WALMART RV Parking

A couple years ago, I was looking at how economically feasible it would be to have a parking area just for people to get some shut-eye securely. However, there were just a ton of costs that made it not workable unless there was another income source from the property like a 24 hour store.

There are a lot of regulations, and asking $10 to park can open up a lot of can of worms, such as ADA compliance, having to have working restrooms on premises that can handle the people parking, etc.

The best way to go about having dry camping/parking would be to have three things on site: A 24 hour shop or gas station, a full service CG, then an empty parking lot. That way, the revenue from the gas station and the CG will pay for the capital needed to keep a parking lot going.

It is a good idea, but it is something very difficult to do because it takes a lot of capital outlay for the real estate. In some places, $40 a CG asks can barely cover the real estate taxes, sales tax, bed taxes, liability insurance, Wi-Fi coverage, electrical/plumbing/sewage, road upkeep, grounds upkeep, security and rules enforcement, and the cost of the employees to work this.

westernrvparkowner wrote:

Turtle n Peeps wrote:
Na, I own enough RV parks that are doing quite well, I don't need anymore. But thanks anyway for the thought. :)

Now you say you own parks that are doing well, yet the link on your profile goes to a bankrupt park. And of course all your successful parks are $10.00 parks that have lots of loss leaders. . Bunch of BS, but what else should we expect from an internet business expert who probably hasn't run a business as large as a neighborhood lemonade stand.

No big deal if you don't want to say where your park is.

For all I know you might not even own one. Just wanted to see what the reviews said. Bet I already know. :B More than likely a good decision. ;)

The consumer can be harsh to a business owner with an attitude.

beemerphile1 wrote:
Why are you hanging around a beginning RV forum? You live on the road for extended periods, operate your own websites, you have a blog, you sell books on how to avoid camping fees, and you advocate camping for free. You brag that you traveled for an entire 12 months but only spent $115.50 in camping fees. You certainly are NOT a beginning RVer.
In my honest opinion you are only on here to take advantage of this free forum to do research for some idea you have.

I think I was pretty honest about why I'm here in my initial post. I'm looking for input from RVers about "my idea" for a new project: Starting an advocacy group for RVers who'd like to see options besides all or nothing ($40 per night or Walmart). Someone as "experienced as I am in my niche" might be able to get something like this going - IF enough RVers want it. If they're all like you, beemerphile1, then there's no need for me to think about it. I'm simply here to find out.

I have to say that I'm really not used to a community that converses with so much sarcasm.... Maybe it was a mistake to come here hoping for true feedback or constructive ideas.

"You wouldn't like my parks since we don't run loss-leaders and don't offer $10.00 sites, so there is really no need give out their locations."

IMO, westernrv doesn't show his locations out of pure (and probably justified) paranoia. He is quite simply afraid of the weirdos out there (yes, even on these forums) that just might make his life miserable if his locations were widely known.
I, too, would like to know what Montana RV parks are his. There are only three such parks in this state that I have patronized over the last 10 or 15 years. One is a KOA, the other two are not isn't. One is in Deer Lodge, one is in Great Falls, and the other is West of East Glacier. Are any of them his? I really don't care!

Turtle n Peeps wrote:
Na, I own enough RV parks that are doing quite well, I don't need anymore. But thanks anyway for the thought. :)

Now you say you own parks that are doing well, yet the link on your profile goes to a bankrupt park. And of course all your successful parks are $10.00 parks that have lots of loss leaders. . Bunch of BS, but what else should we expect from an internet business expert who probably hasn't run a business as large as a neighborhood lemonade stand.

Shunpikers wrote:

westernrvparkowner wrote:
Actually, when I see people staying at Walmart, I just think they are not my customers.

Anyone besides me wondering why a (successful) RV park owner who doesn't think we are his/her customers is hanging around this particular forum?

Why are you hanging around a beginning RV forum? You live on the road for extended periods, operate your own websites, you have a blog, you sell books on how to avoid camping fees, and you advocate camping for free. You brag that you traveled for an entire 12 months but only spent $115.50 in camping fees. You certainly are NOT a beginning RVer.

