Requesting comments to overnight parking while in transit concept

[xrvr]

Explain to me why no one would use thirty amp service for twenty four hours in Fl. As a resident this confuses me.

[HowieE]

While voltage is a constant, current or amperage is a function of usage. Lets assume the AC ran the full 24 hours at 13 amps, highly unlikely and the frig ran the full 24 hours at about 3 amps you have a lot to go to get to 30 amps.

[xrvr]

I misinterpreted your comments. Sorry. Jim

[RonH]

I am retired from forty-two years of law enforcement, thirty-four of them as a sworn officer. This gives me a particular perspective on violence. I have been RVing since 1968 and for the past ten years have been full timing. This gives me a particular perspective on RVing.

I have never met anyone with first hand experience of being the victim of RV related violence, nor have I ever met anyone who knows anyone who was the victim of RV violence. I conclude that the terror some folks hold for becoming the victim of RV violence is largely over-rated.

When travelling from A to B I have often overnighted at truck stops and Walmarts. A few precautions seem reasonable. Park only at 24 hour operations with traffic turnover. Park in a well lighted area and if possible within the view CCTV cameras. If you feel really uneasy don't park.

If someone does attempt to molest you use your cell phone to call 911 and use your remote key tab to blow the horn on your tow vehicle. Don't open the door, and wait for help which will be there shortly.

I would not recommend as an alternative going out with your 12-bore and start blasting away unless you have the time, money and inclination to become the next Zimmerman.

If you don't want "nasty notes" don't park with your gen end next to the bunk end of somebody's RV and then run the gen all night. But then again, no one would do that because it show a lack of common consideration.

R

[slowmover]

I see location as being key. Most of us travel outbound on a few of the same routes. Thus, knowing in advance a favored spot for a ten hour break makes for easier trip planning.

Second (and in conjunction with above) relatively close access to services is important (to me). I don't wish to start and stop during the day for re-supply, etc. This would be ideal if only a short drive or bike ride away.

Third, being near a large national chain truck stop which also caters to car & RV travelers would be best of all. Besides obvious amenities, I would also value being able -- with an RV experiencing problems -- to already be on the mental map of mobile RV techs, and with some corporate stops, being able to service TT and TV (as some only have tire service, but others do big truck repairs).

I've had the experience of not being in the category of big truck driver, or car traveler and needing service. That would be an RV. And found that with mobile service tech on his way and an accommodating truck repair service manager, that work was set to be done far more efficiently.

Whether work was done here in the hour park or at the truck stop proper the combination would to me be unbeatable. Some repairs may take a few days. Etc.

So, the luxury of electric service near a truck stop that accommodates RV fueling and a dump station, has a big C-store and fast food joint (and that may have repair services) and/or is not far from a WalMart, but has the luxury of some privacy from all of the above is one powerful attractant to use for me.

A port in a storm in some instances. But most of the time the luxury of quiet electrical use for the ten hour overnight break.

[Len n Jeanne]

We've been using our AS a fair bit since 2007-- with trips ranging from short-distance to cross-country.

Are we the only ones who wouldn't stay overnight at a truck stop, Walmart, highway rest area, &c unless we had to? (Like, getting stranded by a blizzard?)

Most of our camping is to national/provincial/state parks within a day's drive of our house. For longer trips requiring one or more overnight stops, we check ahead for nearby public parks, or rural/small town RV parks just because we like the ambience a lot better than a big stretch of asphalt can offer. During the high season, we try to phone ahead to see if a particular RV park listed in the Good Sam guide has space available. Like slowmover, we've made some long trips often enough that we know where we like to stay.

Also, I can see where southern folks who need to run their AC at night to stay comfortable would want an electrical hookup, but without that need, we're pretty much OK with our batteries alone. On long drives, these charge up well.

One free overnight parking option that I don't recall being mentioned was casinos. The ones without their own RV parks seem to be amenable to parking for RVers. If anyone is driving I-90 in western Montana, the 50,000 Silver Dollars casino even has some free sites with electrical hookups. Nearby in Quartz, MT are two US Forest Service campgrounds right off the Interstate.

As has been mentioned, there are many low-cost or no-cost options on public lands in the western states. A Park Service seniors pass makes camping on federal lands a steal. These mostly don't come with electricity and may take people off the Interstate for a bit, but the scenery sure beats the Flying J.

RonH, thanks for being a voice of sanity.

