TT Security While Parked at a Hotel as a Guest.

[Arctic Bos'un]

QUESTION:
Can anyone opine about parking a travel trailer in a hotel parking lot for two or three nights?
Can anyone suggest RV parking in the Waterford, MI area? The closest we can find is a 45 minute one way commute.

SITUATION:
This will occur next fall, not this winter. We have been unable to identify a RV park in Waterford, MI as we travel a circuitous route through several states. Lodging at a hotel seems to be our only option. It seems that burglary or theft of the travel trailer will be a very likely result of parking in a hotel parking lot, while lodging as a guest of the hotel. We will of course lock the hitch, but that precaution may be of little use in an openly accessible hotel parking lot over the course of several nocturnal hours. My concern is not overly cautious. There was a series of rental trailer thefts and rental truck thefts from hotel parking lots here in Las Vegas a few years back.

[JohnWedell]

A few years back when we picked up a fifth wheel from the dealership that we had purchased from we stayed at a hotel for the night. During the night a beautiful pick up truck with a race car carrier was stolen. That makes us very leery of leaving anything like that in the parking lot overnight. However if I did I would probably leave some lights on in the trailer and possibly even the TV on to mimic somebody still in it during the night. That’s about all I can offer.

[Jagiven]

I would be more concerned about an enclosed trailer than a TT. Keep the shades pulled to keep people for seeing in.

However I fully understand. Most if not all tongue locks are really quite easy to bypass. If it was me, I would buy one or two a decent wheel lock. In amazon type in "wheel lock for trailer tire" Put some reflective tape on it to make sure it is noticeable at night. When your at the hotel, park your TV in front of it to block easy access.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=wheel+loc...nb_sb_ss_i_4_9

[NVGun40]

Possible suggestion. Especially since this isn't happening till next year; you have plenty of time to do a test run.
I understand from your post you are travelling a circuitous route through several states and you stay will be two or three nights.
You are towing your hotel room. There is nothing that says you have to stay at an RV park or campground or resort. I am willing to bet there are a couple places in the Waterford, MI area which would allow you to park and stay for a night or two. Its not like you have to completely set up camp. Dry camp -or- blacktop camp in a parking lot. You could put 5 - 10 gallons in your fresh water tank and run off the batteries.

I have been around and using almost every form of camping RV for 40+ years. I have travelled with them all over the US. Never have I stayed in a hotel while I was towing/hauling/driving with my camper. Though, I primarily boondock or dry camp, I have stayed in a parking lot a time or two. In all those years, I can probably count on my hands and toes the number of times I have stayed in a campground or RV resort with hook-ups (I even lived in my old 5er for over a year and I count that as one of the times). I just don't do it. These things are built self contained for a reason.

[Sundancer330]

Check out Pontiac Lake Recreation Area, it has a nice campground and its in Waterford. There are several state rec/state parks in the area. Michigan Recreation Search Site Details Page

[DocBrown]

Looks like you have a lot of options. Have you checked any of these out?

Waterford, MI Campground Reviews - Best of Waterford Camping - Campground Reviews

[Tunce the traveler]

I have only done this once ( hotel parking) and I was able to backup to a wall and put my 4 jackets down. I still didn’t sleep well that night and it was in Santa Rosa, Ca. Hotel said that I was 100% responsible for my trailer and auto as there was no security patrol for the parking lot.

[Screwby]

We’ve done this quite a few times while traveling. Usually piggybacking a personal vacation onto a business trip which paid for the hotel until the personal vacation started. We’ve never had a bad experience at a hotel, but that said, we’ve stayed at reputable hotels in nicer areas. We’ve always discussed the situation at the front desk and have always had good reception to what we ask. We request a window room that overlooks the camper so it’s just a matter of looking out the curtain to visually check on the camper anytime we want. We’ve always parked our truck in front of the camper leaving enough space to hook up if needed but too close to hook up without moving the truck (it just takes a few buffer spaces to hook up at and angle). One hotel even gave us orange cones and a barricade to block the area in front of the trailer so when we left to go eat or shop someone didn’t park the trailer in while we were gone. We’ve used an outside spigot to top off the freshwater after asking and never being refused.
Most hotel people are all about being accommodating. They want good reviews and repeat business. Having the right attitude and realizing they are going above and beyond to help you out also makes a huge difference (don’t act entitled to extra service just because you have a trailer). Being nice, courteous, and striking up genuine conversations with the staff will go a long way to them feeling like your worth the effort. They deal with entitled jerks all day everyday, so keep that in mind when asking for help and making the arrangements.

