When you started the topic of your best experience at a State Park, I told my boyfriend, "it was in Montana", then you confirmed it! (We're from the Glacier National Park area) Come back and enjoy it once or twice again soon because it's only a few years away from being Montalifornia with corporate retail stores & litter everywhere and trees & wildlife nowhere.
As a trucker, I appreciate you a lot. Our parking is limited to truckstops and rest area and sometimes Walmart. Thank you for saving those spots for us.
Thank you for your comment! I completely understand the limited parking options for truckers. It's important to be considerate of their needs. By exploring alternative overnight spots for RVers, we can help alleviate the competition for parking spaces. By the way, have you ever considered using a reliable power backup solution like the Segway Portable PowerStation Cube Series? It's perfect for outdoor enthusiasts like us, providing massive capacity, fast recharging, and versatile sockets. Check it out if you're interested!
If you join the Elks, you can camp over night or 2. go in have dinner, clean up. get a drink . Some Ejks have complete hook ups.Once your an Elks member, your a member at all the Elks. Its great.
I think this maybe true for Moose lodge members as well. I’ve seen campers at our town Moose before. But check ahead don’t take my word for sure. They all may have different rules.
OMG!!! You’re 30? No wait, this video is one year old so you’re 31 now. Ready for the retirement home. You guys crack me up. Thanks for taking the time to make and share this with us. 30, you’re still baby’s add 40 years and a motorcycle camper to that. It’s all about living life. Thanks again. Tom
As a trucker and rv owner I appreciate your comments. I only ask that other overnight campers occupy the smallest space possible. With electronic logs we can't run all night anymore so the spots in truck stops fill up pretty quickly every night. And when our clock runs out for the day we have no choice but to shut down. I'm not complaining by the way. I did my time running all hours of the day and I don't miss it. Great channel!
Buddy, that's the way you can politely tell someone about it. When I first started, I didn't even think about that. The bad thing about it, was my brother was a truck driver before passing away. That's when his widow told me about it during a conversation with her....
Thanks for explaining the rules around camping at rest areas/walmart. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve seen people putting out their slides /mats/unhook and leave their trash. They ruin it for all of us.
At 61, I agree. I used to fuss at the hubby. I do not want to go to bed at 9 o'clock. Here I am at 8:52 finishing prepping for work tomorrow going to bed.
I feel like I need to warn people that the west coast, California specifically, you are not allowed to stay overnight at any Walmart and you are only allowed to rest for 4 hours at a rest stop. Most big box stores don't allow overnight either. There is a large population of homeless and so this is what it has come to. I liked your video.
You are allowed to stay for 8 hours at California rest stops, but unfortunately they are closed off and on - it’s good to check ahead and make sure they are open.
Isn’t it ridiculous that as the homeless population increases, instead of laws to create more affordable housing, they just make it impossible to sleep outside?
Can’t overnight at most if not all Walmarts in Washington State. The homeless population aka drug crisis has destroyed that for us and how our state responded…
Fairgrounds in Colorado Nebraska areas are now off limits to camping or even just going to let the dogs run n eat a sandwich. Feds are deliberately trying to tighten down on any n all alternative lifestyles.
@@texaslovelylady Some Walmarts and Costco's too. Some businesses or franchises very in the size of their parking area so some have it to spare and others do not. So that is why the CALL AHEAD and or go in and ASK. Some Spokane and NW ID parking lots are off limits period and the law enforcement might just roust you and hand you a fine too boot. As they give you the boot so to speak. Just listen they cover this buy telling you to ASK or CALL AHEAD.
We've called the local police station. Usually small towns. They have always been cooperative when we were looking for a spot for a short overnight stay. We have used local libraries. Also we have stayed at several Wal Marts on the east coast with no problems. Again we call the police dept. and talk to the store manager for permission and to see if there have been any issues. We were in Maine and a policeman came onto the Wal Mart parking lot. I flagged him down and he said it was safe because they patrol it several times nightly. Aside from possible noise, I think there is safety in numbers at a Wal Mart. Many big box stores have security after hours. Try to find them and get their ok. It never hurts to get to know people in security. Out of respect if they know who you are there is less likely to be a knock on the door.
Sometimes they get outright paranoid, liken when I asked if they knew a 24 hour pharmacy. In case I was looking to rob one I suppose. But usually, they appreciate the courtesy. "Vehicle stops" are, they will tell you, the most frightening part of their day.
OMG!I love you guys! The bickering is just like me and my wife. We find it is very helpful and compliments each other. We never take it seriously and at the end of the day we LOVE EACH OTHER!
I don't recall you mentioning "mooch docking". Great way to visit friends and family and reconnect or catch up with old friends. Hard to do if they live in an HOA, but if they live rural, then they often have room for your rig and are excited to host you and be your local guide to area attractions.
I drive long haul truck, my wife owns a small restaurant,and we boondock camp. You earned a like and subscribe for your respect of trucks and support of businesses. Great video. Safe travels!
Three years ago, I decided to buy an older class C RV and learned a lot from joining an RV club, since then I've been across country several times and plan to take my now newer RV into Mexico. I don't care for staying in Walmart for several reasons: 1. yes, the noise - I had a street cleaner keep circling around my RV and then there's the 2) bright lights shining into my windows and into my fan/vents. I was up in the middle of the night cutting up Reflectix to fit to block the light and 3) the weirdos. I was all nice and settled in to a spot along side of the store and then another RV came in a parked uncomfortably close to mine and the couple were arguing. It was just weird so I moved away. Also if you join the Elks, many of them allow traveling Elk members to park for a nominal donation, they all have bars and some cook dinner too. Elks have lodges all across the US.
Hi Denise! You make some great points here. Thank you for also taking the time to share about the Elks lodges...that is one we missed in this video. We appreciate your support and for watching our videos 😊 - Kyle and Renee
Having a fan turned on and some "rain sounds" on a speaker always helps to drown out the noise at these places that can be kinda loud. Trust me, being in the firehouse for decades, a fan and rain noises help out immensely!!!
Getting ready to hit the road to travel for my husband’s job, bringing two kids with us and homeschooling will be an adventure! I was really nervous but I found your channel this morning. Three videos in and I feel so much better about this lifestyle, thank you both so much for helping those of us climbing on this crazy RV life adventure too!
As a truck driver I would like to point out that several of the truck stops have RV parking, not just Love’s. Some, but not all, Pilot/Flying J’s and TA/Petro will have designated RV parking areas.
I had to stop at 12:00 and laugh when you said “When you reach 30” like that’s old. Lmao!! Trust me, this 61 year old (62 in June) would LOVE to be 30 (even 39) again!! Great video!! Say hi to the Dex Man!🐾❤️🐾
I laughed too because my 50 year old husband is totally the grumpy old man when it comes to noise. He's as mature as a 15 year old most times but grumpy old man comes out a lot with night time noise!! 🤣
I agree with being a 30yr (my case 32yr old) old guy wanting peace and quiet. Also, as a owner operator/trucker, we appreciate you leaving us spots at rest areas and truck stops. Every year it becomes even harder finding a safe, legal spot to park a rig.
Amen and so many ppl certainly want the rigs to quickly bring their wares but there’s so few places to park and the time is ticking down and you are forced to pull over somewhere and get woke up by police during the 10 hours down n they’ll make you move. So not right. They need to have more parking areas for rigs everywhere and places the police are not allowed to mess with you and wake you up in the middle of well needed sleep for the most ridiculous reasons. 🙃
@Joyce Obeys what's funny, in my state, is you're encouraged to pull over and rest in the vehicle if you're tired (when you first learn how to drive). But, when people do, they get in trouble 🤦♀️
Planet Fitness is one of my favorites! Most of them are 24 hours, you have 24 hour access to a bathroom if you need it. The other advantage is safety; people come to the gym at all hours and you're less likely to be harassed by weird people when there are lots of people coming and going.
I can’t imagine being able to park my 34’ trailer in a planet fitness parking lot. Way too small of spots and I would make people angry taking up multiple stalls
You know there's life seems to be exciting especially if you got someone to share with that you love but if you're a Solo traveler it can get kind of lonely and boring!!! I cannot imagine trying or having to find a different spot every single night to sleep that would drive me totally insane
@@pnwpaths2925 A lot of people have more reasonable sized rigs. Trailers and in my case a 21' class B+. But your point is a good one. I know for example Cabela's in Kalispell MT is in a strip mall kind of location with little options to park. Also Lowes and Home Depot in same town isn't too big. Walmart does allow you but they are tight for parking too. And just over in N Idaho and Spokane WA they are not friendly towards RV staying even over night at Walmart or Costco. You might get a wake up call or rousted to get on the road and even a fine by the local law enforcement. So not all of the businesses mentioned have the same size parking lots. So your local Planet Fitness parking lot might be a whole lot undersized compared to some other locations is my point. When traveling it is prudent to check ahead of time like a day or two in advance maybe even earlier to make sure you know you have a decent and welcomed sight to stay. If I were to ever invest in another RV I'd definitely go with a true Class B not the B+ which is kinda between a C and a B. But I'm feeling it's too big now that I own it. I spent over 2 years seriously searching and I ended up settling for a different model but same brand and similar floor plan but what I wanted it seemed everyone wanted one too. And living in a rural area of NW MT made it difficult even if I were the first person to answer an ad we were at a disadvantage getting there. So in dead of winter when one came up close I already realized I'd probably have to do some compromises. Why under 22 feet? Many national parks require vehicles to cut off at 22'. Glacier Park Going To The Sun Road is one of those and since it's only 120 miles from our back door and visitors like to car travel we figured it made sense to stay short as possible. I also see a lot of my competition for this RV were people down sizing from the larger Trailers and motor homes both. Also one of the things people who own these B+ and B's state is you can park just about in any regular parking space. The B+ can be a little tighter but staying further out often is the key too. I prefer to park further out and get some exercise walking and often picking up abandoned shopping carts on the way to the store even. Costco is big on people just leaving their carts abandoned instead of taking them to the pick up areas for them. And not sure if your Planet Fitness customers would be mad if you parked furthest away for 6-8 hours in middle of night unless they have huge crowds coming all hours. A few customers I can see but enough of a run to fill up the parking lot? Must be a very small parking lot and doing most of their business between 10-7 a.m. Not saying they don't but....right?
