Finding stops for lunch, gas or small diversions

[Jaykol]

Is there an App or anything to find places to stop for lunch or gas? For example, a little park near the freeway where we could make lunch and walk the dog. Would have to know if the parking lot can handle a trailer and that sort of thing. Or just a cool stop. Similar for gas stations, some are huge and some impossible to pull in and out of. The truck stops are great but some alternates are nice sometimes.

 

[dwaynebmsg]

RV Trip Wizard has settings for most of your interests. Use "Map Settings" and "Research".

 

[Taftcoach]

X2 the above

Google Street view is really helpful as well.

 

[GarlicDude]

My Garmin Rv navigator lists gas stations, restaurants, points of interest etc.

 

[markb5900]

If you’re traveling on an interstate use “IExit” app. Gives excellent information for each exit, but it only works on an interstate. For other roads I use the built in gps in my GMC truck. In settings you can have it show you about anything.

 

[Camper_bob]

We do it the "old fashioned" way by scrolling around Google Maps. It's our primary navigation tool anyway, so it's handy if I find something marked on the map I can just click on it and hit "get directions" and it'll take me there.

Granted, the navigation is not RV specific, so I do have to be careful, but being able to scroll around the map of a specific area, find something I'm interested in, then just click it to find out more, I think it's pretty darn handy. Most often I'll just click the "satellite" layer on and see what I can see for parking/access.

Every now and again, I'll punch it into my Garmin (which IS set up for my RV) just for backup, but the original research of the destination almost always comes from Google.

And it's free.

ETA: I'll often have a "primary objective" with at least 2 or 3 "alternates". No matter what you're using, sometimes you don't know what's really there until you have "boots on the ground". If I pull up to my primary and something's off, I've already planned at least one alternate.

 

[Redhawk 26M]

If you’re traveling on an interstate use “IExit” app. Gives excellent information for each exit, but it only works on an interstate.

I just downloaded this app and will be playing with it this weekend. My stops are all planned, gonna see how the app does en route.

 

[norty1]

Many of our trips are on interstates and we often travel the same routes. We keep a log book and mark a log in the back on each fuel place by mile marker that we have had a good experience for future reference. We use diesel for fuel and rest areas for resting and eating when on the road so our needs are minimum for eating on the road. If we stop overnight at a cg, we ask for good places to eat and usually have good luck with that.

Works for us for seems like a gazillion years.

 

[Stoltz]

RvParky

RvParky app.

 

[garywilson]

My Garmin Rv navigator lists gas stations, restaurants, points of interest etc.

x2 Plus roadside parks, stores, etc

 

[nambarc]

Many of our trips are on interstates and we often travel the same routes. We keep a log book and mark a log in the back on each fuel place by mile marker that we have had a good experience for future reference. We use diesel for fuel and rest areas for resting and eating when on the road so our needs are minimum for eating on the road. If we stop overnight at a cg, we ask for good places to eat and usually have good luck with that.

Works for us for seems like a gazillion years.

A gazillion years? You're older then i.thought

 

[norty1]

A gazillion years? You're older then i.thought

Thanks again for visiting my parents when I was born! Did you get a early parole?

 

[JudyK-JAY22rb]

thanks again for visiting my parents when i was born! Did you get an early parole?

 

[jetlag]

Many of our trips are on interstates and we often travel the same routes. We keep a log book and mark a log in the back on each fuel place by mile marker that we have had a good experience for future reference. We use diesel for fuel and rest areas for resting and eating when on the road so our needs are minimum for eating on the road. If we stop overnight at a cg, we ask for good places to eat and usually have good luck with that.

Works for us for seems like a gazillion years.

I know you, you are a Buc-ee regular customer lol. Wife makes us a PBJ and a pimento cheese sandwich to share on a typical drive. If too long, as in 6+ hours, she will add a turkey or ham sandwich. We also use the rest areas for a quick bathroom stop and for the puppies to do their thing.

 

[norty1]

Been to Bucees only once and spent $50. Bucks in 10 minutes with nothing to eat. We were not pulling the trailer, just me and my son. Nice but not really my cup of tea’

 

[jetlag]

Been to Bucees only once and spent $50. Bucks in 10 minutes with nothing to eat. We were not pulling the trailer, just me and my son. Nice but not really my cup of tea’

We have been there once as well and did buy two brisket sandwiches and chips. We both spent that night up drinking water multiple times. Wife refuses to stop there now. I will add trying to park there with a 41' camper is challenging at best with the amount of traffic they have

 

[Kim Gass]

We passed by two Buccees on our way home from FL and kept going. Looked like a madhouse. Prefer a rest area for lunch! I really don't understand the attraction to Buccees and to me they seem foreign. Most of the US seems foreign! So much shopping !

 

[Camper_bob]

The only downsides to Buccees are that there are always WAY too many people there, and their stuff can get pretty expensive.

Some of them have non-ethanol fuel for a decent price, they almost always beat their surrounding competition on regular fuel prices, their bathrooms cannot be compared, and they have just about everything you could possibly need for a roadside pit-stop. And their coffee is always hot and fresh and tasty, and their bagged ice is the cheapest around. They compensate their employees well and contribute quite a lot to their locations' local economies.

All of that said, I don't get to stop there much because there's not one close to me, and I don't like trying to fight the crowd (not just a Buccee's thing)...

And it is very much a Texas company (not foreign). Based in Lake Jackson, TX, and founder Arch Alpin served as Chairman of Texas Parks & Wildlife until late 2023.

 

[Kim Gass]

Don't come to Maine. Our biggest bank is foreign and our most prevalent fuel station is also foreign. But doesn't seem foreign to us. But then again a lot of US residents think Maine is in Canada anyway so no big deal.

 

[norty1]

We visited Maine once and I didn't think that many people lived there except for a few weeks in the summer.

Hee Hee just kidding.