Rest Areas

[hipchem1]

What do you think about parking overnight in rest areas?

 

[sheridany]

Personally I wouldn’t do it. I had a friend who did it once that resulted in him having to get ready with his 9mm to shoot the crackhead trying to break in. I don’t want to generalize too much but others have said not a great idea but people do it. You are better off getting a harvest host membership in my opinion.

 

[hipchem1]

I'm thinking a Flying J Travel Center. Thanks

 

[sheridany]

That’s a different story but I would not park where the trucks park as those drivers have driving restrictions in hours. Some pilot flying j’s have separate rv parking or they have big general parking areas. That’s fine. I would check and make sure it’s allowed as sometimes local ordinance don’t allow it.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

Remember that truck stops are there primarily to provide layover opportunities for truck drivers. The law requires them to take a rest break after a certain number of hours on the road. Many of the truck stops I’m familiar with are heavily used by truckers for their mandated breaks and RVs taking up this essential resource are not always appreciated. If you find one with a lot of free spaces, you might be OK, but don’t be surprised to find that the spaces fill up significantly throughout the night. And, parking next to a truck with a refrigerated trailer can keep you from getting much sleep; they are fairly noisy.

And, I second the caution offered by @sheridany regarding overnighting in highway “rest areas.” We have family members in law enforcement that strongly suggest those areas attract some pretty unsavory people.

A better alternative is to stop at a Cabela’s, Bass Pro, Cracker Barrel or similar parking area that allows overnight RV parking.

TJ

 

[AbdRahim]

Use good judgement. I have been sleeping in rest areas for 50 years. I never had a problem. I only sleep in well lit, and highly populated rest areas, on toll interstate highways.

 

[hipchem1]

That’s a different story but I would not park where the trucks park as those drivers have driving restrictions in hours. Some pilot flying j’s have separate rv parking or they have big general parking areas. That’s fine. I would check and make sure it’s allowed as sometimes local ordinance don’t allow it.

Thanks Flying J actually lists if the stop is RV Friendly.

 

[Old Bubblehead]

AbdRahim has is right, use good judgement. That doesn't only apply to rest stops, there are plenty of CG's and retail locations I wouldn't be able to relax and sleep in. If we were on the road, and I got to where I was too tired to drive you need to find a safe place to rest. We plan our trips around relaxed travel days, our schedule supports that. We also book sites in advance, we're not the spontaneous youths we used to be. I like to know where I am parking, get there without being exhausted, and enjoy a good meal and quiet time with the DW.

Only other thing I would mention, setting up camp in rest areas is different to sleeping. I know many do it, but it could be like waving a red flag in front of a bull.

 

[DKRITTER]

IMO, to many things tipping the scale to the NO side for me.

 

[Neal]

It's a NO for me as well. My main reason is I respect that this is for truckers, I don't want them in our campgrounds. I also prefer a more safe and secure location, that's just me. There are rest areas that do have designated RV areas and even power from what I've heard, that's a different story.

 

[ARD]

Personally, I would never stay overnight at a truck stop for the reasons mentioned above. I do not like stopping at rest areas either, but I have had to (that is another story). If you are going to stay at a rest area, I highly recommend using the app Trucker's Path. They review the rest areas and mention whether there are lights, security, arrests, etc.

 

[AbdRahim]

Also, depends on what you look like. I look like a trucker, hang out in the trucker’s lounge, etc. I have been doing that for many years. ??

If I were ARD, probably not.

 

[Nobaddays]

I used to stay at truck stops that were well lit and had a lot of spots open. Same rules for rest areas. If i saw something questionable, I just drove to the next one. Never had a problem. I also don’t fuel up if the truck stop is busy as I don’t want to hold up a trucker. Since I retired a few months ago, I now stay at campgrounds only and try to be off the road by 3:00 since that’s when happy hour might start.

