Assuming I'm a Vagrant in an RV

[Cdog]

Our hearts go out to you.

[HDGoose]

Originally Posted by tcg

What would his damages be?

Feelings were hurt. After all, it is California...

[D Gardiner]

Unfortunately, the San Francisco Bay area had an ongoing problem with people living in RVs and cars, in tents, next to freeway ramps, along creeks and in shopping carts on the street.

I know that the vast majority of us on IRV2, who own new or vintage RVs, are friendly, promote the life-style and keep our rigs looking nice. Some of us, as HarborArea posted, have to park on the street. Plus as he posted, keeps his area nice.

What is unfortunate, some RVs dwellers are not so thoughtful.
And....
consequently it causes individuals who do not own RVs, to judge us by what they see by the actions of others. IE. Lumping us in with them.

Below are a few photos I took yesterday, just a few miles from my house. Unfortunately, this is the tip of the iceberg around here.

[Brecklundin]

it's an interesting and hot topic. there needs to be a solution fair to all. I get that the "Breaking Bad" everyone in an RV is a rolling meth lab syndrome which has taken hold in the "... its to save our children..." mindset.

All i say is those who ate an issue need to be handled accordingly. Those who aren't should be allowed to go about their lives.

Read very interesting article yesterday or the day before. It was about the coming boom in RV sales not just in the US but world wide. This was one of the major financial sites not some schlock click-bait site.

It only skimmed the surface about demographics of what different age groups ate doing it. However i thing most hete see the explosion of vehicle dwelling vids are on YouTube. My take is the younger folks in various vans who are doing it to get ahead and save money. Others are drawn to the lifestyle because of the freedom they feel.

There are tbe rest if us who are 40-mumble and older who have been drawn to it for one reason or another.

My guess is we have about 12-15 RVs in my small town of 42k or so people. That is not an epidemic by any means. Now several are petty thieves as I've been witness and victim. one couple STOLE half my clothes on day we happened to be at the laundromat. i know as i found a bunch still in one if their dryers. I didn't make a fuss but I'm not a small or weak older guy nor wallflower and i made them aware of it. They give me a very wide birth now. Sp it does happen and it take only a couple to screw everything up.

I'm very lucky to have a long time school pal who has land i can squat on while i spend "rent" money on renovations in prep for my journey in a few months. im happy as I've had a few health issue impeding my progress. im well enough niw to push forward. I'm beyond happy to offer help to him at any time too.

Still with those few RVs there has been such a fuss its hard to comprehend. if those people knew how many are in stealth vans or other cars just saving on horrendous motel rates while working at well paying jobs they would be shocked. i know several who have high end security clearances at VAFB. They handle top secret or above projects and earn high five to low six figure salaries. Many own RVs the us and take all the spaces at our only area campground. They ate given special "contractor" rates at a property owned by the public. I caught wind of a pending legal battle of discrimination over that as others are not allowed tbe same options. This is class or simple discrimination or is it? Who knows but its public property where those without such political connections are limited in use to a degree the contractor employees are not.

Fir example the contractor fk are flat not limited to thrir stay length and allowed to reserve space. "Regular folk" don't get so much love and limited to 21 days then have to leave for a couple weeks. The limit seems reasonable until you learn about the "elites".

I work in IT as contracted developer with nearly 40yrs experience. i earn as much as i care to. but we were excluded. That actually caused us some serious safety issues.

So the issue is a mess and there needs to be level heads working to solve it. Perhaps round up all those unwashed in RV and pay them in a one-off deal to leave? Buy their RVs as part if the deal? That clearly would set a precedent but might be a lot cheaper than other ideas I've been privy to from sources i grew up with in town.

Just sounding off on a fugly topic. And i have no idea where a meeting of the minds might be.

[Desdinova]

Originally Posted by Brecklundin

My guess is we have about 12-15 RVs in my small town of 42k or so people.

This little bit I quoted from your post is a sign of why many discussions on topics like this are complicated, to say the least. Where I live, there are probably 12-15 RV's on my street. Driving from South of Seattle to Burlington last weekend (about 60 miles) I never really noticed before but there are several DOZEN, HUGE RV Dealerships. These are just the ones along the highway. There are over 50 RV's listed right now on craigslist within a roughly 20-mile radius of my house.

So when this conversation goes national, the participants in area's where they rarely see an RV have a completely different perspective than someone like myself. I did not know ANYONE with an RV growing up in CT, and when I lived in Maryland in the 90's, I never really thought people owned them, I only saw rented ones on the road. I don't recall seeing RV parks. I know they were there, I just didn't see them. Here on the left coast, there are more RV's than I have ever seen anywhere. One of the three RV graveyards (I only know of three) here in town, only has deceased AirStreams. Seriously...

And... unfortunately, with the good comes the bad. At the beginning of the month, there was this. It's a link to local news, but the headline is "Snohomish County cleared 11 tons of trash and derelict RVs this week." Can you imagine? I had to read it a few times myself as that's just 20 minutes from here.

I'm glad this conversation is here. Just say'n.

[Brecklundin]

Originally Posted by Desdinova

This little bit I quoted from your post is a sign of why many discussions on topics like this are complicated, to say the least. Where I live, there are probably 12-15 RV's on my street. Driving from South of Seattle to Burlington last weekend (about 60 miles) I never really noticed before but there are several DOZEN, HUGE RV Dealerships. These are just the ones along the highway. There are over 50 RV's listed right now on craigslist within a roughly 20-mile radius of my house.

So when this conversation goes national, the participants in area's where they rarely see an RV have a completely different perspective than someone like myself. I did not know ANYONE with an RV growing up in CT, and when I lived in Maryland in the 90's, I never really thought people owned them, I only saw rented ones on the road. I don't recall seeing RV parks. I know they were there, I just didn't see them. Here on the left coast, there are more RV's than I have ever seen anywhere. One of the three RV graveyards (I only know of three) here in town, only has deceased AirStreams. Seriously...

And... unfortunately, with the good comes the bad. At the beginning of the month, there was this. It's a link to local news, but the headline is "Snohomish County cleared 11 tons of trash and derelict RVs this week." Can you imagine? I had to read it a few times myself as that's just 20 minutes from here.

I'm glad this conversation is here. Just say'n.

this issue has grown a lot bigger. I've read several national news articles on how many, many people with high paying jobs are living in RVs, vans or just their cars. Younger ones ate being frugal and saving for retirement or a home or both. There are YT videos where someone shows how they designed curtains and lighting or such making it fairly impossible to see any indication form outside... and that one was a guy doing this in a new Prius. A true sub-culture has been born.

There are so many stories being shared I'm sensing the momentum may just be swinging toward being free if the burden of house payments while saving for their futures. AA couple of people have rigged their RVs with huge solar panel banks, added highend composting toilets, extra freshwater tank and extended grey water storage capacity. Did it with the idea they work remotely and can experience life moving to other regions freely when it suits them. but totally off-grid save food, gas & such.

It's impressive to see they are happy to have that freedom...

[davielle422]

Sorry, been away from the site quite a while. We did pursue it. It came down to his word against ours and the police lied and said they didn't hear a thing when he had owned up to it. We ran into that crap all over socal. Never have gone back never will. Keeping our money out of their economy.