San Diego County Cities Place Limits on RV Public Camping

Escondido drafts rules for RV camping | San Diego Reader

RV camper on Dog Beach shown on KPBS - Image by Matt Bowler

RV camper on Dog Beach shown on KPBS

It may get harder to live for free in Escondido. In June, the city council passed a ban on public camping; this week they'll consider tougher parking rules for recreational vehicles.

The proposed ordinance would impose citywide restrictions on RV parking on highways, streets, alleys, public ways and places, and city parking lots with certain exceptions. It would also authorize the police to tow and impound an RV after a single violation.

Last January, the city held off on approving the stricter rules for RV parking until more information was available about permits, city regulations, and potential safe parking lots, which provide free overnight parking.

The city currently allows RV parking on residential private property, in the Dixon Lake Campground, where stays are limited to 14 days in a 30-day period and charge a daily fee, and at Escondido RV Resort, a travel trailer park that rents space to recreational vehicles — but there are no safe parking lots.

A report says the city receives frequent complaints about long term RV parking, trash and "liquid waste" on public streets and property all around Escondido. The bulky vehicles are also seen as a safety issue, hampering visibility for drivers and pedestrians, especially when parked near intersections or on curves, and can block access to driveways on narrower streets.

Other cities that ban or restrict RV parking on public streets are Carlsbad, Chula Vista, Coronado, Del Mar, El Cajon, Encinitas, Imperial Beach, National City, Oceanside, San Diego, San Marcos, Santee, Solana Beach and Vista.

While Vista and Encinitas, both near Escondido, have safe parking lots, they don't allow RVs. The county's only lot that does is in Mission Valley.

The proposed rules would allow parking to make emergency repairs; for one 24-hour period for loading and unloading within 100 yards of the registered address of the RV; in posted city lots that allow RV parking; for RVs belonging to a federal, state, or local agency; and during city emergencies or permitted special events.

If the council adopts the ordinance, it will take about six weeks to install approximately 58 signs, at a cost of $15,000, on all road entrances into the city.

Enforcement of the ordinance is expected to begin after November 1, 2024.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors Wednesday approved in a 4-0 vote the construction of sleeping cabins in the Spring Valley community, and to develop a recreational vehicle site in an unincorporated area near Lakeside, as ways to help those living on the streets.

Plans call to set up 150 sleeping cabins at 8534 Jamacha Road, near state Route 125, on land the county will lease from the state Department of Transportation.

The Willow RV Senior and Family Parking will sit on county-owned land at the intersection of Willow Road and Ashwood Street. A concept design shows office and storage space as well as restrooms on the site. Construction is scheduled to begin next year.

Supervisors approved spending $4.9 million for the RV site and $18.5 million for the sleeping cabins. American Rescue Plan Act money will pay for construction costs for both projects, officials said.

Supervisors also voted to accept $10 million in state funding to help pay for the sleeping cabins.

According to board Vice Chair Terra Lawson-Remer's office, along with other recently created shelter sites, the two new locations "collectively establish 150 emergency housing units, 44 safe parking spaces and 17 recreational vehicle parking spaces, further expanding the region's emergency housing resources."

The new locations will also provide more centralized services for those near both unincorporated communities and serve up to 211 people per night, Lawson-Remer said in a statement.

"For years, the county had not invested in creating new shelter space, but we're changing that by aggressively working to address the homelessness crisis," Lawson-Remer said.

She added that, in her time in office, the county has created more than 900 new shelter beds and safe parking spaces countywide.

The Lakeside and Spring Valley projects are part of the Compassionate Emergency Solutions and Pathways to Housing plan, which supervisors approved in February 2022. Since that time, the county opened a safe-parking site and has a second one set to open this spring.

A 2023 point-in-time count found that 10,264 people were living on the streets or in shelters in the county on one night, with an estimated 200 people experiencing homelessness in the county's unincorporated areas.

Supervisor Joel Anderson was absent Wednesday.

