In my 5yr living rv journey I couldn't even begin to count how many gas station truck stops I slept in. And if there weren't spots in front I just pulled my 37' motorhome between 2 trucks in the back. Another benefit is no matter where you park, especially between trucks is you can run your generator if needed because most have their trucks or something running that's noisy. Single female 3 cats and never had any problem.
Good to know you haven't had any issues parking with the trucks, we typically stay away from them as they don't seem to like us very much lol. I agree about making noise though, when we park near them at rest areas it's nice not being the loudest in the lot. Wishing you continued safe travels!
Thanks Chris! I appreciate he kind words! I've been on a Superman kick lately, which is how I found your channel and I'm looking forward to seeing more content from you!
I have no trouble sleeping anywhere. I did have one city park. I moved to another spot in the park, the middle of the night last yr. Had that uneasy feeling you spoke of. Bell is funny. Kept looking at you and wanting to say, whom the world are you talking to?" Our chow is getting cold, human.
Lol I think I made the mistake of getting the food first and sitting it to the side, then recording the video 😆. I am a heavy sleeper, Sabrina not so much so at times, she still has trouble sleeping in some of the places we stay. Always trust your gut!
I agree! I'm a single woman and I'd much prefer staying at truck stop than a Walmart. The first time I did it, the guy was so nice... He put me against the fence, told me there were 10 security cameras. I got myself settled and realized I was looking at a rose vine outside my window. I put my earplugs in and when I woke up all the trucks were gone. I hadn't heard a thing.
Good to hear they took good care of you. We think the travel centers work out to be better than Walmarts because the travel center are actually designed with overnight stays in mind compared to a Walmart that essentially is just a parking lot. Wishing you continued safe travels!
We usually stop at rest areas, if one isn't available and its getting late we will stop at a Walmart, Cracker Barrel or Loves/Flying J. We like to stop before dusk to get a good spot so we can open one side to have a little more room. Safe travels
Rest areas are typically our first choice as well as they are the most convenient on/off. We like the Cracker Barrels too, but have had bad luck with Walmarts. Wishing you guys continued safe travels
Yes we have, I'm really liking Loves RV Hook Up and Loves RV Stop, they are normally right next to the fuel station, and have at a minimum have 30 amp and 50 amp, electral service, and some have full hookups. Yes there is a nightly charge, anywhere from $20 a night to $45 a night depending on amenities and location. Plus you can level the coach and put out the slides. When we are at a Flying J, we do not put our slides out.
I like the idea of putting the slides out and having power. I haven't seen one of these loves that have the sites yet, but I have heard if them. Are they labeled differently in the app? How do you know which locations have the powered sites? Thanks in advance!
@@MovingForwardAdventures Yes the Loves app will have it, if they have RV hook up sites, if the amenities reads RV Hook Up it normally will have full hookups, if the amenities reads RV Stop, it will have at a minimum electrical.
Yeah, we're not sure why some rest areas don't allow an overnight stay. As we travel we try to make a list of good rest areas and ones that don't allow it
@@MovingForwardAdventures Some states say it's for only limited time or whatever but have never enforced it. Florida is the only state I've been to that actually had cops with red and bluelights and spotlights and megaphone wake people and force those newly awakened, EXHAUSTED people back on the highways... It's so dumb
I mostly car camp when I travel. Yes, spent many a night in a truck stop facility. They have bathrooms, snacks, fuel and I feel secure with all the activity and lights. My goal is to visit Iowa 80. Thanks for sharing...........
If you take i80 through Iowa be sure to stop at the World's Largest Truck stop they have a huge lot that is separated from from the trucks, I've even seen people on motorcycles and tents do an overnight stay there. The store is enormous with 3 to 5 quick service restaurants and 1 sit down restaurant. They also have a gift shop, clothing store and a huge truck/RV shop. The trucking museum is also there, but I haven't gone inside that yet. Safe travels!
