room size is important

shower and sink area without mold ....( seen showers with so much mold - they should of been shut down )

secure lock on the door

enough counter space to put a dryer and small bag .... (I refuse to set anything on the floor because of other drivers feet fungus ... yuk ! )


hot - hot water ...

At one TS I insisted on my money back for the shower ... the employee was using dirty - brown water to clean the showers and floor with ... then they pulled a water hose in to hose them down ... :shock: .... :nervous:

I would recomend a pair of shower shoes 8$ at wally world , and it will prevent feet fungis.

showers
 

big, stainless steel and to have towels are nice, but carry your own at least 2; and 2 washcloths and shower shoes. MY favorite showers are located in Ohio at the turnpike, they are big, stainless steel, have lots of hot water & FREE!

has anyone ever purchased or known anyone who has purchased one of those portable showers that you buy in a TA? I think it would be a good idea if you have the height in your cab. I am considering one but if anyone has an opinion i would like to hear it. Can't wait to try out the Ohio showers though! :o

Re: showers
 

Why.....try to do our best to stay out of Ohio :shock:

A reasonable example of how to lay out a shower.... Go to TRUCK WORLD in Hubbard, OH.

A good example of how NOT to keep them clean... Go to almost any T/A or Pilot.

The best shower I have ever seen is at the Little America in Flagstaff, Arizona. Big room, decent size shower (even had a separate oval tub), clean very clean, large counter space, lighted well, and nice towels too (no sandpaper there).

Oh I can see it now. hey dispatcher I know I just got out of training but I have got to go to Ohio and then Arizona. "Why?" asks the dispatcher. "Because I have got to try out those showers!, I hear they are the best!" lol :wink:

since you asked .......
 

I think the best shower stalls are the ones that are shaped like a "U" they don't need a curtain or shower door - one less thing to keep clean or replace - and I would put Little America towards the top of the list - up there with Wendover - little things there like your own piped in music - and the water is always "Hot" - I learned the hard way to turn the water on before I get undressed - and carry a bottle of "Alcohol" with you :roll: I don't want those creepy little guys they show on TV living under my nails :wink:

As long as the shower is clean and has hot water it works for me. Guess I've been out here to long to expect much of anything else. Yes, I have taken my share of cold/lukewarm showers on the road.....heck I never expect a lot that way I'm never disappointed. :wink:

I would like more water pressure. And for them to actually be cleaned and no obcene writings on the wall. That happened to my husband and I at the TA in MO. It WAS nasty, we got our moneyback because it was the first shower we actually had to pay for! The writing on the wall was so nasty it made us want to take another shower lol.

Also I think the counters should be longer. There should actually be a REAL floor mat as big as the floor! And a real shower curtain. I know these places like to go cheap on everything but they suck truckers for every penny they make with how expensive things are in the shop. So I think truckers and riders should be treated like kings and queens when they walk in there. Because without us they aren't in business.

The problem is that there are so many truck stops that are now auto truck plaza's. They seem to cater more to the 4 wheelers than truckers. That is one reason I like to find good old fashioned mom and pop truck stops. :wink:

Good shower to try also is at Wendover NV. Free and big fluffy towels.

Hubby carries his own showerhead purchased from Home Depot. Gives him more water pressure. He just switches them out and then back before leaving.

Amen!

Yeah, like the mom & pop in Crossett, AR near the GP plant. They only had hand towels to dry off with. No soap (not a big deal as I had my own, but what if I didn't?), no A/C upstairs where the showers were (this is August, mid afternoon), no toilet in the room with the shower.

Real quality stuff. $5 and I managed to get clean. Barely.

It seems to me that you can have a bad shower at any truck stop. Corporation (I'm talking to you, Windwalker) or not. My experience in Crossett is a perfect example.

Unless you can talk about a specific shower number (#4 at the Flying J in Rawlins, for instance) and not give your opinion, only facts, shower 'reviews' are just hyperbole.

1) sulfur smelling water
2) broken tiles
3) loose toilet seat (watch your balls, guys)
4) no power at the outlet
5) no deadbolt on door

These are examples of genuine, non-opinion based comments that are actually helpful. Blanket statements only serve to make n00bs freaked out.

I was at that place-Picked up a load of Lumber or fibre board-Wasn't it a LP Plant though?

I dropped off paper towels.

LP? Maybe. I swear it was a GP plant.

avoid
 

The fly J, below KC onn 71S bound side. They smell and have flys @ no extra chrg. Just there Wed.

Well, Just wear shower shoes! and I keep a spray bottle of Rubbing alcohol to spray my feet before I put my socks on.

When you run flatbed you get really dirty and I dont really care what the conditions are. I am gonna take a shower right here and right now! if its real bad, I just try not to touch too much, get in and get out.

Id say the cleanest showers Ive seen so far is the Iowa 80 T/A in Walcott. Its still kinda new!

My wife likes to have a chair she can sit in while in the shower. She is disabled and it is difficult for her to stand for very long. We primarily stop at Pilot, usually those that used to be Williams, unless I can find a good independent. They have been very accommodating to her and the showers are usually larger.

Did a double-take on this one... until I saw it said "former Williams". Haven't tried them. In general, I REFUSE to do any Pilots. They've SCREWED UP so many places they've taken over. There is a good independant north of Wausau, WI that has seats in the showers. Shower nozzle is also on a hose so you can move it around while you shower. And they are CLEAN. But they could be a bit more roomy.

