Vandwelling 101- Where To Park

The question of where to park comes up often.

There are several types of basic spots- daytime, places I can cook with my propane stove, evening, and sleeping spots

Let's state that I only advocate parking legally. That means public property or on private property with owner's permission.

The second point I'll bring up is stealth. You may think you're stealthy, but generally police and observant people know you're there. In my experience, as long as you are not drinking, doing drugs, running in and out, don't have people coming to your van, they generally don't worry about you. The goal is to blend in with out attracting lots of notice.

Let's clarify something...places like shopping mall parking lots or Walmart are actually private property. That means they have the absolute right to say whether or not overnight parking is allowed. Violating their policies can lead to tickets, a boot on your van, or towing. All of which cost unnecessary expenses.

While traveling, I generally overnight at a truck stop unless they have a posted policy of no overnight parking or limited time parking.  I will park overnight at some rest areas in the southwest, but I'm not a big fan of rest areas.

At night, I have a reflectix windshield cover that goes on my dash. I have strips of blankets that cover my front windows and my side door windows.

I never ever park overnight at city parks. Usually you'll see a sign saying they close at night, anywhere from dark-to close at 11. Police make a point of checking on any vehicle overnight next to a park.

I don't put anything outside. My van looks like any other vehicle parked.

Do not dump your trash or gray water on the street or at your parking spot. If you use any type of potty in your van, find a portapotty to dump your human waste in. Otherwise, look on national forest websites to understand how to safely handle human body wastes. It's not that complicated and it keeps us all safe.

I generally don't pay to stay in a rv park or other in-town camping spots.

I've found parking near industrial areas or businesses is good. I like some of the short dead end keyhole type streets that are industrial. I pull in, turn around facing out, and park.

In daylight hours I like to go to a public park, scenic attractions, or even a mall.

When I'm in a city, I don't park the same place every night.

I'm a big fan of national forest or blm camping. You can generally park for up to 2 weeks. Always refer to their website to see where camping is permitted.

https://www.fs.fed.us

https://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en.html

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