# Newbie stealth tips



## wanderlovejosh

So, we have only been on the road for a couple months, but I think we have leaned a bit of info that can be passed along to others.

We have a pretty basic routine for finding places to park. If we are just traveling to a destination, then rest stops are the first go to, if none are around we search for hotels.. Pretty simple, if you slip in the parking lots after dark they don't really know if you're saying there or a guest, just be smart, don't take advantage and take forever, sleep and move on. 
We don't really do wal marts, like some have mentioned they are kinda doing a reverse on overnight parking, too many people have taken advantage and it's ruined things, so we generally don't bother. 

Some good staples are lowes and Home Depot, they both have wi do you can get from the parking lot, but the trick is stealth. Don't get super close to the building, be smart, if you stick out and look suspicious then there's a chance someone will notice you. 
Also if the wi fi is what you're after, you'll find that it's weird in spots, we have been to some where you can be far away and get the wi fi, and some where you have to be close. Best advice, is to use the wi fi for what you need, then perhaps move to a more inconspicuous spot.

The other big thing is rotation, we rotate where we park if we are staying in an area for a period of time working. So one night may be a Home Depot, the next night lowes, then perhaps a grocery store, then we will go back to Home Depot, but not in the same exact spot we parked before. Yes someone make recognize your vehicle but as long as you aren't close to the building or doing anything that makes you're van look like anything than a parked van, you should be ok. Because a lot of places of work, not everyone knows everyone, so for all they know it could be a new employee.

Also we don't hang out in day time at the place we are gonna sleep at night.. If we do for whatever reason just decide to relax in the van, we might do so in a store parking lot for just a couple hours, not bringing attention to ourselves, the key is to not draw attention to yourself. Yeah we are living a life better than most, but society doesn't see it that way, and they think people in vans are just out to rob their grand mother. 

Anyways.. I hope something in all these words have helped.. My laptop broke and I've been typing this all on my phone so it's been a pain in the ass. And I'm out of beer.


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## todd

such a beautiful... camping light


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## Mankini

I like parking on forest service roads, not so much in towns. But I have noticed that _condensation on windows _will tip off unsavory characters such as copz that someone is sleeping inside. Not sure how to deal with this problem other than cracking strategic windows...I'm not a scientist so i dont understand thermodynamics or whatever the hell covers condensation.


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## roguetrader

question for y'all rubber tramping in the States - why the need for stealthy 'secret' park ups ? are you breaking laws likely to be enforced ? does this vary from state to state ? I live in my box truck and have this attitude 'you don't like the fact I'm living hear ? like I give a fuck....' BUT the cops here don't usually get heavy unless you push 'em too it plus the laws are vague.... 
.

Sent from my XT1039 using the Squat the Planet mobile app!


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## travmhid

roguetrader said:


> why the need for stealthy 'secret' park ups? !



In many places in the US it's illegal to sleep in your vehicle, or there'll be a law about overnight parking, or non-resident parking, or someone will just plain call the cops on you 'cause they're nosy. Many businesses don't want you parking in their lots, so even if it's not illegal you'll have to leave if asked or they'll trespass you. Plus, transient lifestyles in general just tend to attract increased scrutiny... so the more you stay under the radar, the better. 

All of these things are under the umbrella of what's called the "criminalization of homelessness." 

If you google that term for some quick stats, you find stuff like this:


> According to a NLCHP report last year that surveyed 187 cities between 2011 and 2014, 34 percent had citywide laws banning camping in public. Another 43 percent prohibited sleeping in vehicles, and 53 percent banned sitting or lying down in certain public places. All of these laws criminalize the kind of activities — sitting, resting, sleeping — that are arguably fundamental to human existence.


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## Mankini

they criminalize me, i criminalize them.


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## Grubblin

Mankini said:


> I like parking on forest service roads, not so much in towns. But I have noticed that _condensation on windows _will tip off unsavory characters such as copz that someone is sleeping inside. Not sure how to deal with this problem other than cracking strategic windows...I'm not a scientist so i dont understand thermodynamics or whatever the hell covers condensation.



Crack your windows as much as you can stand depending on weather. It lets the heat out and reduces or eliminates condensation. Also, and this is my personal opinion that they work, there are containers designed for both rvs and storage lockers that take humidity and odor out of the space they're in. I have two of the bigger containers, one under the seat, one by where I lay my head. They seem to help. I forget the name of the containers but you can find them everywhere. I can tell you the name when I get back to the truck if you have trouble finding them and want to know.


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## Flambadou

rainx makes some antifog coating stuff for windows. My mom's used it before on bathroom mirrors and it worked pretty good.


