Question for the van dwellers, car campers and nomads.

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If you were on the road, i.e car camping. Van dwelling, etc., and you hit a major city like Denver, San Fransisco, Seattle or a popular college town like Boulder, if the resources were available would you be willing to pay a small fee to hook up with someone and park your mobile Basecamp in their driveway?

If you were a person in one of these towns or cities, would you be open to renting out your driveway to a fellow climber, outdoors enthusiats or nomad?

I try to say away from urban areas when road tripping but when the need arises I head to wall mart. On our way west in june we put the hammer down and just kept driveing to get past chicago. ended up paying for a campsite in wisconson because we were too fried and still too close to the citys. one of only 3 paid sites all summer.

Thanks Nick. My wife and I travel a lot and have spent many a night in the car. I have found that when hitting urban areas the red tape with local law can be difficult. For example Boulder.

Sometimes while visiting friends in major cities who rent or live in apt buildings its also hard to park the rig.

We like to climb in RMNP. It would be amazing to have a driveway to park in since camping can be expensive or impossible to find in the summerin estes.

When hitting large festivals, like the gopro games, the lots in vail were packed on wed. Night. Would have been cool to solicite some real estate from the vail locals.

What im getting at is, if it were easy and convenient would people in this community be into an application where you can find a legal and safe place to crash the rig on road trips....and maybe the use of a restroom or sink for some water.

Dan Cooksey wrote:The If you were on the road, i.e car camping. Van dwelling, etc., and you hit a major city like Denver, San Fransisco, Seattle or a popular college town like Boulder, if the resources were available would you be willing to pay a small fee to hook up with someone and park your mobile Basecamp in their driveway? If you were a person in one of these towns or cities, would you be open to renting out your driveway to a fellow climber, outdoors enthusiats or nomad?

I probably would not. Walmart allows free parking in their lots overnight and they have everything I need inside. Outside Walmart, there are city streets that offer free parking not to mention malls, ect.

20kn. Thanks for your response.

I would, but only if I also got use of the shower, toilet, kitchen, and place to charge my electronics. Otherwise I'm just as well parking on any side street.

Dan Cooksey wrote: What im getting at is, if it were easy and convenient would people in this community be into an application where you can find a legal and safe place to crash the rig on road trips....and maybe the use of a restroom or sink for some water.

I think it is a cool idea. I have stayed many nights in Walmart parking lots that I would much rather not be in. I live in my van full time so I have the ins and outs of street living pretty ironed out but this COULD be useful in parts unknown. Just another tool in the quiver so to speak.

Thanks Mike. I was just thinking of roadblocks ive hit over the years and thought it would be a great TOOL to have in your arsenal in the right situation.

Or a great way to make a little cash if you have a driveway for rent.

Part time van dweller here. I like the idea and see where you're going with this. Though ready for some legal battles from HOAs, the city, etc. Ask airbnb :)

I might also add that times are changing, and as with any good thing there is always someone looking to take it away. I have noticed an increase in the no overnight camping signs at Walmarts.

There may be a day when walmart isn't an option.

VGW I have been doing my airbnb research. Hahaha like I said there is always someone who want to take a giod thing away.

This seems like a great idea. Something similar to Airbnb maybe with reviews or ratings? I would do it if there was some guarantee of quiet and safety.

Yea mike nothing is guarenteed but its gotta be better than a sketchy wallmart....like the one in Glennwood Springs, CO. That was a trip haha im pretty sure someone was murdered outside of the car.

Doh! It already exists.

campinmygarden.com/

I think people refer to this as boondocking... check out this website:

www.boondockerswelcome.com

Yea derek I came across that in my research. I had a bit different plan in mind, as well as a different audience.

Its actually a good thing to see someone is already doing something similar and it appears to be working.

I would definitely, but I worry that the amount I would want to pay is a lot less than would be worth it to someone to have a stranger sleeping in their driveway.

Ahhh but Christopher I think it is an industry. Atleast an up and coming one that is only getting bigger.

I'd be interested in both sides of that equation. I was wishing for an option like that in Carbondale last weekend, and would be game to share my driveway in Boulder. Might be open to a tent in the backyard, but would probably prefer trucks and vans.

where have you guys seen no camping wall marts? In canada they were not 24hrs so you had to wait untill 7:00am to use the bathrooms....

Nick Goldsmith wrote:where have you guys seen no camping wall marts? In canada they were not 24hrs so you had to wait untill 7:00am to use the bathrooms....

Boulder, Las Vegas, some parts of Salt Lake City, Seattle, Tacoma, Squamish (though, it's not enforced there). It's not uncommon for larger populated areas to have some sort of city ordinance that bans sleeping overnight in parking lots. That being said, you can still sometimes get away with it if you're stealthy enough. But in a lot of those places, if it looks like you're living in your van, you're going to get hassled.