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Moki, I'm fascinated by the possibility of having or renting a motorhome in Hawaii. Could you ship it from island to island (at a reaonable cost) for extended vacations?
An RV could be barged, sure. An ordinary passenger car is about $100 to barge from Hilo to Honolulu, and a larger vehicle would probably be proportionately more.
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I've seen lots of Locals camping at beaches. Is there a reservation system, or first come, first served?
Reservation system, yes, and permit required, but first come first served on the space. They are just spaces in a parking lot, with no hookups, in maybe 10 locations on the Big Island. There was KOA in Volcano, but it closed about 3 years ago, and it was the only one in the state.
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In the 1970s there was a business on Oahu that rented popup camping trailers, and I believe, VW campervans. Do businesses of this type exist today on any of the islands?
On the Big Island there are three companies I'm aware of that rent campervans and RVs, equipped with toilets and cooking and sleeping gear. There are apparently rentals available on each of the other islands as well, but from the reviews on TripAdvisor and Camping sites the business seems fairly slapdash overall. Obviously they are very limited by the paucity of places to camp overnight, and general lack of facilities.
I see a WHOLE lot more bold, italicized raving keystrokes...you do know I am not reading your rants, right? I have no idea what you wrote but if it's bad, someone will report it to the mods. Chill out, man!!!
I still wonder if it can be considered to be an RV without cooking and toileting facilities.
It turns out that entirely depends on the legal definition, which varies widely by state. For example in Oregon:
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33 - Recreational vehicle means a vehicle with or without motive power, that is designed for human occupancy and to be used temporarily for recreational, seasonal or emergency purposes and as further defined, by rule, by the director.
By contrast California has six standards which must be met, including having a toilet and cooking equipment including a refrigerator. Some states require special driver's licenses for RVs, others don't.
Hawai'i's rules are on the simple end of the scale... for example you only need a driver's license to operate, which is what makes the rental business possible ... but it does have the unique requirement which was mentioned earlier, that you have to have an off road parking place for the vehicle. This is obviously intended to keep people from living full-time in RVs and just floating around from place to place.
Hawai'i's rules are on the simple end of the scale... for example you only need a driver's license to operate, which is what makes the rental business possible .
on the contrary: They are not simple at all: All of Hawaii's "classifications" are predicted either on weight, or occupancy or both......and even length: What determines the certificate of any driver in Hawaii, is the Gross Vehicle Weight. All vehicles over a GVR of 26000 lbs appear to require a CDL: There are exemptions provided by DOT, which is basically making application, And then having the vehicle Safetied at a state Inspection center, where there is a licensed Inspector, who is certified to Safety a Commercial Vehicle. Generally, is this state, as it appears to me, A commercial vehicle is not necessarily determined USE PRESENT OR PAST. It i determined by acombination of factors such as weight, length, and or passenger carrying capacity ...........cut off in that regard would be 16+driver.
NONE OF THIS WHATSOEVER IS CODIFIED SPECIFICALLY TO ANY PROCESS REGARDING TITLING, REGISTERING, OR IDENTIFYING A RECREATIONAL VEHICLE:
As I stated previously, and you now make my point: States do vary as to what is required in this "conversion" process. But what is clear. is that they in fact do have a process. My point is Hawaii does not and should. And my aim is whether they ever codify that process, that I will be able, once completed, to share that with others: I believe it was you, that suggested what I want to do is "unusual"...but we really don't know that: You also suggest it is unusual because you don't really see many Recreational Vehicles. I believe this is as easily attributable, to the reality of the absence of a process for so doing: I know this:
I can do all the DOT requires of me: I can obtain an exemption from the commercial status of the vehicle: deigned by weight and passenger carrying ability alone: I can then, go to what DOT describes as "Reconstruction Permitting Process" Which is no easily completed process. It requires Notarized Documents fees, and at least two Actual inspections of the vehicle: Once this has been done they approve the reconstruction: However, they do not re-title, nor do they (DOT) have any say whatsoever in what the vehicle will be titled as: That falls to the province of the City and County, a wholly separate agency, How they make this determination, is unknown, it is not written anywhere: When I asked the representative at the DOT who I went painstakingly through this aforementioned process. "So when this is completed do you issue me a title? Or do you give me a permit? What happens. He said "We issue you a permit that you have complied with the State to make the modifications you have to your vehicle." further "We have nothing to do with how the state titles your vehicle. That is entirely up to them."
Simple question from me followed this: "So what you are saying is I can go through the process you prescribe and at the end of the day still not have what I'm looking for? (an RV)........he said "that's right".