2024: Not all Planet Fitness gyms allow overnight parking, especially in Florida. They do not allow overnight parking at PF locations that are not 24 hrs. Also, be sure to check for no overnight parking signs in the parking lot as city ordinances don't allow it in many places.
Thank you for making this video. As a couple who are just starting to camp as we travel across the country, we only knew about Walmart and Cracker Barrel as places to stop overnight for cheap. You list has really helped, especially the suggestion about the city or county parks. Great job! One camping area we found in our journey was on the Ohio Turnpike. Some of their rest areas have dedicated paid overnight camping areas (separate parking lot) with electrical hookup with a dump station and fresh water at the exit to the parking lot. They were really quiet.
We are full time rvers I still work at a job that requires me to go into work. So we use the only campground around that has year round sites with hook ups. we have used the hospital option before, my wife had to arrive at 6 in the morning for surgery, and I closed the night before so I drove our motor home and parked it in my work’s parking lot( I am the General manager at a restaurant so!) when I got off work (@11pm) went and started up the coach and drove it 15 minutes to the hospital and parked it out in the very end of the lot. We did this versus driving 45 minutes to our campsite and then 50 minutes back in the morning. Also we had previously talked with the security to make sure we could. They told us that people do it all the time and exactly where they wanted us. After my wife got checked in I could have stayed in the lobby but I walked back out to the rv and went back to bed. Went back in after a few hours and waited about 20 minutes and was told my wife was in recovery. After release I drove the rv right up to hospital and picked her up(literally) and put her in bed and I drove home. (Campsite)
I didn't do this but might some time just for fun too. But on driving my just bought 22 year old RV 550 miles home in middle of winter but dry weather thank goodness we knew the Costco and Walmart parking lots were closed to over night RV's so I said I could call a family friend and our Dentist who has a dental office on a main street but good parking behind the building that would place our small 21 foot RV out of sight for the night then on to home the next day. I would call the Dentist but he doesn't work on Sat or Sun so it was Friday night and I was willing but unfortunately the gal traveling with me in her own car babbled my plans to her husband and several friends who all came back to her with horror stories and urban legend nonsense but you couldn't talk sense or logic to her. It was late we were really tired and both of us didn't like to drive in the dark so I just got us a hotel for the night. Turned out a lovely hotel called I think Border? I never knew which state it was in ID or WA but my goal at the time was never to back up as the tow mirrors were frozen due to corrosion and it was too dangerous to rely on them. In the meantime my Dentist would have gotten a hoot out of our hiding the RV behind his building. He lives in the town too. I had his cell # and once upon a time he said I'd give you my Cell but I never answer it ha ha ha...he's a bit of a character. A lovable one but he likes to kid. He brought us 4 half gallons of a brand of Rum I use for Rum Cake baking and I ordered in at his Business in MT and he picked it up the next week on his way back to MT's office. So my friend just wouldn't take my word we'd be safe and no one would bother us and even if I couldn't reach the Dentist he'd be fine as in we weren't going to put out chairs and stay the week end. That's an idea though...NOT. Anyway one of the reasons I wanted a small RV or mini Motor home like this class B+ is it can park in almost all normal sized parking lots along with other vehicles. If I ever decided to trade this off I'd go with a true Class B Van that's also under 22 feet just because I'm a little nervous getting used to driving a wider vehicle even though it's not as wide as a C. This summer is my season to learn to navigate comfortably the RV. I'm a first time RV of any kind owner. I've been tent camping for over 50 years. My husband of 52 years isn't into camping but supports me in my pursuits. Now that I have the RV he's showing a wee bit more interest. Or there's been some clues he might be interested. ??? We met Caving which involved camping and he knew I loved it as all through college in Bozeman in the 60-70's I pitched a tent up Hylite canyon for the entire summer. And so I think he dupped me. Usually it's the females role to dup the fella into doing things like camping to get the guy then announce it's not their thing after they catch the fella. I think he did a switcheroo on me. Anyway we are both happy campers he not having to come along and me getting to go camping. Hope you continue to enjoy your interesting life living in one full time. Hope your wife has recovered and you both are healthy and living it up.
When I leave the cold Wisconsin winters & travel through Texas, I've stopped at a Buc-ee's & talked to the manager about spending the night. As a rule I get permission as long as I'm not still there after 6:30 AM. If I do get up during the night & use Buc-ee's facilities, I also buy something even if it's to restock my camper. By the way, I have a pickup with a 24' trailer & I always park as far away from the building as possible.
We stayed at a city campground in Flandreau South Dakota. Great price, clean campground, and the night we stayed there was a multi-town softball game. Wonderful time
Great list. I've had great experiences at State Parks. Oliver Lee in NM near White Sands was $110 for a week with nice sites right in the hills, great mountain views, hiking, hookups, showers and a dump station! A Bargain! For dirt roads I always detach and drive the Jeep out to assess the roads for RV friendliness. The problem I have with Harvest Hosts is that you pay for a membership and then are expected to patronize the business. We don't drink. Might as well stay at a campground for cheaper... Thanks!
Love you kids and your Channel. I met you two at the Myrtle Beach Grand Design Rally last month. We have been rolling cross contry and camping for about 22 years and still find out new and interesting things from you two. I used to work for a Traveling Nurse Company in Omaha, so very familiar with what you do. Take care and have FUN !
I drove from MI to CA and back on a sort of Route 66 trip this past fall. I stayed at a number of truck stops including several Love's that had camping sites. I wish I could have planned my driving time better to reserve my site a few days ahead, but it was my first really long trip. Of all the truck stops I went through, Love's is by far the most accommodating. I always made sure I was respectful of the truck drivers (since the father of my children is one, and he might run me off the road if I wasn't...LOL) and I found that I felt very safe for the most part.
Hi Victoria! Wow, what a drive! You must have seen so many incredible things along the way. Yes, Love's has been really accommodating in allowing the truckers to have their own space compared to the RVers out on the road. Thank you for watching our videos, we appreciate your support 😊
We've done a lot of truck stops with a 34" motor home and we always back in and park at the back of the space so our rear bedroom is the greatest distance from the front of the truck, this makes it a little bit quieter. Church parking lots are also a great place to spend the night (Saturday night excluded).
Thanks for the great info. And as a retired trucker I appreciate your respect for us, and I always showed back respect for rvs . There’s room for us all out here on the road. And thanks for letting others know not to use slide outs at truck stops or rest stops, not everyone knows this. Happy safe travels y’all. I’m a new follower to your channel….
Hi Jeremy. Thank you for your wonderful comment. You made our day reading this. We appreciate all your support and look forward to hearing from you again. Stay safe!
We've had great luck with US National Recreation areas. They're usually free or discounted with our National Park pass. Stayed in some great ones in Washington and Idaho area for $7
Thanks! Just FYI. Some Walmarts no longer allow Rvers to overnight because of the RV fire that killed 2 children. So, as always, ask but also don't park too close to anyone you don't know.
OMG, you guys took away a lot of my fears, since I am planning to buy an RV /truck, live in it full-time solo on the West Coast, and travel to a list of national parks, mostly in the US Western areas! I have already been researching so I've heard about the paid sites for boondockers. Thank you so much!!!!
A word of advice ,if asked by national park officer DON'T say i am fulltime living in RV, say : I AM ONLY CAMPING!!! It will save you from jail and fines...... Good luck 🤞
Great Info! I'm a 30 year otr trucker. Hate trucks stops exactly for the noise issue. And Walmarts because of so many NASTY truckers these days throwing trash and other nasty things outa their trucks we aren't welcome there in many places. Will retire in the next year, and doing what you're doing full time. So the info is much appreciated! Thanks! Be safe, and cautious every night no matter where you are.
I boondock in my car😁. Lots of ladies my age 71 do this because of our budget. Walmart is loud but I sleep like a baby 😂. At the beach several places to park but some riff raff but best climate ever!! Rest areas by the beach is crowded but beautiful ❤️. Had a RV at a thousand trails but some people love to steal your stuff! Sold it and am in a tiny home now for a while. Medical reasons. Glad you guys are enjoying yourselves 👌
When I lived in Washington, there was a walmart and a neighbor told us that her son was in the hospital for getting in the middle of a shooting... in the parking lot... so yeah these recommendations will definitely be written down for later when my husband and I purchase a fifth wheel!!! Super excited! Been watching your videos and it always brightens up my day! Stay safe!!!