I think it's just fine staying at the big gas stations. Some are ok and others have that zeel. No worries, almost everyone that are nomads have used them at least once or more while traveling.👍 Happy Trails! LEEsureLEE Trippin' 😎
Hi Troy, I agree theu can loud. I am a heavy sleeper and pretty much don't hear anything, my wife sleeps with ear plugs and a white noise app to help combat the sound of trucks. Wishing you continued safe travels!
We did a Loves RV Stop a couple months ago - these are paid spots with hookups. You make the reservation online and check-in online, as well. Easy. I like the premise, did not care for this particular Loves RV Stop because the sites were so far off-level that the front tires of the motorhome were off the ground, using the leveling jacks. This particular one (in Santa Rosa, NM) also wasn't gated, so there were people driving through the RV sites all night. If we are in a Loves or a Flying J/Pilot and just parking for the night, I expect some degree of noise and vehicle movement; didn't expect that in the paid RV Stop.
Hi Mimi, let us know how it goes. You should be perfectly fine we see a lot of solo RVers staying there. Our best advice is to trust your gut. We have stayed at over 50 Flying J's and only left early once because of a bad vibe, nothing was actually happening just a bad feeling about it.
I have Koni Shocks on both front and rear. Started with just front and I have Sumo Springs on front only, but I would like to eventually add them to the rear as well. They have improved our side to side sway and the Koni shocks have really helped with bumps in the road
I’ll say the good part about Flying J first-they’re my first choice when I’m traveling(pickup towing trailers). I recall the original founder was into RV-ing and travelers were his main customer base. As of the last few years especially from the Pilot takeover things in certain locations have gone downhill. The fuel prices were some of the lowest competitive to the Murphy USA Walmart gas stations. They are now on the most expensive end especially on diesel. Many locations now allow bobtail semi trucks to park in the RV spaces so there’s even less room to park. In addition I’ve seen locations that built EV charging stations on top of the RV parking spaces😡. A location that “had” 12 RV sized parking spaces now have 4! If I encounter those locations I’ll just take my business to TA,Petro or an independent truck stop. BTW stay away from the Tampa,FL TA-the nasty security guard will chase anyone out of the parking lot after an hour.
@@MovingForwardAdventures did you hear Cortes Camper will be at Hershey Park RV show? And they have built a spaceship shaped house. Oh and they built a speedboat that looks almost like a cigar boat. It looks a little crude.
I didn't know they were going to be there. I knew they built some type of futuristic home, but didn't know anything about the boat. I'll have to stop by ND Check them out. They were supposed to come on the podcast, but we had trouble coordinating a date to record. I'll have to talk to them about that at the show too. Thanks for letting me know
parking at a truckstop… ANY truckstop… there are going to be people trying for your $$$ it’s perfectly plausible for someone at a truckstop trying to get rid of some “ rejected product” rejected cookies, crackers, chips, candy and such is something you could experience. sometimes you’ll have guys trying to get rid of “rejected” laptops, netbooks, notebooks, tablets, flatscreens and such… this simply does NOT legitimately happen . i saw a video a guy posted about getting duped into buying a new “rejected “ apple laptop. the guy selling showed him the item. by pulling it out of the box and it was wrapped in the thin cushion wrapping and was in some kind of inner packaging . it turned out to be a black ceramic floor tile with an apple sticker in the middle of it ,
In my 5yr living rv journey I couldn't even begin to count how many gas station truck stops I slept in. And if there weren't spots in front I just pulled my 37' motorhome between 2 trucks in the back. Another benefit is no matter where you park, especially between trucks is you can run your generator if needed because most have their trucks or something running that's noisy. Single female 3 cats and never had any problem.
Good to know you haven't had any issues parking with the trucks, we typically stay away from them as they don't seem to like us very much lol. I agree about making noise though, when we park near them at rest areas it's nice not being the loudest in the lot. Wishing you continued safe travels!
@@MovingForwardAdventures Ditto‼💙🦋💙
Living the traveling dream!!! Super congrats on your traveling and TH-cam success!!! The RV is epic!!! Cheers!!!
Thanks Chris! I appreciate he kind words! I've been on a Superman kick lately, which is how I found your channel and I'm looking forward to seeing more content from you!
