Finding a Parking Place
Choosing the right parking place is an essential survival skill. Choosing the wrong one will draw the attention of residents, business owners, and police, and you will be moved on early. There is enough work involved in setting up for the night that moving on costs you at least an hour, and it is an unpleasant hour, one in which you have to listen to a self righteous jerk with a badge and a stick tell you how you ought to be living.
Don't get me wrong. I like police when they're chasing criminals. Somehow, though, they become something different when they are preventing me from attending to my most basic biological needs. Somehow, when they are standing between me and sleep they seem less than heroic.
A good parking space is difficult to find. It needs to be isolated, but your car can't stand out. It needs to be near other cars, but away from the prying eyes of property owners and tenants. It needs to be well lit, and yet your car should be unnoticable. Ideally your spot should be shaded from the morning sun. Such places exist, but usually you accept some flaws.
Residential Areas
A residential area is never ideal, but it is the most reliable supplier of an acceptable spot. The advantage, your car never looks out of place. If police cruise by they won't be wondering what a car is doing parked there. The disadvantage, lots of eyes. You want to park so that you are not in front of anyone's front door. Along a fenceline is good, particularly a tall fenceline. That shelters you from view on one side. Best is a place just on the cusp between a residential and a commercial zone. You want to be removed from the houses, so the residents don't notice or care about you, but you want the car to look natural in the place you've parked.
It is best to be under a streetlamp. A well lit area allows you to have the dome light on in the car without light shining out through your car cover, so you can read or write without fear. Light also deters thieves. Darkness has no real advantages. It may allow you to get into the car unobserved more easily, but this is really trading a full nighttime of increased danger for a few seconds of lower exposure. You can find the right moment to enter the car in the bright light.
Business Areas and Parking Lots
First let's clear one thing up, paying for parking is unnecessary and wasteful, so if you are thinking of one of those pay to park parking structures, think some more. Pay parking lots are regularly patrolled by three kinds of people you'd like to avoid, cops, security guards, and thieves. It is way too high profile, and frequently they are locked overnight. You don't ever want to be locked in anywhere. The overriding quality you are looking for in a parking place is flexibility on entrance and exit.
Don't park where traffic will prevent you from getting into or out of your car safely. Don't park on busy streets. On those few occasions when I did park on a busy street I couldn't shake the fear that someone might sideswipe my parked car. It happens. You don't want it to happen while you are in the vehicle.
Don't park where people will be arriving in large numbers at certain times of day or night because it will make it harder for you to get out unobserved.
Never park near a grade school or a high school. People take child safety very seriously, and rightly or wrongly the homeless are going to be perceived as a threat.
Most of the time supermarket or department store parking lots are no good. Your vehicle sticks out in an empty lot. Walmart, though, allows RV's to park overnight in their lots. I'm told that some Walmarts even have utility hookups for the RV's. I have never tried this, because I was unaware of the Walmart policy, but where RV's go will probably be safe for you in a car. I would park near any RV's that were there ahead of me, and I wouldn't concern myself with hiding my car living ways from their owners. This is one of those exceptional situations where you can relax a little.
Hotel and motel parking lots will do in a pinch. This is a good choice if for some reason you've lost your car cover. The cops won't bother you and a lot of hotels and motels will tolerate you. When approached by hotel staff, just tell them you are only looking for a place to sleep that night. Most of the time they will look the other way.
Service stations are pretty good for a one night stint also, especially those that think of themselves as a freeway rest stop. You can generally sleep till morning without anyone disturbing you.
Gathering Places
RV's and campers and truckers tend to find lonely stretches of road and congregate. These can often be found near beaches, near lakes, just off the highway, and in other more or less remote places. Where you find such a congregation, you can park with safety. Watch the crowd. It knows more than individuals do. The favorite in a horse race wins about 33% of the time, but the very best handicappers in the world pick the winner 17% of the time. Crowds know. These are places that are ignored by law enforcement, yet offer no particular temptations to criminals.
Campgrounds
Yeah, campgrounds work, I suppose. Lots of people use them. Personally I hate camping. It's cold. In a car, you are well above the ground. In a tent you are on the ground, and even with a pad it's a powerful heat sink. In a car, the wind can't touch you. The wind will take your tent and put it in the next county. Your car is impervious to the rain. Your tent keeps some of the rain out, I guess, unless, of course, you pitched it in a dry creek bed. Yeah. You want to camp? Camp. It isn't for me.
