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shockfly · 04-11-2016, 02:05 PM

Tow suv has 4 adults and 1child on road trip. I'm thinking of booking a room in a motel for 2 adults and just park the bambi within the motel's parking lot for one night. Is it usually accepted?

idroba · 04-11-2016, 02:10 PM

Personally, If I owned the motel, I would not be happy. What is to keep the people in the trailer out of the motel room, using the shower, the other services, the pool and so on. They are not running a campground, but a motel.

I would call the motel in advance to get their opinion. My guess is the answer is no.

centennialman · 04-11-2016, 02:12 PM

I did that when I had my 1966 Airstream. On the way home from picking her up we stayed in a motel the first night. The owner was so excited that he let us park it right in front of his place. I was able to keep an eye on it from the room.

55AS · 04-11-2016, 02:27 PM

We parked our Bambi II at a hotel on the delivery trip home. No issues with the hotel but we stayed in the hotel room we paid for. I think most hotels would have no problem with you parking the trailer in their lot but probably would have an issue with people staying in it and using hotel facilities.

ColoradoLady · 04-11-2016, 02:38 PM

You pay for a room, you are a guest. I don't see why they should object.

mandolindave · 04-11-2016, 03:05 PM

I've seen small motor homes in high end hotel parking lots. ( Hiltons, Marriotts and such ). I think motels would have issues with anybody staying in an RV even though you paid for a room ( security, illegal activity, what it looks like to other guests, insurance ) It's not what we think is fair….It's how the manager feels about it.

OTRA15 · 04-11-2016, 04:36 PM

Some of the replies seem to have missed the point that two adults and one child would be sleeping in the trailer overnight, did I get this right?

The facility might say OK, but best to ask ahead of time. Maybe you should offer to pay for extra beds for the room (without them being installed)?

Mrjkq · 04-11-2016, 04:48 PM

As has been mentioned call & ask, problem solved!

A W Warn · 04-11-2016, 05:11 PM

I've parked at a motel more than a few times with a 30' trailer attached to a pickup. I asked, the management said no problem. No one slept in the trailer.

gandttimes · 04-11-2016, 06:39 PM

We had a rather unique experience when traveling to Newfoundland. The ship was bound for Port Aux Basques and one of the couples we met on the ferry owned the hotel/ motel at the port.
As it was going to be about 1am when we arrived and the nearest RV park was out of town, they asked us if we wanted to camp out in their parking lot near the office so we could access the Wi Fi. He even dragged out an extension cord for us.
Now that was hospitality.

George

shockfly · 04-11-2016, 07:50 PM

Ok, seems it's totally depend on mgr/owner's mood. Will call ask.

Foiled Again · 04-11-2016, 08:25 PM

You'd also have to consider the size of the parking lot. If you're in a central city at a convention type hotel, and have to pay to park a car in a garage, forget about it. You'd also probably have a 9 foot ceiling and impossible turns to get it in or out. In a more rural or "off the interstate" situation the decision will also depend on how full the motel is - if the parking lot is 1/2 empty, you will be more likely to be welcomed.

Paula

PKI · 04-11-2016, 08:26 PM

No, we have done this in the past when traveling by car and had a passenger stay in the car. Passenger got up next morning and used the toilet in the room. Manager went ballistic and charged us for third person. They are in business to make a profit and do not feel folks shaving the nickel a bit help their business model.

Now - if I paid for a room and preferred to stay in the trailer, I would have a hard time accepting the manager's objection to my enjoying a better bed when he got his full rate for the room. Have thought this might be default solution if no RV Park site was available and a motel room was.

So - ask and negotiate first. If they got a problem, go down the road. Worst case you sleep on the floor of the trailer in a Walmart parking lot or line up early for breakfast at the Cracker Barrel.

Travel safe. Pat

SSquared · 04-11-2016, 10:51 PM

I have stayed in a motel a few times while towing my 25FB (when making a mid-winter run south with temperatures well below freezing. Always asked, never was a problem. Some of the places near major highways have a lot out back for big rigs and other trailers.

OTRA15 · 04-12-2016, 01:22 AM

To echo the recent comments about trailer parking in general -- it depends on the location and parking lot. Towing the old 25' AS, we stayed in plenty of motels near a major highway without even lining this up ahead of time. There is usually room someplace in their parking lot. We of course coordinated parking with the front desk when we registered.

It may help to have a "frequent flyer card" for the motel chain in question, as they can see that you are a good customer when you register.

NOW -- turning to the two adults and one child sleeping in the trailer -- totally up to the manager with the best guess [ IMO ] being "no" unless you offer to pay for two extra adult beds for the motel room. Insurance and liability issues suggest that the facility may not covered for allowing people to sleep in their cars/trailers. Indeed, local zoning etc. laws may forbid it . . .

That is why it is called a "parking lot" and not a "campground?"

MaryC · 04-12-2016, 10:15 AM

The OP stated that they will be booking a room and parking the trailer.

When we picked up our 26' Overlander we stayed at Best Westerns while bringing it home from AZ and there were no issues. It sure drew a crowd though. We asked where we could park. Its no different than hauling any other trailer behind a rig, they often have parking for that. Just have to pick the right motel with enough parking to accommodate.

TRizzuti · 04-12-2016, 10:16 AM

I did it last summer at a Best Western. I rented a room, though, which made it okay wit the motel. Biggest issue was that the parking lot was small. I took up the equivalent of three spaces, but parked as far off in a corner as possible that allowed for an easy, ensured exit.

groverpeters · 04-12-2016, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shockfly

Tow suv has 4 adults and 1child on road trip. I'm thinking of booking a room in a motel for 2 adults and just park the bambi within the motel's parking lot for one night. Is it usually accepted?

In March of this year we parked a 19' Bambi in a Motel parking lot and checked into a room because we arrived in town late and there was no place available with hookups. Worked out fine.

WestieHouse · 04-12-2016, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gandttimes

We had a rather unique experience when traveling to Newfoundland. The ship was bound for Port Aux Basques and one of the couples we met on the ferry owned the hotel/ motel at the port.
As it was going to be about 1am when we arrived and the nearest RV park was out of town, they asked us if we wanted to camp out in their parking lot near the office so we could access the Wi Fi. He even dragged out an extension cord for us.
Now that was hospitality.

George

Folks in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland are wonderful! We stayed at the KOA in N Sydney, about 15 minutes from the ferry terminal. It is a wonderful, picturesque, and convenient site with very hospitable owners/managers. We stayed there after the return 6 hour ferry ride, too.