Towing In Colder Weather

[JMetzger]

Ok Harvey or anyone who can help. Looks like we will be moving to IN in late Oct or early Nov. We will have the RV winterized & we are wondering if we have to stay in motels what we do with the RV as most motels do not have a place to park the RV. Harvey I know you pulled all year & what did you o about over night stops. Thanks for any help.

 

[AH64ID]

When I moved across county, twice, in 04-05 we had a 26' truck and trailer. We had no issues parking the long combo at any of the hotels/motels we stayed in. There was always adequate room in the back of the lot.

 

[HBarlow]

Jack,

If you mean what to do with your trailer while towing it winterized from NV to IN that should be no problem. When I was transporting and continuing to the present I always use Motel 6 when on the road primarily because all units accept pets without question, fees, or bs and most have plenty of space for parking with a trailer.

Motel 6 catalogs, free at any motel, indicate whether there is room for truck parking at every unit. So does their website which is very easy to use and helpful. Almost all Motel 6s do have adequate room to park a pickup and trailer, even the ones that do not have room for truck parking.

I began using Motel 6s when I was transporting because my female German Shepherd was (and still is) always traveling with me but I like them also because they are cheap, readily available, and convenient. Granted some of their units are not real nice but they are usually clean and always adequate and good value for the price.

Some women and even some men turn up their noses at Motel 6s and that is of course their right if they wish to pay more for a place to sleep and take a shower every night. A traveler can pay $200 or more a night. I'm too cheap!

I first arrived in Indiana to begin transporting in January 2005 when overnight low temps were 0*. I set my old Travel Supreme fifthwheel up at the Goshen County Fairgrounds rv parking area and lived in it during orientation week and whenever I was back in IN for another load. The campground had farm hydrants that self-drained for fresh water so the few of us who were there, all RV transporters, could fill our water tanks and disconnect the hose. I drained the fresh water tank and waste tanks each time I left on a haul and used portable electric heaters at each end of the trailer (inside) and the LPG furnace to keep it warm in those temps. I got along fine that way. It was much, much more comfortable than living in motels or sleeping in the truck as most RV transporters did.

Actually, you shouldn't have to winterize your trailer for a trip in October/November. I wouldn't. I would just carry plenty of LPG, minimal fresh water, and drain the holding tanks if overnight temps would be down in the low 20*s.

 

[GaryOwen]

First of all the time of year you will be traveling will be in your favor. The hotels shouldn't be very busy then.



Try to get to the hotels fairly early (4 to 6 pm) in order to get prime spots. Try to park in areas where you will not get blocked in by late arrivals.



Many hotels advertise truck parking - check their websites or watch billboards along the way.



Avoid staying in larger cities.



You can use Google Earth or other satellite photo sites to zoom in on hotel parking lots to see if they seem large enough for RV's.



Pick up hotel pamplets at welcome centers and rest areas as you travel. Some will note if they have truck parking and you can use the discount coupons. Call the hotels ahead of time to see if RV parking would be a problem.

 

[JMetzger]

Thanks, We have stayed in Motel 6 & had no problems with them & we have also used Choice Hotels & have had good luck with them. Just found out that we have to be out of our house Oct 23rd so weather might not be a problem. Also thought about taking southern route (I-40) will add another day to trip. When we get there we will be at our daughter & son-in-laws in Shelbyville, IN where I can winterize it. Thanks again for help.

 

[Turboman]

Keep in mind that if you call and ask if they have truck parking, that some people have no idea of what kind of room you need. Check it out on google earth to see.

 

[EGroeneveld]

I'd second that Motel 6 is a great choice. I've had pretty good luck never making reservations. I also usually drive until midnight or 1AM. Sometimes I'll get off the freeway thinking I'll sleep at a hotel I saw a sign for but it won't have room for me plus a trailer so I'll just keep moving. Usually the value-midvalue ones seem to have some trailer parking. And usually the fancy/city hotels like Hyatt etc... have NO room for trailers.