Where do you stop for the night?

[tjdonahoe]

We use truck stop parking lots, rest areas, wallmarts what ever is handy.....

[dkottum]

No need to use a motel, you can drive out of unsafe areas pretty quickly. If the weather suddenly turns real bad you may be safer in a motel, tornados or a blizzard for example; it is easier these days to avoid weather problems now that almost everyone has a weather radar in their cell phone.

[xrvr]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

Seems a bit extreme IMO.

There are absolutely no circumstances under which it might make sense?

Zero? An unforeseen blizzard for instance? A medical emergency?

Sometimes plain old exhaustion on a long trip with an arrival deadline can justify a stop for a night in a motel IMO, with an early morning start to make time . . .

Simple logic.

Perhaps you might consider softening your line so that Sjcjr, a relative newcomer, might appreciate the range of possibilities?

All of those examples are possible, and yes,I would probably do as i said. But thats what i would do, im not telling anyone else what to do. If you want to stay in motels, fine. But for me the first time i had to i would orobably sell when i got home.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by avionstream

All of those examples are possible, and yes,I would probably do as i said. But thats what i would do, im not telling anyone else what to do. If you want to stay in motels, fine. But for me the first time i had to i would orobably sell when i got home.

Thanks avionstream.

Seems like a drastic solution if you really enjoy the trailering life, but may find yourself needing to stay in a motel ONCE for a legitimate reason, perhaps related to health or the aging process . . . ?

If a medical emergency prompted the motel stay, and was resolved, why not keep doing what you love to do?

Just sayin' -- hard lines about the future invite softer handling IMO.

As you suggest, however, these are personal decisions and I respect yours.

Happy Trails!

Peter

[m.hony]

I have spent the weekend in a winterized trailer.
I don't live in an area with snow and ice.
So far I haven't spent the night in a hotel while towing my trailer.


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[m.hony]

I always thought maybe the people staying in a hotel while towing their trailer wanted a non-claustrophobic shower or something-
Or the trailer didn't belong to that person- a delivery service-


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[Msmoto]

On longer trips I work out a tentative schedule which means I stop at a regular campground at least every five or six days to dump gray water and refill fresh water.

The large truck stops have the best security, IMO, as one is parked among millions of dollars of inventory. The rest areas may be higher risk unless there is active live security personnel. Walmart, usually safe, sometimes noisy.

Hotel, well, there are some special interest motels like on Route 66 which are fun to stay in and some even have parking for RV's. An example the Blue Swallow Motel on Historic Route 66 in Tucumcari, NM
Route_66_07.28.14-3 by Tommie Lauer, on Flickr

[Silver Hawk]

We have stayed in a motel in out of the way places - wanted a shower.
I'm over 6' and my wife is close to that. We tried taking a shower in our AS when we first got it - their showers - at least in my year - are made for midgets! We use it for storage.
Mostly we boondock and stay at a RV park a couple times a week to do laundry, take showers and dump poop.
We've been in places up north where there were few RV parks or they were full, so we just checked into the local small town motel for the night.
We still slept in our AS - it's more like a home on the road than a strange motel. Most small motels will let you use their washing machines - after they do their sheets for the day, we've found.

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by Silver Hawk

We have stayed in a motel in out of the way places - wanted a shower.
I'm over 6' and my wife is close to that. We tried taking a shower in our AS when we first got it - their showers - at least in my year - are made for midgets! We use it for storage.
Mostly we boondock and stay at a RV park a couple times a week to do laundry, take showers and dump poop.
We've been in places up north where there were few RV parks or they were full, so we just checked into the local small town motel for the night.
We still slept in our AS - it's more like a home on the road than a strange motel. Most small motels will let you use their washing machines - after they do their sheets for the day, we've found.

All due respect - I'm 6' 1" and not a "tiny" guy (I.e., wide and tall). You don't know what you're missing if you haven't maximized your shower in your own airstream. Having your own place - not having to worry about the "quality" of the shower elsewhere is really a gift. If I can figure it out, you can too. Good luck!!

[Tincampers]

I'm 6'1" and 200 lbs. I have learned to adapt to our shower. I found the best way is to sit down while showering.

[m.hony]

I have adapted to the shower, too.
Also, if I am traveling in a winterized trailer, I use the campground bath house for brushing teeth, using the bathroom, and showering.
Sometimes when the temperature is below freezing I don't even bother with the city water connection.


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[PatLee]

Just reviewing this and other helpful threads about overnight camping when traveling - great information, great community, and want to share a story. Last summer, I took a state road in northern California that looked like a good way to cross the state going east. I lost connectivity so couldn't locate campsites and decided to park in a church lot. It was Monday evening and empty. I walked around the church and found a sign that said anyone parking there would be towed. While sitting in my truck and pondering my options, I saw two firefighter vehicles drive by. I fell in behind them for several blocks and pulled over when they got to their firehouse. Of course they knew the region like the back of their hands and suggested a huge gravel parking lot off the road about 36 miles ahead. AND they let me know that if I did not make it to that point, the road would be closed in the morning for all-day construction. They also said if I heard wheels crunching on gravel during the night to not worry, it was probably just hookers plying their trade. Ha! I pushed on, it was rather harrowing as much of road was torn up getting to my boondock site but I made it, cooked up a pork chop and a salad, took a shower and went to sleep with tree frogs croaking loud enough to drown out anything that might have gone on during the night. I was well off the road, against the tree line, clear line of sight in all directions. I noticed there were a lot of police cars and emergency and fire vehicles transiting on my road which I found reassuring.

[MontyV]

if we are just trying to get from point A to point B we will tow 500+ miles in a day and stop in a rest stop or casino parking lot for the night. If we want to spend some time we use parks.

[Julie-Bob]

As we travel from point to point, we stay at WalMart or Truck Stops or like that, about the third day we stop in a City Park, RV Park, with full hook ups to drain and flush all tanks and we re charge our battery's by staying at least two nights. If we are just driving and taking in the country, we may boondock or RV parks. Just enjoy the trip.