Bob Difley
Campground costs are an important aspect of the RV Lifestyle, and taking some extra effort in choosing where you will spend the night while on the road can save a considerable amount from your monthly expenses.
You may enjoy a full service campground when you are spending several days enjoying their amenities, but when you just want to stop for the night and leave early in the morning, paying for a full amenity RV resort can get expensive.
However if you keep your eyes out as you travel, and do some advance research on the area you plan to travel through, you may find some opportunities to save some money, but also enjoy something different for a change.
The three ideas below for alternative overnight stopping spots are taken from my ebook, 111 Way to Get the Biggest Bang From Your RV Lifestyle Buck.
Boat Launching Ramp and Marina parking lots
Check with the Harbor Master’s office whether you can park overnight in the parking lot or elsewhere in the harbor (photo – Port San Luis harbor, Central California), or if you see other RVs, ask them. Boaters and anglers often sleep overnight in order to get early morning starts.
You don’t necessarily have to have a boat, and you might enjoy a walk around the harbor area and even find fresh fish available if a pier or wharf is part of the set up. Most will charge a moderate overnight parking/camping fee, while others won’t, so don’t be afraid to ask.
If the marina is large, you can probably get by just by pulling in and parking for the a night or two as long as you don’t put your slides or awning out. It’s worked for me several times without a problem.
Parks, Town Plazas, Athletic Fields
Often you can get by spending a night just by parking next to a local park or downtown plaza. Try to be as unnoticeable as you can, no slides, chairs, barbecues outside. It helps to have a clean presentable rig, so you don’t look like a squatter or homeless—those that the rules are mostly set up to prevent. Look presentable and the police will not be too concerned—at least for one night.
Some small towns officially allow an overnight stay in a local or city center park for visitors passing through. Ask at the local chamber of commerce, police station, or RV dealer. When you shop at local businesses, let the merchants know that you are a visitor and that you appreciate that you can stay at the local park and intend to shop at local businesses. One of the joys of RVing is meeting new people, seeing new places–and visiting small town America is part of that.
Police Stations (check first to make sure your picture isn’t hanging on their “Wanted” wall)
It never hurts to ask at the local police station whether you can park overnight next to a local park or elsewhere—more so in small towns than cities. Sometimes they are pleased to help, especially if you praise their town, express an interest in walking about the town, and expect to shop or eat in town.
And it never hurts to have the police know you and your rig before they discover a strange rig parked somewhere in their town. It would not be unusual for the police to offer to let you stay in their parking lot, and even offer to allow you to plug in.
For more RVing articles and tips take a look at my Healthy RV Lifestyle website, where you will also find my ebooks: BOONDOCKING: Finding the Perfect Campsite on America’s Public Lands (PDF or Kindle), 111 Ways to Get the Biggest Bang for your RV Lifestyle Buck (PDF or Kindle), and Snowbird Guide to Boondocking in the Southwestern Deserts (PDF or Kindle), and my newest, The RV Lifestyle: Reflections of Life on the Road (PDF or Kindle reader version). NOTE: Use the Kindle version to read on iPad and iPhone or any device that has the free Kindle reader app.