Helpful video. Have been traveling with a 5th wheel for a number of years and are transitioning to a 30' class A for a 2 month cross country trip starting next week. One resource you didn't mention probably because it's not free is Passport America. 50% off usual rates at a large number of RV parks, often only $15-$20 with full hookups. There are restrictions on number of days, some weekend and seasonal black-outs, but it's great when you need to fill/empty tanks, etc.
I'm setting in my car in Chanute, Ks eating my breakfast before I go into work watching your video and then you mentioned Chanute, KS. Wow what a coincidence and its a small town. Thanks for the info.
Awesome jobs guys love your vibe and perspective, its grey to see the road is not full of grumpy grey nomads, love the advice but more the way your present it. I am based in Newcastle Australia and I wish we had more kids like you doing this. Indeed, I wish we had more of what you have cause life outside the RV parks is so much fun. Keep up the great work kids cheers Leigh
Walmart is ok occasionally as an overnight spot. Generally I stay at a Walmart on a restock/resupply day, when I have laundry to do, banking, my dog needs a bath, I nee d a shower, I get as much stuff done in a couple half days and an overnight. I was a Boondockers Welcome Host for a time. I loved having guests.
We just had pictures taken of our house to put it up on the market! We can't wait to be full time RVers! Your channel is amazing since we're newbies! Keep up the good work!
Weird - same thing happened at my house today! Will full time for a year until he retires but looking forward to the adventure! Best of luck to your with the sale of your home and safe, happy travels!
It's good to ride a bike or fly a drone down some dirt roads before committing. Or zoom in with one of the satellite mapping apps on a phone ( if there is cell service).
Another great episode from the Hanks family. We joined Boondockers Welcome this year. We’ve only used it once so far, but it was a fun experience. Can’t wait to use it some more in the future. Loving some of your other tips for overnight stays while on the road. Very informative and helpful info. #thankshanks for another fun Thursday night.
Hi Kyle and Renee, I really enjoy your channel. City parks & fairgrounds are great. Around 4:48 one of the fairgrounds looked like Adams County, Washington in Ritzville. One of the best weeks in our Alaska journey . Wonderful campground hosts!
Okay, I have chosen you to be my main source of information in doing my research in getting started with full time on road living. I love your content. I am a soon retiring fedex truck driver and my wife is a 30+ year RN. I have picked out my fithwheel rig and preparing to sell my house and car and trading in my truck for a diesel pusher. All of your content has answered so many questions for us. I am 60 but look about 40.(had to though that in lol) anyway thankyou for all you do. Keep it coming.
Good list with added informative information, well done. For a quick overnight sleep stop almost anywhere I've found churches to be a very good option. I always park around back, stay quiet, and don't set anything outside. Driving a white 33 foot long Limo Bus conversion, with nothing added to it's outside, it's appearance still says Bus. So I look like I belong there, blend right in. For anyone who needs to Stealth Camp overnight, blending in, looking like you belong there, is key to avoiding The Knock. And wherever you park, please be respectful of your surroundings. Or we may all loose the ability to be there. One thing I normally don't hear mentioned of, when choosing overnight and camping sites, is what happens if you break down there. Many motor-homes and bus conversions require a Big Rig size tow truck. They are very long, wide, and heavy; require a lot of room to maneuver. When my bus broke down earlier this year, it was where roads were narrow and turns tight. The truck managed to get to where I was, hook up to the back of my bus. Then I sat in the driver's seat of the bus, steering it much like the guy at the back of a really long fire truck in the city does. Only he's facing forward, I was using mirrors all the way. Add that since the diesel engine wouldn't start, I had no power steering to help me make the turns. It was a very slow and nerve racking experience to get back to a main road. During which I realized that some of the places I had camped in the past, this tow truck would not have been able to get me out of. So "Tow Truck Accessibility" is now on my "Check List" of campsite Requirements. And here I'll add a special "Thank You" to "Coach Net" who stood by me throughout this challenging experience. Made the arrangements for, and covered all costs of, this very expensive recovery.
When our reservations in Carlsbad, NM got messed up (actually my wife forgot to book it 🙂), we decided to try a Harvest Host. We went to Balzano Vineyard just outside of Carlsbad. It had electric and water. Great food, wine and service. We not only had dinner there....but decided to have brunch the next morning since we had a short travel day. Highly recommend it if you are in the area.
It's probably been mentioned already but Sam's are great. They close early and are generally not busy immediately in the morning. Another plus to Sam's is if your a member you can top off your fuel ( not all Sam's have diesel) and get a few groceries if needed. Nearly all Sam's are located in close proximity to a Interstate.
Favorite Harvest Host wineries: Creekside Estates and Queenston Mile in Niagara on the lake. For people with dogs. Dome Tractor Supply Co. Have a dog wash if your pup gets in a mess. Better than washing them outside in the rain. Just wow! Keep up the fun content!!
We are under contract selling our house and have bought our RV that will be delivered at the end of May!! We have 3 little kids under 7 and we are so excited. My husband and I watch you guys for all this good information. #thankshanks
Depending on the size of your rig, you can and I have stayed at Pastor Gardens, Dennys , at least one IHOP restaurant and any number of shopping malls. Any place that has a nighttime business makes it easier to stay overnight.
Careful at cityparks. Some close about midnight to keep down mischief makers, but there will be clear signage. The thing is if you nap in the afternoon and then drive away the traffic will be less.
We just purchased our first toy hauler and are excited to hit the road with the trailer ...and the bikes! Thanks for sharing all these great ideas! The apps are an awesome start for these newbies to the RVing world! See you on the road, Cheers! 🥂Pete & Bonnie 🇨🇦
I can totally feel your pain with reverse driving. When I had my CDL I was following my GPS and it took me down a dirt road to my next delivery. 11 miles down the dirt road and I came to an area that was washed out. Going forward was no longer an option so reverse all 11 miles. My neck was sooooooo sore after that. Looking from mirror to mirror took it's toll. As for Harvest Hosts, We did an Alpaca farm in Kansas. Super cool experience. Great super duper warm socks to buy at their store too! Winery was fun but we spent a bunch of money there between the wine, cheeses and meats.... yum but $$$.
We have done that before too! It’s Horrible! Once we were on Hwy 12 in Indian country and they did not warn anyone that they took the road out in the side of a mountain n it was raining n sleeting n if you stopped you would sink into the mud and maybe slide off the mountain. A CBer came on and let everyone know it was 12 or 15 miles ( I don’t remember) you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was holding their breath n someone would get on and say whatever you do don’t stop, keep going but go slow. I never wanted to go that way ever again. I would map around it! And we were just in so many predicaments. I’d be here all day sharing the funny, the hilarious, the tragic comedy, the fun, the tense, the scary n etc…. LOL
Thanks again for this video!! I stayed at the Brown County Fairgrounds in De Pere's WI the first night after I picked up our "new-to-us" Itasca. Had no idea that fairgrounds would be such a good one or two day stop. I also stayed at two Rest Area's for solid 6 hour sleep stop's on my way back to Philly. So, first 1,400 mile trip was awesome and cost me a total of $32.00 in "site fees". Whole new world now, appreciate the information.
My issue with overnighting at rest stops is noise. Always near a highway, cars and trucks coming and going all night, engines idling, people talking, drinking, etc. I’ve never ever had a good nights sleep at a rest stop. Sure for a pit stop, but otherwise just a big heck no. 😂
Most Walmarts around us have a lot of homeless people living in their cars. We’re northeast of Philadelphia. There’s a lot of trash and bottles full of urine in Walmart parking lots. Drug deals etc. Home Depot has the same problem. Couple camper fires, drug dealers etc. Most no longer allow RVs and cops make homeless move.
Good recommendations all!! We have LOVED Boondockers Welcome so much…totally worth the cost. Also fairgrounds, city/county parks and National Forests. As always you guys make us smile and seeing Dex with that turkey was icing on the cake!😉
Picked up our Camper cross country (Michigan to Colorado) for the first time EVER and had no idea where to stay! Watched your video and it blew my mind!!! #THANKSHANKS Didn't feel safe staying at Wal-Mart so was very pleased for you to tell these newbies we weren't the only ones! Ended up pulling over at Cracker Barrel and loved it! Made us get up early, had a wonderful breakfast, and back on the road! We would have never known this, great tip!
A word about Cabelas. Our local store in South Portland Maine was my go-to dump station, because it was right off the highway on my way back home. They took out the dump station and put up signs prohibiting overnights. The rumor is that Bass Pro Shops doesn't want to have RVers. I was bummed out, because it was super convenient to dump and rinse at the end of a trip. Cracker Barrel and Casino overnights have been our preferred stops, but we've joined Harvest Hosts. Looking forward to trying out vineyards and farms too.
Cracker Barrel is my favorite because they are along the interstate highways, and you can pull off and park in an RV spot in the back and then have a great breakfast the next morning. On the other hand, truck stops are a dime a dozen, except that you can spend the night, but you cannot sleep! Diesel engines running all night, trucks in and out with air brakes hissing, etc. It is like trying to sleep at a busy international airport...
Tractor Supply. I had no idea and wouldn’t have thought of it. I absolutely love “window shopping” at TSC. They have some cool stuff. I used to have horses hence my love affair with farm supply stores. Thanks for the great ideas! 💚
This is all very helpful once you Wade through all the drama. She makes list because that's how she keeps it together in her brain to make things happen. You're lucky to have her!!!
