How do you find Rig friendly (nice) motels while towing?
 

Towing Mich-Ft Myers this week. How do you find rig friendly motels along the way. Many have tight lots, and easy to get in a jamb. Do you pre-plan stops, or just drive until tired and try to find something?

On way north, I've stopped in Franklin KY, and Holiday Inn has vacant lot next door that semis & RVs use to park.

I usually use internet to see what hotels are in the area which I want to stop. Then I call the motel ahead and ask if there is room for a large boat, and I say again a really large boat. Most people will think a large boat is a big runabout. Then I negotiate a price. I have had pretty good luck with hotels seems like there is somewhere to park and some way to get around the parking lot. I used to worry about it, not so much anymore. By the way, Franklin is just down the road from me. At my Bowling Green exit(Scottsville Rd.) there are multiple motels with adequate parking and about every restaurant you can think of.

One trick I learned, more about security than parking though, is to drive around back before picking it.
If there are doors missing, cars on blocks, hookers/pimps in the shadows...., keep driving. Sounds funny but I've pulled in places that looked great from the road and found those things in back.

You do get good at backing your rig ;)

When i am by myself I usually roll through the night. If i have someone to help park I will get a room.

I've made the trip from Indy to Ft Myers several times towing my 37 and I just learned by doing. I can tell you I found good luck at exit 427 in Florida. The place is called Cabot Lodge. That is 12 hrs from indy and about 5 from Ft Myers.

I map out my trip on Google maps. I figure where my fuel, dinner, hotel stops should be and then use the satellite map to zoom in and check the lot area. I try to stay at a well known chain (Days Inn, Hampton Inn, Etc.) and that usually keeps the riff-raff down and they have generically good parking access.

IF planning ahead; call and ask, check google maps.

Full service hotels like Holiday Inn will usually have bigger lots than travel stops like Holiday Inn Express.
Definitely walk around if you cant drive it (good to stretch the legs anyway)

Personally, I like to drive it straight thru.

Towing Pitfalls

1. Don't park in New Jersey- the Bravos tend to run away in that state!
2. Don't park in Texas- the wood chippers tend to snatch boats right out of parking lots while on camera!
3. Don't park at LOTO- Boats tend to wander away on their own, right into another state!
4. Lets figure towing to Hawaii is out and Alaska would be too but Presidents allegedly can be born there and you can see Russia from Alaska!
5. Lets hope the boat isn't a Nortech, they have jumped off their trailers in several states!
6. You want to make sure you aren't hauling rice. The last Rice Hauler disappeared for almost a decade before a Sasquatch like sighting brought it back!
7. Watch out for black ice, it claimed a MTI last year and might have even snatched a 47 Apache causing it to skid down the road and catch fire!

ill scumbag it until i get to my destination..pull into the local truck stop park crawl into the vbirth and sleep until i feel revived,,,then go inside the truck stop pay the 3 bucks for a shower but make sure you have on your flip flops..then head out..

LMAO @ JS!!!!!

I usually roll through the night until 3AM and then pull into a rest stop for 3-4 hours of sleep...then get rolling again. Like everyone else has mentioned, google maps is your friend if you need to stop at a hotel. ;)