Finding free places to overnight in your RV.

[Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119]

Good article with some interesting insight as to why so many businesses are saying no to overnights.

http://roadtreking.com/finding-free-places

[twiceblessed....nacole 433]

Interesting article. I always thought it was tacky that Camping World does not allow overnight parking.  You can spend your money there...but don't dare stop for 6-8 hours to close your eyes.  Ridiculous.

As always...it comes down to money.

Sigh...

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

We will continue overnighting at Flying Js and Cracker Barrels.  We fuel up and eat there.

[Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119]

10 minutes ago, twiceblessed....nacole said:

Interesting article. I always thought it was tacky that Camping World does not allow overnight parking.  You can spend your money there...but don't dare stop for 6-8 hours to close your eyes.  Ridiculous.

As always...it comes down to money.

Sigh...

Supposedly the Camping World in Ringgold, GA allows overnights.

[Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119]

We have a travel trailer. How would I finagle a Wal-Mart, Flying J, Cracker Barrel, etc. overnight?  Could I open a few slides, just a tad (no more than a foot), so we could move around a bit? Do you use a generator for anything?

 

[twiceblessed....nacole 433]

4 minutes ago, Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie said:

Supposedly the Camping World in Ringgold, GA allows overnights.

Hmmm...that surprising.  My guess is it's a recent acquisition and they don't know the CW "way" yet ?

 

11 minutes ago, CCIntrigue...aka Gwen said:

We will continue overnighting at Flying Js and Cracker Barrels.  We fuel up and eat there.

We enjoy CB as we like eating breakfast there...but we've learned that not all allow overnight parking.  Dothan, AL for example does not, but I believe the reason is because they had some theft/vandalism issues so they thought it best to stop it.  I've called several others in different states as those ones have said yes, so I do think that most allow it...for now.

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

8 hours ago, twiceblessed....nacole said:

We enjoy CB as we like eating breakfast there...but we've learned that not all allow overnight parking.  Dothan, AL for example does not, but I believe the reason is because they had some theft/vandalism issues so they thought it best to stop it.  I've called several others in different states as those ones have said yes, so I do think that most allow it...for now.

It could also be due to local ordinances.  I know Myrtle Beach has an ordinance that prohibits overnight parking anywhere.

[parrothead7368 aka Norm 101]

I would have no problems staying at a campground, but don't charge me ridiculous prices for a few hours of sleep. I'll pay $20 just to crash for a few hours etc. On the way home from Disney we stopped at a KOA in Rocky Mount, NC, they actually charged us extra for two kids. We arrived at 11pm and left by 8 the next morning. They barely touched the ground let alone use their facilities.

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[twiceblessed....nacole 433]

1 hour ago, CCIntrigue...aka Gwen said:

It could also be due to local ordinances.  I know Myrtle Beach has an ordinance that prohibits overnight parking anywhere.

Good point.  I have heard that is the case in some areas.  We're learning to call ahead, so we know where we can and cannot.  I also go on google earth so I can see which location is the easiest to get in/out of.

 

18 minutes ago, parrothead7368 aka Norm said:

I would have no problems staying at a campground, but don't charge me ridiculous prices for a few hours of sleep. I'll pay $20 just to crash for a few hours etc. On the way home from Disney we stopped at a KOA in Rocky Mount, NC, they actually charged us extra for two kids. We arrived at 11pm and left by 8 the next morning. They barely touched the ground let alone use their facilities.

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Agreed. When calling around, I've come across a couple of campgrounds that have learned that overnighters would stop for 6-8 hours if it's affordable...those places charged $20-$25 night and the sites are basically a parking space I believe, but it has electric and (maybe water) with access to their dump station.

[Grumpy and Grandma 740]

11 hours ago, Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie said:

Supposedly the Camping World in Ringgold, GA allows overnights.

They have an actual campground.. $$ as does the one in Valdosta..$$

[ependydad...Doug 176]

We have a travel trailer. How would I finagle a Wal-Mart, Flying J, Cracker Barrel, etc. overnight?  Could I open a few slides, just a tad (no more than a foot), so we could move around a bit? Do you use a generator for anything?

 

We will decide when we have about 1 hour more of driving and my wife will look around 60 miles from where we are.

My preference is to use Walmarts for overnights. My wife will call ahead and ask if overnight parking is allowed. The answer is either a clear cut "yes" or "no" or a more vague, "we don't allow it but no one hassles you" or "well no, but if you have to stop, then you have to stop". If it's no or vague, we keep looking. If it's a yes, we'll ask if there is a part of the parking lot that they prefer us to be in. Don't feel weird about the questions- you're not the first to ask; they're used to it.

