All it takes is one trailer to bring down new RV parking regulations in a neighborhood and lately it seems a number of politicians are hell-bent on creating new parking enforcement laws that ban RVs from view on residential and commercial streets alike.
Take for instance the revised RV parking ordinance in Prairie Village, Kansas. Originally sparked by an Airstream owner who parked his trailer alongside his home, this RV owner’s actions resulted in verbal insults and hostilities by angry neighbors. In this Kansas City metro area, a Prairie Valley neighbor received a letter that said:
Dear Neighbor,
We all hope you are making plans to have your RV moved. Obviously as a neighbor we are interested in having a nice attractive street and your RV parked in the driveway makes that impossible.
In some lesser neighborhoods an RV fits right in (ed emphasis). Independence, Gardner, Troost area, western Shawnee, etc. However, in beautiful PV KS it does not fit and we would all appreciate your having it moved.
-Your Prairie Village Neighbors.
When snooty neighbors convinced local politicians to create a law that would all but ban RV parking in their not-to-lesser part of town, it resulted in a revised RV parking law that now states:
- RVs must be screened from view with a 6′ wall of natural plants or attractive privacy fence.
- Only custom-fit RV covers are allowed. Tarps and other non-tailored materials cannot be used.
- Owners may N OT park RVs in front of the home building line
Like most city ordinances, the Prairie Valley RV parking ordinance language is characteristically vague but other lawmakers in different parts of the country haven’t been as elusive when it comes to letting locals know how they feel about RVs parked on the street. Most anti-RV parking laws clearly let RV owners they can’t park on the street and must overnight in RV parks.
Whether these laws are enacted in order to boost overnight RV park stays or to dissuade RV owners from using their driveways as graveyards for broken RVs, these restrictions are making it tougher for responsible RV owners to reap the benefits of their investments and the lifestyle. Many of the Prairie Village residents opposed to the new RV parking ban were so irate that they participated in a caravaning protest led by a local radio station.
Most American voters avoid city council meetings like the plague, and for good reason – they’re incredibly boring! But remember that the more we ignore city business, the harder it will be not just to park our own RV on our private property, but to find places to park when we’re out there on the road traveling from place to place. As RVers, it’s our patriotic duty to stay informed about RV parking bans and take action on those that will restrict our movements and freedoms.
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