Parking
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Junior User
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 99
Likes: 0
Parking
OK y'all. I will throw the official (|) flag on myself for asking this question, but so far you folks have been very non-judgemental. I drove my new baby home yesterday. She is a lot bigger than I am used to (going from a mid-sized truck) and a lot bigger than I remember from my limited test drive. Though most of my time is spent in a rural area, I still have to go into town to hit the wally-world and such every now and then. What have you found is the best way to park these rigs in busy (and crowded) parking lots - back in, drive in, park in the boonies? Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks
Lead Driver
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 5,326
Likes: 18
From: Gilbert
Pull up to the vehicle that's next to/ahead of/past your spot (meaning your front bumper to their rear bumper), then reverse/turn wheel opposite way, then you should be lined up good enough to pull in. Swing it wide as possible if you can.
A forward 3pt turn I guess. Worked like a charm on my 2000 F-250 (SC/LB, new truck is a CC/LB!).
A forward 3pt turn I guess. Worked like a charm on my 2000 F-250 (SC/LB, new truck is a CC/LB!).
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 5,158
Likes: 35
From: North of Salt Lake City
I'm a boonie parker. This way I don't fight with other cars and they don't fight with me. Even with a short bed CC, the truck extends a couple of feet outside of the parking space. I'm amazed when I see a long bed taking up a full space and a half lengthwise. As a bonus, you meet more HD drivers out there too.
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 744
Likes: 0
I'm a boonie parker. This way I don't fight with other cars and they don't fight with me. Even with a short bed CC, the truck extends a couple of feet outside of the parking space. I'm amazed when I see a long bed taking up a full space and a half lengthwise. As a bonus, you meet more HD drivers out there too.
X2 w Epic, and you don't have other folks slamming their doors, grocery carts, strollers and other things into the side of your truck.
One last thing, please remove the trucker part from the end of your name. LOL
Hotshot
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,591
Likes: 14
From: Pflugerville, tx
i do the boonie parking sometimes.. depends on the size of the lanes.
usually pull past a little, backup with turn, pull in (do the 3 pt park )
try to find a space with the one in front open, so I can lie up the back with the rest of the vehicles and not block the lane.
I have a longbed dually, so I get twice the fun. AND I have a ranchhand bumper out front too.
and I have to think about leaving..
once, right after I got the truck, I parked in an underground garage. it was very early so the garage was empty. no problem.
used my normal rules, parked next to a retaining wall on one side.
later when I came out to leave the garage was full, and BEHIND me is another SD LB sticking out into the lane. DOAH!!
took almost an hour to do the back/forth turn a little, move a little. and I had to point INTO the garage and then turn around somewhere else!
(there were a bunch of other customers stuck while I was maneuvering!)
that taught me to look ahead in those situations, and park on corners. where there is no chance of someone behind.
two months ago, I had to go to the same location, I found a surface lot a block away.
Sam
usually pull past a little, backup with turn, pull in (do the 3 pt park )
try to find a space with the one in front open, so I can lie up the back with the rest of the vehicles and not block the lane.
I have a longbed dually, so I get twice the fun. AND I have a ranchhand bumper out front too.
and I have to think about leaving..
once, right after I got the truck, I parked in an underground garage. it was very early so the garage was empty. no problem.
used my normal rules, parked next to a retaining wall on one side.
later when I came out to leave the garage was full, and BEHIND me is another SD LB sticking out into the lane. DOAH!!
took almost an hour to do the back/forth turn a little, move a little. and I had to point INTO the garage and then turn around somewhere else!
(there were a bunch of other customers stuck while I was maneuvering!)
that taught me to look ahead in those situations, and park on corners. where there is no chance of someone behind.
two months ago, I had to go to the same location, I found a surface lot a block away.
Sam
More Turbo
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 677
Likes: 118
From: Ontario, Canada
I back into, or pull through spaces so that I don't have to back out when leaving. I generally always park in the boonies... I get additional exercise that way too 
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 6,521
Likes: 11
From: Greenwood, SC
I'm also a boonie parker. No dually for me but I always have the hitch block in my receiver out back, so I have an extra 1.5' right behind me.