Awesome tips. We have stayed in Cracker Barrel and it's was a great experience, also we are member of the Harvest Host and also we have stayed in them and great experience. You guys are awesome.
We rarely pay to stay though we aren’t full time yet. If we need to drop the trailer we will use a park. On a 30 day Oregon to PA to Nee Orleans and back to Oregon we paid for 5 nights because we needed to drop. We generally use: RV Parky IOverlander Dump Sites We almost never pay to dump or fill the fresh water either. We just got home from 3 nights/4 days on the road. 2 nights parked on the Oregon coast at just above the beach on an old piece of US 101 that is one way in/out and we can turn out 40’ (truck and 5ver with sliding hitch) around with a couple of feet to spare. We measured it the first time and had practiced in a large parking lot. Third night in a large dirt pullout alongside a state Highway next to the river. Both allowed us to get level without unhooking or using blocks/jacks. The places are out there and people share on apps like IOverlander. Compendium is decent but we rarely use it. When we go full time we will probably use compendium, harvest hosts, etc. but we plan to use a lot of BLM as our rig is being built for several weeks to a month off grid. 2900W solar 6.5kW inverter 10.24kWh of lithium 200 gal fresh 62 gal black Regular grey 4 sinks 2nd grey for shower & washing machine with a reclamation filtering system. Oh and two A/C mini splits and 29 gal propane
great video. i rarely if ever pay for camping. One place that i have really enjoyed that you did not mention are ski hill parking lots. May allow RV's to stay for free in the winter (if you are a winter camper), and in the summer, there is usually nothing going on there, so you have an enormous parking lot with gorgeous views. Same thing goes for golf course parking lots in the off-season. While driving through Michigan and Illinois late last fall, the courses were closed and were pretty much abandoned. That is not to say that you can park at the fancy expensive country clubs, but the public courses are vacant. I find the most important piece of information is to be smart, resourceful, and considerate. If you follow those 3 rules, you should be good about 99% of the time.
That is so cool you stayed in Chanute, Ks. Im about 25 minutes from there. Travel to Chanute several times a month. I work in Humboldt. It is such a warm city also and first Saturday in October there is a Biblesta that has free bean feed and free entertainment!! It is so awesome!!💞
Another informative and entertaining video! We start our first "camping season" in May this year at Morrow Mountain State Park NC. Thanks for sharing this video with us!
Lebanon Kentucky has a fairground campground. 20 sites with water , electric and sewer. It's in the heart of Bourbon Country. There's a horse racing track and you can watch them practice/exercise. A nice area
My buddy Alex (Old English Sheepdog) and I tent camped for 2 hours in Huron National Forest, and had to leave because we were covered by ticks. Yesterday we went and bought a 23' Keystone Passport. Started looking for YT full-time RVing, and came across you guys. Great tips, tricks, and anticipation for getting out on the open road and explore!
Here is my tip... Learn to do your own RV maintenance and use a good car maintenance management program ( I use Automotive Wolf car care software ) to track and monitor it all. It also tracks all my parts, expenses and creates a detailed vehicle maintenance log. After RV'ing for over 10 years I've saved thousands by doing most of the maintenance myself and there is a lot of it on an RV! A small roof leak can cost you thousands in repairs so I check my roof at least twice a year. Keep on top of the maintenance and you'll save money and be RV'ing for years :)
Thank you for the information on Harvest Hosts/Boondockers welcome. We just got a new RV and wanted to do a couple long weekends. We were unable to find any campgrounds available. However, we did find spaces through Boondocker’s welcome. What a great resource!
Only did this twice on a long trip from PA to FL. Cracker Barrel was great. They have RV parking and there were many other RVs. Safety in numbers. Flying J in Ga had designated RV parking so we didn’t infringe or the truckers. We felt safe in both places and the truck stop wasn’t as noisy as we thought it would be. Planning to stay at Cabela’s next long trip. Thanks for the video, we’ll keep these places in mind.
Yes, often, Truck stops are over whelmed... I drove across the street and saw a Cracker Barrel with an entire back parking vacant. So, I parked the semi went in and asked. They said no problem. Very nice quiet stay. Didn't have to worry about safety. Thank you, C/B., Dinner and breakfast were great.
All great info! One thing about Cracker Barrel, sometimes cars park in the RV slots when it is really busy making it difficult to pull out after staying the night and getting breakfast in the morning. In Indianapolis we had to wait in our rig until a couple finished their breakfast and shopping before we were able to pull out of our RV space putting us behind 45 minutes in our schedule.
@@stevenkaskus6173 Didn't know who it was. They pulled in the RV spot while we were in the restaurant, so I couldn't ask them to move temporarily. Thanks for your comment though.
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When you started the topic of your best experience at a State Park, I told my boyfriend, "it was in Montana", then you confirmed it! (We're from the Glacier National Park area) Come back and enjoy it once or twice again soon because it's only a few years away from being Montalifornia with corporate retail stores & litter everywhere and trees & wildlife nowhere.
Allstays is part of RV life
As a trucker, I appreciate you a lot. Our parking is limited to truckstops and rest area and sometimes Walmart. Thank you for saving those spots for us.
Walmart, is starting to get tough on ANYONE using their parking lots!
@@paulao7022because assholes are stealing everything
Thank you for your comment! I completely understand the limited parking options for truckers. It's important to be considerate of their needs. By exploring alternative overnight spots for RVers, we can help alleviate the competition for parking spaces. By the way, have you ever considered using a reliable power backup solution like the Segway Portable PowerStation Cube Series? It's perfect for outdoor enthusiasts like us, providing massive capacity, fast recharging, and versatile sockets. Check it out if you're interested!
commercial drivers have limited time to drive per day due to electronic logs. Nothing worse than the time clock running out and no parking spots.
@3:27 in
Is that Junction Texas?
If you join the Elks, you can camp over night or 2. go in have dinner, clean up. get a drink . Some Ejks have complete hook ups.Once your an Elks member, your a member at all the Elks. Its great.
How do you become a member?
I think this maybe true for Moose lodge members as well. I’ve seen campers at our town Moose before. But check ahead don’t take my word for sure. They all may have different rules.
I think you have to be invited by an existing member.
I’m a water buffalo
OMG!!! You’re 30? No wait, this video is one year old so you’re 31 now. Ready for the retirement home. You guys crack me up. Thanks for taking the time to make and share this with us. 30, you’re still baby’s add 40 years and a motorcycle camper to that. It’s all about living life. Thanks again.
Tom
As a trucker and rv owner I appreciate your comments. I only ask that other overnight campers occupy the smallest space possible. With electronic logs we can't run all night anymore so the spots in truck stops fill up pretty quickly every night. And when our clock runs out for the day we have no choice but to shut down. I'm not complaining by the way. I did my time running all hours of the day and I don't miss it. Great channel!
😊😊
Buddy, that's the way you can politely tell someone about it. When I first started, I didn't even think about that. The bad thing about it, was my brother was a truck driver before passing away. That's when his widow told me about it during a conversation with her....
Thanks for this video. Im 70 and my new life starts in another 8 days. full time r.v.ing. This will help
Please lift and keep your muscles big
Thanks for explaining the rules around camping at rest areas/walmart. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve seen people putting out their slides /mats/unhook and leave their trash. They ruin it for all of us.
Absolutely, Cathy! We are happy to hear that this can be of some help. Thank you again for all your support. Have a Happy New Year 🥳 - Kyle and Renee
When you're 30 you want peace and quiet. I didn't get to that stage until I was almost 45. Now at 60 I'm downright cranky.
5-HTP
At 61, I agree. I used to fuss at the hubby. I do not want to go to bed at 9 o'clock. Here I am at 8:52 finishing prepping for work tomorrow going to bed.
I feel like I need to warn people that the west coast, California specifically, you are not allowed to stay overnight at any Walmart and you are only allowed to rest for 4 hours at a rest stop. Most big box stores don't allow overnight either. There is a large population of homeless and so this is what it has come to. I liked your video.
You are allowed to stay for 8 hours at California rest stops, but unfortunately they are closed off and on - it’s good to check ahead and make sure they are open.
Wal Mart is closed to overnight camping in Oregon now.
Isn’t it ridiculous that as the homeless population increases, instead of laws to create more affordable housing, they just make it impossible to sleep outside?
@@johnthoreson8775 Everywhere in Oregon? How about Planet Fitness?
Can’t overnight at most if not all Walmarts in Washington State. The homeless population aka drug crisis has destroyed that for us and how our state responded…
Recap: Casinos, county & city parks, fairgrounds, boon-dockers welcome membership, calbellas, national forest, Cracker Barrel, BLM (off-grid), truck stops (Loves will have RV parking soon), harvest host (membership), rest areas are for truckers, airports, cafe, strip malls, churches, hospitals, tractor supply, Lowes, Home Depot, convention centers.
Thanks for the recap 🤙
You just saved me 25 mins thanks lol
@@HappilyEverHanks is walmart just noisy what else is wrong about Walmart you didn't state lol
Fairgrounds in Colorado Nebraska areas are now off limits to camping or even just going to let the dogs run n eat a sandwich. Feds are deliberately trying to tighten down on any n all alternative lifestyles.
@@sedg03 yuppers. They sure don't want us self sufficient.
