Truck stops, Walmarts, etc.

[Traygar]

Originally Posted by Steve70-5

...My brother told me that what it cost to run your generator all night, your cost at a campsite would be the same. So he just stays at camp sites. If you got to buy drinks and what ever for
stopping there that adds to the cost.

Don’t know what to do

We enjoy Harvest Hosts, but I agree with your brother that the HH cost goes up if you're running your generator full time. We're in the habit of not running the generator except for when we absolutely need it, so that helps. We enjoy eating sampling beer/wine at HH establishments, and we figure we've got to eat anyway so we might as well enjoy it. Sure, a sammich in the RV would be cheaper, and we often stop and do just that for lunch.

What I love about overnighting at a campground is being able to plug in and dump the tanks right there at your spot. That's worth a lot right there, and some lesser-known campgrounds have surprisingly cheap full-hookup rates if you know where to look.

I would say mix it up for a little variety and to see what works for you. No need to choose one way to do it every time.

[tropical36]

Originally Posted by Steve70-5

In the past for my vacations we have stayed at campgrounds over night, just one night on the road, then will be at our destination for a week.

I will be retiring at the end of this year and will be taking longer trips. The over night on the road is something I am dealing with. Am a member of HH and used them once. Here is my issue, my brother is a engineer and we know how they think. I am a superintendent for a construction company and deal with engineers all the time. My brother told me that what it cost to run your generator all night, your cost at a campsite would be the same. So he just stays at camp sites. If you got to buy drinks and what ever for
stopping there that adds to the cost.

Don’t know what to do

Depends on what time you pull in for the night. Gensets usually burn .5 - 1gallon/hour and even in summer you should be able to comfortably shut it down and go on your inverter sometime after dark. We've never run our genset all night long. Don't know why one would have to go and buy drinks vs being in a campground, either. Most fridges are full for the most part and we're talking big residential models nowadays. Biggest reason for campgrounds are for their dumping facilities and if one should want to partake in some activity or for exploring the surrounding area.

[BruceDeville]

Originally Posted by Steve70-5

In the past for my vacations we have stayed at campgrounds over night, just one night on the road, then will be at our destination for a week.

I will be retiring at the end of this year and will be taking longer trips. The over night on the road is something I am dealing with. Am a member of HH and used them once. Here is my issue, my brother is a engineer and we know how they think. I am a superintendent for a construction company and deal with engineers all the time. My brother told me that what it cost to run your generator all night, your cost at a campsite would be the same. So he just stays at camp sites. If you got to buy drinks and what ever for
stopping there that adds to the cost.

Don’t know what to do

Apples and potatoes, not the same. I made a lifetime as an electrical engineer, the real question is "are you worthless? ". Checking in to a campground 30-45 minutes off my route, getting the host/manager/owner out of bed and spending 30 - 60 checking in and setting up. Finally starting dinner 2 hours after leaving the interstate. 6:00 AM reverse the process.

This whole thing about parking lots is NOT about money, it is about TIME and convenience.

My generator cost me about 50-60% of a campground, but it offsets untold wasted hours. Time is money, any good engineer knows that.

[guspech750]

We used Harvest host on our trip to the Tetons from Chicago. We have no intentions ever staying at a Walmart or Cracker Barre, truck stop etc etc. there are just way better places and experiences to choose from. On our way to the Tetons. We stayed at a winery in Iowa and Union Pacific Golden Spike Tower in Nebraska. Our third day of driving there was a large gap of no Harvest host between our final destination and Nebraska. So we dry camped in a Wyoming Desert about 2 miles off of a main road. Not a single human to be seen for many many miles. Sure it was out of the way. But it was the most amazing day/night during our 16 day trip.

On our way back to Chicago. We drove way out of the way to dry camp in Pawnee Butte National Grassland in Colorado. Another most amazing day/night of camping. Then in Nebraska we used a Harvest Host and stayed at a horse hotel and in Iowa we stayed at a meadry/winery.

Harvest Host is so worth the experience as we love visiting and buying products from such hosts. Also finding cry camping in the middle of no where is the most amazing experience too. Nothing like it really.

All threads need pics.

Some of our Harvest Hosts experiences and free dry camping on National Lands.

Wyoming desert


Winery in Iowa


Golden Spike Tower in Nebraska


Pawnee National Grasslands in Colorado

[geordi]

Originally Posted by Steve70-5

In the past for my vacations we have stayed at campgrounds over night, just one night on the road, then will be at our destination for a week.

I will be retiring at the end of this year and will be taking longer trips. The over night on the road is something I am dealing with. Am a member of HH and used them once. Here is my issue, my brother is a engineer and we know how they think. I am a superintendent for a construction company and deal with engineers all the time. My brother told me that what it cost to run your generator all night, your cost at a campsite would be the same. So he just stays at camp sites. If you got to buy drinks and what ever for
stopping there that adds to the cost.

Don’t know what to do

Add up the ACTUAL cost of the fuel on the generator overnight... My diesel generator at half load (both air conditioners which usually both aren't needed) will use under a half-gallon an hour. That's 12 gallons per 24 hour period, and even at $3/gallon.... $36/day.

Many of the RV parks in the southeast are rebranding themselves as "resorts" and it's hard to find one that is less than $50/day, and then there's the snooty all-about-the-rules even at cheaper parks that would have to work at their quality to rise to the level of "dump". I'm actually in one right now for a month that is marginally cheaper on a daily rate than just using the generator 24/7, and this place is almost exclusively people who live here permanently. They aren't calling themselves a resort, but their daily price is $40/night!

Parking at a truckstop and running the generator is not for everyone, but it can be done safely and not taking anything from the truckers - just go to the far end of the yard and only put slides over a curb. Try to avoid places where they might be turning near you, and back ALL THE WAY into the spot as deep as possible to protect your coach.