Should it be an RV if I need to move it every 24 hours?

[awilder]

So, in New York City, rvs parked on the street are required to move every 24 hours. I do not know how strictly this is enforced, but wouldn't want to be towed.

As I need to park my newly acquired short bus sometimes in Brooklyn (maybe in Williamsburg, where there's more space and I've already seen this kinda thing), does that mean I should rethink registering and insuring it as an rv?

Excuse my lack of knowledge, but would parking officers be able to tell it's registered as an rv from the plates?

Thank you.

[musigenesis]

Not sure about other states, but if you go the Vermont route you just get a Vermont license plate. It doesn't say anything about it being a motorhome or any other type of vehicle. Most likely in NYC they mark and ticket anything that looks like an RV.

Perhaps making yourself look as much like a church bus would help. You could put "St. Thomas International Blue Bird Church" on the side.

[alsquared]

Have you figured anything out about registering in NY vs Vermont? The only benefit I see is that with Vermont you don't already need insurance.

[dzl_]

Originally Posted by musigenesis

Not sure about other states, but if you go the Vermont route you just get a Vermont license plate. It doesn't say anything about it being a motorhome or any other type of vehicle. Most likely in NYC they mark and ticket anything that looks like an RV.

Be advised, at least in California, some characteristics of a vehicle can be derived from the license plate number alone (for instance trucks of a certain year range began with number-letter-number whereas passenger cars had a different sequence). Not sure if this is something cops or meter maids normally notice or not.

[Sehnsucht]

Or they can just run your plate and get the registration info anyways. I doubt it's RVs specifically they're targeting, just large vehicles in general that take up multiple parking spaces and don't move frequently.

[alsquared]

In my experience, if you abide by the posted parking stipulations at a curb regarding when they sweep the street and avoid yellow painted curbs, fire hydrants, and driveways -- then you are A-okay. Otherwise I imagine you'll only get in trouble and possibly towed if your RV starts looking blighted, like if trash accumulates and your windows are smashed.

[Booyah45828]

Originally Posted by Sehnsucht

Or they can just run your plate and get the registration info anyways. I doubt it's RVs specifically they're targeting, just large vehicles in general that take up multiple parking spaces and don't move frequently.

This.

Most LEO's can and will run the plates on a vehicle. It doesn't have to state motorhome on the plate if the registration has it listed as such when they look it up.

What does the law say about commercial vehicles being long term parked on the street? I imagine the city likely has an issue with that as well.

I think the goal of the law is to prevent people from living out of rv's parked on the street. So long as you're not living out of it or in process of a conversion, I don't foresee it being an issue. Unless of course your neighbors have an issue with it.

Being reported regularly is as much of an issue as the law itself. So if you have pesky neighbors calling the police on you about it, you'll likely have issues parking regardless of what the law or your plates say.

[alsquared]

Originally Posted by Booyah45828

Most LEO's can and will run the plates on a vehicle. It doesn't have to state motorhome on the plate if the registration has it listed as such when they look it up.

What does the law say about commercial vehicles being long term parked on the street? I imagine the city likely has an issue with that as well.

I think the goal of the law is to prevent people from living out of rv's parked on the street. So long as you're not living out of it or in process of a conversion, I don't foresee it being an issue. Unless of course your neighbors have an issue with it.

Being reported regularly is as much of an issue as the law itself. So if you have pesky neighbors calling the police on you about it, you'll likely have issues parking regardless of what the law or your plates say.

De facto I don't think any of this applies in Williamsburg. I've parked and lived out of a conversion van there for months without issue, particularly near the Morgan L and also (do at your own risk) under the BQE. And this was several years ago, back when the NYPD was still theoretically policing minor nuisances.

[Booyah45828]

Yeah, normally if cops aren't actively policing stuff, the only time you'll have issues is if someone calls you in.

I don't live in new york city, or anywhere near it for that matter. So I can't comment on the current policing situations, just what I read/hear in the news.

[alsquared]

Near the industrial lots near the Morgan L station in Williamsburg is "the place" for skoolies and vandwellers and various hipster road warrior types, at least so long as you don't park where it is posted that parking is prohibido.

[Short bus dweller]

No you don’t
They well say that get the ticket
Go court win
It’s on the books 13 days a Vehicle has to move

[dzl_]

Originally Posted by Short bus dweller

No you don’t
They well say that get the ticket
Go court win
It’s on the books 13 days a Vehicle has to move

From the NYC Traffic and Parking Code:

Street storage of boat trailers, mobile homes and mobile medical diagnostic vehicles prohibited.No person shall park any boat trailer (with or without a boat attached), mobile home or mobile medical diagnostic vehicle in any area, on any street, in excess of 24 hours.

I suppose its an open question what constitutes a "mobile home" (the words RV or Motorhome are not mentioned in the document)

[lemmeskoolu]

Originally Posted by awilder

So, in New York City, rvs parked on the street are required to move every 24 hours. I do not know how strictly this is enforced, but wouldn't want to be towed.

As I need to park my newly acquired short bus sometimes in Brooklyn (maybe in Williamsburg, where there's more space and I've already seen this kinda thing), does that mean I should rethink registering and insuring it as an rv?

Excuse my lack of knowledge, but would parking officers be able to tell it's registered as an rv from the plates?

Thank you.

I'm from Brooklyn near Willy B, Bushwick although I live in Staten Island/ NJ I frequent that area and seen many skoolies and RVs parked in the same spot for days in! there's 2 skoolies parked on the same block by McCarran Park!
I don't know if the moved em, but it doesn't appear like it to me. and I haven't seen anyone in or around em. just spend some time in it to see what happens or to see if you can find the owners of those 2 and talk to them about it..

[lemmeskoolu]

that makes sense!

[alsquared]

@awilder or anybody else in NYC, have any insurance recommendations?

[awilder]

I am actually insuring it in Rhode Island where I am converting. I was tipped off to Kelly Newsome who works for All State. She does skoolies all the time (she answered the phone, “so you want to insure a skoolie?”) and will, if she can, connect you to an agent in your state. She found me someone in RI who gave me a quote ($1600/year) but I have yet to insure.
Kelly: (352-326-9300)

I have sent in my registration application to VT and put ‘motorhome’.

Thanks for the first hand tips on NYC. Yes, commercial vehicles here are seriously limited as to where they can park, especially for extended periods. So going the commercial route wouldn’t work. Someone here (I am in BK now) saw me outside measuring parking spots to get a sense of where my 22 footer can actually go and said I should look into it being connected to a nonprofit. Haven’t looked into that yet.
It’s good to hear there are parts of the city where people are left alone. My idea is to have a garage in the back of the bus with bike, and when we come to NYC, park in Williamsburg or Bushwick and then bike to Fort Greene. Hopefully the bus would be okay on her own up there for at least three or four days. Really don’t want to move every 24 hours. Guess the only way to find out is to try.
My measuring has led me to believe 22 feet ain’t that long. It’s just the 24 hour thing...