Many campgrounds even require that you pay for all this luxury.
Campgrounds are also separated from all the places you do business, usually by quite a distance. Cold, uncomfortable, often at a cost of money, and in an inconvenient location, well, they must have something to recommend them, but I am having trouble thinking what it is. You are still exposed, even moreso really. Now instead of just thieves and cops you've got paranoid marijuana growers, bears, mountain lions, and the occasional (though admittedly very rare) serial killer to worry about. On the plus side, you can have a fire, but you will probably have to have brought some wood. In my experience, wood that will burn easily is rare at a campground.
Rest Stops
Freeway rest stops are good, but they are crowded, the restrooms are unsanitary, and they have posted rules about how long you can be there. In California the rule is usually six hours, because some bureaucrat thought it would be funny to make sure no one got a full night's sleep. Irony creeps in everywhere, even at rest stops.
The good news is no one has ever enforced the time limit on me. I haven't used them a lot, but when I have, I've usually been there eight or ten hours without a problem.
Rotate Your Sites
It is a good idea to have three to ten good parking places scouted out, and rotate from one to the next. It is a bad idea to park in the same place three nights in a row. You should scatter your sites through several neighboring cities if you are in a big county like Los Angeles, so that you don't get too well known to one police department. Speaking of that, county land is often less patrolled or controlled than city land is. If you know of a group of streets that have no city claims to them, check those out for good places to park.
It's a bad idea to have a regular pattern, like always being in the same place on Tuesdays. Think about it. You might have been observed, and a complaint may have been made, but the police failed to catch you. If the complaint contains an observation of a pattern, they'll get you on the next cycle, the next Tuesday. Sound paranoid? Police have told me they were waiting for me.
If you are homeless long enough, you will break most of these rules from time to time. That's fine. Sometimes there will be some advantage, some exception to the rule. Sometimes you will just be too tired or too lazy to do things right. Sometimes you will pay a price for that, but that is part of this. Some things you just have to learn the hard way.
Be alert. Choose parking carefully. Stay safe.
posted by Mobile Homemaker @ 1:42 PM
52 Comments:
Absolutely! Keep 'em coming! Out of the last five or so posts, this is the one I've been waiting to read. It's back to that format of the original posts ... the "this is how you do this" type of instructive post. That's what I come here every day to check up on.
Anyway, why do you say you're getting zero feedback? I see comments on every single post ... an average of 4.5 comments per post, actually. I realize some of these are you, but hey, people are reading and people are talking!
I suppose I exagerrated for effect. I got about 300 unique hits yesterday, but no comments. I like hearing from you all.
I've found your series very interesting, it reminds me of travels with Lisbeth.
You've been writing good stuff, some things I'd like to hear more about as well:
- Employment and keeping a job
- Camping (why not do it more?)
- Why government programs /charities work (or don't)
- Your thoughts on panhandling
I just discovered your blog a couple of weeks ago, and I think it's one of the most interesting of the blogs I frequently read. You definitely know how to write and keep things to the point while at the same time adding in some of your own experiences.
I too would like to see more information on your thoughts on camping out -- why not get a nice tent and live on a campground? I know of whole families who live on campgrounds the entire summer for vacation, and as long as you keep clean you should never stick out.
Also, what are your thoughts on "party crashing" -- happening by free meals at large weddings or wakes where there are many people hardly anyone knows?
I imagine most homeless people don't regularly have access to the internet and may never know of your writings, even if you publish them in book form. How would you get your word out to those who could desperately use your help?
Yeah, keep it coming. Very thought provoking.
You've got 51 people reading at Bloglines:
http://www.bloglines.com/userdir?siteid=671314
What do you think about the Walmart parking lots? They are very friendly towards campers, are well lit, have toilet facilities and you can usually find some hot food for under $2.
RSS aggregators are a great way to make sure I don't miss any articles, but obviously don't make it easy to leave feedback :)
I agree with Marke's comment, I love your "how to" articles. Please keep writing!