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## hazel drifting

wanderlovejosh said:


> So, we have only been on the road for a couple months, but I think we have leaned a bit of info that can be passed along to others.
> 
> We have a pretty basic routine for finding places to park. If we are just traveling to a destination, then rest stops are the first go to, if none are around we search for hotels.. Pretty simple, if you slip in the parking lots after dark they don't really know if you're saying there or a guest, just be smart, don't take advantage and take forever, sleep and move on.
> We don't really do wal marts, like some have mentioned they are kinda doing a reverse on overnight parking, too many people have taken advantage and it's ruined things, so we generally don't bother.
> 
> Some good staples are lowes and Home Depot, they both have wi do you can get from the parking lot, but the trick is stealth. Don't get super close to the building, be smart, if you stick out and look suspicious then there's a chance someone will notice you.
> Also if the wi fi is what you're after, you'll find that it's weird in spots, we have been to some where you can be far away and get the wi fi, and some where you have to be close. Best advice, is to use the wi fi for what you need, then perhaps move to a more inconspicuous spot.
> 
> The other big thing is rotation, we rotate where we park if we are staying in an area for a period of time working. So one night may be a Home Depot, the next night lowes, then perhaps a grocery store, then we will go back to Home Depot, but not in the same exact spot we parked before. Yes someone make recognize your vehicle but as long as you aren't close to the building or doing anything that makes you're van look like anything than a parked van, you should be ok. Because a lot of places of work, not everyone knows everyone, so for all they know it could be a new employee.
> 
> Also we don't hang out in day time at the place we are gonna sleep at night.. If we do for whatever reason just decide to relax in the van, we might do so in a store parking lot for just a couple hours, not bringing attention to ourselves, the key is to not draw attention to yourself. Yeah we are living a life better than most, but society doesn't see it that way, and they think people in vans are just out to rob their grand mother.
> 
> Anyways.. I hope something in all these words have helped.. My laptop broke and I've been typing this all on my phone so it's been a pain in the ass. And I'm out of beer.


Such a worry for me is places to park....these are great suggestions  right on.


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## Vanholio

Besides what all you posted, I like to look around lakes, especially if they aren't lined end to end with houses. Most lakes have some kind of informal campsites around them, usually used by teenagers. Look for the remains of a campfire and broken beer bottles.


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## WanderLost Radical

Flambadou said:


> rainx makes some antifog coating stuff for windows. My mom's used it before on bathroom mirrors and it worked pretty good.



Im guessing its different from the regular RainX? You just apply it on the inside of the windows?


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## Bedheadred

Great info! I also have been living in my van for the past few months and find these two website to be helpful: freecampsites.net and campendium.com

These are also useful for tent/rv camping as well. Also, fuck Walmart I hate sleeping in their lots, Home Depot is so so much better


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## wickedwench

We do Walmarts when pressed a fair bit. Allstays.com has a list of most Walmarts in the country with reports on whether they let you sleep there. It takes some guesswork out of it. We mostly stick to boondocking because then we can go weeks without driving. 

If you don't look like much, you can sleep in most parking lots without much trouble for a single night, but it's nice to not be woken up in the middle of the night. Our rig is a truck and cargo trailer. Even though we have a kid, we mostly just look like construction crew unless you see us clambering into the trailer.


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## dprogram

Bedheadred said:


> Great info! I also have been living in my van for the past few months and find these two website to be helpful: freecampsites.net and campendium.com
> 
> These are also useful for tent/rv camping as well. Also, fuck Walmart I hate sleeping in their lots, Home Depot is so so much better



Thanks!


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## Will Wood

In Colorado I've noticed several van campers on the road near the YMCA. Also, look for places on the highways where truckers pull over to sleep. Sometimes you can slip in among them. I've stayed a few nights at a Safeway.. 24 Hour Fitness can be a sleeping spot. One place had a sign warning against overnight camping, so I made it a point not to stay all night, but would spend about 1/2 a night there. If questioned, I would mention how I had no intention to stay 'overnight'.. In Sedona they have a law against sleeping in your car. But desert camping is available nearby.


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## VanScribed Goat

Will Wood said:


> In Colorado I've noticed several van campers on the road near the YMCA. Also, look for places on the highways where truckers pull over to sleep. Sometimes you can slip in among them. I've stayed a few nights at a Safeway.. 24 Hour Fitness can be a sleeping spot. One place had a sign warning against overnight camping, so I made it a point not to stay all night, but would spend about 1/2 a night there. If questioned, I would mention how I had no intention to stay 'overnight'.. In Sedona they have a law against sleeping in your car. But desert camping is available nearby.



