Where to park while just fiddling with the trailer?

[LBOskiBear]

OK - a newbie here with a dumb question.

I live in a fairly urban part of town - I'm in a high-rise condo with a concrete parking garage. No street parking of any significance.

My trailer is stored about 10 miles away.

Sometimes, I don't really need to go camping, but I'd like to take it out for a day, fiddle with the trailer, make some minor repairs, maintenance, service, etc. and then bring it back to the storage facility.

However, what I can't figure out is how/where to do this? Do I tow it somewhere random and park and fiddle with it? If so, where?

Or, do I end up reserving a campsite/rv park space and work on it then?

This seems to be a bit of a downside with urban living and having a travel trailer. Makes me wish I had a house with a long driveway where I can tinker with it any time I'd like.

Would love your suggestions/thoughts - especially from those of you who may be in the same boat!

[Mrjkq]

I too like to just do some maintenance & just hang out, must be a man thing. Anyway, a generator is an essential tool for that, especially in a hot climate. Usually a large parking lot, a Walmart or shopping center, a Target or even a school (when closed) works. You're not camping there, it's daylight & you don't leave the trailer unattended, so usually you won't be bothered. Fortunately my storage area is close, paved, has a dump & washing area so I don't have to move but a short distance.

[paiceman]

I do mine where she is stored. Never asked, they patrol 24/7 and office is open 7 days a week from 6:00 to 7:00 and no one has ever said a word. I do almost everything there.

[Rich W]

I'm same as Paiceman, I just work on it at the storage place. They have a water spigot but no electricity for tenents. I charge up my power tools and just run on battery, use the AS inverter or the inverter in the 4Runner if I run low. Cooler weather is better but I've worked on it when it's been 92 inside the trailer. I was taking out everything on the floor in the front end.

I've also worked on it in front of my house but we have a 48 hour maximum. I don't have a 30 amp outlet at home so no A/C there either. At the storage facility I don't have to worry about time limits. At home I have access to all my tools and I can go in the house and cool off. Upside / downside to everything.

[LBOskiBear]

Thanks for the replies. I think my storage facility is probably out as an option. It's actually the local Airstream dealership and the trailers are packed in pretty tight - it also seems to be their service/maintenance area so they probably don't want me hanging around in the area.

The other wrinkle is that I would need to tow it out and, if I don't keep it overnight, need to bring it back by 5pm.

[Rich W]

I think your only option is to take it out to a campground for a night or two. State and federal campgrounds are pretty reasonable and many have good views. Our first outing was to a federal campground, best available spot right overlooking a lake. It has water and electric, I think $25 a night.

[cwf]

I would pull to a vacant school lot or talk to independent mechanic shop about a workable use agreement between you and them.

Maybe bring the owners favorite beverage.... Or cash...

[Goin camping]

Church parking lot?

[kscherzi]

Living in California you are close to the ideal. Live in a highrise, by definition you generate low manmade green house emission's. Your Airstream violates the ideal. For short range travel you bike or use the metro. Longer travel you use high speed rail (regardless of whether it exists or not). RV travel is very carbon intensive. Something you should do no more. You ought to sell, or better yet destroy your Airstream in the name of humanity.

[SeeMore]

Since you store at an Airstream dealership you may be right about not working on it in a public space. They certainly don't want newbies to get the idea that an Airstream can break, needs maintenance an owner can perform themselves rather than paying a shop, or merely appear to be too difficult to tow somewhere beyond the lot. Sarcasm aside, don't assume, go ahead and ask as you might discover otherwise.

I used a rental storage area behind a large RV dealer until I had my own driveway space. On occasion, other owners worked on their units stored there as well. It was nice to have company and gain insights from others during breaks. None of us were doing extensive stuff, mostly same day tinkering. A generator in summer was a necessity on muggy summer days and was never an issue with management since we were far from the sales floor. It was nice being able to cross over to the 'store' for those bits and pieces I needed mid-repair. However, that was back in the "recession" when RV dealers were suffering, kept minimal extra units for sale, and glad to have any kind of income.

[Len n Jeanne]

We keep the Bambi at an RV service center's storage facility. We actually have 2.5 acres around our house, but most of it is steeply sloping, and there's no good way to park it by the house or by the road (where we could park our 16' Bambi.) Since the RV place's gate locks after hours, we have to abide by their schedule, but so far it's not been a problem. People do work on their RVs, trucks, boats, &c at this place. So maybe you'd be happy with a different storage facility?

You might also consider a day trip for a picnic, trip to the beach, or something comparable, so long as you can find suitable parking. Your AS is great for setting up food or as your own beach cabana. You might not get much serious work done on your AS, but you could at least take it for an outing.

