Traveling with "No Reservations"

[With-a-k]

We are planning a trip from Kansas City to Los Angeles in early-mid June. I have made a couple of reservations in the state parks we plan on staying in, but we have left a few days of our travel time to just taking our time and seeing where the road take us so to speak. In reality, it's more like I have no idea how long it's going to take to "see" what we'd like to see at a few of the Nat'l Parks we will be passing through. How hard it is mid-june to just pull up to an RV park without reservations and find vacancy? I'm very unfamiliar with RV parks and from what I have researched on the internets, it's operating hours are very similar to those of motels. Is there a best time to check-in? Is it totally rude to pull into a park past 7pm? I am very unsure of where and when we will be anywere and I HATE being soooo scheduled that we miss out on some of the adventures...

 

[Frizlefrak]

Depends.  Hot spots on the weekends?  You'll find yourself overnighting at Wal-Mart without a reservation.  Other places during the week?  You can likely pull right up and find a spot.  As long as you're not thrown into a frenzy at the thought of having to boondock if everything is full, you'll be fine.  Some of our favorite parks are jam packed Fri - Sun.....and during the week, there may be 4 RVs in the whole place.

I say go for it....I doubt you'll have any trouble.

 

[With-a-k]

Boondocking doesn't bother me one bit. Where do I boondock other than Wal-Mart? Also, isn't the Wal-Mart RV spot becoming a thing of the past? My problem is that I'm so "green" that I haven't a clue how long our propane/battery will last before needing refilling/recharging. We have a smaller 23' TT with 2 30lb tanks and 2 12V batteries. The plan is to switch-a-roo between Nat'l parks and RV parks. This will be our first trip.

 

[Frizlefrak]

Propane.....if you're using it for your furnace, it will go quick.  Same for your battery....using the furnace will drain one battery overnight, and uses a ton of propane.  If you're just using the propane to run your refrigerator, stove, water heater, etc, it will last weeks.  If you're boondocking (ie no hookups) practice conservation of power & water and you'll be fine for a couple of nights. 

Before you go, practice camping without hookups in your driveway for a couple of nights and see how long your resources last.  That will give you a feel for how it will all work.

 

[With-a-k]

That's a great idea! We will probably do that, as I already know our 11 year old is chomping at the bit to sleep out there. Although that does mean a first trip to dump the black water tank, my most dreaded task ahead. We really do need to assess our level for need of creature comfort as well as what it's like to live with 4 of us without unlimited electricity. I'm pretty sure my teenage gamer son will be in dire straits whilst listening to me harp about conservation. Do all RV parks refill propane? Do you recommend refilling your own tanks? We were urged not to swap tanks because you never know what they swap them out with...

 

[Sam!]

I made a list of possible RV parks that where on my route and usually was able to call on them the day before or morning of arrival and always managed to find a place making the reservation over the phone and showing up sometimes when they where already closed.

 

[Quillback 424]

It's a good thing that you have a couple of firm reservations of places you want to see. Now, turn the trip over to your two teenagers. Let them decide how far to travel each day, where to stop, what to see, etc. to arrive at your firm reservations when you need to. They will have longer memories of the trip then you will.

Try a boondocking night and a park with a pool, etc. and let them have fun planning it all.

By the way, leave by 9am or so and pull in before 4 pm and you will enjoy the trip much more then pushing for 400 miles per day.

Enjoy the trip... and make sure the kids do too!

 

[Quillback 424]

Again, by the way, if you do pull into a park after hours, just find a place top park and pay on your way out in the morning.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

If you stop early in the day, say by 3 or 4 pm. you can nearly always find a spot, even in popular areas. Otherwise, try to call ahead by early afternoon, when you can forecast your arrival better.

The difficult part is identifying which areas are likely to be busy at a given time. Friday & Saturday nights are often risky, and doubly so in popular spots. We've encountered local parks in rural areas that were full simply because they are a popular local getaway spot. That can be difficult to predict if you aren't from that area. But that's the exception rather than the rule.

Major destinations, e.g. Yellowstone or Disney-like attractions, should always be reserved if you want to avoid surprises.

 

[With-a-k]

Thank to everyone for all of their input, it helps a bunch. I might even -consider- letting my kids do some travel planning. 

 

[bucks2]

With cell phones it's pretty easy to call ahead that morning to find a spot that evening. You'll know how far you want to drive, you'll have an idea of how fast you really go, and with either an internet search or a Woodalls guidebook you'll have the basic info you need. If one town is full up due to a local event, you'll have all day to plan an alternate stopping location.