When we had a caravan of 4+ vans/ cars in Austin we parked the YMCA and many camped in the woods next to it. It was a sweet spot between the tracks, a creek, the river, and free showers/ water at the Y! Not to mention the short walk to 6th street for the fun every night. Not sure if they just didn't care because it was SXSW or what but we stayed a whole week and kept the area clean.


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## Owyhee

I've noticed a camper around town, older Winnebago, they've been moving from shady spot to shady spot I live in a larger town but my neighborhood is the older block style part of town more of the working class area, the camper kind of fits in. I know what they're upto but it doesn't bug me when they park in the shade across from my house, I know the cops are on to them but they stay quiet and in the camper so the cops don't seem to care. My corner is a prime spot for the cops to snag speeders.


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## Owyhee

I think being discerning about whats up on your van helps if it just looks like a cleanish van with not too many stickers you'll fit in most older neighborhoods.


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## Grubblin

What do stickers or no stickers have to do with it? Even if you have a residence, RVs are meant to travel. I see $200,000 motor homes covered with travel stickers of where they've been all the time.


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## Grubblin

I've stayed in plenty of pull outs along winding mountain highways that were meant for temporary parking to fish the stream nearby. I've also stayed a couple of times in parking lots with signs that said 'no overnight parking, violators towed'. I had no choice with the parking lots, truck was fucked, couldn't move it.

I think the trick is not to be fucked up so that you can move it when asked or to have a reason you can't move it. I've never been hassled at either type of place. 

The only place I have been hassled at is in the desert. There were no trees to hide the truck behind so they could see me from a long way off.

I think if you act like you belong there and don't cause a scene they overlook you.


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## thegrapsman

Mankini said:


> I like parking on forest service roads, not so much in towns. But I have noticed that _condensation on windows _will tip off unsavory characters such as copz that someone is sleeping inside. Not sure how to deal with this problem other than cracking strategic windows...I'm not a scientist so i dont understand thermodynamics or whatever the hell covers condensation.



Couldn't condensation be solved with having a fantastic fan-vent on the roof? That cheaprvliving youtube has some videos on how to install them yourself, I guess the wiring is the biggest issue though..


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## bjorkedfork

I have found that truck stops and rest areas off the freeway in addition to store parking lots like walmart, lowes, sharis, winco, and such to be decent. Typically places close to the freeway and open 24 hours seem to be okay places to park overnight but as the op mentioned, the key is rotation. For extended stays I try to find free campsites or no-reservation campgrounds that are close in.


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## THEOEHT

starbucks never kicks me out, slept 40+ nights in their lots no probs. very few people ever come by, just the semi truck at 3 am stocking the shelves. best wifi of any parking lot too. state parks in the off season are usually unpatrolled. nat forest roads are always a good option but of course far from civilization. walmarts are always good too


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## Will Wood

THEOEHT said:


> starbucks never kicks me out, slept 40+ nights in their lots no probs. very few people ever come by, just the semi truck at 3 am stocking the shelves. best wifi of any parking lot too. state parks in the off season are usually unpatrolled. nat forest roads are always a good option but of course far from civilization. walmarts are always good too


Starbucks!! Wow, I would never have thought of that..


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## THEOEHT

Will Wood said:


> Starbucks!! Wow, I would never have thought of that..


their wifi never drops, the employees are usually really chill, private bathrooms for cleaning up in. an employee told me that they throw out food sunday and wednesday at 10 pm and never lock dumpsters. ive found around 100 pastries, breakfast burritos and egg samwiches in 1 run, still in packages.


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## happythoughts123

hazel drifting said:


> Such a worry for me is places to park....these are great suggestions  right on.


Finding places to park is what ultimately pissed me off with my last van and led me to scrap it and start riding trains again.


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## Rhubarb Dwyer

My experience in urban areas is such that, among all the complications of car/van/truck living, parking spots is one of the trickiest. 
I never had the condensation issue, because I was in my canopied truck bed. However, that came with attraction factor of being seen climbing in and out.
Aside from the previous suggestions, one of my best consistently okay spots was in a park-&-ride lot at a transit center.
PDX has lots of them, so I chose the largest and it was great. No patrol that I ever noticed. Rolled in after dark, parked on the fringes of the lot, morning, and in the morning the lot was packed solid. All the other cars made it more discreet to crawl out.
I also try to look around for streets or stretches that are lined with RVs and foggy windows. I cause less trouble and leave no mess compared to some rubber trampers, so I "fit in" without being a target for enforcement.