[Lily&Me]

I think, L&J, that folks who do long hauls on major highways would be primary users of a truck stop set up, such as is being proposed.

We read of people with two or three weeks vacation, heading to a destination hundreds of miles away. Travel time is not camping time. I even get on interstates when I need to.

Many campgrounds are conveniently situated close to interstate highways, for travelers who use them.

I thank you, too, RonH. . Stepping out of one's comfort zone is part of experiencing the beauty and diversity of this country. It can be difficult for some.


Maggie

[NCMEDIC]

When we do long trips, like our upcoming Yellowstone trip that is over 2,000 miles in one direction, all of the overnight stops enroute are at Flying J's or Walmart. We just drive until we get tired and then just park overnight.

We have to maximize our vacation time. Once we're retired, maybe we can join those who amble slowly from Point A to Point B on secondary roads, enjoying quaint roadside diners. Until then, it's "hurry there, hurry back".

[DaveFL]

Originally Posted by HowieE

While voltage is a constant, current or amperage is a function of usage. Lets assume the AC ran the full 24 hours at 13 amps, highly unlikely and the frig ran the full 24 hours at about 3 amps you have a lot to go to get to 30 amps.

New electric vehicles could change usage amounts and time at plug in point.
A new trend for off grid solar will incorporate unused into the grid as a cost effective way to have it. Electric panels being provided by installers and sharing cost with owners, so even with present number crunching things are changing.

[HowieE]

Originally Posted by DaveFL

New electric vehicles could change usage amounts and time at plug in point.
A new trend for off grid solar will incorporate unused into the grid as a cost effective way to have it. Electric panels being provided by installers and sharing cost with owners, so even with present number crunching things are changing.

Slightly off topic.

Yes in the future there may be a need for charging stations for electric cars but at this point Tesla has addressed that need and made the technology available free to others. Currently the charging time for an electric car using a charging station for a Tesla is measured in minutes not hours let along overnight and is free. I don't think the commercial developers will go after that segment of the market for a while.

While I think the major oil companies will allow electric stations for RV on their properties I doubt very much they are ready to support electric cars in any way shape or form.

[DanB]

Love to see the business model.

Figure $10 per day charge, That's a possible $3,650 income per year. 80% occupancy makes it about $3,000 per site. Electric bill = $600 a year. Installation, Maintenance, insurance, business costs = $400 per year. Profit Split 50/50 with landowner gives you about $1,000 profit per site per year. Say you manage Ohio with 60 spots in 20 locations on I80-90, I 71, and I75. That will earn you enough to live on!

BUT, we have winter 8 months a year so eliminate 70 percent

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by HowieE

Slightly off topic.

Yes in the future there may be a need for charging stations for electric cars but at this point Tesla has addressed that need and made the technology available free to others. Currently the charging time for an electric car using a charging station for a Tesla is measured in minutes not hours let along overnight and is free. I don't think the commercial developers will go after that segment of the market for a while.

While I think the major oil companies will allow electric stations for RV on their properties I doubt very much they are ready to support electric cars in any way shape or form.

I don't think any other-brand electric cars are yet capable of using a Tesla Supercharger station. They mentioned a year or so ago that they're in talks with other EV manufacturers on the topic, and the other EV manufacturers would have to kick in capital investment "proportional to their fleet's use of the network" but I don't think anything's on the market yet that can use a Supercharger besides Tesla-branded cars. Tesla uses a different charge connector than other brands, and requires adapters to use the standardized other-brand charge connectors. It's also an optional upgrade (at least on some models) to use the Supercharger technology.

[SeeMore]

Most of the comments posted apply to us as well so my poll answer really needs clarification to be meaningful. I believe location would be a major factor in the consideration and our use yearly might only be 3-6 times.

We are "plan" travelers, even though the plan may be only 24 hours ahead when wandering which we do three to four times a year. "Where next?" only applies to a few trips a year as destinations and activities are usually figured a month or more in advance with parks or other short stopover locations pre-pegged for local attractions/amenities. Our "stop & go" frequency is close to nil which this concept caters to as an offering.

Our use of short-term overnight spots is limited to long haul trips where covering distance is the game and "stop & go" becomes the behavior. I think being alongside interstates in the central plains would be the most desirable spots: during the summer months it is hot enough to need overnight air and sightseeing is not on the agenda as we 'make miles.'

We use FJ as our preferred RV/truck-stop chain and this service would enhance that relationship. If offered by a competitor, we would likely expand our preference.

