Ehrenburg Rangers to enforce 14 day camping limit

[Jeremiah Diminovich]

You sound a little bitter and like you're going out of your way to try to hurt people that had nothing to do with you because you're mad at somebody here you're going to f*** it up for everybody else sounds kind of childish to me I've never done anything to you I don't even know who you are. And I pay taxes every time I get gas food cigarettes or maintenance on my car so there is no free loading go anything free is your right to be better

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[Minivanmotoman]

FYI, tell you all a little story.
This fall, in Western AZ, camping in the area after a certain major gathering dispersion x2 involving sheriffs and rangers, flashing lights, threats of arrest, orders to leave immediately, in that area . 
Came across an elderly gentleman in an old Toyota p/u with a homemade gypsy style camper built on the back. He had been there for a couple weeks as can be seen from the, um, large camp area loaded with stuff. We were camping on a plateau by ourselves. He stated that he had been coming here and wintering for years. The camp host and rangers knew him on a first name basis and that he was always allowed to stay. Mentioned to him the recent going on and that it might change this year. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns. People, situations, things change.
Sure enough, the NEXT day, Ranger comes out to talk to him and tell him, HE HAD TO LEAVE IMMEDIATELY!
As he was repairing and had to load, convinced the ranger to allow him to leave the next day. Which he did.
The good old days of unrestricted boondocking are over my friends. Anyone else have any stories similar to share? Would help us all.
I have heard from others, fines for overstaying, from $80 to over $800. It's not always a polite, how are you from the Ranger. Not criticizing, just stating facts.

 

[ZoNiE]

Polite or not, fines or not. Just follow the rules and everyone wins. I don't see what all the fuss is about. Everyone has wheels under their bed!!!

 

[BoJim]

'I believe lots and lots of newbies are probably freaking out about now.'

I was at first because I haven't even started yet and was looking forward to the new life. Then I thought, BLM land is HUGE not to mention other states exist out there. Really no worries.

 

[BobBski]

Don’t mind the 14 day rule being enforced. Prevents homesteading.

 

[lenny flank]

^
I quite agree. Despite all the arm-waving from people, most rules and regs are there for a good reason.

There's an old saying that goes, "Never take a fence down unless you know why it was put up."

"Freedomz!!" doesn't mean "I can do whatever I want, so there."

 

[jacqueg]

What is quite hilarious is that in Seattle they won't make you move for months if you are parked on city property or the street and are living in your RV/van.

14 days if you are out in the wild bothering nobody, 180+ days if you are parked in the city blocking access and taking up parking spots.

Kind of strange system.

I'm not sure where in Seattle this is true. I bought my van from a guy who was selling it because he got tired of having to move it every 48 hours so he wouldn't get ticketed - he wasn't going to be able to take the van on a trip until next year.

 

[Jeremiah Diminovich]

It could be winter rules to I know in the state of New Mexico you cannot evict anybody or throw anybody out between like December through February because of the cold weather and stuff is kind of a weird doll but when summer gets here your ass is on the street

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[VanKitten]

You are confusing the BLM land with legally defined landlords.

You are not a tenant. Tenant/ Landlord state laws only apply to that specific business relationship.

You have no lease..written or verbal. There is no exchange of consideration for compensation....the basic need of any contract

Face it...the rules are simple. You never were allowed to stay longer than 14 days....just not enforced till now.

 

[lenny flank]

Face it...the rules are simple.   You never were allowed to stay longer than 14 days....just not enforced till now.

Indeed, I for the life of me don't see what all the wailing and rending of cloth and gnashing of teeth is all about. It seems pretty simple to me--and the remedy seems equally simple.

 

[DLTooley]

It could be winter rules to I know in the state of New Mexico you cannot evict anybody or throw anybody out between like December through February because of the cold weather and stuff is kind of a weird doll but when summer gets here your ass is on the street

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On the tangent, different states have different rules.  I believe Colorado has chosen to put more of its social service money into housing on a similar rationale.

 

[RollingOm]

Heard from two Ehrenburg campers that 6 rangers showed up today, took pictures of all vehicles and license plates and told campers today was day #1 of their 14 days. They need to be gone by January 2. It is now to be an enforced area.