1. Casino’s
2. County or City Park’s
• Walmart
3. Fairground’s
4. Boondockers Welcome
5. Cabelas / Bass Pro Shop
6. National Forest’s
7. Cracker Barrel
8. BLM - Bureau of Land Management
9. Truck Stops
10. Harvest Hosts
11. Rest Areas
12. Misc. - Airports, Churches, Hospital, Tractor Supply, Lowes, Home Depot and more… (CALL AHEAD!)
Wow, Thanx, for sharing.....=)
Some Cracker Barrel's no longer allow boondocks.
Wineries. At least on the central coast of CA.
@@texaslovelylady Some Walmarts and Costco's too. Some businesses or franchises very in the size of their parking area so some have it to spare and others do not. So that is why the CALL AHEAD and or go in and ASK. Some Spokane and NW ID parking lots are off limits period and the law enforcement might just roust you and hand you a fine too boot. As they give you the boot so to speak. Just listen they cover this buy telling you to ASK or CALL AHEAD.
Lol
Also worth mentioning are race tracks! Many of the larger ones have designated areas for use.
We've called the local police station. Usually small towns. They have always been cooperative when we were looking for a spot for a short overnight stay. We have used local libraries. Also we have stayed at several Wal Marts on the east coast with no problems. Again we call the police dept. and talk to the store manager for permission and to see if there have been any issues. We were in Maine and a policeman came onto the Wal Mart parking lot. I flagged him down and he said it was safe because they patrol it several times nightly. Aside from possible noise, I think there is safety in numbers at a Wal Mart. Many big box stores have security after hours. Try to find them and get their ok. It never hurts to get to know people in security. Out of respect if they know who you are there is less likely to be a knock on the door.
Sometimes they get outright paranoid, liken when I asked if they knew a 24 hour pharmacy. In case I was looking to rob one I suppose. But usually, they appreciate the courtesy. "Vehicle stops" are, they will tell you, the most frightening part of their day.
Why draw unnecessary attention to yourself....not to mention wasting their time.
This is the best tv video I’ve seen. Not long winded, lots of very useful information, and you guys are fun to watch.
OMG!I love you guys! The bickering is just like me and my wife. We find it is very helpful and compliments each other. We never take it seriously and at the end of the day we LOVE EACH OTHER!
I don't recall you mentioning "mooch docking". Great way to visit friends and family and reconnect or catch up with old friends. Hard to do if they live in an HOA, but if they live rural, then they often have room for your rig and are excited to host you and be your local guide to area attractions.
I drive long haul truck, my wife owns a small restaurant,and we boondock camp. You earned a like and subscribe for your respect of trucks and support of businesses. Great video. Safe travels!
Thanks so much 🤗
Three years ago, I decided to buy an older class C RV and learned a lot from joining an RV club, since then I've been across country several times and plan to take my now newer RV into Mexico. I don't care for staying in Walmart for several reasons: 1. yes, the noise - I had a street cleaner keep circling around my RV and then there's the 2) bright lights shining into my windows and into my fan/vents. I was up in the middle of the night cutting up Reflectix to fit to block the light and 3) the weirdos. I was all nice and settled in to a spot along side of the store and then another RV came in a parked uncomfortably close to mine and the couple were arguing. It was just weird so I moved away. Also if you join the Elks, many of them allow traveling Elk members to park for a nominal donation, they all have bars and some cook dinner too. Elks have lodges all across the US.
Hi Denise! You make some great points here. Thank you for also taking the time to share about the Elks lodges...that is one we missed in this video. We appreciate your support and for watching our videos 😊 - Kyle and Renee
Having a fan turned on and some "rain sounds" on a speaker always helps to drown out the noise at these places that can be kinda loud. Trust me, being in the firehouse for decades, a fan and rain noises help out immensely!!!
We have a sound machine that has several sounds, hubby hates the fan blowing air… 😂
Oh no doubt!! We love that white noise as well 😃 Love that you worked at a firehouse as a medic! AWESOME!!
Some of us HATE rain noise! Ugh…
I feel your pain trying to rest in a firehouse. I'm retired but I worked 35 years as a firefighter/paramedic in San Antonio Texas SAFD.
Thanks! You are welcome outside of Memphis at BW " On Lee Creek" in North MS
Thank you so much, Don! We appreciate your Super Thanks and BW location! ~Carl and Ney Ney
Getting ready to hit the road to travel for my husband’s job, bringing two kids with us and homeschooling will be an adventure! I was really nervous but I found your channel this morning. Three videos in and I feel so much better about this lifestyle, thank you both so much for helping those of us climbing on this crazy RV life adventure too!
Thanks for joining our channel! We're glad to have you and wish you all the best of luck!
Whatcha ya' goin to do when theres no gas cept for $20/gallon? Ask as you"ve kids
What a douche
I’m thinking about it and I have 3 kids. Would you do homeschooling yourself or with a online program?
Good Luck!! We got a rig with back bunk bed, "cubbies" for our boys. LOVE them. We are planning our own trip. With our boys and 3 pugs!
As a truck driver I would like to point out that several of the truck stops have RV parking, not just Love’s. Some, but not all, Pilot/Flying J’s and TA/Petro will have designated RV parking areas.
I had to stop at 12:00 and laugh when you said “When you reach 30” like that’s old. Lmao!! Trust me, this 61 year old (62 in June) would LOVE to be 30 (even 39) again!!
Great video!! Say hi to the Dex Man!🐾❤️🐾
Yeah, over the hill at 30!! I have older shoes! 😉
🤣 You guys are too awesome! We love ya'll!!!
I laughed too because my 50 year old husband is totally the grumpy old man when it comes to noise. He's as mature as a 15 year old most times but grumpy old man comes out a lot with night time noise!! 🤣
This 72 yr old would love to be 60 again lol. It's all relative, right? : )
I agree with being a 30yr (my case 32yr old) old guy wanting peace and quiet. Also, as a owner operator/trucker, we appreciate you leaving us spots at rest areas and truck stops. Every year it becomes even harder finding a safe, legal spot to park a rig.
Thanks for all you do!
@@HappilyEverHanks thank you for your appreciation!!!!!!
Amen and so many ppl certainly want the rigs to quickly bring their wares but there’s so few places to park and the time is ticking down and you are forced to pull over somewhere and get woke up by police during the 10 hours down n they’ll make you move. So not right.
They need to have more parking areas for rigs everywhere and places the police are not allowed to mess with you and wake you up in the middle of well needed sleep for the most ridiculous reasons. 🙃
@@joyceobeys6818 amen!!!!!! Now that's the truth!!!!!!!!!
@Joyce Obeys what's funny, in my state, is you're encouraged to pull over and rest in the vehicle if you're tired (when you first learn how to drive). But, when people do, they get in trouble 🤦♀️
Planet Fitness is one of my favorites! Most of them are 24 hours, you have 24 hour access to a bathroom if you need it. The other advantage is safety; people come to the gym at all hours and you're less likely to be harassed by weird people when there are lots of people coming and going.
I can’t imagine being able to park my 34’ trailer in a planet fitness parking lot. Way too small of spots and I would make people angry taking up multiple stalls
If you want your female partner or daughters to share a bathroom with a man
You know there's life seems to be exciting especially if you got someone to share with that you love but if you're a Solo traveler it can get kind of lonely and boring!!! I cannot imagine trying or having to find a different spot every single night to sleep that would drive me totally insane
@@pnwpaths2925 A lot of people have more reasonable sized rigs. Trailers and in my case a 21' class B+. But your point is a good one. I know for example Cabela's in Kalispell MT is in a strip mall kind of location with little options to park. Also Lowes and Home Depot in same town isn't too big. Walmart does allow you but they are tight for parking too. And just over in N Idaho and Spokane WA they are not friendly towards RV staying even over night at Walmart or Costco. You might get a wake up call or rousted to get on the road and even a fine by the local law enforcement. So not all of the businesses mentioned have the same size parking lots. So your local Planet Fitness parking lot might be a whole lot undersized compared to some other locations is my point. When traveling it is prudent to check ahead of time like a day or two in advance maybe even earlier to make sure you know you have a decent and welcomed sight to stay. If I were to ever invest in another RV I'd definitely go with a true Class B not the B+ which is kinda between a C and a B. But I'm feeling it's too big now that I own it. I spent over 2 years seriously searching and I ended up settling for a different model but same brand and similar floor plan but what I wanted it seemed everyone wanted one too. And living in a rural area of NW MT made it difficult even if I were the first person to answer an ad we were at a disadvantage getting there. So in dead of winter when one came up close I already realized I'd probably have to do some compromises. Why under 22 feet? Many national parks require vehicles to cut off at 22'. Glacier Park Going To The Sun Road is one of those and since it's only 120 miles from our back door and visitors like to car travel we figured it made sense to stay short as possible. I also see a lot of my competition for this RV were people down sizing from the larger Trailers and motor homes both. Also one of the things people who own these B+ and B's state is you can park just about in any regular parking space. The B+ can be a little tighter but staying further out often is the key too. I prefer to park further out and get some exercise walking and often picking up abandoned shopping carts on the way to the store even. Costco is big on people just leaving their carts abandoned instead of taking them to the pick up areas for them. And not sure if your Planet Fitness customers would be mad if you parked furthest away for 6-8 hours in middle of night unless they have huge crowds coming all hours. A few customers I can see but enough of a run to fill up the parking lot? Must be a very small parking lot and doing most of their business between 10-7 a.m. Not saying they don't but....right?
