You may love traveling in your RV because you can pull into a rest area at any time and catch a quick nap. It helps you save on hotel fees, and you’ll even save on eating out when you make a meal in the camper. While this is convenient, it can also be dangerous. Your family can be a target if you don’t take steps to keep yourself safe when staying in a rest area, but there are ways to avoid this problem.
Know Your Location
When pulling into a rest area, take note of the closest mile marker or the stop’s name. The highways are lined with rest areas, so the police won’t know where to go if you call saying you are at a rest stop on Interstate-71. You should be able to tell them exactly where you are in case there is an emergency.
Lights, Lights and More Lights
Most rest areas feature well-lit buildings, but they don’t always have illum
inated parking areas. Keep your eyes open a little longer and wait for one with lights in the parking area. It’s safer for you to walk around the camper, and it help deter would-be criminals from patronizing that stop.
Look for Trucks
You may not want to share a rest area with trucks that are running their generators and creating extra noise, but the truckers know which stops are safe and which ones have a reputation. If you pull into a rest stop at night and there’s not a single rig in sight, you should probably keep going. When you do find a rest stop that looks promising, consider parking a little distance from the trucks to avoid the noise and fumes.
Locked up Tight
If you are traveling with a trailer, then you should make sure your vehicle is secured. Put all valuables where they cannot be seen if someone walks around the car with a flashlight, and set the alarm if you have one. Lock the door to the camper, and lock the windows. Run the generator for the air conditioner or heater, so you can safely close and lock the camper.
Look for Facilities
Not all rest areas feature facilities for using the restroom. Scenic overlooks and primitive rest areas are fine for stopping at in the day when you want to stretch your legs, but they’re not a good choice for sleeping. They don’t attract as much traffic as full service sites, and that makes them more appealing to criminals looking for an easy target.
If you need to stop for the full night, then you should look for a campground. Many are located near the highway and will provide you with a safe place to spend the night. They will also have electrical connections, and you can usually empty the tanks before you head out. If you just want a few hours sleep to refresh yourself, then rest stops are a good choice.
In some 40 years of RVing we have but rarely stayed in rest stops. We prefer stopping by around 3p.m.. if, nearing dusk, there aren’t others stopping we fire it up and move on to somewhere others are stopped. We have never placed ourselves in a security questionable position. We sleep better that way.
Two years in a row in May we have stayed at Ohio Turnpike rest areas that are specifically set up for RV’s with electric hookup for $ 20 for the night. You can also take on water and use a dump station on the way out. The area I used were back in but many have been upgraded to pull thru along the pike. There are food facilities available and bathrooms along with small tiled rooms with shower and toilet in the trucking area of the building.
I have started in rest area often I use common y just like you spoke of and have no problers. I best rest arers with 24 hour security.