Van height

[mmcc]

I read/watched somewhere that said to be careful with some laws in the US when getting a hi top conversion. They said something about a legal height limit or something. does anyone know anything about this?

 

[reflex439]

Do you remember what it was in reference to? (i.e. underpasses, registration type, parking, etc)

 

[mmcc]

Do you remember what it was in reference to? (i.e. underpasses, registration type, parking, etc)

I believe it was something like to stealth camp or park on the street you have to be within certain dimensions

 

[highdesertranger]

yeah you got to be real tall to be restricted on the road the is almost no way a high top van could ever be that tall. however some municipalities have RV parking restrictions. so is that what you are talking about? highdesertranger

 

[user 37446]

I was watching a YouTube van conversion video last night where the poster stated that in San Diego, they restrict vehicles to 7' or less to park overnight on city streets. I can understand that as a means to keep commercial vehicles and rv's off of neighborhood streets. Maybe mid-top vans would exceed that, but not by much, however the really tall 24" tops that you see on handicap shuttles likely are taller than 7'.

Their city website still shows in section 8, 86.0140, that rv's and overheight vehicles are prohibited from overnight parking from 2:00 to 6:00 am. This was dated 2013, and I would presume it is current due to it being directly linked to the city of SD parking website. (http://docs.sandiego.gov/municode/MuniCodeChapter08/Ch08Art06Division01.pdf)

I've never noticed parking signs with that height restriction stated but it likely is in city parking ordinances if you search them.

 

[mmcc]

I was watching a YouTube van conversion video last night where the poster stated that in San Diego, they restrict vehicles to 7' or less to park overnight on city streets. I can understand that as a means to keep commercial vehicles and rv's off of neighborhood streets. Maybe mid-top vans would exceed that, but not by much, however the really tall 24" tops that you see on handicap shuttles likely are taller than 7'.

Their city website still shows in section 8, 86.0140, that rv's and overheight vehicles are prohibited from overnight parking from 2:00 to 6:00 am.  This was dated 2013, and I would presume it is current due to it being directly linked to the city of SD parking website. (http://docs.sandiego.gov/municode/MuniCodeChapter08/Ch08Art06Division01.pdf)

I've never noticed parking signs with that height restriction stated but it likely is in city parking ordinances if you search them.

This sounds exactly like what I am remembering! so I am guessing it would only be in high population areas like San Diego?

 

[WalkaboutTed]

In San Diego, if your vehicle has handicapped plates, you are exempt from the overnight, oversized vehicle ordinance.

I find that reading fine print can be liberating.
Ted

 

[jonyjoe303]

I'm from that area, last year i saw them put up signs in some parts of the city about parking rv's and cars for sale in the street in some areas. Also in some places they have signs that you can't park vehicles over a certain height near an intersection. 

I see alot of giant rv's parked in industrial areas, every 3 days they have to move the rv. There are a few industrial areas where they have those signs about not parking between 2 to 6 am, but 2 blocks away where there are no signs, I see vans and rv's parked. 

About 2 years ago, an RV caught on fire on a residential street, this was all over the news with a helicopter filming it, and since then they started being more strict on parked rv's. Near work, I see the same giant RV parked in the same area every other day for the past 3 years.

The only time I've ever seen the police talking to someone who was living in a van was because he was parked against traffic with 2 wheels on the sidewalk.  He was attracting attention.

 

[user 37446]

Sure could be, that section 8 had lots of if's... course most favored the "city manager"...

Probably not too many CVRL Members have Cali handicap plates anyways. There was a whole subsection of the parking code devoted to handicap placards/plates, sounds like they've had just a bit of trouble with fake ones or people who weren't handicapped using the permit. I believe there's a YT video or two about a news team going out with parking enforcement to some popular hiking trail (Runyon Canyon Hiking Trail in LA), then they video the "handicap" people returning from their morning run up the trail and getting into their vehicle. (See "On the Hunt for Handicap Parking Cheaters" video by ABC News...

For another example of the problem, here's an excerpt of a May 19, 2015 San Diego TV Channel (News 7) article about the abuse of the placards:

"NBC 7 Investigates found many of the congested downtown streets have cars parked on them with handicap placards. On May 14 on 7th Avenue, between C Street and Broadway, half of the vehicles parked on the street had handicap placards displayed. That same day on 8th Avenue, between B and C Streets, eight out of 15 cars had placards.

In California, a driver with a disabled parking placard can park almost anywhere at anytime. But It can mean a fine of up to $1,000 or a misdemeanor to use it if it's not registered to you or someone present in the car.

During the NBC 7 investigation one man used a remote to unlock his car, but when he saw NBC 7 Investigates camera, he kept walking past his Lexus, the car he had remotely unlocked.
This man told NBC 7 Investigates to get our cameras off of him and that he does “work for the city and they don’t want me to talk.”

The man works two blocks from where he parks, in the City of San Diego's personnel office. He uses a handicap placard registered to his mother, according to DMV records.
“My mother is handicapped and I take care of my mother,” he told NBC 7 Investigates. But his mother was not with him while he was getting in and out of the car when our cameras followed him.

NBC 7 Investigates approached another woman who works for the state at the Hall of Justice. The woman parks a few blocks away from her office, using a placard belonging to a relative.
When asked if the car in question belonged to her, she said she took the trolley. But undercover video from NBC 7 Investigates shows the same woman getting in and out of this car.

A San Diego Police Parking enforcement supervisor told NBC 7 Investigates disabled placard abuse is a huge problem, especially downtown. He said catching people is difficult and the department, on average, gives out 28 tickets a day for the offense. The fine is $452.50.

At age 19, a car accident left Louis Frick a quadriplegic. Today, Frick is Executive Director of the nonprofit agency, Access To Independence.
He and many others like him said they need accessible parking spots.
“It’s unbelievably crowded downtown,” Frick said. “My question is ‘What is your problem? What is it that you feel like you just can’t be bothered to follow the rules like everybody else?' It’s frustrating to me.”

In 2013 to 2014, the California DMV issued 500 citations for disabled placard fraud statewide.
Right now, over 3 million California drivers have permanent or temporary disabled placards or disabled license plates.

If you suspect abuse or fraud, there are several ways you can report it.

Source: http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/loc...for-Free-Parking-304178381.html#ixzz4jwLT0jXy
Follow us: @nbcsandiego on Twitter | NBCSanDiego on Facebook

I'd think a few $415 fines could possibly dissuade you, and wow, 3 million handicap placards??

 

[nahtanoj]

The San Diego oversized vehicle limits are longer than 27' AND taller than 7'.  It has to meet both criteria to be sited.  So a high top van, even a 24' long sprinter will not be an issue.

 

[user 37446]

The 27' long and 7' height is accurate (2013 ordinance change) however they can still get you with this change to the illegal living in a vehicle (any size)

Proposed
Enforcement – Immediate

•   Officer visually inspects vehicle windshield for permit
•   Citation issued on the spot to vehicles parked overnight without permit
  Illegal Occupancy
   Interaction with occupant unnecessary to issue citation 

It also stated that they can tow upon 21 days going by without the vehicle owner responding to the tickets or upon the 5th citation...

The point being that if you intend on dwelling in a city (or town) it's on you to research and verify if the town or city has the authority to cite you. There are court decisions and challenges ongoing all over the country at different times, so it's impossible to maintain any list of where it's ok and where it isn't, the onus is on the dweller. So when the OP of this entire thread asks about height restrictions, he/she is going to have to check each and every location if he/she wants to be reasonably sure, that or just take his/her chances...

The back and forth with the San Diego code and their changes just proves how difficult this whole thing is.