Need advice coming down from NE PA, please!

[Paulaparm]

We are leaving next Saturday (1/29). Our plan is to take 2 days to drive down. 81S to 77 and picking up 95 around Georgia. We plan to get to South Carolina Saturday evening and stay over someplace. Here is where I'd really like some advice. Where do you stay when you're pulling your campers? (This will be the longest trip that we've pulled ours.) We know that some chain stores allow you to stay overnight in the parking lots. Walmart, Country Cupboard, others? Has anyone just pulled into a rest stop and stayed for the night?
We would appreciate any advice you have for us!
Thanks!

 

[Syndrome]

We are leaving tomorrow from central PA , and use exactly the same route , 81-77-26-95 (usually if weather permits) . We also avoid RT 4 in the orlando area and jump on 417 around Sanford and its a straight shot into WDW . Well worth avoiding RT 4 Orlando traffic for the cost of a couple tolls on 417 .
We usually do the drive with one overnight stay in the RV . Cracker Barrels are great and plentifull on the way down . Most have parking spots for RV's and allow overnighters (we always eat there to show our thanks) . Not all cracker barrels have RV spots , so its best to check ahead , I use google maps to check ahead of time.

We don't do Walmarts ..........just a personal preference . They always seem a little sketch and a lot of them are not allowing overnighters anymore, so its hit or miss .

Rest areas are a good easy option , but the Trucks can be loud . Air brakes, running engines , reefers , coming and going all night , etc. We do these if needed . Usually nice big truck spaces , and some even have RV spots .

If we are making good time , our normal overnight stop is the Cracker Barrel in SC on route 26 . Just past Columbia in Orangeburg SC . Great stopover, about 5 RV spots , quiet location and usually several other RVers so it feels more safe. Last trip down there were about 10 RVs parked overnight . There are lots of Cracker Barrels that fit the bill .

If we are getting tired , or had some slow downs on the trip , another great stop is the Cabelas on 77 . Just past Charlotte on the way down , right next to Carowinds amusment park . Its literally on the NC/SC border , just barely into SC . Lots of places to eat close by , lots of RV spots , and they even have a dump station . Nice quiet stopover, and feels pretty safe and usually there are other RV's overnighting too .

Just use google maps satelite view and try to narrow in on a location you might think you will want to be stopping . Look at some places in the area ( I try to narrow in on Cracker Barrels) and see what looks good for overnight stops . Cracker Barrels are prob about 90% RV friendly with large pull through parking spots . If the RV spots are full , its usually acceptable to just pull in a few of the car spots in the back somewhere and park for the night .......just try to leave kind of early so you dont block up the car spots for patrons when they open in the AM .

Good Luck , and safe travels .

 

[ScarletFire]

I prefer rest areas. Have fun!!

 

[Sjm9911]

When I go down from jersey, I book KOAs along the way. They are usally right off the highway and give me peice of mind.

 

[Paulaparm]

Thanks so much everyone. It's good to know we're on the right track
@Syndrome thanks for the information...it's all very helpful! Have a great trip!

 

[ilovedisneymm]

We typically stop when we get tired. I know there are many planners out there and need things outlines and scheduled to a T. I use to be that way….

Last few trips we go with it. With google maps so useful at highlighting campgrounds along your route and pointing us to the nearest Mexican restaurant, it just makes it too easy!

Example….

Hope to make it down to Dothan, but it’s already 8pm and everyone is exhausted and we still have 90 minutes left. Well, let’s just pull up google maps, add our location, and look for available campgrounds coming up. Most campgrounds have late check in after hours and you just swing in to an available spot and hook up and there ya go! Pay in the morning is perfectly fine. We have done that twice with the KOA at Kissimmee. If one is full, you just go on down to the next. I loathe having to make reservations somewhere that we may not make it to or may be way shadier than you ever imagined and you already online booked……noooo! and then lose out on your online payment. No thanks, let’s just wing-it!

We have opted to rest over at Cracker Barrel’s, Walmart’s, and a Loves before too. The generator gets a little loud and I don’t sleep all that well in a parking lot, but it saves money and we’ve done it plenty times before. Just depends on the trip I guess.

Traveling in January yields way more availability than June. If I were to travel at busy times, I would probably not use the wing-it approach. But then again, I wouldn’t be traveling in June. That’s hay making time!

 

[Paulaparm]

Thanks, @ilovedisneymm!

 

[Stratman50th]

I'm the planner type. I like to know I have a spot with full hookups even if I get in late.
We lived in MD before we moved permanently to Florida and made the trip down and back frequently. We lived in Sykesville, (just a little south of Westminster which is close to the PA line).
In my younger days, driving a car I could push the 14+ hours to Jacksonville without too much trouble. In more recent years we've driven our RV down. That ended up wearing me out more than the car and we tried to keep the legs to 6 hours. First stop was normally Fayetteville RV resort. Next stop was Coastal Georgia, almost at the GA, FL line. The trip from home was 100 to 97 then 50 to 301. Rt. 301 all the way to 95 which dumped you out just north of Kings Dominion. I hate 95 in northern VA so much I'm willing to cross the Nice bridge (toll) over the Potomac to bypass northern Va.
The rest is just straight down 95.
That's us. Other folks' experience may vary.
PS: I agree with Syndrome on 417. I've been using the bypass for years. Had my Sun pass 3 years before moving here. Finally got rid of the EZpass MD since the new Sun pass Pro is supposed to work in the north east as well.

