Hi All.

My wife and I along with our 2 youngish kids are planning a road trip in a hired RV. I was hoping some of you lovely people may be able to help me out with a few practical questions.

Are there laybys you can park up in overnight? Over in the UK truck drivers have set hours they can drive and all the major roads and freeways have places for them to pull over. i was hoping that we could do the same and save money on RV parks. I have heard that you can park in shopping malls and wall mart carparks. Can we do this and how safe is that?

How many miles do you get from the tank of a C25 standard motor home?

How long can you go without having to an RV park to change/refil the water etc. I have seen that these RVs come with generators. I assume these are for lighting/ac when you are not hooked up. Are there any hire companys that have solar power for these things?

We are coming over for the total eclipse this year and would like to see it in the smokey mountains. We are flying in/out of Atlanta and want to go down to New Orleans. Are there any recommendations on routes to take, places to see etc?

My final question is with regards to dos and donts. Im afraid that all i know about the states is what the media tell me, which over here is either mom's apple pie and thanksgiving or meth and semi automatic weaponry. Oh, and Burt Reynolds in a trans am (which is why ive wanted to do this trip since i was 7). I have travelled fairly extensively in other parts of the world and am pretty clued up on how to stay safe but all local knowledge is gratefully received.

Thank you in advance.
Chris