Pilot/Flying J reserve a spot

Rangerman40 wrote:
WOW!! I never thought this thread would take off like this. Obviously there a few different types of RVers on this forum and it's not a one size fits all approach..... I fall into the I'm in my mid 30s with a couple young kids and I get 4 weeks vacation a year and when I'm going some place I have to GO! No time to drive 150 miles a day and smell every rose along the way like many of the retired people on here seem to do. I sleep in any convenient place I can find along a highway for a few hours and get up and finish my drive. It's not uncommon for me to drive from Ohio to Florida in a day. I've never felt unsafe in a truck stop and my wife feels the same way. We aren't wandering the lots at 4am, we park go back to the camper and sleep.... That's it.

I'm sure it's not everyone's cup of tea, and yes some truckers are pretty nasty, but I work in the transportation industry for one of the largest companies in the US and the vast majority are just guys trying to make a living. I simply thought it was kinda cool I could reserve a spot so I'm not in and out of every truck stop and rest area for 50 miles looking for a place to sleep.

You nailed it. We have been RVing for 23 years just like this. NEVER an issue. still working also.

I think its a great idea. My wife begs to stay the night in a truck stop because she likes background noise to sleep. Kids also. I usually just grab a rest area, but they like truck stops better. Like you I sometimes drive late also. I will have to look at these and check them out. Private business does it better again.

Rangerman40 wrote:
WOW!! I never thought this thread would take off like this...

Just be glad you didn't ask about Walmart :)

That always brings out the holier-than-thou, who love to disrespect the working class schmuck, who is just trying to squeeze in maximum vacation in minimum time.

I'm with you, Rangerman 40! When we travel, we have to boogie due to limited time off. If we overnight enroute, I'm not paying $50 for a CG spot for 6 hours of sleep. LOL

We've gotten quite good at the enroute "stealth camping" stops. Thanks for letting us know about the ability to reserve a spot. Safe travels!

WOW!! I never thought this thread would take off like this. Obviously there a few different types of RVers on this forum and it's not a one size fits all approach..... I fall into the I'm in my mid 30s with a couple young kids and I get 4 weeks vacation a year and when I'm going some place I have to GO! No time to drive 150 miles a day and smell every rose along the way like many of the retired people on here seem to do. I sleep in any convenient place I can find along a highway for a few hours and get up and finish my drive. It's not uncommon for me to drive from Ohio to Florida in a day. I've never felt unsafe in a truck stop and my wife feels the same way. We aren't wandering the lots at 4am, we park go back to the camper and sleep.... That's it.

I'm sure it's not everyone's cup of tea, and yes some truckers are pretty nasty, but I work in the transportation industry for one of the largest companies in the US and the vast majority are just guys trying to make a living. I simply thought it was kinda cool I could reserve a spot so I'm not in and out of every truck stop and rest area for 50 miles looking for a place to sleep.

bpounds wrote:

padre1944 wrote:
That's not RVing to me. We like to enjoy the trip and the parks. No way I'm staying in any parking lot.

Your eyes are closed, sleeping. What difference does it make where you are?

Except in a truck stop, one has to sleep with one eye open.....

If I need a couple of hours sleep I just pull into a rest stop, go in the camper and take my nap, then hit the road.

bpounds wrote:

padre1944 wrote:
That's not RVing to me. We like to enjoy the trip and the parks. No way I'm staying in any parking lot.

Your eyes are closed, sleeping. What difference does it make where you are?

Oh, I don't know...

- police sirens
- loud trucks
- train traffic
- late night business traffic
-street traffic
- not feeling comfortable sleeping there
- waking up in a parking lot.

Your comment is absurd.

Rangerman40 wrote:
When my family is headed to a destination that requires an overnight stop we usually end up at a truck stop or rest area for a few hours to get a few winks before we take off again. I always leave around midnight and drive till 4am or so because I work third and its prime time for me. The kids are asleep, the roads are fairly empty and I can put in some miles. I saw Pilot and Flying J is allowing you to reserve a parking spot for $12 that is good for a 4pm check in and a 3pm the next day check out. This seems ideal for me since I do have difficulty finding a spot when I roll in at 4am. Just curious if anyone has used it before.

Yes I know it's intended for truckers but I read every bit of fine print and there are no exclusions toward the RV crowd.

I do the very same thing. I have not made it to 4am, but 1-3am is very common at least once or twice during our 2-3 week trips.

I recently used the scale at a Pilot near me and ended up parking in a "reserved" slot because they were all empty, while all other spots taken. The clerk said they are available to anyone, for anything. From a car to a semi truck, but they are not yet very popular because they have so many free spots and in this location 2 other competitors across the street with more just 5 and 10 miles away.

We did not talk about the lot being full and for just $12 saves one from continuing to look elsewhere with fingers crossed and the fact they can be reserved.

For me personally, I would pay the $12 for a spot, but may be not reserve one more than a few hours ahead of time. I typically have no idea how hard I will push until I'm in the moment, and when I do this, I have a series of free options along the planned route at various distances. I have never gone out with options unknown.

padre1944 wrote:
That's not RVing to me. We like to enjoy the trip and the parks. No way I'm staying in any parking lot.

Your eyes are closed, sleeping. What difference does it make where you are?