Whether you are in a state of transition, have decided to live a transient lifestyle, or simply need to live rent-free for the time being, living in a recreational vehicle (RV) may seem like a workable option at first blush. If California is your destination, there are certain laws that you need to be aware of that may impact your ability (and ultimately, your desire) to live in your RV in the Golden State.

Is it illegal to live in an RV in California? No, it is not illegal to live in an RV or your Backyard in California. However, the local government says it’s illegal to live in an RV permanently.

While there is no California law on the books that makes it outright illegal to live in an RV, there are several laws, ordinances, and regulations on the local (city and county) level that severely inhibit living in an RV, primarily by restricting where and for how long an RV can be parked.

For the growing number of people living out of their RVs in California, the challenges of maintaining the necessities of life while not running afoul of the law can be emotionally and financially draining. Contrary to popular belief, many of these people are gainfully employed, but are priced out of their local housing markets and have resorted to living in their home on wheels out of necessity.

Are there California Laws that Prohibit Living in an RV?

California is the most populous state in the country, with an estimated 39.5 million residents in 2019. (Source: US Census Bureau)

Sadly, it also leads the nation in terms of homelessness, with an estimated 130,000 people living in homeless shelters or out on the streets. (Source: Business Insider)

A growing segment of these figures are those who are living out of RVs, whether by choice or circumstance.

When it comes to living in an RV full-time, perhaps the biggest challenge is finding a suitable place to park the vehicle, and this is where city and county laws and ordinances come into play.

Local law enforcement agencies have the authority to issue citations (tickets) for violation of parking laws, and under certain circumstances, to tow away your recreational vehicle, and all of your worldly possessions and necessities of life it holds.

Parking laws can directly impact where you can park your RV and for how long, and in a larger sense, dictate whether you can functionally live in your RV in a particular California city.

How Cities Regulate and Restrict RV Parking

For many of those living in RVs, the need to be close to employment or basic services (such as healthcare, food banks, vocational training, and other social services), requires them to be domiciled in California’s major cities.

Unfortunately, it is usually in larger population centers that stricter laws are in place to regulate the greater numbers of people and their vehicles.

The authority to regulate RV parking on local streets has been largely left to municipalities. Cities, towns, and counties must balance public health and safety concerns on the one hand, and unfair treatment of homeless persons, on the other.

All the while trying to maintain their public perception as desirable places to live and work, with fair and progressive social policies.

SAN DIEGO

A city with a growing homeless problem has enacted local ordinances that restrict overnight parking of RVs on city streets.

Recognizing that a growing number of people are forced to live in their cars or RVs or else be out on the streets, San Diego allows these vehicles to be parked on certain streets for up to 72 hours (3 days) before they must be moved.

Vehicles must also abide by any posted restrictions. (Source: NBC San Diego)

Even in California cities where parking an RV on city streets (and thereby, living in them) is permitted, certain regulations apply to everyone and every vehicle.

For instance, any vehicle parked on city streets must abide by posted signs indicating parking time limits, and all vehicles must be moved during weekly street cleanings.

RV owners must, therefore, be aware of these restrictions and be prepared to move their RV or run afoul of the law.

Boondocking (Dry Camping)

Another option for RV living in California is what is known as boondocking or dry camping.

Essentially, boondocking is parking your RV in free sites on lands owned or managed by the federal or state government, with the main catch being that there are no hook-ups for water, power, or waste dumping (hence the term dry camping).

These sites are spread throughout the state and do enable RV owners to stay for free or for nominal fees. However, stays are usually limited to days or weeks, and space may be limited.

If you are willing to move from site to site and deal with the risk that sites may fill up to capacity before you get there, then boondocking may be a means to live in your RV in California for less money.

Final Thoughts

There are many reasons why people live in their RVs, such as unfortunate circumstances, job layoffs, or even a desire to live a free and tether-less lifestyle, just to name a few.

Regardless of the motivation or the reason, living in an RV in California may be legal in many parts of the state. Still, it is not without its challenges, and even a simple thing like an unpaid parking ticket can jeopardize everything.

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