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Medford unfriendly to RVers?


gypsydan

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Almost every time these issues come up there is mention of the need for places to stop for safety reasons.

 

I agree with your post, and I think that the "safety reasons" argument is a red herring. As others have already mentioned, I believe that in the case of a severe winter storm the police would mostly likely not cite those who had pulled into Walmart for the night. And if you do happen to get cited, chalk it up to poor planning on your part and move on.

 

But I doubt that "safety" is the reason for even .1% of the stays at Walmart. Most folks just want a free place to stay. If the community has decided that parking lot overnighters bring in more trouble than they are worth, so be it. I've seen enough long-term Walmart "campers" to understand the concern and can see that an outright ban on parking lot camping is one way to address it. I don't think it makes the town "Unfriendly to RV'ers", just to "Parking Lot Boondockers", who are a tiny subset of the overall RV community.

Mark & Teri

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Keep in mind 'our' definition of RVing is not the same as many other folks. Think of the thousands of RVs on the road as a part of work related travel. How many times have you see band buses parked in hotel or sports parks? Where do the rules/by laws stand with them?

Everyone needs to look at the big picture. That includes those making the rules as well as RVers.

 

TCW I don't agree that it's too big a job. Every task has to start somewhere. If you don't start somewhere you'll never get anywhere.

 

A Google search will reveal that there are approximately 3000 counties and 20000 towns in the USA. If you can get 'just' 10% of that number to be 'RV Friendly' you have a lot of options. It can be done. It just needs someone to grab the bull by the #@*s and make a start. I know from experience that many many small depressed towns would open their arms to RVers given the opportunity.

 

My guess is that the majority want to comment and very few want to do anything about. But then that's life.

 

regards

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I don't spend nights parked in a Walmart parking lot. That's my choice. I prefer to support small businesses such as RV parks. I don't think we have enough small businesses these days. I respect others' choice to do otherwise as long as it is legal.

 

However, if I owned an RV park in a town where every night there were 8 or 10 RV's overnighting in the Walmart parking lot, I would definitely take my concerns to the local government for resolution. You can call me greedy. There may be some truth in that. Of course, Walmart is not greedy. I do have over half a million dollars invested in my RV park. I opened it with the expectation of a reasonable return based on my risks. My park has to be over half full just to pay the bills. My taxes and insurance and maintenance and other business expenses continue whether I have 10 sites or 50 sites occupied.

 

I understand that if Walmart decided to go into the RV park business, they could easily run me into bankruptcy. They've done it to many other businesses of various types. However, at least make them do it on a level playing field. Make Walmart adhere to the same rules and requirements I had to meet. Don't exempt them from the fees I have to pay. I have to pay a hotel/motel tax on every occupant in my park. Require Walmart to do the same. Require them to document their daily occupancy.

 

So, am I RV unfriendly for insisting on a policy of fair play in my community? I don't think so.

Everybody wanna hear the truth, but everybody tell a lie.  Everybody wanna go to Heaven, but nobody want to die.  Albert King

 

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So, am I RV unfriendly for insisting on a policy of fair play in my community? I don't think so.

SKP parks have a "boondock" area where members can spend an overnight in a safe spot with no hookups for about $7. They have full hookups for $20 but if you just need a place to spend the night there it is. That's pretty friendly.

 

How many other RV parks do this? None as far as I know. They all want $30 or more, you have to hope they're open, hope they have room, hope you can get into the park on a dark December night (when the sun goes down at 4:30pm), etc.

 

It's not always about money as so many seem to think. Walmart does have security patrols at night and good lighting. It's generally safe. We have three of them within 30 miles and I often see $million Prevost band buses there. I have never seen anyone there with tables out. In fact, we seldom see any RVs there.

 

And yes, in the western mountain states they can close a pass for snow removal with no warning. Avalanches, usually.

 

WDR

1993 Foretravel U225 with Pacbrake and 5.9 Cummins with Banks

1999 Jeep Wrangler, 4" lift and 33" tires

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...How many times have you see band buses parked in hotel or sports parks? Where do the rules/by laws stand with them?...TCW I don't agree that it's too big a job. Every task has to start somewhere. If you don't start somewhere you'll never get anywhere.

