commercial van national parks

[coathanger]

I had thought of getting a commercial van to stealth camp fulltime in (ram promaster) but I had read you can't get into a national park in a commercial vehicle. does anyone know this to be true? I would like to live in a rv but there are two many rules to where you can park an rv here in california.

 

[MikeRuth]

Not sure about your definition of commercial. My 2007 Ford is licensed as commercial and goes in no problem. Last time I went in to Sequoia I was sent through with no fee as she thought I was there on business, guess my van looks more commercial than plain Jane.

 

[Almost There]

A regular cargo van is only commercial if it is registered as such. 

Most of us register our vans as a regular vehicle (non commercial). Some jurisdictions will only register something like a 1 ton or a box truck as a commercial vehicle but then add 'for personal use only' on it. Also some jurisdictions will allow you to change the registration of a van or box truck to RV once it has been converted to include whatever 'that' jurisdiction requires.

Where you 'might' run in to trouble is if you have the vehicle titled as a commercial vehicle and have a business name etc. painted on the truck. But then it would only be a problem in that you would have to explain to staff that you're not driving the vehicle for commercial purposes (or get them to give you a permit if you are).

Here's the section of the National Park Code of Regulations for you:

§5.6   Commercial vehicles.

(a) The term “Commercial vehicle” as used in this section shall include, but not be limited to trucks, station wagons, pickups, passenger cars or other vehicles when used in transporting movable property for a fee or profit, either as a direct charge to another person, or otherwise, or used as an incident to providing services to another person, or used in connection with any business.


As you can see, it's not the vehicle itself that is deemed to be restricted but the use of it.

 

[MrNoodly]

The intent is to keep large trucks from using parks as cut-throughs. Naturally, trucks that supply park concessionaires, garbage trucks, tour operators and such, have passes, and those passes place restrictions on where they can go and when. Don't worry about your converted cargo van. My plain white commercial van has been welcomed at every NP I've gone to.

 

[poncho62]

Around here, windowless vans have commercial plates, but also have a sticker that says its for personal use.

If the park rangers say something about sleeping in the van, just keep a small pup tent with you, pitch that and still sleep in the van.....

 

[rvpopeye]

That trick will work in a campground too. (Tent site please !)

 

[Almost There]

That trick will work in a campground too. (Tent site please !)

Ha, just be sure that the parking for the van is right at the tent site BEFORE you pay!

I ran in to a county park in Texas where they have very nice tent sites in a large grassy area right beside the lake. Only one problem - you parked in the parking lot and hauled all your stuff to the tent site. None were within a 100 yards of the parking lot.

I had to argue to get my money back. They said if I wanted to camp in the van I should go to their other campground the other side of the lake that had full hookups at twice the price.

 

[speedhighway46]

Coat hanger: 

I would think my vehicle would be considered on the heavy end of motorhomes. It is a class 8 commercial truck conversion. I have never had any problems being admitted to any type of park I ever wanted to enter. In fact, I have never even been challenged. The legal description of my conversion as stated on both the title and regristration is "Peterbilt Motorhome." Clearly not a commercial vehicle.

As long as you are not in "commercial service" (transporting goods for pay) you are not a commercial vehicle, regardless of what your vehicle looks like.

Hope this helps .  .  .

 

[rvpopeye]

Almost !!!!!!!! That's a good question to ask for sure .

I worked at a campground that had "walk in" sites but they were labeled that on the CG map and we told the campers up front . Guess what ? They were always sold out and there was a waiting list!
(They were secluded sites right on the ocean in a remote part of the property that none of the roads were near...)

I have worked places that didn't allow vehicle dwellers but would notice people sleeping in their cars . vans , trucks next to their tents or cargo trailers ,,, but usually because of getting drenched in the rain or eaten alive by bugs !!! Skuh kuh kuh kuh

 

[driveon]

I had thought of getting a commercial van to stealth camp fulltime in (ram promaster) but I had read you can't get into a national park in a commercial vehicle. does anyone know this to be true? I would like to live in a rv but there are two many rules to where you can park an rv here in california.

I have a commercial Promaster cargo van which I have converted to a van-camper; my wife and I have travelled extensively over the past two years and stayed in many National Forests. We have never been even questioned about it. Never. Go for it!

 

[highdesertranger]

a National Forest and a National Park are two different animals. highdesertranger

 

[WriterMs]

I have one first-hand account of commercial vehicles being banned in a National Park Service area -- the Natchez Trace Parkway. There are road signs clearly posted that no commercial vehicles can enter. Here's what happened to m
I arrived after dark in the Hohenwald TN section of the Parkway. My rig was a county wheelchair accessible transit bus (extended van). All of the markings had been painted over but it still looks like a very high-top bus (9.5 feet tall).

I was headed for the campground area and a car that had been following rather close and veering suddenly had police lights flashing. So I pull over. The cop car parked behind me and it took a couple of minutes for him to do his call in thing. But then the nice LEO came up on the passenger side of the van with a smile on his face.

I opened the bus door (still has the bar that swings the door out like the bus driver had used). He immediately said he was sorry to have stopped me, but my van looked like a commercial vehicle which are prohibited. He had been trying to tell if my license plate (South Dakota) was a personal plate or business (thus he had followed close and swerved around trying to get light on it).

He was a fairly young guy and obviously looking very interested around the inside, and he says he can see now I've made it my RV and that is perfectly fine. I invited him to step up for a better look and he did take just one of the steps in. He found it all very cool. He explained that if it HAD commercial license plates then it would not have been legal to bring it into the Parkway boundaries. But my personal plates and the clear use of it as a personal RV made it okay to camp and drive the parkway.

So... this was not at National Park yet it is run by the Park Service. Perhaps the rules vary Park by Park. The Trace is unique.

 

[akrvbob]

Bear in mind, the roads through many National Parks are main federal, state or country roads and are used as an important route through the state. No way can commercial vehicles be blocked on them, Capital Reef NP in Utah would be a prime example. Many western states are soo mountainous if you locked up the NPs from commercial use, they would have to drive hundreds of miles around them.

I think it would have to be Park by Park and my guess is very few forbid them.

 

[blars]

In my experience, most National Parks ban commercial vehicles other than deliveries to the park or (in rare instances) on specific routes through the park. My experience is limited to western state (OR, CA, AZ, NV)

 

[Almost There]

Here's the section of the National Park Code of Regulations for you:

§5.6   Commercial vehicles.

(a) The term “Commercial vehicle” as used in this section shall include, but not be limited to trucks, station wagons, pickups, passenger cars or other vehicles when used in transporting movable property for a fee or profit, either as a direct charge to another person, or otherwise, or used as an incident to providing services to another person, or used in connection with any business.


As you can see, it's not the vehicle itself that is deemed to be restricted but the use of it.

So it's at the bottom of the thread - As WriterMS found out, her commercial looking vehicle was fine - no permit needed.

Yes, you might get stopped if you have a cargo van with ladders on the top instead of a storage pod but you're legal to be there unless you're not - if you're working commercially without a permit.

And it applies to ALL National Parks across all 50 states.

 

[Luciano151]

I've never had any issues either. Usually, basic, what, cargo vans can pretty much go wherever they want. I've never had anybody even give me a second look. Look the part. In other words, don't act nervous, or act in a manner that attracts attention. Act like you should be anywhere that you are and nobody will ever bother you. I've crashed weddings, parties, gone into places I'm not supposed to go to get a good photo, and every time I do it with the attitude that I should be there. Try it. It always works.