Leaving your rig parked

[jdarwin]

The DW wants to know if anyone just leaves their rig parked somewhere (not a campsite but a truck stop, Walmart, church, etc.) so they can go drive around and see sights, visit parks or museums for the day.

[AZ Traveler]

John,

Sure do but not often. If its a great spot - find a place to camp and stay awhile. For a short side trip your options will work - recommend asking permission before leaving your rig.

[mhs4771]

I don't think I would leave it at a Truck Stop, some times those spots are at a premium and those Drivers have to stop, we don't.
Walmart maybe, if checking with the store Manager and parking where they suggested.
I did it once, but only unhooked in a Walmart lot, to get into a small fuel station without the rig.

[richfaa]

never.

[DutchmenSport]

No, I have never dropped the trailer to go site seeing. If I unhitch, it's always at a campsite or home. Otherwise, it stays hitched. Call me paranoid, but I've got too much invested in time and money in my camper(s) for a criminal to vandalize it or steal it.

At most tourist attractions, you can find somewhere to park tow vehicle and trailer. It may mean walking a little distance to see the attraction, but there is almost always somewhere.

If you unhitch to drive around an area, your camper is much safer and better off at a campground, even if just for an overnight. With RVing, it's ALWAYS about safety first, always. How you drive on the road, the speed you travel, where you camp, who you associate with, where you shop, visit, and explore. Call me paranoid, but when traveling, you have to be if you want to return home with good memories instead of heart-break.

Find a campground and unhitch.

The only time I unhitched trailer from truck was once when we needed to run the truck through a self-car wash and wash the thing. Of course, the trailer would not fit inside the bay. We had to unhitch.

The other time was when our truck broke down and we were in the middle of no where. We got the truck towed to a repair shop and we stayed in a motel for 3 days. The trailer was parked outside our motel room. There were no campgrounds anywhere in that region and this was over a holiday week-end when everything was shut down. We had no alternative except the motel. No power to the trailer at all and we managed to keep the refrigerator cold and even kept the ice cream frozen. We were not set up for boom docking.

This is how they towed the trailer to the motel. We then unhitched the trailer, and the tow truck took the truck to a Chevy repair shop, some 30 miles farther down the road.



After 3 days in the motel and the holiday week-end was over, we hired another tow truck to tow the trailer to a near by campground that was near where the truck was being repaired. We were then able to get a car rental and we were at this campground for another 5 days while they fixed the truck.

It goes without saying, we never made our destination. And imagine our shock when we went to the Chevy dealership and saw this:



Those were the only two times, ever, we unhitched when not in a campground or home.

[DQDick]

For all of the reasons stated above we would never do that.

[GregN]

I was at the dealer, having some work done. I was going to be running cable for the cameras on the trailer. The hole in the bottom of the cab, was to small, to run them like on my old truck. I asked the dealer, where I might be able, to get the cable into the cab. He told me where and the subject came up about the cab. He said, that if there was major work to be done on the engine, they just take the cab off. So I rigged all the connections for the cameras with quick connects. Just unplug the harness and the cab comes off.

[JandC]

The few times we end up at a Walmart, Cabelas, or other free dry camping spot it is just for a quick evening/overnight stop. I would NEVER unhook and drive my truck anywhere from a stop like that. As a matter of fact I limit my time inside a Walmart shopping if we are camped out in the lot overnight, just don't like leaving my rig unattended.

[jeffba]

Church, maybe if you had permission. Walmart or truckstop even with permission, no

[E Rod]

Originally Posted by jdarwin

The DW wants to know if anyone just leaves their rig parked somewhere (not a campsite but a truck stop, Walmart, church, etc.) so they can go drive around and see sights, visit parks or museums for the day.

During these crazy times right now that quite a bit of people looking for RV' s . I would never leave mine anywhere other than a safe camp ground or RV park. I like most people have too much invested in $ and time. Done quite a bit of modifications and upgrades that i wouldn't even think of losing it.

[steiny93]

Originally Posted by jdarwin

The DW wants to know if anyone just leaves their rig parked somewhere (not a campsite but a truck stop, Walmart, church, etc.) so they can go drive around and see sights, visit parks or museums for the day.

