haileigh
Member
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2018
- Messages
- 15
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Hello! I am new here and am hoping to receive some advice for a potentially difficult situation.
I grew up in San Diego, CA, but I have always lived in a house, so I am completely unfamiliar with things like van living, stealth camping, and boondocking. My husband and I (with our 9-month-old son) have been evicted from our current living situation with my parents, and although my husband is employed full-time, his wage is not enough to cover the cost of living in San Diego. We have been living with my family rent-free and paying down debt (home is owned by my grandmother, and no one in it pays rent). We do, however, have enough in savings to buy either an Astro Van (much cheaper but also smaller option) or a full size cargo or passenger van. Because we have a baby, we plan for this to be temporary, but we will likely be van dwelling in San Diego for at least 4 months or so, so that my husband can continue working at his current job and saving money to move elsewhere (out of state).
I have read that San Diego is a very difficult place to van/car/vehicle dwell, and I worry about being approached by law enforcement, given that most average people view vehicle dwelling as unsuitable for a child. We will absolutely be able to continue to feed, clothe, and care for my son in a van, so please reserve judgement. The living situation with my family has actually prepared us well for vehicle dwelling because the house has been so neglected that we have gone long periods of time without access to water, electricity, and a kitchen (we are actually being evicted for attempting to fix these things :huh: ). We have found ways to make it completely unnoticeable that we are living in this situation, so I am confident that we can do the same in a van, at least when it comes to judgment in public. The only thing that worries me is law enforcement. My questions are:
-What are some of the best spots to sleep in your vehicle in San Diego? My husband works in East County, but we are obviously willing to drive to the coast if that is safer. We can also drive farther out east if that is safer. None of the Wal Marts here allow overnight parking, so that is not an option. Can anyone recommend any rest stops or truck stops in the area?
-If approached by law enforcement, aside from being polite and cooperative, what are the best ways to explain why we're sleeping in a van? We can't claim that we're traveling because we both have California IDs and will have California registration. Do we admit to living in the van, or do we come up with some kind of excuse?
-Last question: Is this simply too risky in San Diego? Our only other option is to travel in the van, with close to no money left in savings after buying it, to another state where van dwelling is safer. My husband would be forced to leave his job and find one in that state, and we would not have a permanent address to put on job applications. However, this would allow us to use the excuse of traveling when approached by law enforcement.
Ultimately, our first priority is keeping our son safe and with us. I cannot imagine having to deal with CPS if police decided to get them involved. I am open to all advice and would appreciate restraint from criticism (trust me, I beat myself up about this constantly). Please let me know if any more information that I didn't include would help. Thank you!
I grew up in San Diego, CA, but I have always lived in a house, so I am completely unfamiliar with things like van living, stealth camping, and boondocking. My husband and I (with our 9-month-old son) have been evicted from our current living situation with my parents, and although my husband is employed full-time, his wage is not enough to cover the cost of living in San Diego. We have been living with my family rent-free and paying down debt (home is owned by my grandmother, and no one in it pays rent). We do, however, have enough in savings to buy either an Astro Van (much cheaper but also smaller option) or a full size cargo or passenger van. Because we have a baby, we plan for this to be temporary, but we will likely be van dwelling in San Diego for at least 4 months or so, so that my husband can continue working at his current job and saving money to move elsewhere (out of state).
I have read that San Diego is a very difficult place to van/car/vehicle dwell, and I worry about being approached by law enforcement, given that most average people view vehicle dwelling as unsuitable for a child. We will absolutely be able to continue to feed, clothe, and care for my son in a van, so please reserve judgement. The living situation with my family has actually prepared us well for vehicle dwelling because the house has been so neglected that we have gone long periods of time without access to water, electricity, and a kitchen (we are actually being evicted for attempting to fix these things :huh: ). We have found ways to make it completely unnoticeable that we are living in this situation, so I am confident that we can do the same in a van, at least when it comes to judgment in public. The only thing that worries me is law enforcement. My questions are:
-What are some of the best spots to sleep in your vehicle in San Diego? My husband works in East County, but we are obviously willing to drive to the coast if that is safer. We can also drive farther out east if that is safer. None of the Wal Marts here allow overnight parking, so that is not an option. Can anyone recommend any rest stops or truck stops in the area?
-If approached by law enforcement, aside from being polite and cooperative, what are the best ways to explain why we're sleeping in a van? We can't claim that we're traveling because we both have California IDs and will have California registration. Do we admit to living in the van, or do we come up with some kind of excuse?
-Last question: Is this simply too risky in San Diego? Our only other option is to travel in the van, with close to no money left in savings after buying it, to another state where van dwelling is safer. My husband would be forced to leave his job and find one in that state, and we would not have a permanent address to put on job applications. However, this would allow us to use the excuse of traveling when approached by law enforcement.
Ultimately, our first priority is keeping our son safe and with us. I cannot imagine having to deal with CPS if police decided to get them involved. I am open to all advice and would appreciate restraint from criticism (trust me, I beat myself up about this constantly). Please let me know if any more information that I didn't include would help. Thank you!
