DIRECTORY
General Tips
Safety
Websites/Online/Apps
Parking Options
Public Land
City
Places to Avoid
General Tips
The first step when it comes to van life parking is knowing where it is legal to sleep in the area.
• Hide in plain sight – Park where your vehicle blends in. Find a safe neighborhood, big parking lot, or a well-lit street with a lot of cars.
• Check for permitted parking
• Check for no overnight parking signs.
• Never park in the same spot two days in a row.
• Rotate spots -find several legal overnight parking spots and rotate between them every night
• Research the area
○ crime rate: (see safety)
• Sleep with your head uphill (as flat as possible)
• Always remain aware of what is above your car, because things can hit the car disturbing sleep & damaging vehicle.
• Try to park next to fences and meridians as often as possible for added protection.
• Always back into your parking spot! Make sure you are able to turn on the vehicle and pull out immediately in case of an emergency.
• Get creative!
Safety:
• Be wary of gangs/locals and their turf. Sometimes just one block is the difference between safe & being a victim of a gang initiation. Some neighborhoods have neighborhood watch programs or give training to spot vandwellers in order to report them.
• Avoid dead ends. Ensure your vehicle is in a position with at least 2 escape routes.
• Use Google Maps and make sure you know the area very well, both on foot and on roads/alleyways.
• Find some open bathrooms within 5 minutes of walking or driving.
• Be aware of your keys. Make sure your keys are handy — either in the ignition or in a spot where you can grab them quickly in case you have to drive off in a hurry. Keep them in the same spot every time.
• Ask the police department for good places to stay. Park far away and walk so they don’t know what your van looks like. You can tell them you have to stay in the area in a vehicle for a while until you get work and an apartment. You don’t want to break any laws or cause trouble.
• Keep your home clean. Inside and out.
Online / Apps
Google Maps: Will be your best friend. Look for green areas (forests)
Save your favorite places and parking spots. I like to add notes about my favorite spots like how safe I felt, what was the surrounding area like (eg: fences on both sides), if they have wifi, and I usually always leave a rating (*****).
Boondocking websites & apps:
iOverlander : most commonly recommended
-> can download the maps for offline use
-> anyone can add their spots, make notes & add photos
freecampgrounds.com
freecampsites.net/
Park Advisor
Campendium
Ultimate Campgrounds
forestcamping.com
publiclands.org/
nationalmap.gov/
RVParky
AllStays Camp and RV
recreation.com
boondocking app
CALIFORNIA
https://www.allstays.com/c/walmart-california-locations.htm http://www.californiadriving.com/parking/
Memberships
You can purchase memberships that allow you to park in various locations.
Boondockers Welcome
Escapees
Good Sam Club
Harvest Host
Passport America
Thousand Trails
A lot of these have mixed reviews so do your research!
Parking Options
NATURE
-Near the beach: there is a lot of parking in beach towns a few streets off the beach.
-On the top of snowy mountains
-Off trailheads: check that they allow overnight hiker parking.
Campgrounds
-Sites for campgrounds & sometimes free parking
Near Campgrounds: especially near National Forests.
Public Land
BLM (Bureau of Land Management)
Caution! Prepare to get hella lost if you’re bad at maps
(See “Cheapest Florida Vacation Ever!”
National Forest land / National Parks
LTVA (Long-Term Visitor Area)
USFS (United States Forest Service)
Can park anyplace you like as long as it’s not posted “no parking” or “no camping”.
Search “boondocking websites”
Trailheads
These usually offer the most privacy, but can be buggy and don’t always have restrooms or access to water.
Try to find places where other cars are left overnight from people staying at nearby hotels or people tent camping overnight within the park.
Natural/State Parks
restrooms and showers are readily available.
offer extended stays, camping and outdoor recreation such as swimming, hiking and other forms of entertainment.
Free wi-fi may be available.
Tip: Invest in a state park pass.
Down dirt roads, in the middle of forests.
Safest Options
Rent a plot of land or a parking spot
Safe parking programs
Couch surfing www.couchsurfing.org/
You may be able to find a driveway to park in, or even a shower Written testimonials help you evaluate the trustworthiness of each potential host. Choose your own level of risk tolerance.
In Civilization
Rest areas
Cops check every 2-4 hours may ask you to move along. Tell them you are traveling, tired, sick, etc. and some will let you sleep it off. Better to park in truck parking as they may assume you are a spouse or traveling with one of the rigs. Rest stops often have hours posted. Most in CA have 12 hr limits.
Truck Stop // Gas stations.
Flying J, Love’s, Petro
Oftentimes on major highways just outside a big city, the tractor-trailer rigs will park on a frontage road or on a long on-ramp. You can park among them.
On the street near an all-night diner or truck stop,
Airport parking lots
Out by the airport, there are a lot of big corporate hotels, and in the surrounding neighborhoods, there are some street spaces where you could look around for a low profile location. Lobbies of all those hotels are open 24 hours and you can use the bathroom.
Casino:
Good for bathrooms. Can be unsafe. Many allow overnight RV parking.
Bus and train station parking lots:
free overnight parking? (check signs)
Railroad Tracks:
Most tracks have dirt roads or pullouts nearby. Don’t park too close to the tracks and expect to hear train whistles all night long.
Public boat launch areas:
Boaters often launch at odd hours and leave vehicles overnight while on an excursion, so your car won’t stand out.
