Free parking dos?

[Kbwitt]

Wow so you are saying truck drivers own the rest areas and nobody else should use them.

[Kbwitt]

Originally Posted by sanda

Truckers pay far more road tax than the rest of us. Its not a tax issue. You have many choices where to park your RV. Truckers don't have that luxury. My point is truckers should have priority in the truck parking in rest areas and if you have a problem with their presence you should move on.

Truckers can stay any were we stay. Their companies should take care of them. When I was a traveling salesman my company did not expect me to sleep in PUBLIC REST STOPS.

[engine103]

Well Edith, here's another thread slowly starting to creep down hill.

[Kenaleslie]

I told my Dr. If I ever need a brain transplant
I want a truckers brain. He ask why. I said it's never been used. Ill have to add rv owners to that list now

[sanda]

This thread deals with a complaint from an RV'er about diesel trucks running their engines all night in a rest area. My only comment is if you don't like that find somewhere else to camp. I never suggested that you shouldn't be in the rest area. Don't expect everyone to bow to your wants.

[Jim.B1]

Originally Posted by sanda

This thread deals with a complaint from an RV'er about diesel trucks running their engines all night in a rest area. My only comment is if you don't like that find somewhere else to camp. I never suggested that you shouldn't be in the rest area. Don't expect everyone to bow to your wants.

Sorry, but this thread deals with a newbie asking for input on overnights at Walmarts and rest areas, and not what it has turned into.
The reality of staying in either place is convenient and free, but not all rosy and perfect.
I know that going in, and endeavoured to point those facts out to the OP.
My comments were simply comments based on experiences, and nothing personal, nor an expectation for anyone to "bow".
If I am not comfortable with any place I stay, I have the sense to move on, and see no need to have my options pointed out to me.
I do not consider a brief stop over for a nap, or an overnight stop after a long travel day at a rest area "camping".
Rest areas are there for that specific purpose, a place for "all" travellers to rest.
When there, I do my part at being considerate to others in where we park and how we act while there and would like to receive the same.
Let's keep this forum as a source for helpful information.

[Grandpa5x]

We have to put out our bedroom slide or climb over each other. LR no

[Davemik]

Originally Posted by FIRE UP

Well,
It always amazes me that folks think your *camping*, just because your slide is out or, the jacks are down. Geeze folks, it's not rocket science. Like what's been stated, some slides NEED TO BE OUT just for sleeping arrangements. And, if a parking lot is slanted, even a slight amount, I don't care who thinks what, my jacks are going down, normally with pads so no marks are left there. I do that 'cause I'M THE ONE WHO HAS TO PAY FOR A FRIDGE if I damage it 'cause I didn't level the coach, because folks THINK I was camping and put my jacks down.

Protection of certain components by the use of jacks (fridge and slides) is needed, if a parking has any form of grade. That doesn't mean one's gonna stay there for two weeks while sight seeing all over that part of the country. We have done it many times and, for the most part, we park either late in the afternoon or the evening and, we're gone by the next morning.

If one can park their coach in ANY parking lot, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, Cracker Barrel etc, and can either sleep or occupy their coach without deploying slides, good for them(you). But, some coaches, contrary to popular belief that ALL coaches are built exactly the same, have to have the slides out, just to WALK FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER.

Yep, we've seen the LONG TERM Walmart endurance stays. Chairs, dog pens, toys spread all over the place, disconnected 5vrs that clearly show it's been there for quite some time and more. There's nothing anyone's gonna do about that. Bone heads are bone heads, period.
Scott

Wow@ 4 paragraphs to declare how selfish you are. Walmarts across the country are banning overnight parking. Can you guess why?

[desuhu]

Some people have to put out the slide to get to certain things. We can access our bedroom, kitchen and bathroom without doing that.

[Scotty D]

Most everything posted here is solid advice but I did want to add that “truckers” are working and they aren’t on vacation like we are. And, roadside rest stops are just that. They aren’t designed for solitude.
So to say that they are being rude is overly critical. With access to the Internet pretty much everywhere now theres really no reason to be able to search for and find a better spot.
Who doesn’t like a free place to stay but like the old saying goes you get what you pay for.

