I just got home from a trip from Portland and in Idaho late at night I got super tired and used a exit in the middle of nowhere that just had a dirt road. I drove 1000 feet away from the freeway and shut it down and went to sleep. Nothing but darkness and quiet. The last real rest stop I passed had super bright lights and various semis which many of them idle all night. I need it dark and quiet for me to get a good nights rest, so I decided to use the lonely exit instead. I took my 1990 Ford E350 class B camper van on this trip. Good thing there were no killers out there. :EHave any of you folks tried this approach or would you advise against it?

If somebody else pulls in after you and introduces himself as Gunnar Hansen, you may want to move. He played "Leatherface" in "Texas Chainsaw Massacre". :)

yeah we boondock all the time, especially west of the Mississippi where there are more open spaces.Generally I'll turn off pavement onto dirt, then turn from dirt to smaller dirt and park.

Well on my last trip south I planned on Wally-Docking on Thanksgiving Eve then black friday shopping in the AM.. Plan half worked.The Wally-Dock was packed, not even enough room for a skate board so I drove past and found a supermarket closed for the night, had a good nights sleep, and on to another Wally-World in the AM for the black friday item.. When I got to that one (like 7:30AM) there were more employees in the place than customers, Got my item, Emptied my "Gift card" into the gas tank (You get cents off if you fill the card in teh store then use it at the pump) and on to destination 150 miles of hill country driving away.

We've done it many times. But, when we need to take our 2 dogs outside, both of us do it,......wearing our shoulder holstered Glocks (ready to defend ourselves),....just in case.....

I would think there would be less chance of a problem in a remote area then at a rest stop.I love dark and quiet as well. With 3 Collies they would alert me to a problem.

Rest Stop vs. The Hills Have Eyes | Good Sam Community

Jim_Shoe
Explorer
Oct 21, 2014
If somebody else pulls in after you and introduces himself as Gunnar Hansen, you may want to move. He played "Leatherface" in "Texas Chainsaw Massacre". :)
pugslyyy
Explorer
Oct 21, 2014
yeah we boondock all the time, especially west of the Mississippi where there are more open spaces.

Generally I'll turn off pavement onto dirt, then turn from dirt to smaller dirt and park.
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Oct 21, 2014
Well on my last trip south I planned on Wally-Docking on Thanksgiving Eve then black friday shopping in the AM.. Plan half worked.

The Wally-Dock was packed, not even enough room for a skate board so I drove past and found a supermarket closed for the night, had a good nights sleep, and on to another Wally-World in the AM for the black friday item.. When I got to that one (like 7:30AM) there were more employees in the place than customers, Got my item, Emptied my "Gift card" into the gas tank (You get cents off if you fill the card in teh store then use it at the pump) and on to destination 150 miles of hill country driving away.
Cloud_Dancer
Explorer II
Oct 21, 2014
We've done it many times. But, when we need to take our 2 dogs outside, both of us do it,......wearing our shoulder holstered Glocks (ready to defend ourselves),....just in case.....
colliehauler
Explorer III
Oct 21, 2014
I would think there would be less chance of a problem in a remote area then at a rest stop.

I love dark and quiet as well. With 3 Collies they would alert me to a problem.
midnightsadie
Explorer II
Oct 21, 2014
COLLIE said it, there,s to meny idiots at the rest stops, out in the country is best.
The_Texan
Explorer
Oct 21, 2014
Those are called "ranch exits" and we use them now and then. Most of the time there is a very nice flat parking area that the trucks have worn in and like you said, it is quiet and dark. Will be staying at one in UT next week that we use almost every year.
the_bear_II
Explorer
Oct 21, 2014
Noise doesn't bother us so we have done both and never have had a problem.

My favorite is to find a perimeter spot at a Rest Stop or Truck Stop so we can open up the slideouts.

Like others have said when doing the off ramp stay pull as far away from the highway as possible and only turn on lights as needed. We do have outside cameras so we can see if there is movement.
2oldman
Explorer II
Oct 21, 2014
vacuumbed wrote:
I drove 1000 feet away from the freeway and shut it down and went to sleep. .. would you advise against it?
Only if you end up on private property.

It'll do in a pinch, but I prefer a truck stop or some large parking lot.
dtappy3353
Explorer
Oct 21, 2014
Bear II...what type of camera system do you have on your fiver?