KOA is really expensive.

 

Yeah! Right up until you start your generator and that noisy vehicle you have lurking in the background - the one too many folks use to tear up the terrain.

Let's be real here - if you don't like Love's truck stop campgrounds, don't use them. But don't try to claim those remote areas are much better - you know - the ones without any conveniences. they are just different than the truck stops.

Just sayin......

 

It's good to have options. We typically boondock but also enjoy state & national parks. While I wouldn't seek out and plan a trip based on staying at Love's, it's nice to they are there for when needed.

 

I'll take Scraprat's boondocking site any day over a campground.

 

1st...the last time the generator was used was back in January, with 1,280w solar and 500ah lfp batteries I can go a very longtime without it. But what would I know only having boondocked the last 2,368 days of 2,552 days system installed fulltime living.

2nd...if your friends can't follow the rules of where to ride and not ride that's your issue.

3rd...I don't care much for campgrounds. Being slinky tube to door isnt camping or living but thats just me.

4th...those remote areas are awesome. Of course if your afraid of the dark and strange noises then I can see why you don't like them. The 5th wheel has all the conveniences of daily living just like being plugged into a power pole.

But let's not side track this thread. Go to my thread and I'll be your shrink if you need to vent and tell me how boondocking locations aren't better than campgrounds.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...rest-trip.html

 

No kidding, and they are setup for families with kids. Have to keep the little squatters entertained of they will collapse into a puddle of I'm BORED! I try to find places where we can get out and walk a trail, be in the wilderness, away from the hectic "life", but still enjoy the amenities of comfortable living. I need my AC to get a decent nights rest, so boondocking just doesn't appeal to me. Finding a decent site is a PITA, but once I find one, I usually come back when in the area.

It is still cheaper than flying to a hotel and eating out every day too. Cheaper than a week at Disney. Much more variety in things to do too.

Just know that if you ever want to camp at EAA, don't. What a Freaking MAdHouse!!!!!!

 

What a sh|t show this thread turned into. This is not the sort of behavior I am accustomed to on the FTE, at least not in the 5th wheel or in the 7.3L PSD sub-forum.

Let us be very clear... Truck drivers are only one profession to struggle within their profession. Many professions have undo stress and regulations forced upon them or have frustration from outside/inside influences.

People have different opinions on what is peace and quiet or relaxing while camping or living. Be happy in how you get on with your daily life or you will die miserable.

I started this thread because I viewed the Love's RV (ONLY) spots as a way to avoid a potentially unsafe situation due to weather, fatigue, traffic or fanatics preaching about "unauthorized" parking.

This is the United States of America and we are entitled to our opinion and the pursuit of happiness. Many people and friends have died protecting our way of life and entitlements.

I encourage everyone to pursue happiness and peace within their life. Tomorrow is not guaranteed for anyone and if you are on your deathbed tomorrow will you be grateful you spent the time being a keyboard warrior telling people where to park (or not) or what they are doing is not your style of camping and they are wrong for doing so? If the answer is yes, I would invite you to visit FaceBook where that platform seems to enjoy mindless bickering about nothing.

For those that offered videos and experiences of the RV ONLY parking spots Love's is offering to their customers, I appreciate your time and effort to share and educate those of us that had questions or concerns.

Travel safe and enjoy the moments, because they will not last forever.

 

What/where is EAA? Is that a Disney thing?

 

Experimental Aircraft Association. They hold annual week long events on Oshkosh and Florida. Airadventure in Oshkosh and Sun and Fun in Florida. There is a "campground" next to the Oshkosh airport where the event is held, and it gets PACKED! Its a free for all, first come first serve, even when reserving a spot. You don't reserve a particular spot, just a spot. If you want electric and water, then its an additional $40 per day, but you have to reserve it in advance to get it and PAY for it from the day you reserve it, not the day you show up. Typically you need to reserve it at least 2 weeks or more before the event and pay for it starting that day. So you paid $70 per day for everyday up to the event as well as during the event.

I did not know this when I booked everything as there is a package where you buy 4 week long passes and reserve a site for $30 a day starting at the beginning of the event. Seemed like a deal, but I found out the sites are small, 30', which meant my 5th wheel would not fit and I would have to reserve the electric/water site to get one large enough, or get 2 sites for an additional $30-$40 per day, starting the day I reserve. I wound up getting a camp site about an hour drive away that was in a very nice park setting instead and using the camp site at EAA for a canopy and set up my grills and such, so parked there, ate lunch and dinner there, had a place to park and not wait in lines, so some convenience, but oh man, it was packed and a mad house at times, especially when the late night airshow and fireworks was over.

 

Yup, this one is leaning sideways for sure. My philosophy is there's a lid for every pot, but even though mine fits perfectly that doesn't mean it's right for you. My best friend (God rest his soul) was an OTR trucker and I respect what they do. I've also been lurking around this forum long enough to know the " RV towing" folks who've already commented here have a ton more wisdom and insight than I do, and I respect their opinions as well.

