Stealth Parking in TX, NC, OR

[KatnCarl]

Hey All,<br><br>Kat and I are considering a move to either Austin, Texas, Durham, North Carolina, or Portland, Oregon. Anyone have any experience stealthing in these areas? Also any info about address requirements of these states would be helpful!&nbsp;<br><br>Thanks!<br>Carl

 

[owl]

&nbsp; Not sure what you mean by address requirements ?

 

[VanGirl]

Durham will put you in jail for spending the night in a Walmart parking lot. Austin is forgiving and has many places you can blend in. I lived in my van a long time in central Texas. I was only bothered one tine at a McDonalds in Belton. It was in the middle of the day, I was there for lunch and eating in my van. For the most part Tx is vandwelling friendly. Lots of truckstops and other 24 hr businesses. Lots of family in OR and WA. Spent lots of nights in Portland and Seattle with no problem. Nashville, TN area also very friendly and never bothered in 2 1/2 years.

VanGirl

 

[DollarJoe67]

Stay out of downtown Austin and you should be fine.&nbsp; I tried to take a cat nap while waiting for a bus (I was up all night and had 5 hrs to kill) and it seemed that every time I closed my eyes a security person was immediately on me telling me to wake up.&nbsp; Who knows the response if you were caught in the van.

 

[KatnCarl]

Owl, "address requirements" isn't very clear is it <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"> A clearer question would be, do we need to have a physical residential address in these states or can we get by with a PO box or the address of a mailing service to get driver's licenses, registrations, etc.?<br><br>VanGirl, Yikes! That's good to know about Durham! Glad to hear that TX and OR are more vandwelling friendly! Thanks for replying.<br><br>DollarJoe67, thanks for sharing! I'm not sure how well the Big Bad would do downtown.

 

[psytechguy]

If you move to Texas, you have 90 days to get a Texas DL.

Not sure about using a P.O. Box for an address, but I seem to remember that being a no-go for the average citizen.

This seems to be the only provision for using a P.O. Box address on a TX DL:

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/DriverLicense/txaddrconfidentprgm.htm

There is an RV mail forwarding outfit somewhere in TX, I believe. I think they're based in Livingston, TX. Can't remember the name, but should be easy enough to look up.

 

[owl]

&nbsp;&nbsp; As long as your reg. ins. and DL is current you are good to go in any state in the union. Visiting and moving to a state are two very different things. As long as you haven't bought a home or, in some cases rented/leased a home, you won't be required to become a citizen of that locale. Thousands of snowbirds move south every winter and retain their home residency. Even working is subject to some consideration by the host state, if it's not permanent work there is no requirement. Most of the folks who work for me every summer in Calif. are not Calif. residents. This is probably one of the most misunderstood situations for folks like us. Because states have these 60/90 days requirements for registering, people think that everyone has to comply. There is no expiration on vacations. However if you start signing up for monthly benefits of some kind, all bets are off. Luck in your travels

 

[creationode]

