay Area, don't worry about the rest of the country. Guidelines are really area specific and the Bay Area is one of the most restrictive areas in the entire US.

 

[Haf-E]

If you are considering a van, you might want to consider a passenger version and the insulate/cover the windows in back on the inside. That makes it look less commercial. With a black curtain on the other windows it gets hard to tell if someone is inside or not UNLESS it is hot out and you need ventilation - which is where a good size roof hatch helps.

Maybe put some "handicapped" vehicle stickers on it etc as well (but don't use handicapped parking) would also make it draw less attention...

 

[huskyhauler]

After thinking on this for a minute, if you are truly thinking of building out and living in a rig as wide as an ambulance or box truck in the San Fran area, you are better off renting an apartment in Oakland and buying a small commuter car. You'll ultimately save money and guarantee that you won't be impounded or chased out of the area. San Fran might possibly be the worst place to live in an Expedition rig in the US aside from DC or NYC.

 

[calicamper]

Fulton between Arguello and Ocean Beach the closer you get to the beach, the more seedy the van dweller. Not kidding.. I own a place right by Park Presidio and Fulton. A well known chef parks his bunk house on wheels typically between 25th and 7th on Fulton park side curb. Keep the blue tarps off the rig and your fine ;-)

 

[Kyron]

Get a vw camper van and a membership at a healthclub for the showers ...... your over thinking this

 

[rlrenz]

If you use a retired ambulance, you can easily make it a legal recreational vehicle. It takes things like a refrigerator, a cooking area, running water, a john, an outside power connection - but these vary across the country. Once it has an RV license plate, it is not a commercial vehicle, it's an RV.

 

[uncompromise]

Thanks for all the feedback. I'm not planning on 'urban camping' in San Francisco - I have plenty of options for places to park off street in the Bay, and won't be sitting still for long in one place annoying the neighborhood. The more I consider my options, the more likely that I will purchase a commercial sized vehicle, park on the fringes of whatever town I'm visiting, and just use the bike to get around.