I'm LOST!! Lol

[Jasoncbus1]

Hey guys, I'm having a much more difficult time than I thought here. I have a multilevel question.
   Is there any long-term camping I can do, closer to Ohio Georgia or East Coast, in a VAN? I can't find anything. Not looking for stealth city camping, like woods and Trails and toilets. I can pay whatever but I need like 3 months of camping and while I am willing to go out to Arizona, it's really far and I'd like something closer. Very difficult to find or maybe I just don't know what I'm doing haha.

 

[Jasoncbus1]

To simplify, Where can I park my family Van, not have to move except for supplies, for 3 months, where it's warm and has a toilet? I have money.

 

[BradKW]

Its rather difficult to know where to start answering that, so instead how about looking at this: http://koa.com/campgrounds/savannah/

...and describe why or why not that wouldn't work for you?

 

[VJG1977]

To simplify, Where can I park my family Van, not have to move except for supplies, for 3 months, where it's warm and has a toilet? I have money.

Step 1.  Go to Google Maps
Step 2.  Search for any town you would like to be near
Step 3.  Search for RV Park or camp ground

If you can pay camp ground rates, you can stay just about anywhere you want.

 

[akrvbob]

What time of the year? That changes everything. Also, the toilet makes it much harder for free if you could do without it then it is much easier.It's hard to gt it for free and impossible to get it for 3 months for free. Of course you can do it at an LTVA but they are only in AZ and CA.

If you come to Quartzsite, you can be in an RV Park for $179 a month and never move the van.

If you want to do it for free and do it right now then you can come to where I am in Ehrenberg AZ. You can set up camp, ride your bike into town and not move your van for the next 3 months and it's totally free. But there is no toilet. If you must have a toilet you'd have to go into an LTVA. By April it will be getting hot here, maybe up to 100.
Bob

 

[Jasoncbus1]

Step 1.  Go to Google Maps
Step 2.  Search for any town you would like to be near
Step 3.  Search for RV Park or camp ground

If you can pay camp ground rates, you can stay just about anywhere you want.

Not in a VAN though. That's my point. People tend to look down on vandwellers, and most camp sites require to basically not be in a regular van. Has to be an rv or at least tent. No vandwellers allowed.

 

[Jasoncbus1]

What time of the year? That changes everything. Also, the toilet makes it much harder for free if you could do without it then it is much easier.It's hard to gt it for free and impossible to get it for 3 months for free. Of course you can do it at an LTVA but they are only in AZ and CA.

If you come to Quartzsite, you can be in an RV Park for $179 a month and never move the van.

If you want to do it for free and do it right now then you can come to where I am in Ehrenberg AZ. You can set up camp, ride your bike  into town and not move your van for the next 3 months and it's totally free. But there is no toilet.  If you must have a toilet you'd have to go into an LTVA. By April it will be getting hot here, maybe up to 100.  
Bob

Wow, that is awesome info sir. I don't require free. I have money. But it is difficult to poop in a family van lol. Thanks for the info!

 

[Jasoncbus1]

Wow, that is awesome info sir. I don't require free. I have money. But it is difficult to poop in a family van lol. Thanks for the info!

Oh yeah, I'm leaving at the end of February. In my head it sounds easy but I guess most place are unnaccepting of Vandwellers.

 

[Konaexpress]

So get a cheap tent at goodwill and throw it out the door like an anchor. You got cold and slept in your van.....

John

 

[Jasoncbus1]

Its rather difficult to know where to start answering that, so instead how about looking at this: http://koa.com/campgrounds/savannah/

...and describe why or why not that wouldn't work for you?

Heading into it now. I'll let ya know asap. Thank You!

 

[Almost There]

Not in a VAN though. That's my point. People tend to look down on vandwellers, and most camp sites require to basically not be in a regular van. Has to be an rv or at least tent. No vandwellers allowed.

I don't know what campgrounds you have been looking at but I have only ever been turned away from one campground because I had a van - and that's been in 40 years of van camping including over a decade spent full-timing it in a van all over the eastern seaboard. And yes, I've even stayed at a few KOA's before I knew any better...

Interestingly enough, the one time I have been turned away was at a county campground in north western Florida 2 years ago. I was camping in the Montana - the county had two campgrounds - one strictly for RVs for which I didn't qualify and the other strictly for tents, which I also didn't qualify for.

