Van Life: Where to park your van overnight?
It’s a secret!
Just kidding. However, I won’t give any of my spots away but I will provide some tips to help you find your own! If you do spot my Element feel free to knock and say hello 🚎 I’ll fix us up a tea.
The first week
I remember the first few days of actually living the van life, I was very nervous about where I was going to park. Would it be okay? Would anyone bother me? Is it safe? After a week of being not disturbed I soon realized that people simply do not care as long as your not disturbing them. The Element is very stealthy so I have gotten away parking almost everywhere but if you have a bigger more noticeable van. You may have to search harder for your parking spots.
Is it legal to sleep in your van overnight?
Well kind of? I guess it’s one of those gray areas. San Diego & Los Angeles county as of the time of writing August 2019. Police will not ticket or arrest you for sleeping in your vehicle. Originally there was a law in place that banned sleeping in vehicles. This law was overturned temporarily, because it discriminates against homeless folks who use sleeping in their vehicle as an alternative over sleeping on the street. Each state has its own laws and there is no federal law that says one way or the other so check your state.
Where to park?
Private Property - Unless you have permission from the owner of the property avoid private property. See posted signs in the area that say no trespassing the last thing you want is someone knocking on your window in the middle of the night or worse. If you do have permission this is a great option. If you plan to be in one area for awhile you may be able to work a deal that you can pay for a parking spot.
Walmart - I typically do not park at Walmart unless I am on the road and I really need a quick and easy place to crash. Note not all Walmart allow overnight parking but a lot of them do. If you arrive at a Walmart and see a few Rv’s parked its usually a good bet they allow it. You can also call the Walmart and ask if they allow parking and they will let you know for sure. The nice thing about Walmart is they have a bathroom & some quick access to snacks if you get hungry. As a curtesy do not want to stay more than one night at a Walmart & be sure not to set up camp with chairs and everything next to your sleep spot.
Neighborhoods - Because the Element is so stealthy this is my go to choice for parking. I try to stay out of peoples front windows the last thing I want to do is bother any one or be disrupted in the middle of the night. If there is an apartment complex you can usually bet there will be street visitor parking this is a good space because the vehicles staying there change from night to night and you wont raise much suspicions. When parking in cities or neighborhoods a good rule of thumb is to “arrive late & leave early”
Camp Sites - I like to use this option to get away from the city for a bit and not have to worry and to get some fresh air. This option depending on where you stay can be on the expensive side ranging from $10-40 dollars a night depending on where you stay. It is a nice treat every once in awhile.
24 Hour gyms - This is a nice option because if you are a member at one of these gyms you can use the restrooms and showers if needed. Please check posted signs for rules and regulations about parking. 90% of the time you will be fine but if your frequently park in these establishments you may get asked to leave.
Cities - If your in the city this can get tricky because of the parking laws and time restrictions on certain parking spots. Sleeping in Industrial areas where their are office spaces are good places to look for parking. The most important thing here is to blend in with the other vehicles around you. Empty parking lots where you are the only one parked is usually a bad idea.
Rest Areas - I remember not being sure of the legality of sleeping in rest areas. On those long nights on the road they look so appealing to stop in rest your head for a few hours. Which is one of the great things about van life is that you can just stop anywhere and thats your new home. Rest areas allow a vehicle to be parked for up to 8 hours. So if your ever on a long drive and need to rest your head know that is an option for you.
BLM Land - To be honest I’ve never camped on BLM land but its an option and you can stay for up to 14 days. BLM land is land owned by the people but managed by the U.S. Government. Here is a great resource for camping in BLM land.
Blend in
The most important thing here is you want to blend in. If you look at the picture below my car obviously blends in with the ones around it. No one would take a second look and thats exactly what you want. Avoid empty parking lots and streets where you are the only one parked. That will raise suspicion and likely get you kicked out of that spot.
The Knock
So its not if but when. Someone will knock on your van security or police and ask you to leave. In my year of being in the van it has only happened twice. Never by police but security. This doesn’t have to be a tense situation. If you get the knock I would simply turn on the lights be very non-combative and move if they ask you to move. Unless of course you have permission to be staying where you are. Sure its a minor inconvenience but its something that will happen no matter what so its best to be prepared.
Final Thoughts
Over time you develop a sixth sense about where is a good place to park and where not to park. There are a lot of unknowns starting van life so I hope this post is helpful. Stay safe out there and happy travels!
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