Community Forums

mel s · 09-23-2013, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_D

About the only difference is that Wal*Mart leaves the lights on all night.

ALSO, Walmart parking lots accommodate a coach with a toad attached, have 24 hour security cameras, are easier to get into/out of, many have security people in golf carts roaming the lots... the list goes on..... and, (best of all), a Walmart has a lot more "stuff" than a Cracker Barrel.
Mel
'96 Safari

Doggy Daddy · 09-23-2013, 11:49 PM

Prior to going to Walmarts, Bass Pro, Camping World & Sam's Club, I call ahead and speak to the Asst Mgr and ask if overnight RV parking is allowed. City Ordnances sometimes prohibit free overnight as RV Parks wants business and city wants tax revenue. Always best to verify and be a good samaritan.

Cracker Barrel is a treat and has great food.
If your a joiner

or already a member of VFWs, American Legions, Elk Lodges, Eagles, etc. some have RV Camp sites and allow over nite dry camp in their lots for guests for a donation or patronizing the club canteen.

Mr_D · 09-23-2013, 11:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mel stuplich

ALSO, Walmart parking lots accommodate a coach with a toad attached, have 24 hour security cameras, are easier to get into/out of, many have security people in golf carts roaming the lots... the list goes on..... and, (best of all), a Walmart has a lot more "stuff" than a Cracker Barrel.
Mel
'96 Safari

But the food isn't as good!

PyrateSilly · 09-24-2013, 05:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doggy Daddy

If your a joiner

or already a member of VFWs, American Legions, Elk Lodges, Eagles, etc. some have RV Camp sites and allow over nite dry camp in their lots for guests for a donation or patronizing the club canteen.

There are a lot of those clubs that have some spots with hook-ups and only ask for a donation or maybe $5 for the night. If you are a member of any of them I would recommend going on their sites and getting the list of which ones have HU's thou sometimes you have to visit each lodges site to find out. There was someone that had compiled the lists for some of the organizations with which ones had HU and which ones did not but I am not sure who had it for sale now and how up to date it is anymore.

Doggy Daddy · 09-24-2013, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PyrateSilly

There are a lot of those clubs that have some spots with hook-ups and only ask for a donation or maybe $5 for the night. If you are a member of any of them I would recommend going on their sites and getting the list of which ones have HU's thou sometimes you have to visit each lodges site to find out. There was someone that had compiled the lists for some of the organizations with which ones had HU and which ones did not but I am not sure who had it for sale now and how up to date it is anymore.

The Elks have 3 pamphlets covering different zones of the US I know of. Not all lodges carry them but they can be ordered thru the mail. Smart phones make it easy to locate businesses and social/fraternal organizations and call ahead to see if they allow overnite RV parking and have hook ups as well to see if they have RV Camp Directories for their organization.

PyrateSilly · 09-24-2013, 04:22 PM

I remembered where I saw the club book thing for sale - Gypsy Journal E-Book Store » Gypsy Journal RV Travel Newspaper - but it looks like it's the VFW and Elks only thru them. So for about $8 you could get both but you could get them from the groups themselves for free. Up to you I guess.

WannaBFlTmer · 09-29-2013, 09:17 AM

Really nice Walmart super center experience. Louisville, Ky, 11901 Standiford Plaza Drive. 24 hour security. Called ahead. Manager was very inviting. "Sure you can stay here! " He told me they had a noise ordinance so asked me to park out far from store. Not a problem-it was a very nicely landscaped lot with excellent lighting. Felt absolutely safe.

We didn't have time to purchase anything in the am, but I think it is a nice idea to thank them personally and buy a donut.

topdownman · 09-29-2013, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WannaBFlTmer

Really nice Walmart super center experience. Louisville, Ky, 11901 Standiford Plaza Drive. 24 hour security. Called ahead. Manager was very inviting. "Sure you can stay here! " He told me they had a noise ordinance so asked me to park out far from store. Not a problem-it was a very nicely landscaped lot with excellent lighting. Felt absolutely safe. We didn't have time to purchase anything in the am, but I think it is a nice idea to thank them personally and buy a donut.

That's about a mile from our house!

greezykid · 09-29-2013, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grizz427

Their are over 600 Cracker Barrels in the USA and they will let you stay if you pull to back of the parking lot. We've stayed at more cracker Barrels traveling north to south and back. They turn the parking lot lights out after 11:00pm no one to bother you put the slide outs out. Turn the generator on if you like no one to tell you to turn it off or down. Not like wal-mart

Stayed at many Wal-marts all over this country,nobody ever asked me to turn generator off.

WannaBFlTmer · 09-29-2013, 03:41 PM

:-) Can't beat that Kentucky hospitality!

WannaBFlTmer · 09-29-2013, 04:53 PM

They didn't ask us to turn it off. Just not park near front door so we could run it. I wouldn't park there anyway.

gemini5362 · 09-30-2013, 02:16 AM

I cannot imagine anyone at walmart asking you to turn your generator off. If you are running an onan generator in your coach they are pretty quiet anyway. Compared to the noise of cars starting and driving around the parking lots they are very quiet. I always leave mine running when I stop at walmart to buy food at the start of a trip. I have a residential refrigerator and I run the generator to make it easy on the batteries.

Why would someone have to tell you not to park by the door. My coach takes up a lot of spaces it would seem to me if you take up a lot of spaces by the door so that people have to park farther from the store then they are going to show their displeasure by banging on your coach as they walk by and maybe using less than polite language while discussing your heritage.

Papa_Jim · 09-30-2013, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gemini5362

Why would someone have to tell you not to park by the door. My coach takes up a lot of spaces it would seem to me if you take up a lot of spaces by the door so that people have to park farther from the store then they are going to show their displeasure by banging on your coach as they walk by and maybe using less than polite language while discussing your heritage.

I can hardly believe this myself, but a few days ago someone parked their older coach by the front door at our local Walmart, in the middle of the day! While practically everybody was staring in disbelief at it, a lady climbed down from the coach, sat down on the steps, and lit a cigarette!

SarahW · 10-01-2013, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimkate

I can hardly believe this myself, but a few days ago someone parked their older coach by the front door at our local Walmart, in the middle of the day! While practically everybody was staring in disbelief at it, a lady climbed down from the coach, sat down on the steps, and lit a cigarette!

She's probably the same one who parks in the fuel lane and goes inside to order breakfast and do a little shopping.