2024: Not all Planet Fitness gyms allow overnight parking, especially in Florida. They do not allow overnight parking at PF locations that are not 24 hrs. Also, be sure to check for no overnight parking signs in the parking lot as city ordinances don't allow it in many places.
Thank you for making this video. As a couple who are just starting to camp as we travel across the country, we only knew about Walmart and Cracker Barrel as places to stop overnight for cheap. You list has really helped, especially the suggestion about the city or county parks. Great job!
One camping area we found in our journey was on the Ohio Turnpike. Some of their rest areas have dedicated paid overnight camping areas (separate parking lot) with electrical hookup with a dump station and fresh water at the exit to the parking lot. They were really quiet.
Thank you.
We are full time rvers I still work at a job that requires me to go into work. So we use the only campground around that has year round sites with hook ups. we have used the hospital option before, my wife had to arrive at 6 in the morning for surgery, and I closed the night before so I drove our motor home and parked it in my work’s parking lot( I am the General manager at a restaurant so!) when I got off work (@11pm) went and started up the coach and drove it 15 minutes to the hospital and parked it out in the very end of the lot. We did this versus driving 45 minutes to our campsite and then 50 minutes back in the morning. Also we had previously talked with the security to make sure we could. They told us that people do it all the time and exactly where they wanted us. After my wife got checked in I could have stayed in the lobby but I walked back out to the rv and went back to bed. Went back in after a few hours and waited about 20 minutes and was told my wife was in recovery. After release I drove the rv right up to hospital and picked her up(literally) and put her in bed and I drove home. (Campsite)
I didn't do this but might some time just for fun too. But on driving my just bought 22 year old RV 550 miles home in middle of winter but dry weather thank goodness we knew the Costco and Walmart parking lots were closed to over night RV's so I said I could call a family friend and our Dentist who has a dental office on a main street but good parking behind the building that would place our small 21 foot RV out of sight for the night then on to home the next day. I would call the Dentist but he doesn't work on Sat or Sun so it was Friday night and I was willing but unfortunately the gal traveling with me in her own car babbled my plans to her husband and several friends who all came back to her with horror stories and urban legend nonsense but you couldn't talk sense or logic to her. It was late we were really tired and both of us didn't like to drive in the dark so I just got us a hotel for the night. Turned out a lovely hotel called I think Border? I never knew which state it was in ID or WA but my goal at the time was never to back up as the tow mirrors were frozen due to corrosion and it was too dangerous to rely on them. In the meantime my Dentist would have gotten a hoot out of our hiding the RV behind his building. He lives in the town too. I had his cell # and once upon a time he said I'd give you my Cell but I never answer it ha ha ha...he's a bit of a character. A lovable one but he likes to kid. He brought us 4 half gallons of a brand of Rum I use for Rum Cake baking and I ordered in at his Business in MT and he picked it up the next week on his way back to MT's office. So my friend just wouldn't take my word we'd be safe and no one would bother us and even if I couldn't reach the Dentist he'd be fine as in we weren't going to put out chairs and stay the week end. That's an idea though...NOT. Anyway one of the reasons I wanted a small RV or mini Motor home like this class B+ is it can park in almost all normal sized parking lots along with other vehicles. If I ever decided to trade this off I'd go with a true Class B Van that's also under 22 feet just because I'm a little nervous getting used to driving a wider vehicle even though it's not as wide as a C. This summer is my season to learn to navigate comfortably the RV. I'm a first time RV of any kind owner. I've been tent camping for over 50 years. My husband of 52 years isn't into camping but supports me in my pursuits. Now that I have the RV he's showing a wee bit more interest. Or there's been some clues he might be interested. ??? We met Caving which involved camping and he knew I loved it as all through college in Bozeman in the 60-70's I pitched a tent up Hylite canyon for the entire summer. And so I think he dupped me. Usually it's the females role to dup the fella into doing things like camping to get the guy then announce it's not their thing after they catch the fella. I think he did a switcheroo on me. Anyway we are both happy campers he not having to come along and me getting to go camping. Hope you continue to enjoy your interesting life living in one full time. Hope your wife has recovered and you both are healthy and living it up.
When I leave the cold Wisconsin winters & travel through Texas, I've stopped at a Buc-ee's & talked to the manager about spending the night. As a rule I get permission as long as I'm not still there after 6:30 AM. If I do get up during the night & use Buc-ee's facilities, I also buy something even if it's to restock my camper. By the way, I have a pickup with a 24' trailer & I always park as far away from the building as possible.
We stayed at a city campground in Flandreau South Dakota. Great price, clean campground, and the night we stayed there was a multi-town softball game. Wonderful time
Great list. I've had great experiences at State Parks. Oliver Lee in NM near White Sands was $110 for a week with nice sites right in the hills, great mountain views, hiking, hookups, showers and a dump station! A Bargain! For dirt roads I always detach and drive the Jeep out to assess the roads for RV friendliness. The problem I have with Harvest Hosts is that you pay for a membership and then are expected to patronize the business. We don't drink. Might as well stay at a campground for cheaper... Thanks!
Love you kids and your Channel. I met you two at the Myrtle Beach Grand Design Rally last month. We have been rolling cross contry and camping for about 22 years and still find out new and interesting things from you two. I used to work for a Traveling Nurse Company in Omaha, so very familiar with what you do. Take care and have FUN !
So glad we got to meet!! Thanks for all your support 🤗
Thanks for doing what you can to respect truckers. Key word in your video, respect.
We all need to be respectful of each other!
I drove from MI to CA and back on a sort of Route 66 trip this past fall. I stayed at a number of truck stops including several Love's that had camping sites. I wish I could have planned my driving time better to reserve my site a few days ahead, but it was my first really long trip. Of all the truck stops I went through, Love's is by far the most accommodating. I always made sure I was respectful of the truck drivers (since the father of my children is one, and he might run me off the road if I wasn't...LOL) and I found that I felt very safe for the most part.
Hi Victoria! Wow, what a drive! You must have seen so many incredible things along the way. Yes, Love's has been really accommodating in allowing the truckers to have their own space compared to the RVers out on the road. Thank you for watching our videos, we appreciate your support 😊
Do you have enough room for your slide outs?
We've done a lot of truck stops with a 34" motor home and we always back in and park at the back of the space so our rear bedroom is the greatest distance from the front of the truck, this makes it a little bit quieter. Church parking lots are also a great place to spend the night (Saturday night excluded).
Please don't stay at truck stops!
You forgot one other place. I heard you can camp for free at your parents' house, and get cookies!
We get cookies at our daughter’s house and she has water and power for us
LOL that's a good one Don 🤣
If your fortunate enough to have family with property who aren't a**holes. I've been boondocking in my city bc I have no one to lean on.
I camp at my sisters house, and get ulcers
@@patrick7639 Leave sooner.
Thanks for the great info. And as a retired trucker I appreciate your respect for us, and I always showed back respect for rvs . There’s room for us all out here on the road. And thanks for letting others know not to use slide outs at truck stops or rest stops, not everyone knows this. Happy safe travels y’all. I’m a new follower to your channel….
Hi Jeremy. Thank you for your wonderful comment. You made our day reading this. We appreciate all your support and look forward to hearing from you again. Stay safe!
We've had great luck with US National Recreation areas. They're usually free or discounted with our National Park pass. Stayed in some great ones in Washington and Idaho area for $7
Thanks! Just FYI. Some Walmarts no longer allow Rvers to overnight because of the RV fire that killed 2 children. So, as always, ask but also don't park too close to anyone you don't know.
OMG, you guys took away a lot of my fears, since I am planning to buy an RV /truck, live in it full-time solo on the West Coast, and travel to a list of national parks, mostly in the US Western areas! I have already been researching so I've heard about the paid sites for boondockers. Thank you so much!!!!
Our pleasure!
Be very.careful western national parks. Many of our wilderness areas have murders...
be xtra careful.
A word of advice ,if asked by national park officer DON'T say i am fulltime living in RV, say : I AM ONLY CAMPING!!! It will save you from jail and fines...... Good luck 🤞
@@stevenmonson5149 Second this. Never tell officials that you live full time in an RV
@@stevenmonson5149 I'm curious, what could the charge be for someone living in an RV full time?
Great Info! I'm a 30 year otr trucker. Hate trucks stops exactly for the noise issue. And Walmarts because of so many NASTY truckers these days throwing trash and other nasty things outa their trucks we aren't welcome there in many places. Will retire in the next year, and doing what you're doing full time. So the info is much appreciated! Thanks! Be safe, and cautious every night no matter where you are.
I boondock in my car😁. Lots of ladies my age 71 do this because of our budget. Walmart is loud but I sleep like a baby 😂. At the beach several places to park but some riff raff but best climate ever!! Rest areas by the beach is crowded but beautiful ❤️. Had a RV at a thousand trails but some people love to steal your stuff! Sold it and am in a tiny home now for a while. Medical reasons. Glad you guys are enjoying yourselves 👌
🙏❤️🙏
You two did a great job with this video. As a long time RVer, your information was spot on and presented in your usual entertaining way.
WOW! Thank you very much William, this is truly kind of you to say 🙂 Stay safe out there!
I've noticed all the various wys and sites alwsays claim the price is going up in the next month. So guess just another Scam in general.
