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Some U.S. cities couldn’t be any less hospitable to RVs if they were actively on fire. Oh, and if you actually call your RV home-sweet-home, don’t even think about trying RV living in Hawaii, Michigan, Indiana, or Delaware, as it’s illegal to live in an RV on your property in these states.
The challenges for RVs, or recreational vehicles — whether they be motor homes, fifth-wheel trailers, conversion vans, or even converted buses – are numerous. You may run into laws prohibiting you from parking for extended periods. The weather could be somewhere between unpleasant and dangerous. Roads can be too narrow, too steep, or have turns that are too tight. Locations can vacillate between be…
Michael Vi/Shutterstock
Some U.S. cities couldn’t be any less hospitable to RVs if they were actively on fire. Oh, and if you actually call your RV home-sweet-home, don’t even think about trying RV living in Hawaii, Michigan, Indiana, or Delaware, as it’s illegal to live in an RV on your property in these states.
The challenges for RVs, or recreational vehicles — whether they be motor homes, fifth-wheel trailers, conversion vans, or even converted buses – are numerous. You may run into laws prohibiting you from parking for extended periods. The weather could be somewhere between unpleasant and dangerous. Roads can be too narrow, too steep, or have turns that are too tight. Locations can vacillate between being touristy, overcrowded, and overpriced to being unsafe due to crime rates or particularly nasty wildlife.
To make things worse, you may find the local RV infrastructure is inadequate or nonexistant. There may be no electrical hookups, or the hookups provided may be hazardous to even look at, much less use. You may have trouble finding dump stations or experience questionable fresh water connections. And on top of that, the nearest fuel station may be over 100 miles away, so if you forgot to fill up, you could be hosed.
Now, this list of the least RV-friendly cities and states is by no means comprehensive. You may even have horror stories from places that some consider to be quite pleasant for RVs. That said, the following places are unreceptive to RVs in their own ways.
New York City, New York: Claustrophobic and pricey
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New York commonly tops lists of the least RV-friendly cities, thanks to dense traffic and bridges/tunnels with low clearances. Case in point, the Wandering Routes YouTube channel took the freeway toward downtown Manhattan. Their RV is 12 foot, 8 inches tall, and they chanced going under a bridge with a clearance of 12 foot, 10 inches. If you want to brave the Big Apple, get a GPS that lets you punch in your RV height so you don’t get trapped. Also, yes, you can get ticketed for honking unnecessarily in New York City, so remember to avoid that, too.
Should you, for some reason, want to park your RV on New York City streets, there’s a 24-hour limit. Of course, getting there will cost you, as there are tons of money-vacuuming tolls, especially since the congestion pricing program went into effect. But then, most things tend to be more expensive in New York (except for gas, which is schockingly low right now compared to other major cities). For example, Skyline RV Camp in Brooklyn starts at $85 per night. Meanwhile, an overnight stay at Legacy RV Resort in Darien, GA starts at $50. Oh, and Skyline doesn’t have water hookups or an on-site dump station.
To avoid New York traffic, as well as get a dump station and water hookups, stay at Jersey City, NJ’s Liberty Harbor RV Park. That said, it should tell you something that this park is popular for avoiding New York, yet New Jersey is the next entry on this list.
New Jersey: It’s cold, so bring propane (except where you can’t)
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RVing in New Jersey may be inevitable if you’re visiting New York City, but the state will still do its best to make it rough on you. Why, you might get through a choked toll plaza only to run into a bunch of Camaros trying and failing to spin donuts in the middle of the New Jersey turnpike.
RVers used to southern climates will need to learn how to drive through winter snow and slush. And Floridians, don’t think you’re avoiding hurricanes, because New Jersey can get high winds and experience flooding during hurricane season, too. Propane heaters are awesome for RVs that get used for dry camping (a.k.a., boondocking, or camping with no utility hookups), though they require extra precaution. You’ll need carbon dioxide detectors and good ventilation, for instance. You’ll also need to avoid the Holland Tunnel, the lower level of the George Washington Bridge Expressway, and the Lincoln Tunnel. Sorry, but liquid petroleum (LP) gas — a.k.a., propane — is prohibited from these bridges and tunnels.