Hey, I love all the "How to..." articles too. It's a whole lot of really neat information that I hope never to need. But I really get a lot out of the philisophical essays as well. Your take on homelessness is unlike anyone's that I have ever heard, and I think that anyone who listens to you and hears you will benefit from your thoughts whether or not they agree with you. I never considered an upside to homelessness, but after reading your blog I recognize that my mortgage and associated house-dwelling expenses are a chain around my ankle to the tune of about 60 hours a week. I am not going to throw off my clothes and live naked in the woods with this epiphany, I can't, I have a family and responsibilities and we have all come to the conclusion that we like our roof. But I can look at homelessness and the homeless with a new perspective because of your ideas. Please keep both types of essays coming. Perhaps you could set up a "Practical Homelessness" table of contents and a "Homeless Philosophy" table of contents. Both are important.
I do love this page. I've never been homeless (unless you want to count being snowed in at an airport for around 24 hours) but it does give an interesting perspective on things.
Your talk on parking made me think a good article would be on the selection of a vehicle. The reason I say this is because your articles made me think about one of my favourite automobiles: my ten year old Jeep Grand Cherokee and how well it would work as a mobile dwelling.
First of all, its not expensive to purchase, especially if you're employed. Most lots around here have 94-95 Jeep Grand Cherokees at around 4k. The rear seat folds down with just about enough space for someone or two to lie down comfortably. The rear windows are tinted so reduces the likelihood of being seen. With a soft pad and maybe a sleeping bag, you could be quite comfortable. There are even relatively inexpensive car camping kits which fit over the back door, which would allow you to blend in when parking in camping sites.
The jeep would also allow you to pick more remote sites for hiding out. Where I live, in Utah, even in the urban areas, you're no more than 30 minutes away from mountainous wilderness where you can be alone and secure. And since camping is common here, no one is going to think twice about a jeep with a camping kit. If you're in the LA area, I know that makes the remote areas even further away, but I would think they are close enough to be a semi-decent option.
Plus, with the jeep, there's quite a bit of room for storage so you could literally have your house on your back. I've seen inexpensive portable toilets and shower kits which would extend the idea of the jeep as a portable house.
I'm not trying to be a jeep commercial but it seems like a practical choice for mobile living on a tight budget. The only drawback I would see is the very limited gas mileage.
Just wanted to say that I am enjoying your blog quite a bit. Keep up the good work.
I was homeless twice in my life, and agree with you on the rest areas. I once lived for two months, parking nightly at a rest area called Starvation Creek. Oh, the irony.....
Here is a second vote for an article on what kind of car to choose. I was thinking about this blog driving home the other day and decided I wouldn't want to live in my Honda Civic. The most obvious choice is a van...I assume this means a van is a bad choice. Anyway, I would be interested to read your thoughts on the topic.
Hello, first of all I wanted to comment on what a great site you have with lots of useful information for those that either need it or will need it one day.
I had a couple of ideas. On the entertainment. Magazines and newspapers? I thought a great place to find those would be at bus stations. People reading them while waiting and tossing them as they board.
Another Idea I had is about parking. Would a used car lot work during the night, or on the days they are closed? Not sure about the logistics on that. Just a thought.
Thanks, Jeff
Hi Jeff,
Used car lots don't sound like a great idea to me, only because I don't like a lot of surveilance. If it is a dealer lot, it would probably be impossible due to security. If it is a for-sale-by-owner lot, I suppose it would work, but you'd have people checking out your car. That doesn't work for me. In general, parking lots have a large number of disadvantages. I always favored street parking. There are always exceptions. If there is an advantage that outweighs the risks, set aside my advice.
Your ideas for finding free papers and magazines work fine. Don't steal them from coffee shops, though, or you're likely to wear out your welcome.
I dunno about your reasons for not choosing a campsite as a "home". Your reasons and tone sound more like you just don't have much experience with the subject and put too much of your own preference into your answer, so you shrug it off to sterotypical answers. In your book, I'd rather see more research put into that aspect of homlessness because I know for a fact that there are lots of campsites close enough to civilization to get to what you need quickly. You also don't get into using a towable camper to sleep in -- not everyone who camps has to use a tent. There are also alternative fuel heaters one can use in these campers/tents instead of relying only on a fire. And campesites aren't always in the thick of woods where animals are a threat, so I guess I just don't see your explanation as very satisfying.
