SF Bay Area parking thoughts

[catlova]

Hi everyone,

I'm interested in vanlife and even saving up for it, but I am in the planning, exploring stages.  I would be doing this stealthily, hiding in plain sight, in the SF Bay Area (mostly East Bay).  Just wondering if others have been able to do this successfully in this area.  The city I'm in has difficult parking in general, so that is my biggest concern -- finding decent parking where I can sleep and remain stealthy.  Hopefully not too far from my work.

The other concern I have is the tilt of the road.  Many roads in this area are pretty bumpy or slant down toward the curb - so parking on the side of the street would end up with your vehicle at a slant.  I'm just assuming I'd find this annoying if trying to sleep in a slanted bed.  Does this come up with anyone?

I'd be interested in knowing if there are any stealthy van dwellers who get by in this area successfully hidden and also able to find level parking areas.

I'm not sure the stress of finding parking / a place to sleep each night is worth the amount I'd be saving in rent.  Well, it might be since rent is so high here.     Would appreciate your insights on my concerns.

[Bud Smiley]

I can tell you that quite a few people are living openly in several areas around Milpitas. If you don't mind living around other people who are doing the same thing, you can find several streets with existing populations.

Re: bed tilt... if trying to be stealthy, I would focus on parking lots instead of streets. If not bothering with stealth (see the RVs referenced above), I would drive up on a couple scrap 2x8s to get close to level.

[deadwood]

My favorite area when in the SF area is Pacifica. It's not far from the city and has plenty of great places to park. Starbucks for WIFI and 24hr fitness if you need a gym. I would avoid the downtown area at all costs. You can avoid the parking meter charges at night but the chance of a break in is so high I don't feel safe leaving my van parked down there in broad daylight.

[Reducto]

I spent about 6 months in various spots in San Francisco and just to the South. I pretty much always stayed on the streets, rotating between a number of spots.

There are a number of shanty towns where you can do it openly and you just have to move every few days. I avoided those because they really do make it hard on the locals. They lock up a huge chunk of the scarce parking and cause an environment that is at least perceived to be unsanitary and unsafe. I opted to find spots where I was not directly in front of anyone's house, not too close to a school or playground, and not taking up the last parking spot. Across the street from apartments are great. You can PM me if you want more specifics. My spots were all SF, Daly City, Colma, Pacifica areas. I never really ventured into the East Bay.

I got used to the tilt. I found that as long as my head was not lower than my body I slept just fine. You can always build an adjustable bed platform if it's bothering you.

[catlova]

Thanks for the replies and ideas.  Yes, I am mainly interested in the East Bay area because I work in that location.  Weekends I think I would be fine and could go further or be visiting friends/family.  I appreciate some of your ideas but for my work week some would be just too far -- I'd be commuting in horrible traffic or spending a lot on Bart.  I also would likely avoid other vehicle dweller camp-outs as I don't want to be there if the police do a sweep and I agree with the criticisms brought up about them.

I just found the stealth parking thread so I guess I should've posted there.  Still learning this forum!

There are a couple of van conversions I really like and lately I've been revisiting one by a lady named Jamie.  She has a bed that folds up and I'm thinking if I do something like that perhaps there is a way I can deal with tilt.  I like her layout also, although I think I will have to do more to be stealthy, like tint windows, dark coverings, etc.  She lives in a high top van and has a hammock chair in it too, which is a cool idea!  i really like that.  I'd like to be super non-descript from the outside but cool things inside like a hammock chair. 

Anyway, I'm looking for some safe places I can park the van while I work, and then a number of safe sleeping spots.  I've been thinking I can try some other cities and take Bart into work (possibly, as my office is moving and there is a high chance this will be viable in the future).  In the mean time, while I save up and plan, whenever I am driving about I am on the lookout for potential sleeping/lounging parking spots (hopefully level ones).

Thanks again for the ideas!

[Reducto]

You'll never have total stealth - the main things are to not bother anyone (by taking the last spot, parking in a super nice neighborhood, leaving a mess around your van, etc) and to park in places it's normal for a van to be parked at night. That's why I like streets near apartment complexes. It's normal for people to have a second vehicle left there, and nobody really knows what belongs to who.

Remember that generally speaking if you do get a visit from the cops they will just knock. If you answer they'll ask you to leave. If you don't answer they'll mark your tire and put a sticker on your window saying you must move. If that happens, cross that street off your list. It happened to me a couple of times until I figured out where the good spots were.

Keep scoping out spots and have a bunch that you rotate between. You'll be fine!

[catlova]

Thanks for the encouragement. I don't think this area I live in right now is the best for this. But I'll keep looking when I get out of the area for good spots. I'll need a bunch so I can rotate through them.

[wagoneer]

The greatest mistake you can make is an unsightly rig clean your windows no exterior baggage piles of stuff, no foul odors, I found sleeping close to freeway exits gives you an "excuse" but can be noisy in the rain. Frontage roads are often used by truckers. Be friendly non-threatening, avoid contact with neighbors . It can and is being done.

[JD GUMBEE]

How about forgetting about leveling the vehicle...and just level the bed instead?
It isn't very hard to set up an adjustment on the bed with a pivot in the middle and a set-bolt that would allow the bed to be level, while the vehicle is at an angle.
This would add to the stealth situation as well.

[catlova]

Good ideas.  I'm interested in learning more about how to make a bed so you can level it each night since that does seem a bit more doable since I wouldn't be leveling my van otherwise.  Although I haven't decided on the design/layout of how I want my van since I don't even have the van yet.

Parking around here (my work and where I currently live) just sucks.  No spots, meters, street cleaning in the middle of the night, permit parking only, or just bad areas for stealth.  It sucks for regular parkers.  I park a looooong block away from where I live.  So finding spots for where I can park is my biggest concern.  It's just hard around here.  I think it would be easier if I were just traveling through.

Since I've gotten into vanlife I've started noticing vans more and you do seem to see these white cargo vans everywhere!  They are sort of naturally stealthy.  So I do think it can be done...and y'all are proving that to be true too I guess lol.