In today’s issue of the RV Travel Newsletter, Publisher Chuck Woodbury discusses a new development in the camping industry. Love’s Travel Stops has opened 29 limited term “campgrounds” across its network of 600 travel centers. It plans 30 more by the end of the year.
Most are no-frills hookup sites on pavement, designed for short stays, as Chuck explains in his article. Russ and Tiña De Maris wrote on Saturday in more detail about the nuts and bolts of the new RV facilities.
If you have read either Chuck or the De Maris’ articles (hopefully both), would you please let us know if these accommodations will be useful to you? Specifically, do you envision yourself staying in one or more of them in the future?
Please do not respond if you have not read the articles. We welcome your comments.
And remember, the poll may take a few moments to load. Somedays it can be a real slow poke.
##RVT1095
Yes as an overnight stop. But in ref to Walmart and other nation wide companies jumping on board the RV wagon I can only imagine the outcry from the campground just down the street.
No I do not, it is simply too expensive for what you get. $50 to sit in a parking lot? No thanks!
Yes, and please add a bark park. Even truckers would appreciate it.
Yes I do. Seems like a perfect overnight no frills option.
I have stayed at the Ohio RV stops many times and can think of no better value or convenience for me when traveling.
The next is for motels/hotels to up their game and begin providing RV spaces. Stayed at one in Glasgow Montana and had use of the motel pool and restaurant.
And RIP Tom Love.
Ohio Turnpike stops are $20 not $50, that for me is the dividing line.
Definitely would use one. I have said for years, even mentioning this idea to some campgrounds along the way, that we all could Benifit from a safe place to spend a night. No need for a pool, just a safe spot with electric hookup.
Yes I would. I have already spent nights at Loves and Flying J.
As attractive as this sounds, I think we will continue to use the private campgrounds we find along our route. Since we have a campervan w/o a bathroom, we really appreciate the usually spotless bathrooms with unlimited hot water that we find at KOAs and other private campgrounds. And the dog parks, picnic tables, little store, etc. But, I most of all enjoy talking to the folks at the front desk and other staff, walking around and talking to the other campers. I feel safe at these places, and don’t have to worry about noisy neighbors, theft, etc. Since we don’t need the full hook-ups, the cost, with KOA membership is $35-$40 – and the showers are free! If we stay at a Love’s, I believe the showers are $10 each. Even for one night, I like to support these local businesses.
We travel to travel. Something like this would be great for us. It seems this would be safer than pulling over for the night in a Walmart or rest stop.
But wait… pilot has something similar to this, just no hook ups. You can reserve a space in the trucking area to park overnight. Spaces are normally for like 16 hours and last time we paid $15 and the trucks and rvs around us kept it quiet.
I think the “Back In” spaces are a major mistake. These are for travelers, not campers. The Ohio Turnpike has similar RV set ups at some rest stops, all with pull through spaces. Very handy for travel between camping destinations. I think Loves has a Semi-trailer mind set, who wants to have to disconnect their TOAD or 5th wheel trailer for an overnight stop?
Some Ohio Turnpike spots are back in, but they are LARGE.
I will look for the Love’s with sites especially if I can get a pull through site. I look for Love’s now because it is typically a safe stop.
We travel on secondary roads, choosing the more scenic and slightly slower route, but if happen upon this type of option we would take advantage of it. What we’ve found in taking these “slower paced” routes is an America that most people have never seen like Kemmerer, WY, the home of the first J.C. Penney’s store!
I have a B+ with a Toad. Due to wife’s GI issues, we need a full hook-up when we travel. Our tanks are too small and need to be dumped daily. If the spots available are Full Hook-Ups for an overnight, that would be great off along our routes. Otherwise, we plan out and stay at others along the way. Pull through sites are preferred, but will in-hook if needed.
Safe travels!
Better check the price of travel on the Ohio Turnpike
As of last summer it was $20.
I applaud this decision. For those of us that use Love’s we know it is a great rest stop no matter what you need. This will also take some pressure off of campgrounds
that people use to just stay over night.
Chuck mentioned Cabelas. Of course they have a very nice campground at their Sidney, NE HQ location that is rated pretty highly. We have stayed there and it would be great if they replicated it at other locations.
I think of their Mitchell, SD location off I90 that was a great dry camp spot overnight and was filled with RVs in the lot until they stopped overnight parking a couple of years ago. They have a huge grassy area around a small lake that would make a fantastic rv park. It would be full all summer long.
I made a reservation yesterday for my summer travels and the nightly rate was $36.50. Not bad. But the final invoice was $46.25. They have a $3 booking fee and the taxes were $6.75.
This sounds like a great idea, since most rest stops you can’t stay overnight!!! Always trying to find some place to stay for one night while traveling, without having to drive 20 miles out of the way to and from the interstate.
I have a work conference coming up this fall in Bloomington, IL. The Loves mentioned in the story is a real possibility of where we will stay for the two days. I just wish Bucees would do this.