BlackSilver wrote: Why is only Walmart obligated to provide us with a free camping spot? Does Target offer you one, or Cracker Barrel, or Outback, or the local Chevy dealer, or the Baptist Church, or the Mobil station, or the strip mall by my dentists office? ...
Because WalMart has an official corporate policy of allowing RVers to stay overnight unless local conditions or regulations prohibit it. I believe that Cracker Barrel has a similar policy.
As noted above, some WalMarts are posted against overnighting but enforce the prohibition very selectively. I have found it best to just call ahead and ask the customer service desk about the store's policy. You don't have to speak specifically to the manager, he's a busy guy.
I've parked at a fair number of Wal-Marts overnight as well as Cracker Barrel. If there are other RVs parked I take a spot and snooze. If there are no signs or no others and it's a 24 hour one, I leave the curtains open and close the bedroom door. I, too, could leave in 30 seconds if I need to.
Our kids are grown now and have families of their own, but just out of curiosity, those of you that travel with kids -- how's the Wal-Mart "camping" experience work for you? I would never think of "camping" (on a regular basis) in a freakin' parking lot and pass it off on my kids as a vacation. Plenty of asphalt, bright lights, noise, an occasional runaway shopping cart, and of course absolutely NO amenities. I wouldn't do that to my family. If money was the object, I'd take a shorter albeit nicer trip. I know plenty of you disagree with me, but parking lot "camping" is a poor excuse for a family vacation.
I am constantly amazed at the number of people who seem to think they are owed something just because they shop in a store. Also amazed at people who spend 100-300 thousand for a rig and then say they cant afford to pay campground fees. Give me a break.
mintaka wrote: been on road 6 months now...campground 2 nights wal mart about 30% of time..the rest creativity....i doubt if everyone is either at campgrounds or walmart..
I've never stayed at a WalMart, or any other store parking lot. Always at a cg. I don't begrudge those who do, but also have no sympathy for them if they get thrown out.
While there is a small minority who abuse the privilege, Wal-Mart camping is not camping at all . Most people overnight at wall mart just to have a place to rest for the evening. They don't require hook ups. Generally they arrive at dusk and leave at dawn. They are not looking for any amenities or services. Arriving at a CG at Dusk and leaving at dawn can be very annoying to other campers. As to cost, why pay $40.00 bucks to overnight and disturb others in the process. If Wal Mart doesn't mind and actually promotes the policy, why are so many offended that some RV'ers choose to overnight at Wal-Mart?
Lantley wrote: ... If Wal Mart doesn't mind and actually promotes the policy, why are so many offended that some RV'ers choose to overnight at Wal-Mart?
I don't think it's the act staying overnight as much as the feeling that purchases from Walmart entitle one to park on their lot overnight.
I have never had the opportunity to stop at any of these places for an overnight snooze. We had a PUP before and I could not imagine stopping and putting one of those up in a parking lot, not to mention the security issue.
But we just bought a TT and our style of traveling is to travel hard and fast for a couple days until we get to interesting country whence we slow down. We often head west for out summer trip (from Florida) and I don't think you get to interesting country until you are west of San Antonio. So we used to Motel it a night or two on the way west.
But now I do plan to hit the Walmart/Cracker Barrel for that one or two nights. We are heading north this year to Acadia and I already have a stop marked north of Chattanooga that has both a Walmart and a Cracker Barrel for our first night. I might drive until 9PM and get going at 5 or 6 AM. Why do I need a CG amenities, plus they will be closed by then anyway. If Walmart provides this to their customers then you would be foolish to turn them down.
Is parking your RV on concrete, packed in with 100s of other RVs, hooked up to electric, water and sewage really camping --its parking too.
I have to say to the WM SNOBS that it looks to me like BOONDOCKING in a WAL MART lot is more like CAMPING than parking in a "CAMPGROUND."
I have had better sites in WM parking lots than a lot of CGs I've stayed in.
I only WM on my way to far-off destinations (where I PAY to use a CG). I "camp" in my camper wherever the property owner and local laws allow --it matters not what anyone else thinks.
I am a new member of the "camping snob club." If you aren't at least 1/2 mile from the nearest road, YOU ARE NOT CAMPING --you are parking.
I don't care if you call it a parking lot or a campground. They are pretty much the same.
Anyone ever heard the term RV Park --that's the real name we should use.
If you think you're camping anywhere in an RV, you're fooling yourself!!! I don't care how many S'mores you cook on the open fire. Cook in a dutch oven if you like. Its still NOT camping, whether its Wal Mart or Camp Lost-In-the-Woods.
I still call it a camper and call it lets go camping, so I'm fooling myself too.
Chuck, Heidi, Jessica, Nicholas & Tan Puppy
2008 3/4-ton Yukon XL, Flagstaff 831BHSS
Equalizer Hitch and Prodigy
turninghawk wrote: Our kids are grown now and have families of their own, but just out of curiosity, those of you that travel with kids -- how's the Wal-Mart "camping" experience work for you? I would never think of "camping" (on a regular basis) in a freakin' parking lot and pass it off on my kids as a vacation. Plenty of asphalt, bright lights, noise, an occasional runaway shopping cart, and of course absolutely NO amenities. I wouldn't do that to my family. If money was the object, I'd take a shorter albeit nicer trip. I know plenty of you disagree with me, but parking lot "camping" is a poor excuse for a family vacation.
Our kids are asleep by 7pm. We generally use truck stops, rest areas, wallmarts or whatever when traveling to our chosen roaming grounds. For example we spent 2 weeks traveling around NC and Virgina. But on the drive up from florida and back we did not use a campground, as we didn't stop until the drivers wanted to (around 8pm). No way was I going to spend $40 a night to stay in a RV tenament for 9 hours.
Of course if we did the same trip this year we might just stay in RV tenaments, as the cost to run our Gennie for 9 hours is just silly.
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