 

A Google search will reveal that there are approximately 3000 counties and 20000 towns in the USA. If you can get 'just' 10% of that number to be 'RV Friendly' you have a lot of options. It can be done. It just needs someone to grab the bull by the #@*s and make a start. I know from experience that many many small depressed towns would open their arms to RVers given the opportunity...

I would think that in the case of hotels, the band may well by staying in the hotel and the bus is really parked in the true meaning of the word. In the case of a sports park, I would think that it is part of the permitted business or addressed in the individual permit issued for a special event.

 

I don't think I said it was too big a job. I just commented on how many communities were involved. You can tilt at all the windmills you want. What I did say was that they are no more obligated to listen to you as an outsider of their community than you are to listen to those that say you should RV a certain way.

 

According to Walmart they have over 3887 super centers and discount stores and state that about 20% do not allow RV overnights. That means that approximately 80%(3109) do allow RV overnights and so are already 'RV Friendly'. I have a very strong suspicion that considerably more than your goal of 10% of the 3000 counties (300) and 20,000 towns (2000) are already 'RV Friendly' using the overnight parking criteria.

I don't spend nights parked in a Walmart parking lot. That's my choice. I prefer to support small businesses such as RV parks. I don't think we have enough small businesses these days. I respect others' choice to do otherwise as long as it is legal.

 

However, if I owned an RV park in a town where every night there were 8 or 10 RV's overnighting in the Walmart parking lot, I would definitely take my concerns to the local government for resolution. You can call me greedy. There may be some truth in that. Of course, Walmart is not greedy. I do have over half a million dollars invested in my RV park. I opened it with the expectation of a reasonable return based on my risks. My park has to be over half full just to pay the bills. My taxes and insurance and maintenance and other business expenses continue whether I have 10 sites or 50 sites occupied.

 

I understand that if Walmart decided to go into the RV park business, they could easily run me into bankruptcy. They've done it to many other businesses of various types. However, at least make them do it on a level playing field. Make Walmart adhere to the same rules and requirements I had to meet. Don't exempt them from the fees I have to pay. I have to pay a hotel/motel tax on every occupant in my park. Require Walmart to do the same. Require them to document their daily occupancy.

 

So, am I RV unfriendly for insisting on a policy of fair play in my community? I don't think so.

 

Well said, and I think that this is exactly how some of the RV park owners backing overnight restrictions feel as I have talked to some that have expressed this opinion.

The one that dies with the most toys is still dead!

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Well said, and I think that this is exactly how some of the RV park owners backing overnight restrictions feel as I have talked to some that have expressed this opinion.

I'm not into this to make sure RV park owners make a buck. And if I find out that a town has helped RV park owners trap RVers into having to stay at their parks, I'll never use visit them for fuel or groceries either. As far as I'm concerned what you guys are talking about is the very definition of "unfriendly to RVs".

 

WDR

1993 Foretravel U225 with Pacbrake and 5.9 Cummins with Banks

1999 Jeep Wrangler, 4" lift and 33" tires

Raspberry Pi Coach Computer

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I don't spend nights parked in a Walmart parking lot. That's my choice. I prefer to support small businesses such as RV parks. I don't think we have enough small businesses these days. I respect others' choice to do otherwise as long as it is legal.

 

However, if I owned an RV park in a town where every night there were 8 or 10 RV's overnighting in the Walmart parking lot, I would definitely take my concerns to the local government for resolution. You can call me greedy. There may be some truth in that. Of course, Walmart is not greedy. I do have over half a million dollars invested in my RV park. I opened it with the expectation of a reasonable return based on my risks. My park has to be over half full just to pay the bills. My taxes and insurance and maintenance and other business expenses continue whether I have 10 sites or 50 sites occupied.

 

I understand that if Walmart decided to go into the RV park business, they could easily run me into bankruptcy. They've done it to many other businesses of various types. However, at least make them do it on a level playing field. Make Walmart adhere to the same rules and requirements I had to meet. Don't exempt them from the fees I have to pay. I have to pay a hotel/motel tax on every occupant in my park. Require Walmart to do the same. Require them to document their daily occupancy.