I've been disqualified from a few campgrounds because my big ole collie dog weighed more than the campgrounds arbitrary weight limit but other than that only the once because I was camping in a van.

 

[SoulRaven]

Not in a VAN though. That's my point. People tend to look down on vandwellers, and most camp sites require to basically not be in a regular van. Has to be an rv or at least tent. No vandwellers allowed.

I drive a stock window van with a home made camper interior, just moved in, not built in, and I have never been turned away from any campground.

 

[SoulRaven]

Wow, that is awesome info sir. I don't require free. I have money. But it is difficult to poop in a family van lol. Thanks for the info!

Not if you have a port-a-potty or a bucket toilet.  I also have a shower in my low top window van.

 

[WriterMs]

There are a variety of ways to have a toilet in your van --- just check out any number of threads in this forum's Personal Hygiene section.

Did you check sites such as www.freecampsites.net ?

Mr.LooRead has threads on this forum about several types of places he camps for free or nearly free in Florida. He's got very recent activity on his thread about the annual snowbird gathering he organizes in FL.

 

[Jasoncbus1]

I don't know what campgrounds you have been looking at but I have only ever been turned away from one campground because I had a van - and that's been in 40 years of van camping including over a decade spent full-timing it in a van all over the eastern seaboard. And yes, I've even stayed at a few KOA's before I knew any better...

Interestingly enough, the one time I have been turned away was at a county campground in north western Florida 2 years ago. I was camping in the Montana - the county had two campgrounds - one strictly for RVs for which I didn't qualify and the other strictly for tents, which I also didn't qualify for.

I've been disqualified from a few campgrounds because my big ole collie dog weighed more than the campgrounds arbitrary weight limit but other than that only the once because I was camping in a van.

No Shit? I've never tried it because I'm sure it'd be just me in a van surrounded by people in rv's and tents looking at me like I'm crazy? Also I've never seen a website that said vandweller friendly. 
  So what you're saying is I can still camp at campgrounds in my Van?

 

[GotSmart]

Have you checked the weather of the route you chose?    :huh:

Extremely important.  Bad weather over most of the country.    :s

 

[rvwandering]

Some private campgrounds have restrictions. They'll only accept certain types of vehicles ( self contained, factory built, etc.) and will not accept tents - snobby places that you probably don't want to go to anyway. :-D  As far as I know KOAs allow tents so a van will perfectly acceptable.  If you want to stay at a private park call and ask first.

 Public parks almost always allow tenting so your van will be fine. The problem is that your stay may be limited to two weeks. However there are exceptions. One of the best that I've found is for the winter months in some state parks in Georgia. From the 1st of November thru the end of February you can stay as long as you wish and if you stay for a least 30 days you get a 50% discount!  http://gastateparks.org/Snowbird

 You could also try Corp of Engineer campgrounds in Georgia. The usual stay is limited to two weeks but  if the campground is not busy which it might not be in the winter, the host may allow you to extend your stay. We've done this. http://corpslakes.usace.army.mil/visitors/states.cfm?state=GA

 And a little more information since this all seems to be new to you - if you are disabled or at least 62 years old you are entitled to half price camping at all federal campgrounds - http://store.usgs.gov/pass/senior.html

 

[akrvbob]

Somewhere you got some bad information.

1) Most RV Parks offer tent sites and and vans would be totally welcome. A very few might want you to actually set up a tent but then you could sleep in the van. I doubt there would ever be a place where you couldn't find a space somewhere.
2) Pooping in a van is very easy.

But if you come to Arizona you can camp for free without ever paying.
Bob

 

[mayble]

No Shit? I've never tried it because I'm sure it'd be just me in a van surrounded by people in rv's and tents looking at me like I'm crazy? Also I've never seen a website that said vandweller friendly. 
  So what you're saying is I can still camp at campgrounds in my Van?

I think the "looking at me like I'm crazy" thing is something you'll just learn to live with.  I don't live in a van but I've certainly had my share of crazy-look worthy moments.  The beauty of mobile living is you never have to see those people again

 

[SoulRaven]

No Shit? I've never tried it because I'm sure it'd be just me in a van surrounded by people in rv's and tents looking at me like I'm crazy? Also I've never seen a website that said vandweller friendly. 
  So what you're saying is I can still camp at campgrounds in my Van?

Hmmm... I always thought it was me looking at them like they were crazy, and them either not knowing I was there, or jealous of my setup and wanting to hear of my travels.