As for slides and generators- it comes down to a situation by situation basis. Don't ever block a parking lot "road". Some Walmarts have nothing around and the sound of the generator won't be an issue; other Walmarts have houses nearby and a generator may be a nuisance. As for slides, I'm in the "use them" camp- I "need" to open 2-3 slides for my camper to be livable (I could do it with none and with kids on the dinette/couch and me climbing over the bed, but I greatly prefer having slides out).

Other do/do not- stabilizers and landing gear are up to you. I personally don't put them down. I don't want the extra work in the morning or in the rare/unexpected event that I get chased out overnight. I want to get in the truck and roll. For folks with heavy rigs and in the hot summer- know that the small footprint of the jacks can poke through hot asphalt.

Do not bust out the grill, chairs, awning. You're parking, not camping. :)

As I said, I prefer Walmart over others- with my want for slides, I'm very restricted in where in a truck stop I can park. I'd keep driving and get a hotel before taking up 2 truck spots. I also would have a hard time personally taking a truck spot in a very full truck stop- opting instead to leave it for a trucker who is mandated to be off the road. (Though, some Flying J/Pilot have whole separate areas for RV parking.) I find the RV spots at Cracker Barrel are to short for my 60' bumper to bumper length.

[BigTom 76]

My $.02. I don't usually travel interstates, I like back roads if possible and find that in most smaller towns, you can ask the local police men and they will usually direct you to a save place to sleep and come by and check on you a few times in the night. Also most any closed business will not object to parking in their lot if you are out before they open. Don't think I would try this in a large city, but just feel safer in a small town. I even have stopped in a closed bar very later to get some sleep knowing they would not be open until late the next day and several times in a strip mall parking lot. Just made sure I was out of there well before opening time. Never had any problem with law enforcement, but have had a parking lot sweeper wake us up a few times. Most people would rather you stop and sleep rather than driving tired and causing a wreck. By the way if you are ever close by my home, I will let you park in front of my house and sleep.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

On 9/11/2016 at 10:12 AM, ependydad...Doug said:

 

Do not bust out the grill, chairs, awning. You're parking, not camping. :)

This!  We've stopped at the rest area on I-4 in St. Augustine a couple of times.  We pulled in around 10pm and there are signs that say no overnight parking so I had DH ask the officer parked doing security.  He said pretty much what Doug said.  Stop, sleep (hey it's a "rest" area) but don't setup camp and you're fine.

[Andrew Roberts 17]

We have had good luck with Casinos they don't seem to mind if you park and nap a few hours. And it fun to hit a slot or two before bed

[Travisma 1,317]

8 hours ago, Andrew Roberts said:

We have had good luck with Casinos they don't seem to mind if you park and nap a few hours. And it fun to hit a slot or two before bed

The casino in Tampa just started charging $10 to park even if you are dining or gambling.

[Millermouseketeers MaryAnn 150]

We sometimes use an App, Book Your Site.

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[Andrew Roberts 17]

On September 17, 2016 at 9:48 PM, Travisma said:

The casino in Tampa just started charging $10 to park even if you are dining or gambling.

Sad very sad when the millions they take a week is not enough

[Travisma 1,317]

1 hour ago, Andrew Roberts said:

Sad very sad when the millions they take a week is not enough

The surrounding neighborhoods are up in arms because casino patrons are parking in the streets around the casino instead of paying the parking fee. 

[CJHokie 43]

On our cross country trip, we booked a site at a casino campground in Carson City, NV. We got there late (about 11pm). We were never, ever going to be able to get into the pull-through site we were assigned, due to people parked out in the road and boulders on both sides of the site.  The only other site available was a back-in right at the end, so they switched us to that. The night guy at the hotel was in charge, and he came out while we were trying to back into that. We would have eventually gotten in, but he could tell we were frustrated and told us to just park in their lower lot. He also said there was a city ordinance against overnighting in parking lots so he would make sure his security team knew he was allowing us to do it. 

I thought it was funny that every other business there appeared to be a strip club or casino, yet heaven forbid an RV is in a parking lot. Makes more sense now knowing it is Big Campground behind these ordinances.

BTW, there was a smaller Class C parked in the main casino lot the whole time we were there. I think that casino closed at a fairly early time, so maybe they stayed in the hotel?