Boondocking at Walmart

[PDDGM]

We have boondocked at Walmart several times while traveling between campgrounds. I have noticed that some have signs stating: No 18 wheelers or RV's. A friend from California told me the other day that a lot of towns out there are passing ordinances to stop the boondocking. Have any of you ran into this, I can imagine it has something to do with those staying extended time in the parking lots. I saw a guy a couple of weeks ago, with the slides out, awning out and BBQ grill set up. In my opinion he was screwing it up for all.


Joe

[Effy]

As others have said we see this topic almost weekly. What I still can't fathom is why it's such a heated debate. If someone wants to stay at a WM and they let them, who cares? I don't get it. One of the coolest things about an RV is it's a rolling apartment. You can stay anywhere. And if that anywhere is ok with the management, what's all the fuss about? I really don't understand why folks get their knickers all in a twist about what other folks are doing. You do your thing and let everyone else do theirs. If you don't want to stay at Walmart, then don't. If you do and it works for you, great. Who cares?

[shaneperch]

rockhillmanor wrote:
If a person's RV budget does not have funds for CG's, why buy an RV? :?

I don't know. I can't afford much right now. bur I still want an RV and have one. I always believe that if someone wants something than get it. whatever way morally legally possible.

[rockhillmanor]

If a person's RV budget does not have funds for CG's, why buy an RV? :?

[JTHarley]

Wal-Mart is the MOST EXPENSIVE campground or overnight that I have ever stayed at. We always stop at a walmart on night one of our winter trek south. The DW always goes in to the service desk after she has shopped to load up the RV....it is never less than $150-200 bucks of groceries, supplies ect....and asks if it is ok to get a few hours of rest in the parking lot. We have never been told no.

That being said, there will always be those who deploy the slides, put out the carpet, awnings and grill. 2 years ago I asked a guy parked in the back lot how long he had been there. He said 2 days and was leaving the next day....he apparently was visiting family that lived about a mile away. That seems a bit much.

[John_S_]

I have stayed in rest area all across the country. If you are e galley parked in a class A you will have no problem. The no camping sign is for tents and awnings. I pull in at dark and leave in the morning. Never had a drunk or loud music or a bonfire out of control. If you stop there during the day then night is no different. I have covered 300,000 miles this way in my motorhome. Heck, Tioga George never stays in a campground but I do when I get to my destination. Every talks and says it is dangerous or unsavory, well life is dangerous and there are issues in campgrounds too. I find wl marts too busy and so are trucks stops. I have been in a rest are out west where I am the only unit in there all night or most of it.

Now some say to stay in a campground , sure I bet you want to be next to e too. I will pull in. At 9 pm and leave at 4am. I have a resonator now so I am a bit louder too. I have everything indeed in the coach and no desire to travel far off the interstate. There are a few camp grounds Ido use but they are easy off and on and full of transients.

[AZPops]

As for me, call me whatever you want, but I just park where the OTR's are parked (if there's space) on an exit in the middle of no where! and or find my own exit to park at (done that many a times)!

But I see no reason why not to park at a Wal*Mart if it's OK at that location! Park, shop, get some quick Z's, and not bother anyone warming up the ol'diesel in the early AM our late night hours.

What's so bad about that? .... :h

But again, I lile finding a place out in no where land! It's dark at night, quite, run the ol'Onan with no neighbors to bother, or better yet no neighbors at all, and Anonymous Jr. likes it to when he goes outside to play ball and do his thing!

Anonymous

PS Should the local Deputy stop by to check on how you're doing. I'd suggest you open the door slowly, make sure both hands are in the open, with noth'in in them! .... :B

[PDDGM]

msmith1199 wrote:

gouda wrote:
If you own a motorhome, you should be able to afford a RV park or to stay at a place where they allow or encourage such things. But not Wal-Mart.

Or if you own a motorhome maybe all you can still afford is a free parking space at Walmart.