It likes that sort of thing.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by kscherzi

Living in California you are close to the ideal. Live in a highrise, by definition you generate low manmade green house emission's. Your Airstream violates the ideal. For short range travel you bike or use the metro. Longer travel you use high speed rail (regardless of whether it exists or not). RV travel is very carbon intensive. Something you should do no more. You ought to sell, or better yet destroy your Airstream in the name of humanity.

Smilie when you say that, pardner, lest someone not realize you have your forked tongue planted firmly in cheek.

[BoldAdventure]

Originally Posted by LBOskiBear

OK - a newbie here with a dumb question.

I live in a fairly urban part of town - I'm in a high-rise condo with a concrete parking garage. No street parking of any significance.

My trailer is stored about 10 miles away.

Sometimes, I don't really need to go camping, but I'd like to take it out for a day, fiddle with the trailer, make some minor repairs, maintenance, service, etc. and then bring it back to the storage facility.

However, what I can't figure out is how/where to do this? Do I tow it somewhere random and park and fiddle with it? If so, where?

Or, do I end up reserving a campsite/rv park space and work on it then?

This seems to be a bit of a downside with urban living and having a travel trailer. Makes me wish I had a house with a long driveway where I can tinker with it any time I'd like.

Would love your suggestions/thoughts - especially from those of you who may be in the same boat!

Why can't you work at your storage unit?

I had the same problem, got a storage unit with power and enclosed. Like having your own workshop.

[AWCHIEF]

Originally Posted by BoldAdventure

Why can't you work at your storage unit?

]

See OPs post #5

[Jammer]

Many choices. If I were in your situation I would either:

1) make a trip out of it and take it out for a night or two

-or-

2) find more suitable storage.

[labtopia]

In Atlanta, there are no restrictions on street parking most everywhere (even overnighting/boondocking) but downtown as long as you are legally parked and registered. this assumes you are under 6000lb trailer. over that you can only do it during the daytime.

im new too, and just picked up a 22ft '58 and almost ready to hit the roads around town with it. right now i have only solar and no inverter so i steal power from the office as i work on it on the curb for power tools or do battery tools.

dave

[airdreamers]

The next best thing besides owning a house on a long driveway so you could tinker with your AS is to get a new best friend with the same. That being said, so long as you are not making a lot of noise and or dust , you should be able to go into a state, county or city park as a day visitor and hang out and do most of everything you want. If any of your projects are disturbing then you might check with the storage area to see if you are restricted in the things that you could do there. Good luck tinkering!

[LBOskiBear]

Originally Posted by airdreamers

The next best thing besides owning a house on a long driveway so you could tinker with your AS is to get a new best friend with the same. That being said, so long as you are not making a lot of noise and or dust , you should be able to go into a state, county or city park as a day visitor and hang out and do most of everything you want. If any of your projects are disturbing then you might check with the storage area to see if you are restricted in the things that you could do there. Good luck tinkering!

I think this is likely my best option. We have some good local parks, which I wish would allow overnight. That said, I think I would be very happy towing it to a lakeside parking lot and tinkering around.

I think this is a bit akin to pitching a tent in the backyard and spending the night there when you're a kid.

I don't care what anyone else thinks - I simply enjoying spending time/around the Airstream, and I hope it never wears off

[BigButtUgly]

Have a really good friend living where along side garage parking is allowed?

Rent a garage that has power metered or unmetered. Maybe extra $ above current spot.

Would need a generator - see possibilities below (overnight) Then schmooze a manager for repeated visits
Casinos
Truck stops
overnightrvparking.com
boondockerswelcome.com = on private land
Harvest Hosts = might have to buy a lot of wine
Google in: WALMART LOCATIONS STORE DETAILS & PARKING- Allstays
click on California then view all stores on map then + to Long Beach
NOT: did not download the app but clicking on red "w" is a "no" when it works
yellow "w" is a conditional "yes" when it works
Some cities allow overnight to get $ for their businesses. I could not find a list but
perhaps the RV Campgrounds books table of contents might have " small towns
offering free overnight camping" Repeated stays might mean a donation to their
fire department. I found many,some with free power and dumping. None around
Long Beach ( but my search was rudimentary )
In low cost of living NEBRASKA, $110/ mo can rent a campsite on a small/large lake
and you pay per kilowatt for power. Some have water. None with dump stations.
You might not get much work done 'cause some are real"party animal" spots.
Probably not an option in "everything way too expensive CALIFORNIA"

[Hbjason]

Hey , your in LB. take it down to Bolsa in HB for the day. Get their early and park next to an island in the parking lot and youncan enjoy all day