The sky is falling! At least that is what one would think according to all of the vloggers that seem to headline throughout the internet and search engines. There is simply no place to go camping, BLMs —(Bureau of Land Management) are full to capacity turning campers away due to those who have been untidy, campgrounds aren’t taking any reservations and forget all the Walmarts, Cabelas, and the usual free places to boondock that were once the staples of RV travel.

But is the sky actually falling?

Well, as newbies, we ordered our 2021 Jayco Greyhawk Prestige 31FP in October 2020 and had to wait for delivery until April 2021. I was biting my fingernails to the nub. I thought we’d never be able to go anywhere and was close to despair when as Jayco promised, they delivered our affectionately named “The Blast” to our dealer Tradewinds RV in Clio, Michigan April 15.

We were half ready to just camp in our Michigan backyard almost ready to give up any hope of traveling in our beloved new home away from home The Blast.

Yet we took the plunge. Now after a trip up north to Manistee, Michigan, New Jersey, and Bettendorf, Iowa and a few other short trips, I am here to tell you, the sky most definitely is not falling!

Tip #1 Have you tried a Casino? Example: Manistee, Michigan has great full hook up options at the Little River Casino and let me clue you in, we don’t even gamble! Reservations were made just like a hotel, they had plenty of spaces available (except for the 4th of July, that had to be made in advance) and our stay despite the pouring rain was still lovely. While it wasn’t cheap because we chose full hook ups, there are other options, but with full hook ups you get the full use of their Casino facilities and that includes both swimming pools and hot tub along with the club house with showers and laundry. The place was spotless and secure and offered a personalized on-call shuttle to the Casino.

Rates for full hook up start at $46.00 and for Economy 35.00 a night. And think I’m just pulling Manistee, Michigan out of my hat? Manistee was featured in the August 2021 issue of “RV Magazine”. It is a gorgeous spot on Lake Michigan to visit and the Casino is the perfect place to stay while touring the many sites of this historic town. For more information got to www.visitmanisteecounty.com

Tip #2 I’ve talked about before in a previous blog but I encourage you to stop listening to the negative talk about Pilot/Flying J’s, i.e. truck stops. Yes, we should always consider truckers and their need to safely get off the roads to rest and get their sleep. I 100% agree with that. Here is the thing, as RVers, there absolutely are RV FRIENDLY facilities where you can spend the night. While I also agree we should not take a FREE spot from a trucker unless it is a downright emergency. Understood. So plan ahead. Do not put yourself into that position. As I previously wrote about, get your butt out of bed before the crack of dawn. We were on the road the latest, 6:00 am.

Pre-plan your route, pre-plan your RV friendly, RESERVED Pilot spot to stay (which you can only do 24 hours out). Get there before 3:30 pm, which we found to be the optimal time. When we spoke to the managers of these facilities in advance we were told they “never” fill up before then for their reserved spaces. In our case we did call the first big trip 1) because we were driving east from Michigan to New Jersey for my daughter’s wedding and 2) we were newbie RV owners and I had read/listened to so many naysayers about staying at Pilots we wanted to make sure we weren’t doing something wrong. So we called in advance every time. In addition, when we arrived, my husband physically walked in and talked to the manager while paying.

For $15.00 to stay the night, the ability to use the facility if we wanted (my husband ventured inside a few times, I never set foot outside the rig, didn’t have to) it was worth every single penny.

About that never-turn-on-your-generator thing? I must have read 10-15 blogs and watched I can’t tell you how many videos about the NO-NOS of turning on your generators in a truck stop.

Every single truck around us had theirs on. It was at least 90 degrees out and we kept our windows closed. We ran our air conditioner and our generator all day and all night long. So did all the truckers. So that was another myth blown up.

What did we not do? We did not pull out or slide. Good advice. The rig model we have allows us to access our bed and bath with no problems while boondocking for exactly these types of situations. It is why we bought this model. I researched many amazing rigs before settling on this one for that specific reason.

So what did we find out? RVers, in an RV friendly Pilot/Flying J are Welcome. It is a myth that we are not. I am sorry that truckers may not exactly adore us, however given the criteria above, RV friendly, reserved space and not a free space, getting there BEFORE 3:30 pm, there is no earthly reason why any RVer won’t be able to easily find a place to spend the night just as we did. The price was well worth the stay to be in a safe spot where, yeah, you can turn on your generator.

Tip #3 Pre-plan even your gas fill-ups along the way. Sensing a pattern here? Don’t wing anything! If you pre-plan, you are far less likely to have a disaster happen. Yes, things can and do happen. That’s why my husband had a printout of all Sheetz, Pilots/Flying J’s etc. along our route. So always have a plan B.

Tip #4 Have a Plan C. In the spots that we intended to stay the night, just in case it did not somehow work out as planned, we had a plan C. For example, what if we could not get to Pilot by 3:30 because of unforeseen traffic? We scoped out willing Walmarts/Cabelas, Cracker Barrels etc. that were nearby as our back-up.

Tip #5 Consider Highway Rest Areas. On our drive back from New Jersey, off of the Ohio Turnpike we stayed in an electric only all night rest stop that even had a dumping station. Again, we arrived by 3:30, there was only one other rig on-site, with plenty of spaces left (see my previous blog for specifics and photos) and while it wasn’t picturesque, it was a cheap spot to stay for just one night and in this spot due to the every-other space rule - we were able to put out our slide.

So what did we find out? There are places to stay with some pre-planning and getting an early start for the one night stops.

Pilots/Flying J’s aren’t taboo, despite the naysayers out there in claiming otherwise and if we are aware that staying free as RVers isn’t the best option, and we follow some simple rules (no slide-outs) Pilots are great economical places to stay. They are friendly and want us to stay in RV accommodating places! So don’t shy away from them.

Noisy? Yep. But with our rig, not for us. Maybe it was because we had our generator on and the fact that our Jayco is made to go anywhere year round, but I slept like a baby. But it’s a truck stop—-not a National Park. Expect the noise and keep your windows closed. If you are in a “light” RV with thin walls, bring ear plugs. They are very noisy. Our Jayco was just like being in a house - it was very quiet unless we opened the door.

Highway rest stops do accommodate RVs and even have dump stations. All of this can be found with a little pre-planning and research.

Until next time Part 2 when I talk about another option for those who are in the Reserves, National Guard, Active Duty Military or are Veterans.

Duty, Honor and Seeing the Country RV Style!