Sleeping in rest areas

[FL420]

Originally Posted by Superslif

99% of Walmart's are within a 1/2 mile of any major freeway.

And therin lies the problem.
We travel a lot trying to see and do as much as possible before my kids take my keys away. We don't make reservations so campsites are very hard to find as more and more they are reserved 6 to 12 months ahead of time. Therefore, we use Walmart a lot while driving to the next adventure (or sick relative.)
We don't like to use interstates when suitable parallel side roads are available. We have found that since eLogs have been mandated for truckers they have had to find 10 hour parking spots close to the interstates they pretty much have to travel. WM parking lots filled the bill nicely. Unfortunately, on heavily travelled interstates, the WM parking lots reached a saturation point. Some WM managers (who have the authority under WM official policy to control overnight parking in their lots) welcomed the truckers and their business. Others have taken the opposite approach and banned overnight parking by semis, by semis and RVs or by all vehicles. I assume it's based on who they perceive to be the biggest problem: OTR truckers, RVers or stealth campers and the homeless in their cars and vans.
I have found that WMs located away from interstates are less likely to deny overnight parking unless they are located near a tourist attraction or in a city trying to project an upscale image or in a location that is a magnet for the mobile homeless.
Here's a few pics that illustrate a major reason we are fighting a losing battle to keep the privilege of overnight parking at Walmarts and Cracker Barrels.
Notice the dropped driveshaft.

Left by a couple in a ratty class C and an older minivan. I picked up everything I could and put it in the trash hopefully before the WM manager saw it.
A month ago we spent the night in a WM parking lot that was posted No Overnight Parking. It was populated by 4 or 5 run down Class As, Class C's and TTs that had apparently been there awhile. A half dozen people arrived during the night to sleep in their vehicles.
Four city LEOs in 2 cars arrived and started rousting out the unwanted residents. I was going into WM to do some shopping. I walked up to the WM loss prevention officer who was supervising the eviction and said "I suppose you want us to leave too." He said "Oh no. You're fine. We do have a one night only limit though."
The squatters were all gone by sundown. A Class A and a Class C left on a tow strap behind a pickup.
Because of people like these and the badly needed mandatory rest rules truckers and RVers are rapidly losing existing parking spaces when we need many more.

[FL420]

Sorry. I have no idea why the pics posted twice.

[Superburban]

Originally Posted by Superslif

I was a dock receive at a food warehouse for 30 years. Yes, I saw first hand all the damage a lot of trailer and tractors received from truckers backing their trailers into a tight dock spot. Especially their "blind side".

That is the main reason I avoid interstate rest areas as boon-docking spots. Going out west thru IL, IA, NE, SD WY, I find the interstate rest areas have only 10-20 parallel parking spots per rest area. So there is no way one can count on finding one empty.

Yes, there is lots of bad drivers, especially ones that drive refrigerated vans. Many of them are new drivers, biding their time, so they can show experience, and apply at better companies. Lotta good ones also, just that the few bad ones are remembered more. Just like my experience with food warehouses, I probably delivered to 20, and the 4 or 5 bad ones stick in my memory.


A lot of places on the east coast, were never designed to fit the 53 foot trailers in use today, making things that much worse.


Always amazed me to see drivers bounce the trailer wheels over a curb, and think nothing of it.


No matter where you look, you will find the folks that plain do not care.

[GTX440]

Originally Posted by jamesham

I have found from experience that police will run RVers off in the middle of the night along I-80 in the Midwest states of Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa. Yet they let truckers stay. Sometimes there are so many trucks they end up stopped on the ramp or highway shoulder...a really dangerous situation in my humble opinion. Cabella's and Bass Pro Shop in these states permit RV's to stay overnight with front desk permission and license plate info, subject to local town ordinances. Since the store is closed, usually quieter than Wally World.

As a retired LEO I am saddened to hear that an Iowa officer asked you to move on. I have never in my career heard of one of our officers doing this. I worked I80 east of Iowa City and recommended anyone that needed rest to use the rest area.
I now live in the SE part of the state and hope that all RVs travel the south route across, I will provide a site for anyone that needs one. It is also the prettiest and most rural part of Iowa.
Rick McLain
Stockport

[Superburban]

Originally Posted by GTX440

As a retired LEO I am saddened to hear that an Iowa officer asked you to move on. I have never in my career heard of one of our officers doing this. I worked I80 east of Iowa City and recommended anyone that needed rest to use the rest area.
I now live in the SE part of the state and hope that all RVs travel the south route across, I will provide a site for anyone that needs one. It is also the prettiest and most rural part of Iowa.
Rick McLain
Stockport

Virginia was bad for moving trucks on. Back in the late 90's, I pulled into one, ate a sandwich, and was getting out to use the rest room before I continued driving. A Virginias finest, pulled up, and insisted I move on. I had to show him my log book, and computer entry, that showed I had left DC about 45 mins prior. He reluctantly agreed, and said to hurry up my potty break, and move on. When I was pulling out, he was writing a ticket for a truck parked on the shoulder of the ramp on the end of the rest area. Other truckers used to mock Schneider for their computers, but that day it saved me.


The East coast in general is bad, but the closer you get to NYC, the worse it gets.