@Sous was asking our thoughts on Love's announcement to add "overnight parking" spots dedicated to RV's. I'm still fairly new, still learning, so my trips have been short and I haven't needed "overnight parking" yet. Extended trips to see other parts of the country are coming though, and those will include longer than normal driving days with "overnight parking". I wouldn't go out of my way to find a Love's, but I'd sure consider one. I'd be looking at distance from route, ease of access, safety, cost, and services available.

To me this looks like a smart, logical way for Love's to increase revenue without changing their core competency, so I give them two thumbs up for the idea. That's just my two cents worth (now three cents due to inflation)

 

I never saw the Oshkosh airshow when I lived in Illinois, but my wife and I did ride up to Oshkosh several times on the bike and we did tour the EAA museum which is super cool. You can even take a ride in a vintage plane if you're so inclined, which I was not.

 

I've let this thread go a little sideways at times and I know that some are really set in their ways but everyone has to remember there are members like me that's been doing the RV thing for 45 years and some that are new or somewhere in between. Over the years I've seen many changes in the way we travel and enjoy the our RV lifestyle and I'm sure more things will change in the future. We've stayed in about every place you can think of over the years with truck stops being at the bottom of our list but there have been times when we had to use them. We would be open to staying in a CG attached to one but when going across country we would prefer to dry camp in a wayside rests if possible, county and city parks and RV parks if we have to. On our trip from Yuma to Texas we stayed in a Fair ground, Welcome Center rest stop and a city RV park so we are flexible when it comes to our travel stops but we also know that in today's world it's getting harder to fly be the seat of your pants like we used to.

Just remember this site has a wide variety of age groups, personal interest and experience, we've learned from organizing RV rallys that getting a bunch of RVers together and organizing things or agreeing on anything is like herding cats so keep that in mind with this type of thread. Safe travels and enjoy the lifestyle.

Denny
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If you need special handicap parking you shouldn't be driving a truck. How did you pass the DOT physical?

 

Pretty sure he controls it with his mind. Marvel created Professor X off of Senix's life.

Just kidding.

 

Wow!!! I need to visit the forums more often. LOL Great topic. Not a 5er but a Bumper pull.

Slept at a truck stop once which was a Love's in Virginia on the way home from Florida about 8 years ago now. We were behind on the drive. I wanted to get to a point in which were going to be 6 hours the following day home. Well I fell short with traffic. We pulled over for the night at around 10 PM. Everything was good until I found out my (previous) trailer's battery was shot due to lack of charging. The 12 volt converter failed. No lights. No heat. Next I had a problem with door not locking for whatever reason. I performed a "fix" while my wife and daughter headed inside to use the bathroom. I was able to lock the door. I grabbed a tire iron just in case. Around 2 AM a hot shot rolled in and parked next to me. He wound up idling all night long. We woke up around 7AM and started out from there. We went in used the bathroom. Got a few drinks and a box of donuts. Headed home.

Back in 21, we had a trip to Maine. My wife made a reservation for a KOA on the way up in NH since it was several hours before our one stop in Maine. This was several weeks before we left. It was going to be 80 a night since it was "in season" I was like what ever. It's a campground. Anyway we are heading up there. We got there around 8-830 after the drive Pull in. Choas everywhere. Navigate though the tine roads of this campground to our site. It is suppose to be a big site and easy back in. Well that was a lie. Our neighbors who were very drunk did move some of thier vehicles out of the way so I had some more space. Turns out the site had a utility pole in the way in front of the truck on the other side. Unless I was a 5er I was not getting in there with my bumper pull. So we headed to the office. I wife explained there was no way we could get in. The office insisted we could get in. My wife said my husband is very experienced. If he said no, he really means it. They dragged us back to the site. The nieghbors are more hammered. I tried 2 times with "thier guidance" . The guy well I don't think you are getting in. He said we get a ton of new campers all the time so we didn't know. Then back to the office by 915 for a refund in which they made a stink about "since we were checked in" My wife said whatever. She wanted to get me on the road so I could find another place. I looked up a local Cabela's. Wound up boondocking at the one off 95 in southern Maine. It took about another an hour for us to get there.So now it is around 10 30 where I was hoping to have a couple of beers and a campfire at that point. However, it turned out to be a better camp experience stopping at the Cabela's. In the morning there were probably another 10 campers there. Everyone was pretty friendly. I wound up walking to a local place to get some breakfast for the family. My daughter got a bike ride in while we chilled out. It worked out good since I wanted to pick up something at the store anyway. My wife said in the future we will look for Bass Pro Shops or Cabela's as boondock sites. I know some of them will have a dump station and or water.

KoAs are now a "last resort" option. Pretty pricey now. The last one we stayed at the electric at the pole wasn't working. They just gave us an extension cord to plug in to the next site that was working instead of making us move. We had hit or miss with thier campgrounds. For our NY trip in 2020, we stayed at 2. Both were pretty good. One was recommended. Then we went to one NH it was lackluster. The one in VA same thing. The only cheap one was in GA at the FLa Ga line and it was 30 bucks for the night. It was perfect for the need.

So to me, I have had the tale of two experiences in boondocking and KOAs in general.