Proposals like this do not welcome RVers to stop in town and spend money. It does not welcome truckers to want to come into town and deliver their merchandise to the stores and stay for breakfast. Instead drivers will bypass the town or get out of it as soon as they can. In this economy, why deter people from spending money in your town.

Hobart is near Gary, Indiana so I probably would not want to stop here overnight but everyone should have that option. I’ll keep an eye on it just in case they try to sneak it through after the attention dies down.

The vote to put off the proposal and study it was 5-1. The lone person who still wants to ban trucks and RVs from Hobart is the first one listed here, Jerry Herzog, and ironically has an official address that isn’t even in Hobart.

City Council

1st District Jerry Herzog; 7764 Montana St., Merrillville, IN. 46410; 219-942-2962

2nd District Pete Mendez; 34 N. Union St., Hobart, IN 46342; 219-942-4922

3rd District Brian Rosenbaum; 2481 E. 9th. Place, Hobart, IN 46342; 219-942-9692

4th District Dave Vinzant; 1535 W. 4th. Pl., Hobart, IN 46342; 219-942-5781

5th District John Brezik; 250 N. Dearborn St., Hobart, IN 46342; 219-942-6369

At Large Monica Wiley; 100 S. Lake Park Ave., Hobart, IN 46342; 219-942-4356

At Large Matthew Claussen; 2510 E. 10th. St., Hobart, IN 46342; 219-942-9399

Service stations like Camping World and other dealers. You can blend in like you’re waiting for a early morning appointment.

Some gambling casinos. They like customers who spend money. Check to see if you need to join a club or get a pass. Many have real RV sites and campgrounds now and may charge.

When out west, you have lots of road going nowhere. Find a spot but stay out of the way in case a farmer or worker does come by. You also have BLM and other Federal lands all over the place. Keep binoculars and a wildlife or bird book with you so have an nice peaceful excuse.

Blue Highways is a term used for the old roads and highways. There is also a great classic book by the same name that you may want to check out some day. They go through small towns and places that time forgot. More options exist in these places than in cities or near busy interstates.

Talk to locals. They may know of a local park or even offer to have you park out back and watch over the place for the night.

Play in the park. More than once, I have taken a break for a lunch, a nap or a playground stop and found out that you could park overnight there. I’ve even found free town parks with just two or three electric hookups. You’d never know about them without stopping or talking to a local. Some of these towns are one step away from being a ghost town and keeping you there to buy a meal or such makes a difference. If I was a small town, that’s what I would do. Bring in the RV crowd.

Special Events. Watch for fairs, shows, flea markets, festivals and other club gatherings. You may be able to park for free at low cost. Even buying a spot at a flea market and then “deciding not to sell today” may be cheaper than a local campground.

How about you? Do you have any more tips and places you’ve found and would like to share?

Some commercial companies offer to arrange caretaker jobs for you. This is when you use your rv and park at someone’s home, farm or business. You stay in your own rv and watch over things. You may get paid or you may just work it out for a free place to stay, maybe with electricity. That all depends on if you have any chores to do. If I’m feeding horses and cleaning out stalls for hours, I’d probably want a little compensation.

The scam comes in with the companies that promise good pay and charge you a fee. You should never pay a fee (or not much of one anyway) for the job. The person needing a caretaker should be paying them a listing fee or commission. If you are ripped off, make sure you file complaints with the publication. Let us know here at Allstays about any scams you encounter and we’ll publicize it.

Check for ads in newspapers, publications, online groups, etc. Check with real estate agents, security companies, schools, churches, construction sites, repair shops, storage lots, any place that might attract problems if no one was around. Maybe they have a high dollar place that could use someone parked around back looking after it. Perhaps you’ll get paid but keep in mind that just a parking spot is worth something. The best deal is if you can get water and electric. You have it made right there. If I wanted to stay in an area, I may just offer to do it for free to get the private parking place. Even if you paid a dollar or two a day, you are still well ahead of a campground.

In down economic times, and if you can afford it, you could help someone out by either paying them a couple dollars a day for space or by doing a needed chore around the property. This will work best in small towns and farm areas, probably westward from the Midwest. It’s more difficult in urban and densely populated areas like the east coast.

Make friends and help out. You may just meet some really nice people and establish long term relationships by doing this.

Use common sense and keep yourself and your RV clean. No one wants to bring a garbage pile onto their property or have more to clean up after you leave. Keep a clean site. It may lead to more opportunities to return in the future or references with people they know in other cities. It helps to NOT have a barking dog with you. I probably wouldn’t want someone to bring their noise into my neighborhood or on my quiet farm either.

Have you done this and do have any tips you’d like to share with others?

What are all these terms. Boondocking, dry camping and independent parking are pretty much the same thing when you see them bantered around. Dry camping means you obviously have no water or normal amenities. Independent parking means that you are prepared to dry camp or boondock but you’ll use any amenities you’ll find.

The most important thing, which always sparks a heated discussion in all the online forums and boards, is to blend and use common sense. No one should be able to tell you are sleeping or “camping” in your rv where it is parked. No chairs, awnings, grills, jacks or slideouts deployed.

When you are moving fast to a particular destination, it makes sense to use rest areas and parking lots for naps or just sleeping. Many of these areas restrict parking. If you are discreet and don’t look like you are staying long, you probably won’t be bothered. And if you really unsure about if you can park somewhere for a little while, don’t even put up sun shades, antennas or anything that may hint that you didn’t just run in to shop at the Gap or IKEA or wherever. Most officials have better things to do than go poking around a vehicle that looks like it’s just parked. It’s when you look like you are staying for a bit that draws some attention.

If you look like any of the following, be prepared to be approached. Homeless, drug dealer, drug user, prostitute, crook or a person who puts leaflets on car windshields.

The bigger the place and the more crowded it is, the better. This isn’t good if you need silence for your nap, but it helps to blend in. Bigger truck stops, bigger malls, bigger rest areas.

You can use of our guides to find many of the most common places to try parking, from rest areas to Camping Worlds to Wal-mart locations. And if you are creative, you’ll come up with many more possibilities out there.