I think you are Gudlyf. I have not provided a very satisfying answer on the campsite prospect. This is because I have never been a wilderness survival type of person, so my experiences, limited as they are, with camping have been exceedingly uncomfortable.
There are a lot of experts on camping out there, and I would be playing catch up in a field that doesn't interest me much to spend a lot of effort researching this possibility. I have a lot of expertise to offer. I'll leave it to other experts to cover camping.
I really do my best to expose my bias in my writing. I am glad you can see that my bias against camping is a personal preference.
Great information!
I have been reading all your posts and can't wait to read more. I have to say, you have a very clear writing style and I think you should pitch publishers on your book. I for one would buy it.
I noticed someone asking about a vehicle to do this in, so I had to share what I think is the ideal one: a VW camper bus. They have a bed, closet, table, and storage built in. The are cheap to buy and to maintain -- with the aid of a well-known book (called "the idiot book") you can do most of the work yourself. They get great gas mileage. Plus you are instantly the member of a community. If you broke down in a Jeep, no one would look twice. In a VW, you have help in a trice. Dig it!
One of the things that didn't hurt me was the older nice condition pickup we used to tow with. In a previous life I would have wanted to restore it and make it perfect.. or at least mine. When I did have to talk to the blue guys about something the conversation would get round to the truck. Running gear, and questions about older safety stuff... (my safety stuff is still in nice shape..) My wife and I were very lucky to get an older rig in really nice shape. We tried to look like we were off to a rod run or some sort of thing when we were moving a lot. My newer truck might not be so good for that Its a 1985, my old one was a 1971. We were extremely lucky with parking right up till our present situation.. Now we are separated from our freedom machine. Hopefully spring will change things.
Thank you for your "how to survive" articles. This if my first time experiencing this. I own an SUV. I just checked out of a motel for one week but I will not have money for an efficiency until my unemployment kicks this week. But somehow I still feel secure and blessed that I have my SUV because with that I know that I will always have shelter. I had thought about Walmart also because it open 24hrs and is always crowded. Thank you for the confirmation because I feel so much better about things now. And you are right also about the sense of freedom. Again thank you, I really needed to read this.
I was "homeless" and lived out of a car for a year and a half while working and spending less than $200 a month. Your blog is well written and has some great advice.
What worked for me as far as parking was concerned was to find a lot in the back of an abandoned house in a residential / commercial zone. I managed to track down the owner of the house and explained to him that I would like to stay there and that I would keep an eye on the place and do some yardwork for him in exchange. I also introduced myself to the neighbors and
let them know what I would be doing and even got to be friends with one couple in the nieghborhood. I think that people who choose to be homeless should not overlook the power of an intelligent charismatic conversation to overcome prejudice and help you find a place to stay for free.
I also find it ridiculous that sleeping in a vehicle is illegal most places, but my approach was far easier and less stressful than dealing with cops and robbers.
I lived in my Nissan Altima for almost 2 months last fall/winter. I modified it by taking the passenger seat and rear seats out. This allowed me to cook, sleep fully extended and very inconspicously, and just lounge in the back. I got hastled in Texas @ 3 A.M. by some small town law enforcement but never had any problems in Walmart parking lots where I stayed a majority of the time. The only problem for me was bathing...but I wasnt applying for jobs or trying to find a date, so it wasnt a huge issue.
You seem to be very good at writing.
Did you ever think of becoming a writer???
Hi,the last two nights have been in a "Super"Walmart parking lot, in my car. Our town is only 9000 or so, so most of the cops know us and are usually good and our WalMart is o-k too, but you are right about not every night! A couple of nights here a couple there. In Wisconsin our rest areas are a pride and joy and are generally quite clean, so they are an option. Country roads... hmm. Ever hear of Ed Gein? But I love the info, shame it has to exist in the US though. Stay safe y'all!!
