well good evening everybody from Eric and Jax here at nomadic fanatic
we are staying warm tonight it is gonna be 13 degrees for a low I hat winners
here tell you what I've got a very exciting video today about boondocking
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of the video now we switch gears on to the fun stuff we are going to talk about
winter urban boondocking lot docking in urban areas the do's and don'ts the tips
the rules and the unwritten rules and how you can be a better RVer while your
boondocking or lot knocking first of all you probably wouldn't be watching this
video unless you were interested in boondocking or lot docking or you
already do it today it's not a campground there's no hookups there's no
water sewer dump or electricity it is meant to park you're fully
self-contained RV for one night safely and then move on it is never my
first choice but it is a great backup as a full time traveling RV er I use many
apps on my phone to help me find reviews and some customer updated information
about if it's safe and how their experience was today mainly I'm going to
be talking about the Big Blue Super Center but it could also be other stores
like the big or home improvement store those types of
places that allow RVs to possibly park overnight for one night so why do we
boondock urban camp lot docking in these areas well for our beers they can be a
great resource on the road because like I said if the super center has food
toilet paper cat food auto supplies like oil and
stuff like that it's a great stop and these are things that we are going to
need anyway on the road and generally these stores are also close to other
developed areas that have much more other stores that you might find useful
within walking distance you may have heard it called stealth camping or
stealth lot docking or boondocking or something to that effect but it's
important to note that we are not talking about literally being stealth
but more the idea of blending into our surroundings going unnoticed that's a
good thing more and more many of these stores have Wi-Fi available to the
public in the parking lots you can also most times find a place where you can
rent a DVD and it's great for an RVer because we're simply going to take those
out to the rig and return them in about an hour and a half so late fees or
forgetting to return them not really a problem when you're staying there
on-site for one night it's tough when we get to the do's and don'ts because
certainly there are some physical rules to follow but there's also a bunch of
gray area unwritten rules when you're law document I think most of us would
say don't put your awning out true you definitely don't want to put it out if
it's going to impede traffic or be noticed but I have seen some people do
it where the sight of their awning is facing away from the store in a grassy
area actually I'm still gonna say you probably shouldn't put your awning out
while your urban camping often you'll hear people say you shouldn't put your
leveling jacks out or you shouldn't drive up onto the yellow tri levelers
I'm talking about unwritten rules remember so it's possible that if you do
those things you might hear from it from other people in an RV and say you
shouldn't do that you're harming the concrete you're not
harming the concrete but doesn't harm the concrete at the campground but again
be be mindful that some people say you shouldn't do that and your slides don't
put your slides out guys well how come everybody's putting their slides out
understand if you don't have slides and that used to be me some RVs are not
functional until you put the slides out in other words
go to your grocery shopping you can't open your fridge you might not be able
to open the cupboards to put the groceries away until you put those
slides out okay and also I would say use discretion with
the slides don't put the slides out if you don't have to
don't put the slides out if they're in view of any of the store employees
managers or any customers if they're on the opposite side away from view yeah
yeah maybe yeah we have to talk about generators because we live in a world
where many people do not have an epic boondocking solar system although solar
is catching on more and more some people must run their generators some stores
even have rules stating RVs are not allowed to run their generators from
certain hours the unwritten rule rules is do not run your generator after 10:00
p.m. and do not start it up before 7:00 a.m. but here's the thing if you're
getting to one of these stores and you know you're a heavy generator user don't
go find the one RV in that lot and park right next to them you know who you are
park away from everybody and be it be as nice as you can to your fellow friends
and our beers out there right and that goes for any or be pulling in a lot it
is a strengthened numbers thing where we feel like we must go straight over to
that other one and park right next to them why I don't know I don't do it I
don't know anybody else who doesn't do it though everybody else is compelled to
park right next to each other don't do it unless you have permission or someone
invited you over if they're over there parked over here but if you pulled into
that place and went and parked next to an RVer who then turned their generator
on at 2:00 a.m. you can't really say anything guess what you're in an RV you
can still turn the key and just go somewhere else if it's that important to
you but let's try to show some common courtesy to our fellow our beers in the
lot okay okay back to that whole stealth thing I was talking about we do not want
to stand out to managers customers property owners on-site security police
officers or those bad people that are looking for something bad to do to you
or your RV or your property I feel like this goes without saying but
you'd be surprised what I've seen don't step outside your RV and start waving
around or expensive laptops or other equipment
or anything don't just don't spend that much time outside your RV guess this is
not the place where you relax if you don't put a lawn chair out there you
just don't want to draw attention to yourself this is the spot where you
close the door and you just kind of use it for what it is a place to stock up on
the supplies you need get your sleep and move on does that mean close all the
curtains and turn off all the lights and try to hide in your RV actually no the
exact opposite what you don't want is for any of those people to think that
this RV or trailer is unoccupied that's actually a really bad thing managers
don't want to see that that it's been left there and occupied and there are
thieves that might think it's you know we can just bust a window on the other
side and break in and steal something which reminds me about parking try to
make sure that your big passenger door that's your main entry point of your rig
is not facing away from the building that you're staying at where the cameras
are at and the people are at because then they have a little hide shelter to
get back there and Jimmy locks and do stuff where nobody can see them but if
your door is facing you no more traffic and where everything's happening up at
