Sleeping in car and wildparking allowed? (houses, neighborhood, camping)

[UB50]

I would think that anyplace with a lot of truckers would be a safer place to stay. After all, lots of truckers sleep in their rigs at night.

What's wrong with sleeping near a police or fire station? Surely weary motorists have done that before...

[Ingrid86]

Originally Posted by sponger42

The man asked about sleeping outdoors or in your car,

The woman haha,

thanks everyone for your answers. We are mostly going to stay in hostels and campgrounds, but if we can save a few bucks by sleeping in our car a couple of nights, we'll do it.

So camping is only allowed in official campgrounds I guess... ??

Any other tips?

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by cre8

Kinda' mixing up two different subjects, don't you think? Not everyone who takes road trips sleeping in a car also lives in a car sleeping illegally in neighborhoods. It just so happens that I've had experiences with both.

But anyway, it goes without saying that in both cases you have to use your head. Be cool!

ETA: 2008 - [some 20 years] = ca. 1985, not 1958.

Um, I know what year I wrote and why. It had nothing to do with the year you were "urban camping".

Legality aside, I wouldn't pull over in front of someone's house and sleep for the night for fear of unknowingly winding up in gangland.

[Winston Smith]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

Um, I know what year I wrote and why. It had nothing to do with the year you were "urban camping".

Oh, I see. Sorry, I didn't know why you wrote the year, only what year you wrote. But since your comments were aimed at mine, I assumed....

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by cre8

Oh, I see. Sorry, I didn't know why you wrote the year, only what year you wrote. But since your comments were aimed at mine, I assumed....

I wrote 1958 because its 40 years ago and thought of as a simpler, safer time when you could sleep in your car at the side of the road with less fear of bad things happening to you.

[Ingrid86]

I think you mean 50 , 40 years would be 1968

[UB50]

In 1968, you probably would have had a VW Bug if you were sleeping on the side of the road... That and some love beads...

[Woof]

I'm actually doing this as I'm travelling down the coast (I have a wireless internet connection).

Originally Posted by sponger42

One of the biggest difficulties about sleeping in your car in California is the lack of public showers. In other states, KOA campgrounds are obvious and well-advertised. You can buy a long hot shower there for 1-3 dollars when you're feeling funky. Public showers in California are few, far between, and poorly advertised.

Free beach showers exist at almost every public beach, but they are unheated and m-th-rf--ki-g cold year round. I use one in the morning after surfing, and let me tell you, it is no fun at all.

Absolutely true. If I can't get a shower anywhere I rub myself with rubbing alcohol in the van, then towel off.

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

Yeah, sleeping in your car at the side of the road or some residential area sounds like a great way to get robbed, shot, raped, etc. This isn't 1958 anymore.

Of course you should avoid ghetto areas. But it's a good idea to have a weapon handy, such as a hammer. I haven't had any trouble except for some environmental radicals keying my van while I was walking in the redwoods. (Ingrid, "keying" is when someone uses their keys to scratch your vehicle).

Originally Posted by cre8

Yes, this is true, and a very good option. Good tip, UB50. Incidentally, truck stops for overnighting are far safer than highway rest stops, IMO. I've heard too many stories of crime in rest stops to consider them safe for sleeping.

Some people love truck stops, but I can't stand the deep throbbing of the engines idling all night.

Originally Posted by Ingrid86

The woman haha,

thanks everyone for your answers. We are mostly going to stay in hostels and campgrounds, but if we can save a few bucks by sleeping in our car a couple of nights, we'll do it.

So camping is only allowed in official campgrounds I guess... ??

Any other tips?

Free camping is allowed in many areas of national forests (but NOT national PARKS) Just go along a road in a national forest until you find an old logging road, then park a little way up it (naturally you need to carry water and food for this).

Overnight parking is allowed on some city streets away from shopping or business areas. It depends on the city.

I sometimes park overnight in smalltown hospitals that don't charge for parking, but I don't think that would work in a large city.

[secguy2010]

it is illegal as one night in Carlsbad, California at 2 am I was awoke by police and made aware of the law and asked to move on. I'm a professional who actually works for the government. I have been doing this for over 40 years as I surf and like to get up early and actually enjoy getting away a night. I use to be able to sleep right on the beach. What is odd is they said it was illegal camping. That’s what I want to understand in the law. I spent $30 in the local restaurant which I do every Friday night. I actually own and pay property tax to CB. I had not camping equipment in the van and no food. My stay over would be about 5hrs. I was at a train station parking space no signs indicating no sleep over’s.

[wrcousert]

I heard it's legal to sleep on the ground next to your car, but not in your car.