No Overnight Parking at Interstate Rest Areas

[Honeybee8888]

I know a number of states do not allow overnight parking at the state-run rest areas along the interstates. Has anyone been asked to leave one of these locations during the night? We've stayed in them a number of times, and we've never had anyone ask us to move. But maybe we've just been lucky? How about you?

[wiskeyVI]

The interstate system was built for truckers, not travelers.

[colliehauler]

ajriding wrote:
Reason to let the truckers have the rest stop parking spots is curtesy. This is not the best place or time to assert your tax-payer's rights. We all live and work in the same world, and helping out our neighbor and fellow driver is by far the best thing to do.
Trucking is the backbone of the American economy.
I will use a rest area at times; they are not always full at night with big rigs, but I do hate the constant hum of big engines. I never use them if I would displace a trucker who would be forced to the next location. You see truckers parked along exit and entrance ramps all the time - off-camber, sloping and not the safest place to stop with vehicles wizzing by.
Sometimes you can get away with sleeping on the car side of a rest area, these are always empty at night as car drivers will stay in hotels - very few sleep in their cars over night.

I'm with you on this one, not my choice for a overnight. To many better choices for a quick stop. Since I'm retired no need for marathon driving. I'll look for a Passport America campground for a cheap overnight. If I need a short rest a box store or Cracker Barrel works well and you don't have the noise to contend with. Cracker barrel will even serve breakfast in the morning.

[ajriding]

Reason to let the truckers have the rest stop parking spots is curtesy. This is not the best place or time to assert your tax-payer's rights. We all live and work in the same world, and helping out our neighbor and fellow driver is by far the best thing to do.
Trucking is the backbone of the American economy.
I will use a rest area at times; they are not always full at night with big rigs, but I do hate the constant hum of big engines. I never use them if I would displace a trucker who would be forced to the next location. You see truckers parked along exit and entrance ramps all the time - off-camber, sloping and not the safest place to stop with vehicles wizzing by.
Sometimes you can get away with sleeping on the car side of a rest area, these are always empty at night as car drivers will stay in hotels - very few sleep in their cars over night.

[CFerguson]

drsteve wrote:

On the rare occasions that we happen to pull in at night, I don't even unhooked. Setting up in the dark is a royal PITA, much easier and far more courteous to wait until morning when you can see what's going on and not bother everyone else.

Will you be my neighbor? I think exactly like you do.

[bpounds]

drsteve wrote:
...Setting up in the dark is a royal PITA...

Not to mention, trying to back into a dark, tree lined, forest service campsite in the pitch black of night. Yet another, probably the most common reason, for us to overnight at a rest stop. We have often driven to within a short distance of our campground, spent the night at the rest stop/side road, and pulled into camp after having a leisurely breakfast. Side benefit, before 10 AM is a good time to catch an empty site after the early birds have pulled out.

[drsteve]

irishtom29 wrote:
We had some nitwits pull in next to us at 1 in the morning and they made no effort to go about their business quietly, thus waking us up. When the jag-off started rattling his stabilizers with an impact I had enough. So rather than be one the jerks who complains only on this forum I opened the window and told them, in no uncertain terms, to quiet down. They did and the two days they were in the park were abashed in our presence.

On the rare occasions that we happen to pull in at night, I don't even unhooked. Setting up in the dark is a royal PITA, much easier and far more courteous to wait until morning when you can see what's going on and not bother everyone else.

[irishtom29]

We had some nitwits pull in next to us at 1 in the morning and they made no effort to go about their business quietly, thus waking us up. When the jag-off started rattling his stabilizers with an impact I had enough. So rather than be one the jerks who complains only on this forum I opened the window and told them, in no uncertain terms, to quiet down. They did and the two days they were in the park were abashed in our presence.

[Paul1944]

bpounds wrote:

Supercharged wrote:
Everybody should stop a W-Mart for a few hrs, I think that is what they say it, just a few hrs. rest. I call it just cheap.

I call it stupid to pay for a campsite, when you only want to park.

I call it inconsiderate to pull into a campground in the middle of the night, and to pull out at the crack of dawn.

AMEN!!!

