i-5 san diego thru LA rest stops?

I don't think there are any. I've driven that stretch a dozen times or so. I don't think you'll find any rest stops until you're past the Grapevine.

Gas station or truck stop but I wouldn't stop in the LA area.

You're taking the worst possible route IMHO, suggest
1. 405
2. 15, 210
3. 86, 10, 210 or 215, 15 to below
4. 15, 395, 58, 99 46, 5 or over to Palmdale to 58
5. AZ 95 to Parker, CA 95, 40, 58 and above - Best route

May I suggest taking an inland route North, then crossing over to the I5?

Many options there.


Otherwise; there isn't much from downtown San Diego to Whittier along the I5 corridor.

CA Traveler wrote:
Gas station or truck stop but I wouldn't stop in the LA area.

You're taking the worst possible route IMHO, suggest
1. 405
2. 15, 210
3. 86, 10, 210 or 215, 15 to below
4. 15, 395, 58, 99 46, 5 or over to Palmdale to 58
5. AZ 95 to Parker, CA 95, 40, 58 and above - Best route

I concur on all points.

50'? I pull over into warehouse areas when I head to Phoenix. Just rest where the truckers rest, away from the fueling station and freeway noise. Up by lake Piru, on the 5, there is a museum that closes at 5pm. It's always empty and quiet.

There's a rest area northbound I5 in between Oceanside (north San Diego) and San Clemente. Next one I believe isn't until the Grape Vine as you drop down into the central valley. Once you get out of the LA area though, lot's of truck stops with plenty of space to take a break.

FrankToo has it, those two are still open. During daylight hours you can also add in the Pyramid Lake visitor center, You'll see the Octagonal building on the west side of the freeway. The bathrooms are usually clean and you can walk around and look at the displays of how the water gets from northern to southern California. When my kids were younger we stopped there whether they needed the bathroom or not.

The absence of rest stops in Southern California is just shameful. What are most people supposed to do?

Fortunately, we RVers have another option -- just pull off the freeway into a wide open shopping center parking lot and use the facilities in your own RV -- much cleaner and safer than using a public restroom.

I should add that the absence of rest stops was a big factor in our decision to get a FloJet macerator for home use. We are now much more likely to use the facilities in our trailer while on the last leg of a trip, because we can easily clean out the black tank at home.

profdant139 wrote:
I should add that the absence of rest stops was a big factor in our decision to get a FloJet macerator for home use. We are now much more likely to use the facilities in our trailer while on the last leg of a trip, because we can easily clean out the black tank at home.

Where does the effluent go after the macerator? Through a garden hose?