Biggest Stealth Fails

[Vic.]

I've seen a few big parking lots (Big Lots, K-mart) with RVs that are just parked there for weeks, as well as one guy who lives out of a orange Chevy van and another with a pick-up and small camper trailer. Just more tuned into it now that vanlife is on my mind.

I'm naturally curious if they somehow got permission or stay there and haven't been reported or bugged. Just feels weird to poke my nose into their business.

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

i think id want to park at least semi near those rvs at walmart, they will think it less strange if you are one of the group that stays there. You avoid the 'i wonder what hes up to' factor, and join the 'oh hes staying over like the rvs' classification

 

[David]

Remind me never to park there, haha! Just goes to reinforce my notion to avoid parking overnight at shopping malls. There is a shopping mall that I sometimes go to with a Walmart, and I see relatively large Class C RVs parked there regularly. I recently saw an RV take up 2 parking spots, and had its center slider fully extended off to the side of a parking stall. SERIOUSLY?!? It's no wonder Walmart doesn't ticket these guys. As another general rule that I live by, I never, NEVER, park next to an RV. I just don't. Especially the ones that overstay their welcome. I don't want others to think I'm "part of the problem". That may sound rather harsh to some, but I've quickly learned certain urban survival skills for this particular lifestyle.

My boss owns the strip mall here, his security guy definitely runs people off after 9:30.

keep in mind many big box stores like Target for example often have overnight cleaning crews inside. Meaning it's pretty common for them to have a few cars in the parking lot over night.

For me what works best is being at big box stores near large highways this way you fit the bill for traveling and pulled over for a rest. It's pretty common in parking lots around highways and truckers often use them as well.

If you are in some middle of nowhere type place then it's likely harder to pull off in a random parking lot and get away with a over nighter because the cops are likely more bored.

Still I've yet to be bugged. The only time I've ever been caught, was the 1st week I started truck dwelling up in New England and I tried to stay at a local park that was kind of out of the way.. Sure enough I got the 2am cop knock.

 

[Iggy]

I haven't been rousted for this yet but it's a'coming! Sometimes I have insomnia and don't get to sleep til quite late. A few times I've woken up at 9 or even later. And there are lots of people around when I crawl out of the back of the van. I tried a 7 am alarm on my phone but if it's loud enough to wake me, someone else will probably hear it too.

 

[accrete]

On alarms and stealth... nothing beats a phone with alarm on vibrate under your pillow.

On stealth... Yea we live in a different world than when i was living in a chevy box van in 1979>... I took the "i'm living in my van and not afraid to say so" approach. Yes the rig was totally stealthy, no windows except for the cab, BUT, the local cops and mall security knew i was living in it while managing a record shop inside the mall (this was San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento CA). The sometimes would knock on the door in the mornings knowing i'd have coffee and donuts to share They would keep an eye out for me and i felt safe under watchful eyes.

 

[Iggy]

I'll give that vibrate under pillow a try. If that doesn't work, maybe I'll put the phone in my shorts. lol jk I know that people looking for stealth campers aren't going to be fooled by anything I do. But if I park last and leave early I minimize the number of eyes on me. Wish it wasn't necessary to be stealth but it is a requirement in some areas. Especially with a scary face like mine.

 

[Iggy]

A major stealth fail; jumping out of bed and yelling, "Wth!" when a cat jumps on the roof of your van in the middle of the night. Avoid Eureka CA, it is overrun with cats! This happened two nights in a row.

 

[Reducto]

I had a raccoon try to pry open my roof vent one morning in San Francisco - scared the hell out of me!

 

[David]

Not stealth fail, but certainly death waiting to happen.. How can people be this dumb?

 

[highdesertranger]

try backing that up. I wonder where that is? that's illegal here. highdesertranger

 

[akrvbob]

In Alaska I woke up all the time to click-clack of Ravens walking around on my roof in the morning sun.
Bob

 

[Belinda2]

...While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door....
Edgar Allan Poe
1809-1849
Maryland Poet including this excerpt called The Raven

 

[wagoneer]

I wunder what happens when the wind picks up whiplash??

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Double towing is legal in some states, mostly in the west. Not legal anywhere in the east, not legal anywhere in Canada, AFAIK.

There are various restrictions on how long overall you can be.

In places where it's legal, you can do it with a fifth wheel trailer, but not a regular travel trailer.

Regards
John

 

[David]

Double towing is legal in some states, mostly in the west. Not legal anywhere in the east, not legal anywhere in Canada, AFAIK.

There are various restrictions on how long overall you can be.

In places where it's legal, you can do it with a fifth wheel trailer, but not a regular travel trailer.

Regards
John

What's worse is he's towing with a tow bar that is probably rated to carry a basic car or light truck. Not to mention the hitch on the RV, but then he adds a few thousand lbs on top of that with the boat & trailer.

 

[compassrose]

If any of you ever find yourself in NM on I-25 between ABQ and Truth or Consequences (TorC) use care, they triple tow (three vehicles... lead, middle and rear) all the time on that stretch. There is a huge lake at TorC and on weekends and holidays during the warmer months get dangerous on the interstate. All those fools towing boats, RV and jet skis. During the summer, we would see evidence of a flip every week (and witnessed several). It's interesting to see a truck, towing a boat, towing a trailer start flipping. First the second in the lineup would slowly lift off the highway, then the front of the last one would lift up causing it's rear to touch the road at which point things suddenly when into high speed and everything looks like it explodes. Also amazing how often the lead vehicle runs over the rear vehicle. If you ever see one lifting off the ground, slow down so you aren't near them when it all hits the fan. And don't try to warn them as it all happens too fast, you would get sucked into the accident. Just start dialing 911.

 

[SoulRaven]

I'm on the road about half the year, and I always take different routes to visit new areas, so I never really know what a towns status is on van dwelling.

My van blends in well pretty much anywhere, but I really don't try to hide what I'm doing, and will sometimes stay parked in the same location for a week or so, taking my scooter to sightsee or grocery runs etc.

Any neighbors who ask know exactly what I'm doing, because I tell them the truth, and whether I'm staying one night or a week, I try to work something like "Your neighborhood looks quiet and safe, my kind of place" into the conversation, and they will usually follow up with I am welcome to stay.

If the response isn't positive, it's easy enough to move to a different neighborhood, because if they don't want me, I don't want to be an unwelcome neighbor anyway.

Some towns have free campgrounds run by the elks, moose, eagles, vfw, shriners, you name it, and they never even ask you if you're a member, and if they do, they welcome you even if you aren't a member, and treat you like traveling royalty! I find them by accident while traveling, especially in smaller towns.

I think if you're a good person, good things will come your way.

 

[Patrick46]

Here's your ultimate STEALTH VEHICLE...




my biggest question is I wonder if they did any reinforcing on the motorhome's framework before sticking the camper up there. (these old motorhomes are constructed with 2x3 wood frames, and NOT known for being very well built!)
I sure would love to see inside of it though!!

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

really...how much room do people need? lol

 

[Rain]

"Stealth" camping in metropolitan cities and small towns alike in a Winnebago Rialta for 8 months, now. When I first started, I read a lot about stealth camping, and even sewed a "behind the cab-seats" black curtain. What I've learned is that your amount of stealth (as far as light and noise, etc) is really secondary to your choice of parking spots. As 'Off-Grid 24/7' confirmed, you can be totally upfront about what you're doing with people and not have any problems. Similarly, if you pull into a spot that has other cars around after dark, you should be ok, even in an obvious RV with vents open and fan on. Exception to that of course, is if its private property parking lot and all those cars leave before morning!