I will shed a little light on the leniency of Bubbament employees in Texas.<br><br>- They reall just want you to be respectful and NOT to be drunk while driving - <br><br>Of course, you should have your vehicle registration and insurance.<br><br><br><strong>NOW</strong><br><br>I moved to Denton 2 1/2 years ago, from WA state.<br><br>I had my WA plates on the Jeep for 9 months in Denton.<br><br>I still do not have a 'valid' Texas DL.&nbsp; Meaning, I have an older Texas license from when I lived here four years ago.&nbsp; WA state decided to deface it with a hole puncher in the top right corner.&nbsp; I got to keep it.&nbsp; Apparently, it is 'invalid'...I will argue the LEO on that, and now I actually have TWO licenses I HAVE used at Government offices...so...<br><br>In Denton, I was pulled over twice.&nbsp; Once for a burnt out head light, the other for speeding.<br><br>Two separate pull overs, two separate cars.<br><br>I just told the cop I recently moved from WA.&nbsp; They never checked/verified that.&nbsp; How could they?&nbsp; My Jeep had valid and clean WA plates and I had insurance the first time.&nbsp; The second time I was driving my registered to Denton Mazda3s, with insurance...but a WA state license...I just told the officer that again, I just moved here...he just verbally announced that I was 'supposed' to get a TX license.&nbsp; <br><br>When I sold the Mazda back in December 2012,&nbsp; I purchased my Beastly B3500 from a used car dealer.&nbsp; I just used my WA license, again, by telling him I just moved here.&nbsp; He was happy to accept $1532 in cash on the spot...<br><br>SO now I drive the B3500, with totally valid TX Truck plates, current registration and insurance, and inspection tab...<br><br>AND EVEN MORE, guess what?<br><br>Last week, I registered and obtained a USPS PO Box in Fort Worth...even though the official piece of mail I used to 'prove' my 'traceable' address...was just a coworkers apartment that I had my employer send a paycheck to...in a city I DO NOT LIVE IN NOR WILL EVER. <br>At the USPS office, I filled out the paperwork, put an old neighbor friends address in Denton (Ive beein in Fort Worth/Saginaw since February), and it all was kosher up until I used my WA state drivers license...<br><br>The clerk on duty goes back into the office for about three minutes, comes out with the apparent manager of the branch at that shift, and says I need a different picture ID...so I pull out my Hole Punched TX license...and the manager asks why I used the WA license...I told her that it was more current, and she said I understand but the TX is still valid as ID...LMAO...so now I have a USPS PO box...and I DO NOT have an address.<br><br>As of right now, I have FIVE 'official traceable' addresses, in FIVE cities, in THREE STATES.<br><br>I can use ANY of these to obtain 'Government Services' and licenses.<br><br>Yeah, when renewal time comes, I will pay TX their dang racket fee for a stupid 'non-punched' license....but then they will STEAL my WA license...because they STOLE my valid Virginia license when I first moved here four years ago!&nbsp; I might be able to get the WA punched, in a reverse double punch fashion (joke).&nbsp; I would love to keep the WA as well...another photo ID with another address...<br><br><br>My father used to have four DLs...he used them all.&nbsp; He is a very high ranking Army reserve and civilian employee.&nbsp; <br><br>IDs and addresses are all just scams to get you to pay the local piper.&nbsp; Use them wisely...nearly none of them are actually in any 'big government database'...much less attention is payed than one might think.<br><br>My NEW passport is registered to an address in Virginia...<br><br>Go figure.<br><br><br>

 

[Les H]

Creationode, good to know about Tx, as I just got here a few weeks ago. I still have my Alabama tags, ins and liscense. When I moved from Ny to Alabama two years ago, I got new everything, but took my time about it. Some states ( Ny is 20 days) require you to get Dl, ins, reg, and they don't fool around. If a trooper sees you twice in a month with out of state tags, you will most likely get pulled over and questioned. I seem to remember Fla requireing the changeover within 30 days IF YOU WORK THERE. So, snowbirds, mostly retired, are " tolerated" because of the money they bring into the economy. In the last two weeks I've seen tags from Ny, California, La, Krystal, Chiwowa ( spelled wrong, I'm sure) Mexico, ND, SD, Ohio and more. The company I work for has its headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio. A decent economy and a building boom brings people from all over, myself included. Tn

 

[VanGirl]

Les, where in Tx do you plan to stay? I own 3 places around N. Dallas that you can park in front or in the driveway.

 

[mlts22]

Austin is fairly RV friendly. &nbsp;It may not stay that way for long though, because on busy weekends like SXSW, ACL, Formula 1, and ROT rally, the people coming in have been antagonizing the locals and the police. &nbsp;The main thing they do is park in people's driveways, plug into someone's electric and water without permission, then dump their black/grey tanks either down a clean-out, or just park by a storm drain and let loose there. &nbsp;They will block the driveway and refuse to leave until the police come. &nbsp;Then they move one driveway over, and the process starts again. &nbsp;The police can't do anything about this since the homeowner has to either have a no trespassing sign up, or be there to tell the police to remove the offender and vehicle.<br><br>Asking to use a driveway is one thing. &nbsp;Coming home to find someone with camp chairs, a baby pool, and an inflatable movie theater in your driveway, using your electricity/water without permission is another.<br><br>As for places to camp/park, I would be leery of Williamson County which has part of north Austin. &nbsp;Travis county police tend to be busy with bigger fish, but a WilCo officer will not hesitate to pull someone out of a vehicle and arrest them. &nbsp;In fact, they actually won a Supreme Court case allowing them to arrest people for traffic offenses like running lights.<br><br>Downtown Austin is dicey, similar with the UT campus. &nbsp;Instead of the police bothering you, you have a good chance of encountering one of the local hobos whom gladly will sell you the brick he didn't smash into your windshield with for $20. &nbsp;Similar with the UT campus.<br><br>South and east are good places to find someplace quiet and fairly safe. &nbsp;Of course, Wallydocking is an option, but check the apps, some have prohibited overnighting.

