Discovered a great option for overnight camping.....

[Rbertalotto]

I just needed a place to camp for the night. Was near Albany airport in NY. I saw an off airport parking facility that charges $6.50 a day.

I asked if I could park for one day and catch some shuteye in the camper. They said sure and placed me down in back out of the way. Entire place is fenced and there is a security guard. And a nice restroom they said I could use.

Free coffee in the morning and a soda and snack machine.

How can you beat this for $6.50!

Every major airport in America has these off airport facilities. I'm surprised I've not read about this from others....

[tatest]

I've overnighted in my car at airport lots when I couldn't get a room at the inn. Seemed to be a better idea than trying to sleep parked at a curb somewhere, and not the kind of hunting ground for human predators that many highway rest areas have become.

But parking somewhere to sleep is NOT CAMPING.

[Rbertalotto]

Logan has an oversized vehicle parking lot that I have used many times. I've seen campers park there a number of times. Not sure if folks were sleeping in them but I see no reason why they couldn't have been.

[Crowe]

I think it's a great idea in some areas, but you'd be hard pressed to do so at Logan in Boston. As far as noise goes, technically no plane are allowed to land after midnight and before 5 a.m., so there are some "quiet hours" so-to-speak. Many airports have time restrictions such as this. Certainly doesn't hurt to look into it.

[Lumpty]

Like everything, it depends.

My 24' Class C spent 9 days back in March parked at the airport on-property long-term lot in Orlando, which was no problem for $10/day IIRC. They even sign and advertise this lot being suitable for oversize vehicles.

The next time I did it this past June, in Pittsburgh, I got in OK, found a space to accommodate the rear overhang no problem as the lot was pretty much wide open, but when I came back 42 hours later, the place was jam packed. Still got out OK, right up to getting to the exit plaza, which had variable overhead clearance signed from 12' down to well under 11'. There was a ton of traffic there for it being midnight, so I was stuck in the lane I was originally lined up for, with an overhead clearance dimension of 11'-6". The lane was also at an angle, and the adjacent booth stuck out to the right curb line. Not good.

I lined up where I thought I needed to be, pulled both mirrors in, paid via credit card at the automated machine, and rolled through at 0.25mph, waiting for the inevitable scrape.

Which didn't happen. I must have had millimeters of clearance on both sides and the roof, as I nominally use 12' as my minimum clear height, based on a specification height of 11'-8".

I'll be sure to do a little more due diligence if I ever park at an airport again.

BTW, in Orlando I stayed at a KOA near the airport the night before parking as I had to de-winterize, and a close-by Wal-Mart either side of the Pittsburgh Airport parking experience.

[camperpaul]

free radical wrote:

wa8yxm wrote:
Heck,,, I know of at least one eatery where that cup of coffee they gave you for free would set you back 3.50.. A millionaire I know refused to eat there... Too expensive (he had like 3 million in the bank at the time,, Really nice guy)

now that's what I call frugal. :R

... and that is why he is a millionaire. 😄

[free_radical]

wa8yxm wrote:
Heck,,, I know of at least one eatery where that cup of coffee they gave you for free would set you back 3.50.. A millionaire I know refused to eat there... Too expensive (he had like 3 million in the bank at the time,, Really nice guy)

now thats what I call frugal. :R

[Paul1944]

WOW.....what a great idea. Sometime we truly can't see the forrest for the trees.....lol

[wa8yxm]

Heck,,, I know of at least one eatery where that cup of coffee they gave you for free would set you back 3.50.. A millionaire I know refused to eat there... Too expensive (he had like 3 million in the bank at the time,, Really nice guy)

[Jim_Shoe]

There's a nice off site private lot at Greater Cincinnati Airport (which is in Kentucky, BTW), but if you're taller than a van, either the entrance gate or your RV will be topless. Either way, its gonna be expensive.

[Skid_Row_Joe]

Rbertalotto wrote:
I just needed a place to camp for the night. Was near Albany airport in NY. I saw an off airport parking facility that charges $6.50 a day.

I asked if I could park for one day and catch some shuteye in the camper. They said sure and placed me down in back out of the way. Entire place is fenced and there is a security guard. And a nice restroom they said I could use.

Free coffee in the morning and a soda and snack machine.

How can you beat this for $6.50!

Every major airport in America has these off airport facilities. I'm surprised I've not read about this from others....

I take the RV over to Dallas Love Field at least one weekend a month here in Texas and park at remote parking for $6.50 a day too! Three nights and all the 737 jet fumes I can take in.

Free shuttle to from airport terminal 24/7 and all the Southwest Boeing 737 Airliners I can hear 18 hours a day take offs and landings of jet blasts.

Ya'll need to get with it! This is 2013, you know!

[Highway_4x4]

Maybe in small airports but no way ay the big ones. I worked about 1/2 mile out under LAX approach. OMG, the 747's look like the mothership up there, con trails off the flaps. The area around LAX is not to be in overnite.

[vwsportbug]

Rbertalotto wrote:
I just needed a place to camp for the night. Was near Albany airport in NY. I saw an off airport parking facility that charges $6.50 a day.

I asked if I could park for one day and catch some shuteye in the camper. They said sure and placed me down in back out of the way. Entire place is fenced and there is a security guard. And a nice restroom they said I could use.

Free coffee in the morning and a soda and snack machine.

How can you beat this for $6.50!

Every major airport in America has these off airport facilities. I'm surprised I've not read about this from others....

I like this suggestion but the practicality probably depends on the airport involved. I've had trouble finding room for a Mazda3 at the Toronto offsite parking areas let alone my 36' fifth wheel. Not sure I'd want to pull in there and then have to back out.

[Hoppypoppy]

I live near a regional airport and they have off-site parking. But they also have a very narrow entrance with back-up spikes. It is not manned so getting permission would be difficult. And, as a bonus, it sits at the end of the runways, which would be a treat for me. My wife, not so much. I think depending on airport parking without some extensive pre-planning would be risky.

[mr__ed]

When I was living in Los Angeles some RVers were taking advantage of the long-term parking areas around LAX. The authorities eventually put a stop to that but I often wondered how those people could sleep right under the flight path of those jets. I guess it quieted down enough at night to permit getting a little shut-eye..