Typically we didn't, but we did leave the 5er sit at the odd spot while we went somewhere else. The normal course was to park at a campground. With that, I didn't worry about it, the effort to steal a 5th wheel is pretty high vs say a pickup (they'd have to have a 5th hitch, cut the lock, etc).

[bcrvman]

Originally Posted by jdarwin

The DW wants to know if anyone just leaves their rig parked somewhere (not a campsite but a truck stop, Walmart, church, etc.) so they can go drive around and see sights, visit parks or museums for the day.

I once parked at the back of a large metropolitan shopping mall. Went inside to the security office and they were cool with it but asked me to move to a slightly different part of the lot as they were setting up for a craft display or something that weekend. Was able to leave it there for 3 nights and the security patrols kept an eye on it. Asking will get you a long way.

[WeBeFulltime]

I can't even think of a place that I would want to spend the day but not at least 1 night. I would get a campsite.

[beeje]

Originally Posted by DutchmenSport

No, I have never dropped the trailer to go site seeing. If I unhitch, it's always at a campsite or home. Otherwise, it stays hitched. Call me paranoid, but I've got too much invested in time and money in my camper(s) for a criminal to vandalize it or steal it.

At most tourist attractions, you can find somewhere to park tow vehicle and trailer. It may mean walking a little distance to see the attraction, but there is almost always somewhere.

If you unhitch to drive around an area, your camper is much safer and better off at a campground, even if just for an overnight. With RVing, it's ALWAYS about safety first, always. How you drive on the road, the speed you travel, where you camp, who you associate with, where you shop, visit, and explore. Call me paranoid, but when traveling, you have to be if you want to return home with good memories instead of heart-break.

Find a campground and unhitch.

The only time I unhitched trailer from truck was once when we needed to run the truck through a self-car wash and wash the thing. Of course, the trailer would not fit inside the bay. We had to unhitch.

The other time was when our truck broke down and we were in the middle of no where. We got the truck towed to a repair shop and we stayed in a motel for 3 days. The trailer was parked outside our motel room. There were no campgrounds anywhere in that region and this was over a holiday week-end when everything was shut down. We had no alternative except the motel. No power to the trailer at all and we managed to keep the refrigerator cold and even kept the ice cream frozen. We were not set up for boom docking.

This is how they towed the trailer to the motel. We then unhitched the trailer, and the tow truck took the truck to a Chevy repair shop, some 30 miles farther down the road.



After 3 days in the motel and the holiday week-end was over, we hired another tow truck to tow the trailer to a near by campground that was near where the truck was being repaired. We were then able to get a car rental and we were at this campground for another 5 days while they fixed the truck.

It goes without saying, we never made our destination. And imagine our shock when we went to the Chevy dealership and saw this:



Those were the only two times, ever, we unhitched when not in a campground or home.

I've always owned Duramax trucks. From the looks of that picture with the cab off I'm guessing either injector issues or an exploded cp4 fuel pump. Or maybe blown turbo

[richfaa]

No we do not do that never did in over 20 years of Rving. We factored staying at Campgrounds in our Rv travel budget.

[Camp CA]

Originally Posted by jdarwin

The DW wants to know if anyone just leaves their rig parked somewhere (not a campsite but a truck stop, Walmart, church, etc.) so they can go drive around and see sights, visit parks or museums for the day.

After 17 years never have and do not plan to leave the trailer parked unhitched. I might, if I thought I needed to AND got permission from the site manager.

[Irv]

Just curious, what was the issue with the truck?

[packnrat]

only if in a emg..

but please Never park in the truck areas ( including side roads close to one) of any truck stop. as those drivers MUST stop by fed law and the fines in not doing so are huge. and over the country places trucks can stop have been closed off, or shut down, some towns and city’s have a outright ban on truck parking.. so space is limited thing for them.

[DutchmenSport]

beejee.... it was a blown turbo, and about $4500 out of my savings account. I'm glad I had the money!

[rohrmann]

Our turbo went out about four years ago, but we managed to get it to the dealer with the trailer in tow. They cleared codes so we could move the trailer to a KOA, and the got the truck back to the dealer. Same thing with the cab in the air.