@@MovingForwardAdventures Rock on man!!! Really appreciate and there's definitely a lot more videos coming super soon! Congrats again and cheers! :)
I have no trouble sleeping anywhere. I did have one city park. I moved to another spot in the park, the middle of the night last yr. Had that uneasy feeling you spoke of.
Bell is funny. Kept looking at you and wanting to say, whom the world are you talking to?" Our chow is getting cold, human.
Lol I think I made the mistake of getting the food first and sitting it to the side, then recording the video 😆. I am a heavy sleeper, Sabrina not so much so at times, she still has trouble sleeping in some of the places we stay. Always trust your gut!
I agree! I'm a single woman and I'd much prefer staying at truck stop than a Walmart. The first time I did it, the guy was so nice... He put me against the fence, told me there were 10 security cameras. I got myself settled and realized I was looking at a rose vine outside my window. I put my earplugs in and when I woke up all the trucks were gone. I hadn't heard a thing.
Good to hear they took good care of you. We think the travel centers work out to be better than Walmarts because the travel center are actually designed with overnight stays in mind compared to a Walmart that essentially is just a parking lot. Wishing you continued safe travels!
All very good reasons to use the Flying J as a rest stop!
Yes, I think they have a lot going for them!
That's a good rule. Follow the instincts. Especially with 2 people in the mix.
Hi Bo, yes it has worked out very well for us and luckily we have only left a location two times. Most places seem just fine.
We usually stop at rest areas, if one isn't available and its getting late we will stop at a Walmart, Cracker Barrel or Loves/Flying J. We like to stop before dusk to get a good spot so we can open one side to have a little more room. Safe travels
Rest areas are typically our first choice as well as they are the most convenient on/off. We like the Cracker Barrels too, but have had bad luck with Walmarts. Wishing you guys continued safe travels
Yes we have, I'm really liking Loves RV Hook Up and Loves RV Stop, they are normally right next to the fuel station, and have at a minimum have 30 amp and 50 amp, electral service, and some have full hookups. Yes there is a nightly charge, anywhere from $20 a night to $45 a night depending on amenities and location. Plus you can level the coach and put out the slides. When we are at a Flying J, we do not put our slides out.
I like the idea of putting the slides out and having power. I haven't seen one of these loves that have the sites yet, but I have heard if them. Are they labeled differently in the app? How do you know which locations have the powered sites? Thanks in advance!
@@MovingForwardAdventures Yes the Loves app will have it, if they have RV hook up sites, if the amenities reads RV Hook Up it normally will have full hookups, if the amenities reads RV Stop, it will have at a minimum electrical.
Good to know! Thank you!
Belle looks like she doesn’t believe you 😂
She has trust issues 🤣
Notacias Falso.
Definitely recommend. Especially in some states that have rest stop Nazis that only allow an hour or two there if that.
Yeah, we're not sure why some rest areas don't allow an overnight stay. As we travel we try to make a list of good rest areas and ones that don't allow it
If you're tired from a long drive, who gets enough rest in 2 hours to continue.
Certainly not me, I think if I sleep two hours, I'm more tired than when I fell asleep in the first place 🤣
@@MovingForwardAdventures Some states say it's for only limited time or whatever but have never enforced it. Florida is the only state I've been to that actually had cops with red and bluelights and spotlights and megaphone wake people and force those newly awakened, EXHAUSTED people back on the highways... It's so dumb
Both are great but who ever has dump and fresh water gets my vote.
Same here!
You make a great case!
😃 there really are some good benefits. Safe travels!
I mostly car camp when I travel. Yes, spent many a night in a truck stop facility. They have bathrooms, snacks, fuel and I feel secure with all the activity and lights. My goal is to visit Iowa 80. Thanks for sharing...........
If you take i80 through Iowa be sure to stop at the World's Largest Truck stop they have a huge lot that is separated from from the trucks, I've even seen people on motorcycles and tents do an overnight stay there. The store is enormous with 3 to 5 quick service restaurants and 1 sit down restaurant. They also have a gift shop, clothing store and a huge truck/RV shop. The trucking museum is also there, but I haven't gone inside that yet. Safe travels!
