Parking with Full time Job?

[IanT720]

Hi I'm new don't have a van yet but plan on living in one, mostly to save money and, I always liked camping and adventures, It will be a basic cargo van, in urban Texas... So how do you park with a full time job for say a few years?

 

[peacetara]

*somewhat jokingly* find a good place to park <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"><br><br>Welcome! <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">&nbsp; I'm sure people that spend most of their time in cities can answer this question better than I can, but generally in my experience(which isn't a lot) you don't generally find places you can just park in the city and not move the van in weeks and not get bothered at some point.&nbsp; There are places that exist (I know of a place like this in the bay area for instance), but I imagine they are fairly few and far between.<br><br>The easy answer is to just keep moving, i.e. stay here for a night, there for a night, etc.&nbsp; Have 10 or 15 of these places scouted out, and then you just rotated between them, never spending more than a day or two at any 1 place.&nbsp; As you get out there tho, you will start to just figure it out. <br><br>I've never been to Texas, so I can't even remotely comment on what Texas is like regarding being bothered, but generally cops just ask you to wander along, and sometimes are even helpful and will help you find a safe place to park for the night.<br><br>With Love,<br>Tara

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

Maybe look for a a couple walmarts nearby and switch off too.&nbsp; You can afford gas to commute a little, since you will be saving living expenses.&nbsp; <br><br>I know when i lived in the city i could drive to 3 different walmarts within 15 minutes.

 

[VanGirl]

I did it in TX for years. You have to keep moving every night. Use the truckshops and Gyms for showers. Texas cops will get you out of a deep sleep for no reason. After a while you will form a routine of places to stay.

 

[Rollin]

If I had a&nbsp;full&nbsp;time job and wanted to live in the same area for "years", was wanting to save some money. I think I would try to work out&nbsp;something&nbsp;with a property owner, to live on there land. Just the other day I was&nbsp;looking on&nbsp;Craigslist and there were&nbsp;multiple&nbsp;offers&nbsp;from land owners wanting RV's to park on there land to help them with there&nbsp;financial&nbsp;hardships. They were offering hookups and asking&nbsp;around&nbsp;250/300 a month, but as you know everything is&nbsp;negotiable. Also on that same note, I was looking at travel&nbsp;trailers and you could pick one up for a song. Just a thought.

 

[akrvbob]

Bob's Rules for City Stealth Parking<br><ol><li>Don't spend casual time at your sleeping place. Spend your evening at a Casual Camp like a Barnes and Noble bookstore, Dennnys, etc. Then drive to your Sleep Camp and sleep.</li><li>Arrive late and leave early. As soon as you get to your sleep camp, jump in back and go to bed. As soon as you wake up, jump in front and drive away.</li><li>No reading, TV or radio at Sleep Camp. It is for sleeping, not recreation.</li><li>Have at least 7 Sleep Camps as close as you can to your work and gym so you drive the minimum amount. Rotate every day so you only sleep in one place once a week.</li><li>Your best choice for stealth is any 24 business so there is activity from employees and customers coming and going and you blend in.</li><li>Often, WalMart is your worst choice. If your town has enforcement of NO OVERNIGHT parking rules, they will be selectively enforced. They will enforce them at a WalMart and nowhere else. Find another Big Box store to camp in.</li><li>Keep your vehicle neat and clean looking as possible. Spray paint is your friend.</li><li>Try not to have anything on the outside of the vehicle that makes it stand out: bicycles, roof-top carriers, bumperstickers, emblems, weird paints or colors.</li></ol>The closer you follow these rules, the less likely you are to get a knock in the middle of the night<br>Bob

 

[freenez2]

Bobs rules are good ones. As a frequent city vandweller myself, I seek out where other vandweller/RVers park. Cities with larger vandweller populations probably have places where we can park and not get hassled.

 

[MK7]

Have you guys tried getting a 24 hour gym membership and then camping in their parking lots? Not every night, but once or twice a week as you have a legit pass to get in.&nbsp; There are some gyms that are 24-hr and only $10/month.

 

[IanT720]

Tara, thanks for the welcoming response <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"> It sounds like the Rotating is the way to go, thanks for the rules too. Very helpful, I'm all excited! Thanks guys and gals!

 

[accrete]

when i lived in a delivery van for a couple years while managing some record shops i had gym memberships and played racket ball before work nearly every day and took showers before work. It was a great lifestyle. I was using the mall parking lots back then (1979-1980) without issue in the SF Bay Area.

 

[baronmcginty]

At my last job we had a guy that lived in South Dakota (250 miles away). He got permission from the company to park in the company parking lot during the week. He plugged into a receptacle on a light pole for power and took a shower in the company restroom near the company gym. He drove home for the weekend.

 

[THECHEMICALS]

Not sure if this is wise but ive been parking my van at my job for a couple weeks now. Its not in the lot next to other employee cars, more like across the lot about 200 ft and in nice cover. I just dont want to leave my van anywhere else so i take the chance. Its a stealth van so other than being sealed with covers on the windows....noone can really tell

 

[pawsaroundoz]

As I am in Australia my info may not be very relevent but....<br><br>I often have had to stop in major centre or city for some work etc and when I do I look for wherever there is a close by call centre.....there are often night shifts happening at these places and one can pull up and park overnight without hassle and night after night too.<br><br>Another spot I use is a legal parking position that is close to a Hospital, I never have been bothered in that area, despite it being in an upmarket area in a major city, again in late'ish and out early'ish.<br><br>In SA and even in Vic. I have used the parking areas beside rail stations too, I think it is sort of understood that one would not want to take a motorhome into the City and when it is 'left' there overnight people must suppose that one has taken an alternitive method of transport! (or got so 'blotto' that one has forgotten where the motorhome is!)<br><br>annie

 

[rokguy]

As I am in Australia my info may not be very relevent but....<BR><BR>&nbsp;(or got so 'blotto' that one has forgotten where the motorhome is!)<BR><BR>annie

<BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">Along with several backpackers vans.</SPAN></STRONG></EM><IMG class="emoticon bbc_img" src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif"><IMG class="emoticon bbc_img" src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif">