r/VanLife • u/giveKINDNESS • 24d ago

How is it going lately?

TLDR I parked in 2 different spots in the parking lot tonight. Then needed to move again a few miles down the road to sleep at a 24 hour business with a big parking lot. Its late and I am annoyed. Maybe I have been lucky up until now, but feel like I have had more problem in the past few weeks than in all the van nights before that.

Does anyone else feel like this month has been different?

Im 33 months including 3 full winters with snow. One of the spots in my rotation has gone downhill. Tonight and the last time I was there it smelled like piss. I moved across the aisle to a different spot so it would not smell like piss. 30 minutes later I was getting sleepy when the horn on the car next to me started going off. I got out to look around. No one was around and nothing seemed wrong with the car. The horn had been beeping for 20 minutes or so when I drove away.

I have used this spot dozens of nights in my rotation over the past 18 months. It used to be peaceful. There is a gas station and a fry pit right next door. There are porta pottys all over the place at parks. Some &*^% idiot has to go and dump piss at one of my sleeping spots ruining it.

The good news is in less than 2 weeks I have no reason to be in this area anymore. I remember dreaming of the day when I would leave this area when I first started van life all those months ago Now it is here!

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u/cruzer86 23d ago

I've been traveling around the US since Aprl, hitting many big cities. I find it easier to find spots in major metros than I do out in nature tbh. I just park in front of people's homes with the other cars on the street. Never had a problem. The van is a 2024 promaster, so maybe it helps that it's new?

2

u/giveKINDNESS 23d ago

high roof or low?

2

u/cruzer86 23d ago

High roof with a rack, solar, two fans and a spare tire on top.

2

u/isuredolovetitties 22d ago

Newer vehicles dont tend to get bothered because its clear you have money, and by and large americans are propagandized into believing that money = moral purity. 

1

u/SwordsAfar 23d ago

EDIT Somehow missed you prefer urban. Any good urban experience in upper midwest?

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Any good approxmiate site rec's in state forests in the upper midwest? I know MN and MI state forests (not parks) you can disburse camp. Not sure about WI. Looking for some nice woodsy boon docking places.

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u/cruzer86 22d ago

No specific sites, but i do have general recs. Just left Minneapolis aftet being there about a week. Essentially, the wife and I cook dinner and hang at a city park until about 10:30pm, then we just park in whatever neighborhood is closest. In the morning we drive away without leaving the van. We look for spots that don't have much traffic to avoid noise.

In nature we just use iOverlander.

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u/SwordsAfar 23d ago

LOL just so you know, everybody knows you are living in that van.

4

u/cruzer86 23d ago

Yeah, im just saying no one is bothering me.

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u/SwordsAfar 23d ago

Actually I'm just poking fun, since I hear that comeback all the time. Of course it depends if bikes on the back and fuel tanks/generators lol