 

So, am I RV unfriendly for insisting on a policy of fair play in my community? I don't think so.

 

Well said. If you think your avoiding a town for being RV unfriendly (by your definition) is going to have any measurable economic impact on them, think again. It's like the calls for a boycott of Walmart for not allowing overnight parking... Laughable.

 

You go to a town, expecting them to govern according to your desires or expectations and when they don't allow you to park on the street or parking lots, they're unfriendly? Really? What if the town had a major problem with squatters parking wherever they wanted and had to ban parking?

 

Tucson AZ about 1995, the Walmart on Speedway near Kolb had to ban RV parking because there were so many snow birds staying there. When the ban went into effect, the Snow birds simply moved to the residential streets immediately to the South. Property owners could not even park on the street near their houses. My wife worked at Intergroup on the East end of the Walmart and several times they had to call the police to forcibly remove them. The good thing for the neighborhood to the South was that was an HOA. A simple ban on overnight parking pretty much drove them out. I rode over there several times and it was bizarre. RV parked with awnings out, easy chairs...etc.

Dave & Tish
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Again... I did not start RVing in order to support the RV parks. Just because they are in business confers no obligation upon us to support them. My RV can get along just fine without them and, fortunately, the US government has not - yet - yet decided that the only places we can stay are in them.

 

If you choose to support them that's your business.

 

I also have no issues with a Walmart controlling their own property; I expect to be able to control my own property.

 

You keep bringing up arguments and examples which could be solved by enforcement of existing ordinances. They are more complicated to solve that way, I agree. But that's not the point.

 

If a municipality chooses to put a blanket ban on RVs parking where they would otherwise have permission from the land owner and where they pose no threat nor are they creating any nuisance (which can be handled by appropriate ordinances) then I am going to consider that place to be unfriendly to RVs and avoid it.

 

If RV parks cannot manage to survive without their community trapping customers for them then they don't deserve my business. It may not change things... but it won't escape their attention.

 

YMMV.

 

WDR

1993 Foretravel U225 with Pacbrake and 5.9 Cummins with Banks

1999 Jeep Wrangler, 4" lift and 33" tires

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Really Roy? How is telling you that you can not sleep in a parking lot infringing on your right to move around the country? Nothing there is infringing on your right to move, it is only infringing on your "right" to squat in a parking lot. I'm not sure where you obtained this "right" to sleep in a parking lot for free but if you feel you just have to sleep in a parking lot for free, then feel free to exercise your right to move around the country and move along. It's not hard to understand.

x2. I just don't get RVers that think they have the right to stop anywhere, in any parking lot, owned by any person. at any time.

2007 Arctic Fox 32.5 rls for full-timing, now sold.

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Loving Green Valley, AZ (just South of Tucson)

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x2. I just don't get RVers that think they have the right to stop anywhere, in any parking lot, owned by any person. at any time.

Um... who said that? That is a "straw man" argument... you invent something no one said and then argue that. It's a lot easier to win that argument.

 

I could invent a straw man argument... let's see... "I just don't get RVers who think that a city can just put any RVers who park in a Walmart parking lot into jail."

 

So why do you think we should be put in jail?

 

And you realize, of course, that if we get a ticket for parking in a Walmart parking lot, even if we're simply inside the store buying rotisserie chicken, we'll have to go through a lot of hassle or pay the ticket... or go to jail.

 

The real argument is "does creating a special law that bans all RVs from short term overnight stays in a parking lot with the full permission of the parking lot owner and creating no issues, no drama and no problems indicate an attitude of unfriendliness towards RVs?"

 

And, regardless of any underhanded deals with local RV park owners, I think that it does, clearly, indicate that.

 

WDR

1993 Foretravel U225 with Pacbrake and 5.9 Cummins with Banks

1999 Jeep Wrangler, 4" lift and 33" tires

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I don't see how you can think that blocking RVs from parking - with permission - at Walmart is somehow different than a truck parking at a truck stop. Why wouldn't it be RV unfriendly when they could just as easily draft an ordinance that would limit the number of consecutive nights and evict trouble makers at the request of Walmart?

