If you are unsure but it’s late and you need to crash for the night, make sure to park under a big light in the lot and stay towards the back. Brie Goumaz recently posted…Vanlife Toilet Options for Campervans, Wow. Avoid stepping on plants, flowers, wet sandstone, or untouched soil. Conduct a cost-benefit analysis of all of the activities that you do. So now you know about your overnight parking options, but how do you know which ones are available for your travel route? Are you on the road? Ben recently posted…The Best Places to Stand Up Paddle Board in Washington. When looking for spots always keep the land in mind and do not drive on places that look wild. Getting caught for parking somewhere overnight is not a big deal and happens from time to time. Dispersed Camping is completely free to camp on and Developed Camping is often super affordable camping spots that offer amenities such as toilets, fire rings, potable water, and hookups. The free version allows you access to everything but finding other travelers nearby. Most Casinos will have overnight parking, but be sure to call prior to arrival to ensure there’s space or there aren’t any events taking up the lot. Just move. Advice for living cheap on the road. Let us know in the comments below 👇🏼, Just Love the Article. One of the biggest and sometimes the most stressful part of van life is figuring out where to park overnight in your van. If you know anybody in the general area that you are staying in, we’re sure they will be happy to allow you to park your van in their driveway for a night or two. Do you find that it is difficult to find free camping or do you opt for paid camping spots? There won’t be any people around to pick up after you! This membership will allow you to park your vehicle at almost all of the NT sites for free, and allows one adult to enter the attractions also. If you aren’t sure you can always call and ask customer service.Â, Now that Bass Pro owns Cabella’s they typically allow overnight parking for RV’s and vanners. One of the first resources Shawn and I ever used, freecampsites.net often finds free camping where the other apps fail. It’s an adventure I’m so lucky to be in. This means your camp spot should look the same or even better than before you got there. It’s a highway rest area so cleanliness can be hit or miss. Our number one way to find free camping is through apps on our phone. Here are a few steps we take to find free dispersed camping on BLM land. In many coastal areas, such as Cornwall, the NT membership also allows you to park at the beach for free. You’d be surprised by the amazing spots we have found by simply asking a local in the area. Some great apps that are listed below often have BLM spots listed that are put in by users. Typically if we know we are staying in a city we will cook somewhere like a park or with a view and then head to our spot for the night. Finding free camping spots can be difficult and can often be the main problem of the day. I’ve also found that since vans are relatively small and discreet compared to an RV, you can park overnight in parking lots and at trailheads in National Parks. If the answer is yes, go for it! You’ll quickly be able to tell where people can park overnight, since a bunch of other cars will also be there. Yes, Walmart parking lots are free and they usually don’t kick you out. The Ford E-Series … Some posts here on Chasing the Wild Goose contain affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you click or book from one of these links – at no extra expense to you. tahir recently posted…7 Most Adorable Toddler Backpack For Boy or Girl, Thanks! Back into the spot so the front of the van faces out of the spot. For more rules visit: the blm site. Every other Instagram post on any adventure channel features a picture of a campervan parked in some epic location, its drivers holding a cup of coffee as the sun begins to rise. Vanlife is incredible. Even, When we headed into Baja, we had dreams of clear b, The Best Places for Vanlife Overnight Parking and Camping Spots for Free, Best Apps & Websites to Find Free Camping, Van Life Laundry: Washing Clothes in a Campervan, The Top 14 Vanlife Apps for the Ultimate Road Trip, 7 Most Adorable Toddler Backpack For Boy or Girl, How To Make A Fire Burn Hotter: 5 Simple Ways, The Best Places to Stand Up Paddle Board in Washington. If you’re driving on the interstate, Truck Stops and most Rest Areas are a good overnight option. Try to find places where other cars are left overnight from people staying at nearby hotels or people tent camping overnight within the park. The AllStays app is a great resource for finding these. A few hours after I bought a 1995 Ford E-350 Econoline van for $2,000 in the fall of 2017, the ABS light lit up on the dashboard. We are hiring. Many National Forests have free camping sites that are available for use. https://freecampsites.net; iOverlander: This is the most amazing discovery for anyone doing van life or traveling! It gives you insight to whether it was a quiet area, if you can reach it without 4WD, and if it was crowded. I’m not trying to scare you but rather inform you. If you are wanting to remain in your vehicle then this is NOT for you.