I-95 sleeping spot

[lawnspecialties]

We're supposed to be at the fort this Saturday. Our first time to Disney. Since we're coming from just out of Raleigh, I thought we'd leave mid-Friday and stop around Savannah or so, eat dinner, and spend the night. That way kids aren't too crazy, I'm not too pooped, and we don't have to leave at 4:00 am just to be there before dark.

Any suggestions on where to stop for the night. Some friends of ours stopped at a Super Wal-Mart a couple years ago. A campground would be nice, but why pay $40 just to sleep for the most part. Thanks all.

 

[Monki]

I am subscribing to this post, we are going to Disney in April, coming from Concord, and I would like this info too!

 

[pezheadval]

We always overnight at Flying J Truck Stops. They are very RV friendly. They have nice RV fueling stations and parking lots just for RVs, too.

http://flyingj.com/

 

[tw1nsmom]

When people talk about boondocking, is it only done in motor homes? We're buying a 30ft travel trailer and I was wondering if we would be able to park at Walmarts or rest areas and go in the trailer and sleep.

 

[lawnspecialties]

That's actually our situation. We have a 30 ft. travel trailer. While the truck is still hooked up, we can extend our slide using the truck's battery power. Under the camper's battery power, our lights and fan for the heat/air will run (outlets will not work so no TV). Therefore we can use our LP gas heat. If I fill the fresh water tank before we go, the pump will run so we will have water; even hot because of the gas.

Two years ago, we had friends go down this very same time of year. They stopped at the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Savannah, Ga. I beleive it was exit 104. They said there was seven other camping units out there as well. I'm not sure if they were motor homes or not.

My concern is:
1) What happens if it's just us out there?
2) How long will the battery power actually last?
3) What about the bikes and stuff in the bed of the truck?

We're still 50/50 on this decision. To be at the Fort before dark Saturday, we'd have to leave by no later than 4:00 am (probably earlier) from home, but we're seriously considering that.

 

[RocklandRVers]

Try the Flying J near Brunswick, GA. I have stayed at other Flying Js a few times overnight without a problem. I have never felt unsafe since there is so much activity 24 hours a day and there are almost always a couple of RVers who stop in to sleep a few hours.

Just a word of advice on "boondocking" etiquette. Remember these RV friendly places (Walmart, truck stops, etc) are not obligated to allow us to stay overnight so try to be as inconspicuous and as unintrusive as possible. Use the stop over to sleep and not really "camp" In other words don't put out slides and awnings since parking space in very limited. You essentially want to appear just parked. That way nobody knows if you are inside having a meal or inside taking a nap.

We hardly use any battery power when we take a sleep over stop, however if you run the furnace, it will require a lot of juice so it could run down your coach batteries.

What we do is find a spot in the RV lot and pull the curtains, give the dog a quick walk and pile on the blankets and go to sleep. If we do run the heat its intermittently to conserve the battery and to keep from running the generator. In the morning, we usually fuel up and buy coffee and couple of snacks in the store. Sometimes, if we are not pressed for time, we will eat in the restaurant. Patronage is a small way to pay them back for being so gracious.

 

[pezheadval]

We travel in a 5th wheel camper and overnight or boondock with no problems. When we overnight at the Flying J, we don't put out our slide or use a lot of electric or anything. We just park, hop in the camper, use a little water (bathroom) and go to sleep. If its cool, we just pile on the blankets and if its hot we just open windows and sometimes use a 12v. fan.

 

[Buzzcut]

We travel to the Mouse House a lot and drive 95 almost the entire way. We've driven by Walmatrs and have seen rigs in them but have never stopped. Some towns now have ordinances against over night stays due to some campers abusing the privilege. If you go to Walmart, they sell an Atlas that shows all their store locations. It might be a good idea to map out where you'll stay and then call the store manager and see if they allow over night parking. Personally I'd only stay if other campers were there since theres more safety in numbers IMHO. I've stayed overnight at Flying J's and I have their fuel card, which is free to RV'ers, which discounts fuel every time you fill up. Just be careful to stay out of the big rigs way and use the designated RV parking section, I've heard a few stories about incidents on other forums. Just use your head where ever you stay, 95 can be dangerous at night.
Dave

 

[RocklandRVers]

Personally I'd only stay if other campers were there since theres more safety in numbers IMHO. I've stayed overnight at Flying J's and I have their fuel card, which is free to RV'ers, which discounts fuel every time you fill up. Just be careful to stay out of the big rigs way and use the designated RV parking section, I've heard a few stories about incidents on other forums. Just use your head where ever you stay, 95 can be dangerous at night.
Dave

I also have the Flying J RV Club fuel card. Hey every penny counts! I also agree about staying in the designated area and not among the truckers. Those guys and gals need a place to stay to grab a few hours of rest and don't need us taking up one of their precious few parking spaces.

Using your head is also great advice. Take a couple of minutes to survey the area. Are you in the middle of nowhere in a place that not even the local police patrol or is it a busy location with enough activity to discourage a would be criminal? One reason we bring our little Jack Russell Terrier is that he warns us if anything weird is happening around the RV. Most of the time its nothing, but the peace of mind knowing he is on guard as an early warning alarm is great. We also lock the doors and windows and set the RV alarm as an added precaution. Finally nobody leaves the motorhome unless one of us is awake and aware of where the person is going. If the dog needs to be walked and the wife takes him off to a secluded area, I make sure to keep her in sight and better yet take that opportunity to stretch my legs with her.

 

[lawnspecialties]

Check this out! After searching and searching every resource I could think of, I pulled out our 2006 edition of "The Next Exit". I started to try and find some of these little known campgrounds. This Friday, we're staying at McIntosh Lake RV Park. It's about a mile off I-95. We have full hook-up (30 amp) with cable for $18.50! Two dollars extra because we have four people. I'll let ya'll know how it turns out.

 

[Buzzcut]

Sounds good, have a great trip!

 

[pezheadval]

Check this out! After searching and searching every resource I could think of, I pulled out our 2006 edition of "The Next Exit". I started to try and find some of these little known campgrounds. This Friday, we're staying at McIntosh Lake RV Park. It's about a mile off I-95. We have full hook-up (30 amp) with cable for $18.50! Two dollars extra because we have four people. I'll let ya'll know how it turns out.

I checked out their website...looks nice and you can't beat the price. Let us know how it goes.

 

[lawnspecialties]

Hey everyone. We just got back last night. Had the best vacation of our lives but sad to leave. Had to bring this thread back up since others had interest.

On Friday, the 20th, we did stay at McIntosh Lake RV Park at exit 58 in Ga.
This was exactly what we expected. Nothing too fancy, but just about packed with snow birds. It really was $18.50 for the four of us. Full hook-up with cable. Hard to beat. I would recommend calling or email ahead since they're pretty busy this time of year. If they're full, Lake Harmony RV Park is next door. About $25 and a little neater looking. We'll definitely be at McIntosh Lake next year as well. We left at 8:20 Saturday morning, stopped for fuel once, and arrived at the Fort at 12:35.

 

[Buzzcut]

Glad to hear you made it back safely. Leaving the Kingdom is hard to do but makes booking your next trip that much more enjoyable! We stayed at Lake Harmony on our last trip down, it was very nice.