Preference for one night camping

[BlessedProperty]

When looking for a quick overnight camping spot, do you prefer something closer to the highway or would you drive a few minutes off to get away from the highway noise?

[doxiemom11]

We mostly travel US highways and state roads. We prefer quiet and if we do stop at a Walmart, it is one in a small town without a lot of highway traffic. We are in campgrounds 90% of the time and we would travel a few miles for a nicer experience.

[wapiticountry]

pitch wrote:

wapiticountry wrote:
We stay in RV parks almost exclusively. If we were traveling, I doubt we would pass up a park close to the highway to travel to one further away. About the only circumstance that would change that would be where the highway RV park had terrible reviews and the other park had stellar ones. Even then, we would probably be more likely to just either stop sooner or drive further along our route than spend that time traveling off the route.
Of course the million dollar question is just how far, how long, and how inconvenient is your definition of a "few minutes" to get there?
Narrow roads, congested side streets or dense urban travel all work against leaving the main highway. And then there is the cost issue for many. With many rigs every 7 miles adds two gallons of fuel to the costs (7 miles in, 7 miles back). With diesel around $3.00/gallon that's adding $6.00 to the site costs. Plus those 14 total miles on side streets are adding 30 minutes to the trip (figure 30 MPH average with stop signs, turns and side road speed limits). On several levels it seldom pays to go very far off the beaten path for us.

If you need to be concerned with six dollars, you may have the wrong hobby!
We stop any place it is convenient where we think we won't be hassled.Very rarely do we get a RV Park for one night. We really don't even look at reviews if we choose to pay for one night.

Fortunately, six bucks won't send me to the poor house. But I got the impression the purpose of this thread is the original poster is trying to gauge whether or not to put some RV sites on their property. This is just a guess, but I think it is more likely than they just want to know if people travel the side roads out of curiosity. You don't have to have been on these forums for very long to realize costs are a major concern for some RV'ers.

[Veebyes]

We are very flexible. Walmart especially if we need supplies. Done Lowes, Cabellas as well for just an overnight. Don't mind driving a few miles away from the highway if had enough by mid afternoon & in no particular rush to move the next day, which is the situation most of the time.

Not paying top dollar to be in a next to the highway KOA with all the noise & facilities that we don't need.

[mgirardo]

If it is a quick stop, we just stop at a Walmart. Easy in, easy out. Security drives around all night long and if we need anything, just walk in to the store.

-Michael

[pitch]

wapiticountry wrote:
We stay in RV parks almost exclusively. If we were traveling, I doubt we would pass up a park close to the highway to travel to one further away. About the only circumstance that would change that would be where the highway RV park had terrible reviews and the other park had stellar ones. Even then, we would probably be more likely to just either stop sooner or drive further along our route than spend that time traveling off the route.
Of course the million dollar question is just how far, how long, and how inconvenient is your definition of a "few minutes" to get there?
Narrow roads, congested side streets or dense urban travel all work against leaving the main highway. And then there is the cost issue for many. With many rigs every 7 miles adds two gallons of fuel to the costs (7 miles in, 7 miles back). With diesel around $3.00/gallon that's adding $6.00 to the site costs. Plus those 14 total miles on side streets are adding 30 minutes to the trip (figure 30 MPH average with stop signs, turns and side road speed limits). On several levels it seldom pays to go very far off the beaten path for us.

If you need to be concerned with six dollars, you may have the wrong hobby!
We stop any place it is convenient where we think we won't be hassled.Very rarely do we get a RV Park for one night. We really don't even look at reviews if we choose to pay for one night.

[dodge_guy]

Depends on the campground in question. IDE drive a few miles past the one off the highway if it were a better place.

[FULLTIMEWANABE]

Walmarts, Lowes, HD, Fast Food Locations, Cracker Barrels, Rest Areas, Cabelas, Church or a Restaurant Car Park if asked and OK'd. All the aforementioned but only if feel comfortable about (have moved on from some feeling uncomfortable about the environment/surroundings). Casinos if enroute or slightly off highway, City Parks and other areas listed on Freecampsites.net, Ioverlander, etc. Avoid Campgrounds at all costs due to pain of booking in, arriving late and disturbing others or leaving early and disturbing others. Cost is the last reason, convenience, ease and feeling of safety most important for quick stops.

[JupiterRT]

Close to highway....often stay at truck stops or Walmart if just for overnight,

[rexlion]

If I must stop late and get up early, I may go for a truck stop or some such. But under normal circumstances I try to get a campsite away from lights and traffic, with enough daylight remaining to fix dinner and maybe take a little walk.

[valhalla360]

If it's roll in after 6pm and on the road by 8am, time and fuel to get to a park 15miles off the freeway isn't worth it (unless there is something horrible about the closer park).

[afidel]

We've done both state park hopping and truck stops. I try to plan park hopping into my overall trip plan, but it's not always possible. Like when we go down to the Florida Keys, that's one where I'm just trying to make miles and due to potential weather events I'm not even sure which route I'll take (I refuse to take I77 if there's going to be ice, it's borderline unacceptably nerve racking under good conditions, I75 is my backup but it's about 4-5 hours longer with a trailer and it means scheduling around Atlanta).

Oh, and I found NY State parks have a 2 night minimum during the summer, paying double makes it a lot less attractive, but since it's a small amount of the total trip budget we held our nose and payed. They also absolutely insist on knowing the names of everyone in your party, very invasive IMHO and something I've never experienced anywhere else in 43 states or 11 countries.

[Edd505]

Passport America & plans stops, watch the notes for restrictions.

[evanrem]

I would drive a few miles down the road not to hear the road noise every time.

[midnightsadie]

cracker barrel has been great for us , wife likes a evening meal that some body else has to cook an clean up. never had a problem, and the cruiser comes threw couple tims a night.