Ultimate Florida Van life Guide (Tips & Checklist Included)

This post may contain affiliate links. This just means I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you for helping them promote their product or service. I don’t endorse any services I don’t personally use or recommend.

Florida might be the best destination for van life in the entire United States. Florida van life is definitely easier than most other states. The weather is temperate (mostly), the communities are welcoming to the lifestyle (after all they are used to “florida man“), & there’s no shortage of epic places to park and things to do.

But before you pack up your car & hit the road there are some things you should consider before you commit to living in a van in Florida.

Like, are you sure you actually want to live in a van down by the river??

Because van life is not as glamorous as you think it is. In fact, it never is. So if you’re still considering whether or not van life is for you consider renting a van in Florida and giving it a test run.

Van life Rentals in Florida

RV Share is the way to go. You’ll be renting your vehicle from locals & supporting small businesses while you dip your toes in the ocean (literally) of van life. Click the banner below to start browsing rentals.

But for those of us who have already converted our dream camper van and are thinking of exploring the Sunshine State– here’s the down-low on van life in Florida.

Planning a Florida Road Trip?

If you’re considering Florida van life & looking for tips to make van life in Florida easier I can only assume you’re also planning an epic Florida road trip.

After all, no one signs up to live in a tiny house on wheels to stay in one place. The week we finished our conversion, we hit the road for three months and traveled 18,000 miles around the U.S. on a great American foodie road trip where we stuffed our faces with iconic cheap eats.

Fortunately, Florida is beautiful state. & it’s well suited to road trips. Its roads are scenic, often hugging rugged coastlines, and the state parks are plentiful. Florida even has 3 National Parks. Technically, speaking. (Two are islands but they are technically part of Florida.)

Florida Road Trip Tip: Buy the National Parks Annual Pass. At $80 for unlimited access for a year, it’s a steal. We visited over 25 National parks including Yosemite, Acadia, North Cascades, Badlands, and Utah’s Mighty 5 on our last road trip. You should also visit as many state parks as you can. Florida has tons and most cost only $6-$8 for a day pass.

Our Favorite Florida Road Trip Stops

We wrote an entire blog post all about our 21 favorite Florida road trip stops. But here’s a little taste of the adventures ahead of you.

Everglades National Park

Every Florida van life or travel guide is bound to recommend you make a day trip to the Everglades. It’s a wildlife mecca & it’s worth a visit. During our visit most of the Everglades were flooded, but we still managed to do a little exploring and saw a rare American crocodile.

• 

• 

Florida Keys

Van life heaven. You can spend a few days hopping from beach to beach spotting manatees, iguanas, and dolphins. Key West is the most famous but Key Largo has some killer snorkeling & kayaking in John Pennekamp State Park. Or you explore the hidden gem of Big Pine Key to see the endangered Key deer.

Blue Springs State Park

My personal favorite spot in Florida. This state park is one of the best places to see manatees in the winter months. You can also kayak through the mangroves for a cheap price.

Is it Legal to live in a van in Florida?

Short Answer: Yes.

Some cities across the United States have ordinances that make living in your vehicle illegal. The Florida Keys happen to be one of those places. That being said…I felt the Florida Keys were fairly easy to stealth camp in… with a few tricks.

As long as you find yourself a valid parking spot you should be in the clear.

But we’ll get to some tricks on finding free overnight parking in Florida a little later.

Tips for Van Life in Florida

We lived in our van in Florida for a month. We would have stayed much longer had it not been for COVID. Here’s some tips we wish we had known before we started van dwelling in Florida.

How to Find Stealth Camping in Florida

After you’ve read my complete beginners guide to stealth camping packed full of tips for sneaky camping in cities, national parks, and wilderness settings you’ll pretty much be set.

My go-to camping spots in Florida were State Parks (most allow overnight camping), wide-open wilderness, and residential areas. We also got really accustomed to sleeping in grocery store parking lots.

On the Gulf Coast & Northern stretch of the East Coast we found plenty of free overnight beach parking as well. This is one of the rare instances that van life is exactly as glamorous as Instagram makes it look.

Just scope out beachy pullouts with no posted signs.

Locate Van-Friendly Areas in Florida

Florida is used to alternative lifestyles. & unlike cities like Chicago or New York, I found Florida to be very welcoming to van lifers. In general, coastal towns have a laid back attitude and central Florida doesn’t care about anything.

Rule of Thumb: The bigger the city and the bigger the tourist destination, the less likely the area is to be van friendly.

So let’s take a look at the two most “difficult”, yet sought after van life stops in Florida.

Van Life in the Florida Keys

Before we arrived at the seven-mile bridge on our way to Key West I was warned that sleeping in your van was illegal on the islands. I immediately began researching “where to sleep overnight in my car in Key West” & found nothing. So, we winged it.

We spent several nights parked on a residential street and a few more nights in the Home Depot parking lot. In both areas we slept soundly & didn’t get the dreaded knock.

Van Life in South Florida

Miami. West Palm Beach. Boca Raton. Cape Coral. This is where we started to have a little trouble finding overnight parking. These areas are generally speaking, less friendly to van lifers because we don’t bring as much money to the economy or some baloney like that. They cater to luxury travelers.

That being said you can always default to the grocery store lot. Just try to pick a busy parking lot where the store is open late so you stick out less.

How to Find Free Overnight Parking in Florida

Along with all the tips laid out above there are a few things you can do to make overnight van dwelling in Florida easier.