Â, DO NOT leave trash behind. Let’s Talk About Campsites. You can filter the campsite by paid or free allowing you to have multiple options. DO NOT leave trash behind. Vanlife is incredible. Some general rules to follow: Even if you are camping somewhere remote, you’ll want to be aware of your surroundings. If you want to vanlife I highly recommend it. Brie Goumaz recently posted…Vanlife Toilet Options for Campervans, This is an excellent post. – Camping in areas such as a city where you don’t want people to know you are inside your vehicle. Practice these 7 Principles wherever you go. If you are staying in a hotel and have a large van or RV you will need to consider where you will park. If you move every night, you can park in basically any parking One van dweller chronicled her life living in a van on an amazing blog. The free locations often are just a parking lot with minimal amenities- I will describe the paid Casino parking amenities in a little bit! Scatter strained dishwater. One of the first resources Shawn and I ever used. The downside is that it isn’t an app and is hard to use on your phone. Most of the people are staging those photos for the ‘gram, and in reality they’re sleeping in a Walmart parking lot. Think about climate, terrain, facilities, community, work, provisions, and don’t just get sucked into pretty pictures and starting a Pinterest board. Campsites will vary, some including electric & water hookups, most including showers and restrooms with trash receptacles. Do you have a pet? Rest Areas have different rules per State, so be sure to research that before planning to camp! ABSOLUTELY do not park within 200 yards of freshwater sources overnight. Usually this is a barista at a coffee shop we are a patron of or even a grocery store. Zach recently posted…How To Make A Fire Burn Hotter: 5 Simple Ways, We definitely are trying to live it up as much as possible! The ranger station is a fantastic resource for free camping, finding great hikes and learning any closures or pertinent rules for the area. Most of the time the spots are free with the assumption that you will be a patron of their business. By accepting you will be accessing a service provided by a third-party external to https://www.movinglabor.com/, Facebook Instagram Twitter Pinterest YouTube, Copyright © 2021 MovingLabor.com. Hi there! However, you cannot camp overnight at a NT site. I will typically check on Ioverlander to make sure that the Wal-Mart allows overnight parking. Make note not to park there in the future and continue on your way. Do your business in “cat holes” at least 200 feet from water, and cover the hole when done. They are crowdsourced and updated by users which keeps all the content fresh and up to date. When you are looking for dispersed camping make sure you are staying on the roads (usually not the main road but rather a secondary dirt road) and parking on spots that you can tell has already been driven on and made into a spot. Recreation centers – Many towns have Recreation Centers where you can pay a small fee to take a shower. These campgrounds are common, but don’t have much privacy since the sites are typically right next to each other. Roof: Low. We open our van build shop next week! Working remotely alongside my partner Shawn while we travel in our DIY Sprinter Van. Best practice is to park on the outskirts, or in non-trucker spaces, to make sure the true truckers have room to park. BLM land as a van lifer is your best friend. Real van lifers discuss how much van life costs per month, van price, health insurance and repairs. Vandweller(s)– used to describe a lifestyle of someone who lives part-time or full-time in a wide variety of converted vehicles including vans, RV’s, busses, trucks, etc.. Part-time va… Although not great for cities Campendium focuses on the wilderness and we have found some incredible FREE camping spots with toilets in a scenic area. After living van life for over a year and a half, here are our tips and go-to’s for where to sleep overnight in your van… Schedule trips during low-use times and travel in small groups. They have 12 State offices that you can visit when you are in the area. The, How excited we are to be back on BLM land where th, I love taking photos of our lives in the van. They are super friendly and can help you find epic free spots in their area if it is available. I hope all of you out there who can take advantage of these free spots do so and save some money! Some safe practices to follow: You are a guest wherever you are visiting, traveling, or staying. It’s proper etiquette in a city to try to make yourself as scarce as possible. Aside from the common WiFi, electricity, showers, and restrooms that other campsites offer, they also have dog parks, fishing ponds, camp grills, swimming pools, general stores (that offer firewood and propane), and much more! All locations are different; Some allow and others don't. Be quiet and let others coming up the trail pass by. Mainly used for vans as the word suggests. Bathroom Situation: Public restrooms, usually 24-hour. There are some important things to remember when you need to sleep in your car overnight:Â, Some cities have banned sleeping in your car overnight. We have only gotten one knock on our door and they were super nice and simply asked us to move to the Wal-Mart down the street.