Flying J Rest Areas

[woozy]

Hospital parking lots. They assume you have a sick person there. I've never been bothered in one, but the worst that can happen is someone asks you to leave. A lot of them are right off freeways.

[MarsMan]

Casinos- some even give a free hook-up. We stayed at 4 casino early in Feb and 3 had a choice of 110v/30A/or 50A power. 1 had water, 1 had electric/water/sewer. all free. I had to go in an register for 1- (still free). Also picked some smaller gas stations/truck stops- less noisy trucks, stayed in 2 church lots, 1 town hall lot, couple of areas behind cell sites, 1 RV dealer, national forests are a given, 1 police station lot (permission obtained), 1 sports field parking lot, 2 weigh station parking lots. Even found an abandoned RV park along Route 66 (hook ups did not work thou LoL)

[rjshiflet]

Call me cheap or smart, but before heading out on a 3-week trip to Florida last summer I purchased membership at https://www.passportamerica.com and saved about $300.00 on accommodations. Basically it provides half-price lodging in some pretty nice RV parks. There are limitations, but sometimes the campground owners will work with you on what days/nights can be used or how many days you can get the discount.

We've used it a couple of other times "in transit" to our ultimate destination and lets you have full hookups at an RV park for as low as $12 to $15 per night rather than a truck stop or WalMart parking lot.

[bop11]

Our experience with Flying J's is that we try and stay at ones that advertise "RV Islands". If you need to stay at one that doesn't have RV parking I would suggest staying out of the truck parking area. Those guys don't appreciate an RV taking a space when they are required to rest and can't get in. (Spoken from experience!). Anytime we stay at other than campgrounds we try not to look like we're camping, no awning no unnecessary slides out and definitely no grill going. And always always ask, no matter where! Please don't ruin it for the rest of us Cheap asses! LOL

[pdqparalegal1]

Originally Posted by wanderingbob

I do not mean to start a fight on here but when we travel we will spend 99% of nite stops dry camping , not just the normal Wal-Marts , Fly Js and such . I mean churches , closed for the nite fruitstands , auto repair facilities with big parking lots . Probably 100 nites per year and only once have I been asked to move !
Tonite we are parked in the volusia county Florida parking lot in New Smyrna running my honda 3,000., Last nite in a furniture store parking lot in DeLand . It ain;t rocket science , if they ask ya to leave, just leave . Any one else do dat

Been doing same for 30 years. Just be up and gone prior to business opening in the morning.

[Myrle]

Get the Flying J app. It will tell you closest one price of fuel, rv lanes, etc you have to park in with semi's . We have stayed in several you get to be seranaded by diesel engines. The rv lanes gas,water and dump station.

[brianodon]

I plan my travel to and from my destinations with free overnighting at Flying J or Walmart. In my mind, it makes sense. I always get a coffee or snack in the morning wherever I may be. I enjoy the adventure aspect of it. Most of the time I'm by myself. Who cares what someone else thinks. Let them spend their money to sleep at a campground. I bought a self contained motorhome for this purpose.

[camaraderie]

They just came out with the new 2016 Flying J /Pilot facilities guide by state. Here's a link to download a copy of the pdf.
http://webcontent.goodsam.com/goodsa...ide%202016.pdf

[aceinspp]

Also Pilots and Flying Js have a free RV brochure showing all amenities at each location. Got mine the other day. Later RJD

[RoyalFrog2]

My parents used to travel all over the country in their motor home and often stopped at vacant lots. One dark night they found a big vacant lot and parked. They never saw the RR tracks along side. About 2 am in the morning- well you get the picture.

[buddyu]

At times when I have been exhausted I wanted to sleep for a few hours in a rest area in AL but they all said no overnight parking. I will be making that trip again next month via I-65. Does anyone know if they enforce that?


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[martin73]

Cracker barrel in Springfield,mo. When they are open all the cars use up the rv spaces. Mgr says he dosent have enough spaces.

[Vince and Charlette]

Buddyu, I had the same experience in GA. Stopped in a rest area on the interstate to catch a few hours of sleep on the way to FL. Campers and big rigs all over the place. Signs were everywhere saying no overnight parking. Went to the next rest area, also in GA...but no signs anywhere. Found a cozy spot next to the grass so I could even put one slide out. Doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason as to why some have signs and others don't.

[bob caldwell]

Sign is probably in someone's man-cave

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[Kels4g]

Originally Posted by buddyu

At times when I have been exhausted I wanted to sleep for a few hours in a rest area in AL but they all said no overnight parking. I will be making that trip again next month via I-65. Does anyone know if they enforce that?


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Usually you are limited to 4-6 hours stays in rest areas.

We tried to stay in one once. My dogs did really well for about 4 hours and then it was time to leave. They'd have enough.

[buddyu]

4 - 6 hours should work. I've had a difficult time getting some sleep because I was waiting for a knock on the door.


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[CaptnJohn]

I've never heard that knock on the door. No slides out and don't spend the night, about 6 or 7 hours is max. Walk the dogs, have a snack and a nap then on the way.

[jkoenig24]

"I've never heard that knock on the door."

Same here. I rest (sleep) as long as I need to, so as to be safe to continue driving. (anywhere from four ~ ten hours). Slides do NOT get extended. When I arrive, I do a 360º walkaround (before hitting the can and then bed). Before heading out, another 360º walkaround. One reason I picked the rig I have is because it's FULLY USABLE even with the two slides in.

[doc73]

Same, spent many a night in rest areas and j's. Even ones with the signs. Only ever got one knock by a trooper. He was making sure we were staying the night since they were closing the highway for 6 hours and we would have been stuck if we had wanted to leave.

Originally Posted by jkoenig24

"I've never heard that knock on the door."

Same here. I rest (sleep) as long as I need to, so as to be safe to continue driving. (anywhere from four ~ ten hours). Slides do NOT get extended. When I arrive, I do a 360º walkaround (before hitting the can and then bed). Before heading out, another 360º walkaround. One reason I picked the rig I have is because it's FULLY USABLE even with the two slides in.

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[buddyu]

These help. I would extend the bed slide only 4-6 inches in order that the foam bed topper would lay flat.


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