RV Basics Archives - Page 13 of 13

RV beginners often wonder whether they can park their RV overnight at a hotel for free while traveling. So we created this detailed guide on parking an RV at a hotel overnight. Parking an RV overnight at a hotel is allowed but only with the expressed permission of the hotel or motel. Remember a hotel parking lot is private property and just like all other types of private property, you must seek permission to park your RV there. There are some best practices you can use though when trying to successfully park in a hotel parking lot overnight which we will discuss below. How to Successfully Park an RV at a Hotel Overnight If you're looking for a free place to park overnight while traveling with your RV, hotel parking lots should be pretty low down on the list as it is not easy to successfully park in a hotel parking lot overnight for free. However, there as some things you can do to give yourself a better chance of successfully parking in an RV parking lot overnight. Tips for Parking an RV at a Hotel Overnight The bigger the parking lot the better. To help improve your chances of getting permission to park in a hotel parking lot overnight, look for hotels with large and ideally empty parking lots, as this will help the hotel be less concerned about you using up parking spaces their hotel guests might need. The shorter and smaller your rig the better. Oftentimes it's easier to get a hotel to allow you to stay in their parking lot if you are in a small class B motorhome or trailer, as opposed to a large 5th wheel setup or 40+ foot motorhome. Seek permission late at night. The later you ask if it's ok to stay the night in the hotel parking lot the better, ideally 10:00 PM or later for the best chance. Keep the visit short. When trying to park at a hotel free for the night let the hotel desk clerk know that you only plan to stay for a few hours just to get some rest. It's best to keep your stay no longer than 6 hours and be gone before the hotel guests are even awake. Look for hotels that are fully booked. Hotels that have no more rooms to rent might be willing to let you stay in their parking lot as a courtesy but in order for this to work, they need to have a large portion of the parking lot not being used. Check out this short YouTube video that shows how these RV'ers successfully used some of these tips to stay at a hotel overnight for free. https://youtu.be/Wx2tO9b1Si0 Can You Park Your RV on the Street and for How Long? Parking your RV on the street is usually allowed as an RV is a licensed vehicle allowed to operate on all public roadways and streets. However, this does not mean you can park your RV on any street nor does it mean you can sleep in your RV overnight. Examples of streets you might not be allowed to park an RV overnight include narrow streets where parking an RV would impede traffic, any street that might be governed by an HOA that doesn't allow RV parking, or any street that might have a local ordinance preventing overnight parking or parking all together on the street. Also, many towns and cities have restrictions and ordinances that do not allow people to park and sleep in their RV on the street overnight. This is why many RV'ers seek refuge in parking lots and other private property when trying to find a place to park for the night or attempt to stealth camp. However, it's kind of hard to stealth camp on the street in a 40-foot motorhome. Can RVs Stay Overnight at Truck Stops? @loganvillervandtruckparking Yes, in general, RV's can stay overnight at truck stops, there are some things you need to know though before parking overnight at a truck stop including truck stop etiquette. How to Successfully Stay at a Truck Stop with an RV The first thing to remember about truck stops is they are designed and meant for long-haul truckers and not leisure travel with an RV. Because of this if there are limited spaces available at the truck stop you should always keep on driving, as it is much easier for an RV to find overnight parking compared to a semi. Always make sure to follow all posted signs as some parking spaces at truck stops can be and are reserved for semis only. When staying at a truck stop overnight you must be prepared to back your rig into the parking space as pull-through parking is usually very limited at truck stops and most spaces require you to back into them. If you have a small RV or trailer don't park in the back of the space and instead, make sure your front bumper is in line with the front bumper of the other semis in that row. Thataway when a trucker is looking for a parking space they will see your rig and not assume the space is empty. If you have any doubts about whether it's ok to park your RV at the truck stop, it's always best to just ask. As this is a much better alternative than getting a knock on your door in the middle of the night and being asked to leave. Be aware that not all truckers appreciate RV'ers parking at truck stops, so it's always a good idea to be extra polite and courteous when staying at a truck stop. For even more information about staying at a truck stop with an RV check out this helpful YouTube video. https://youtu.be/ylU-VSiSF9k Can You Park an RV Overnight at Home Depot? If you're wondering whether or not you can park an RV overnight at a Home Deport, there is no clear-cut answer to this, as Home Depot does not have an official policy on whether or not overnight RV parking is allowed. Instead, RV overnight parking at a Home Depot is left up to the discretion of the store manager in that particular location. So you might be able to park overnight with an RV in a Home Depot parking lot but you cannot count on it and you must always ask permission first. There are a few things you can do though to give yourself a better chance of being allowed to park overnight in a Home Depot parking lot with an RV. To begin with, most Home Depots are usually open between the hours of 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM. So if you want a better chance of being allowed to stay overnight in their parking lot, show up later in the evening say around 8:00 PM when the parking lot is mostly empty. And when you do ask a manager if it's ok, let them know you plan to leave bright and early the next morning to have the least impact on their customers. Also, if you do gain permission to park your RV overnight in a Home Depot parking lot, be as low impact and courteous as possible by parking your RV in the very back of their parking lot and not putting your slides or awning out. @alwaysonliberty Other Places to Park Your RV for Free Overnight If you're new to RVing, it might seem strange to you that there are free places to stay and park overnight with an RV. But the great news is that there are actually many different options when looking for free overnight parking when traveling with an RV. Just remember though it's always important to ask permission first and follow all posted signs and rules when parking your RV overnight for free. Casinos An often forgotten and overlooked place for free RV overnight parking is casinos. And while there are certainly not casinos on every corner like say a Walmart, when you do find one they often have very large parking lots that are mostly empty. It's not always free to park at a casino overnight though as some do charge a fee for overnight parking. Cracker Barrel Another great place that offers free parking to weary RV travelers looking for a place to stop for the night is Cracker Barrel. But be forewarned Cracker Barrels don't always have large parking lots so if you driving a large rig that's 35 feet in length or over you might struggle to make a Cracker Barrel parking lot work even if you get permission to park there overnight. Walmart Walmart is one of the best places to find free overnight parking when traveling with an RV. However, in recent years Walmart has been cracking down on RV parking due to abuses and issues they have had with it. In general, though it is still acceptable to park in a Walmart parking lot overnight if you have permission and there are no signs posted stating otherwise. Rest Stops Another often overlooked place for free overnight RV parking is rest stops and rest areas. It's important though to check whether RV overnight parking is allowed in the state you're traveling in, as it does vary from state to state. For example, Florida does not allow for RV overnight parking at their rest stops. Camping World It probably comes as no surprise to you that a company that is built around the RV industry would offer free parking to fellow RV'ers. But Camping World is another great place to find free overnight parking while traveling with an RV. Cabelas / Bass Pro Shop Both Cabelas, as well as Bass Pro Shop, typically have very large parking lots that can easily accommodate an RV, and usually if your nice they will both generally allow for a free overnight stay in their parking lots. Thinking about parking your RV in your driveway at home? Before you do, be sure to read our article "What to Know Before Parking an RV in Your Driveway"