When I lived in Washington, there was a walmart and a neighbor told us that her son was in the hospital for getting in the middle of a shooting... in the parking lot... so yeah these recommendations will definitely be written down for later when my husband and I purchase a fifth wheel!!! Super excited! Been watching your videos and it always brightens up my day! Stay safe!!!
Helpful video. Have been traveling with a 5th wheel for a number of years and are transitioning to a 30' class A for a 2 month cross country trip starting next week. One resource you didn't mention probably because it's not free is Passport America. 50% off usual rates at a large number of RV parks, often only $15-$20 with full hookups. There are restrictions on number of days, some weekend and seasonal black-outs, but it's great when you need to fill/empty tanks, etc.
I'm setting in my car in Chanute, Ks eating my breakfast before I go into work watching your video and then you mentioned Chanute, KS. Wow what a coincidence and its a small town. Thanks for the info.
Small world and a nice area!
Awesome jobs guys love your vibe and perspective, its grey to see the road is not full of grumpy grey nomads, love the advice but more the way your present it. I am based in Newcastle Australia and I wish we had more kids like you doing this. Indeed, I wish we had more of what you have cause life outside the RV parks is so much fun. Keep up the great work kids cheers Leigh
Walmart is ok occasionally as an overnight spot.
Generally I stay at a Walmart on a restock/resupply day, when I have laundry to do, banking, my dog needs a bath, I nee
d a shower, I get as much stuff done in a couple half days and an overnight.
I was a Boondockers Welcome Host for a time. I loved having guests.
We just had pictures taken of our house to put it up on the market! We can't wait to be full time RVers! Your channel is amazing since we're newbies! Keep up the good work!
Ours is under contract. Closing in a couple weeks and picking up our new travel trailer right afterwards. Safe travels!
It’s a good life in an RV! Have fun, we have been free from our old house for 15 months now.
We have the same plan like two years out from now. These kids channel is great!
Weird - same thing happened at my house today! Will full time for a year until he retires but looking forward to the adventure!
Best of luck to your with the sale of your home and safe, happy travels!
Me too! Just living in a toy hauler on my parents property for a while. Garage space works great for my big dog and cat
We love the Cabela’s in Hamburg Pa. We bought our RV across the highway from that Cabela’s. It’s right behind the Cracker Barrel.
Great list .
City’s usually have a warehouse district and I’ve stayed in those areas overnight.
It's good to ride a bike or fly a drone down some dirt roads before committing. Or zoom in with one of the satellite mapping apps on a phone ( if there is cell service).
Another great episode from the Hanks family. We joined Boondockers Welcome this year. We’ve only used it once so far, but it was a fun experience. Can’t wait to use it some more in the future. Loving some of your other tips for overnight stays while on the road. Very informative and helpful info. #thankshanks for another fun Thursday night.
Thanks for watching! Glad you got to use the program already!
Working towards going full time tv life in a year or so. Your videos are gold, so much good useful info. Thank you!
We are starting the process to be full time RVer’s! You guys have so much good info for people who are just starting out. Thank you so much!!!
Love that! We'll see you on the road someday!
That's super helpful, thank you! We LOVE Harvest Host and Boondockers!
Hi Kyle and Renee, I really enjoy your channel. City parks & fairgrounds are great. Around 4:48 one of the fairgrounds looked like Adams County, Washington in Ritzville. One of the best weeks in our Alaska journey . Wonderful campground hosts!
That is right! We really like that place!
Okay, I have chosen you to be my main source of information in doing my research in getting started with full time on road living. I love your content. I am a soon retiring fedex truck driver and my wife is a 30+ year RN. I have picked out my fithwheel rig and preparing to sell my house and car and trading in my truck for a diesel pusher. All of your content has answered so many questions for us. I am 60 but look about 40.(had to though that in lol) anyway thankyou for all you do. Keep it coming.
That is incredible, Lucian! Thank you so much for your support and for watching, we are glad that our content has been helpful for you! Safe travels!
You two are totally adorable and your video is invaluable. Thanks for all the great info!
Thank you very much, Valerie! We appreciate you support in watching our videos 😊
Good list with added informative information, well done. For a quick overnight sleep stop almost anywhere I've found churches to be a very good option. I always park around back, stay quiet, and don't set anything outside. Driving a white 33 foot long Limo Bus conversion, with nothing added to it's outside, it's appearance still says Bus. So I look like I belong there, blend right in. For anyone who needs to Stealth Camp overnight, blending in, looking like you belong there, is key to avoiding The Knock. And wherever you park, please be respectful of your surroundings. Or we may all loose the ability to be there.
One thing I normally don't hear mentioned of, when choosing overnight and camping sites, is what happens if you break down there. Many motor-homes and bus conversions require a Big Rig size tow truck. They are very long, wide, and heavy; require a lot of room to maneuver. When my bus broke down earlier this year, it was where roads were narrow and turns tight. The truck managed to get to where I was, hook up to the back of my bus. Then I sat in the driver's seat of the bus, steering it much like the guy at the back of a really long fire truck in the city does. Only he's facing forward, I was using mirrors all the way. Add that since the diesel engine wouldn't start, I had no power steering to help me make the turns. It was a very slow and nerve racking experience to get back to a main road. During which I realized that some of the places I had camped in the past, this tow truck would not have been able to get me out of. So "Tow Truck Accessibility" is now on my "Check List" of campsite Requirements. And here I'll add a special "Thank You" to "Coach Net" who stood by me throughout this challenging experience. Made the arrangements for, and covered all costs of, this very expensive recovery.
When our reservations in Carlsbad, NM got messed up (actually my wife forgot to book it 🙂), we decided to try a Harvest Host. We went to Balzano Vineyard just outside of Carlsbad. It had electric and water. Great food, wine and service. We not only had dinner there....but decided to have brunch the next morning since we had a short travel day. Highly recommend it if you are in the area.
Yeah, we stayed there last September, very nice overnight.
Oh that is a good one to write down then! Thanks for sharing 🤗
We have paid $36 to $70 for a night just traveling thru. We need to re-think that! This was so useful, thanks.
It's probably been mentioned already but Sam's are great. They close early and are generally not busy immediately in the morning. Another plus to Sam's is if your a member you can top off your fuel ( not all Sam's have diesel) and get a few groceries if needed. Nearly all Sam's are located in close proximity to a Interstate.
That's a great one, thanks Jason!
Perfect. This is exactly what I'm looking for. I like your channel - practical information and not too much fluff but you guys have personality too.
Favorite Harvest Host wineries: Creekside Estates and Queenston Mile in Niagara on the lake.
For people with dogs. Dome Tractor Supply Co. Have a dog wash if your pup gets in a mess. Better than washing them outside in the rain.
Just wow! Keep up the fun content!!
Thank you so much for sharing Patrick!
We are under contract selling our house and have bought our RV that will be delivered at the end of May!! We have 3 little kids under 7 and we are so excited. My husband and I watch you guys for all this good information. #thankshanks
Thanks for all your support Jessica! You have great adventures coming up!
Depending on the size of your rig, you can and I have stayed at Pastor Gardens, Dennys , at least one IHOP restaurant and any number of shopping malls. Any place that has a nighttime business makes it easier to stay overnight.
Ok
Careful at cityparks.
Some close about midnight to keep down mischief makers, but there will be clear signage. The thing is if you nap in the afternoon and then drive away the traffic will be less.
We built a tiny house and leave next week. Sold the house, gave away most other things. Now we are binging your advice videos. Thanks!!
We just purchased our first toy hauler and are excited to hit the road with the trailer ...and the bikes! Thanks for sharing all these great ideas!
The apps are an awesome start for these newbies to the RVing world! See you on the road, Cheers! 🥂Pete & Bonnie 🇨🇦
I can totally feel your pain with reverse driving. When I had my CDL I was following my GPS and it took me down a dirt road to my next delivery. 11 miles down the dirt road and I came to an area that was washed out. Going forward was no longer an option so reverse all 11 miles. My neck was sooooooo sore after that. Looking from mirror to mirror took it's toll.
As for Harvest Hosts, We did an Alpaca farm in Kansas. Super cool experience. Great super duper warm socks to buy at their store too!
Winery was fun but we spent a bunch of money there between the wine, cheeses and meats.... yum but $$$.
Ugh, 11 miles sounds awful to drive backwards! We appreciate you sharing your story!
You must’ve driven for SWIFT 🤣😂
ELEVEN MILES. Just thinking about it took some time off my lifespan! Mad props to you for actually doing it! 👏 👏 👏
We have done that before too!
It’s Horrible!
Once we were on Hwy 12 in Indian country and they did not warn anyone that they took the road out in the side of a mountain n it was raining n sleeting n if you stopped you would sink into the mud and maybe slide off the mountain. A CBer came on and let everyone know it was 12 or 15 miles ( I don’t remember) you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was holding their breath n someone would get on and say whatever you do don’t stop, keep going but go slow.
I never wanted to go that way ever again. I would map around it!
And we were just in so many predicaments. I’d be here all day sharing the funny, the hilarious, the tragic comedy, the fun, the tense, the scary n etc…. LOL
Thanks again for this video!! I stayed at the Brown County Fairgrounds in De Pere's WI the first night after I picked up our "new-to-us" Itasca. Had no idea that fairgrounds would be such a good one or two day stop. I also stayed at two Rest Area's for solid 6 hour sleep stop's on my way back to Philly. So, first 1,400 mile trip was awesome and cost me a total of $32.00 in "site fees". Whole new world now, appreciate the information.