I was homeless for 2 and a half years in Florida, and am now homeless again. I parked in a local Wal Mart parking lot, the manager knew I was there and I was welcomed into the store to bathe in the handicapped stall in the early morning hours prior to going to work. I also kept a few pet store rats in the car with me and no one including the police bothered me for long....they were all afraid of the rats..which BTW make excellent pets and, contrary to popular opinion do not bite...I was glad to become housed but am now glad to be homeless again due to financial freedom it affords... I am a substitute teacher... You are so right about the police harrassment though..I got plenty of that too...Maybe this time we will utilize the rest areas on our highway nearby..Thank You!!! We just found your site!!
I guess the kind and condition of the vehicle also affects parking it. Wehn I had to park overnight I always lowered the back seats and slept with my feet in the trunk, usually with some kind of cover for the rear windows.
You can usually park at any housing development where they have condominiums. Choose carefully, pick a visitor spot. This is good for a night's sleep, but not much else.
Also, in large rural cities you'll find that the local police visitor parking lot is away from the police building. It's a very safe place for overnight parking.
Most choices fall under the rule, "It's easier to be forgiven than to get permission."
This is a great site, I love it. :)
Great info, takes me back in time reading it. :-/
I used to park at McDonalds sometimes. Good for a one time stop and at the crack of dawn they awake you to fresh coffee and a place to brush your teeth and wash.
Hey hey,
What about townhouses, or apartment complexes? There are always visitors, you would be in a well lit area, away from prying eyes, I'm sure there would be at least some shade. Even getting in your car seems like not a hard(ish) thing to do, right? Just got the cover on, forgot something in the passenger seat. DRAT *slaps forhead* and climb on in.
Cheers,
Aaron
Your site is fascinating. Your resourcefulness and intelligence amazes me. I've told many friends about your site. My friends and I are upper middle class but have an obsessive fear of homelessness. The "Baglady" syndrome is prevalent among most women I know. Even multi-millionaires. It is very comforting to know how to survive in the jungle without a "den" or "pack" to support you.
I use these tactics all the time when on road trips. 24 hr walmarts are great, and you can get a McNally map from walmart that lists them, etc. very handy. I worked at walmart for 5 years. Walmart encourages overnighters in their parking lots. The only risk is from police doing routine drive bys in small towns, hence why using only the 24 hr stores is advised.
Thanks you save people & myself money. Not only that I actually felt very educated and a sense of pride in a way that there is are 'techniques' to avoid or use. I 50 50 like dislike being homeless but choose, like you said on how much to spend or save or do and that you should be able to change from the money saved if your working anyway. PS if homeless you could work with out loosing job from not keeping a good attitude and not looking homeless as i would think some employers might try to make it rough or get rid git red of you? if you're not in a house; between two folks if one lives in a place where rent is 300 and the other pay 2,600 $ contract house payments it's obvious to the norm. Minnow
I live in a very large urban area and was recently laid off. I can barely afford my rent with my unemployment check, so I've been contemplating living in a car. I can use my gym membership for showering and I already use a laundromat for washing clothes. As far as parking, I've got two ideas and was wondering if anyone has had any experience with these(?):(1)I've seen a few listings for parking spaces for rent, like in alley areas and people who own garages. (2) I've thought about renting a 24 hour access storage unit and just park my car in it. Pros and Cons?
I am planning on attending an art college in boston starting this spring. I have enough funding to pay tuition and some living expensess but do not forsee funding that will cover room and board. I now live in los angeles and have no real world knowledge of the boston area. i am pondering the idea of attending college in boston and living however i can. I could aquire a van to live in, but have no idea about the logistics of parking and living in a van in boston. I beleive withthe right equipment i could survive the winters in a van- but where would i keep the van at night and while in class. Are there areas outside the city that might make this scheme possible, using public transportation to get in and out of the city. Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated.
I live in a camper with no water,
i use 5 gallon buckets with lids for water collection, find these at food places.
Best vehicle to live in is a 80s VW diesel rabbit truck with a cap. You can run these vehicles on used fryer oil from bars, and ice cream stands, you can even use a little veg oil in the crankcase if your low on oil,mixed with a small amount of gasoline to thin out the vegetable oil, as not to clog fuel filters,. You will then need a power inverter to run ac powered devices off the car battery, bring a extra battery to keep charged by rotating the battery between drives,then you can buy a coleman instant hot water propane shower for about 120bucks, pump coldwater from a 5gallon bucket. Sometimes look for abandoned barns, and peoples vacation cabins,away from neighbors, park way up behind them for a safe overnight sleep, look out for how much light you emit at night. Food is tough, learn your wild edibles. There is a virtual ceasar salad of flavors out there in the woods.
how about parking at really old graveyards way out of the way?
