#vanlife community

[Southwest Dave]

In the UK Vanlife is a growing market, as well as those that just use Motorhomes and caravans for a holiday. 'Wild camping' (Boondocking) as it's known here is causing quite a stir as it gets more and more popular and local councils are introducing height barriers and bans on parking overnight in response to local complaints. New websites are cropping up with free or cheap overnight options where others can add to the data base. (Park4night/Searchforsites etc)The problem is the more these spots are shared on-line the more popular they become and that creates a problem with the local residents and then the councils react with enforcement policies. We live near a quiet beach area and for as many years as I can remember you would have 3 or 4 campers down there stay the night. Then came the 'power' of sharing your great find on the Internet and suddnely there were campervans nose to tail for 2 miles along the seafront and yep, the local dog walkers and residents who couldn't park started to complain and now its a no go zone for any campers between 8pm and 8am. Sometimes, oversharing is like shooting yourself in the foot !

I have heard of campers letting like minded people use their driveway and even swapping driveways for a week or two for a change of location and providing electric and water hook ups. If it does take off in a big way, I'm pretty sure it will soon be clamped down on by the local councils.
One idea that is taking off is for pubs to boost trade by offering a free place to park in exchange for simply buying a round of drinks or some ask that you dine in the pub.

[Utahtea]

I would imagine that this concept would work best (if it works at all), in areas that are more rural, hosts living outside the major cities, or on larger properties with plenty of room and no idea what CC&R even stands for.

Big distinction between people traveling in a van or RV, in need of a spot to park it for a night or two, and people who are living in a van because they have no other home, whether that be by choice, or by unfortunate circumstance. From what I've read, there's a lot of that going on in California (consequence of sky high rents). Considering how many people are unemployed and struggling to stave off eviction, I can see it becoming even more of a thing, at least for the short term.

Rick

CC&R's are Covenants, Conditions & Restriction. CC&Rs cover the rights and obligations of the homeowners association to its members and vice versa. Many areas that have CC&R's back up the rules with fines.

Utahtea

[Rick Quinn]

All newer neighborhoods have them. It's one of the reasons I love my OLD Phoenix neighborhood! (And my house that's almost as old as me! ;-) I realize that there's a place for HOA's, that code enforcement helps maintain property values, but (my opinion) cookie cutter developments, where every house looks the same, same, same--those neighborhoods are missing something.

Rick

[landmariner]

Sounds like my neighborhood and my house is about 25 years older than me and I am a medicare aged guy. So many of those CC&Rs are jokes. We don't have one, but think of this, the neighbor across the street, the wife is a Physician Assistant and they parked her parent's RV in the drive way and hooked it up to the sewer when it seemed she would have to work in a covid section at the hospital, to protect her hubby and kids.

[Utahtea]

Sounds like my neighborhood and my house is about 25 years older than me and I am a medicare aged guy. So many of those CC&Rs are jokes. We don't have one, but think of this, the neighbor across the street, the wife is a Physician Assistant and they parked her parent's RV in the drive way and hooked it up to the sewer when it seemed she would have to work in a covid section at the hospital, to protect her hubby and kids.

That's a wonderful solution to a such a terrible situation! I hope no one complained!

Utahtea

[travelingman]

Our village has homeowner restrictions!

Many neighbors have very nice landscaping in front of their homes, but the beauty is blemished by sheds in the front yard.

These are waterfront homes. The village leaders have decided that sheds cannot be placed on the lake-facing side of the house because it detracts from the waterfront beauty.

The only people who can see the backyard sheds are boaters. Out nearest backyard neighbors are 100 miles away! We are on Lake Huron.

Waterfront or not, you EXPECT a garden shed to be in back of the house, not out in front. A half million dollar home with a garden shed on the front lawn just doesn’t look right, no matter how fancy the shed.

Fortunately, all of us with pre-existing sheds are “grandfathered” in.