I used to be "HERDED" into Pilot and T/A like a lot of other drivers. I know what it was like to try to shower there. Today, I REFUSE to work for any company that uses Pilot (or Loves) for fuel. And, for me, most T/A's are a thing of the past as well. I've been into a Pilot exactly twice this year. It was a choice of 20 gallons or get behind my truck and push. But when I did go to Pilots, their showers were very small and confined. If you have clostraphobia, you won't be happy. Don't want to try to count the times they had no hot water, either. And they didn't care if they did or not.

You're like a record that is skipping over the same spot. And you don't really comment on my quoted text. But that's fine.

At 6'6" and 425 pounds, I had no fits of claustrophobia in any shower I took at a Pilot. Some T/A showers were older and used standard issue shower doors and they were like 34"x34". That's small for me. Kind of hard to avoid the water during the soap up phase. :wink:

Seriously, I'm thinking a "I Hate Pilot" thread would be perfect for you. Every week or so, you could post another few sentences and I could avoid that thread. :P

Just joking...

I call 'em as I see 'em... :wink:
But when you shower at a Pilot, being your size (I'm not, so I don't know but I can imagine) do you also have a problem getting the water to run past where your mid-section meets the walls and down to the drain? (also joking)

Have you ever had the chance to use the showers at Hubbard, OH, at Truck World? No doors on the showers and you could fit THREE PEOPLE in at the same time if you so desired. I don't get there as often as I might like. The problem for me is that I have to cross Ohio to get there. But I do stop there rather than the Flying J down the street.

I'm pretty sure you're confusing short and fat (round, pear shaped body) with tall and fat (this looks more like a lineman in your American Football). I look like a lineman. I can see my johnson below my gut (without a mirror) and I can move just fine at that size. I've never been to the Hubbard truck stop. I always stayed at exit 223.

I'm basically straight at the sides with a mild belly sticking out. I never bumped the walls at a Pilot. I had more problem getting my hands over my head with those tiny shower enclosures.

Not like this:

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image...4_belly203.jpg

More like this, but taller:

http://www.briansbelly.com/halloffam...njames_ips.jpg

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Go another nine miles (or stop nine miles earlier) and check out the restuarant. And the showers. I have not found one that is not kept clean, and they are roomy. Matter of fact it's the showers I stop there for. Well... I'm also addicted to the "hot sausage sandwiches" at the hot-dog shop too. Maneuvering into a parking place is easier than most places too. I can see what that would turn into if Pilot ever got in there. Twice as many trucks and twice as many damaged ones too.

I've been to the ones at 223 and 226. I stay away from the rest of them and go to 234. Try it and you may find things there that you like too.

I was joking about your size. At 6' and 215, I'm not small either. At 60 years old, my chest has done a little slipping, but not too bad yet.

baylor hows your list going ... on suggestions? .... Do you think we can make a change with the TS out there :?: :?: ...

Showers
 

To be CLEAN and ventilated with dry, hairless space to place my toiletries and clothes. The mold and water dripping off the ceiling, burnt toilet seats, corroded faucets, shower curtains that are so moldy they can stand up by themselves, hair everywhere...it's disgusting. My company has it's own fuel terminals so I usually have to pay for a shower. Paying 9.00/12.00 dollars to risk getting sick from a grungy shower is depressing to say the least. I just want it to be clean and in descent condition. Truck driving isn't a clean job and there are some drivers I wouldn't want to be in the same room with much less take a shower after. I would like to add that the TA's are the worst I've seen in all areas with the Pilots a close second.

I want to thank all you ladies (and a few gentleman) for your replies and ideas!

We are working on our first model unit (located somewhere in Texas). I would love your suggestions on other possible locations in the U.S.

Our basic concept is to provide a shower facility like no other. The building would include the following:

1) Large, clean Showers with sit down capability (did i say clean?)
2) Pressurized , Multiple Message Type Shower Heads
3) High quality towels, fragrance soaps & shampoo
4) 1 room with Large Air Jacuzzi Tub & Walk In Showers & 32" flat screen TV
5) All rooms would include a large vanity with proper lighting for makeup and hair "restoration" (drying)
6) Other amenities I can't mention at this time (i don't want to give too many ideas away until it is completely built - like workout room...oops!)

Bottom line - it would look like something out of the Southern Living Magazine "Idea Home".

I do need to ask 1 last question: Based on what's been mentioned above, how much would you be willing to pay for a 5-star shower facility?

Lastly, one idea we had was to create a website you could go to that would take surveys (with visual pictures) rating your interest or better said, taking your input to help facilitate our building based on real live survey data.

Again, thank you for all your great suggestions. I will be at the Dallas Truck Show this week, so I hope to see you there. Just in case your looking, I'm the 7'6" Chinese guy!

I think you're right now but I've been there :P

What ever you do, it should be durable. Some of these drivers go out of their way to destroy a facility. The problem in having to pay for a shower is that most of the time you can get a free shower with at least 50 gallons of fuel. Given the choice of paying for a shower or getting one for free, I think most would choose to get the free shower. Some may feel differently.

If a shower does not meet my expectations when I enter. I report the problem then, not after my shower. They will either fix the problem, give a refund or credit my card what ever is applicable. If everyone would do this, it will go a long way toward improving the less that desirable conditions.

I would pay extra for a whirlpool jet large tub. I like a fan in the shower room too. Some are so hot that I sweat more when I leave!

Places that really need a good T/S are: Tampa FL and San Diego...if you could afford the land, you would "CLEAN-UP"!

I'd like to learn more about those TA Portable Showers. What do they usually cost? I've never seen one before, and they sound awfully safe compared to truck stops, a good way to save money, and convienient. I'm a sucker for convienience...

showers
 

as most of you know "baylor" is working on a shower facility somewhere in texas. they do have a website now that you can check out pictures & amenties. the name of the business is watermarksuites. their website has the same name.