Dry camping anywhere but Walmart!

[Wanabee FTer]

We all know that a lot of people like to dry camp at Walmart for short overnighters, but where are some of your favorite places to cop a free night while on the road.

We are on our way to Graham WA from Southern Cal. I like to stay at Casino parking lots when available but nothing on I-5 in Central California.
I pulled into Loves in Santa Nella to look for an overnight spot and found very little room and no where to park without unhooking the toad. DW looked across the street and said "lets park at Carls Jr" My knee jerk reaction was "they won't let us dry camp there" but I went along with her and asked an employee at Carls Jr if it would be OK to stay there overnight. She said "sure no problem" Cool Nice big parking lot with nobody else there, plenty of room to turn around and get back on I-5 in the morning

[Mr_D]

Did you eat breakfast there before you left? We always drop a bundle in Wal*Mart before leaving and have even been given free coffee there. Usually we find a nice restaurant and eat there before retiring for the night too.

[SteveLevin]

btw, if you'd taken 33 south 5 miles to the 152 there would have been a truckstop and easy access right back onto the 5 without backtracking.

Steve

[FIRE UP]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wanabee FTer We all know that a lot of people like to dry camp at Walmart for short overnighters, but where are some of your favorite places to cop a free night while on the road. We are on our way to Graham WA from Southern Cal. I like to stay at Casino parking lots when available but nothing on I-5 in Central California. I pulled into Loves in Santa Nella to look for an overnight spot and found very little room and no where to park without unhooking the toad. DW looked across the street and said "lets park at Carls Jr" My knee jerk reaction was "they won't let us dry camp there" but I went along with her and asked an employee at Carls Jr if it would be OK to stay there overnight. She said "sure no problem" Cool Nice big parking lot with nobody else there, plenty of room to turn around and get back on I-5 in the morning

Well, I'm sure you've read this before but, we surely only stay in a Walmart as a last resort. Niether one of us like camping in parking lots. But, when in a pinch and there's very little other options available, it's Walmart and, only with permission from a ranking official in the store.
And yes, we too always do some shopping there to pay back there hospitality. By the way, how was your trip up I-5 so far? The last time we were on it, and reports fairly recently stated, that it's still in seriously bad shape.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_D Did you eat breakfast there before you left? We always drop a bundle in Wal*Mart before leaving and have even been given free coffee there. Usually we find a nice restaurant and eat there before retiring for the night too.

Yes, sir, like stated above, we never fail to shop if, and when we happen to stop in a Walmart for the night. I prefer a nice quiet campground etc but, if none's around and it's late in the day, we take what we can get. And as usual, you can never tell we were were there.
Scott

[Wayne MD]

Dry Camping anywhere but WalMart.

[mudpuppy]

We stay mostly at Cracker Barrel and friends / familys driveways. We hit a campground about every three days on a cross country trip to service the tanks.

[Wanabee FTer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIRE UP By the way, how was your trip up I-5 so far? The last time we were on it, and reports fairly recently stated, that it's still in seriously bad shape.

Approaching the grapevine going north on I-5 it was so rough I thought the suspension was going to fall out. DW was in the back getting ice and had a Lucy moment. She went to the bathroom to hold on and said the shower door was bowing in and out over the bumps. She yelled to me about the shower, but I couldn't really hear anything over all the rattling noises. I took inventory on the other side of the hill and only found one broken window shade bracket.

[wackymac]

When you get farther north there is a casino near Corning called (I think) Lost Hills. I've never stayed there but my brother has and he said it's real nice. Also at exit 99 in Oregon is Seven Feathers casino which is suppose to have a killer RV park. In Eugene, OR at the exit (I think it's about 193) of 129/105 heading west about 3 miles there is the Valley River Center mall. You can park behind Macy's next to the Willamette River. I've parked there 3 times and my brother is parked there as we speak.

[Pairajays]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wanabee FTer Approaching the grapevine going north on I-5 it was so rough I thought the suspension was going to fall out. DW was in the back getting ice and had a Lucy moment. She went to the bathroom to hold on and said the shower door was bowing in and out over the bumps. She yelled to me about the shower, but I couldn't really hear anything over all the rattling noises. I took inventory on the other side of the hill and only found one broken window shade bracket.

Sounds like you were going too fast, wrong tire pressure or in need of some suspension work. I travel that route twice a year, going and coming, and have never experienced that kind of ride.

Jim E

[Wanabee FTer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pairajays Sounds like you were going too fast, wrong tire pressure or in need of some suspension work. I travel that route twice a year, going and coming, and have never experienced that kind of ride. Jim E

Truck lane uphill 50-55 mph, nothing wrong with suspension or air pressure. Something definitely wrong with the truck lane. Other lanes looked better, but not enough speed to use them.

[FIRE UP]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wanabee FTer Truck lane uphill 50-55 mph, nothing wrong with suspension or air pressure. Something definitely wrong with the truck lane. Other lanes looked better, but not enough speed to use them.

Well Sir,
I second your analysis. I-5 is and has been in sad shape for years. So has and is, 99. But, if you're heading North, you don't have many options. I've been in many "Truck lanes" in many states and yep, a very large percentage of them are in much worse shape than the other lanes sitting right next to them. If you were headed up hill, I doubt you were going too fast.
Scott

[Wanabee FTer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wackymac at exit 99 in Oregon is Seven Feathers casino which is suppose to have a killer RV park.

wackymac,
Thanks for the heads up. staying the night at 7 feathers dry parking area, even get to use their wifi.

[Campingman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIRE UP Well Sir, I second your analysis. I-5 is and has been in sad shape for years. So has and is, 99. But, if you're heading North, you don't have many options. I've been in many "Truck lanes" in many states and yep, a very large percentage of them are in much worse shape than the other lanes sitting right next to them. If you were headed up hill, I doubt you were going too fast. Scott

Just did the 5 to 99 and I agree it's the roughest road I've been on. The Fridge sprang an amonia leak just as we crested the grapevine. I thought the tv was going to fall in my lap. I was in my 2007 Sightseer, rough ride to begine with.