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No Place to Park it? Van Life Guide To Moochdocking

Nikki Wynn

Nikki Wynn

— 4 min read
No Place to Park it? Van Life Guide To Moochdocking

What do you do when you need a place to park your traveling home, but all your typical options are full or closed?  You phone a friend…with a nice big driveway (or dock)!

This nasty COVID-19 virus is affecting everyone and especially our fellow nomads both on wheels and keels.

Campgrounds and Marinas are closing or kicking out transient travelers.  Which has left loads of people scrambling to find a place to stay where they have access to freshwater and a dump station.

Moochdocking or Driveway Surfing might be the best bet for #VanLife & RV camping right now!  Plus it’s our favorite way to visit friends & family.

Here’s our top tips on how to Moochdock like a boss and keep your hosts stoked. So they invite you back!

The information works for boaters too! Because the gear we installed in Mom’s Van is the same gear we have on our boat. And, the scenario is similar whether you’re parked at a limited-service marina, a friend’s dock, limited-service campground, or a friend’s house.

Plus, if you’re wondering how all of this self-distancing and quarantine is affecting us (and it is!)…we mention that too.

If you want to keep up with us in real-time, follow us @the_wynns on Instagram.  We also post to and check in on the conversations happening on our Facebook page.

You can also follow Mary @Marys_Van on Instagram too.

Things to consider when moochdocking

Make sure your rig will fit!

We forgot to mention this one in the video because Mom’s van is pretty small, but it’s seriously important.

Everyone likes to think they have a BIG driveway.  But just how big is it?  We need measurements because every inch counts.  Ask your friend to bust out the tape measure and give you the length and width.  (Just a reminder guys, we are talking about the size of a space to park your rig…Never mind, moving on.)

Then, ask them to look around that space for obstacles.  Are there any trees you might hit on the way in?  Even if they appear to be ‘way up there’ according to your friend, tell them to go out and measure it one more time.  Basketball goals, shrubs, overhanging trees and eaves (that’s the part of the roof that overhangs) are your worst enemy while driveway surfing.  Once you have the measurements, double-check the location on Google Earth or the map Satellite view just to confirm.

Ask about local regulations.

Some neighborhoods allow street parking for a certain amount of days…others don’t…or sometimes you can simply request a special permit for your stay.

moochdocking or driveway surfing with our friends
Moochdocking with our fellow road tripping buds The Nealys. They’re proud new #VanLife owners now too!

Electricity

If you hook up to an electrical connection, first check the breaker box to confirm how many amps that connection is and what other devices are sharing the connection.

Set your inverter an amp or two under what you think you can pull just to be on the safe side.  You don’t want to be overloading the connection or popping breakers.  Trust us from experience, on a hot night in TX you don’t want that breaker popping at midnight when you don’t have a way into the garage to flip the breaker!   And, make sure you have that dog bone and surge guard.

Power Set Up On Mary’s Van:

Waste

If you don’t have a composting toilet (why not?!?) and your friends don’t have a sewer dump, you may want to ask to use their toilet and shower during your stay.

We didn’t have time to swap out mom’s toilet for a composting head…but that is next on the list as it makes a huge difference in how long we can live off the grid.  Learn more here: gonewiththewynns.com/product/marine-heads-accessories

We’ve stayed on friends farms/ranches where we could sprinkle our greywater.  But, that is far and few between.  Most likely you’ll need to be conservative with water usage inside your tiny home.

One last tip, be mindful of your trash and recycling.  Confirm with your friend what’s cool and what’s not.  We’ve accidentally dumped our recycling in the neighbor’s bin because we didn’t ask first.  The neighbor wasn’t so happy.

Drinking-Water

Water tap locations & quality have varied greatly for us over the years.  We use a basic carbon-based filter at the tap to filter water before it goes into our tank….and then we have our LED UV filtered drinking tap.  Zero concerns ever!

Water Filtration Set Up On Mary’s Van

Wifi

This nifty little device helps us find and connect to WiFi hotspots from long distances.  Like a coffee shop, campground main office or our friend’s house when we’re driveway surfing!

Wifi Booster: wifiranger.com/shop/product/158-converge-denali

Be a good neighbor!

We always offer to help out around the house, make a grocery run and of course I love cooking for others.  A surefire way to anyone’s heart is through their stomach.  If you’re not a cook, purchase something to share!  Wine, cheese, chocolate, coffee…everyone has a vice. Happy Moochin 😁

🎥CAMERA GEAR USED To Film THIS VIDEO📷

🎶Music In This Video:

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