Let’s start by saying that SAFE is the keyword here. When you’re living in your vehicle, you’re a little less protected than if you were in a house so you definitely want to make sure you park in safe worry free and “knock-free” places. If you don’t know what “the knock” is, it’s when you a police officer knocks (loudly) on your van window at night asking you to leave. It’s not the worst thing ever but when you’re in a deep sleep, it could be a little alarming. The goal is to find free places to sleep so you can save your money for your adventures. We very rarely pay to sleep places. It’s almost become a fun game we play now to find the best sleeping spots, with the best views for free.
Here are our tips for finding safe + reliable places to sleep at night:
Walmart, Cabela’s, Bass Pro Shops, + Cracker Barrell’s mainly allow Rv’s to sleep in their lots at night. These are easy go-to’s because bigger cities/towns normally always have one. However, due to some city ordinances, these stores are unable to allow overnight campers so check the posted signs in the parking lot before setting up for the night. Some Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s even have a dump and freshwater fill-up and are nice to walk around in before you go to bed. Walmart’s are convenient because they’re open 24hrs so you could always run in for a midnight snack or to use their bathrooms.
State Forests are an awesome spot to camp because there is free dispersed camping. Generally, its dry camping with no hook-ups, but the tradeoff is there are some freaking cool spots and no one else around. Going off grid and being in nature is probably the best thing about van life. So, don’t be sacred of a dirt road or a little hill- go find that killer spot!
BLM Land aka Bureau of Land Management is public land you can sleep on. In the U.S, 10% of the land is BLM. Each state has several field offices with maps and info on where exactly you can sleep. You could also search online for BLM land in your area. You’re allowed to stay on BLM land up to 14 days. Most BLM land is located out west. We’ve found some incredible sleeping spots on BLM land and It’s a real treat to be able to sleep free and surrounded by so much natural beauty. Check out the BLM website HERE
Best Websites/Apps:
Free campsites.net is awesome for finding free camping near you. The main contributors to the sites are other campers who share info on recommended rig size, 4xx4 only vehicles or other insights helpful to you before you head that way. See website HERE
Free Roam is wicked cool app that shows you all kinds of campgrounds both free and pay. It also has other helpful features such as a cell phone service provider coverage map which is wonderful so you can expect to have cell phone service or not.
The Dyrt is an all-in-one app that is a resource for campers to find campsites, read your reviews and book your stay.
Memberships:
Harvest Hosts is a paid annual membership that allows you to stay at wineries, breweries, museums, farms and golf courses all across the U.S. It is our FAVORITE! The cost of the membership is $79 and pays for itself in just two visits at a campground. It’s great because these businesses offer their property for RV’ers/ Vanlifers to sleep at night and by doing that, it gives you an expansive variety of camping opportunities in some very cool locations. There are over 860 locations across the U.S and the list keeps growing as it continues to gain popularity among travelers. Sometimes you get lucky and they have a water hook up or WIFI but’s not to be expected. (to save 15% on your membership, click HERE). You must be a self-contained RV to stay with these hosts.
Boondockers Welcome is also a paid membership. We love the variety that every new site gives you. You pay the one-time fee of $50 annually and you have access to thousands of different spots. Most are local folks who invite travelers to spend the night (or multiple) in their driveways or private land. We’ve seen some really cool spots in bigger cities where it’s harder sometimes to find legal on street parking. If you are an urban dweller this is def something you want to check out. Through the site, you search out locations on your route, contact the host to arrange your stay and then go! It’s a great way to meet new friends and get the inside scoop of the area from the locals. The hosts do not expect any money – they just ask for a great host review!