Walmart's Parking

[1stCougar]

but your having a good time thats what going down the road
and camping is all about

[Madrona]

Originally Posted by 1stCougar

Boy what a hassle picking up the cell phone and
calling for a one night reservation I almost can't
make the trip it's or hard,I shop at WM but I do
it the day before.
And no I am not a overnight parking lot user I don't,
for you it's not the hassle it's the money that the guy running
the campground you don't want to pay.
but I guess you get a thrill out of spending the night at
WM and that makes it easier for me to find a campground
when all you WM campers are happy in the parking lot.
So when you finally get to your destanation do you get there
at a particular time and do you follow there rules.
happy parking lot camping

The phone call is easy. It's the agreeing to go along with their check-in time that is difficult. How do I know when I will be there? What if I find something that distracts me along the way and I'm late? Am I supposed to stop having fun so I can get to some cramped campground before some guy wants to go to bed? Not gonna happen.

As I've said many times in this thread, it is not about the fee campgrounds charge. It is about the convience Wal-Mart and other establishments offer that attracts me. As I said in the post you quoted, you save money by staying in a campground. I spend more at WM then you spend on your fee. Not money, convenience, plain and simple.

We don't have destinations when we travel in the motorhome. Oh sure, we may know the general direction or area we want to visit. Usually it's some place we haven't been, yet. But, we don't know if we will be in a city or a forest, tourist trap or national monument, national park or county park, truck stop or WM. Probably most often it's a pull-out along some river or some spot with a view next to a road. But, it's always where we feel safe and most importantly, convenient.

I don't begrudge you your stay in a campground. If you enjoy it I wish you many trouble free, star-filled evenings. Please don't knock the way we like to spend our evenings and please, please, don't blame it on WM overnighters wishing to avoid a fee. Nothing could be further from the truth.

[Lindsay Richards]

Not money, convenience, plain and simple.

People who don't like us using Wal-Mart can not seem to get this point. We try to run our whole life without a schedule and when on the road we rarely know where we will be spending the night. Wal-Mart is perfecgt. One stop shopping. If I go 350 miles, that's $200 worth of gas and a $20 campground is a small part of it. After a day of driving, a quick walk to a out parcel restaurant along with the easy in and easy out, makes it great. We can shop, I can get up and go get the DW a cup of coffee fancy in the morning and be a hero. Many times, we don't even unhook the toad. So those of you who think we are cheapskates have not thought it through.

[1stCougar]

I'm not knocking you for staying at WM in Your MH I have
a 5th wheel no gen so to stay at WM or pull off to the side
of the road does not make for a good night not sure where
you live, but in California you need reservation and when
we camp we pick campgrounds where we can pick a site
stay two to three weeks then back for a month at home then
go somewhere else so I guess you can say we plan.
I have never had a problem at campgrounds, if you
have made reservation they have a site for you your name
and site # is at the office there is no check in time they
just don't want you showing up at 9am anytime after noon
is always ok
let me backup they do have checkin times but when you get
there you get there

[RedneckExpress]

Originally Posted by 1stCougar

I'm not knocking you for staying at WM in Your MH I have
a 5th wheel no gen so to stay at WM or pull off to the side
of the road does not make for a good night not sure where
you live, but in California you need reservation and when
we camp we pick campgrounds where we can pick a site
stay two to three weeks then back for a month at home then
go somewhere else so I guess you can say we plan.
I have never had a problem at campgrounds, if you
have made reservation they have a site for you your name
and site # is at the office there is no check in time they
just don't want you showing up at 9am anytime after noon
is always ok
let me backup they do have checkin times but when you get
there you get there

Don't want to get too off topic, but I did California from the Oregon border down to San Francisco back in 2007 along the 101 without a single reservation, granted, I went in late September .

I have a genny, but it's not feasible to use in a walmart parking lot .

[Lindsay Richards]

We rarely run the generator at night. I have used it in a Wal-Mart parking lot rarely. Sometime truckers there with their reefers or sleeper coolers running. We have traveled the lower 48 and rarely make reservations. Usually only around a holiday weekend. The recession has made getting a spot easier, unfortunately. Very rarely do we find that we can't get a room. I can't tell you how many times we have seen something interesting in the afternoon and made changed our plans for the night. We did the same thing in CA, but only went from SF and North. Beautiful state.