I have not come to the conclusion of this: And won't until I find a work around.
It is clear there is not only an absence of Law in this area.......there is no law: It seems the only mention of RV in ordinance and statute in Hawaii is typically found in reference, not to the DOT, or DMV, but rather Parks, or Natural Resources, or in broadly based ordinances regarding "sleeping in public places".
As OPEN D has so correctly alluded to, other states have varying "qualifications and requirements". What is just as clear, is that this process is legible, accessible, and easily discovered with the click of a mouse: That should also be the case here, for many reasons. But there IS NO LAW AND THERE ARE NO GOVERNING GUIDELINES OR PRINCIPLES. So it is a chicken or the egg thing, are there no RV's because there is no desire for them? Or are there no RV's because it is too overwhelming a task to overcome the lack of law and policy, and the expense, time, inconvenience assurance that once one has done all that is asked in the aim to accomplish, there is no warranty expressed or implied that you, me, or anyone will have an RV at the end of the day.
There is much on line that can answer many of our questions: It is difficult to answer all ad each Island is governed by its own "City/State". But in reference to where one can and cannot camp, vehicles to rent, and what islands do or do not have hook-ups or "dumping" facilities this is all available on line you can peruse to your hearts content:
As to shipping an RV from island to island to "prolong a vacation" and the costs to do so, will be directly proportionate to the size of the vehicle: If you have a Vanagon, or a Savanah, or some other rather small conventional vehicle that has been equipped with a porta-pody, fridge, stove, or even shower, it will likely be of the variety I have mentioned small:
As to shipping, my vehicle is 30ft long, has an unladen weight of 21,500 lbs. and is roughly 10ft in height. I had this vehicle shipped from Kahalui Maui, via Young Brothers, (Salquist) they handle the bulk of transport of vehicles and goods intra-island: The cost to ship my vehicle was $2000.00........... I do see Craigs adds and have, in "searches" seen those who allude to providing campers, etc on Oahu......I have not read or studies any of these...........and many "leads" to such appear to simply be generic RV/Rental stuff more relevant to the Mainland than Hawaii....Good luck
I see a WHOLE lot more bold, italicized raving keystrokes...you do know I am not reading your rants, right? I have no idea what you wrote but if it's bad, someone will report it to the mods. Chill out, man!!!................
I haven't asked, or required that you do anything: And this is now the third time you have posted to inform me and anyone else that you have not read any of the posts I have written: The Third time. Yet you simply can't resist the impulse to run your mouth: You are half-way there, to the peace you seek: You have already mastered and conquered not reading: You now need to take that same Mastery and apply it to not speaking: This will alleviate your consternation on a couple of fronts. One you will be further offended by my posts, the ones you "don't read".. and you will also be freed from the redundancy of having informed us all of your lack of diligence: Admittedly you know absolutely nothing of the topic at hand, yet manifest a penchant for coming here and informing us as to how uninformed you are, and further elucidating that you have no desire to learn, as you do not read the posts. Kind of a disservice to everyone: Perhaps you could find a forum that discusses real-estate law, I'm sure there, you would find information as to what can or cannot sustain and define what does or does not constitute a second home under a legal definition: If I were you, which happily I am not, I would spend my energies in that pursuit: As it is abundantly clear, from your own declarations you are not here to learn, nor are you here to provide any constructive information with regard the task at hand: Incidentally, thanks once again for not reading this, and many many more mahalo's for not responding.
Still not reading the multitude of angry keystrokes...I only know it's addressing me because my username is in the beginning of the post. Someone seems to have a lot of time on their hands.
Moki - the bold and italicized posts are simply unreadable. Even if you are trying to make a point to be helpful to others about RV issues it will be lost on people as the post simply can't get read without getting a headache.
Moki - the bold and italicized posts are simply unreadable. Even if you are trying to make a point to be helpful to others about RV issues it will be lost on people as the post simply can't get read without getting a headache.
This has been the most exciting thread on the Hawaii subforum for quite a while. Kind of like a cross between the Click & Clack Show (car talk), and Bob & Tom (comedy news). Thank you all for participating!
Moki, I hope you will become a regular here. It's would be great to have access to the knowledge of someone who has spent their life in the Islands, and I wish you all the best regarding your motorhome conversion. Undoubtedly, your story will help someone else in the future.
Mahalo
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Kind of like a cross between the Click & Clack Show (car talk), and Bob & Tom (comedy news). Thank you all for participating!
