[Bob]

While I do use the Big Rig book from time to time, it doesn’t always list a campground or RV park convenient to where we want to stop at night.

But since we started with our first Prevost 23 years ago we learned how to read the “code” to understand where we could stop for an overnight. We looked for certain clues such as 50 amps, pull through sites, big rig friendly, and paved roads. RV parks that listed how many 20 amp, 30 amp and 50 amp sites usually catered to smaller RVs. If we can’t get 50 amp or a pull through when we are traveling it is not worth the hassle of checking in and listening to a list of the locations of the washers and dryers, the bathroom combination lock codes, or the campground rules. We just want to stop and sleep and don’t want to unhook to back in a site or have to deal with 30 amp. We just go to a Cracker Barrel, a rest area or a Walmart.

When we are staying for an extended stay then we look for the nicest campground where we want to be. We have learned if we end up in a campground with 26 foot white trailers in abundance we become the center of attention, where in a nice resort type campground we tend to blend in.

We have had one or two occasions when we couldn’t get in a campground or the site because of our size, but considering the hundreds of nights we have been on the road in the bus that is pretty good so we don’t worry too much about if we can get in or through a campground or if we will fit.

Today with the internet the easiest way now to pick a campground is to use Google and then zoom in and look at a satellite view. We don’t have to guess much any more.

PC members should feel free to post about campgrounds, but I am not sure how an accumulation of reviews and listings could be sorted, kept up to date or even used for trip planning. Ideally we should be able to create a permanent map such as a Google map that is used in the fuel program, and as each member visits a campground they could plant a flag on the map and use maybe a color code to denote places highly recommended, places that are acceptable, and places to avoid.

[Paul]

Just a Knoxville minute, Jon

You have promised Di that purchasing the new XLII has moved her overnight stays to the …Super WalMarts.

[David]

Good catch Al… Seeing this big bad Liberty in a Walmart parking lot is a sight to behold, especially with the awnings out, slides out, LED’s under the bus and the sound of the Lennon Sisters blaring from the Bose.

[Wilbur]

I have about three guides we use, and none of them are totally up to date, or completely accurate. Some of the places that say they are big rig friendly, are far from it, except in maybe a couple of sites. The rest are either not usable or really a pain to get in or out of. I have been in a couple of very new parks that must have been designed by morons. One in particular, you need about a 35′ sewer hose. Not a good thing.

We have had very good luck at WalMarts during trips to or from our destinations. I try to park close to a light pole so we can run the bedroom slide out without having to worry about some truck driver hitting it. I avoid truck stops and rest areas like the plague.

And yes, Al, the Super WalMarts are better. Jon should be good to go there.

[Archived]

Here is the tally for the almost 2 years we have had the 2 slide Liberty:

Rest areas……………….2 nights, both on end spaces next to grass so we could put out the slides.

Walmart………………….

Truck stop……………….

RV park……………………All other nights.

Since we got the coach I am ashamed to say I have only run the generator 25 hours because as can be seen we are running from power pole to power pole. For the 9500 miles of travel we have planned through the Lazy Days rally we have all nights except one planned to be in RV parks, and the one still undecided may also be an RV park.

The RV parks already selected were based on how many miles I wanted to drive per day and were selected based on info found on the internet with the Google satellite views confirming they could accomodate our size coach. It’s just like flight planning except with different criteria.

[Rick & Denise]

Jon Walmart probaly appreciates you staying in the campground vs their parking lot.

The Lawrence Welk bubbles may confuse the partrons.

[Chris]

Paul,

We have had our Prevost for just over a year… My wife and three kids have been full timing in for over 6 months as we try to cover the US. We have stayed in some amazing places and some real dumps… We are learning as we go… we us big rigs book and generally have been pleased with the information we get there. We pretty much tossed the woodal’s after a couple of really bad stops that were very highly rated. We always check Rvparkreviews.com and when in doubt or when we have issues I post here on PC in parking and get suggestions from other PC members…which have always been spot on it.

Our goal on this particular trip is to show the kids the sites so we are trying to get the Bus as close to the places we want to see… But in several cases an hour or so away was as close as we can get. We have been in some places that clamed to be Big Rig friendly that I am still not sure how I actually got the Bus in and out without hitting something….

We wish that everyplace we stop would be like Hilton Head Motorcoach resort or Pelican Lakes… but the reality for us is we don’t really need much more than a safe place that we can fit that has good power….

so far on this trip we have not used the rest stop or walmart as all our travels days are pretty short from pole to pole…

Hope that helps!

