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Slideouts @ WalMart Redux

4X4Dodger
Explorer II
Explorer II
While I was at the Wal Mart in Whitehorse, Yukon I was also reading the original post Slideouts @ Wal Mart.

So I got on top of my trailer and took some photos.

When I went to bed the night before there were 22 campers in this Wal Mart. Campers of every description from million dollar class A's to simple scruffy Van campers and everything in between.

As you can see from the pictures below a good share of the parking lot is taken with RV'ers.

So WHY is this the case when there are at least Four good and mostly empty RV Parks very close to the city?

My guess is this: While Whitehorse has it's attractions most people just stay a night and move on. (I was on my way to Skagway, AK) and they:

1. Dont want the hassle of checking in and out of a park and dealing with what is often a Curmudgeonly owner who harangues you endlessly with his woes or rules.

2. Want to keep their units hooked together (either TV and Trailer or MH and toad (and this is not always possible in an RV park)

3. They want the convenience of being near shopping to replenish and get fuel in the AM right there in the corner by the Wal Mart.

4. They want VALUE for their money. And it makes little sense to pay $35 to $45 Dollars to stay 9 or 10 hours especially when you dont want all the so called Amenities and dubious ambiance of an RV Park.

5. All of the above

When I see 4 empty RV parks in one town like Whitehorse and the Wal Mart parking lot FULL it certainly leads one to believe that RV park Owners are just not responding to the needs of their customers. I can't believe that the person in the Million Dollar MH and the rest of them were all just concerned about the cost (vs the value).

My guess is if RV park owners want to reduce this trend they need to give a hard look at what they do and how they do it and how they come across to the public (their customers).

But really what RV Park can give you faster WiFi than McDonalds and an entire shopping center at your doorstep?







Edited for spelling and clarity by author.
53 REPLIES 53

JFNM
Explorer
Explorer
KazooTom wrote:
I believe I read on their web site that Route 66 Casino in New Mexico is developing a full service RV park.


I flew over yesterday and they are definitely constructing an RV park.
JD - Full timer out west
1998 MCI 102-EL3 Revolution | 2010 Wrangler (daJeep) | 1.7kW Solar - 10kWh Lithium
My Adventures

pnichols
Explorer II
Explorer II
I'll post again what I've mentioned a few times in these forums: RV park owners could get more of my money on our RV trips if they offered dry camping spots available for one night only - with no use of their facilities allowed other than dumping of trash.

I'd rather pay $10 for a single-night-only dry camping spot in an RV park instead of free Walmart parking lots, free Cabellas parking lots, free Cracker Barrel parking lots, free Port of Entry parking lots, free church parking lots, etc.. RV parks are generally more secure, prettier, and quieter than parking lots.

As a result, RV parks get none of my money many times when they could get $10 of my money many times for one night stop-overs. It's no different than retail stores having a full time bargain bin for selected items on sale. RV parks need to do the same.
2005 E450 Itasca 24V Class C

tpi
Explorer
Explorer
I agree with most of what the OP is saying. Walmart and RVers have a synergistic relationship. Walmart is close to a perfect RV retail operation. They're everywhere, they had wide variety from groceries to hardware. We always need something they carry. They're usually close to major highways. And many of them allow overnight parking.

I personally have a pretty good opinion of RV parks in general. I know what to expect and have not generally encountered grumpy proprietors-although it is clear they exist. If the Walmart was emptying four RV parks, I'm not sure what the parks could do about it. It sounds like the area was overbuilt with RV parks. No matter what the RV park charged, they could not offer a full retail store with just about everything. Successful RV parks probably have two attributes: Well run operations, and Location Location Location.

TooTall2
Explorer
Explorer
KazooTom wrote:
I believe I read on their web site that Route 66 Casino in New Mexico is developing a full service RV park. Scheduled to open in August. Did you see any evidence of this when you were there?


No, I didn't see any evidence of that while we were there. It would have to be in the rear of the casino. I'm curious now, I'm going to look at my photos and see if I can see anything going on in the back. It's a great stopover.
Rockwood 2104 Mini Lite
RAM 2500 Diesel
USMC 68-70

KazooTom
Explorer
Explorer
I believe I read on their web site that Route 66 Casino in New Mexico is developing a full service RV park. Scheduled to open in August. Did you see any evidence of this when you were there?
Tom & Barb
'07 Winnebago Voyage 35L
Workhorse W22 Chassis

TooTall2
Explorer
Explorer
Casinos are also nice. Stayed at the Route 66 casino just west of Albuquerque, Az. They welcome RVs. We stopped on our way out to Zion and again on the way back. A couple of video's if your interested.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQZELcg6B-A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAsSTZlJ1F8
Rockwood 2104 Mini Lite
RAM 2500 Diesel
USMC 68-70

TooTall2
Explorer
Explorer
We stayed at the Walmart in Page, Az this month. There's a free dump across the street at the car wash behind the Shell station. This Walmart is a great stop. See link below. I made a movie of my stay.

https://youtu.be/nx3o-SSVYjk
Rockwood 2104 Mini Lite
RAM 2500 Diesel
USMC 68-70

4X4Dodger
Explorer II
Explorer II
free radical wrote:
Im guessing everyone wants to keep their expenses down,,paying 45$ @night is 1300$ a months,,that can buy you lots of fuel..

I prefer WM or truck stops mostly for all the conveniences of ready to eat food..I hate cooking when traveling..
I dont like CGrounds as one can hear next door neighbors snoring and worse,,I rather hear big rigs idle..


The outrageous cost of fuel in BC especially and Canada in general in comparison to the US is also an incentive for folks to save by staying at NON RV parks.

