To camp or not camp at WMart ?

azdryheat wrote:
Except for camping-on-the-cheap, what's the allure for a night at Walmart?

We don't camp at Walmart, just spend 6 to 8 hours to get some sleep. Most likely if we are spending the night at a Walmart it is because we are on a long haul and just need to get some rest. Most highway rest stops along I-95 (where most of our travels are) don't allow overnight parking. Truck stops are too noisy and too bright.

Walmart welcomes the practice and it also offers us a place to stock up on things we may have forgotten or perhaps we planned to use the Walmart to stock the camper for our trip. If we are pulling into a Walmart for some rest, it is usually late at night, after 11 pm. Instead of bothering campers pulling into or backing into a site and to possibly bother them again when we leave at the crack of dawn, it makes more sense to park at a Walmart. We don't need electric, water or sewer; we don't need a pool, playground, dog walk, etc., etc., Walmart is the better option for us.

-Michael

Wal*Mart


Always interesting - when leaving a local WM in Maryland I watched 2 Prevost pull in to spend the Night - almost took a picture for this type discussion.

Some people do some don't - just do what works for you!

We DO when it make sense - and we do not JUDGE those who need to.

JMHO,

GordonThree wrote:

azdryheat wrote:
Except for camping-on-the-cheap, what's the allure for a night at Walmart?

Cheap is the least of it as far as I'm concerned.


For those of us who are not yet living the leisure lifestyle, who can't afford to drive 100 miles and call it a day, we have to put 10-12 hours in on the road to get someplace.

Walmart are everywhere ... there's one every 60-100 miles along every interstate. They're right off the main road, and they're setup to deal with large vehicles, because they are supplied by semi trucks.

After spending all day driving, the last thing I want to do is find a campground that allows late arrival. I don't want to be messing around with my hookups or even unhitching the trailer. I want to walk the dog, feed the stomach and rest the eyes for a few hours before another all-day drive-a-thon. If I'm not hooking up, not unhitching, why should I pay $40-60 to park on some asphalt or gravel?

Walmart and other big box stores have the room. Rest areas and truck stops typically don't. I don't want to compete with truckers who need their mandatory downtime if I can avoid it.

But, like I said before, I'll never camp at a Walmart. I park there, overnight, and then on my way.

I save my leisurely days for my destination, and my camping dollars.

That pretty much nails it. Good post.

azdryheat wrote:
Except for camping-on-the-cheap, what's the allure for a night at Walmart?

It is blacktop boondocking.
bumpy

azdryheat wrote:
Except for camping-on-the-cheap, what's the allure for a night at Walmart?

Cheap is the least of it as far as I'm concerned.


For those of us who are not yet living the leisure lifestyle, who can't afford to drive 100 miles and call it a day, we have to put 10-12 hours in on the road to get someplace.

Walmart are everywhere ... there's one every 60-100 miles along every interstate. They're right off the main road, and they're setup to deal with large vehicles, because they are supplied by semi trucks.

After spending all day driving, the last thing I want to do is find a campground that allows late arrival. I don't want to be messing around with my hookups or even unhitching the trailer. I want to walk the dog, feed the stomach and rest the eyes for a few hours before another all-day drive-a-thon. If I'm not hooking up, not unhitching, why should I pay $40-60 to park on some asphalt or gravel?

Walmart and other big box stores have the room. Rest areas and truck stops typically don't. I don't want to compete with truckers who need their mandatory downtime if I can avoid it.

But, like I said before, I'll never camp at a Walmart. I park there, overnight, and then on my way.

I save my leisurely days for my destination, and my camping dollars.

Cities/towns pass ordinances based on demands/needs
Sometimes its local CGs most times its a result of too many police calls to Walmarts.

Then cities/towns are caught in that spot of having to do sometime and easiest means is NO Parking Ordinances.

I'm glad the local Walmart is now part of the NO Parking ........shoot outs with cops, pan handlers, urine bottles etc. All gone and one can safely walk area w/o added worry.

Good for those cities/towns that take action.

Stay at Rest Areas, stay at truck stops, stay at CGs---all places that were intended for travelers to stay at.

Except for camping-on-the-cheap, what's the allure for a night at Walmart?

I've never used a Walmart or any business for overnighting if there was sa campground available. That doesn't mean I haven't used one, it means that without warning a we have arrived at a campground and found it closed. No notification at all, no call, no email, nothing.

Found a Walmart adjacent to a Home Depot and stayed at the Walmart and shopped there, used the Home Depot WiFi and bought some supplies there too.

I personally think that the local campground complaining is a tale, there are some Walmarts that don't allow camping and there aren't any campgrounds anywhere near.

It may happen but not all Walmarts that don't allow overnighting have other reasons.

doxiemom11 wrote:
Usually it's campgrounds in the area that object and say they are losing money that gets the City Fathers thinking about it. Walmart doesn't mind. The people to stop to park usually spend money in their stores and/or buy gas at their stations or both. The Fathers should also remember that those people go shopping in their town, go out to eat and spend money in their town.

You nailed it!

Campgrounds are for camping, but who wants to pay greedy campground owners for all their amenities, which aren't always that great, just to get six hours of sleep?

Many of the campgrounds I see are nothing but parking lots with hookups and maybe table. Quieter then a WM, but not all that different.

I've only used WM when we had no choice, we don't find them the most restful of places and for that reason try for campgrounds. That said we are thankful they allow overnighting when we've needed it.