In my honest opinion you are only on here to take advantage of this free forum to do research for some idea you have.

I do overnight at Walmart when on the road. I will NOT go hunting for a campground off the main road to spend $10. Westernrvparkowner is correct, the Walmart overnighters wouldn't be patronizing him at any price.

Na, I own enough RV parks that are doing quite well, I don't need anymore. But thanks anyway for the thought. :)

Turtle n Peeps wrote:

westernrvparkowner wrote:

Turtle n Peeps wrote:
Some of you so called business people need to look up the definition of "loss leaders."

Back in the day an old man by the name of Sam practiced it a lot when he had one little store in Ar. Sam is gone now but I hear his stores (and I heard he has a lot of them?) still have the practice of loss leaders.

I now hear that a lot of RV parks complain about people using his stores to stay the night at. :B

I own my own business, employ others, pay all my bills on time and make a decent profit. Not sure that makes me a "so called business person". Doubt Walmart has to have many loss leaders when they can pay fifty cents a day to have Chinese child labor make the vast majority of their products. If you are so freakin smart, why don't you tell us your great business successes, how you single handedly changed an industry, how you used "loss leaders" to build a successful business, instead of relying on retelling the stories about Walmart, which I am pretty sure succeeded without any managerial help from you. BTW, I noticed the link you have in profile is to a resort that has closed and is now up for sale. Apparently you either selfishly didn't offer your vast business insight to help save it, or the restructuring plans and business strategies you implimented were a failure.

About the resort. Yes, like a lot of business, high debt and poor management IMHO. I had nothing to do with that. What next? Blame the US's high unemployment on me or the high cost of fuel? LOL

BTW where is your campground? I live in the west and I might visit it one day.

Well there is your opportunity to start your own Walmart-like empire. That resort is up for sale, buy it, implement your loss leaders and put in $10.00 RV sites and make your fortune. You wouldn't like my parks since we don't run loss-leaders and don't offer $10.00 sites, so there is really no need give out their locations.

westernrvparkowner wrote:

Turtle n Peeps wrote:
Some of you so called business people need to look up the definition of "loss leaders."

Back in the day an old man by the name of Sam practiced it a lot when he had one little store in Ar. Sam is gone now but I hear his stores (and I heard he has a lot of them?) still have the practice of loss leaders.

I now hear that a lot of RV parks complain about people using his stores to stay the night at. :B

I own my own business, employ others, pay all my bills on time and make a decent profit. Not sure that makes me a "so called business person". Doubt Walmart has to have many loss leaders when they can pay fifty cents a day to have Chinese child labor make the vast majority of their products. If you are so freakin smart, why don't you tell us your great business successes, how you single handedly changed an industry, how you used "loss leaders" to build a successful business, instead of relying on retelling the stories about Walmart, which I am pretty sure succeeded without any managerial help from you. BTW, I noticed the link you have in profile is to a resort that has closed and is now up for sale. Apparently you either selfishly didn't offer your vast business insight to help save it, or the restructuring plans and business strategies you implimented were a failure.

ROTFLMAO, ya in the 40's and 50's and 60's and 70's Sam must have used child labor in China to make his products because we all know we had a GREAT relationship with that country in those years.

You seem to think that Sam instantly had thousands of stores. That is not the case. He started out with one store. He built his business just like you and others do, one store or business at a time. It's just that he was very smart and was very good at business.

In other words he did not sit around and whine and moan about Sears or Wards or other big stores of the time trying to put him out of business. He instituted things like loss leaders and cheap pricing for his products. Must have been a pretty good business model because Wards is long gone and Sears was on the ropes until Kmart bought them out.

About the resort. Yes, like a lot of business, high debt and poor management IMHO. I had nothing to do with that. What next? Blame the US's high unemployment on me or the high cost of fuel? LOL

BTW where is your campground? I live in the west and I might visit it one day.

westernrvparkowner wrote:
Actually, when I see people staying at Walmart, I just think they are not my customers.

Anyone besides me wondering why a (successful) RV park owner who doesn't think we are his/her customers is hanging around this particular forum?