Dimensions for Art Car to get a City Licence?
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ArchonLondon
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Dimensions for Art Car to get a City Licence?
Does anyone know the maximum dimensions permitted by DMV to drive around the city?

- Sham
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Re: Dimensions for Art Car to get a City Licence?
The maximum dimensions of an artcar or mutant vehicles are determined strictly by your creativity. There have been some massive party barges built on bus or truck frames. Size doesn't matter! There, I said it.
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Re: Dimensions for Art Car to get a City Licence?
In other words, if it fits, it ships!
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ArchonLondon
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Re: Dimensions for Art Car to get a City Licence?
Thansk Shambala..Shambala wrote:The maximum dimensions of an artcar or mutant vehicles are determined strictly by your creativity. There have been some massive party barges built on bus or truck frames. Size doesn't matter! There, I said it.
I understand that there are limits to the size of vehicles that are allowed to drive in BRC itself around the streets...
Get it totally that there are no limits on the Playa..
I want to ensure my vehicle is not too big to get a licence to drive around the streets of BRC
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ArchonLondon
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Re: Dimensions for Art Car to get a City Licence?
Perhaps a better question is what is the width of a street then?
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Re: Dimensions for Art Car to get a City Licence?
Streets are about 12 feet wide. Remember that you might have a vehicle coming in the other direction, so you may use the side streets to get to the open playa, but I wouldn't plan on cruising the back streets.
- motskyroonmatick
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Re: Dimensions for Art Car to get a City Licence?
Errrrr. I think they are 30 feet wide except in areas that are pedestrian only or where people have parked permanently on the street. I'm sure 2 full sized street vehicles can pass each other on the vast majority of streets in BRC.Shambala wrote:Streets are about 12 feet wide. Remember that you might have a vehicle coming in the other direction, so you may use the side streets to get to the open playa, but I wouldn't plan on cruising the back streets.
One consideration is if you build it large enough that overtaking or passing is not possible on city streets then at some point in time someone will have to back up to give way. Backing is dangerous under normal circumstances and especially challenging with mutant vehicles where the operator many times can not see behind the vehicle. Make a plan on how to mitigate the hazards of operating a very wide vehicle and then go for it.
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- theCryptofishist
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Re: Dimensions for Art Car to get a City Licence?
There is a limit. I don't know what it is, and a quick look at the mv pages on the main site didn't dig it up. I"m in a hurry, so you can practice radical self-reliance by reading those pages, and maybe sending an email, or you can practice radical sesillism by sitting here and hoping lemur chimes in.
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Re: Dimensions for Art Car to get a City Licence?
I'm glad you're checking. There actually are a few limits on the playa, but I've seen mutant vehicles the size of a city bus. That said, your mutant vehicle must be licensed specifically for the playa. The drivers pre-register online. (This year, the registration period was February 15 – May 15, 2012).ArchonLondon wrote:Thansk Shambala..Shambala wrote:The maximum dimensions of an artcar or mutant vehicles are determined strictly by your creativity. There have been some massive party barges built on bus or truck frames. Size doesn't matter! There, I said it.
I understand that there are limits to the size of vehicles that are allowed to drive in BRC itself around the streets...
Get it totally that there are no limits on the Playa..
I want to ensure my vehicle is not too big to get a licence to drive around the streets of BRC
DMV CRITERIA AND LICENSING PROCESS
http://www.burningman.com/on_the_playa/ ... teria.html
(Disabled Persons Vehicle Application: February 15 – July 31, 2012 at 12:00 noon Pacific Time).
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Re: Dimensions for Art Car to get a City Licence?
Streets are 30 feet or larger wide, but the DMV will make the determination at the point of inspection whether or not the vehicle is considered safe for the streets. If not, it may still be granted an open playa only license. They can also grant day only or night only licenses.
Of course, this is all assuming that you've already submitted a successful questionnaire (deadline was way back on May 20th), and that your vehicle passes all the other requirements the DMV has for mutation and safety, etc. Just being small enough to fit on the streets does not in any way guarantee you'll be inspected and cleared.
Of course, this is all assuming that you've already submitted a successful questionnaire (deadline was way back on May 20th), and that your vehicle passes all the other requirements the DMV has for mutation and safety, etc. Just being small enough to fit on the streets does not in any way guarantee you'll be inspected and cleared.
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ArchonLondon
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Re: Dimensions for Art Car to get a City Licence?
Our mutant vehicle has an invite to the Playa and on the application our width was stated as 9 feet...
It could exceed this by a foot or two - and I am trying to gauge if this is wise or not...?
we want to be able to run the vehicle from our camp which is well within the city.. so we need do ensure that it doesn't exceed maximum limits..
I have been looking for this info and as of yet have been unable to find it anywhere.. so I asked here..
It could exceed this by a foot or two - and I am trying to gauge if this is wise or not...?
we want to be able to run the vehicle from our camp which is well within the city.. so we need do ensure that it doesn't exceed maximum limits..
I have been looking for this info and as of yet have been unable to find it anywhere.. so I asked here..
Re: Dimensions for Art Car to get a City Licence?
It is not necessarily bad if your plan has evolved, but You really need to talk to the sexy guys and gals at DMV, best get the word from someone who is official.ArchonLondon wrote:Our mutant vehicle has an invite to the Playa and on the application our width was stated as 9 feet...
It could exceed this by a foot or two - and I am trying to gauge if this is wise or not...?
we want to be able to run the vehicle from our camp which is well within the city.. so we need do ensure that it doesn't exceed maximum limits..
I have been looking for this info and as of yet have been unable to find it anywhere.. so I asked here..
ePlayans try to give good advice (for the most part), but in the end if there is a problem, saying "___ on eplaya said it would be ok" is probably a bad plan.
YMMV
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Re: Dimensions for Art Car to get a City Licence?
I believe with a 'Playa Only' license you can still go to and from your camp. You just must do so in the most direct way possible and you can't cruise around in the city streets.ArchonLondon wrote:we want to be able to run the vehicle from our camp which is well within the city.. so we need do ensure that it doesn't exceed maximum limits..
I have been looking for this info and as of yet have been unable to find it anywhere.. so I asked here..
But as Stretch80 said, you'll get the best info by emailing the DMV.
Re: Dimensions for Art Car to get a City Licence?
theCryptofishist wrote:There is a limit. I don't know what it is, and a quick look at the mv pages on the main site didn't dig it up. I"m in a hurry, so you can practice radical self-reliance by reading those pages, and maybe sending an email, or you can practice radical sesillism by sitting here and hoping lemur chimes in.
Yep. there is a limit, and i dont remember what it is.. and it isnt in the DMV Manual either (oddly enough)
theres an issue/bug with the DMV database right now that kludges the length/width/height of vehicles and all we get is the length.. so a search for vehicles with playa only licenses in the past, and this year, wasnt much help in looking it up..
it will be determined on-playa if its a concern.. and usually.. if the processing team can determine so before the playa theyll make sure the owner of the vehicle knows when they get the invite email..., contact the dmv for real help: dmv [at) burningman (dot] com
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Re: Dimensions for Art Car to get a City Licence?
I did see one which seemed too wide for the streets, barely fit with big outriggers, and then tried to squeeze between two daytime camps where the bikes had spilled into the street. It wasn't pretty. Several years ago.
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Re: Dimensions for Art Car to get a City Licence?
That prompts a side question.
What if two camps on opposite sides of the street want to build a bridge or a zip-line across the street? I am assuming that this would not be allowed, since wwe don't know how tall the MVs are.
What if two camps on opposite sides of the street want to build a bridge or a zip-line across the street? I am assuming that this would not be allowed, since wwe don't know how tall the MVs are.
Re: Dimensions for Art Car to get a City Licence?
I've had this thought myself. I've wanted to build a boy scout rope bridge over the streets, but then saw the Christina lumbering by my camp.Ugly Dougly wrote:That prompts a side question.
What if two camps on opposite sides of the street want to build a bridge or a zip-line across the street? I am assuming that this would not be allowed, since wwe don't know how tall the MVs are.
Re: Dimensions for Art Car to get a City Licence?
Just has to be a strong enough wire.
That's why they put those poles on the front bumpers of the dpw cars.


