Community Forums

WFretz · 10-26-2021, 05:45 AM

So we are leaving Michigan on friday heading to Florida for the winter. We are towing our car for the first time, and considering attempting to stay overnight at rest stops so that we don't have to undo the tow every night. What are some of the challenges we will be looking at?
I know that the big rig area is a premium for truckers and don't want to take up space there that they may need, so can we pull into larger 'car' parking areas for the night?

Teamfoxy · 10-26-2021, 06:17 AM

Most campgrounds have pull through sites were you don't have to unhook your tow. Leave the rest areas for truckers who don't have any other option.

dbircky · 10-26-2021, 06:23 AM

You pay road taxes just like every other vehicle? Use the public rest stops, pretty sure those places have signs say which vehicle need to use what areas. We’ve also used box stores if they are handy. Stop, sleep, go.

mlh2013 · 10-26-2021, 06:31 AM

Walmart is a good place to overnight for us, always ask permission though.

Bobby F · 10-26-2021, 06:55 AM

Rest areas and ear plugs. Works great!

groveln · 10-26-2021, 07:18 AM

dbircky is right on with "Big Box" stores. We just stopped overnight at a Lowes. I just kept as far away from the action as possible. Home Depot was also close by. There's a list of Walmarts that the city it's in won't allow overnight parking.

jrollf · 10-26-2021, 07:38 AM

You'll want to park in the "big rig area" that is what it is for.

Most rest stops I've been to have a sign that says "Truck and Trailer Parking". That includes you. You pay taxes to support the rest stop so you have a right to use it too.

Truck Stops, they are a differnt story since they are privately owned business, ask management first. Not uncommon for Truck Stops to charge for overnight parking, many have online reservation systems.

rk911 · 10-26-2021, 11:49 AM

you have many options to overnight, truckers have few...rest stops and truck stops. a few rest areas in FL have three areas...autos, semis and RVs. a few in TX are like that but i've not seen that at rest areas in other states. professional drivers are now and have been working hard to keep our country supplied. please show them the respect and compassion they are due by leaving the rest area spaces to them. you might get away with overnighting in the auto area but i'd expect a middle-of-the-night knock on the door. us? when we head to AZ we stop at open commercial campgrounds.

twogypsies · 10-26-2021, 12:07 PM

I'd recommend WalMarts for overnighting. Park along the perimeter & if you have to open a slide have the slide extending away from the parking lot so vehicles or people don't hit them. Stop and pick up your dinner from the deli and other necessities. Call ahead and pick out a couple possibilities. Some WalMarts don't allow overnighting because of city ordinances so calling ahead is best.

https://www.walmartlocator.com/rv-parking-at-walmart/

I also agree that rest area overnighting is for truckers. If you do use one you'll, most likely, be parking in the trucker section because of your size. Pull in early or you'll find it full.

Bobby F · 10-26-2021, 12:44 PM

I have to admit that I don't understand the veneration for truckers. If there is a huge need for resting areas for truck drivers, then perhaps that industry ought to look into establishing facilities, at their cost. Obviously such a cost would be tacked on to freight bills, but that's the way it's supposed to work. To simply cede a rather large right and privilege away from the (paying) general public for the benefit of one narrow industry allows truckers to externalize costs that they ought to bear.

rk911 · 10-26-2021, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bobby F

I have to admit that I don't understand the veneration for truckers. If there is a huge need for resting areas for truck drivers, then perhaps that industry ought to look into establishing facilities, at their cost. Obviously such a cost would be tacked on to freight bills, but that's the way it's supposed to work. To simply cede a rather large right and privilege away from the (paying) general public for the benefit of one narrow industry allows truckers to externalize costs that they ought to bear.

parking at a rest area is not a "right". convenience born of the reality of fatigue during long cross-country drives is more like it. some states are starting to close rest areas as services aimed at the traveling public proliferate at exits off the interstate. personally i think that's a bonheaded and short-sighted decision but I wasn't invited to the meeting. trucks stops are usually full as are a lot of the rest areas. case in point. we returned home last August from a round trip alomg I-80 from our home in IL to NorCal in our MH because of a family death. many of the rest stops we passed along the way were very small and able to accomodate only a fraction of the cars and trucks on the road.

IMO truckers are vitally important to our country, economy and our very lives. nothing...nothing we buy in our stores or thru the interweb...food, clothing, medications and all the rest...end up in our hands without trucks or truckers (and by extension the termimal workers, long shoremem, etc.). veneration? if by that you mean a healthy respect, admiration and more than an ounce of gratitude?
you betcha.

respectfully, RVers have other options.

jrollf · 10-26-2021, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rk911

parking at a rest area is not a "right"....

Driving on the Interstate is not a "right" either. (Driving in general is not a "right") So by this logic RV'rs driving on the Interstate are increasing congestion and contributing to truckers operational costs, increasing travel time, contributing to fatigue, and in general in the way of comercial trucks.

With the same logic, RVs have other options, they should stay off all interstates and use county roads and less traveled state highways.

rk911 · 10-26-2021, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrollf

Driving on the Interstate is not a "right" either. (Driving in general is not a "right") So by this logic RV'rs driving on the Interstate are increasing congestion and contributing to truckers operational costs, increasing travel time, contributing to fatigue, and in general in the way of comercial trucks.

With the same logic, RVs have other options, they should stay off all interstates and use county roads and less traveled state highways.

faulty logic. driving is a priviledge regulated by the state. highways and roads were created to facilitate commerce within and between the states and are the blood vessels of civilization. the vehicles that use those roads are the life blood. trucks, busses, cars in a daily commute or the family on a great American road trip in whatever kind of vehicle contribute to our country's economy and thus raise our collective standard of living. a commercial truck's cost to operate is not impacted by other vehicles sharing the road.

Bill Gail · 10-26-2021, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rk911

parking at a rest area is not a "right". convenience born of the reality of fatigue during long cross-country drives is more like it. some states are starting to close rest areas as services aimed at the traveling public proliferate at exits off the interstate. personally i think that's a bonheaded and short-sighted decision but I wasn't invited to the meeting. trucks stops are usually full as are a lot of the rest areas. case in point. we returned home last August from a round trip alomg I-80 from our home in IL to NorCal in our MH because of a family death. many of the rest stops we passed along the way were very small and able to accomodate only a fraction of the cars and trucks on the road.

IMO truckers are vitally important to our country, economy and our very lives. nothing...nothing we buy in our stores or thru the interweb...food, clothing, medications and all the rest...end up in our hands without trucks or truckers (and by extension the termimal workers, long shoremem, etc.). veneration? if by that you mean a healthy respect, admiration and more than an ounce of gratitude?
you betcha.

respectfully, RVers have other options.

Interesting perspective .

Let's go point by point .

In my youth my Dad always said that truck drivers were the best drivers on the road , competent , trained , courteous and respectful . Dad also said if you want a good place to eat always stop where the truckers stop . How many of us can still say the same thing today . Certainly , from my experiences it no longer applies.

As to rights , we all pay for our roads , but it seems the trucks are taking more than their fair share . The condition our roads are in are from truck traffic , not cars or RV's.

Personally , I'll stop using the Interstate Hwy. when my road taxes are refunded.

One more thing , If it wasn't for us consumers the truckers wouldn't have a job.