[stearn]

We have enjoyed traveling in our Rv for several years. Never stayed overnight at a Wal-mart. Having said that this year returning home our overnight stop charged 40.00. We called different places and all were pricey! We have passport but not on our route! It’s no wonder a free overnight stay looks good! I guess if they can get it why not, after all we bought, ——-but maybe not again !
We would need to put out one slide to make our bed . Would do our best to not infringe .

[jimheiner]

Originally Posted by FIRE UP

Well,
It always amazes me that folks think your *camping*, just because your slide is out or, the jacks are down. Geeze folks, it's not rocket science. Like what's been stated, some slides NEED TO BE OUT just for sleeping arrangements. And, if a parking lot is slanted, even a slight amount, I don't care who thinks what, my jacks are going down, normally with pads so no marks are left there. I do that 'cause I'M THE ONE WHO HAS TO PAY FOR A FRIDGE if I damage it 'cause I didn't level the coach, because folks THINK I was camping and put my jacks down.

Protection of certain components by the use of jacks (fridge and slides) is needed, if a parking has any form of grade. That doesn't mean one's gonna stay there for two weeks while sight seeing all over that part of the country. We have done it many times and, for the most part, we park either late in the afternoon or the evening and, we're gone by the next morning.

If one can park their coach in ANY parking lot, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, Cracker Barrel etc, and can either sleep or occupy their coach without deploying slides, good for them(you). But, some coaches, contrary to popular belief that ALL coaches are built exactly the same, have to have the slides out, just to WALK FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER.

Yep, we've seen the LONG TERM Walmart endurance stays. Chairs, dog pens, toys spread all over the place, disconnected 5vrs that clearly show it's been there for quite some time and more. There's nothing anyone's gonna do about that. Bone heads are bone heads, period.
Scott

If you can't PARK without deploying slides, then you need to find a placed to CAMP. Certain people are destined to ruin it for those of us who understand the difference.

[dickb46]

back on topic.

OP, your front slide takes the bays out with it.
They are close to the ground.
Be wary of extending the living room slide over a curb.

dick

[rodekyll]

Originally Posted by jimheiner

If you can't PARK without deploying slides, then you need to find a placed to CAMP. Certain people are destined to ruin it for those of us who understand the difference.

So your eligibility to PARK depends on your floorplan? Seems silly to me. Do commercial trucks with a wide load also need to find a CAMPING spot?

I never gave the issue of overnighting while travelling much thought before joining this forum. So the different perspectives have been enlightening. I've read a lot of this now and I decided that in the absence of signage posting a policy, I agree that if the slides need to come out to access the interior, then the driver has a responsibility to park such that the slides don't impact (pun intended) adjacent parking opportunities. I don't think that extending slides in itself is an issue unless it encroaches into adjacent spaces. Although I don't NEED to extend slides to "park", both of my slides are on the same side of the bus. So I can hang them out over curbs or otherwise park to put them away from traffic. I don't really care about the optics of having my slides out. It's matter over mind: If they're not impinging on your parking, it doesn't matter if you mind.

I dunno about the levelers. I guess for me it would depend on safety. I'd try for a level enough site that I didn't need them, because it's time consuming to cycle them and I don't want to make a career out of parking. Again, what it looks like to you isn't a concern for me. I do what I need to do. If I was worried that my fridge was going to burn me down in my sleep I'd probably deploy levelers just to keep the fire department home. I am respectful of where I am, so I carry a stack of 2x12 blocks for leveling on soft or asphalt surfaces.

Otherwise, it's OVERNIGHTING. I'm there to rest, pee, replenish supplies maybe, check up on messages, survey my roadworthiness, and move on. I don't want to throw out more anchors than I can reel up in a hurry, and I'm not intending to have my mail forwarded to the parking spot. If I cared what it looks like to someone else, I'd drive a Volvo and stay in hotels.

$0.02