Speaking of gas, New Jersey also has high fuel taxes: 34.4 cents per gallon on gasoline and 38.4 cents per gallon on diesel. Expensive as fuel is, though, make sure you’re topped off, because you’re going to need to move your RV constantly. Don’t plan on parking overnight unless it’s expressly authorized, as lots of towns in Jersey prohibit it. Ewing Township won’t even let RVs park for more than four hours.
San Francisco, California: Hills, thieves, and a two-hour countdown
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Watch the Bullitt car chase. Both cars constantly get airborne because San Francisco is nothing but hills. Now imagine doing that with a 33-foot Airstream. Lombard Street is the most famous hairpin covered hill in San Francisco, but the rest of the city is still dang steep, and even five minutes on a 6% grade can cause severe damage to your RV’s fridge. Then there’s the lack of overnight street parking and dearth of campgrounds. Should you find an overnight parking location, it could come with a risk of getting robbed, as discovered by the YouTube channel DestinatioNow.
Let’s say you managed to find a level spot and cashed out your 401(k) so you can afford lunch and some shopping (San Francisco is exorbitant). Eat and shop fast because the city just passed an ordinance limiting large vehicle parking (i.e., RVs, motor homes, etc.) to two hours. It’s part of a totally, absolutely, 100% uncontroversial move to curb homelessness and recent increases in vehicle dwelling. Oh, wait, it appears to be one of the most controversial things the city’s ever done. Never mind.
Brave souls who RV near SF can camp at San Francisco RV Resort. It’s actually in Pacifica, but it’s just 15 miles from the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and other sites. Just make sure you scan the California Department of Transportation’s Bus & Motorhome Maps for approved and restricted RV routes.
The unholy three of Utah: Treacherous, terrifying roads
There are so many breathtaking places in Utah, but woe unto those who don’t research alternate routes, because Utah also contains three of the most precarious, harrowing drives this side of China’s Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge, the highest bridge in the world.
First, there’s the Moki Dugway section of UT-261, which YouTuber RVerTV called the most dangerous road they’ve ever driven. Utah’s Canyon Country perfectly sums it up: “The Moki Dugway is famous for its steep, unpaved, but sharp switchbacks, which descend 1,200 feet from the top of Cedar Mesa.”
Then there’s Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway, which leads to Springdale near Zion National Park. This route is featured on the website DangerousRoads.org, if that tells you anything. Your RV better be less than 13 foot, 1 inch tall or you aren’t allowed through the 1.1-mile tunnel, period. You may even be required to arrange for an escort to stop traffic and lead you through, and even then, RVs are only allowed at certain times of day.
Scenic Byway 12 is mostly fine until the Hogsback. The signs that read, “Steep Grades” and “Sharp Curves” aren’t playing around. This 4-mile stretch is gorgeous and frightening. The road features hairpin turns and shoulders that lead to distant canyon floors, making RV travel hazardous and challenging.
Key West, Florida: It’s far, far away and wants your money
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There’s much to consider when becoming a camper. You have to beware of parks that enforce the 10-year rule out of prejudice for your vintage RV, constantly plan for where you’ll stay, hope there are good water and electricity hookups, and worry about whether you’re developing an RV poop pyramid. That’s a real thing that can develop in your black tank, just be careful Googling it.
One more consideration: if you go RVing in the Florida Keys, you’d better have comfortable seats. Florida is long. If you start in Pensacola, stick to highways, and somehow don’t need to refuel, you can make it to Key West in under 14 hours. Head west instead and you could be in Mexico in roughly the same time.
Now, aside from the narrow streets and surprisingly tight bridges, Key West is home to expensive and often quite full RV parks. Boyd’s Key West Campground, for instance, starts at $105 per night for a 30 amp hookup in the off season. It goes up to $150 in season and $165 in peak season. Hope your kids didn’t need to go to college, either, because the parks aren’t the only places in Key West that will perform a disappearing act with your bank account. Everything’s expensive there.
Still, serious RV enthusiasts are reading this list and shrugging their shoulders. If the destination’s important enough, you’ll put up with headaches. What states or cities did I miss?