That kind of sucks, but not really 

 

[MrNoodly]

I know some BLM land in the Southwest (sorry, I'm not going to give a specific location) where a hundred or so people stay all winter without hassles. I think it's partly because they're in large RVs and have that image of respectability.

When I started going to Ehrenburg a few years ago there were people living full time in dilapidated vehicles and trailers. They eventually got run off and the remains of their encampments got knocked down, scooped up and hauled away. I think it was mostly because those people DIDN'T look respectable. I think the people who use the area for recreation complained about the riffraff, the homeless, the druggies, the criminals or whatever else they imagined the full-timers to be.

Like it or not, image has a lot to do with how we're treated by the building-dwelling world and by officials.

 

[hausmutti]

How far away do you have to go and for how long before you can come back to the same area? Is the distance by road or how the crow flies?

 

[SoulRaven]

Heard from two Ehrenburg campers that 6 rangers showed up today, took pictures of all vehicles and license plates and told campers today was day #1 of their 14 days. They need to be gone by January 2. It is now to be an enforced area.

Hi Van Lady, 

I must say, being able to park somewhere and free for that long is pretty damn good in my opinion. Boondocking in the streets is doable up to a week in some places IF your stealth enough and know what to do to being low key. I've never been to Ehrenburg but I hope to one day be there. 

Nomadic Mario.

 

[SoulRaven]

I know some BLM land in the Southwest (sorry, I'm not going to give a specific location) where a hundred or so people stay all winter without hassles. I think it's partly because they're in large RVs and have that image of respectability.

When I started going to Ehrenburg a few years ago there were people living full time in dilapidated vehicles and trailers. They eventually got run off and the remains of their encampments got knocked down, scooped up and hauled away. I think it was mostly because those people DIDN'T look respectable. I think the people who use the area for recreation complained about the riffraff, the homeless, the druggies, the criminals or whatever else they imagined the full-timers to be.

Like it or not, image has a lot to do with how we're treated by the building-dwelling world and by officials.

Yes, I agree with the appearance. When I was in San Diego coasts like (Carlsbad) where its totally different than (Ocean Beach) and almost everyone looks like a vandweller some worse, their RV's are filthy dirty and others park at Dog Beach with tents and have witnessed screaming and yelling from some of them causing a bad scene for others who live in their vehicles and are low profile. I lived in my truck and slept in my front seat. I have very long hair and when I wake up the first thing I did was use my water spray bottle to comb my hair neat, put on a nice shirt, and peak to see who was outside. If someone was there I would put nice shoes or nice shorts with a nice shirt and looked like low key plus my dog who is fluffy white and cute helped. It also helps to look clean and neat if your parked in front of a McDonalds and use their bathrooms! The only ugly thing was my truck. Common sense and giving a.... does work if your going to live on the streets or park in front of a nice residence. For example, I parked several times on the sides of Sunset Cliffs and if you look hard enough you can find million dollar homes with giant walls all around and park at night with your windows opened hearing the ocean, what a treat the first time I did that.

 

[lenny flank]

Like it or not, image has a lot to do with how we're treated by the building-dwelling world and by officials.

Yep. If your vehicle is clean and well-maintained and neat (which says to people "well-off vacation traveler", you get treated a lot differently than you do if it is a rusted-out bucket full of trash and plastic garbage bags (which says to people "homeless bum").

I get a quite different reaction when I tell people "I travel around the country in my campervan" than I do when I tell them "I live in my van".

 

[NoMadYesHappy]

I used to camp in a van back in my surfin' days (60s-70s) at Leucadia (AKA "Beacons") just down the road from Carlsbad.  The train would come by several times a night and rock the place off it's axles!  Back then, it was common to see long haired surfer dudes loitering about, waiting for swell and waxing up.  I remember a mobile home/trailer park tucked way off the paved road near Poway that had a natural spring that bubbled into a small pond surrounded by lots of off grid, non-traditional home dwellers with long hair.  The peacocks used to wake us up in the morning, hopping from roof to roof and "schmocking" loudly!  My! How things have changed!  I never considered all of that anything other than "normal."

 

[DLTooley]

It is crucial to take a less controlling perspective on the land we occupy. Basically, it is more of a native attitude - a definite stewardship, but not out right European style 'ownership'. It is still territorial, but less so, I think stewardship of the public asset is the way to go.

 

[NoMadYesHappy]

^
Aye!