Pa Turnpike, after 3 PM, was bad anywhere. Many of the western rest areas, you pull in, and have a choice of a few truck lanes to go down, pike one that has no openings, and you are at the end, and have to leave, no way to circle around.


Things hopefully are better now, I have been out of the game for 10 years come the end of this month.

[NW Explorers]

Originally Posted by AllanK

According to this site, Arizona and New Jersey is max 8' wide. We will be 8'5.5".

We are planning on storing in Arizona. What do others do?

We're also 8.5' wide and winter and store in Arizona. Additionally, we bought our 5th wheel new in Arizona. Never a problem, you'll be fine.

Happy trails,

[gimlimike]

We just continue to stay at Walmarts and rest areas but am concious of being respectful and as unobtrusive as possible, fill up our coach, buy groceries and will walk across the lot to put the cart back ,park out of the way, no slides,jack,generators and leave quietly in the morning.

[DryCreek]

Originally Posted by ScoobyDoo

Well, not sure about the "most" A large percentage of the hands I worked with are upgrading with glider kits if they want new...And will the baby trying to sleep in the next site know the difference APU/GEN? But the main point of my post is that given a half century of driving trucks, and camping for longer than that I know that by nature working OTR trucks would not be good camping neighbors. I feel sorry for the drivers that must sleep in rest areas, and even more sorry for the ones that can't find room.

Most glider kits now spec APU's.

At least on my brother's trucks, the APU is much quieter than their Paccar or Cummins at idle.

And, strange that you should mention it - but the last time we stayed at Mill Creek Ranch Resort in Canton (last spring), we had a bobtail Volvo as a neighbor. Even though it seemed odd, he did have a 30A connection and didn't bother us too much. His family came out and visited and they had a grand time together.

I don't understand how people get all worked up over rest areas. I don't find them to be any noisier than some RV parks we've been to. No trains, no thumping stereos and no airport noises. The sound of a diesel grumbling at idle lulls me to sleep. It's comforting, like a Fairbanks-Morse while at PD.

[Superslif]

On YouTube Keith from his channel

"Alaskan Motorhome

" does a Fairbanks Walmart Report about every week. Been following him for about 5 years. Ya, some stay there all summer long.

[Superburban]

Originally Posted by AllanK
According to this site, Arizona and New Jersey is max 8' wide. We will be 8'5.5".

We are planning on storing in Arizona. What do others do?

Remember, just because thousands of others have done it, and had no problem does not mean it is legal. Like lots of other issues, do not draw attention to yourself, (scraping stop signs, camping in a city street, running over curbs, and ten million other things), and you will likely also be fine.


In general the East coast police look for things more then they do in the west. But thats more things like window tint, load radios, tires that stick out the sides, load exhaust, black diesel exhaust,ect. I doubt most local police do not know what the width limit is. Now length might be a different issue. But again, do not draw attention to yourself. In the mid East (Pa,Md, Va, Nj, Ny), the cities love speed traps.

[beamisl]

Hello,

We have been RVing about 3+ yrs now. We have stayed at multiple Walmart's in our travels. Check on RVParky to see if overnight parking is allowed first. We always go in and ask if it is OK. Then we shop.

We do NOT put the slides out, jacks down, or lawn chairs out. Park where we are told to. We appear to just be inside shopping. Run the generator long enough to do coffee in the morning and then leave. No trash left, no problems.

Hope to continue to do so but unfortunately people who do not respect the convenience of this often ruin it for others. Have never stopped at a Cabella's but thinking about checking them out now.

LB

[Roadgypsy]

We have crisscrossed this country many times visiting family and have used both RV parks and truck stops. Our last trip, just two weeks ago, we stayed at truck stops, mainly Flying J's and Pilot. We also stayed at a Love's in Sidney, NE that has an IHOP Express.

The Flying J's and Pilots offer a $.03-$.05 discount per gallon at the pump for Good Sam members and if you park in the right spots, the truck noise is minimal to none. We've never had a problem. We've never used Wally World or rest stops-not too warm and fuzzy about them after hearing some stories.
We've used both a Chev van conversion and a Class C Motorhome-all good.

[Roadgypsy]

We have crisscrossed this country many times visiting family and have used both RV parks and truck stops. Our last trip, just two weeks ago, we stayed at truck stops, mainly Flying J's and Pilot. We also stayed at a Love's in Sidney, NE that has an IHOP Express.

The Flying J's and Pilots offer a $.03-$.05 discount per gallon at the pump for Good Sam members and if you park in the right spots, the truck noise is minimal to none. We've never had a problem. We've never used Wally World or rest stops-not too warm and fuzzy about them after hearing some stories.
We've used both a Chev van conversion and a Class C Motorhome-all good.

[WorldCat25]

Originally Posted by GTX440

As a retired LEO I am saddened to hear that an Iowa officer asked you to move on. I have never in my career heard of one of our officers doing this. I worked I80 east of Iowa City and recommended anyone that needed rest to use the rest area.
I now live in the SE part of the state and hope that all RVs travel the south route across, I will provide a site for anyone that needs one. It is also the prettiest and most rural part of Iowa.
Rick McLain
Stockport

Thanks, Rick,
Leaving tomorrow for South Dakota. Going through Iowa City (Scheels - favorite store with the most helpful, happy staff ever.)
Chris