[Blazing_Zippers]

In the past several years, truck drivers have had to comply with stricter regulations with regard to hours driving, working, miles traveled, etc. To a great extent, the old cheating days of Spokane to Chicago in two days (in a semi), are long gone. Therefore, more semi's are using rest stops and pull outs to comply. There aren't enough pull outs to accommodate all the truck traffic now, and in fact, I bet there are more trucks on the road then actual parking spaces if they all pulled over at the same time.
As far as the Trooper that supposedly moved all truck out of a rest area--he was wrong sending folks packing that might be a safety risk, or he just realized his wife was ugly and had to "power up."
To the person that wrote that trucks need to be in truck stops and not in rest areas--There is some truth to that, however, truck stops are private businesses and if you're not buying their products, you're using space. Also, there was a 700 parking spot truck stop in Bordentown, NJ. that would fill up before sundown with scant options left. Where, oh where to park???????
The problem is greatest on the East coast, where two thirds of the population lives and infrastructure is old. I think God realized his mistake with the Eastern half of the nation, and made it right out here in the West!

[JaxDad]

DrewE wrote:

TBammer wrote:
Has anyone "rested" at a NY throughway travel plaza? I am looking at the google maps photos and they don't look very trailer friendly from the point of view of parking and then getting to the gas pumps.

I have. Getting from the truck parking to the truck deisel pumps is easy. Getting to the gasoline pumps might be a bit trickier. I never tried though I have a gas motorhome because the thruway prices are rather steep so I always fuel up before and/or after taking the thruway.

Me three. LOL.

I often, 2 or 3 timers a year, get ‘stuck’ on my way back north. I get delayed by bad weather when I *think* I should be *able* to make it home but then run into a traffic delay due to a wreck, lake effect snow storm or whatever.

I’ve never had a problem finding a parking place, or been asked to ‘move along’.

Mind you, I’ve only been doing this for 30 odd years, it may still happen.

[DrewE]

TBammer wrote:
Has anyone "rested" at a NY throughway travel plaza? I am looking at the google maps photos and they don't look very trailer friendly from the point of view of parking and then getting to the gas pumps.

I have. Getting from the truck parking to the truck deisel pumps is easy. Getting to the gasoline pumps might be a bit trickier. I never tried though I have a gas motorhome because the thruway prices are rather steep so I always fuel up before and/or after taking the thruway.

[TBammer]

Has anyone "rested" at a NY throughway travel plaza? I am looking at the google maps photos and they don't look very trailer friendly from the point of view of parking and then getting to the gas pumps.

[Roy_Lynne]

Ours is the journey, never the destination so we rarely travel more than three or 4 hours a day and while we don't make reservations, we don't camp where they are needed either, preferring dry camps and boondocking. Saying that, if the weather turns, if traffic gets bad, if it starts getting dark, I have no qualms about pulling into a rest stop and waiting it out and if its 10 hour or 2 days, oh well.
But I know that most RVs don't have the luxury that we do and travel only to get from point A to B and if they need to park for the night at a rest stop they should have that option. I think when rest stops post "no camping signs" they mean putting out slides, awnings, and lawn chairs.

[bpounds]

Supercharged wrote:
Everybody should stop a W-Mart for a few hrs, I think that is what they say it, just a few hrs. rest. I call it just cheap.

I call it stupid to pay for a campsite, when you only want to park.

I call it inconsiderate to pull into a campground in the middle of the night, and to pull out at the crack of dawn.

[bpounds]

Best to get it from the authorities, if you want to know the exact rules. Every state should have a page for "rest stop rules".

Like this: CA Rest Stop Rules

Clearly shows that staying is different than camping.

I often sleep at rest stops, but I also avoid it when I can. Too noisy with trucks and other activity. We would rarely need a full 8 hours either.

I also don't worry too much about what is posted at other venues, like shopping centers or restaurants, if there is ample parking available. Even if there are signs, usually it is a boiler plate thing, and only enforced to prevent homeless encampments. I've never been rousted to move from any place, so I guess I have become good at choosing. I also figure, what's the worst that will happen? A cop wake me up and ask me to move? Fine, get up and move. I get woken up from sleep all the time, and I don't live in fear of it happening. I don't do any setup in such a situation that would prevent me from just starting the engine and driving.

Folks get way too stressed out over this overnighting thing. I understand, because at first, I did too. Experience soon teaches you about situations where it might be a problem, like just about any downtown area, and where it won't be.