Where do you spend the night most often in your RV?

Try and think about it for a minute: Where do you find yourself spending the night the most often in your RV? Is it at privately owned campgrounds? Is it through Harvest Hosts or Boondockers Welcome sites? Is it at Walmarts and Cracker Barrels? In National Forests or State Parks?

Once you’ve tallied it up, tell us by voting in the poll below. We’re curious to see where you spend the majority of your camping time. Thanks!

Emily Woodbury
Emily Woodburyhttps://www.rvtravel.com
Emily Woodbury is the editor here at RVtravel.com. She was lucky enough to grow up alongside two traveling parents, one domestically by RV (yep, Chuck Woodbury) and the other for international adventures, and has been lucky to see a great deal of our world (and counting!). She lives near Seattle with her dog and chickens. When she's not cranking out 400+ newsletters for RVtravel.com she's hiking, cooking or, well, probably traveling.

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42 Comments

Hook n' Haul 789
4 years ago

Most often I spend the night in my RV in the bed. The RV itself, in commercial or membership RV Parks.

Bob p
4 years ago

My thoughts precisely, the way the question was worded I thought now that’s funny because I thought most people spend their nights in the bed. Then I realized they were asking about the RV location, the only time we aren’t in a campground is when we are in route, even then we stopped at a campground overnight due to weather and needing water service.

dcook
4 years ago

So you sleep inside the mattress, why, would anyone sleep inside the mattress, I sleep on top of the mattress myself.

Gordy B
4 years ago
Reply to  dcook

To continue along the line you establish I prefer to be between the bed coverings rather than sleep on the mattress itself. Actually it is understood that a mattress is only a part of what is considered “the bed”, you have a frame holding the mattress which is usually covered by something (sleeping bag, blankets sheets, etc.) If you reread Hook n’ Haul 789 you will notice they say in “bed” not “inside mattress”.

Ed D.
4 years ago

We lease a spot annually in an RV Park on a Lake in NC. It is a private Park with no Public Restrooms, no Daily, Weekly, or Monthly renters. We are overlooking a Lake and surrounded by Mountains. Water and Sewer come with our annual fee and we pay for our Electric use. We have built a 38′ Deck and had an Aluminum Roof installed over the Deck and RV! Here is the best part: We pay less that $4,000.00 annually. Our own slice of heaven.

Joan C.
4 years ago
Reply to  Ed D.

Wow, Ed, that sounds wonderful! I won’t ask where this is (wouldn’t mind knowing!), but am wondering how you found this place? This is my idea of heaven, too!

Tom B
4 years ago

Thinking about it, we do pay campgrounds about 40% of the time, public campgrounds (state, county parks or military fam camps) about 35% and Wal-Mart or cracker barrel (preferred) about 20%. The last 5 percent is moochdocking with family.

Tim
4 years ago

I answered pavement parking (free) for 1 night stops.

Also I don’t see rest stops listed, but I believe that fits the same criteria.

Prefer Rest Stops, Retail, Restaurants, Boondockers Welcome, Truck Stops, in that order.

With the massive increase in RV travel possible (still a maybe) is there a chance bad feeling is going to occur between RV’ers and Truckers over sleeping locations?

I have yet to see a problem with this. There has never been enough public parking for trucks, but if the rest stop spots are 50% full with RV’s this could change?

Michelle Traynor
4 years ago

Almost exclusively, State and National parks. Hoping to do more boondocking!

Sue
4 years ago

We use Elks, Harvest Hosts, COE, and commercial(last resort,mostly fairgrounds).

Jesse Crouse
4 years ago

We trial our dogs and have camping spots at the trial site. Mostly boondocking and rarely with full hook-ups. Such as at a fairground, park.

Kim Vickery
4 years ago

We normally attend 4-5 bluegrass music festivals a year. They are held in campgrounds, as well as state fair and huge hay fields privately owned. We often boondock a week before a big festival. Rarely do we plug in – we rely on our generator.

Pat
4 years ago

Personally, I spend my nights in bed. After checking my full timer log, I find that where my rig is depends on the time of year. Spring, Summer, and Fall it is generally a mix of state and national parks, Harvest Hosts, and pavement parking. Winter is my slow time, with longer stays at Corps of Engineers parks or boondocking

Neal Davis
4 years ago

Our ideal site is in an Army Corps of Engineers campground. We also have enjoyed (not just stayed at, but enjoyed) state park and regional park campgrounds. Resorts offer way more than we want, but KOA and other private campgrounds with full hookups have also provided us with enjoyable stays.

Kathryn
4 years ago

Other: parked at mom’s house or at own property in a different state. Pavement camping when traveling.

