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!


Most often I spend the night in my RV in the bed. The RV itself, in commercial or membership RV Parks.
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.
So you sleep inside the mattress, why, would anyone sleep inside the mattress, I sleep on top of the mattress myself.
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”.
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.
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!
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.
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?
Almost exclusively, State and National parks. Hoping to do more boondocking!
We use Elks, Harvest Hosts, COE, and commercial(last resort,mostly fairgrounds).
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.
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.
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
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.
Other: parked at mom’s house or at own property in a different state. Pavement camping when traveling.
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.
We always spend the night in the beds in our RV.
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.
Planned this year, so far, will be:
13 on private property
14 in private campgrounds
21 at National parks/forests
We mix it up based on cost, distance and availability.
“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.
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.
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.
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!
16yr FT – Pre Covid hysteria, 90% commercial. NOW – 40% commercial(Snow-birding), 60% Private land.
My initial reaction was “In the bed”….. sometimes on our super-comfy couch.
Then I read the poll answers.🤣
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.
That was my first thought for an answer, too! LOL
Or simply “Where do you park for the night most often?”
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.
Commercial parks mostly, but we really prefer public parks whenever possible!
In bed 😃
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.
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.
Combination of all of the above.
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.
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.
Part of the year we stay on an RV lot we own, the rest in commercial RV parks.
Other: on site where we are workamping, which varies from private parks to state parks to farms/wineries to event centers.
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.
Seven months of the year (except for trips) we snowbirds are in the RV in our lot in an RV resort.
We own the lot at the resort we stay in