Bridges:
Some bridges have dirt roads nearby leading to water sources or nearby camping.
Radio Towers & Telephone Lines:
Most have lightly used access roads, some have gates. Check nearby signs.
CITY:
Apartment building parking lots (that don’t have assigned parking.)
-has the advantage of not being noticed by a territorial/concerned homeowner who would be more likely to notice your vehicle by their house. Arrive around 9 PM and leave by 5:30 AM.
Neighborhoods/ Residential Areas
Corner house with a backyard or fence, double fences are the best.
Never park in front of somebody’s house.
Middle-class suburbia. Avoid neighborhoods in expensive areas and make sure there is a lot of street parking going on.
Beach-side parking without signs
Free curb parking in a city
GYM:
24Hour Fitness, Planet Fitness, etc.
24-hour convenience stores:
Aldis, Family Dollar, Dollar General, WINCO, Home Depots, Lowes, Targets, Walgreen Can often park for up to six hours in their parking areas to rest. Must read their signs make friends with the clerk
Walmart: Some have strict no-overnight stay rules
24 hour Hyvee’s
Cabela’s
Bass Pro Shop
Car Repair Places :
Mechanics, autobody shop. Make sure there is plenty of parking.
Leave before or by 6 am. which is when most employees start arriving.
Parking lots adjacent to multiple businesses.
Park off towards the end, near some trees or a dumpster or whatever. As long as you come late and leave early
Restaurants:
Denny’s, Mc Donald’s, Cracker Barrels – usually allows overnight RV parking and travelers are welcome. If there is a question, ask the manager for permission.
Bars:
Keys out of the ignition. Cops will assume you are sleeping off a drunk.
Churches:
If the church isn’t overrun with requests. Talk to the pastor. Some churches allow you to park in their parking lot overnight officially.
College parking lots
If you attend that college! Shower in the gym.
Hospitals:
Emergency room parking lots at hospitals. Check to see if all the cars have permits. Usually, at night no one cares, but during the day is another problem.
Hotel/ Motel parking lots:
Away from front doors. Behind the hotel, away from the street
Cheaper ones – more expensive ones have security that checks your license plate against the registry. Look for hotels that have a lot of service trucks for contractors etc.
Offices / Industrial parking lots:
Manufacturing facilities. EVERY mid to large city has an industrial park. After 5 p.m. you can usually park on the access street ways in or near the industrial park area.
Construction sites.
If you’re male, living in a van, and talk to the site supervisor and explain your need for a parking place and they think you look trustworthy, they may let you stay there every night in exchange for being a security guard for them. Offer to give them a copy of your driver’s license and make sure you agree to simply call the police, not confront thieves. Works well if you have/are driving a van or pickup truck.
Parking garages.
Park in heavily trafficked parts of the garage, or on the top floor, NOT the bottom. You’re less likely to have someone try to break into the car when there are a lot of people around. If a 24 lot, park near the attendant.
Police/Fire stations.
This works well if you are female. Explain you’re traveling and need a safe place to park for a few hours to take a nap. They’ll run your license and plates and point you to a quiet corner.
City parks (NYC, Chicago, and San Francisco)
You can NOT park between 10 pm and 5 am at most city parks.
Cemeteries
(Nice, are dark) how legal though?
In large cities right next to famous attractions.
If you work at a job, you might be able to work something out with your manager to park overnight in their lot.
PLACES TO AVOID!
City center, Schools, Freeway overpasses (noisy)
Bad parts of town. Do your research.
Dark, deserted places that you think no-one will notice – may be reported as suspicious activity and have local law enforcement encounters.
↓ Watch a video of my personal police encounters. ↓
What to do if you get a knock
Be prepared it may or may not be the police. Be ready to defend yourself
Wait it out You can feign sleep for a bit. Don’t move around.
Address the situation Remain calm. DO NOT say you are living in a van. You are traveling and needed rest. Move along if you are asked.
Know Your Rights
Colored Curbs
White: Stop only long enough to pick up or drop off passengers or mail. Commonly regulated to just three minutes, and driver must stay in the car.
Green: Park for a limited time. Look for a sign next to the green zone or for the time painted on the curb.
SOURCE: https://www.monkeymeter.com/drivetips/color_curb.php
Yellow: Stop no longer than the time posted to load or unload passengers or freight. Drivers of noncommercial vehicles are usually required to stay with the vehicle.
Red: No stopping, standing, or parking. (Buses may stop at a red zone marked for buses.) Waiting there with your foot on the brake, ready to go, is illegal!
Blue: Parking is permitted only for a disabled person who displays a placard or disabled person or disabled veteran license plates.
Disabled people with a placard or special plates may park in special areas for unlimited periods of time, regardless of time restrictions. No one else may park there. Qualified persons may apply at any DMV office for a parking placard or special plates.
You CANNOT park for more than 72 hours without moving your car.
You CANNOT park during rush hour in “Anti-Gridlock” zones. Your car will be towed. Check signs for hours as they vary. Common times are 7:00-9:00 and 16:00-19:00.
Keep an eye out for street cleaning signs!
MORE INFORMATION FROM OTHERS:
http://thevanual.com/sleeping-and-safety/
https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Van_Dwelling/Parking
https://kombilife.com/van-life-free-camping/
http://travel.baddalailama.com/2009/04/where-to-sleep-in-car.html
