Rest Areas Safe?

The last one I used in Williams CA. N.B. I-5 (coming back from AZ.) I got up in the middle of the night to take a look because my wife heard a noise there was a UPS Truckdriver doing a walk around inspection in front of my coach and I turned around and there was a CHP driving by really slow behind my coach. I never had any trouble so far staying in them and I've been RVing since 1976.

Everyone's tolerance for rish is different. We have used rest areas as needed over the years with mixed results. Some just feel safer than others and always have.

The ones nearer population centers seem to be the worst, but not always.

Some Wal-Marts are not all that comfortable due to homeless people living in their cars on the property or a drug culture that uses the lot for purchasing their needs, which generally don't include a trip into the store.

Use your judgement and park where you are welcome and feel comfortable. We've even parked overnight in a church lot, with permission and a small donation. It fit our needs for that night.

Don't put too much faith in the "24 hour Security". I live 4 miles from a major rest area on I95 that has security provided by the Florida Highway Patrol. Not long ago a young couple was discovered dead by a passing motorist in their car parked a couple of slots down from the trooper. They has been dead a couple of days, turned out to be from carbon monoxide poisoning, but "Smokie" never noticed, ever though the car was there for those days. Now, I'm sure that if there was a gun battle going on, he would have noticed, or someone running by screaming for help, but like others, I trust in my own protective measures.

The ones on I-35 and I-10 in Texas I'd be leery of. However, on more rural roads where there isn't the population (and passing by predators), it would be something to consider.

Yes, inside a MH, there is 10 feet from where they are to the driver's seat, but a criminal with a razor blade or a knife can do a lot to slow down a rig before they make their presence known.

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I stop in rest areas every trip . Use Google Earth to view during trip planning to find the best ones .
Many have separate RV areas and most have security or are patrolled by LEO during their shift .
State Welcome Centers are the largest and well lighted .

I keep a list of the RV friendly areas ( Rest Stops , Welcome Centers , WalMarts , and others ) with a
sticky note on each page of my atlas .

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As other posters have said..some rest areas do not allow overnight stays, some do, some have 24hr security on duty, some are safe enough during the day but not at night, some never safe, some great, or any combo you can think of!

You really can never know for sure unless you have recent experience with individual rest areas. There are horror stories about drug deals, prostitution, bad truckers, theft, muggings, rape, etc.

We have stayed at one that had 24hr guard on duty that actually had a section devoted just to RV and did not allow trucks in that area so it was much quieter.

We will only stay overnight at one that allows it that has the 24hr guard on duty. All other stops are brief/no more than a couple of hours then we hit the road.

The same caution should go for all parking lots especially Wal*mart--24hr security guard that allows parking--always speak to the store manager to let they know you are there, ask permission and thank them for allowing you to stay.

Travel safe...

we full time
we have have stopped in 'Rest Areas' many times to rest, nap, or sleep till day light
never have we been 'in danger'
yes sometimes there is an inconsiderate person with a diesel tractor idling all night
or an RV'er who simply must have his genset on
but thats life, i have been in campgrounds and had late noisy arrivals pull in and disturb our sleep
and it seems they can't wait until morning to setup camp, they have to about yelling directions and then slaming compartment doors, spending at lest 30 minutes or more to do it

I just did a short 250 / 300 mile trip, and I noticed all the rest stops where completely full on I-10 during the night! On the way back, during day light hours, they were wide open!

Pops

Not but that does not stop us from stopping. We take precautions. Everything is locked. We do not go out without looking first and then only with the dogs. Not alone.

I hear people all the time saying that rest areas aren't very safe......You have a MH...no need to leave the coach to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night so what is not safe. My MH is under the protection of S&W, I have a security alarm, bins all lock down so what exactly is not safe. When we've done it there are usually a dozen or more semi's parked in there too.