Â, It’s proper etiquette in a city to try to make yourself as scarce as possible. As we previously discussed, Casinos can have free parking, but the amenities are minimal. Simply use your maps to find the closest ranger station and hop in to say hi! No raging bonfires. We try not to make a spectacle out of ourselves and respect the area.Â, Wal-marts are known for being a popular place to stop for the night. They have. Most rest areas only allow you park for a certain number of hours (like 8 hours or 12 hours). Sites will be distinguished and either require a reservation or a permit for first come-first serve. Now I am able to find a Free camping Spot 🙂, Just Love it. Typically won’t have services such as water, restrooms, fire pit etc.Â. My favorite part of the app is that they have a spot for cell service broken down by carrier. A good rule of thumb is to arrive later in the evening and leave early in the morning to avoid attention. I’m glad I could help! It’s polite to park towards the outskirts of the parking lot to make sure you’re not taking up spaces that real customers could use. Ford E-Series (Econoline) Price: $4,000-$15,000. Most of the time you need to go in and register to stay on their property. The first thing you need to do when finding dispersed camping is figuring out where BLM land is available. In this blog, I’ll break down the different parking options available to vandwellers, and expose the reality of it all. Apps include Campendium, IOverlaner, and Vanlife App. https://www.movinglabor.com/blog/van-life-where-can-i-overnight-park “Where will you park?’’ Of all the questions I get about living in my van when I retire, that’s understandably the one I hear the most. My favorite part of the app is that they have a spot for cell service broken down by carrier. BLM allows up to a 14 day stay in a 28 day period limit, and after this time period, you must relocate to another site at least 25 miles away. Maui has many beautiful beaches to campout on. Here are the ones that will be covered in this free vanlife overnight parking and camping guide.Â, Pack in and Pack out. The downside is that the app does cost but for $79 a year, you will save a ton on camping fees (sometimes up to $50). Camp on durable surfaces. Here’s a list of the things that we’ve come up against on our build and from our van life … They are super friendly and can help you find epic free spots in their area if it is available. Home is where you park it. Glad I could help! You are visiting an area and it isn’t a real campsite. I had no idea. A top feature is that users are allowed to add pictures which gives you a real idea of the kind of area you are driving into and whether the views are as beautiful as the reviews are claiming. You can typically stay in one dispersed camping spot for up to 14 days within a 28 day period. I’ve found that it’s easiest to figure out your destination first, and then plan your stops and figure out the camping places in between. There are BLM offices in most bigger areas. There are tons of options all over North America for parking your van at night, many of them completely free. Thanks for sharing. It’s too bad I missed all of this when my wife and I were kid-free. How Much Does A Rented Moving Truck Weigh? IOverlander is great as it works when you don’t have cell phone signal and is great for cities and in the wilderness. However, often National Parks have free campsites available, even for vehicles. I will typically check on Ioverlander to make sure that the Wal-Mart allows overnight parking. If there is trash then do the land a favor and clean it up whether you put it there or not.Â. “Everyday van life isn’t as glamorous as it might look,” says MacKenzie. This is a biggie. If you have the means, purchase a little something from the store(s) to say thanks! With all the upsides to road-tripping across the United States, van life does have its moments. Schools (sometimes) Certain schools allow people to stop in their parking lots for a short period of … Now that you’ve left the comfort of your old life for the adventure of van life – where exactly do you sleep? Let’s be real, everyone has a dog, or even a cat, that they think is … Here’s a, of Wal-Marts that don’t allow overnight parking. I can’t express this enough. Protect plant and wildlife habitat by camping at least 200 feet from lakes and streams. Invest in the area and they will surprise you with their hospitality.Â, One of the best parts of vanlife is all the friend, The first two years of van life, looking back, fee, What traveling with dogs has taught us: Cold nigh, There’s something magical about the forest. If they ask you to move, do not argue. Amenities vary, but typically include showers, restrooms, and trash receptacles. IOverlander is one of our most-used apps for free camping. I'm Brie a millennial woman who fell in love with travel and decided to never stop. BLM land as a van lifer is your best friend. Be sure to call ahead to check out the situation.