Car camping options in the NE?

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TrailerManNJ

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I was soon hoping to take the dive and become a full-time nomad. This comes after a few YEARS of research, when I first found the incredible Bob Wells' videos online.

I even officially settled upon a car camper (Prius) as my new home. It's affordable, will fit my needs, and should act as a good segue into the nomad lifestyle, before I potentially move up into something bigger (teardrop, truck camper, etc.) in the next 24 to 36 months. That's all the good stuff. However...

An alarming trend has me second-guessing my car camper choice before I even hit the road. During my extensive research on how to make this new lifestyle feasible/affordable, it seems that most places within the RV community look down upon car campers...to the point of almost shunning them. And by "places" I'm speaking of Thousand Trails, Harvest Hosts, and even MANY private campgrounds. Almost none of these places allow car camping.

As I'm on the east coast, there isn't any BLM land to camp on. Strike one. State/county/national forests have a 30 day stay limit per YEAR in the northeast. Strike two. That leaves the last/best option I was hoping for: Thousand Trails. But most TT parks don't allow car camping at all. Strike three. Even campgrounds OUTSIDE of TT don't welcome car campers...with the exception of a spare few who WILL allow it if I set a tent up next to my car. What's a full-time car camper in the NE to do?

As I have roots/obligations in the northeast that I cannot abandon for long stretches, I was hoping to bounce around between NY, NJ, CT & PA for a few years while becoming acclimated to the lifestyle. Due to the above though, my only option seems to be stealth camping, and I really wouldn't want to deal with the stress of constantly hiding, moving to a new spot every night, etc.

It seems it's a LOT easier to make the car camping lifestyle work on the west coast versus the east coast. But maybe I'm wrong or misinformed. Is there anyone out there in a similar situation that can offer any tips/advice? 

My needs are pretty simple...

*A place to sleep/work out of my car-home for a week or two at a time before moving on to the next lodging option

*Must be free (ala TT after buying a membership) or cheap ($10-$15 per night)

*Must be in NY, NJ, PA or CT

*Must be open year-round 

I appreciate any help/feedback you can offer. This situation has me stressed beyond belief. It seems like if you don't have a big, fancy, expensive camper in the NE, the options to full-time in a car are very limited. And stealth camping isn't for me.

What say you?


P.S. - Mods - If I'm better served having my post in a different area, feel free to move it.
 
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