I guess if I could afford a 40 ft diesel pusher and a new toad to pull behind it, I could afford to stay in a cg every night. But I own a used 33 ft gas rig, and live on a budget of 2000.00 a month which has to cover all expenses, so I cut corners where I can. As one other person said, if cg's had a nightly rate if arriving after 6 and didn't want full hookups, then yep I would most likely stay in a cg, also if some were a little more accessible from the interstate. Don't like driving miles off on two lane roads to find a campground that may or may not be open. Not tryng to be crabby this early in the morning, but some folks think because you have an RV and travel you are rich and can afford anything, well there are a lot of us out here
that are not rich and still have a good time.

[jerseyjim]

RVing cross country (4 times, so far) I (we) much prefer our overnights at a cg. Yeah...costs a few bucks, but we feel much better...and safer. Mostly KOAs but use non-KOAs when zthe occasion arises. Never a problem.
Only once after a totally exhausting day...did we elect to stay overnight at a Wal-Mart...in a town called Seminole, Texas. We did go in the store, found the manager and asked for permission to stay....no problem. And...we bought some stuff. Didn't really need anything...but kinda like a "thank you".
For whatever reason, we were not comfortable, slept fitfully and left around 4:30AM to continue our travel. Nothing happened...perhaps our anxiety was unfounded, but there it was.
We hve a Wal-Mart not 5 miles from our house. The nearest cg is at least 40 miles away...but no overnight parking. Not from Wal-Mart, but from the township.
It's always a few that screw things up for the many.

[diggermik]

I have stayed at a Walmart or Cracker Barrel on several trips but would actually prefer to stay at a campground but that said if the campground operators had a different over night rate of say $20.00 for people that arrive after 7 pm or so and are not even going to use any of the facilities except for maybe electric they would probally see more folks at their campground and less folks staying at a walmart or any other place like that. Just my opinion

[tropical36]

PDDGM wrote:
We have boondocked at Walmart several times while traveling between campgrounds. I have noticed that some have signs stating: No 18 wheelers or RV's. A friend from California told me the other day that a lot of towns out there are passing ordinances to stop the boondocking. Have any of you ran into this, I can imagine it has something to do with those staying extended time in the parking lots. I saw a guy a couple of weeks ago, with the slides out, awning out and BBQ grill set up. In my opinion he was screwing it up for all.


Joe

It has to do with the town's board members owning campgrounds, hotels and such that don't like you staying anyplace for free. Ashland WI was like this and we ended up in the American Inn parking lot with a low voltage 20amp outlet on a light pool for about $25 and continental breakfast.

[msmith1199]

gouda wrote:
If you own a motorhome, you should be able to afford a RV park or to stay at a place where they allow or encourage such things. But not Wal-Mart.

Or if you own a motorhome maybe all you can still afford is a free parking space at Walmart.

[RayChez]

It is like anything that is free, pretty soon people will take advantage of the situation and eventually will ruin it for everybody. In Barstow I have seen a couple of coaches that park in the far end away from the store, but I have seen parked on the side of the road going out of the parking area.

The first WalMart I saw that did not allow any RV parking was on the west entrance to Saint George, Utah.

[wny_pat1]

gouda wrote:
If you own a motorhome, you should be able to afford a RV park or to stay at a place where they allow or encourage such things. But not Wal-Mart.

Many Wal-Marts allow and encourage such things! And they are often quicker and easier to find when it is starting to get dark on a winter evening. And just maybe my budget is cheaper than yours:S

[Camper_Mama_Bea]

here on the east coast it is a toss-up if the town allows boondocking. when we know we may be boondocking at a store we will call ahead when we are making our plans to see if it is allowed. this also gives the store a chance to tell us their preferred area for us to park, also where is a quieter area of their lot for us to park.

[gouda]

If you own a motorhome, you should be able to afford a RV park or to stay at a place where they allow or encourage such things. But not Wal-Mart.