Where can you park your trailer?

[JesseP]

Newbe question

I think most Rv parks have a checkout time, usually around mid day. Where does one park there TT if you still have several hours to see local sights etc. before you move on down the road? Is there somewhere that you might be able to park your trailer? Do any parks have an area where you can just park?
Any thoughts or comments on this would be appreciated.

[plasma800]

In our opinion, travel days are travel days. We book our stay based on days for site seeing, and days for travel. So if it's check out day, it's travel day and we get on down the road.

You can take your chances dumping the trailer in a free parking area (check https://overnightrvparking.com/ or in a walmart parking lot unless there are city ordinances against it.)

Sometime you can find the off the beaten path restaurant or business that doesn't mind you leaving it in their lot for a tad, but I never count on that.

[Fluffywhitedogs]

Originally Posted by JesseP

Newbe question

I think most Rv parks have a checkout time, usually around mid day. Where does one park there TT if you still have several hours to see local sights etc. before you move on down the road? Is there somewhere that you might be able to park your trailer? Do any parks have an area where you can just park?
Any thoughts or comments on this would be appreciated.

A lot of campgrounds will let you stay late at no charge, or a small charge. That’s assuming that you plan to leave on Sunday or the beginning of the week. If nobody is expected in, they’re pretty good about it. And a lot of provincial/state parks have a day parking area where you can leave it.

[mjones12]

Some campgrounds have storage areas. If they do, you could ask them what they would charge for a few hours.

[walaby]

Like Plasma 800, checkout days are travel days for me. If I haven't seen everything I want to see, I would stay an extra day.

Having said that, I have seen some state parks that would allow you to drop a trailer near the gate where the check in is. Not widespread but have seen it at a few parks in Florida.

Mike

[Mr. Dan]

Originally Posted by mjones12

Some campgrounds have storage areas. If they do, you could ask them what they would charge for a few hours.

I’ve been in some parks where they merely want you out of your site before checkout time. They will allow you to leave your trailer in an overflow parking lot for a few hours at no charge. Not all campgrounds are alike. It doesn’t hurt to ask.

[fella10]

Originally Posted by JesseP

Newbe question

I think most Rv parks have a checkout time, usually around mid day. Where does one park there TT if you still have several hours to see local sights etc. before you move on down the road? Is there somewhere that you might be able to park your trailer? Do any parks have an area where you can just park?
Any thoughts or comments on this would be appreciated.

you could try negotiating a late check out, for a price of course, with the cg, ... would save time and trouble, ...
trouble- because you'd only have one hookup, late that day and leave cg, .. instead of hookup/tow to parking area,--- unhook to go sight seeing, ... comeback later to hookup and leave(could be dark by then), ...
time- because you'd have more hours for sight seeing, when not doing three hookups/unhooks, ....

that would be worth some price and the cg may agree/might even allow with no extra cost if they're not busy that day, ...

[NMWildcat]

Yep. Just ask the RV park you stayed at. And if they can't let you have a late check-out, or park in a parking area, I'm sure they know other temp parking possibilities. Don't think anybody in a forum can help better than the locals.

[ependydad]

We often make stops as we travel. But in those cases, we check out the parking lot in Google Maps to make sure there should be big rig parking.

Otherwise, we’ve had places let us leave the trailer in parking/overflow lots. I had to work on a checkout day- we parked the truck + trailer in a parking lot, I went to the rec center for WiFi and the wife+kids went to the pool. The campground was cool with it- we just absolutely had to vacate the campsite.

I wouldn’t trust dropping my rig at a Walmart of the such. Too big of a lot and too many things that could go wrong. Though, I have seen unhitched trailers at them before.

[JesseP]

Thanks for all the input. I appreciate the ideas. It gives me a better idea of what I might do.
Jesse P

[rp53]

Originally Posted by plasma800

In our opinion, travel days are travel days. We book our stay based on days for site seeing, and days for travel. So if it's check out day, it's travel day and we get on down the road.

You can take your chances dumping the trailer in a free parking area (check https://overnightrvparking.com/ or in a walmart parking lot unless there are city ordinances against it.)

Sometime you can find the off the beaten path restaurant or business that doesn't mind you leaving it in their lot for a tad, but I never count on that.

x2

[jkoenig24]

Many of the campgrounds I've visited have areas where a travel trailer could easily be parked. There may be a charge but, I wouldn't be surprised if, once you've paid to stay at a campground and needed only a few hours, the campground manager would extend a courtesy and not charge you. At least a few times, I've asked for (and received) permission to vacate my site an hour or two after the standard checkout time. If nobody else is scheduled to arrive at my site, it's easy for the manager to extend a simple courtesy. At least once, I decided to stay an additional night after receiving permission to stretch the checkout time. The manager's courtesy resulted in additional revenue!

[MF5270]

Originally Posted by JesseP

Newbe question

I think most Rv parks have a checkout time, usually around mid day. Where does one park there TT if you still have several hours to see local sights etc. before you move on down the road? Is there somewhere that you might be able to park your trailer? Do any parks have an area where you can just park?
Any thoughts or comments on this would be appreciated.

Illinois State parks have parking. I've seen some in there early when I arrive even. I think they live close drop the trailer the night before and then come in with a boat. Lot of work moving things for the savings, I'd just get the campsite and extra night and leave it set up.

Several private places in Wisconsin have no problem with late check out if no one is following you in your site. And if you ask ahead of time.

Originally Posted by fella10

you could try negotiating a late check out, for a price of course, with the cg, ... would save time and trouble, ...
trouble- because you'd only have one hookup, late that day and leave cg, .. instead of hookup/tow to parking area,--- unhook to go sight seeing, ... comeback later to hookup and leave(could be dark by then), ...
time- because you'd have more hours for sight seeing, when not doing three hookups/unhooks, ....

that would be worth some price and the cg may agree/might even allow with no extra cost if they're not busy that day, ...

[lugoismad]

When we travel with the camper, the goal is to get from one campground to the next ASAP. We plan the sights we want to see around those campgrounds we are staying at.

Ideally the only places I'm stopping at with the trailer in tow are at gas stations, and worst case, a cracker barrel or something for a meal.

My parents owned a landscaping business, and growing up my dad often towed around a 20' trailer for our bobcat and landscape supplies. I learned to never get yourself into a situation you can't get back out of. Pay attention to no-outlet signs if you are on surface streets, stay away from places with on street parking where you might clip a car, etc.

I've only once got myself into a bad situation. Google maps took me through a small town, and I couldn't make a turn due to oncoming traffic being too far past the white line they were SUPPOSED to stop at. This moron was a full car length past the white line. I had to stop, get out, and explain to him he needed to move because he was right in the way of where I need to be.