That's why they put those poles on the front bumpers of the dpw cars.


Re: Dimensions for Art Car to get a City Licence?
Correct. You will be asked to remove the zip-line provided it hasn't already been yanked apart by a passing MV.Ugly Dougly wrote:That prompts a side question.
What if two camps on opposite sides of the street want to build a bridge or a zip-line across the street? I am assuming that this would not be allowed, since wwe don't know how tall the MVs are.
Re: Dimensions for Art Car to get a City Licence?
In 2011ArchonLondon wrote:Perhaps a better question is what is the width of a street then?
Promenades are 30' wide on the 3:00/9:00 and 6:00/12:00 axis, with lampposts every 100
[Page 13 of 57]
I believe the other streets are a minimum of 20ft due to emergency services requirements.
Re: Dimensions for Art Car to get a City Licence?
Regardless of you actual size, negotiating inner city streets can be difficult. I have had 3 smaller mv's my first in 2009. Which was my first burn was a longhorned steer skull built on a Honda civic frame and had a 12' wingspan horn tip to hon tip. It was insane to navigate to streets and let the bicyclist and pedestrians move freely along with us. And we ended up using the outer ring and 3,6,&9 to move about. Remember if your vehicle driver is blind spotted in any way. Or your mv extends in a way that expands its basic shape (via swings tails antennae etc.) you may be required to have walkers, to act as clearance guides...even to or from your own camp. And as was pointed out before rangers etc.mtry to keep bicycles from extending out into the streets at large camps or crowded events but even with my current 7' wide seeing eye frog mv I have had to wait or turn around during street narrowings over the past 3 years.
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Re: Dimensions for Art Car to get a City Licence?
Just stay outta the back streets! All that rave noise disturbs my sleep!
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Re: Dimensions for Art Car to get a City Licence?
The DMV just sent a newsletter out to all vehicle owners, so you should have gotten it. For the record, the max width for city streets is 12 feet.ArchonLondon wrote:Our mutant vehicle has an invite to the Playa and on the application our width was stated as 9 feet...
It could exceed this by a foot or two - and I am trying to gauge if this is wise or not...?
we want to be able to run the vehicle from our camp which is well within the city.. so we need do ensure that it doesn't exceed maximum limits..
I have been looking for this info and as of yet have been unable to find it anywhere.. so I asked here..
DMV wrote:Vehicles that are more than 12 feet wide or too long to safely navigate the city streets will be assigned a Playa Only license.