 

[Joe Hogan]

there are some rules as well Overnight Parking Rules – Interstate Rest Areas

 

[Joe Hogan]

Florida rules for rest areas

Rest Area Questions and Answers

www.fdot.gov

 

[AbdRahim]

Many trucks and I stay overnight in the states that say no, regularly. They would need a fulltime staff to chase all of those trucks out every three hours.

 

[turbopilot]

It's a NO for me as well. My main reason is I respect that this is for truckers, I don't want them in our campgrounds. I also prefer a more safe and secure location, that's just me. There are rest areas that do have designated RV areas and even power from what I've heard, that's a different story.

Let me give a different perspective. I began driving before most of the US Interstate highway system was constructed. I frequently drove between Michigan and California beginning in the early 1960's. At that time the interstate system was under construction. It was an interesting drive as the road would constantly alternate between the old two line highways to the modern 4 lane restricted access interstates. Many of the new interstate segments were initially purposefully built around major cities connecting to the old two land roads in the less populated areas. Out West there were some new interstates built where there were no previous two lane roads or towns. I70 between Grand Junction, CO and I15 in central Utah is a good example hundreds of miles with no services, just rest areas. I40 between Ash Fork, AZ and Kingman, AZ is another example.

So the typical interstate rest areas were developed for safety reasons for all drivers, not truckers. In the early days of the interstate highways trucks were not anywhere near as common on the long haul interstates as they are today. Back then much more moved by rail than today. Just in time inventory had not taken hold yet.

So rest areas are for safety. If you are tired your tax dollars have paid for a place to rest. Everyone should use the rest areas if tired, not just truckers. There are more than enough big truck stops to accommodate the truckers even if they have to pay. Just add it to the cost of freight. All drivers should use the rest areas if they are too tired to drive.

In my experience most rest areas today are just too noisy to stay the entire night and get a full nights sleep. I would never try to use a rest area to sleep near any major city. Too many bad guys. But in the remote areas of the interstate system away from major population centers there are some good, quite rest areas that are relatively safe. I typically try to find a place between two 18 wheelers that don't have refers. Most nights it does not work as these trucks come and go. You may start the night without noise only to have one or both trucks beside you replaced by a refer with the darn thing cycling on and off all night.

So use the rest areas to rest. A sleepy truck driver is just as unsafe as a sleepy RV driver.

 

[MapNerd]

We use em all the time. Mostly welcome centers, but have stayed at other large, well lit rest areas as well. Never an issue. Also, if you don’t want to take a truck spot, many rest areas have bus parking for tour buses. Trucks won’t park there and tour buses aren’t coming into rest stops over night so we use those if we think the truck parking is limited. We’ve also pulled into the car parking area and just parked against the curb, out of the way if truck spots were limited.

again, use good judgement. Many rest areas are perfectly safe, fine places to stop for the night. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t, just move along to the next one.

we stayed at the FL welcome center in Pensacola just last week. There must have been 150 truck parking spots and they had a dump station. Huge rest area and well lit. We parked in a truck spot with the FWS against a grass median, which allowed us to put it out for the night without risk of collision or interference.

harvest hosts, cabelas, Cracker Barrel, Lowe’s, and Costco are all great alternatives too. If it’s well lit, the area is clean and there aren’t a bunch of vagrants, I say go for it.

 

["EZ"]

Let me give a different perspective. I began driving before most of the US Interstate highway system was constructed. I frequently drove between Michigan and California beginning in the early 1960's. At that time the interstate system was under construction. It was an interesting drive as the road would constantly alternate between the old two line highways to the modern 4 lane restricted access interstates. Many of the new interstate segments were initially purposefully built around major cities connecting to the old two land roads in the less populated areas. Out West there were some new interstates built where there were no previous two lane roads or towns. I70 between Grand Junction, CO and I15 in central Utah is a good example hundreds of miles with no services, just rest areas. I40 between Ash Fork, AZ and Kingman, AZ is another example.

So the typical interstate rest areas were developed for safety reasons for all drivers, not truckers. In the early days of the interstate highways trucks were not anywhere near as common on the long haul interstates as they are today. Back then much more moved by rail than today. Just in time inventory had not taken hold yet.