I'd always stop and have my propane tanks filled. There are many stories about the tank swap places not filling the bottles to capacity and the price is atrocious. Not all RV parks fill tanks, many service stations do, many farm and garden places do. Traveling in June should lower the need for heat at night. Propane just down the street from where we are right now is advertising propane for $2.59 per gallon. A 5 gallon tank, totally empty would cost $13.00? What do the tank swap places charge?

Ken

 

[elliott-maine]

We've been traveling for two winters, an except for over the Christmas holidays (which we want a site rather than a Walmart), hot spots, and places we are planning to spend a month or so, use the cell phone the day we plan to arrive.  So for, so good.  Will be in Arizona soon. so we probably want to make some reservation there.  This approach gives us the opportunity to stay longer is we find interesting to do.

 

[Larry N.]

With cell phones it's pretty easy to call ahead that morning to find a spot that evening.

We rarely make reservations, and it's often early to mid afternoon when we start calling to find a place to stay, at least partly because we're not sure where we will be for the night until then. That generally works well, except weekends in state/national parks, so we do those parks during the week.

 

[koski]

Allstays is a great app and I've used it before.  Mid afternoon I stop for fuel or something, open the app and find a place to stop for the night.  I like to know I have a place to stay before I pull off the highway, but that's just me.

I boondocked for a week last summer and my 11 year old was a bit apprehensive at first, but really got into it.  Didn't really miss his IPad all that much.  And, I had a converter to charge it if needed -- mostly for music.  Had to take on water and dump the tank once mid week.  It was just me and my son, but my sister, her hubby and her three girls were tent camping with us, and the girls really, really liked my flush potty, as the campground had only pit toilets.

Don't be apprehensive about dumping your tanks.  If I can do it anyone can.  Its super easy and super quick.  Just don't be "that guy" who dumps all over the pavement and drives away!  Yes, I've seen that!

Have fun.  And remember, the journey IS the destination.

 

[Jay & Jazz]

On our trip across the country and back last year we only paid to stay in three locations. The rest of the time we stayed at Walmart a few times and most of the other nights was at some sort of truck stop. The Flying J/Pilot truck stops are the best and a lot of them have specific RV parking. If there are no specific spots for RVs we just head in the back and squeeze in between a couple big rigs.

You can go to the Flying J/Pilot website i am sure and get a list along the route you are looking to travel assuming it is major highways. They list amenities like RV parking, RV dump, water filling and you can get all those and gas discounted with a Good Sam membership.

As a bonus the coffee selection is great! Best coffee on the interstate.

Good Luck!

 

[ArdraF]

You also can pick up a brochure of the Pilot/Flying J locations with a map showing them at any of their truck stops.  We carry one and use it often.

ArdraF

 

[Rstrahan]

We never get advance reservations (OK, we will going in the Yellowstone area, special case).  Just call ahead when we figure a stopping place.  Never had a problem.  Office usually leaves a map of our space when crowded.  At state parks, we have pulled in after dark, been awakened by the ranger collecting his 30 pieces of silver. 

 

[John From Detroit]

There are several park finder apps. but for most of the nation (There are exceptions) reservations are NOT a requirement unless it is a special event (IE: Dayton, OH area on the weekend of the Dayton Ham-Vention.. or Indy on the 500 weekend).

Now, from time to time a park may fill up but take where I am.

3 miles down the road is another park
9 miles from that are two more

And if you do not care for excess clothing there is another in between

Odds of all of 'em being full (epically the nudist one) approach the odds of a snowball inside an operating blast furnace.

 

[Len and Jo]

Our normal traveling method is WITHOUT reservations.  Leaves us free to do what we want on the schedule we want as the trip develops.  Find a really cool place that you like?  No problem stay a few more days.  Yes, watch the weekends!  When we are in populated area that might be busy, we pull out the Woodall's in the early afternoon and figure where we want to end the day and start calling on the cell phone.  Has worked so far. 

 

[jsetti]

We generally do not make reservations unless we are going to an area that we know sites will be hard to find.  Sturgis during Motorcycle week or Washington DC during the July 4th week for example. 

About 1 hour before we are ready to stop for the day we start looking on line for campgrounds or other places to stay.  I usually go to www. RVParky.com first.  They list not only campgrounds and state parks but truck stops and stores where RV parking (dry camping) is available (like Wal-Mart and Cracker Barrel).

Then I check reviews at www.RVParkReviews.com and/or www.Travelocity.com.  When checking the reviews you have to read between the lines and decide what items are important to you.  As an example, some people will give a campground a low rating because the WiFi was poor.  We have our own WiFi so that is not important to us.

Next ... make that call to see if they have a site available.  We usually get our 1st choice and never have had to go past our 2nd choice.

It might be fun for your children to do the research for you.  It will keep them involved in the journey and also on-line!

Good luck, enjoy your adventure and safe travels.