This is a shout out to anyone who has had any success in getting their MUNICIPALITY to accommodate Van Life PARKING in some way.
I am currently working with the city of Orillia, Ontario on finding a way to accommodate Van Lifers, particularly in the winter when parking is hindered by the need for snow removal.
I need tips and I need anyone in the Orillia/Barrie/Muskoka areas who would like to get involved, to have their voice heard, to reply in this thread! 
Greetings!
Forget the cities, and work with churches. They have more clout with the city governments. We were able to get churches to spring for portable toilets & dumpsters, but the āLEAVE NO TRACEā rules were ignored by most of the inhabitants and theyād turn the parking lots into dumps. Finding respectable people who will follow the rules is the problem. The people driving fancier newer rigs are more trashy than those in older ones.
Maybe a drug test & proof of income could solve many of the problems we ran into. A hand up works, hand outās donāt.
Cheers!
Interesting. One of the items Iāve proposed to the city was to consider Van Life PARKING PERMITS for a reasonable fee.
Just to update, today Iāve learned that the parking proposal I submitted to City Council was taken seriously enough to warrant being forwarded to the Housing Committee. Yay! This is an important step because that is where funding comes in. Fingers crossed
That is awesome! I know that Canada is more relaxed than the USA (where I live) regarding a LOT of issues. My fingers are crossed for your success.
@Van_Dweller Itās nice to see that you are still here! I agree 100%. Be a good neighbor is the best way to avoid negativity. Cheers to you!
I agree with you both on leaving no trace and being a good neighbor.
I had a fav dead end street this summer that was loaded with trash. I organized a community cleanup event which really helped with relations with the neighbors on the street.
Picking up trash seems to be "a thing"with many of the VanLifers I know.
It really goes a far way when parking regularly in a fav spot.
I have a steady job so park in a rotation of regular places. It has really helped me that I am open and approachable when people come around or knock with inquiries to my presence. Defensive or reactive responses are only going to inflame their concerns.
When they see I am harmless they relax and can be quite helpful even! Iāve even had offers to park in their driveways for a night!
In general it seems that not knowing leads to imaginations getting carried away. When I let them see inside my van, they can see Iām not a ābreaking bad meth labā or abducting anyone LoL
So true about the progressive culture here in Canada. For instance, Toronto is especially friendly to the LGBT community 
Greetings!
Yeah, Iāve returned from a rescue mission from hell that almost cost me my life. I was stabbed, shot, & robbed by drugged up homeless people in front of a cheap motel in SF.
Luckily the rescue mission was successful, and Iām still alive, breathing, and back home in my bus in Minneapolis. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong, Murphy was really stalking me, but in the end, my guardian angels overpowered him.
Cheers!
Greetings!
This is so true! I have stayed on the same block for weeks and sometimes months, just making sure to move every 72 hours as the law required. So every 3rd day, Iād run errands or spend the day at the park. I got to know the neighbors, and they got to know me. I always helped keep the neighborhood clean, and helped the neighbors whenever needed. In return I got invited for holidays, and BBQās, got drivewayās offered, and paid jobs too.
My new family both started out being my housed neighbors, one from Miami, and one from Duluth, MN. Strange how life works outā¦
Iāve never subscribed to the āSTEALTHā mentality of arriving late & leaving early. Seems really sketch to me. Iād rather not hide and just be a good neighbor.
Cheers!
Holy Cow! I/m gonna be in SF in two weeks! Any advice on the good parts of town?!
Greetings!
San Francisco is really sketch, addicts acting mentally ill everywhere, and rampant vehicle break ins.
If youāll fit in a parking garage, there are some suggestions here:
https://prked.com/blog/safest-places-to-park-in-san-francisco
If you wonāt fit in a garage (I donātā¦) then I would try to pick somewhere near the far reaches of BART, then take it into town. I would try to park several blocks away from BART, because the park & rides can be a target, then they just hop on BART and are gone.
Keep anything of value completely out of sight, and not just covered up, and āDONāTā block your windows, because that will instantly make you a target.
Cheers!