Attracting Attention

[rbryan4]

In the last 2 days I've shown our trailer to no less than 5 neighbors who were walking by and asked about it. Gave them all a showing card from Escape. Who knows, someone might buy and the referral bonus is a nice touch.

People just love these trailers. You can see the gears turning in their heads as you show the trailer and explain all the features.

I was very busy today and probably shouldn't have taken the time, but I must admit -- I like showing it off.

[Daubsy]

Originally Posted by rbryan4

In the last 2 days I've shown our trailer to no less than 5 neighbors who were walking by and asked about it. Gave them all a showing card from Escape. Who knows, someone might buy and the referral bonus is a nice touch.

Just out of curiosity, do you store your trailer in a garage or in your driveway? I recently learned of a city ordinance in Austin that requires an RV or trailer to be stored in an enclosed garage, so it is not visible from the street. Is this common in other cities?

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by Daubsy

Just out of curiosity, do you store your trailer in a garage or in your driveway? I recently learned of a city ordinance in Austin that requires an RV or trailer to be stored in an enclosed garage, so it is not visible from the street. Is this common in other cities?

It's just parked out front till the rally tomorrow. We are storing it after the rally. I really wish we had the room to store it here, but we don't. Our driveway and garage are in the back of the house with a paved alley for access. No way to pull it in there, and no room if we did. I'm using it as an excuse to maybe start looking for another house with some acreage and outbuildings....

[gbaglo]

Same bylaw here in North Vancouver, but there has to be a complaint. And, the taxpayer making the complaint has to live within 200 meters ( best of my recollection ). My trailer has been in the driveway in front of my home for 6 years. I have no back lane and no garage so I don't really have a choice.
I am concerned that my new next door neighbour could be a problem. He's already fighting with the neighbour on the other side of him.

[Daubsy]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Same bylaw here in North Vancouver, but there has to be a complaint. And, the taxpayer making the complaint has to live within 200 meters ( best of my recollection ). My trailer has been in the driveway in front of my home for 6 years. I have no back lane and no garage so I don't really have a choice.
I am concerned that my new next door neighbour could be a problem. He's already fighting with the neighbour on the other side of him.

Has me a bit concerned too. I don't have a garage either, but my property is 11k sqft, which is big for Central Austin. Im hoping if I park it deep on the lot and put a cover on it, that it will hardly be noticed. However, some residents are more particular than others...

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Same bylaw here in North Vancouver, but there has to be a complaint. And, the taxpayer making the complaint has to live within 200 meters ( best of my recollection ). My trailer has been in the driveway in front of my home for 6 years. I have no back lane and no garage so I don't really have a choice.
I am concerned that my new next door neighbour could be a problem. He's already fighting with the neighbour on the other side of him.

Same as me. But just down the street is the same situation and that person works in the Mayor's office so I'd expect a sympathetic response if a problem arises.

Ron

[gbaglo]

Which is to say, it pays to get along.

[kstock11]

Some neighborhoods write the bylaws in such a way that you can't "economically" store the RV in your yard. Mine says that it "can't be visible from the road" and in another spot that it has to be in the back yard. I could make it work in the side yard, but to get it to the back yard would force me to "build a road" to get there! Really get's me that another neighbor has a Roadtec in his driveway - neighbors think it's a big "passenger" van! To overturn a by law, it usually takes a majority vote of the whole neighborhood and that just won't happen.

[sjnuss]

Dausby,
Look me up here at the Bluebonnet rally and I will show you photos of my storage arrangement at my house.

Steve

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by rbryan4

I'm using it as an excuse to maybe start looking for another house with some acreage and outbuildings....

Maybe a quonset to park your 19 in too.

I would love that.

Originally Posted by Daubsy

However, some residents are more particular than others...

This is usually key. Unless a neighbour complains, bylaw does not seem to bother.

Our trailer has always been parked in our front driveway all summer, and no complaints. This is not legal. Fortunately, our neighbour on the side it is parked on is up higher, and I have a good rapport with all of the ones around me.

[cpaharley2008]

Sometimes it is best to not originally ask for permission, but ask for forgiveness later...

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Sometimes it is best to not originally ask for permission, but ask for forgiveness later...

Sometimes

Ron

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Sometimes it is best to not originally ask for permission, but ask for forgiveness later...

When dealing with any government body, this is always best.

[LarryandLiz]

Jim, that advise definately depends upon which governmental body you are talking about.

[Jim Bennett]

True, the tax folks are one for the most part.

I deal with the municipal government a lot, and in many cases we do the look for forgiveness thing, because asking for permission is often tied up too long with red tape. We don't do anything that is illegal at all though.

[bpjod]

Our city's bylaw for this reads:
From April 1 through October 31 inclusive, on a residential site, large
recreational vehicles may be parked on a driveway, to within 1.0m of
the interior edge of the municipal sidewalk or within 1.0m of the curb if
there is no sidewalk provided they do not obstruct the visibility of
motorists in an adjacent private driveway, alley or intersection.

At other times of year one is allowed to have them "no longer than is reasonably
necessary to load or unload such vehicle and not exceeding 72 hours".

Given that our winters are fairly long here, those seem to me to be fair bylaws. It does mean I have to find somewhere to store it in the off-season, but I wouldn't want it in my driveway then anyway.

[Jim Bennett]

That does seem fair, and is what we do. However, it is not allowed. Many years ago, I got a warning to move my tent trailer, which was not intrusive at all.

I do understand the bylaw to some degree. In some situations I sure would not be happy if someone had a big RV parked in their front drive next to my house, completely blocking my view down the street from the front yard.

[gbaglo]

I do have to wonder if the new neighbour had building permits for the eight-month full reno he did.

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

I do have to wonder if the new neighbour had building permits for the eight-month full reno he did.

That would be easy to find out, go down to the permit department. The permits would be a public record and should be available for inspection. Land records, marriages, divorces are all part of that vast bureaucratic record keeping that justifies it's existence.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

I do have to wonder if the new neighbour had building permits for the eight-month full reno he did.

Well, if he ever comments on your trailer that'd be a great question to ask him

Ron