Sams Club?

westernrvparkowner wrote:
why pay $5.00 for a dirt lot with nothing when Walmart offers paved parking, ...

Very true. The best thing I would strive to offer is quiet, but, that usually makes a place more off the main road and harder to find.

I'd have to cough up some big bucks to put up a sound wall, or find technology to solve that. I'd be wise to put my lots near Walmarts that do not allow O/N.

hokeypokey wrote:
We've used a school parking lot when school wasn't in session. Didn't see a soul come or go in the short time we were there. I've heard of using a church parking lot and the camper put some money in an envelope and left it with the Pastor for the collection plate.

A stranger camping in an elementary school parking lot surely wouldn't trigger anyone to shout "stranger danger". The local residents will just tell their six year olds to ignore the creepy old man in his underwear. Perfectly good plan.

2oldman wrote:
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?

why pay $5.00 for a dirt lot with nothing when Walmart offers paved parking, a plce to eat and a clean restroom for 100% less? Walmarts are easy to find, your dirt lots would require advertising. 10% of your five bucks disappear in swipe fees and that is before transaction fees. Then you have to pay the guy monitoring the security cameras. And we haven't even got started oncovering overhead, trash pickup, cost of fences, cameras, land costs, insurance etc. This is why people who have money to burn soon run out of firewood.

hokeypokey wrote:
We've used a school parking lot when school wasn't in session. Didn't see a soul come or go in the short time we were there. I've heard of using a church parking lot and the camper put some money in an envelope and left it with the Pastor for the collection plate.

I think around here at a public school the cop is going to knock on your door and ask you what's up. He may let you stay but, if you don't inform someone first that you are going to be there then they are going to be suspicious. Then wake you up to see what is going on.

Might tell you to leave too.

Church might work if you talk to the pastor first. The police will ask him if they wonder about it. If he / she has given you permission you would be good to go.

enblethen wrote:
There is other locations beside Walmart. Have to check at each location but Home Depot, Lowes and Menards allow overnighting at many locations.

On our fall trip to the Maritimes and Minnesota , Maine the whole N/E area we would arrive only to find the campground we had reservations at was closed. One memorial night we stopped at a WM next to a HD and found out most HDs have Wi-Fi. Seems a lot of their customers(contractors) use it and so HD provides it. There were more RVs there than in the WM lot.

We have used Sam's Club lots, nice folks directed us to a spot behind the building and up wind from the Semi's.

Crowe wrote:
Cabela's also allows overnight stays too.

Some, not all.

I think the ones that don't are more due to local ordinances,rather than Cabela's policy

We've used a school parking lot when school wasn't in session. Didn't see a soul come or go in the short time we were there. I've heard of using a church parking lot and the camper put some money in an envelope and left it with the Pastor for the collection plate.

Rvparky is a great app for searching overnight spots, complete with phone numbers and even some reviews. We use it on long trips, search ahead, call the store manager, get approval enroute. When we arrive we go in, pick up a few things and stop by and thank the manager.

2oldman wrote:
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?

Sure if it fit my travel plans (location & timing).

Nice in theory, but with all the retail spots & parking lots, not sure the demand would be there to make it a profitable business vs what the land would be worth.

Although you did say money to burn.:@

Seeking out the "Retail" establishments (Walmarts, Sams, Cracker Barrells, Flying Js, etc), is currently the way many do these over-nite stops. Nice level spots to stop, many times some level of security, and the ease of pulling off highway for a couple hours to a full night's sleep.

"Cavemancharlie
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."



Thanks for clarification on checking city parks, may be an option, depending on location. Many jump on these threads, where someone is trying to gauge over-nite stops, with a blanket statement about campgrounds & why would you ever stay overnite at a Walmart. As far as planning, some of our trips, are planned to travel at night (after work, to a certain point), so we don't kill our limited days with traveling to our adventure spot.

Markiemark:C

If you are a member of the Elks, see if there's an Elk's club near where you want to stop. Our local chapter has hookups and can accommodate 2 RVs.