So rest areas are for safety. If you are tired your tax dollars have paid for a place to rest. Everyone should use the rest areas if tired, not just truckers. There are more than enough big truck stops to accommodate the truckers even if they have to pay. Just add it to the cost of freight. All drivers should use the rest areas if they are too tired to drive.

In my experience most rest areas today are just too noisy to stay the entire night and get a full nights sleep. I would never try to use a rest area to sleep near any major city. Too many bad guys. But in the remote areas of the interstate system away from major population centers there are some good, quite rest areas that are relatively safe. I typically try to find a place between two 18 wheelers that don't have refers. Most nights it does not work as these trucks come and go. You may start the night without noise only to have one or both trucks beside you replaced by a refer with the darn thing cycling on and off all night.

So use the rest areas to rest. A sleepy truck driver is just as unsafe as a sleepy RV driver.

I agree. My tax dollars paid to build the rest stop, so if I need to rest, I'm going to stop! We stay at rest stops all the time. Never had a problem except for one time in Alabama when the truck side was full so I pulled into the car side and took up a few spots. I was going into the restroom to pee when the Attendant told me I couldn't park there. I told him I was falling asleep at the wheel so he found me a spot to park and said he would keep an eye out for my coach while I slept. Nice guy. I'm not sure if the rest stops out West are different than they are here in the South but ours are very nice, well lit, and not dangerous looking at all. Seems like it's always somebody from the Western part of the USA that says they're scared to stay. I'll admit I don't travel out West so I don't know what the problem is. Maybe down here in the South all the would-be trouble makers know that we all have at least one gun with us at all times so they stay away??

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

I agree. My tax dollars paid to build the rest stop, so if I need to rest, I'm going to stop! We stay at rest stops all the time. Never had a problem except for one time in Alabama when the truck side was full so I pulled into the car side and took up a few spots. I was going into the restroom to pee when the Attendant told me I couldn't park there. I told him I was falling asleep at the wheel so he found me a spot to park and said he would keep an eye out for my coach while I slept. Nice guy. I'm not sure if the rest stops out West are different than they are here in the South but ours are very nice, well lit, and not dangerous looking at all. Seems like it's always somebody from the Western part of the USA that says they're scared to stay. I'll admit I don't travel out West so I don't know what the problem is. Maybe down here in the South all the would-be trouble makers know that we all have at least one gun with us at all times so they stay away??

Since we (a) live and travel primarily “in the West and (b) have posted some cautions regarding “rest areas,” let me provide a little context. First, very few rest areas in the West have staffed “travel centers” or “attendants” as we have seen in the Midwest and East. They are simply parking lots with a set of restrooms that get maintained once a day (if that). And, they are usually not overly large, so we find the truck side is frequently full. Not many have the “tour bus” spaces mentioned.

Then, there are the distances involved. People who have not traveled in the West just don’t understand how big it is and how separated towns can be. Very few rest areas out here are located immediately adjacent to cities and towns, so the only law enforcement presence is the state patrol/police. And, they are not staffed to regularly patrol rest areas (except for one rest area we know of in Washington state that is located adjacent to the Washington State Patrol office ). Some of these rest areas are well-lighted, others not so much. Basically, you are on your own at them. And, the “homeless” epidemic out here has many rest areas packed with barely running or broken-down RVs inhabited by less-than upstanding folks.

Our law enforcement contacts tell us that the “rest areas” along major interstates in the West are frequently used for drug deals between major suppliers and distributors. These “deals” are usually between parties (at least one frequently being from out-of-state) exchanging large amounts of drugs for large amounts of cash. That can be (and has been) a recipe for trouble!

We have really appreciated the “travel plazas” in the Midwest and East that are combined with fuel stops, restaurants, etc. I think that approach helps make things safer and we would probably overnight at one of those. The ones out here in the “Wild West,” not so much.

TJ