 

[Paulaparm]

Thanks @Stratman50th !

 

[sirenia88]

Also don't forget about these places...

Pilots/ Flying Js - We have been to several that had RV lanes for the fuel with basic amenties like propane filling stations. Some of them have Dump stations too. Usually the stations are well lit and have workers regularly cleaning the place.
Love's- similar to above. We have stayed at a Love's. It was OK but we did have an issue with the trailer door on our old trailer. So we rigged it to be locked. I figured out the old trailer's frame flexed out. This caused the door not to lock correctly. I rigged up the door and the lock to secured it. It rattled between the diesel that parked next to us as well wind. However we were able to get about 6 and half hours of sleep.

The wife states she likes the bathrooms at each fuel stop. They are generally really clean and well kept. I know the one time we stayed at the Love's, we just brought in a small morning pack. Toothbrush, toothpaste, and comb. Did our business in the bathroom. Brushed teethed combed hair. My wife grabbed some breakfast items from the store, We ate in the truck then got on the on the road home. Seemed to work out well. Usually Pilot's tend to have a resturant like a Denny's attached. If you are a morning food person like me, I don't mind a breakfast before getting on the road.

Cabela's/ Bass Pro Shops- They just about all of them have some form of overnight parking. During our 2021summer trip to Maine, we wound up staying at the Cabela's in Scarsbourgh. We just found the other RVs and parked near by. Most of the Cabela's have a dedicated RV and/or truck section. Many of them have a dump station in which a quick stop to the front counter will get you access. The Cabela's in Sidney, NE has a full service campground that is realitively in expensive from what I have seen. However and usually you can park at either store. You are welcome there. Cracker Barrel is another good one but from my experience, the spaces are on the smaller side. If you have a smaller rig, probably not a problem. However a 350 Crew Car Short Bed with a 36 foot trailer, it is tight in my book.

Good luck with your journey to the Fort.

 

[Teamubr]

I use to overnight at truck stops when I was traveling alone. I won't use truck stops or rest areas anymore. I have a number of friends that are over the road truck drivers. Truck stops and rest areas are the only places for them to overnight. With driving time restrictions put in place several years ago, professional drivers have to get off the road. Most of my friends start the day very early (3-4am) so they can get off the road by mid afternoon to assure they can get a spot at the truck stops. They fill up fast.

We joined Boondocker's Welcome for free places to boondock. For our Fort trip the last 2 weeks, we stayed in a Sam's on the way down. There was a Cracker Barrel across the street. I had called Cracker Barrel to make sure it was ok (it was), but Sam's was across the street with a lot more room. Here was our "room" for the night.



HERE is a link that lists WalMarts that you can overnight at. It is updated fairly frequently. My son also works at Sam's and most of those allow it. Oddly, the WalMart in town does not allow overnights, but our Sam's across the street does.

Please leave the truck stops to the pro drivers. They don't have near the options campers do and they are just trying to make a living.

j

 

[sirenia88]

Teamubr, A number of Pilot/ FJ's now have limited RV spots as well but they will be up near the Auto sections. On the whole, I agree with you about leaving the truck parking alone. Here in NJ, there are a number of local ordiences aginst overnight parking. There is limited parking for commercial truckers as well. We have maybe 2 rest areas in our area. Many times, truckers will stay in PA for the shut down and then drive early in the morning for NYC metro areas. That also goes for NE as well due to the cities densty an such.

Where I live is 50 miles west of NYC. Many parking lots have large signs "No Overnight Parking" posted especially near the interstate. We have a shopping area in which it is easy on and off from I 80. The lots are all posted. The only trucks that might be parked in the Walmart parking lot are going to be Walmart themselves. That is it. You can park an RV there for a few hours but that's it. As a matter of fact, the town I live in where this Walmart is has had a number of complaints for abandon vehicles to illegal camping. They now will have a PO patrol the lot at night to ticket any campers and tow any abandon cars or illegally parked vehicles. That's how bad the problem was. Recently there was another abandon vehicle round up about 3 months ago. Honestly it makes sense since there is a campground right across the street from the walmart. YOu just need to get from it on the first road not the main road. They usually have sites available. Most of the sites are long term rentals from either snow birds in the summer. Others are workers from out of state working long term assignments. Plenty of work trucks in that campground.

 

[Stratman50th]

@Paulaparm
I just looked and realized you're north of 81. I guess my route would be pretty far out of the way for you. I was really just thinking of driving the mountains on 81 during the winter and looking for a flatter route.

 

[PaHunter]

The way you and syndrome talked about we have used a lot. There is a campground at Exit 57 in SC and another at 33? New Green acres is right off 57 exit and is 30 bucks for the night.. Not much for amenities, but easy on and off..

You can also take 81 to 64 in VA to 95, comes out just below Richmond