Electric RC = Motor Vehicle?

[Chifte]

Hey all,

New to the hobby, decided to just hit up a Honcho. I have had dreams of taking an RC trail goer to my local park for quite a long time, it has a fantastic setting for RC.

The park has recently been heavily altered to attract more people to the area, I picked up one of the trail maps and it says "No motorized vehicles" and other new rules.

Does a RC car qualify as a motorized vehicle in the eyes of the law? This park has mountain bikers ripping up trails everywhere, dogs pooping everywhere so I couldn't see a slow Honcho crawling over rocks and logs being an issue.

Perhaps I'm seeing too much into it, I just don't want to get fined over something ridiculous, ha!

 

[Calderwood]

Call and ask the park.

 

[Chifte]

Call and ask the park.

No one to call other than the city, it resulted in "I don't knows" and no calls back from two ladies I talked to.

 

[johnnyh66]

We just got the boot from one of our long time comp spots... No Motor Vehicles.

 

[T3rry]

yeah, i dont think it would hold up in court, but nobody is going to take it that far... but yeah, we've been booted from provincial parks before that state "no motorized vehicles" IMO in order for it to be a vehicle it has to be able to carry people, but it's not worth arguing over, even if you do go to court and win, they'll just change the law to include RCs and then it'll be for sure not allowed.

 

[JeremyH]

ve·hi·cle
[vee-i-kuhl or, sometimes, vee-hi-] Show IPA
noun
1.any means in or by which someone travels or something is carried or conveyed; a means of conveyance or transport: a motor vehicle; space vehicles.


Your RC is motorized, but it is not a vehicle. A mountain bike is a vehicle, but not motorized. You should have the same right to play as the cyclists do...

 

[Kylar]

ve·hi·cle
[vee-i-kuhl or, sometimes, vee-hi-] Show IPA
noun
1.any means in or by which someone travels or something is carried or conveyed; a means of conveyance or transport: a motor vehicle; space vehicles.


Your RC is motorized, but it is not a vehicle. A mountain bike is a vehicle, but not motorized. You should have the same right to play as the cyclists do...

Exactly, i would tell them off, or to call the cops.

 

[Postclanker]

depends on your state, and the mood of the park ranger
I've seen both instances out here in the tree hugging meca, one ranger was really interested in the technology...and was more concerned about nitro than electric. The other one was a JERK...no matter what we came up with we had to leave...I think flying a kite was against his rules.

some state preserves out here will not allow you to run anything that will tear up the landscape....you can walk on it, but not run your truck over it...go figure

 

[SuperMotoGuy712]

Lol. I'm pretty sure my boots have more terra firma ripping power than my rc car. What a joke.

 

[The Crawl Space]

We as event organizers have been dealing with the "no motor vehicle" policy for awhile now. We've contacted every local, state and federal agency we could think of only to get mixed answers and a lot of "I don't know, call so and so"

Talking with the old school guys there are some connections that were made early on but people come and go out of the hobby so they are lost or forgotten.

There are some that will argue the point of people in motorized wheelchairs are allowed in parks and other outdoor places but not a 5lbs. RC car, nothing against people in motorized wheelchairs mind you. I've also seen the destructive power of mountain bikes and domesticated animals on parks and trails and its worse than 20 scale trucks and drivers could ever be. It all comes down to whatever "authority" figure happens apon you while you're playing with a toy truck and their attitude at the time :roll: most times parks people or rangers are into and like to watch and let you carry on "thumbsup"

Personally if I had the time and the money I would fight it, but I'm bull headed like that, I pay taxes and follow most of the rules, I want to play with toy trucks with my friends and not be bothered.

Good luck in finding a place to crawl and hopefully it doesn't dissuade you from the hobby "thumbsup"

 

[JeremyH]

It all comes down to whatever "authority" figure happens apon you while you're playing with a toy truck and their attitude at the time :roll: most times parks people or rangers are into and like to watch and let you carry on "thumbsup"

I've found that most of these rangers or park managers simply aren't educated on our faction of the hobby. Our club has had a hand in setting up our last two state finals comps and have dealt directly with park rangers and getting and both times, we contacted the managers prior to setting up the event. We answered EVERY question they might have had before they asked it. We presented pictures of our trucks, courses and drivers (to show that we arent just a group of punk kids). Our first letter (that was written by 4xFord [Shelby]) was pretty amazing. He had the lady begging us to hold more events there. Maybe he'll see this and chime in with his information.

