New to Rv - questions about RV parking outside of campground

[jschmelzer]

Hello everyone,

Just picked up our new Winnebago Vista LX 30T. Have been reading topics in this forum for a few months. A lot of great information.

We've planned a couple of short shakedown trips over the next few weeks and going to campgrounds with a second vehicle to sight-see.

We also have a couple of longer trips planned (staying with friends, campgrounds, boondocking, et al) but we're not really sure how to handle these two scenarios while we're traveling between campgrounds.

1) When staying at a business overnight, like Cracker Barrel, Walmart, Flying J, rest stops, we assume that we do not extend our slide-outs to keep under the radar and be courteous to other vehicles? We've heard that we should get the manager's permission before staying.

2) Where do most people park their RV when they want to visit a place when driving between campgrounds and the RV is too big to drive to the location? We would use our tow vehicle to visit those places where a RV will not fit. If we can find legal street parking, then problem solved; however, in rural areas, street parking might not be available and we only have business parking lots or cut-outs along the side of the road or county/state parks.

There might be other questions that we've not yet thought of. Any other words of wisdom and advice?

Thanks,

John (

[Lwiddis]

"now his foundation makes a fortune on tourists. Hearst Castle is a seriously expensive place to visit!"

The People of California own Hearst Castle, not any foundation.

[DC_MC]

Check out Indian casinos. There is a great one on I5 at Corning CA. Rv park behind or you can just park in the lot with the trucks. Also there is 7feathers in southern Oregon on I5. Rv parking there too

[Lwiddis]

"I suspect we are all talking about the part between SF and LA (which is spectacularly gorgeous but so twisty/turny I would not want to drive it in a MH), and I wonder whether it is as twisty north of SF. Has anyone driven that section?"

While not currently completly open due to a slide, CA 1 Cambria to Monterey isn't that twisty/turny. Just take it slow. Lots of MHs traveling there. North of SF parts of CA 1 are more twisty/turny IMO. If you stick to the "easy" you will miss some fabulous country. Can't understand my fellow RVers who think of driving as "work."

[mama_sylvia]

I think the OP specically mentioned PCH, which is CALIFORNIA route 1. On GoogleMaps, it looks like it ends in Leggett CA. However, I suspect we are all talking about the part between SF and LA (which is spectacularly gorgeous but so twisty/turny I would not want to drive it in a MH), and I wonder whether it is as twisty north of SF. Has anyone driven that section?

There are lots of reasons to not spend money on a CG. For years, when the kids were little and the grandparents were still alive, we drove from Wyoming to Texas and back every year. DH had limited time off so we wanted to spend as much time as possible with family rather than travelling, so we just stopped for a few hours to sleep and then hit the road again. We wouldn't have hooked up anyway - time rather than money was the primary issue - so a truck stop or rest area or WM was perfectly fine. Once, we were stuck in Amarillo TX in a snowstorm and were utterly relieved to find a WM to spend the night at! The next night, after hours of stop-and-go traffic on I-40, when I saw the telltale signs of dozens of brake lights coming on ahead of me, I quickly pulled off at a convenient exit and drove by a CG that had space available. We happily pulled in and paid the overnight fee. I think we did hook up to power but didn't bother with water and sewer. In both places, we were out of traffic and safe for the night, which was the bottom line for me.

For day parking, 2 ideas:

1 - Google is your friend. As long as you have a data connection, you can simply look around for anything with a large parking area.

2 - RV.Net is your friend too. 😉 If you have a route planned, you can ask in advance about specific locations and get recommendations from people who are familiar with the areas.

I totally understand not wanting to maneuver a MH in tight, unfamiliar locations. I love Cheyenne but the downtown streets are painfully narrow. Just driving through them in my MH (when unavoidable) is a challenge, I can't imagine trying to park on one!

[BigRabbitMan]

Winnipeg wrote:
There are many good comments here; a few that I think are really on track (in my own words):

1) Parking lots are OK if you cannot find a CG, but unless you are delivering the RV as your business, why not take a bit of time and enjoy a local CG? We did the Walmart camping when we started and quickly got tired of it. No problems, just not relaxing like a CG. Also, in a CG, your neighbors normally watch out for you and yours, not necessarily true in a parking lot.

2) I love the suggestion to put reflective tape on your slide. So easy and why not do it? Side note: whenever we put the slide out in a place where cars/dirtbikes/etc. can drive, we put cones out.

3) Highway 1 in California. I personally wouldn’t speculate that a “new” rver lacks the skills for it. I think that most people who sink their cash into the RV lifestyle understand the need for safe RV piloting. However, having done the trip, my biggest impression was that it took way too much concentration. Spinning the steering-wheel left and right (with precision) gets very tiring after a few hours. The trip from San Fran to LA took WAY too long, and overall I rate it as one of my least enjoyable RV driving routes.

Side comment. Hearst made a fortune on newspapers, and now his foundation makes a fortune on tourists. Hearst Castle is a seriously expensive place to visit!

Note that the Original Poster was talking about the coast highway in OREGON and not in, but TO Northern CA! Having driven both, there is a major difference. He said TO Northern California, not IN California.

