Over Night Stop

[YellowXterra]

Please don't flame me I have been camping for years and years with a pop up, never did any overnight stops other than a motel room. Now with the Travel trailer we can do over night stops and stay in the camper. Now for the question, Would you ever stay over night in a rest area, Wal Mart or Truck Stop? I don't like to make reservation for a campground when driving down to the fort as I never know what kinda of time I will make or when I will get tired.

 

[acenorm]

I would never have a problem with it. I have slept in my truck before for 4 hours and no one bothered me, so in a trailer I would feel safer. Plus most of the time they are patrolled.

Best Regards,
Norm

 

[AuntBJ]

We have a pop-up but a relative with a fifth wheel always overnights in a Wal-mart parking lot on their way to the beach.

I live near the Wal-mart that is just off I-95 (6 - 7 hours from WDW) and there are always several campers overnighting there. It is not a 24 hr Wal-mart but in a well-patrolled, safe area.

 

[bama_ed]

YellowX,

So you no longer have a pop-up? And were you a poster some or moderator on some other pop-up forums (maybe popupexplorer or the southeast version of pux)? I remember seeing your handle (Yellowxterra) someplace else.

Bama ED

 

[YellowXterra]

Yelp, Your right Ed. Just wanted something thats less work to set up and take down. Plus the hot water and shower rocks!

 

[owensmama2007]

I wouldn't stay over night at a rest area...many things happen at those places and I just don't think it's safe. We had a trucker approach DH last summer as we were going to Disney at a rest area in South Carolina...in daylight and were everyone could see. He kept talking about how nice his truck was and then tried to persuade DH to come over to a little card game they had going on with other truckers in the parking lot. Scared the #$%^ out of me...we got the heck out of there!

I now hate to even stop at them for a break because of it and if we can help it, we try not to park where they have the big rigs or camper specified and try to park in the regular areas...

 

[FloridaTeacher]

tried to persuade DH to come over to a little card game they had going on with other truckers in the parking lot.

The same thing happened to us at a rest area on I-75!!!!

We always drive about half way, spend the night at a campground then finish the drive the next day. For us that means about Perry, Florida. We don't even go I-75 anymore. It's worth the $$ for the peace of mind to have a safe place to rest and walk the dogs.

 

[AuntBJ]

Unfortunately, being from South Carolina, I have to agree with Owensmamma. The rest areas in South Carolina are notoriously unsafe, at least in my area of I-95.

Owensmamma, do you travel I-95? If so, stop at the Wal-Mart at exit 119. There is also one further south just off I-95 but I can't remember the exit number right now.

 

[2goofycampers]

We also always stay at a CG. It feels safer to me.

 

[graciejane]

When I was growing up, we always stayed in a rest area the first night. We would head out after Dad got home from work. After a full day of hard work, he would be too tired to drive very far but too excited about vacation and Disney to wait till Saturday. We used to stop at the first or second rest area in Kentucky on Friday night and then stay the Eagles Roost (I remember when it was a KOA) in Valdosta GA on Saturday. The last trip included my family, my brothers family and my folks, all pulling TT. My dad refused to be the one to say he was ready to stop so we drove way late into early Saturday morning. We stopped gas and my mom requested that the younger guys please stop. There was a Walmart across the road so we stayed there. It worked out very well and we did that on the way home too.

 

[Born 2 Fish]

We also always stay at a CG. It feels safer to me.

and one of the CG's we stay at gives you cookie in the shape of a TT.,

 

[owensmama2007]

Unfortunately, being from South Carolina, I have to agree with Owensmamma. The rest areas in South Carolina are notoriously unsafe, at least in my area of I-95.

Owensmamma, do you travel I-95? If so, stop at the Wal-Mart at exit 119. There is also one further south just off I-95 but I can't remember the exit number right now.

Yes, we do! And since we've made FW an annual trip as well as a trip to Savannah and/or Charleston and Myrtle Beach yearly, it seems we travel it a lot.

I'll keep that exit in mind...as we just try to avoid any rest area at all now. And I can't believe all of this happened in broad daylight and tons of other people around. You think you're safe in numbers but not really.

 

[fanowalt]

We overnight at Sams Club,Walmart or Truck stops.Some N.C. rest areas allow overnight parking but we only tried that once.

 

[Disneylitch]

We alwalys stay in a rest area. We try and stay with the tractor trailers or with MH, campers, etc. if there are any there. We hate to pay for a place just to park.

 

[photogal06]

Nowadays, we always stay at a campground. We used to stop at Walmart, and while it never felt unsafe, it was very noisy with the delivery trucks coming in and out all night long. We stopped overnight at a rest area out east just once, and even though it was a designated RV area, it didn't feel safe, so I was awake the whole night.

We used to stop at truck stops quite often until a scary experience in Chattanooga (off I-75). Similar to some other posters, we were eating lunch in our travel trailer, middle of the afternoon. Someone came knocking on our door and tried to lure dh out by telling him somebody was giving away free lottery tickets. What really unsettled me was that just 10 minutes before, dh was inside the restaurant getting food, while my young dd and I were out walking our dogs near our trailer in the back, where all of the trucks were parked. I thanked my lucky stars that nothing bad happened that day, and since then the only time we get out at a truck stop is to pump gas and stretch our legs in the front of the building, near the road.

I don't mind paying just to sleep---in fact, I'm really picky about even our overnighting campgrounds, so I sometimes pay quite a bit just to sleep. After that horrible experience in TN, it's worth the peace of mind for me.

 

[WDWisTheBest]

Nowadays, we always stay at a campground. We used to stop at Walmart, and while it never felt unsafe, it was very noisy with the delivery trucks coming in and out all night long. We stopped overnight at a rest area out east just once, and even though it was a designated RV area, it didn't feel safe, so I was awake the whole night.

We used to stop at truck stops quite often until a scary experience in Chattanooga (off I-75). Similar to some other posters, we were eating lunch in our travel trailer, middle of the afternoon. Someone came knocking on our door and tried to lure dh out by telling him somebody was giving away free lottery tickets. What really unsettled me was that just 10 minutes before, dh was inside the restaurant getting food, while my young dd and I were out walking our dogs near our trailer in the back, where all of the trucks were parked. I thanked my lucky stars that nothing bad happened that day, and since then the only time we get out at a truck stop is to pump gas and stretch our legs in the front of the building, near the road.

I don't mind paying just to sleep---in fact, I'm really picky about even our overnighting campgrounds, so I sometimes pay quite a bit just to sleep. After that horrible experience in TN, it's worth the peace of mind for me.

This is just the reason to use reliable campgrounds. One exception is that Flying J truck stops (now Pilot) normally will let visitors park overnight.

 

[dblr]

I like to use campgrounds just feel safer, if we stop anywhere while traveling I always I make sure I check my hitch set up I have heard stories about peopls who like to pull your pin ( 5th wheel) or lift the latch on your hitch. I know most folks use locks on them like I do but I still double check each time.

 

[ob1quixote]

There is a Walmart just off 95 in Walterboro SC, I wanna say it is exit 57. Intersection with Hwy 64, for sure! I always see overnighters there.

 

[jriae2000]

Cracker Barrel is another option. Have stayed in their parking lots many times.

 

[AuntBJ]

There is a Walmart just off 95 in Walterboro SC, I wanna say it is exit 57. Intersection with Hwy 64, for sure! I always see overnighters there.

I think that was the one I was thinking of. It is after I-26 headed south on I-95.