Bob M
4 years ago

I have my own lot in the Poconos set up with electricity. When I need to dump, I go over to the state park and empty my tanks.

Davidson Richard
4 years ago

We always spend the night in the beds in our RV.

dcook
4 years ago

I continue to see the hecklers badgering the editors, your question was worded perfectly for a non heckler. Purge these people, they bias the next answers.

Cheryl
4 years ago

Planned this year, so far, will be:
13 on private property
14 in private campgrounds
21 at National parks/forests

Larry
4 years ago

We mix it up based on cost, distance and availability.

Paul
4 years ago

“Where do you spend the night most often in your RV?” Well, in the bed I guess. Oh wait. I see what you mean. About 49% membership campgrounds and 49% boondocking.

Bob Wallace
4 years ago

We boondock at Indycar racetracks 90% of the time; the balance is spent at a commercial park if the drive to said tracks is too long.

Tommy Molnar
4 years ago

We almost always boondock here in NV. State parks are cool too, because we have the “Geezer Pass” and it makes camping in state parks free. But, last year we spent 7½ months in Houston for medical reasons – and that would skew my answer if I added that in.

ValC
4 years ago

I snowbird from Alaska and my rv is home-away-from-home when i moochdock with family and friends. I do spend many nights at other type locations but most are the easiest enroute to my next visit. I hope to increase our stops for the fun/pleasure factor but at this point, getting “there” in the comfort of my “home” is most often the case!

Richard
4 years ago

16yr FT – Pre Covid hysteria, 90% commercial. NOW – 40% commercial(Snow-birding), 60% Private land.

Connie VH
4 years ago

My initial reaction was “In the bed”….. sometimes on our super-comfy couch.

Then I read the poll answers.🤣

Skip
4 years ago

I spend the night most often in the RV in the bedroom asleep. Ha I think the question should be: “while traveling to a destination and having to stop for the night where would you stop?”. Otherwise I think my initial response is correct to the question.

Linda
4 years ago
Reply to  Skip

That was my first thought for an answer, too! LOL

Mary
4 years ago
Reply to  Skip

Or simply “Where do you park for the night most often?”

Gordy B
4 years ago

Truck stops, We usually travel point A to point B hitting a few things in between. We travel in a custom van, self built for camping has everything but a shower. As for showers we go into the truck stop and pay.

Tom H.
4 years ago

Commercial parks mostly, but we really prefer public parks whenever possible!

bjensen6
4 years ago

In bed 😃

Paul S Goldberg
4 years ago

We spend about half the year on our site in an Escapee Coop, When on the move we hit Elks Lodge, Harvest Host, BDW, COE Commercial and BLM land, WalMart is often not avoidable. Preference would be NFS or other lightly used boondock alternating with FHU campground to get laundry done and refresh tanks.Moochdocking at our son’s place where we have fhu is also an annual event.


Roy Davis
4 years ago

Our type of camping changed as our RV changed the last time because of our size! At 45 ft we found it harder to find sites long enough at state, National, and Forestry campgrounds and primary now use commercial places. However we discovered a couple years ago that many state and county fairgrounds have camping and most can accommodate large rigs.

Karl Heymann
4 years ago

Combination of all of the above.

Jeff Craig
4 years ago

Locally (weekends/holiday stays) we stay in our great WA State Parks. When we are on a road trip (usually for family or to go to the races) we stay in a combination of Casino/Walmart/Cabela’s, Commercial (preferably KOA) or at the track campground. I did just sign up for Harvest Hosts, so I’m looking forward to trying out some of there locations on our next big trip.

Last edited 4 years ago by Jeff Craig
Duane Timmons
4 years ago

We do a lot of dog events (Agility and Barn Hunt primarily). So we spend about 80% of our RV nights at “event” locations. These are private arenas, fairgrounds and sports fields.

John Chandler
4 years ago

Part of the year we stay on an RV lot we own, the rest in commercial RV parks.

Mary Davidson
4 years ago

Other: on site where we are workamping, which varies from private parks to state parks to farms/wineries to event centers.

Deborah Mason
4 years ago

Commercial RV parks & public parks with electricity when possible. We have dogs with us. We want to be comfortable, but it’s more important to keep them in safe temperatures. We go without electricity when we have to. When we go to Agility trials & dry camp we have to get creative. Our battery operated misting fan (outdoors only) really helps moderate hot temperatures.

Michael Galvin
4 years ago

Seven months of the year (except for trips) we snowbirds are in the RV in our lot in an RV resort.

Wayne
4 years ago

We own the lot at the resort we stay in