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## WanderingDao

College areas have been my standby for years. It is normal to have hundreds of cars parallel-parked along the sides of roads where college students live, with out-of-state tags. You have to deal with noisy kids late at night, but I have never had a problem with cops, or with the public other than loud drunk people yelling nearby.


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## BelleBottoms

Large hospital lots work, though I find them depressing. Casinos are usually welcoming. Some places open up their fairgrounds lots when there are no events scheduled. I think staying out of town is best though. Better rest & less hastle.


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## Lillith

I can say from personal experience of myself and a friend of mine Dominoes emyployes will almost no fucks if you park overnight in the lot. Have heard similar things about Taco Bell.


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## Owyhee

Grubblin said:


> What do stickers or no stickers have to do with it? Even if you have a residence, RVs are meant to travel. I see $200,000 motor homes covered with travel stickers of where they've been all the time.


The oval sticker for where you've been and state/national park stickers are fine. Dead head/band, political, weed, and the regular record store stickers put a red flag for authorities and debbie do gooders. To be truly stealthy you shouldn't have stickers on your rig. The ultimate stealthy camping would be done with a white work van, with an amber light up top with hard hat and hi-vis vest up front in the seats so coppers and neighbors assume its just a work van, not a clandestine camper.


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## Wild Ty Laserbeam

Lillith said:


> I can say from personal experience of myself and a friend of mine Dominoes emyployes will almost no fucks if you park overnight in the lot. Have heard similar things about Taco Bell.



I would go so far as to say that almost no fast food employees give a fuck about anything, but it's not up to them. Hell, that's why they give so few fucks. After they close, that random single van parked in the lot might look suspicious to law enforcement. 

On the other hand, I'm not a stealth guy, but fast food joints (with enough room in their lot) typically don't care if you hang out for a few hours when they are open.


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## Ezra Fyre

happythoughts123 said:


> Finding places to park is what ultimately pissed me off with my last van and led me to scrap it and start riding trains again.





Wild Ty Laserbeam said:


> I would go so far as to say that almost no fast food employees give a fuck about anything, but it's not up to them. Hell, that's why they give so few fucks. After they close, that random single van parked in the lot might look suspicious to law enforcement.
> 
> On the other hand, I'm not a stealth guy, but fast food joints (with enough room in their lot) typically don't care if you hang out for a few hours when they are open.




TIP - Mc. Donald's has free wifi nation wide too.

Having previously been the manager at fast food & coffer shops - correct*most* employees wont give a fuck. Funny though, managers are specifically supposed to. Its actually policy to NOT let you stay. But *most* people, including managers simply just can't be fucking bothered to do their damn jobs in the first place. 
What, i did however - if i see your ass pull in, i literally make a note. Vehicle, time, license plate, descrip of people/pets if i can see em, and my impression of the vehicle and its intentions. Then, i either leave the traveler the F alone, and go home myself... Or, I go say Hi, let em know "technically" they can't park there, BUT, I'm not running them off. The morning manager will be in around X time, they're going to (depends who next manager was) ... & answer any questions they might have for a "not running them off" friendly local.

Now in writing my note - 1. I never put it in the manager's log (aka, official record) which is where I'm supposed to write that. Instead it went on scrap paper I'd leave in the office. If I HAD to put it in the log, i copied it in. Otherwise, the notes would go away. I wrote them #1, because it was my job. #2, to cover my conscience... If anything happened... (Particularly if I only saw gals in the car.) ... I wanted the information, just Incase. and #3, to cover the company/MY ass/job, incase anything happened.... Aka someone robbed the store that night - then I don't get fired for not paying attention to the lot.... (Seriously Guys - There's NO Less Than 20 pages in the manager's guides/training manuals about this shit. .... Policy REALLY is They Care.)....

I was always friendly with travelers, but, that's me. Kinda hard to kick out the guys just looking for a sleepover that isn't going to get them arrested, when I've got like 10 dirty kids getting fleas all over my living room at home, haha.

Best Tips - BE FUCKING POLITE! (only came real close to calling the cops once - not cause I NEEDED to, but to be the Bitch! Only wanted to that one time - and it was emotionally charged, because those guys were such fucked off assholes - i really wanted to....) Be Fucking Polite. DON'T Trash The Lot! c'mon ya fuckn' squater, I don't want your trash!  ... And Dude, IF you're going to dive in the dumpster ANYWAY ya could put your garbage straight in there, INSTEAD of filling the 3 small cans in the lot, so the guys running late to open, don't have to do it for you in the morning.  Thanks. (from employees who do care)


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