Tips for Proper Parking and Stationing of Motorhomes and Caravans

If you cannot find a parking spot for your motorhome or your caravan, you are generally allowed to park them anywhere in Germany where it is not prohibited under the road traffic regulations (StVO). The StVO does not regulate where you may park, but instead stipulates where it is forbidden. If you find a sign marked "Parking," parking a motorhome is permitted here as well. It only becomes prohibited when an additional sign with symbol 314 (“Parking spaces” reserved for specific vehicles such as buses or cars only) is present, or if your vehicle is not legally permitted for use on the road.

For properly parking a caravan, please note: A caravan may not be parked by the roadside without a towing vehicle for more than two weeks. In principle, parking a caravan is allowed if it is coupled and parking with a trailer is not prohibited by a traffic sign on designated areas. If the caravan is coupled to a vehicle, they may be parked by the roadside without any time limit.

If you wish to station your motorhome or caravan for an extended period, or repeatedly on the same property, this is considered, according to current legal precedent, to be ‘predominantly stationary use’. For building law purposes, a caravan or motorhome must be viewed as a ‘structural facility’. This requires approval by the building authority. If the caravan or motorhome is to be kept predominantly on a permanent basis outdoors, a building permit is always required. This is because such stationing can affect public interests (see § 35 paragraphs 2 and 3 of the Federal Building Code).

An overnight stay for the purpose of restoring driving fitness is absolutely legitimate. As a rough guide, you can allow for a period of about ten hours. However, spending the night in the same place repeatedly constitutes special use and requires a permit. Do not place tables and chairs outside on the parking area. This is not consistent with proper road usage and is not allowed.

Things can get confusing when special signs govern parking situations: For example, if parking is specifically allowed “for cars only,” you must not park your motorhome or caravan there, as these are not defined as cars. If it is a lorry parking space, your vehicle may be included under this rule if it weighs over 3.5 tonnes.

In the case of a caravan, parking is also only allowed where parking with a trailer is not prohibited by a traffic sign on designated spaces. Even though it is common in many places to park with two wheels on the pavement, this is only permitted where specifically indicated by a sign. Moreover, under such signage, the allowance only applies to vehicles up to 2.8 tonnes permissible gross weight, which is not the case for most vehicles.

The parking situation at motorway service areas is even more confusing, as only parking spaces for cars and lorries are signed. Motorhomes or caravans with a maximum permissible gross weight of 3.5 tonnes, in such cases, are in fact not permitted to park anywhere in accordance with the rules. The best advice is to park as compactly as possible in a car parking space, continue your journey, or stop at a privately run motorway stop.

Thanks to innovative lightweight construction technology, the AMC-CHASSIS not only enables weight savings for the motorhome, but also offers more relaxed parking thanks to outstanding suspension comfort.