Bill

[Archived]

Don’t count out state and county parks. On our yearly trip south we use them about a third of the time. We tend to use the boondocking sites (no power/water but large). All we do is run the generator 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the evening. Plenty of water for one week out. Most of the time we have nobody around us during the week. it is a nice change from some of the busy resort destinations.

[John]

When you are headed to a area post if you can.. Several home-builder full time bus nuts manage campgrounds seasonal.–saome corps of engineer. They are always glad to have bus company and will tell you if you can fit in– and know for sure.. not guessing! I know WhiteEagle does it regular and several others.. FWIW Bob A list might be good. Seceret handshake?

[Robert]

How can we create one and not make it a public one? If I travel out 60 mile radius from my home and visit local campgrounds and see if they would be a fit for one of your coaches. What keeps a internet person from making that list available to 10,000 people thus far making those spaces not available for pc members who need them..Lots of campgrounds may only have 2 or three spaces that may hold a 45 fot coach or low hanging limbs I may be able to observe… Ideas?? Bob

[Archived]

Robert,

One way would be the private forum, but it gets little use unless a campground topic would get activity. Using the private forum allows you to pretty much tell it like it is without being concerned about it being viewed by the public.

[Robert]

What a bunch of great feedback. My thought process is when traveling I would like to see the places and hopefully be aware of what is local to the area we are traveling thru. When the Mrs says let’s stop at that mall, I can stop and do my 15 minute browse, then go back to the coach and relax, check the local attractions on the internet or do whatever. I want to create a travel mode of sightseeing without a schedule. Maybe like not driving more than 6 hours in any day. With that said I don’t want to set myself up for not being able to find a campground/resort where I can stop, get into, relax, meet people. Boondocking at Walmart, rest stop, SUPER Walmart (for Jon). I’m suspecting that Boondocking is not necessarrily where I want to spend 16 hours of relaxation meeting wonderful people. making this statement tongue in cheek.

the resource of this Site/forum is so informative that it clearly has the ability to address member concerns, I am 1000% more confident that I can own a Prevost coach successfully.

Now just trying to figure out how I can use it in a way that we enjoy it, I’m not for creating the wheel if I have access to great folks with the a wheel.

Prevost use from a size / access point of view is so specific, if the membership here created a data base it would be real owner input. No guessing.

Would not have to hope for the best going by the generic sources that are currently available. Ex. Woodalls, PA, Allstays, we camp here, RV Parks, among others.

Hope to meet PC members at the Tampa Prevost show January 13 & 14th.

thanks for all information / experience that I am able read and take in.

[Bob]

I drove my 2006 Marathon from Key West, FLA to Fairbanks, Alaska and 40,000 plus miles in between. I covered that distance in about 16 months. When making passage we found MOST not all Walmarts a great and secure overnight stay. We also stayed on MANY fiords in Alaska and seaside pullovers along the ENTIRE WEST USA coast!!! Consistently when we Found an adjoining Sam’s club we enjoyed staying there because they close for business early and opened a little later. This kept th GAWKERS away. A word of caution…ALWAYS keep your outside compartments and toad locked down. Also check your hitch every morning before leaving! Heard many stories of malicious activities with hitches.Our toad was secured with locks so we didn’t have much trouble.Many rest areas can be pretty dangerous and filthy. We always found the MAJOR north FLA rest areas along RTE 10 a safe bet.

[Jerry]

I have stayed at just about every big truck stop in the USA and Canada , rest areas , fair grounds , most are pretty good , only had trouble one time at a cabela’s in Sydney NE put horses in pen then across the road to campground on there ground both horse pens and camp ground , came out in morning somebody tied horses back legs together with rope and tied there head to fence and raped the one mare with a PVC pipe blood every where the mare lived thought she was going to loose her feet because rope was so tight it cut the circulation off but she did not that was in the year 2000 that has been the only trouble in 28 years of travel about 50,000 miles a year I do … You have to use your head when staying some where if it looks bad dont stay , if I stay at truck stop I always try to get up front by pumps if you park at back that’s where things can go wrong most of us don’t want to be up front but at back not many people around more monkey business goes on just my thoughts…

[Archived]

Hi–

Not sure of your name as your post was unsigned.

Gotta question: Wher did you have your Prevost when you were in Key West. I only ventured as far south as Marathon and the sites were really tight.

If you found a nice location in Key West (or Boca Chica), please let us know if it was ‘big rig friendly’ and had 50-amp electrical service along with water and sewer.

I’d be grateful to hear about it!

My best,

Tom Gauger