Campgrounds run your plates so make sure you have up to date insurance.
Dont be scared. just do itLive in a camper work on your education, and be the Ultimate money saving machine! then buy some land put your camper on it, gather materials to build a small pole building, then save ,build a house, then start a family.
i'm about to be evicted i'm diabled and i have no money i figure if i can live in my car and see our fine country for next 3-5 years i can afford to by a small condo ,,,,i pray,,,,,,im scared,,,,,my kids have 1 more year of college and i feel bad they have no home to come home to and i'll have to leave wi as itll be getting cold soon,,,im in chronic pain and feel ill at least ill meet people and enjoy our country
Do truck stops allow you to park a car or van for the night if you are a paying customer?
I am interested in more information about the car camping kit (a Google search was useless for this term), and information about keeping / cooking food. I have been homeless twice - both times with children, both times for extended times (more than 3 months). While I wouldn't want to raise them this way, I agree that shelters are not a first choice.
I had a very unpleasant two month stint as part of the homeless congregation in Florida, where I found solace only in your blog and my car. I would like to thank you for articulately providing we lesser mortals with this vital information.
In reference to utilizing hotel parking lots, I must say that when my husband and I bedded down in a Holiday Inn lot [where, I add, there was plenty of room for their customers] for about three nights, we were awakened rather rudely by two of their staff who stated that their manager requested that we not stay there anymore. We were not bothering anyone and usually left by a bit after dawn, when their customers wouldn't notice or be offended by our presence. The dynamic of circumstantial homelessness [and chosen, I suspect] leads for the person/people in the compromising position to engage in forced consideration, when they are shown so little in return.
I've spent countless nights at Flying J's and Walmart's while traveling. Never once had a problem.
Im soon to be homeless, and rather than riding it out till the day it came, ive started taking it on board and living out of the car. I figured it made more sense to get used to it and roll into it then put up with it as a last resort.
I have been staying at storage locations where they rent budget trucks. People rent trucks and leave the car behind till the next day when they return it, so a car parked overnight isnt out of place.
Of course you always have to pick and choose your overnight stay spots. Never assume that you wont be bothered if you are simply 'out of the way'.
I have to agree that walmart is the most accommodating for overnight parking. And as a bonus its well lit and more secure than most lots.
If it has a mini food court inside all the better, because you can get a cheap pretzel (maybe not the healthiest) that can have a very warming effect on your stomach on a cold night. And the tasty bread is very filling, so if you are in straights with nourishment it can hold you over for a while, even with eating it over a day or two.
Excellent postings however, and i commend you for publishing this blog.
I lived with my bf and son out of a scion xb and tents for almost the entire summer. We kind of pretended for my son that we were "camping" as we moved to the west coast however really we were homeless.
I hate camping. I hated all the packing and unpacking etc and loading everything on our car.
It was really really hard. My BF got work quick and even full time we did not have credit not bad credit we had no credit could not get into an apartment for lack of credit. Not only that but staying in state parks was as expensive as renting.
We now understand the homeless situation here in SOCAL. If you have no credit or bad credit you are royally screwed and no one cares.
We live now in a tiny apt but are surprisingly content. However there is a huge homeless population right down the street from us. Literally hundreds of people on the street.
I hate seeing it because it is so unfair. These people are standing against fences in perfectly good completely empty parking lots where in third world cities poor people could build and live in little shanty towns and at least have shelter and sleep.
Or you could develop 100% self sustaining developments for these people.
I dunno maybe have a sleep in for the homeless where we have an event once a week where people can come to the park for a few hours and get totally uninterrupted sleep.
Everything about that sleep law is really bothering me and I want to shed light on it and make it clear to everyone on this planet that it is not against the law to be sleeping.
Great site, excellent advice. I have had some bad luck with timing. When it looks like the coast is clear I go to get in my car and DAMN! Right then all of a sudden it's Grand Central Station. People coming out of nowhere, cars pulling in. I feel so busted I know I must look guilty of something. Any ideas other than "find a new place"? It happens in a lot of different types of places. I'm feeling like Wile E. Coyote here.
