Truck tent camping - loaded gun legal?

[Texas Boy]

OK, I know in a motor home, if the motor home is parked and "camping", I can have a gun anywhere in the motor home, unlocked and loaded. The motor home is my "residence" and regardless of park rules on firearms, the gun in my motor home is the same as a gun in my house (please correct me if I'm wrong). Taking the gun outside the motor home or driving the motor home is obviously a different matter.

But what about a "truck tent"? (These are tents that use the truck bed for sleeping quarters and usually extend onto the ground for extended room. I know I can't have a loaded (or unlocked) gun in my vehicle, even if parked. It has to be locked and unloaded. But is the "truck tent" a vehicle or my domicile in this case? I would argue that it is my temporary residence and therefore the same rules apply as a parked motor home, but does anyone know? I guess a similar case might be a semi with a sleeper cab, but my specific concern is a pickup or SUV with an attached tent that utilizes the vehicle for additional space.

Thanks.

[ldivinag]

will the truck tent be moving?

if no, they yes, that is currently your home AT THE MOMENT.

once you pack everything up, then the locked handgun in a vehicle becomes the rule...


of course i aint a lawyer so...

[Glock22Fan]

What's the difference (as far as temporary "residence" is concerned) between a truck tent and any other tent? Usually a truck tent will, as the OP observed, have an extended section, and this will usually be pegged down. Therefore the truck certainly can't be used as a vehicle while being used as a tent.

My query is less clear. Suppose I lose my job and all my money, and have to live in a cardboard freezer box under an underpass. Can I keep a loaded firearm there?

[bombadillo]

More to answer the second part of your question about taking it outside of the truck, if you are in a campsite, the surrounding part of your site is YOUR residence at that point and again people wiser can correct me if I'm wrong but it is the same as carrying on your property concealed or not. I was under the impression that I could conceal carry in my camp site just as I could mowing my front yard because that was my domicile and residence at that point in time.

[GrizzlyGuy]

See here for a summary of the statutory law and case law. My opinion that I haven't changed since then:

In terms of whether a gun can be loaded inside your vehicle while parked at a forest service/BLM campsite and you are actually sleeping in your vehicle, I believe that is legal (IANAL your mileage may vary). See here and 12031 (l) for background on why I believe that. 12031(l):

[CycloSteve]

Related tangent...if a person is homeless and living in their vehicle, would they be able to keep their firearm unloaded and properly stowed during the day, yet loaded and at the ready when "camped" each night? I am sure there must be some precedent here.

[Glock22Fan]

More to answer the second part of your question about taking it outside of the truck, if you are in a campsite, the surrounding part of your site is YOUR residence at that point and again people wiser can correct me if I'm wrong but it is the same as carrying on your property concealed or not. I was under the impression that I could conceal carry in my camp site just as I could mowing my front yard because that was my domicile and residence at that point in time.

Your front lawn is not part of your residence for this purpose, unless it is fenced off and inaccessible to the general public (including UPS and similar). AFAIK, there is no case law for this (except, vaguely, Overturf, perhaps - and that is somewhat outdated) but I suspect you would have to fence off the campsite with a locked gate before you can carry outside your tent or RV etc.

Related tangent...if a person is homeless and living in their vehicle, would they be able to keep their firearm unloaded and properly stowed during the day, yet loaded and at the ready when "camped" each night? I am sure there must be some precedent here.

Here, I suspect you might have problems unless you are parked in a place where living in your vehicle was specifically permitted. Otherwise, unless you were actually in your sleeping bag, you are no different to me sitting in my car's back seat in a parking lot. But, IANAL.

[bombadillo]

Your front lawn is not part of your residence for this purpose, unless it is fenced off and inaccessible to the general public (including UPS and similar). AFAIK, there is no case law for this (except, vaguely, Overturf, perhaps - and that is somewhat outdated) but I suspect you would have to fence off the campsite with a locked gate before you can carry outside your tent or RV etc.

I'm not so sure on that one. I'm sure librarian or someone who knows penal code better than I do but one's residence extends out to the edges of your property. As far as I understand, you CAN conceal carry to the edge of your property fenced or not. Case law or not, it is still your property and at least where I am at most of the campsites are actually fenced around the site with redwood fencing. Its a 2' fence that they put up to distinguish one from the other to keep people from arguing where they can or can't set up a clothes line.