I never feel the need to take 2 spots like a lot of guys do but that hitch ball can be an issue for somebody if I back into a spot and they mistakenly pull too far forward.
Don't ride me for leaving it in. Topic was debated almost as long as the V10 vs. PSD thread a while back. I hook to a trailer almost everyday. It is what it is.
I never feel the need to take 2 spots like a lot of guys do but that hitch ball can be an issue for somebody if I back into a spot and they mistakenly pull too far forward.
Don't ride me for leaving it in. Topic was debated almost as long as the V10 vs. PSD thread a while back. I hook to a trailer almost everyday. It is what it is.
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Elder User
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 826
Likes: 1
From: The Sunshine State
I try to park away form everyone else, but wherever I do, I manage to get someone parked on both sides of me. Seemes that they can't park unless its alongside the big truck. I bite my nails when a van full of kids pull up and they kick the doors open with their feet, or some old lady tries to torpedo you with an empty cart. I usualy wait in the truck while my wife shops and that helps.
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 5,158
Likes: 35
From: North of Salt Lake City
"open doors with their feet". Hilarious. Thank goodness for those running boards.
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 421
Likes: 1
From: League City, TX
I also park in the boonies most of the time and always fold the mirrors in (no matter where I park) but went the lot is nearly full I usually default to:
Park next to a clean expensive 4 door car (ideally on both sides of the empty space)
Never park next to a 2 door car, especially if it is parked to the right of the open space.
At the big grocery stores I will park next to the cart return corral because no one returns carts to them anymore, as evidenced by the fact that they are sitting in open parking spaces or wedged between parked cars.
Never park next to a dirty dinged up car. If they don't give a crap about their ride they certainly won't care about mine.
Find a space where the car on the right, if not both, is parked a good distance from the stripe.
Funny though - I suspect that everyone knows that our trucks are expensive because even when I park in the boonies, there will be another vehicle (usually a nice one) parked next to me when I return to the truck.
Park next to a clean expensive 4 door car (ideally on both sides of the empty space)
Never park next to a 2 door car, especially if it is parked to the right of the open space.
At the big grocery stores I will park next to the cart return corral because no one returns carts to them anymore, as evidenced by the fact that they are sitting in open parking spaces or wedged between parked cars.
Never park next to a dirty dinged up car. If they don't give a crap about their ride they certainly won't care about mine.
Find a space where the car on the right, if not both, is parked a good distance from the stripe.
Funny though - I suspect that everyone knows that our trucks are expensive because even when I park in the boonies, there will be another vehicle (usually a nice one) parked next to me when I return to the truck.
Postmaster
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,598
Likes: 5
From: Maryland
So true Adobe! I couldn't help but laugh as I was reading this thread. I have always been a boonie parker, but have always found my vehicle to be a magnet for idiots. I can park a good 150 feet away from the nearest car and there will always be some fool sandwiched against me when I return. They must be people that can't actually park without having another vehicle to line up with.
With a crewcab long bed, I have found it easiest to back into most spaces. With drive aisles being between 22' and 24' these days and my truck being over 21' in length I find it virtually impossible to pull into any space with vehicles already in the adjacent spaces. It also makes it easier and safer to leave the space.
roadkingfl, I found humor in your suggestion to remove the trucker portion of his username. Maybe he should just leave the trucker and add a clarification. RedneckTrucker(poser). Sorry I couldn't resist.
With a crewcab long bed, I have found it easiest to back into most spaces. With drive aisles being between 22' and 24' these days and my truck being over 21' in length I find it virtually impossible to pull into any space with vehicles already in the adjacent spaces. It also makes it easier and safer to leave the space.
roadkingfl, I found humor in your suggestion to remove the trucker portion of his username. Maybe he should just leave the trucker and add a clarification. RedneckTrucker(poser). Sorry I couldn't resist.
