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Words of Wisdom: “Don't do anything that attracts attention to either yourself or your vehicle. People cannot object to your presence if they do not notice that you are there.” – lennyflank1)
Stealth camping (sometimes called “urban camping”) means finding a place to park your camper and sleep in it with no one knowing. The goals are two-fold:
Common approaches to stealthiness include:
Some cities or counties forbid sleeping in vehicles, parking RVs, etc. Famously, the Los Angeles law against living in a car was struck down by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals as being “unconstitutionally vague”.2)
Since the 9th Circuit covers much of the west coast this may have special value for snowbirds.3)
A similar shift occurred in 1972 when SCOTUS struck down Jacksonville, Florida's vagrancy law.4)
Some cities have for local zoning maps online5)
It is possible to get a DUI in a parked vehicle.6)
Normal activities like using the toilet or bathing could be considered indecent exposure if witness by the public.7) Be discreet!