Wile E Coyote - My advice is not to worry so much about it. Most of the time people don't know what they are seeing. Just get in the car and play the odds. It's a lot like lying in that they have to spot the deception and then they have to overcome their societally ingrained resistance to calling you on it. That's a heavy burden for them to bear. Try not to live in fear.
Thanks Mobile Homemaker. You're right, I shouldn't be so paranoid. I will take your advice - Wile E. Coyote
Pretty good but really a "car" is not a good idea, best is a "cargo" van, ie the type that doesn't have side windows for anybody to look in on and many of them have the rear windows already covered up so it doesn't look unusual. This way you have more room inside and don't have to get in and out or place a cover on and then crawl in. Look for a 1/2 or 3/4 ton short cab with a V6 and you're set! Troll Craigslist and find a used rv or marine propane heater and now you have heat, go to an RV parts place and get either one or two roof vents and you have cooling in the summer. A couple of led lights from the same places and you can see inside at night. A few 2x4's and some plywood from Home Depot (they'll even cut it to size for you) and you have a bed. Done! I know a camper van is more comfortable and has high headroom and a built in heater, etc.... but it's very conspicuous and won't blend in very well, though if you live in a cold climate it's nice (speaking from experience here in Seattle.) My other choice would be one of the "conversion" vans as they often offer a fair amount of headroom and a built in bed but I don't like all the extra windows as they have to be covered to sleep yet they still allow a lot ofl light in with the factory shades and if you cover them with something else it's just a signal to the cops to wake you up to "check you out" (again speaking from experience.) Hope this helps. Darrell
For me a van was just too obvious. They are cop magnets. You are correct about the advantages, though.
awesome info!! tip o the hat bro..wanted to suggest my only option in a smaller town was to park at the hospital for two nights. my thought was that it was safe and if bothered i would say that i was just visiting someone and needed sleep. I used the restroom in the ER and left in the morning so I had no problems there
Hospital parking lots are great too. Especially in the middle to back end of the emergency side. I have done this frequently and only have been questioned once. When questioned i said that I was prone to anxiety attacks and was waiting it out there in the car before i knew i had to go in to the emergency room.
Thank you for the information you are providing here. I have been staying in my van, and it's been a lot harder than I thought it would be. It is nice to know I am not alone with some of these experiences.
Thank you for the great blog. You have opened my eyes. I am 30 and for the last 10 years I have done well in the corporate world and I have a wealth of "material" to show for it. Renting out my home and living in the truck for awhile will be my tool to obtain financial freedom. I will keep my job, save a large portion of my paychecks and buy investment real estate (like a fourplex) that will provide income each month to fund my "truck lifestyle". Or I will move into my fourplex and live for cheap or free there. I will probably still want some additional income so I will seek short term consulting projects, seasonal work, or whatever. Working just to meet my expenses feels empty. Working to move forward to a goal of financial freedom is more relevant. I love camping and being outdoors, so I think I will like truck living.
My biggest concerns are being hassled by the cops (I am a 30 year old gal) and where to go between 4 PM when I get off work and 10 PM when I find a spot to sleep.
to escaping the desk... there are lots of places to hang out while waiting for the time to sleep. parks,malls,dollar theater,coffee shops,book stores,most 24 hour diners,baseball/football fields, either watch the game or hang by the car,especially the baseball games played by corporate teams, they drink and couldn't care less what you do in the parking lot, supermarket parking lots for 4 to 6 hours at the most, otherwise the buggy kids get suspicious but mostly parks, especially if you like to read or do crafts or such. internet cafes are good too. I could go on and on... just be where people are and don't look like your trying to hide.
Sorry I haven't been commenting. I just started reading this series, and I absolutely love it. I've always wanted to try the homeless lifestyle, for a while, at least. Probably sometime after college, if I go. Reading this makes me kind of worry about all the details.. it seems like it's really hard to get a good night's sleep! But I'm so glad for it, and much more prepared now. I didn't even think of having a car before, stupid me. Thank you for sharing your experiences. Your writing's entertaining to read, too.
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