We will be heading out for a month-long trip in the near future. My itinerary calls for a couple of nights at Walmart, and a Pilot Truck stop on the way.I have checked that the WalMarts we plan to stop at do allow overnight parking. The Pilot truck stop has overnight RV spots as well as RV gas lanes.But, in reading other posts I am seeing stuff like "Don't put out your slide", "Don't park in the overnight truck lanes", "Never sleep at a rest area".... etc...Now I have enough sense not to drag out the lawn chairs and gather firewood... But I do have to put my slide out in order to access my bedroom... So...1. Has anyone stayed overnight at Pilot Trucks Stop? Are the RV parking spots along side the 18 wheeler spots?2. Assuming my slide does not extend to an adjacent spot, or impeded normal driving space... Whats wrong with sleeping at a rest area?TIA!

Flying j has separate areas. Pilot does not usually.

When we stay at a truck stop, we stop mid evening before it fills up. A lot of the truck drivers like to park up front closer to the diner and showers. We usually head to a back corner where we can put out the slide over top of the curb since no one will be parking there.Bill

The parking lanes are typically just wide enough to allow wide vehicles to enter and exit without worrying about hitting something in the next space. While your slide might not extend over the line, if close to the line it would cause that person to have to be extra careful entering and exiting. A tired or sleepy driver might not miss your slide. Not good etiquette. Would be better to park around the perimeter if possible so that your slide would extend over the curb or edge of pavement.

If I were sleepy I would stop at a rest area until I was able to drive safely again. Can someone make you leave while you are sleepy, I don't know.I would not open the slide, awning or start cooking though. Just sleep.

The problem with the slide at a rest area is that you are advertising that you are sleeping. Overnighting at rest areas is often illegal, so you don’t want to look like you are camping.

Rest Area / Truck Stop Etiquette | Good Sam Community

Campfire_Time
Explorer
Feb 22, 2019
jkwilson wrote:
The problem with the slide at a rest area is that you are advertising that you are sleeping. Overnighting at rest areas is often illegal, so you don’t want to look like you are camping.

But people still sleep in them a lot. Sometimes just a few hours, sometimes all night. I can tell you that most LEOs would rather you slept 5 or 6 hours during the night in a rest area than have to scrape you off the road at 5:00 am. We've been in rest areas at 1-2 am and they were packed with people sleeping. LEOs drive right through not bothering anyone, just checking up.

In 2005 upon leaving very early in the morning from Fruita, CO, just inside the Utah state line we saw a car in the ditch between the roadways. Two people were laying in the ditch. The first responds were on the eastbound side of the road. They were not even looking at the ones in the ditch. It gave me a real appreciation for having enough rest to travel
RGar974417
Explorer
Feb 22, 2019
We put out the slide just enough to get to the back of the trailer which is about a foot.
suprz
Explorer
Feb 22, 2019
Some Love's truck stops have dedicated rv spots also
Airdaile
Explorer
Feb 22, 2019
Huge contentious recent thread (now closed) on this topic here.
GoHorns
Explorer
Feb 22, 2019
Yes, our plans don't include any over-nights at a rest area. I just wanted to get an idea about what other folks thought. I plan on staying out of the way as best I can, and that definitely includes parking on the perimeter.

Thanks for all the quick responses.
jkwilson
Explorer III
Feb 22, 2019
The problem with the slide at a rest area is that you are advertising that you are sleeping. Overnighting at rest areas is often illegal, so you don’t want to look like you are camping.
Gulfcoast
Explorer
Feb 22, 2019
If I were sleepy I would stop at a rest area until I was able to drive safely again. Can someone make you leave while you are sleepy, I don't know.

I would not open the slide, awning or start cooking though. Just sleep.
BB_TX
Nomad
Feb 22, 2019
The parking lanes are typically just wide enough to allow wide vehicles to enter and exit without worrying about hitting something in the next space. While your slide might not extend over the line, if close to the line it would cause that person to have to be extra careful entering and exiting. A tired or sleepy driver might not miss your slide. Not good etiquette. Would be better to park around the perimeter if possible so that your slide would extend over the curb or edge of pavement.
Trackrig
Explorer II
Feb 22, 2019
When we stay at a truck stop, we stop mid evening before it fills up. A lot of the truck drivers like to park up front closer to the diner and showers. We usually head to a back corner where we can put out the slide over top of the curb since no one will be parking there.

Bill
Mfan
Explorer
Feb 22, 2019
Flying j has separate areas. Pilot does not usually.

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