Lay over at truck stops / service plazas

[CTGREG]

OK, I am new to this 5th wheel experience. I am looking for advice for when I travel across country. I am told that I can park at Flying J or Pilot without much difficulty. I need to know a few things.

1) Can I leave the trailer connected to my truck to use it with the slides or at least the bedroom slide deployed?

2) Should I assume it is best to unplug the trailer from the truck so as not to discharge the truck battery?

3) should I deploy the stabilizing jacks just to support the load, not necessarily lifting it from the truck?

I am doing this so as I can get as much driving in until my first lengthy stay in SD from the east coast.

[Ford Idaho]

1) Yes, I have done this in Rest areas, just be sure that it is out of the way for traffic moving thru.

2) Correct, nothing will ruin a morning like a dead TV battery.

3) If you wish to, I just use the rear sab jacks.

[ependydad]

1) I'm much more cautious about deploying my slides in truck stops. I find truck stop parking spaces usually aren't big enough to fully deploy a slide. I'll often look for a spot where I can park so that my slides deploy over grass or something other than another parking spot. I would never take up 2 spots in a truck stop. For lunch and dinner stops, I've been known to put a traffic cone out to try and help someone coming around the corner and not being prepared for my slide.

2) Yep.

3) We have a fifth wheel and will deploy the front landing gear to take some bounce out of the setup.

I actually prefer a Walmart parking lot over a Flying J. For those, I call ahead to make sure I'm allowed and ask where they'd prefer that I park. There I'll park across a dozen spots and generally don't have to worry about slides.

Try to gauge the busy-ness of the truck stop. Truckers MUST get off of the road at night for mandated rest time. I'd hate to take up one of their spots (yes, we all have a right to use them- but this is my personal take on it).

[Blackhat6mike]

Generally, RVs have a battery isolator between the TV and the unit that will not allow you to run the TVs batts down, or at least every truck I've owned had one. Power only goes one way, front to back.

[btexpress5]

I have found a lot of the trucks run their refers at night (about every 15 to 30 minutes). Makes Walmart look pretty good.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by btexpress5

I have found a lot of the trucks run their refers at night (about every 15 to 30 minutes). Makes Walmart look pretty good.

The best of both worlds is to go to a campground.

[btexpress5]

I agree with staying in campgrounds as I have not stayed at Walmart or flying J but twice in 10 years camping. But that is not what he ask.

[Ford Idaho]

There is a Pilot off exit 95 I-84 in Mountain Home that has a smaller lot where RV's can park away from the big truck refers.
It is on the left side just before the gas pumps as you drive in.
It is not paved so if it rains stay out, there is a Walmart on the south side of the freeway.

Exit 141 I-84 in Bliss there is an closed truck stop with a very large gravel parking lot across from a 66 store called Ziggy's.

Very few trucks stop there unless the weather is bad.

Stinker station just up the street has some parking as well.

[Juju]

My husband has an app on his phone for Walmart and it tells whether or not they welcome overnight RV parking. We've only found 2 in 5 years that didn't allow it.

[Boso]

Don't expect to get much sleep trucks run there trucks all night plus other equiptment I have never opened slides but if you want to run a Onan generator go ahead you will be the quietest in the lot I have done it several times but was out of other options

[arpipeliner]

I have never stayed at truck stop. Usually stop at CG or pull over in rest area for a few hours of sleep.

If the truck stop is crowded don't stay on the ends with a slide open long. They are not marked with clearance lights. If on the end I would leave the truck running and marker lights on so they can see your truck and trailer. I would try to find a spot in between them. A lot of bumps and rubs have happened in them.

I buy my fuel at truck stops and might take a break if family is with me but I keep where I park in mind.


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[CTGREG]

Thank you for those responses! I do plan on staying at campgrounds most of the time, but just in case I am on the road and traveling and in need of a layover for rest.

[Jim in Halifax]

Originally Posted by Juju

My husband has an app on his phone for Walmart and it tells whether or not they welcome overnight RV parking. We've only found 2 in 5 years that didn't allow it.

How is that app naned / called...Would like to DL that..On way home from
FL on Monday............J

[Boso]

Please keep in mind because overnight parking is allowed doesn't mean it is safe a lot of walmarts are in rough places in bad parts of town some towns are bad no matter where you park

[RamblerGuy]

The following link is to a Web page, not an app, that lists Walmarts that do not allow overnight RV parking:

http://www.walmartatlas.com/no-park-walmarts/

I don't have a link handy, but I'm sure there's a Web site or an app to find all Walmarts.

[Hiker12]

Freecampsites.net can be a useful site. We overnited in Roosevelt St Park 9/2014.. No one else.....free.....bathrooms closed for the season...located along the north side of Columbia River....perfect layover......a gem along the byways of America. We have used Walmarts as a bridge between destinations.....a great option.....

[Taranwanderer]

On our way down to FL for Bike Week (and back) last month, we stayed in truck stops to grab a few hours of sleep before pressing on. Backed in next to the trucks, didn't deploy the slide. No issues at all, even with some of the trucks running. Slept like a log!

Ford, you threw me there for a minute--we have an I84 in PA as well, runs from Scranton up to New England. I was trying to figure out where the heck Mountain Home was...

[Crusadernoob]

Not every state allows overnight "camping" in a rest area and will ask you to leave after they give you a parking violation. We prefer Cracker Barrel, usually when we pull in we time it to 7:00 ish, by the time you eat it's time for bed. Very quite, maybe one other rv with you. Never felt uncomfortable.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

The best of both worlds is to go to a campground.

Wow, Walmart police in quick. What did that have to with the original post? You're as bad as the weight police that you grumble about...

[tennlady]

Walmart overnights once in a while not bad when in a hurry. We don't put our slides out, but we do go inside store and get a rotisserie chicken to go with what we have and in the morning start our generator for coffee and go inside store for fresh doughnuts then take off nice and early. We did this last night and for neighbors we had one large fifth wheel, 2 class A's and a Prevost. You can usually tell what the neighborhood is like and if you don't like it just keep driving.