Interstate-specific boondocking strategies?

[UKDUDE]

Originally Posted by jerhofer

I see you are from Sedona. We plan on camping at Rancho Sedona for three days in mid-May during our western trip.

Rancho Sedona is a city RV park and quite costly by some standards, but quite nice, and you can walk to the city tourist attractions. If you have the choice, try to get one of the creekside sites.
PM me before you come and if we're around we could meet up!
Peter

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by UKDUDE

.... we parked the Interstate in the Excalibur parking lot where security said it was fine....
Then on to Flagstaff where we slept at the Medical Center parking lot where I had an early appointment the next morning.
No hitches whatsoever.

I am finding greater willingness than I expected on the part of private property owners. I have yet to be turned down or even have someone express hesitancy when I've asked for permission to park overnight. If we think in terms of worst-case scenario of an incident on their property, I'm not sure that their insurance companies would like the idea. Walmart, Cracker Barrel and the like... they are OK with it because there's an immediate financial up-side for them which counterbalances risk. But for some others, there doesn't seem to be much in it for them except good will.

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

I am finding greater willingness than I expected on the part of private property owners. I have yet to be turned down or even have someone express hesitancy when I've asked for permission to park overnight. If we think in terms of worst-case scenario of an incident on their property, I'm not sure that their insurance companies would like the idea. Walmart, Cracker Barrel and the like... they are OK with it because there's an immediate financial up-side for them which counterbalances risk. But for some others, there doesn't seem to be much in it for them except good will.

You obviously haven't visited Coca Beach, FL. I was visiting friends who had rented a condo on the beach that would not allow full sized vans or pickup trucks to park in their lots. There was a major chain motel across the road with a large, completely empty back parking lot. I asked at the front desk. No was the answer. We eventually parked at the condo and begged forgiveness for our two day stay.


- - Mike
2013 Interstate Lounge EXT on 2012 Sprinter

[xrvr]

Rules are rules and there are usually good reasons for them.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by avionstream

Rules are rules and there are usually good reasons for them.

Good reasons according to the people who made them— at the time they were made— but not necessarily good for the people who have to live by them.

[xrvr]

Doesn't matter when it comes to rvs parking in residential areas on the street or in parking lots. Get a campsite or go where there is no rule against it. Usually there us one person, like the previous poster said parking illegally, that just reinforces the Rules, whether they be just rules or not.

[UKDUDE]

With any parking lots used by the public, the rules must be clearly posted. In the case of the casino parking lot I used on the LV Strip, the only sign I could see said: "NO TRACTORS WITH TRAILERS ALLOWED". So by implication, anything else is permitted.

[Boxster1971]

In the Coca Beach incident I described above we were guests of a condo resident. The condo was under construction and the parking lot had plenty of construction trucks parked there. I contacted the president of the condo association and begged him to let us stay for two days. He eventually agreed. The motel across the street was where I was surprised they wouldn't let us stay because their parking lot was nearly empty. But then I assume they don't want to encourage RV, no matter how small.


- - Mike
2013 Interstate Lounge EXT on 2012 Sprinter

[Lily&Me]

Yes....if it isn't posted, can generally tuck in there for the night.

Lots of places where we little ones can go that the big guys cannot.


Maggie

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Boxster1971

But then I assume they don't want to encourage RV, no matter how small.

That presupposes that you tell them it's an RV and not just a Mercedes van. This is where Airstream Interstates have an advantage because the Airstream logo is rather discrete compared to the big Mercedes logo on the grille.

[TheCabin]

For boondocking that is trying to park in urban settings, you might want to look over the Stealth Camping Ideas thread on the Sprinter forum.

[Lily&Me]

"Stealth Camping"...I like the sound of that.


Maggie

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

That presupposes that you tell them it's an RV and not just a Mercedes van. This is where Airstream Interstates have an advantage because the Airstream logo is rather discrete compared to the big Mercedes logo on the grille.

True in some cases. I pulled right up near the front desk of the motel and the agent saw my van. I was only asking to park in their lot, not camp there. My friends laugh when they see my van that I told them was just a Mercedes van. They think mini-van.