Even WITH the exchange rate in our favor the Fuel (gas and diesel) is considerably higher in Canada.

This hurts Canada tourism. Instead of taking my time and going to out of the way places on my trip up to or the return from Alaska, I just take the shortest route possible and get out of Canada and back to sane fuel prices as soon as possible.

free_radical
Explorer
Explorer
4X4Dodger wrote:
While I was at the Wal Mart in Whitehorse, Yukon I was also reading the original post Slideouts @ Wal Mart.

So I got on top of my trailer and took some photos.

When I went to bed the night before there were 22 campers in this Wal Mart. Campers of every description from million dollar class A's to simple scruffy Van campers and everything in between.

As you can see from the pictures below a good share of the parking lot is taken with RV'ers.

So WHY is this the case when there are at least Four good and mostly empty RV Parks very close to the city?

My guess is this: While Whitehorse has it's attractions most people just stay a night and move on. (I was on my way to Skagway, AK) and they:

1. Dont want the hassle of checking in and out of a park and dealing with what is often a Curmudgeonly owner who harangues you endlessly with his woes or rules.

2. Want to keep their units hooked together (either TV and Trailer or MH and toad (and this is not always possible in an RV park)

3. They want the convenience of being near shopping to replenish and get fuel in the AM right there in the corner by the Wal Mart.

4. They want VALUE for their money. And it makes little sense to pay $35 to $45 Dollars to stay 9 or 10 hours especially when you dont want all the so called Amenities and dubious ambiance of an RV Park.

5. All of the above

When I see 4 empty RV parks in one town like Whitehorse and the Wal Mart parking lot FULL it certainly leads one to believe that RV park Owners are just not responding to the needs of their customers. I can't believe that the person in the Million Dollar MH and the rest of them were all just concerned about the cost (vs the value).

My guess is if RV park owners want to reduce this trend they need to give a hard look at what they do and how they do it and how they come across to the public (their customers).

But really what RV Park can give you faster WiFi than McDonalds and an entire shopping center at your doorstep?







Edited for spelling and clarity by author.

Im guessing everyone wants to keep their expenses down,,paying 45$ @night is 1300$ a months,,that can buy you lots of fuel..:)

I prefer WM or truck stops mostly for all the conveniences of ready to eat food..I hate cooking when traveling..
I dont like CGrounds as one can hear next door neighbors snoring and worse,,I rather hear big rigs idle..

Strabo
Explorer
Explorer
I have over nighted at a nice truck stop one night because our trucks alternator went dead, so I had to spend hours recharging our battery's on the truck using our toyhauler Genny, 1000 amp battery's take a long time to charge using a small stand alone charger.

As far as the truck stop, it was awesome. They allowed me to unload two quads and a rhino in the parking space next to us, which I cabled and locked up. Then at 2 am my wife wished for a shower to cool off, it was still 100 at that time in the morning. So the truck stop had great private huge showers for $12. I stood outside the door while she did her thing, shower room was clean and came with everything.

We would of used our toyhaulers shower but that day was also the only time I have ever dumped all our fresh water, I regretted that, never again.

In the end I was very happy with the truck stop, they accommodated us and went beyond what I was expecting. Truck stop was at the bottom of the Grapevine in California.
04' F350 PSD TB SC FX4 XLT, TH-04' 32' Sandpiper Sport Fifthwheel WB Dual Axle
07' Rhino 686 SS106-ITP-AFE-BRP-T4-CDI-KIBBLEBWHITE-CVT-TSTICH-Ridgid LED LightBar-HID Conversion Kit-LIVEWIRE
04' Honda 250 Sportstrac quad
05' Honda 400 Ranchers quad

joanne0012
Explorer
Explorer
When I'm just getting from Point A to Point B, finding a campground for the night is a hassle, as well as an expense. Compared to a typical campground, Walmarts are :

Easier to find and access
Always level, pull-through parking
Friendlier staff
Always answer their phone
Better camp store
Better security personnel
Cleaner bathrooms (though not as well-equipped)
No check-in, nosy neighbors, kids running around, smoky campfires, or loud singing into the night

I'll typically head out early in the AM, do touristy stuff mid-day, then finish the day's mileage quota later, on my way to the next WM. Living in the northeast corner of the country, I often have to travel a couple of days just to get the "real trip" started!
Joanne

2gypsies1
Explorer II
Explorer II
Once again, here is WalMart's take on parking there:

http://corporate.walmart.com/frequently-asked-questions

Also, WalMart doesn't own all their parking lots.
Full-Timed for 16 Years
.... Back in S&B Again
Traveled 8 yr in a 40' 2004 Newmar Dutch Star Motorhome
& 8 yr in a 33' Travel Supreme 5th Wheel

JFNM
Explorer
Explorer
For me, #5 is the answer when passing thru an area. A campground that had a huge parking lot that cost very little ($10???) would be nearly as attractive to me. However; I suspect that is hard to accomplish. Walmart's parking lot is "paid for" by its mass of retail customers. A campground with 10 acres of open space (parking lot) would need to be funded somehow.
JD - Full timer out west
1998 MCI 102-EL3 Revolution | 2010 Wrangler (daJeep) | 1.7kW Solar - 10kWh Lithium
My Adventures

JimBollman
Explorer
Explorer
If the trip is the vacation we stay at campgrounds (if available), if the vacation is at the destination we stay where it is convenient till we get there. We don't stay at Walmart's often but our experience has been good when we have.

2oldman
Explorer II
Explorer II
4X4Dodger wrote:
Edited for spelling and clarity by author.
Change the it's to its.

Most WM lots don't allow rigs to be spaced out all over the lot.
"If I'm wearing long pants, I'm too far north" - 2oldman