the front of the store then there's more likelihood that people aren't going to
be able to spend a lot of time and do bad things around there but by all means
turn a light on maybe even crack a window or open the blinds so that you
can physically see that there's people in that RV again we're not still people
know why the RVs parked there it's because we're spending the night there
but something I have noticed not in this RV because the windows are not tinted as
darkly but in other RVs I have been the RV that people go to do bad things
behind many times you'd be surprised I'm talking I'm Way out way way at the other
end of the parking lot all the cars are up there shopping I'm Way over here
why does a car come in and park behind me using me a shelter from everybody
else it's because they're doing bad things I've seen drug deals
I've seen people cuddling with strangers I have seen it all and the funny thing
is they picked the only vehicle that's occupied like any other
vehicle anywhere in the entire law would have been better for them to do what
they're doing then right here where I'm where I'm looking at you and I've got
cameras everywhere they don't realize that RVs are occupied they just it's not
something that clicks in their mind before they want to do these bad things
so it's a good idea to announce that you're in there keep the doors locked
though like I said and obviously don't let them see in but let them know you're
in there that's it that's a tough one but I'll let you be the judgment of that
now we do have to talk about this part about etiquette of asking permission
because a lot of people like to do that different ways and in my experience my
personal experience calling ahead and asking is it okay to overnight Park I'm
like over 50 on that but it's weird because I have to do some shopping and
what do I see I see ten eleven RVs that are all have been staying there clearly
and they're gonna stay there tonight that's like what I get to know but let's
get the terminology right because we don't want this to turn into a
campground none of those words are good okay let's keep it at overnight parking
and yes it is a good idea to talk to a manager if you're going inside look guys
they're giving us the free parking so we all need something I mean even if we
don't need it right now as an our beer that got toilet paper
they've got cans of soup in there they've got stuff we're gonna need
anyway go in there buy something and then on the way out after you have your
receipt ask customer service to talk to the manager they're gonna bring you a
manager and talk to him and say hey I'm parked way out there
I bought some groceries is it okay if I overnight park and then head out in the
morning with that said I have never gotten a no anywhere and I've been doing
this six years now almost I have got some strange wording that you can encode
like well it doesn't really matter to me but there might be a city ordinance or
the police might come by and have a problem with it these stores are private
property so most city ordinances when that's talking about parking it doesn't
have anything to do with private property in the first place I'm not
saying you should ever break the rules because if they say no just don't back
to a parking though make sure you give yourself an exit I know it may seem
you have the whole lot because you roll in there 9 10 p.m. and it's wide open
back there but believe it or not more RVs are gonna show up in fact semi
trucks are gonna show up and and and cars with trailers and boats and more
customers it's going to change in the morning so make sure you haven't put
yourself in a situation where you can get blocked in if you're a longer RV
like like me and you have to take up four or five spots lengthwise make sure
you have enough room in the front or the back to be able to Jimmy your way out of
there if you're like my last are biota where it would fit in two slots back to
back don't ever just take up two slots right next to the line but straddle the
line and take up four spots because what will happen is cars will park right next
to you they may even park right next to you for shade honestly like the Sun may
be too hot that morning and then when you wake up in the morning you can't
leave because you can't turn the wheel otherwise your tail swing is gonna hit
that car on both sides so we park like that so that we give ourself an escape
route of course people always say they don't
like it but there's no other alternative otherwise we're just gonna be stuck here
all day and it's a huge lot it's not like we're taking up spots that would be
taken we're way at the back anyway so also personal protection this is a
topic for a future video of mine based on a lot of people that have been asking
me some questions about that and it is coming probably before the end of the
year I am gonna talk with you about that but whatever makes you feel comfortable
use it have it have it ready at all times and let's talk about it because
it's going to happen if you are lot talking in your RV boondocking in an
urban area you're gonna get the dreaded knock on your door at 3:00 a.m.
eventually how are you gonna deal with this first of all before anything the
most important thing is be vigilant be safe okay
you just woke up you don't know what's on the other side of that door and you
can't believe what they said so if you have to say just a minute go go put some
water in your eyes make sure you're ready to talk to this individual with a
clear head and absolutely do not open that door until you can prove who it
yes at this point we're gonna be basically talking through the door who
is it they're gonna say security or police officer bla bla bla explain to
them through the door that I'm not comfortable opening this door unless I
can prove that we can then talk about a way to do that ask them to come to the
front of the RV where I can peel back the curtain and I'll probably I'll
either see them with their blue badge or I may see a security car with the yellow
lights or I may even see a police car and at that point with some lights or a
police officer with his badge something to validate what I'm seen in my RV here
I also have the cameras that are facing on the door so I'm just going to grab my
remote and I'm gonna turn this TV wait about seven seconds and then I'm gonna
be looking right at them as I'm talking with them but please absolutely until
you are a hundred percent sure do not unlock that door and open that door and
talk to him guys please protect yourselves we as an RV community have
lost people already be careful be vigilant and thank safety first don't
assume anything that's about all I wanted to point out
for this video I am going to meet up with my buddies in East Alton Illinois
for Thanksgiving and the time beam like I said uh everybody else is down there
in the desert I'm up here in the cold and it's getting colder and colder snow
possibly on the way and I am loving it after 110 degrees day after day in
California just two months ago I am really really really enjoying this cold
it's nice otherwise from Jackson I will see in a few days guys bye bye
you