[1stCougar]

I'm not saying you can't get a site without reservation but
your not going to get the site that you want for two or
three weeks and all the big parks you would be very lucky
to get a site.
no way you are going to drive into Yosemite and get a campsite
you would have to stay at WM

[RickO]

Originally Posted by Madrona

As I've said many times in this thread, it is not about the fee campgrounds charge. It is about the convience Wal-Mart and other establishments offer that attracts me. As I said in the post you quoted, you save money by staying in a campground. I spend more at WM then you spend on your fee. Not money, convenience, plain and simple.

We don't stay at WM and have no feelings one way or the other about those who do. I understand the convenience angle completely. What doesn't ring valid to me is the argument that one "saves" money by staying in a campground because Wallydockers spend money on supplies in the store. Isn't that money going to have to be spent regardless of where you stay? We've never stayed at a WM but shop there weekly... at least. Where we sleep has no bearing on how many groceries we need so we go from the CG to WM to do our shopping.

Originally Posted by RedneckExpress

Don't want to get too off topic, but I did California from the Oregon border down to San Francisco back in 2007 along the 101 without a single reservation, granted, I went in late September .

Ditto.... Many times.... many states.... almost never had reservations and never once couldn't find a CG at which to stay.

Rick

[RedneckExpress]

Originally Posted by 1stCougar

I'm not saying you can't get a site without reservation but
your not going to get the site that you want for two or
three weeks and all the big parks you would be very lucky
to get a site.
no way you are going to drive into Yosemite and get a campsite
you would have to stay at WM

Maybe not a hookup campsite, but there's plenty of BLM/USFS land camping, and you never go to major national parks during the main season anyway, far too many people .

I tend to dry camp, alot, most of my camping tends to be that way usually because its just more my fashion.

When I went to Cali, I only stayed in one RV park, the one in Olema and that was only because I didn't know about a more convenient state park over on 101.

I don't think I've ever camped in one spot for 2-3 weeks aside from my home site on Sauvie Island where I spend most of the year (did I mention I'm a full-timer?), most of the time I'm rarely in one spot past 2-3 days .

[1stCougar]

Olema nice campground have stayed there a few times
I like to camp one place set up a nice camp and relax
have a padio room like to sit out side at night no bugs
and enjoy

[Mochisme]

Originally Posted by 1stCougar

Olema nice campground have stayed there a few times
I like to camp one place set up a nice camp and relax
have a padio room like to sit out side at night no bugs
and enjoy

Hey Coug,

I think your missing the whole point of this thread. I would be willing to bet that everyone that spends a night in a Walmart Parking lot is on their way someplace and in most cases if they plan to spend more then a night or two at that place, then have a reservation.

I would also bet that most if they are going to spend two or three weeks in one location do have a reservation, but not for the travel to get to that location. I am in the process of planning a 12K miles trip starting in less then 30 days. Yes I have some reservations, but they are 3,500 miles into the trip and because I will be spending three weeks and meeting people flying in to be with us. All the rest of the trip will be on a day to day no reservation, because we may see or hear of something interesting we had not planned on and decide to stop for a day or two.

So Walmart camping and other such spur of the moment locations will get lots of use as well as fee campground.

[Dunner]

Mochisme, you're wearing out your keyboard typing the same thing that has already been covered in over 100 post in 261 pages. Some will WM and some won't and you will never change their mind. It's still fun to read though.

[RanCarr]

Originally Posted by 1stCougar

Boy what a hassle picking up the cell phone and
calling for a one night reservation I almost can't
make the trip it's or hard,I shop at WM but I do
it the day before.

That wouldn't work for many of us out on the road. We have no idea how far we'll get any particular day. We may make anything from 250 to 350 miles in a day. Also, why pay a CG $25 and up just to sleep for 8 or 9 hours and be on our way?

And no I am not a overnight parking lot user I don't,
for you it's not the hassle it's the money that the guy running
the campground you don't want to pay.

The above is total nonsense. It's the *inconvenience* mainly that we don't stay in CGs to sleep for the night. Few are as close to the Interstates as the Wal*Marts.

but I guess you get a thrill out of spending the night at
WM and that makes it easier for me to find a campground
when all you WM campers are happy in the parking lot.

A thrill? Happy? We're looking for a place to SLEEP, not get thrills and happiness. Are you sure you're not just jealous because you can't get your large 5th wheel in a WM parking lot?

So when you finally get to your destanation do you get there
at a particular time and do you follow there rules.
happy parking lot camping

Eat your heart out......

[navychaps]

If this thread were on any other "rv" website it would be killed for "beating a dead horse." Or pole: