glen54737
Well-known member
Gerall said:
Check out www.casinocamper.com for more detailed info on that.
I've stayed in all of the above and had no issues but prefer flying J or wal-mart.
overnighting in rest areas
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Check out www.casinocamper.com for more detailed info on that.
I've stayed in all of the above and had no issues but prefer flying J or wal-mart.
workingtorv
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Our good friend drives truck for a living and he will avoid rest areas at all costs. I think he believes and probably have witnessed that they are not safe. We have stopped at Flying J's and although they are a bit noisy I have never felt unsafe and we are only catching a wink or two but park amongst the other RV's, not in the truck area.
I just don't feel safe in a rest area at night. There is some time when I don't feel very safe during the day. On our way home from Salt Lake City, this summer, we stopped at a rest stop. There was three people in a very ruff car hanging around the bathrooms. The looked like meth heads to me. All my bells and whistles were going off. My wife and I did our business and got the heck out of there. I sure it helped that there was some other people in the area, but at night I would have left immediately. As far as camping, I would rather pull over in a field or a church parking lot.
Gottasmilealot
Well-known member
My stopping is usually for a few hours sleep, restocking of food and whatever, and moving on, so the Walmart option or rest stop works well for me. I never pay for a campground for a rest stop, there's no need to with a self contained unit. Had I wanted to pay for overnight accommodations, I would stay in a hotel room. If at a Walmart or other similar stop, I usually buy what I have to first, then rest, so if I have to leave on short notice for any reason, I just go. I figure that security is bound to be less harsh on paying customers. I do pick areas with video security coverage. Not too many problems in areas where what is done is recorded. I don't avoid a Walmart in favor of a remote peaceful pull-off. I think there's more of a chance for problems in remote areas where what happens is unseen. If I'm asked to move on, I do so. No big deal. I never get the lawn chairs out and set the awning like some folks I've seen.
I like the rest stops down on Rt 95 in the Carolinas where there are darkened areas of the parking lots for sleepers, although I always question safety in darker areas. The rest stops are well traveled, so the chances of something happening and being unseen is remote. One of the states (I think Virginia) closed their rest stops (maybe for financial reasons?) which I feel creates a hazard by not allowing people a place to stop and rest. Fatigued drivers are dangerous to everyone.
It is a shame when one can't rest in a rest stop.
I like the rest stops down on Rt 95 in the Carolinas where there are darkened areas of the parking lots for sleepers, although I always question safety in darker areas. The rest stops are well traveled, so the chances of something happening and being unseen is remote. One of the states (I think Virginia) closed their rest stops (maybe for financial reasons?) which I feel creates a hazard by not allowing people a place to stop and rest. Fatigued drivers are dangerous to everyone.
It is a shame when one can't rest in a rest stop.
arcticfox2005
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- Apr 18, 2011
- Posts
- 716
That happened to us once. We were in a Lance cabover camper and at about 2 AM I woke up to a diesel's rattle. A trucker pulled up behind us to where his front bumper was only about 8" behind our rear bumper (and door). We fortunately were able to leave by pulling forward, and we spent the rest of the night pulled off to the side on a nearby residental street.
carrera57
Member
I used rest areas a couple of times but never felt unsafe. Said this I must confess that we never opened our slide outs so that our RV was always ready to leave immediately if necessary. There are some people that transform rest areas into campgrounds by pulling out lawn chairs, extending awnings and slide outs and with their behavior they really provoke some other people.
When ever possible I always pull into a campground over night just because it's more convenient and I can use all the room in my RV and all the amenities on the campground. I probably just am more like a lazy camper.
Reto
When ever possible I always pull into a campground over night just because it's more convenient and I can use all the room in my RV and all the amenities on the campground. I probably just am more like a lazy camper.
Reto
We prefer quiet places. I've never felt unsafe in a rest area but I've also never found one that was quiet at night. Walmarts and other stores tend to be quieter at night. Casinos, depending on location, can also be noisy and they usually have a lot of lights on. But we've stayed at all those places and we've found some of them to be great overnight stopovers. There's a casino in Burns, Oregon, that has grass and shade and is nice and quiet at night since it closes at 2 am.
As for angry truckers, we had a lady trucker post here awhile back with a rant about RVs taking truck parking places. She was only here briefly to complain and then disappeared. So there are truckers who don't like us taking "their" parking places. Me, I figure I have just as much right to a spot in a rest area as anyone else.
Wendy
As for angry truckers, we had a lady trucker post here awhile back with a rant about RVs taking truck parking places. She was only here briefly to complain and then disappeared. So there are truckers who don't like us taking "their" parking places. Me, I figure I have just as much right to a spot in a rest area as anyone else.
Wendy
gwcowgill
Well-known member
Wendy, I complain when mortorcycles, automobiles and pick-ups take the space. I don't normally stay in Rest Areas but I believe the signs coming in direct trucks and RV's to the same area where we should be able to share.
Jeff Brown
Well-known member
They are loud, the truckers can be a bit rude when the parkign lot starts to fill up, but there have been several occations where there just weren't any suitable large parking lots or truck stops around and we have spent the night in several rest areas. We try to get all the way to the other side from the truckers, ussually there is at least one more RV there. I've never had my rig or my family messed with at a stop. In California and Oregon where we do most of our traveling you can stay at least 8 hours of any 24. (8 hours in California and 12 hours in Oregon.)
We prefer the RV section of a Casino, if not availalbe a large store, if not available a truck stop, if not available a Rest Area, if not available we even stayed on a very remote on ramp sholder one time. (The on ramp was far quieter than just about any rest area by the way!)
Jeff
We prefer the RV section of a Casino, if not availalbe a large store, if not available a truck stop, if not available a Rest Area, if not available we even stayed on a very remote on ramp sholder one time. (The on ramp was far quieter than just about any rest area by the way!)
Jeff
geodrake
Moderator Emeritus
We are currently in Virginia. Today we passed four rest stops on I-95 south of DC and they are open for business.Gottasmilealot said:
Because truck drivers are bound by HOS (hours of service) they are only allowed so much driving time in a day. They can't just "drive" until they find a place to park because they are illegal to do so.
I try to stay out of rest stops for this very reason. I'm not bound by any DOT rules so I can always go "on down the road" to find a Walmart or Big K to park in and leave the parking lot open to the truckers.
Mike
I try to stay out of rest stops for this very reason. I'm not bound by any DOT rules so I can always go "on down the road" to find a Walmart or Big K to park in and leave the parking lot open to the truckers.
Mike
Molaker
Well-known member
I was on a trip to St. Louis last week and traveled I-44 between Springfield, Mo. & St. Louis. There are a couple of rest stops along the way, but one pair just east of Marshfield had just reopened after being updated. It was beautiful with an old Route 66 theme. But, what impressed me was the layout. They have a visitor's center out front where the automobile parking is. Then, down one side there is a large parking area for trucks. Between the picnic grounds and the truck parking area is a special lane for RV's with long parking spots painted in along the curb. There was a big island between the trucks and the RV lane. The spots were probably 60-70 ft. long and there were maybe 5-6 of them. What a nice spot and I saw no signs prohibiting overnight parking.
It would be great if this concept catches on across the country.
It would be great if this concept catches on across the country.
gwcowgill said:
I also complain when cars take the big RV/truck spots and I think trucks are justified in being angry with them. But we've been places where there simply were no places to stop other than the rest areas and if someone is tired, whether trucker or RVer, I prefer they get off the road even if it means an RV takes a trucker's "spot." Cars and pickups also need to get off the road but they can usually find a smaller spot in a rest area to fit into.
Wendy
I have been on the unfortunate side of truckers at a rest stop. We go to Canada a couple of times a year and I used to stop in the rest stop by Eau Claire. It was just for about 6 hours, but upon wake up I had a flattened left front tire. As I was changing it a couple of truckers could be heard saying I guess he won't park in our lot again. Before that I thought I may have picked up a nail. After I put on the spare (on a class A no easy task) I took the tire to the nearest truck tire dealer on the way home and had no problems with the tire other than someone had removed the inside of the valve stem. I now drive all the way back.
Johnnybgood
Well-known member
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- May 28, 2010
- Posts
- 47
Unfortunately there are a number of truckers who are rude, crude, and socially unacceptable. They went to a truck driving school and got there mannerisms from watching TV. God willing a few years on the road and with the help of other drivers out there they will learn that the tv concept of drivers is not acceptable even by other truckers. I drove 48 states and Canada for about 3 years. I got off the road because my wife was beginning to forget what I looked like. I still keep my Class A license. I love the sound of a diesel and the way the drive. You will find a few bad apples in any profession. Please do not paint the other drivers with the same brush. Many are going to go out of their way to help you. Sometimes the bad behavior, as in the guy who cut off the RV going to the fuel lines is a matter of being exhausted and not paying enough attention. He may have been more embarrassed then afraid. Been there, done that. Rest areas can be great places to stop. Just be aware of your surroundings. There are people who will use the rest areas to try and cadge money from tourists/travelers. The police should be notified so they can be encouraged to move on. I too though will not use a rest area to sleep unless I am too tired to travel further. Normally we stay at Truck stops that have RV parking areas, or Pay camp sights (my wife and mother-in-law feel safer there). Four wheelers, motorcycles, etc... parking in truck parking spaces would get my dander up too. These men and women are driving long hard hours and when it is time to rest those spaces are needed. Okay, as you can tell I am pro Driver. Nough said.
