Q: RV and Private Bus parking laws on personal property (Austin: HOA, motorhome)

[Brian and Amanda]

Hello...

Question: I own a home in a non HOA neighborhood(intentionally so), between Kramer and Rutland off of Parkfield. I am in the search for a small RV or a small school bus to turn into an RV, known as a "Skoolie". My maximum length would be 25 ft. I have read code laws, and trying to confirm what l read. RV's are allowed to be parked on private property IF they are behind a 6 foot opaque fence? This means they can not be in driveway? What about a short school bus. If the bus is registered as a "Private Bus", can it be legally parked in my non HOA driveway? Or must it be behind a fence too? Or not at all.

If you are wondering why a school bus, they are quite safe..and if you Google "Skoolie conversion," you will see some beautiful ones that have been turned into campers.

Thanks for input. Haters who do not like RV's or busses parked on personal property need not to comment.

[Trainwreck20]

I think you will have to find the legal definition of an RV and a bus and make sure that you have the vehicle registered appropriately. A quick search yields the following:

Class A Recreational Vehicles

Class A recreational vehicles are motor homes, regardless of the type of chassis beneath them and whether or not the vehicle contains "slide-outs" (additional living spaces that slide out when the vehicle is stopped for camping). Class A also includes commercial passenger and school buses that are converted into RVs (these are often the largest mobile homes available).
[...]

https://www.dmv.org/articles/what-qu...-or-motorhome/

Not sure that applies or not, but I would definitely research it a bit before registering it as a bus.

[RoamingTX]

I think you're in the North Austin Civic Assn. Restricted parking area, which does limit side yard parking. I dug a little and can't find what restrictions they might have for driveway parking. I imagine it would be based on the GVWR of the vehicle.

There's an email and phone number on their website - maybe give them a try and see if that have any clarity?

North Austin Civic Association

[Brian and Amanda]

Thanks for answering. I was at the AUSTIN Tiny Home Jamboree this past weekend. A fellow Texan had a small school bus with plates that said "Private Bus." He said he registered it as a 4 person bus.. which is what led me to asking in this forum.

[RoamingTX]

Originally Posted by Brian and Amanda

Thanks for answering. I was at the AUSTIN Tiny Home Jamboree this past weekend. A fellow Texan had a small school bus with plates that said "Private Bus." He said he registered it as a 4 person bus.. which is what led me to asking in this forum.

I know you can definitely register it as a private bus. I converted a "short bus" into a self-contained BBQ trailer years ago and - while a process for sure - was able to register that thing for the street. I parked it in a storage lot though, so can't help on the private property thing. I think you can do it, provided you have a paved parking spot behind the fence for it.

[VAF84]

Hi Brian and Amanda. I purchased a home in an adjacent neighborhood for the same reason (no HOA). I have a fifth wheel travel trailer that I need to park every so often in front of my house (45').

I can't imagine you'd have any issues parking the school bus as long as fits in your driveway without blocking the sidewalk. I've actually parked my RV on the road in front of the house for short periods of time without getting any kind of ticket. In my neighborhood (very close to yours) I've also seen travel trailers parked on driveways, and I can see some that have managed to get them into their backyards. The ones in the back yards have been behind wooden fences, so I'm not sure if there's anything to what you ready about opaque fences.

Regardless, I doubt there's anything any one could do about what happens on your property so long as it's environmentally friendly (i.e. not leaking oil or sewage), and it's not blocking a right of way. Especially, if it's registered and current with its tags.

[Snowpacked]

My neighbor down the road a couple of houses works on his boat. It is his current project, mostly superficial work, but he gets flack from the city occasionally due to his neighbor complaining about the work he is doing. He is very respectful of others and still gets crap. Be prepared, if someone complains, to prove to the city that 1. it is not a business. 2. That your are following all of the compliance rules that cover object position, work hours etc. No HOA either.