Suburban overflow parking

[mothercoder]

I know one of the rules of stealth parking in an urban area is to find several spots and rotate them, i.e. don't overstay your welcome. 

However, many residents of the townhomes and apartments near my s&b use the adjacent streets for overflow parking.  It's not unusual to see the same vehicles parked there every night.  So long as you arrive and leave on some schedule indicating that this is your daily ride and you take care not to have people see your sleep area, lights at night, etc., why wouldn't you be able to pull that off?

 

[firebob]

I have done that before. I would try to show up around 6pm and take off around 6am. I would try to have everything setup before hand so after I parked I would head to bed and do computer work till after dark.
I have seen others that do not keep it low key when it's light out in over flow parking like your talking about.

 

[mothercoder]

I have done that before.  I would try to show up around 6pm and take off around 6am.  I would try to have everything setup before hand so after I parked I would head to bed and do computer work till after dark.
I have seen others that do not keep it low key when it's light out in over flow parking like your talking about.

Good to know it can be done.  I do have a couple different similar situations scouted out.  For example, right across the street from my work are several large apartment complexes and I've noticed a conversion van that has been parked on the street consistently.  I've never seen anyone go in and out of it so it could simply be someone's recreational vehicle that they seldom use.  But I notice that no one bothers it. 

Since it will be summer and likely too hot to stay in the SUV before sunset without the AC running, I plan on going to several places after work where I can cook dinner or maybe get out of the heat for a while:  park, library, mall, etc.  Make sure everything is setup for the night and then head to my choice of parking around sunset.  I'll read, watch videos (with headphones) and work on the computer until bedtime.  I'll get up around sunrise, head to the gym for a quick workout and a shower and then go to work. 

On the weekends there are higher elevations about an hour away so I may try to there for cooler weather.

 

[slynne]

I will say this. Ever since I found out that people do sleep in their vans parked on the street, I have noticed that people do it in the town where I live. Mostly they park on the main downtown street where the meters run from 8a-6p and they never park in the same place two nights in a row. So far, as far as I know, no one hassles them. There are often people who live in apartments in the neighborhood there who do the same thing. They just leave for work before 8a and return after 6 so it isnt unusual for cars and vans to be parked there overnight. Seems to be working for them. I only assume that people are sleeping in the vans though because I haven't knocked on the door or anything. For all I know (and for all the cops know), they are just parked there and sleeping in a nearby apartment.

 

[John61CT]

I personally would find it too restrictive to maintain stealth mode from so early on, would only show up at the sleepover location when we're actually ready to settle in for reading/sleep.

I also see no need to leave very early, idea is head out when we want to get up, need to eat / go potty or work as the case may be.

And not always being in the same location every night seems sensible to me, since you're just sleeping, why not rotate. . .

 

[firebob]

I also see no need to leave very early, idea is head out when we want to get up, need to eat / go potty or work as the case may be.

And not always being in the same location every night seems sensible to me, since you're just sleeping, why not rotate. . .

Most often I will be coming from the library using there wifi, or i just came from the gym.  Before I take off I get my dinner ready, out out my bed time clothing, use the bathroom, turn down the bed, and toss what I think I will need on the bed in the next few hours.  I'll get up around 9 or 10 to use the bathroom and then go to sleep.
If I find a great place to sleep at night that meets all my needs then why rotate every night.  I have spent 60 days in one spot without any issues of any kind.

 

[DannyB1954]

I have posted this before, but It may help you. An acquaintance used to stealth camp in his car. He used a car cover.

He would park leaving the passenger side window down. He put the cover on the car and would sometimes walk away. When he returned, he would look around and see if he had an obvious audience. If not he would get under the cover and jump in through the open window.

The car cover gave him a lot of privacy. He said nobody ever lifted the cover up. He spray painted his licence number on the back. That kept others from wanting his cover. It may have also appeased Law Enforcement.

Even when it was cold outside, nobody could see that his windows were steamed up.

 

[John61CT]

Cool idea, wonder how that'd go on a passenger van / SUV?

Kind of broadcasts "just being stored here", nobody'd think someone's inside.

 

[mothercoder]

That's an interesting idea. Honestly though, if you use the car every day, someone is bound to see you removing it. And does anyone cover their car every night when they are going to be driving it the next day? To me it would seem to raise more suspicion rather than less. You surely wouldn't think someone is inside but you'd be way more obvious every day removing and replacing the cover.

 

[John61CT]

Especially getting "caught" climbing in and out when the cover's on.

I'm now imagining the heist film scenes, van parked over a secret-entrance manhole

 

[firebob]

With the amount of crazy stuff you see out on the streets no one is going to notice anything that is not supper crazy.

 

[John61CT]

All depends on where you are, key is situational awareness if not local knowledge. My suburban area has lots of HOAs not to mention paranoid neighborhood watch types. Next town over things are a little more run down you could set up an illegal food truck and probably get away with it for weeks at a time.

 

[DannyB1954]

Especially getting "caught" climbing in and out when the cover's on.

I'm now imagining the heist film scenes, van parked over a secret-entrance manhole

I asked him about that. He said people would think that he had just forgotten something in the car. without seeing a window being broken, nobody ever called LE on him. 

He earned his money working as a magician, so I guess he was aware how easily people are deceived. If you wanted to park in the same place all the time I guess you could prep the locals by parking and covering it then stay with a friend. If anyone did check it would be empty. Once they got used to it being there they probably wouldn't give it another thought. A cheap car cover is about $30, so try it or not.