No Overnight Parking at Interstate Rest Areas

We had some nitwits pull in next to us at 1 in the morning and they made no effort to go about their business quietly, thus waking us up. When the jag-off started rattling his stabilizers with an impact I had enough. So rather than be one the jerks who complains only on this forum I opened the window and told them, in no uncertain terms, to quiet down. They did and the two days they were in the park were abashed in our presence.

bpounds wrote:

Supercharged wrote:
Everybody should stop a W-Mart for a few hrs, I think that is what they say it, just a few hrs. rest. I call it just cheap.

I call it stupid to pay for a campsite, when you only want to park.

I call it inconsiderate to pull into a campground in the middle of the night, and to pull out at the crack of dawn.

AMEN!!!

In the past several years, truck drivers have had to comply with stricter regulations with regard to hours driving, working, miles traveled, etc. To a great extent, the old cheating days of Spokane to Chicago in two days (in a semi), are long gone. Therefore, more semi's are using rest stops and pull outs to comply. There aren't enough pull outs to accommodate all the truck traffic now, and in fact, I bet there are more trucks on the road then actual parking spaces if they all pulled over at the same time.
As far as the Trooper that supposedly moved all truck out of a rest area--he was wrong sending folks packing that might be a safety risk, or he just realized his wife was ugly and had to "power up."
To the person that wrote that trucks need to be in truck stops and not in rest areas--There is some truth to that, however, truck stops are private businesses and if you're not buying their products, you're using space. Also, there was a 700 parking spot truck stop in Bordentown, NJ. that would fill up before sundown with scant options left. Where, oh where to park???????
The problem is greatest on the East coast, where two thirds of the population lives and infrastructure is old. I think God realized his mistake with the Eastern half of the nation, and made it right out here in the West!

DrewE wrote:

TBammer wrote:
Has anyone "rested" at a NY throughway travel plaza? I am looking at the google maps photos and they don't look very trailer friendly from the point of view of parking and then getting to the gas pumps.

I have. Getting from the truck parking to the truck deisel pumps is easy. Getting to the gasoline pumps might be a bit trickier. I never tried though I have a gas motorhome because the thruway prices are rather steep so I always fuel up before and/or after taking the thruway.

Me three. LOL.

I often, 2 or 3 timers a year, get ‘stuck’ on my way back north. I get delayed by bad weather when I *think* I should be *able* to make it home but then run into a traffic delay due to a wreck, lake effect snow storm or whatever.

I’ve never had a problem finding a parking place, or been asked to ‘move along’.

Mind you, I’ve only been doing this for 30 odd years, it may still happen.

TBammer wrote:
Has anyone "rested" at a NY throughway travel plaza? I am looking at the google maps photos and they don't look very trailer friendly from the point of view of parking and then getting to the gas pumps.

I have. Getting from the truck parking to the truck deisel pumps is easy. Getting to the gasoline pumps might be a bit trickier. I never tried though I have a gas motorhome because the thruway prices are rather steep so I always fuel up before and/or after taking the thruway.

Has anyone "rested" at a NY throughway travel plaza? I am looking at the google maps photos and they don't look very trailer friendly from the point of view of parking and then getting to the gas pumps.

Ours is the journey, never the destination so we rarely travel more than three or 4 hours a day and while we don't make reservations, we don't camp where they are needed either, preferring dry camps and boondocking. Saying that, if the weather turns, if traffic gets bad, if it starts getting dark, I have no qualms about pulling into a rest stop and waiting it out and if its 10 hour or 2 days, oh well.
But I know that most RVs don't have the luxury that we do and travel only to get from point A to B and if they need to park for the night at a rest stop they should have that option. I think when rest stops post "no camping signs" they mean putting out slides, awnings, and lawn chairs.

Supercharged wrote:
Everybody should stop a W-Mart for a few hrs, I think that is what they say it, just a few hrs. rest. I call it just cheap.

I call it stupid to pay for a campsite, when you only want to park.

I call it inconsiderate to pull into a campground in the middle of the night, and to pull out at the crack of dawn.

Best to get it from the authorities, if you want to know the exact rules. Every state should have a page for "rest stop rules".

Like this: CA Rest Stop Rules

Clearly shows that staying is different than camping.

I often sleep at rest stops, but I also avoid it when I can. Too noisy with trucks and other activity. We would rarely need a full 8 hours either.

I also don't worry too much about what is posted at other venues, like shopping centers or restaurants, if there is ample parking available. Even if there are signs, usually it is a boiler plate thing, and only enforced to prevent homeless encampments. I've never been rousted to move from any place, so I guess I have become good at choosing. I also figure, what's the worst that will happen? A cop wake me up and ask me to move? Fine, get up and move. I get woken up from sleep all the time, and I don't live in fear of it happening. I don't do any setup in such a situation that would prevent me from just starting the engine and driving.

Folks get way too stressed out over this overnighting thing. I understand, because at first, I did too. Experience soon teaches you about situations where it might be a problem, like just about any downtown area, and where it won't be.

I've never been asked to move on, but I've never stayed over night either. if I'm on the road during the day, sometimes I begin to get a little dozy. In those cases, I'll stop at a rest stop, but I just put the seat back. All I need is 30 to 60 minutes, and I'm good to go.

Done this many times.

At night, I will either be at a Walmart or similar place, or at a camp ground.