Overnight stops at rest area's, Walmart, etc.

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We stayed at a Cabela's in Mitchell SD a week ago. They had a huge parking lot just for RVs and trucks. They had dog kennels and corrals for horses, and several eating establishments within walking distance. It was a great spot to overnight, and they are very welcoming to RVers.

Lenae
2005 Gulf Stream Crescendo
 
skydivemark said:
We almost always stay at rest areas between destinations. Never had problems. We've found that most walmarts are too far out of the way. Plus finding a big enough spot for a 33.5ft+toad at some walmarts could be challenging.
In the rest areas we try to find an end spot or shoulder to park so our slide(s) don't interfere with others, our bedroom has to be out to get around the foot of the bed.
Plus Walmart lots don't usually good areas for walking the dogs.
We try to stay from truck stops due to too much trash & "lot lizards" .
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I'm curious to know what states you are in when you stay in rest areas. I have been kicked out of rest areas in Florida and Georgia if I stay for longer than two hours and if security sees you set out a slide, he'll knock on your door within minutes.
 
John Stephens said:
I'm curious to know what states you are in when you stay in rest areas. I have been kicked out of rest areas in Florida and Georgia if I stay for longer than two hours and if security sees you set out a slide, he'll knock on your door within minutes.
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We have stayed in rest areas in almost every state. Never been asked to leave. Normally there are signs indicating how long you can oar there.,are you parking in the car area or the truck area.
 
hwy17v said:
We stayed at a Cabela's in Mitchell SD a week ago. They had a huge parking lot just for RVs and trucks. They had dog kennels and corrals for horses, and several eating establishments within walking distance. It was a great spot to overnight, and they are very welcoming to RVers.

Lenae
2005 Gulf Stream Crescendo
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I will certainly take Cable's under consideration. Sound great.
 
John Stephens said:
I'm curious to know what states you are in when you stay in rest areas. I have been kicked out of rest areas in Florida and Georgia if I stay for longer than two hours and if security sees you set out a slide, he'll knock on your door within minutes.
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There are only 6 states that officially allow overnight parking in their highway rest areas.  See the link below for the details.

http://rvlife.com/overnight-parking-at-rest-areas/
 
JoelP said:
There are only 6 states that officially allow overnight parking in their highway rest areas.  See the link below for the details.

http://rvlife.com/overnight-parking-at-rest-areas/
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The USDOT lists 19 or 20 states that allow overnight parking. Some other states allow anywhere from 2-6 hour stays.
 
Oldgator73 said:
We have stayed in rest areas in almost every state. Never been asked to leave. Normally there are signs indicating how long you can oar there.,are you parking in the car area or the truck area.
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Whether we want to stop for lunch for an extended period of time, or simply relieve the dogs and ourselves in a matter of 15 minutes, we always pull to the truck side of a rest area because we tow and there won't be room for the rig on the car side.

Oldgator73 said:
The USDOT lists 19 or 20 states that allow overnight parking. Some other states allow anywhere from 2-6 hour stays.
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I'm not sure if the USDOT is the final authority on the subject or if it is in the hands of the individual state's DOT. All I know is, I have been asked to leave rest areas by security if we stay for longer than two hours on several occasions and in several states, and I'm certainly not going to tell the security officer that the USDOT says I can stay. It seems the eastern states are the strictest. I have always gotten the impression that RV's are much more accepted in the western half of the country.
 
I stay a FL rest stops at least four times per year and usually put the  slides out on one side (in the truck area).  Never a problem and they advertise security overnight. Georgia posts a lot of signs so I don't test them.

Ernie
 
Oldgator73 said:
...Some other states allow anywhere from 2-6 hour stays.
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LOL! This is an almost unenforceable law. The police in the states involved would have to make regular patrols of each rest area, taking notes of the vehicles that are there. Then come back in 2 hours and see what vehicles are still there, comparing his notes from 2 hours earlier. I'm sure they have much more important things to do than roust a driver in the middle of the night because he's been there more than the allotted time. I've spent the night in many rest areas, with slides out and TV on during the evening. No one has ever said a word to me.

Ridiculous.
 
Just leave a box of Krispy Kreme donuts on the step. They'll let you stay all night.
 
They missed Texas where sleeping overnight in rest areas is allowed (up to 24 hours, but "camping" is not allowed) on that "official" list.  Some years ago Texas had a problem with homeless people setting up tents and living in rest areas, so I suspect the no camping rule means no tents or setting up a camp site..
 
I have to say that I have stayed in rest areas in Texas, Mississippi and Georgia with no problem.  I drive a 42' and tow a 16" trailer with my toad and always park in the truck area.
 
We are staying in a rest area 25 miles east of Pensacola right now and five minutes ago got a knock on the door by the security officer that patrols the spot. He said that because of the evacuation from the state, all RV's would be allowed to spend the night and tomorrow. If not for the storm, however, he would make everyone leave after two hours.
 
John Stephens said:
I'm curious to know what states you are in when you stay in rest areas. I have been kicked out of rest areas in Florida and Georgia if I stay for longer than two hours and if security sees you set out a slide, he'll knock on your door within minutes.
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We've  stayed in rest areas from Fla to WV, to CA, but this RV with our first slides is a recent purchase -  (last year) so we've  only -so far- stopped at rest areas overnight in 8 states (SC, NC, MS, TX, LA, VA, OK, GA). We live in FLa so stopping at rest areas here is not frequent. As long as we pick a spot with no parking spots on the "slide side" of us we don't have problems (we try to not appear like residents). The bed slide is on the passenger side so it's usually easy to find a shoulder spot as long as it's  not too late, obviously the bed slide is all we need for overnight stops.
 
I don't extend my slides while stopping overnight anywhere for 2 reasons:
1) I don't want it to look like I'm camping and 2) less square footage to heat. Typically we're heading to or from FL from NH and it could still be somewhat cold. I can open the fridge and get in bed without opening any slides.
 
Last night we were going to stay at a Walmart in Glennwood Springs, CO, but couldn't find a near level spot. So we went to Lowes and spent the night there. Put our bedroom slide out over an unused area. When we got up in the morning there was a fifth wheel with two slides out.
 
I personally don't see what the big deal is about putting slides out as there are so many floor plans are not functional with slides in.  On some the bed mattress doubles over when the slid is in making it so the bed is useless, and in some extreme cases one can't get into the bathroom with the slide in.
 
If an extended slide in a Walmart lot is not hindering traffic or parking, what's the big deal? THEY DON'T CARE!!

I simply don't understand why some of you think that extending a slide in a Walmart lot is almost a capital crime.  ::)
 
I don't stay at Walmarts, I kinda look at others parked at Walmart and other odd places all sprawled out and wonder why.
 
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