[John_S_]

I stay in rest stops and truck stops all the time. I drive 12 hours stop gat some sleep and am back on the road again. Never been bothered in 16 years and if I am at the truck stop I will fill up as well. I have no time or inclination to find a campground at night after they have closed. In the summer I will pull in at 8-9 pm. We stopped at Mount Rushmore and they had lots of RV parking. Stopped at devils tower they also had room. I drove the badlands in the coach too. So yes you can see some things and I figured I used less then 2 gallons of fuel overnight so that is six bucks vs 30 to 40 bucks and much nicer and easier on both me and you. For those who stop early in a campground, I hope to join you when I retire but I have a limited number of days to get where I am going and this way I don't pull in and set up after dark and start up and unhook and dump and get going at 4vam. My old class a had a resonator so you would definitely hear me. This diesel is not quite as loud.

[Winnipeg]

There are many good comments here; a few that I think are really on track (in my own words):

1) Parking lots are OK if you cannot find a CG, but unless you are delivering the RV as your business, why not take a bit of time and enjoy a local CG? We did the Walmart camping when we started and quickly got tired of it. No problems, just not relaxing like a CG. Also, in a CG, your neighbors normally watch out for you and yours, not necessarily true in a parking lot.

2) I love the suggestion to put reflective tape on your slide. So easy and why not do it? Side note: whenever we put the slide out in a place where cars/dirtbikes/etc. can drive, we put cones out.

3) Highway 1 in California. I personally wouldn’t speculate that a “new” rver lacks the skills for it. I think that most people who sink their cash into the RV lifestyle understand the need for safe RV piloting. However, having done the trip, my biggest impression was that it took way too much concentration. Spinning the steering-wheel left and right (with precision) gets very tiring after a few hours. The trip from San Fran to LA took WAY too long, and overall I rate it as one of my least enjoyable RV driving routes.

Side comment. Hearst made a fortune on newspapers, and now his foundation makes a fortune on tourists. Hearst Castle is a seriously expensive place to visit!

[FIRE_UP]

To all you folks that have stayed at a Kracker Barrel. We've just finished a 6,400 mile trip up, over and around, 20 states in 45 days. We ate at two Kracker Barrels and drove by several more. Not one of them had any capabilities of parking even one RV. You must be finding some out of the way ones. I know that I've seen on here or, elsewhere that it's ok to overnight at Kracker Barrels but, we just haven't seen any that would hold any RVs.
Scott

[Billinwoodland]

smlranger wrote:
If we plan to visit places or sightsee, we always get a site in a RV park and use it as our base. If we are just traveling from point A to B, we may elect to stay overnight in a Walmart, Lowes, Sam's, Cabelas. We park out of the traffic flow and only put out two slides. As far as danger or risk, we use our common sense and don't stay in places that don't feel or look right. As always, be aware of your surroundings.

Great summary. We do the same.

[donkeydew]

2) On the trip down south from Southern Washington to Northern California, we're taking the Hwy1 (PCH) route. Along the route, we wanted to visit a few beaches, parks and wineries along PCH. From our research, our RV is too big for some of these attractions and the attractions are 1-3 hours from the CGs we've chosen. We did not want to spend hours driving round-trip just to visit a beach or park that we passed with our RV earlier that day.

the last place a new rver belongs is on highway 1 in northern ca
it is very tight,twisty and narrow with a bicycle around every turn and 5 sports cars wanting you the heck out of the way. you will be much happier and safer using 101 with day trips in your toad on 1

[bleeder_guy]

We put reflective tape on the sides of our slides. When they are out you can see the tape. This way others know we are wider than our main body.

[Groover]

I prefer Cracker Barrel over Wal-Mart, they tend to be further off the road and quieter. On the other hand, Wal-Mart probably has better security. I have occasionaly used truck stops also and felt quite safe there. As for why, generally it is just for time savings when I have a long ways to go and can't find a campground near where I am when I get tired. Plus, if I wake up in the middle of the night ready to roll I don't bother anyone by leaving during quiet hours. I always try to leave the host clean and spend some money there.

[cross21114]

I saw a thread, not sure where, about a guy who had his slide out and it got hit by a car. He did not say where he was parked but I would imagine it was in a non-rv lot. Maybe if he did not have the slides out, he would not have suffered serious damage by an unlicensed, uninsured driver.

Think in that circumstance, leaving slides in is probably prudent.

[Mondooker]

My 10 cents is this,

If I'm traveling a long distance and I'm on the road three or four nights. A Walmart kind of stop for the night works great for me and mine. I don't put slides out, but if you want to great! But I NEVER unhitch the toad and go somewhere. And I do call ahead for permission, I do buy something if possible and I do say hi to the manager!

Why in the world would you want to go to a park and spend $30 to $100 bucks just to spend the night? It's not a matter of having the money to spend, it's matter of spending your money wisely!

Oh and as for security, don't be an idiot and park overnight in the south side of Chicago. Plan your stops in a smaller city and if not possible then a park may be necessary.

Maybe that wasn't worth 10 cents but there you go...