Parallel parking a motorhome over 6m long ?

Atardis

Atardis

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I notice that many motorhomes sold in the UK and the EU are 5.99m in length and this may be because most parallel parking spaces are 6m long.
I happen to have a design that is 6.07m (19.9 feet) long. Although I could make it shorter, I'm just happy with this length and my goal was to make it under 20 feet.

So in practice, would I get fined in the UK or the EU for parallel parking a vehicle that is 7cm too long or 30 cm too wide ?
Parking spaces in the US are larger and most manufacturers here don't seem to worry about the lengths of their motorhomes.

TIA everyone. This is my first question to this forum.

parking.jpg
 
the supposed rule is you have to have the wheels inside the bay, not the whole vehicle.
the bigger problem is finding a space - you would be hard pushed finding one even close to 6M anyway. most are designed for what I think Americans call "Sub-compact cars". Where have you found the info that says UK or European spaces are 6M long?
(same for 2M wide as a standard?)
 
wildebus said:
the supposed rule is you have to have the wheels inside the bay, not the whole vehicle.
the bigger problem is finding a space - you would be hard pushed finding one even close to 6M anyway. most are designed for what I think Americans call "Sub-compact cars". Where have you found the info that says UK or European spaces are 6M long?
(same for 2M wide as a standard?)
Click to expand...
I just googled images for "parallel parking dimensions" and this diagram came up at the top of the page.
 
OK, just did a search and this has further info ....
" When assessing the area needed for staff and customer parking, it should be noted that the current UK norm for parking spaces is 2.4 metres wide by 4.8 metres long. The space for manoeuvring (roadways) between bays is six metres."
So 6M long to include the maneuvering to get in if roadside. On a car park just 4.8M long.

My van is around 6.3M and when I park in a car park, I end up just taking 2 spaces. If payment is required, many get two tickets to cover both spaces if they park like that.
I don't think fighting to lose 70mm from the length is worth the hassle unless you intend to go on ferries which have a strict >6M price hike.
 
Slightly over 6M (with tow bar) I can just fit in most street parking bays, but overhang bays in car parks pretty much most of the time.

There is no hard and fast rule as to if the whole vehicle needs to be in bay or just wheels. It did generally used to be accepted that if wheels were in the bay, you wouldn't get a ticket, certainly as far as London is concerned, that went out the window in the 90's, you will get a ticket if you overhang another bay and don't pay for it. Not that you are likely to find two free bays next to each other.
 
I dont have that problem ours is 30ft long or 9mtr.🤔😂
 
Width is likely to be the problem - parallel bays are quite narrow and wheels must be inside lines.
As others have said you'll need at least one additional empty bay to get in and how will you get out when both adjacent bays have vehicles in them?
 
My lady Wife is our driver.
She says there is no way that a motorhome is designed for parallel parking.
That's why she continued to carry me around for 20 years.
My only virtue is that I can get out, shout, wave my arms about and bang the van furiously.
While people are observing me..
They fail to notice what a hash she's making of it.
I know my place..
 
Markd said:
Width is likely to be the problem - parallel bays are quite narrow and wheels must be inside lines.
As others have said you'll need at least one additional empty bay to get in and how will you get out when both adjacent bays have vehicles in them?
Click to expand...
I would drive around looking for an end space so I would have no trouble getting out but this can be challenging if most spaces are already taken.
 
St3v3 said:
Don't worry about it!
Click to expand...
You're right. Perhaps some manufacturers just make them 5.99 m long because it sounds a lot shorter than 6.05 m or 6.10 m and they want people to think that their motorhomes are easy to drive and park when in fact we probably won't feel the difference between 5.99 m and 6.05 m or 6.10 m.
 
wildebus said:
the supposed rule is you have to have the wheels inside the bay, not the whole vehicle.
the bigger problem is finding a space - you would be hard pushed finding one even close to 6M anyway. most are designed for what I think Americans call "Sub-compact cars". Where have you found the info that says UK or European spaces are 6M long?
(same for 2M wide as a standard?)
Click to expand...

Really, only wheels in a bay, is that right?
Lots of signs say you have to pay for each bay u occupy, or are you saying you are allowed to protrude beyond the length of a bay as long as not causing an obstruction!!
 
I parked in a bay and the rear over hung the bay behind. When I came back there was a note on the windscreen that said. We know you are a ———- male driver. You think your ———- thing is so big it needs a ————- space twice the size too put it. In. Nice I thought. Could of been worse they could of signed it. Www easily offended. Snowflake
 
We could start getting very petty here if we don't look out.
On Street Parking:
If your wheels aren't within a bay then you are definitely liable to get a ticket - for most motorhomes this is quite likely be cause the bays don't have to be very wide or long.
In 1994 these were legally set at 4.5 - 6.6m long and 1.8 - 2.7m wide. I. 2014 government proposed to scrap these sta cards and allow councils a free hand - perhaps because cars were getting bigger?
But councils might have gone smaller!
If your vehicle over hangs another bay you cant really say that you are parked in one bay.

Off street:
Bays are often c2.4m x 4.8 the extra width to allow door opening between adjacent bays.
There is often some variation with short term with more frequent access being slightly wider than long term.
The rules are set by the owner so read what they say!
Often you'll see "must be parked within marked bays" - what this means may be open to interpretation but if your vehicle encroaches over another bay then you are liable for a ticket.
As most bays only have 3 marked edges the open end is going to be debatable a 6m van might get away with 1.2m stuck out in circulation space?

Go over 2 lengthways and buy 2 tickets - doesn't impede movement and is worth a try. Probably appealable if you do get a ticket.

Overhang a pedestrian walkway? See Donegal traffic warden thread elsewhere!

I don't reckon to use paying spaces with mine if I can avoid it and in supermarkets park away from the store where there's more room to get over 2 spaces and still have room to get out!
These are largely unpatrolled reling on ANPR enforcement.

Of course on the continent local authorities are more enlightened and provide specific dedicated bays for MoHo and ticket cars that use them!
I'm not holding my breath for UK uptake!
 
Carrerasax said:
Really, only wheels in a bay, is that right?
Lots of signs say you have to pay for each bay u occupy, or are you saying you are allowed to protrude beyond the length of a bay as long as not causing an obstruction!!
Click to expand...
I'm not saying anything other than it is a supposed rule.
 
The rules of whomever owns-manages an off street car park. These need to be clear at the car park and you must be allowed time to read them a d leave without paying if you can't abide by them.
There is a degree of oversight by Parking Tribunals for Local Authority carparks. Or POPLA for Privately Owned
My motorhome has 4.6m wheelbase so I can't get wheels in any standard length bay - but then I hardly ever try!
 
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Surely if you overhang another bay you should expect to pay for 2 bays, because you are depriving another driver of a parking space and you would be costing the car park owner lost revenue if you thought you shouldn't pay for the bays you are occupying?
 
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