Sams Club?

If I were a younger man with cash to burn I'd open up a 'Swipe-and-Sleep' parking lot.

Swipe a valid CC to get in. Fenced with security cameras everywhere (mainly for cheaters). Just a flat, dirt lot. Perhaps add more amenites if business is good. Would you pay $5 for that, or go to Walmart?

I see your points. I don't travel cross country so I have no experience in this. I just know that these city owned parks exist. It may not always be convenient to use them.

A lot of them are self check in where you just pick a spot, fill out a envelope, and then put it in a slot with the money in it. But, almost all of them are a no noise after 11pm sort of thing so stopping at 1:36am would not work.

I guess I was think of traveling with a plan, knowing the route in advance, and then having phone numbers handy of the parks along the way so you can make a reservation on the go. I understand that for some people it doesn't work that way.

Forgive me I'm my dad's son. When we took family vacations as a kid we knew exactly how far we were going to go and where we were going to stop. Everything was planned out to the minute.

CavemanCharlie wrote:
just about every town around here has a small RV park somewhere in town...I would think this would be a better option than Wal*Mart or Sam's Club.

In some respects, yes. For me it's not about the money, it's the hassle. Find the place, check in, fill out forms, pay, try to talk the owner into letting you pick the spot so you don't end up under a maple tree, find your site without hitting any low-hanging tree branches which is almost always the case, find a spot level enough so you don't have to unhitch (that's hard).. and on and on.

A big dirt lot next to a truck stop is so much easier. Of course you have to come prepared, with your own water and power.

CavemanCharlie wrote:
I know things are different in different parts of the country. But, just about every town around here has a small RV park somewhere in town. A few of them are kinda nice. Of course you would have to pay the fee. It's usually 20 bucks or so.

I would think this would be a better option then Wall Mart or Sam's Club.

It's not always about being cheap........

Original question?

I've heard about people stopping at Walmart for a quick night's rest, I was wondering if Sam's Club allows this also? Was working on a May trip to Maine to visit my son and noticed a Sam's Club close to the interstate about where it might be good to stop on the way up.



Quick night's rest

Many times means stopping at 1:36am thru 6:30am, do these small nice RV park's cater to this?

I have a hard finding staff at that time for check-in, plus to respect the other campers there, the production of arriving after hours and leaving early hours, seems to really be an issue to the paying customers.

Markiemark:C

I know things are different in different parts of the country. But, just about every town around here has a small RV park somewhere in town. A few of them are kinda nice. Of course you would have to pay the fee. It's usually 20 bucks or so.

I would think this would be a better option then Wall Mart or Sam's Club.

Redterpos3 wrote:
I'd like to try a truck stop some time also, but it's probably less enjoyable than I'm thinking

Your best bet with a truck stop is in a smaller town, or along a freeway in the middle of nowhere, where there's lots of room, and you can park way out in the back 40, far away from any nighttime truck traffic.

Thanks all! I've never done it yet, but good to know it is possible if needed. Mostly I've liked stopping early and enjoying a campground. One reason we like KOA's because many are close to our travel roads and are quick on/off for that purpose. I'd like to try a truck stop some time also, but it's probably less enjoyable than I'm thinking and more just more of a stop-gap measure. I like the ideas of asking you never know whats possible unless you ask!!

Just about any big open space or parking lot is fine if you sleep and get out.

I asked a cop in Cortez, CO about overnight parking and he directed me to a lot across from a city park near a court house. Nice, quiet, but street lights and almost no traffic. Sometimes it helps to ask.

Cabela's also allows overnight stays too.

Some, not all.