[Camper_bob]

Lots of good ideas already. Have you considered short-term secured storage? I know the owner of my storage lot, and if he had a space available, I'm sure he would jump at the opportunity to store someone's rig for a few days. Of course, the rate would be inflated quite a bit, but perhaps worth it for both you and the storage lot. They get a little income where they had none, and you have a secure place to store your rig for a bit.

[RAurand]

Never stayed in a hotel when traveling with the rig.
Spent quite a few nights in Wally Mart parking lots and never had any issues.
We call ahead ant talk with the Manager of the WM we are planning to stay overnight in. If its a bad area or they have had problems, most will tell us and we go elsewhere.
With our 28BHBE, is we do not need to put the slide out to get access to stuff in the trailer. We have room with the slide in. However, if we can park with the slide over grass, over a curb or guard rail, we will park that way. If not, slide stays in.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by RAurand

Never stayed in a hotel when traveling with the rig.
Spent quite a few nights in Wally Mart parking lots and never had any issues.
We call ahead ant talk with the Manager of the WM we are planning to stay overnight in. If its a bad area or they have had problems, most will tell us and we go elsewhere.
With our 28BHBE, is we do not need to put the slide out to get access to stuff in the trailer. We have room with the slide in. However, if we can park with the slide over grass, over a curb or guard rail, we will park that way. If not, slide stays in.

That's exactly how we rolled in our 28BHBE, and how we do now in our 29MV. Not having access to all major systems with slides in is a deal breaker for us.

I've never thought about the possibility of staying multiple nights in the same lot though. OP is staying multiple days on location, so parking like we do on a through night (like Wally World lot) probably isn't an option.

I'm not sure how they plan to spend that time, but I assume they want to explore the area and leave the camper behind. I wouldn't feel comfortable doing that in a WM lot.

[Kim Gass]

We have a favorite hotel with truck parking in PA that we always use going to FL as its always about ten degrees out and a shower would be nice. Never had an issue in four visits. Have had to seek out hotels in blizzards with the TT in Virginia also. We have not left the TT unhooked ( during the day) which to me would be an issue.
Find out where the hotel security cameras are for sure. We do tend to pick nicer hotels with hopefully better security and less parking lot hanky panky dealings

We might be in LV this spring so I will take heed of the theft potential!

[WeRJuliian]

We've done this several times, usually on the way back from an extended stay, when the prospect of an overnight with a full-sized bed and a really good shower, are too hard to resist.
We always call ahead to the hotel and let them know we have a trailer. When we got there, we ask the best place to park it, explaining our security concerns.
Well lit areas with visible security cameras are good things to seek out. If possible, have a word with any night security staff that may be wandering.

Jacks down, cable locks threaded through the wheels and suspension - and yes, a brightly coloured reminder tag on these is a very good idea... I have been known to try driving away with them still in place !

Has anyone fitted, or considered, an alarm?

All that said, the only problem we have ever had is with other guests' vehicles.
Somebody once, very carefully, parked as close as possible, in front and behind, effectively boxing us in. This was in an otherwise almost empty parking lot.
(I was very tempted to "accidentally" move their cars a few feet with the Jeep, but I took the high ground, and contented myself with a couple of very rude notes under the wipers)

[Lynn Bauer]

Have you considered joining an Elks Lodge? We joined specifically for their overnight facilities. They Charge ~ 20.00 per night with electricity, water and some with dump stations. We’ve met wonderful people who are like minded, and enjoyed many Lodges throughout the country. Once while in Wakefield, MA, we flew to California for our granddaughters baptism and left our truck and 5th wheel in their parking lot for 10 nights and felt totally secure in leaving it. Cameras monitor many Elks lodges.

[sinnott4]

I second the use Pontiac State Rec area.

[Jamnpete]

Definitely check out Pontiac Lake Recreation Area, 7800 Gale Road
Waterford MI, 48327, 248-666-1020