Where do you sleep in a Van?
My favorite vanlife sleeping location is in residential neighborhoods. I started out staying in neighborhoods I know well, where I know you can park on the side of the road and in spots where people are unlikely to notice or likely to think I am just visiting someone in the neighborhood. I tend to pick quiet suburban neighborhoods. I would be reluctant to stay somewhere more fancy because people in nicer neighborhoods seem to pay more attention to who is in their neighborhood.
I try to avoid taking anyone’s spot near their house, and opt to park somewhere perhaps under a tree or on the side of where a house is where I am unlikely to bother anyone or be noticed.
So far, I have never had any issues in any neighborhood I stayed in. Some people think stealth camping is difficult or undesirable, but I find it thrilling to scope out new spots and so far it has been a very nice experience. Sometimes I have stayed near friends and ended up hanging out the next day.
2. Rest Stops
Some vanlifers sleep in rest stops. I have never slept in one because being close to a freeway is not really that appealing to me because I am a light sleeper when it comes to the noise from cars going by. As long as there are no signs which say you cannot park overnight, it is perfectly fine to rest there. Some people with RVs or larger vans park among the semi’s to sleep, which is seems appealing to me.
A lot of people do seem scared of rest stops and that is part of why I might be reluctant to sleep there. I don’t go to rest stops without security after dark on my own, traveling, just to avoid any potentially unsafe situation. I think as long as you stay in your van overnight, nobody sees you and is less tempted to mess with you. Always park so you can drive away quickly in a place like this which has more people.
3. Walmart
When I first told my mom I wanted to live in a van she said: “So your plan is to live in a Walmart parking lot?”
The infamous 24 hour Walmart Supercenters that allow travelers, RVers, vanlifers, really anyone, to spend the night in their parking lot- was not my first idea of vanlife, but it is a great fallback for when you cannot find another good spot. Many places I’ve gone along the east coast have a Walmart Supercenter nearby enough to stay, which I’ve found to be convenient while traveling through unfamiliar areas. It is nice to know that if anything were to happen there are people nearby. Often, there are other travelers nearby.
There is a lot of noise in Walmart parking lots, as they are often near freeways and I have witnessed a truck race in some rural parking lot. Walmart can oddly be a meetup location for younger people in the community with nothing to do around 9pm-11pm. The noise usually dies down a bit after 11pm, but that truck drag race went until around 1am.
4. Parking Lots
Scouting a good parking lot to stay in overnight is skill. Most 24 hour stores have workers vehicles in the parking lot, and no one has ever noticed me there. The only drawback would be if they have the lot cleaned at night by a street sweeper- because those are incredibly loud and kind of confusing to wake up to at 2am. If I’m already asleep by that time, I don’t really mind.
I’ve not gotten too adventurous in this area, and I’d say that avoiding lots which have, or are likely to have security is a good bet. 24 hour grocery stores are less likely to notice, and if you look like a car that has just broken down, most of the time no one would pay any mind. But businesses with restricted access, state buildings, stores that close at night and have no other cars in the lot, restaurants, are all potentially bad places to stay because a security guard or employee may be obligated to knock on your door, or if the police are patrolling and see a vehicle in an abnormal area, they may be enticed to check on it. So discretion is recommended. The strangest parking lot I stayed in for actually 2 days when I wasn’t feeling well was a department store parking lot, in the very corner, obscured by some pleasantly shady trees. Nobody seemed to notice me there.
5. City Streets
I do not really like to stay on city streets, but it is a decent stealthy option, and some streets are better and safer than others.
If you want to sleep on the side of a city street, you do need to look out for the specific parking regulations, are there time limits for parking or do you need a permit to park there overnight? If there are no specific regulations, and especially if the neighborhood is used to varied traffic, it is an acceptable overnight location.
After that determination, there are a few additional things to consider. In some urban areas, stealing parts off of cars, carjacking, and checking car door handles are more likely and common. So you may want to consider how many people are likely to be walking through at night and if it is an advantageous environment for that kind of activity. Along a busier road with a lot of activity at night, I think it is less likely because people will be seen, and in nicer neighborhoods I think it tends to be less likely. Although, in a lot of nicer neighborhoods you may be more likely to be noticed or to be met with permit restrictions.
The busier roads are quite loud with car traffic, however, and if you have to park next to roads with heavy traffic or where people are going by at a higher speed, it is dangerous to some degree and that should also be factored into your decision. I’ve decided I am ok with staying on the left side of a one way, because my bed is facing in towards the sidewalk, so in the unfortunate case my car is hit while I am inside, I am more likely to be ok- and just, upset my house got hit!
6. Public lands
I have yet to experience one of the best reasons to pursue vanlife or RVing! Public lands; on which you can camp for free in many beautiful and wild areas of the country. There is BLM land and National Forest land. A lot of people use apps to find good free camping spots.
When looking to camp in a new area, calling the local Ranger Station to learn if there are any restrictions like a fire ban or requiring bear cans is a good idea. Make sure to review and practice good leave no trace standards. In most areas you can camp at a spot for 14 days and then you will have to move along to a new spot.
7. Campgrounds
Staying at a campground in my van is usually a treat for me. I’ve found them to be exceptionally quiet and peaceful, some of them offer nearby hiking trails, sometimes you will meet very nice people camping nearby and make friends. They can also be a nice place to relax for a few days if you need a break from a more fast paced vanlife or need to fix or work on something small in your van, if you don’t have a friend’s driveway to use nearby.
Every campground is different, I usually stay in an RV spot, or if there are campsites where you can park your vehicle. The US Forest Service campsites tend to be cheaper than the privately owned campsites or RV campgrounds, which can be overly pricy.
8. Apartment Complexes
I’ve heard this is one secret of vanlifers, particularly in Canada where some places have higher tenant turnover? As long as it is a neighborhood with a lot of visitors in and out or high turnover where people do not know everyone there, or a gated community with higher security, you can stay in an apartment complex parking lot with no trouble and drawing no undue attention. People will not notice or assume a neighbor has a visitor.
I stayed several times in a few of these parking lots in Florida and Ohio and it was very quiet, no one ever bothered me. I was actually visiting someone there as well, so I had a reason to stay, which is why I felt bold enough to try it out!
However, be careful where you park and not to park somewhere that has assigned spaces!
9. Hotel Parking lots
I have only stayed in one hotel parking lot so far, and my friend who I was traveling with had a room. I just prefer my own space and silence when I am trying to sleep. That was my first night sleeping in the van ever! I was feeling really paranoid, but no one bothered me at all. I figure and hear from other vanlifers, more experienced than I, that a lot of the time, a hotel will not notice or mind you parking there for the night, particularly if they have enough spaces left for others who have rooms to park after you.
10. 24 Hour Gym Parking Lot
When covid is finally over and I can get a gym membership I will try this one out! I have heard this is an option for some vanlifers, although one did get her window knocked on and asked to move in a small town. I think if there are other cars at the gym it is more likely to be a decent place to stay overnight, and in the morning you can go work out and get a shower if you like.
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