I used his letter format and got permission from a different state park in the same manner for this year's state finals.

Presentation is KEY when dealing with stuff like this.

 

[Chifte]

Well I got a reply back, took long enough!

"Thanks for your inquiry. Park Ordinance section 10.2 does state under Prohibited Activities “operation of motorized or non-motorized model airplanes, cars, boat and rockets.” So, unfortunately the answer is they are not allowed. Thank you,"

This applies to practically every decent park with something worth driving over within an 1, 1.5 hrs of me.

Going to have to start going in peoples back yards and asking permission.

Should have checked first before buying, I live on a flat piece of land with 10 stones, bwhaha!

It is interesting though, troops of people on mountain bikes going off trail is a perfectly legitimate activity, but this is not. I suppose there's the hazard of a battery blowing up and catching the entire damn mountain side on fire. Then again I've seen people smoking and jogging in the woods.

 

[JeremyH]

Then again I've seen people smoking and jogging in the woods.

That sounds.......intelligent.

 

[Calderwood]

Well I got a reply back, took long enough!

"Thanks for your inquiry. Park Ordinance section 10.2 does state under Prohibited Activities “operation of motorized or non-motorized model airplanes, cars, boat and rockets.” So, unfortunately the answer is they are not allowed. Thank you,"

This applies to practically every decent park with something worth driving over within an 1, 1.5 hrs of me.

Going to have to start going in peoples back yards and asking permission.

Should have checked first before buying, I live on a flat piece of land with 10 stones, bwhaha!

It is interesting though, troops of people on mountain bikes going off trail is a perfectly legitimate activity, but this is not. I suppose there's the hazard of a battery blowing up and catching the entire damn mountain side on fire. Then again I've seen people smoking and jogging in the woods.

I watched a documentary on netflix about "off trail" mountain biking and the problems that surround it. I've never heard mention of it in my whole life and now twice in a week.

 

[marzzz23]

just go and drive. whats the worst that can happen. you get kicked out. the best is you have a place to go. what do you have to lose

 

[johnnyh66]

I've heard of confiscation... I hope it's urban legend.

 

[Meatwad]

Confiscation wouldn't fly too well as its not an illegal weapon or substance. Out here near the tree huggers, I've been asked to leave a few places. California vehicle code also defines a motor vehicle as a device that transports persons or property, our toy trucks aren't intended as transport. After a back and forth with rangers/john q law, I'm fine with leaving but will always inform them the definition of 'motor vehicle' and always leave as asked in respect of the crawler community.

 

[vader2728]

I watched a documentary on netflix about "off trail" mountain biking and the problems that surround it. I've never heard mention of it in my whole life and now twice in a week.

Do you remember the name of the movie?

 

[The Crawl Space]

I've found that most of these rangers or park managers simply aren't educated on our faction of the hobby. Our club has had a hand in setting up our last two state finals comps and have dealt directly with park rangers and getting and both times, we contacted the managers prior to setting up the event. We answered EVERY question they might have had before they asked it. We presented pictures of our trucks, courses and drivers (to show that we arent just a group of punk kids). Our first letter (that was written by 4xFord [Shelby]) was pretty amazing. He had the lady begging us to hold more events there. Maybe he'll see this and chime in with his information.

I used his letter format and got permission from a different state park in the same manner for this year's state finals.

Presentation is KEY when dealing with stuff like this.

Agreed, presentation is key. I put my court clothes and get all the insurance paperwork and pictures together before I've met with any local and state people, the main problem was getting a meeting with them or their lack of interest in the whole matter.

On the positive side we've been working with one of the full size jeep clubs in the state, a couple of their members have RC rigs as well and getting them involved with location scouting, future event planning and getting more their members in RC crawling and scaling "thumbsup"

I would like to get a copy of the letter you used for future referrence

 

[johnnyh66]

I would like to get a copy of the letter you used for future referrence

Me too. "thumbsup"

On another note, we have been hosting our TTC at the local (1.5 hours away) ORV Park... no problems.