[Len n Jeanne]

Maybe I should have clarified that we do a mix of more local/regional and long-distance trips. Like British Columbia to Death Valley. We prefer not to amble along, either, when we drive from point A to point B: no quaint roadside diners for us, as we mostly pack our own, mostly vegan food. We like to put in an 8- or 9 hour day on a long distance trip.

It's just that, well, we don't actually like truck stops, Walmart parking lots, &c. We respect people who do, but I suspect a lot of RVers feel like us and wouldn't use the proposed service, because we don't typically stay overnight in the kinds of places the OPer seems to be thinking about. If we did, most times we could do it without an electrical hookup.

I just thought he deserved a different perspective.

Maggie, are you on the road these days with your Interstate?

[Lily&Me]

Originally Posted by Len n Jeanne

Maggie, are you on the road these days with your Interstate?

I am.

It was hard to begin alone last year, but I did.

There are places I want to be, people I want to see, and I'm not ready to just be at home.

Thanks for asking.


Maggie

[iowaroots]

I keep falling back to the investment side of this business. The success will be heavily contingent on the "need at and convenience of location, safety and seasonal revenue/volume. The market will decide the price based on what the market will bare for each specific area, peak or low season, spaces in the area and competitors pricing; somewhat like the hotel/motel business, gas prices, food etc. It will have nothing to do with "fairness" like someone has previously suggested. If we need the electric and safety for an over night stop do we really just keep driving to save a buck to only find out there are no spaces available down the (gravel) road to then come to the realization that the nearest noisy truck stop may be just the cheap ticket we were looking for.

We enjoy and are willing to pay extra for quality and comfort and those are just a couple of reasons to invest in an Airstream. Come on America, share the wealth! Convenience and safety will drive this, not low prices.

IMHO.

Happy Camping.

[Len n Jeanne]

Good for you, Maggie!

Many happy trails to you.

[Gearheart]

If legislation barring diesels idling all night comes into effect this would be a good business model to allow truckers as well as RVs to enjoy creature comforts that require electricity. It would make truck stops more attractive as overnight stays as well due to less noise and stink.

[HowieE]

That legislation has been in effect for years.

Truck stops have offered remote systems to overcome the need to idle at a cost. Trucks now carry onboard systems diesel that can run while parked to provide AC and heat.

This is just an extension of what is already out there.

[Wolf Alaska]

Some posters have brought anti-idling legislation into this topic. Others have opined about re charging electric cars.

All of these thoughtful comments have taken this topic a step further than the original intent.

To me, it can be summarized as: "If electricity is readily available at Truck Stops, what can we do with it?"

To my knowledge, most Class 8 trucks can't do much with a source of 120 VAC. ShorePower, Inc. suggests the trucker run an extension cord through the door to power his notebook computer. And that company has spent $25 to $45 million installing a few power pedestals. A Class 8 truck needs to be wired like an RV and have electric Air Conditioning in order to shut off that engine in the summer. In the winter, a small portable heater could be run with a cord through the door.

How to repower electric only cars is a totally different subject, except it involves some voltage of alternating current with a lot of amps. How about 480 VAC at 1000 amps? I don't know and neither does anyone else. Telsa is not even trying to get agreement on a universal charging station & standardize the voltage & current. Tesla provides free or at least no charge electricity at its propriety charging stations, presently. Only a Tesla can hook up. So, I've already written more about this off topic point than I wanted.

Howie, you are correct to point out that some Class 8 trucks have on board diesel APUs for heating and cooling. I don't know much about those, but the Air Conditioning may not be electric. I seem to remember that belt driven compressors hooked to the dash air and an alternator to keep the truck's batteries topped off are with those packages. Still burning diesel, but less fuel used than running the main engine.

I've talked with some of my RV buddies. One said he has been hit twice by trucks in Truck Stops. He strongly says RVs should be separate from the trucks. A truck can easily damage an RV, but an RV can hardly put a scratch on a truck.

This concept is merely for a provider to make available a safe, level parking area for RVs, with 20/30/50 amp 120 VAC RV style electric receptacles and possibly Wi Fi available. Trucks should be excluded from this area.

It remains to be seen whether Truck Stops will be willing to cut back truck parking slots in order to free up RV only parking slots. In my opinion, if the level site is available, the electricity is available, but the parking area is not separate from the trucks...not good.

Thanks to everyone who has read this topic, to those who voted in the poll, and to those who posted comments.

Best regards,

Let's Roll !