I think it's just fine staying at the big gas stations. Some are ok and others have that zeel.
No worries, almost everyone that are nomads have used them at least once or more while traveling.👍
Happy Trails!
LEEsureLEE Trippin' 😎
Happy trails to you as well Lee! Maybe we will see you at our next fill up!
A little too noisy for our taste... the trucks all idling their reefers and engines has never set well with us. But we have and will do it in a pinch.
Hi Troy, I agree theu can loud. I am a heavy sleeper and pretty much don't hear anything, my wife sleeps with ear plugs and a white noise app to help combat the sound of trucks. Wishing you continued safe travels!
We did a Loves RV Stop a couple months ago - these are paid spots with hookups. You make the reservation online and check-in online, as well. Easy. I like the premise, did not care for this particular Loves RV Stop because the sites were so far off-level that the front tires of the motorhome were off the ground, using the leveling jacks. This particular one (in Santa Rosa, NM) also wasn't gated, so there were people driving through the RV sites all night. If we are in a Loves or a Flying J/Pilot and just parking for the night, I expect some degree of noise and vehicle movement; didn't expect that in the paid RV Stop.
I am going to sleep st a flying Jay Tuesday night. I’ve never done it before and I travel alone. I’m a little nervous but…
Hi Mimi, let us know how it goes. You should be perfectly fine we see a lot of solo RVers staying there. Our best advice is to trust your gut. We have stayed at over 50 Flying J's and only left early once because of a bad vibe, nothing was actually happening just a bad feeling about it.
You had put sumo springs in the front and koni shocks in the rear? correct?
I have Koni Shocks on both front and rear. Started with just front and I have Sumo Springs on front only, but I would like to eventually add them to the rear as well. They have improved our side to side sway and the Koni shocks have really helped with bumps in the road
@@MovingForwardAdventures thanks for sharing your info...TC
I have sleep in gas stations. Even one in town with permission if open all night.
You make a good point about permission. Not all places want us staying overnight and it's always good to get confirmation that it ok. Safe travels
I’ll say the good part about Flying J first-they’re my first choice when I’m traveling(pickup towing trailers).
I recall the original founder was into RV-ing and travelers were his main customer base.
As of the last few years especially from the Pilot takeover things in certain locations have gone downhill.
The fuel prices were some of the lowest competitive to the Murphy USA Walmart gas stations.
They are now on the most expensive end especially on diesel.
Many locations now allow bobtail semi trucks to park in the RV spaces so there’s even less room to park.
In addition I’ve seen locations that built EV charging stations on top of the RV parking spaces😡.
A location that “had” 12 RV sized parking spaces now have 4!
If I encounter those locations I’ll just take my business to TA,Petro or an independent truck stop.
BTW stay away from the Tampa,FL TA-the nasty security guard will chase anyone out of the parking lot after an hour.
He's a simple man. He loves dark haired women and sleeping at Flying J. 😂😂😂
🤣 What else is there to love!
@@MovingForwardAdventures did you hear Cortes Camper will be at Hershey Park RV show? And they have built a spaceship shaped house. Oh and they built a speedboat that looks almost like a cigar boat. It looks a little crude.
I didn't know they were going to be there. I knew they built some type of futuristic home, but didn't know anything about the boat. I'll have to stop by ND Check them out. They were supposed to come on the podcast, but we had trouble coordinating a date to record. I'll have to talk to them about that at the show too. Thanks for letting me know
parking at a truckstop… ANY truckstop…
there are going to be people trying for your $$$
it’s perfectly plausible for someone at a truckstop trying to get rid of some “ rejected product”
rejected cookies, crackers, chips, candy and such is something you could experience.
sometimes you’ll have guys trying to get rid of “rejected” laptops, netbooks, notebooks, tablets, flatscreens and such… this simply does NOT legitimately happen .
i saw a video a guy posted about getting duped into buying a new “rejected “ apple laptop.
the guy selling showed him the item. by pulling it out of the box and it was wrapped in the thin cushion wrapping and was in some kind of inner packaging . it turned out to be a black ceramic floor tile with an apple sticker in the middle of it ,