• Use the app SpotAngels. This only works in cities but you can change the settings to “free” & “overnight” and the app will locate parking spots.
• Use window covers. You’ll draw way less attention to yourself.
• Always have a pee can. If you’re getting in & out to use the bathroom all night you’re bound to draw attention.

Where to Shower in Florida

One of the biggest game-changers in Florida for van life was the ability to shower regularly.

When we built our DIY conversion van we opted to not have a bathroom or shower. Instead, we set up a really simple outdoor shower system that doesn’t work all too well if it’s windy or winter. This is something I would add to our list of mistakes we made when converting our van.

So, why is Florida any different? Beach Showers. They are everywhere & it’s not frowned upon to bring your own soap and lather up. Just be sure to wear a swimsuit.

Another hot tip for those looking to score a shower easily is to get a gym membership to a national gym like 24 Hour Fitness.

& although it wasn’t necessary because we stuck to the beach showers, we could always fill our shower bag and use our outdoor shower because Florida stays warm year-round.

How to Prepare for Florida Weather & Bugs

Florida isn’t all sunshine & rainbows. But it mostly is. The average temp. in Florida is 70-80 degrees year-round and with an average of 237 sunny days a year, Florida is a pretty perfect van life destination.

As long as you’re okay with trading snow for the occasional hurricane. Here’s some less than ideal things to be aware of for van life in Florida.

Van life during Hurricane Season

Hurricane season runs from June 1st through November every year with August/September at the largest risk of hurricane force winds.

December through May is the best time for van life in Florida. But don’t rule out hurricane season entirely. June, July, and November are unlikely to get a major storm and as a van lifer, you’re completely mobile! Hurricanes are always broadcast in advance and you’ll have plenty of time to evacuate if needed.

Hurricane Season Hot Tip: Do be aware that if you visit during hurricane season the Everglades and other areas along the Gulf Coast may flood which scares away wildlife and can make roads impassable. It can take weeks for the water to drain after a major storm.

Summer van life in Florida

Summers in Florida pose problems all their own. Ventilation for one. Or sleeping in the sweltering heat. Unless you’re a lover of the tropics it’s going to take some getting used to.

Be sure that your van is well-ventilated. We have tons of windows and an overhead fan that circulates air nicely.

Florida Van Life FYI: All our wooden components swelled with the humidity. Our countertop swelled so much it could barely slide back into place.

I wouldn’t recommend van dwelling in Florida if your A/C is broken like ours was. We managed, but our trip was also during December. If we had visited in July we would have melted.

Man O’ War Season

Before we hit the Florida beaches, I had no idea Man O’ Wars were a common sight, let alone had their own season. From November to April the Eastern winds blow the little buggers onto the beaches of South Florida and the Florida Keys.

How to treat Jellyfish Stings: Submerge the area in saltwater and gently wipe the area to remove any leftover stinging pieces. Then apply vinegar and hope for the best. & for the love of god, don’t pee on it. That’s a myth.

Sand Flies/Fleas

The most annoying creature in Florida for van lifers (or anyone) isn’t jellyfish. It’s sand fleas. Or sand flies. No see ums. Whatever you want to call them–they suck. When they bite you you’ll be left with hundreds of small red itchy bumps that can take days to appear and a week to stop aggressively itching.

We got swarmed while on one of Florida’s many nude beaches. & it’s exactly as bad as it sounds. This was one of the biggest travel fails we have experienced in 5+ years of travel.

How to stop the Sand Fleas?

Avoid the beaches after heavy rain. This is when the sand fleas are the most prolific. You should also always have a barrier between you and the sand at all times. Be careful with morning workouts on the sand.

Bug spray does nothing, but baby oil apparently provides enough of a barrier to escape the bites. I didn’t try this but a few Floridians suggested it. (Too late, I might add.)

Once the deed is done the best treatment is prescription strength anti-itch cream or Tea Tree Oil. Stock up on both or you’ll go insane from the itching. It’s 10,000 times worse than when we got eaten alive by mosquitos in the Colombian Amazon.

Van Life Packing Essentials for Florida

If you’re an experienced van lifer you know that space is limited. & Florida is an environment unlike anywhere else in the United States. So, what should you bring to Florida? Here’s my handy checklist of essentials for Florida van life.

Bug Protection

Screens for your windows and doors can be purchased for cheap online and they are essential for Florida van life. This way you can keep the cool airflow but avoid sleeping with hundreds of pesky mosquitos.

Activities

If you’re a lover of the outdoors Florida is a perfect road trip destination. Your biggest problem will be finding room in the van for all your active gear. The snorkel is an absolute must. I swam with manatees, over coral reefs, and near nurse sharks all on separate occasions.

There are plenty of SUP, canoe, & kayak rental agencies but you’ll save lots of dough if you can bring along your own inflatable water craft.

For those who plan on trying out van life in the Florida Keys, fishing is a huge pass time (& a great way to score a cheap meal).

Extras

Sand gets everywhere. & vans are no exception. If you don’t already own one, you’ll want to have a broom to sweep out the fine grains of sand daily. Preferably before it winds up in your bedding.

Light-weight bedding will be essential as well. When sleeping in Florida you’ll want a blanket to cover you so you’re not exposed to the stray mosquitos that sneak their way in. But you want a thin enough blanket that you’re not sweating in your sleep.

You’re officially ready for Florida van life.

Be sure to check out our full blog posts on the 21 ultimate stops on your Florida road trip and the 5 most scenic highways to add to your Florida road trip.

Save this Post for Later!!!

• 

•