 

[Patrick46]

[Some states ( Ny is 20 days) require you to get Dl, ins, reg, and they don't fool around. If a trooper sees you twice in a month with out of state tags, you will most likely get pulled over and questioned.]<BR><BR>I'd be inclined to jus tell the cops that I was there caring for a friend who was very, very&nbsp;ill, and that as soon as they were doing better, I'll be headed back to my own home in my&nbsp;plated state. You thought you'd have been&nbsp;home&nbsp;long ago&nbsp;already, but the friend isn't well enough to leave unattended. I'm <EM><STRONG>NOT</STRONG></EM> staying here, and I'm anxious to get back home!<BR><BR>What can/are they gonna do???? <BR><BR><BR>......Nothing

 

[idn88]

OK, someone please school me on this.

If I live in my vehicle - ie no fixed dwelling - and I have my vehicle registered in some other state - either at friend / family elsewhere or at one of the places that provide the address service for a fee, and my vehicle is registered there, and is all legal (proper license, insurance, etc) then how or what can the po po do other than pull you over and give you a hard time. Your vehicle is legal. You have not established a dwelling? Am I missing something.

As for NC in general - I lived there for a while - not in a vehicle. The Raleigh / Durham triangle is definitely the area with the most rules / biggest chip on their shoulder. If you wanted to hang in NC for a while I am sure you could find plenty of good places to do so, just not around the triangle.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

In all my years of travel I have never been questioned about my out of state ID or vehicle registration.

 

[compassrose]

We have been questioned on out of state (TN) plates in NC and NM. Not in TX though. The exchange got a little pushy in NC. Join Escapees and you can use their mailing address as your official, legal gov sanctioned address. You just don't want to post much on their forum.

 

[Patrick46]

btw...

as for the original post...

Portland is pretty Vandweller friendly city...and in fact, most of Oregon in general is.

YES, there are parts of the town they don't want you to squat in, but if you use your good comon sense, you should be just fine.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Patrick, Bend, Or is not one of those van friendly towns. We never had any parking problems on the way up the coast on 101 tho.

 

[Patrick46]

Patrick, Bend, Or is not one of those van friendly towns. We never had any parking problems on the way up the coast on 101 tho.

BEND, is NOT part of Oregon!!!


the few times I've camped in Bend, I stayed either at the state campground just outside of town, or at my buddy's place, and he had an RV pad with full hookups right at his house.

but I live over on the coast anyways...right on 101. (Coos Bay)
Gimmie a shout-out if you're ever through this way again!!

 

[bvanevery]

Durham will put you in jail for spending the night in a Walmart parking lot.

Didn't know that. But moot, because my initial reply was going to be "sleep in Durham, are you insane?" That town is a crime pit. They have one bright spot around the American Tobacco Campus where everyone goes for ballgames, the theater, restaurants, etc. Everywhere else... scaaaa-rrry!

I will say that nobody bothered me at the Walmart between Durham and Chapel Hill. But that's not exactly Durham AFAIK.

Chapel Hill / Carrboro is a parking fortress. I stayed in public lots in Carrboro for a week at night, clearing out in the morning, but there's nowhere to park for free in Chapel Hill during the day. Except exactly 1 community center, which did have wifi, and an electrical outlet around the side of the building that nobody got on my case about using. But it became like a prison existence, having only this 1 spot to hang out during the day. Parking becomes available downtown after 6 PM but the daytime restrictiveness really cramped my style.

I parked in Raleigh near the Cameron Village public library for a few days. Forced, because my starter motor died. I was on a street with a forested creek on one side and a big multi building apartment complex on the other side. Nobody bothered me and I don't expect anyone would. Raleigh is probably campable for the most part, provided you find those oases where your presence isn't bothering anyone. Next to big apartment complexes and churches are good bets.

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Visiting and moving to a state are two very different things.

Don't register to vote in a new state. You do that, you become a resident.