My issue with overnighting at rest stops is noise. Always near a highway, cars and trucks coming and going all night, engines idling, people talking, drinking, etc. I’ve never ever had a good nights sleep at a rest stop. Sure for a pit stop, but otherwise just a big heck no. 😂
You and me both! It never is a good night sleep at the rest areas... traffic noise tends to keep us from falling into a deep sleep 😅
Super helpful content deserves a tip :) #ThanksHanks
Thank you so much for your wonderful support Jason 😊 You are very kind!! Much love from the Hanks family!
Most Walmarts around us have a lot of homeless people living in their cars. We’re northeast of Philadelphia. There’s a lot of trash and bottles full of urine in Walmart parking lots. Drug deals etc. Home Depot has the same problem. Couple camper fires, drug dealers etc. Most no longer allow RVs and cops make homeless move.
A Lot of great info.Thanx we will be trying some of y'all's recommendations
Good recommendations all!! We have LOVED Boondockers Welcome so much…totally worth the cost. Also fairgrounds, city/county parks and National Forests. As always you guys make us smile and seeing Dex with that turkey was icing on the cake!😉
Love hearing this 🤗 Ya'll mean so much! Stay safe out there friends!
Picked up our Camper cross country (Michigan to Colorado) for the first time EVER and had no idea where to stay! Watched your video and it blew my mind!!! #THANKSHANKS
Didn't feel safe staying at Wal-Mart so was very pleased for you to tell these newbies we weren't the only ones! Ended up pulling over at Cracker Barrel and loved it! Made us get up early, had a wonderful breakfast, and back on the road! We would have never known this, great tip!
I stayed at a city run campsite in a tiny town in KS that had coin operated 30amp service. It was the craziest thing I ever saw, but it worked.
That's super interesting...we have never seen that before!
Thanks!
Thank you so much for your wonderful support Kim!! 🤗 You are very kind! Much love from the Hanks family!! ❤️ - Ney Ney, Carl, and Dexter
A word about Cabelas. Our local store in South Portland Maine was my go-to dump station, because it was right off the highway on my way back home. They took out the dump station and put up signs prohibiting overnights. The rumor is that Bass Pro Shops doesn't want to have RVers. I was bummed out, because it was super convenient to dump and rinse at the end of a trip. Cracker Barrel and Casino overnights have been our preferred stops, but we've joined Harvest Hosts. Looking forward to trying out vineyards and farms too.
Oh that makes sense with the whole Bass Pro shops deal. Thanks for sharing!
Cracker Barrel is my favorite because they are along the interstate highways, and you can pull off and park in an RV spot in the back and then have a great breakfast the next morning.
On the other hand, truck stops are a dime a dozen, except that you can spend the night, but you cannot sleep! Diesel engines running all night, trucks in and out with air brakes hissing, etc. It is like trying to sleep at a busy international airport...
Great points!
Tractor Supply. I had no idea and wouldn’t have thought of it. I absolutely love “window shopping” at TSC. They have some cool stuff. I used to have horses hence my love affair with farm supply stores. Thanks for the great ideas! 💚
We could spend a lot of time in there too! Thanks for watching!
We were in a pinch trying to fill propane in class A and they do that! Never even thought about staying there, thanks!
This is all very helpful once you Wade through all the drama. She makes list because that's how she keeps it together in her brain to make things happen. You're lucky to have her!!!
Awesome tips. We have stayed in Cracker Barrel and it's was a great experience, also we are member of the Harvest Host and also we have stayed in them and great experience. You guys are awesome.
Glad it was all good!
Thankyou so much regarding setting a good example with your respect for truckers
We rarely pay to stay though we aren’t full time yet.
If we need to drop the trailer we will use a park. On a 30 day Oregon to PA to Nee Orleans and back to Oregon we paid for 5 nights because we needed to drop.
We generally use:
RV Parky
IOverlander
Dump Sites
We almost never pay to dump or fill the fresh water either.
We just got home from 3 nights/4 days on the road.
2 nights parked on the Oregon coast at just above the beach on an old piece of US 101 that is one way in/out and we can turn out 40’ (truck and 5ver with sliding hitch) around with a couple of feet to spare. We measured it the first time and had practiced in a large parking lot.
Third night in a large dirt pullout alongside a state Highway next to the river. Both allowed us to get level without unhooking or using blocks/jacks.
The places are out there and people share on apps like IOverlander.
Compendium is decent but we rarely use it.
When we go full time we will probably use compendium, harvest hosts, etc.
but we plan to use a lot of BLM as our rig is being built for several weeks to a month off grid.
2900W solar
6.5kW inverter
10.24kWh of lithium
200 gal fresh
62 gal black
Regular grey 4 sinks
2nd grey for shower & washing machine with a reclamation filtering system.
Oh and two A/C mini splits and 29 gal propane
Stayed at Bucee's last week coming back from Florida, super loud got no sleep. Stayed at a Wally mart in Ohio very quiet and peaceful.
That's good! I didn't even know you could stay at Bucee's, stay safe out there!!
THANKS FOR THE GREAT VLOGS. You know harvest Hosts and Boondocks welcome are combined into one company.
Yes, very true but still separate memberships
great video. i rarely if ever pay for camping. One place that i have really enjoyed that you did not mention are ski hill parking lots. May allow RV's to stay for free in the winter (if you are a winter camper), and in the summer, there is usually nothing going on there, so you have an enormous parking lot with gorgeous views. Same thing goes for golf course parking lots in the off-season. While driving through Michigan and Illinois late last fall, the courses were closed and were pretty much abandoned. That is not to say that you can park at the fancy expensive country clubs, but the public courses are vacant. I find the most important piece of information is to be smart, resourceful, and considerate. If you follow those 3 rules, you should be good about 99% of the time.
That is so cool you stayed in Chanute, Ks. Im about 25 minutes from there. Travel to Chanute several times a month. I work in Humboldt. It is such a warm city also and first Saturday in October there is a Biblesta that has free bean feed and free entertainment!! It is so awesome!!💞
Another informative and entertaining video! We start our first "camping season" in May this year at Morrow Mountain State Park NC.
Thanks for sharing this video with us!
So exciting! Have a great time!
@@HappilyEverHanks thank you! 2 weeks!
Lebanon Kentucky has a fairground campground. 20 sites with water , electric and sewer. It's in the heart of Bourbon Country. There's a horse racing track and you can watch them practice/exercise. A nice area
My buddy Alex (Old English Sheepdog) and I tent camped for 2 hours in Huron National Forest, and had to leave because we were covered by ticks. Yesterday we went and bought a 23' Keystone Passport. Started looking for YT full-time RVing, and came across you guys. Great tips, tricks, and anticipation for getting out on the open road and explore!
Welcome to our channel! Thanks for joining the Hanks 🤗
Use a lint roller on your clothes, socks, back of neck area..and on your pets...to remove hidden ticks.
And if you don’t have one, Get a tick tornado. They work amazingly. 😊
Great ideas. At 30 you are still a spring chicken....
Peace and quiet is very nice in the spring also
Here is my tip... Learn to do your own RV maintenance and use a good car maintenance management program ( I use Automotive Wolf car care software ) to track and monitor it all. It also tracks all my parts, expenses and creates a detailed vehicle maintenance log. After RV'ing for over 10 years I've saved thousands by doing most of the maintenance myself and there is a lot of it on an RV! A small roof leak can cost you thousands in repairs so I check my roof at least twice a year. Keep on top of the maintenance and you'll save money and be RV'ing for years :)
Great tip! Thanks 🤗
Thank you for the information on Harvest Hosts/Boondockers welcome. We just got a new RV and wanted to do a couple long weekends. We were unable to find any campgrounds available. However, we did find spaces through Boondocker’s welcome. What a great resource!
Only did this twice on a long trip from PA to FL. Cracker Barrel was great. They have RV parking and there were many other RVs. Safety in numbers. Flying J in Ga had designated RV parking so we didn’t infringe or the truckers. We felt safe in both places and the truck stop wasn’t as noisy as we thought it would be. Planning to stay at Cabela’s next long trip. Thanks for the video, we’ll keep these places in mind.
Yes, often, Truck stops are over whelmed... I drove across the street and saw a Cracker Barrel with an entire back parking vacant. So, I parked the semi went in and asked. They said no problem. Very nice quiet stay. Didn't have to worry about safety.
Thank you, C/B.,
Dinner and breakfast were great.
All great info! One thing about Cracker Barrel, sometimes cars park in the RV slots when it is really busy making it difficult to pull out after staying the night and getting breakfast in the morning. In Indianapolis we had to wait in our rig until a couple finished their breakfast and shopping before we were able to pull out of our RV space putting us behind 45 minutes in our schedule.
If they are in the wrong space why can't you ask them to temporarily move so you can get out?
@@stevenkaskus6173 Didn't know who it was. They pulled in the RV spot while we were in the restaurant, so I couldn't ask them to move temporarily. Thanks for your comment though.
Oh that is rough! Probably set your plans back for the day, thanks for sharing!
I hear u! If only everyone was aware about overnight parking & spots! Gotta be careful that u might be closing someone in!
Thanks for the advise. Just joined Boondockers Welcome!
Wonderful to hear Sarah! We hope that it treats you well 🤗