- - Mike
2013 Interstate Lounge EXT on 2012 Sprinter

[73shark]

Mercedes does have the Metris.

[Protagonist]

Even a Sprinter is a minivan compared to a Mercedes Unimog…

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by avionstream

Rules are rules and there are usually good reasons for them.

It's often impossible to know what the rules are in advance of breaking them. I learned that the hard way when I briefly stood my Interstate on a Houston side street and HPD ripped me a new one like I couldn't even comprehend what was going down. There's an obscure ordinance that says no vehicle over 8 feet tall may stand within X distance of a residential area for any reason, whether occupied or not, whether engine running or not, whether driver present or not, no matter how short the duration, unless the vehicle is under direct contract to a homeowner in the immediate vicinity. I hadn't even stopped the engine or exited the vehicle - I just needed to get my bearings, so I pulled over.

I've lived in Houston for decades and there's no way I could have discovered that ordinance in advance - there just isn't any way it would have manifested itself outside of a scream-a-thon by the police. And that wasn't even boondocking or anything remotely resembling it - that was just pulled over.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by UKDUDE

With any parking lots used by the public, the rules must be clearly posted. In the case of the casino parking lot I used on the LV Strip, the only sign I could see said: "NO TRACTORS WITH TRAILERS ALLOWED". So by implication, anything else is permitted.

Define "used by the public". Most parking-lot-bearing property is private and the owners can do whatever they want without necessarily disclosing it in advance (in my neck of the woods, at least). With respect to non-standard property uses, there is an assumption of it being effectively posted by virtue of it being privately-held.

That's why Walmart maintains this list of prohibited Walmarts (I keep a paper copy of the Texas section in our Interstate). They don't necessarily post that information on each of those properties - it's incumbent on the Wallydocker to know the difference.

PUBLIC property... that is perhaps another story. All municipal parks in my area are gated and locked at night to keep out all manner of non-standard users. I'm not sure what would happen if one attempted to boondock at the local court house or police station. There's a possibility that those scenarios get into obscure local ordinance territory.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

I hadn't even stopped the engine or exited the vehicle - I just needed to get my bearings, so I pulled over.

I've lived in Houston for decades and there's no way I could have discovered that ordinance in advance - there just isn't any way it would have manifested itself outside of a scream-a-thon by the police. And that wasn't even boondocking or anything remotely resembling it - that was just pulled over.

Having heard of that just now, I have formulated a defense to use if it ever happens to me… "But officer, I just pulled over to make a phone call and get directions. I didn't feel it would be safe to dial the phone while driving."

[Lily&Me]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

Define "used by the public". Most parking-lot-bearing property is private and the owners can do whatever they want without necessarily disclosing it in advance (in my neck of the woods, at least). With respect to non-standard property uses, there is an assumption of it being effectively posted by virtue of it being privately-held.

That's why Walmart maintains this list of prohibited Walmarts (I keep a paper copy of the Texas section in our Interstate). They don't necessarily post that information on each of those properties - it's incumbent on the Wallydocker to know the difference.

PUBLIC property... that is perhaps another story. All municipal parks in my area are gated and locked at night to keep out all manner of non-standard users. I'm not sure what would happen if one attempted to boondock at the local court house or police station. There's a possibility that those scenarios get into obscure local ordinance territory.

We overnighted in a municipal parking lot in Tennessee one night, waiting for the Historical Society to be open the next day, another night to the rear of the parking area at a service center of some sort where we had scheduled something or other the next morning.

I think the most critical element in many places is consideration....use good judgment, overnight only, and leave no trace.

Any time you look like you may be setting up for awhile....


Maggie

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

Having heard of that just now, I have formulated a defense to use if it ever happens to me… "But officer, I just pulled over to make a phone call and get directions. I didn't feel it would be safe to dial the phone while driving."

It actually wouldn't work. HPD would respond that you should have waited to pull over until you were AWAY from residential development. Apparently there is no law against large vehicles pulling to the curb in commercial or industrial areas. Just residential.