 

And Eugene and Ashland are the first two towns north of the Siskyou Pass which is often closed during winter storms. When I-5 closes for snow removal finding a place to park in two towns where parking is illegal becomes a safety issue.

 

To compare a 5er or motor home with cars parked for weeks or months is certainly not apples to apples, yet none of you noticed that little factoid.

 

We narrowly missed a pass closure on this last trip south after Christmas and have been forced to stop for hours on I-5 during snow removals often. Ashland and Medford have always been critical to safety. Driving around on snowy streets during the hours of darkness trying to find a place to just stop isn't all that safe, either.

 

On the few times we've parked overnight at Walmart we've always bought groceries in the store and have been careful to not appear to be camping there... simply parked.

 

In my opinion to issue a blanket ban to parking of RVs is RV-unfriendly.

 

WDR

Eugene is not even close to the Siskiyous,,,,it is 170 miles north. And the other poster who stated the WalMart in Ashland will not let you stay is wrong. There is NO Walamrt in Ashland....there are 3 in Medford and have seen so many rv's stay for a whole lot more than one night.

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I'm not into this to make sure RV park owners make a buck. And if I find out that a town has helped RV park owners trap RVers into having to stay at their parks, I'll never use visit them for fuel or groceries either. As far as I'm concerned what you guys are talking about is the very definition of "unfriendly to RVs".

 

WDR

 

 

 

 

If RV parks cannot manage to survive without their community trapping customers for them then they don't deserve my business. It may not change things... but it won't escape their attention.

 

YMMV.

 

WDR

 

 

Um... who said that? That is a "straw man" argument... you invent something no one said and then argue that. It's a lot easier to win that argument.

 

I could invent a straw man argument...

 

WDR

 

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. "Who said that" you would be "trapped" into staying at an RV park? Just because a city says you can't overnight at Walmart doesn't mean you have to pay an RV park to stay there. You have other choices.

 

As I stated earlier, I don't care if you stay at Walmart, that's your choice. But, let's at least call it what it is. It ain't about emergency parking during an avalanche. It's not about the traveler who stopping for a short nap because he has driven too long and is a safety hazard. Those are straw man arguments. It's about money. It's about those who don't want to pay for overnight stays. I'm okay with that, why can't you be too. Just admit it. Fess up WDR.

 

Like I said before, I don't see anything wrong with Walmart being in the RV park business, just make them adhere to the same rules and laws which everyone else has to. If a city feels the same way and you consider them to be RV unfriendly, then don't go there, take another route. However, I'm afraid that same principle is in play in many States with regard to their Rest Areas. So, you'll need to avoid those States also.

 

I'm done with this thread. It's been fun, but we seem to be repeating the same old points without progress. Plus, I've learned that "frugal" people can argue on forever. :)

Everybody wanna hear the truth, but everybody tell a lie.  Everybody wanna go to Heaven, but nobody want to die.  Albert King

 

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Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. "Who said that" you would be "trapped" into staying at an RV park? Just because a city says you can't overnight at Walmart doesn't mean you have to pay an RV park to stay there. You have other choices.

 

I said that part about "trapped"; and I stand by it, too. If you wanted to debate that point it would be valid. But NO ONE has said that RVers should be able to park as long as the want in any parking lot they choose and debating THAT point is a straw-man argument. Look it up. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_man

 

 

  1. A straw man is a common form of argument and is an informal fallacy based on false representation of an opponent's argument. To be successful, a straw man argument requires that the audience be ignorant or uninformed of the original argument."

 

 

I'm not sure what other choices I would have in Ashland or Medford on a winter day at 4pm with sunset 30 minutes away and the Interstate closed for snow removal and/or chains required. RV parks would fill up quickly (and they do). Can't simply park on the streets (ordinance). I suppose we could line up with the trucks on the exits ramps and on ramps... I've never felt comfortable doing that. A safe place would be a large, plowed area at a place that would - absent local laws - welcome an RV to stay overnight.

 

It can get really scary when the traffic is stopped on an icy curve that is super-elevated to accommodate traffic taking that curve at 60 or 70 mph. They tilt that roadway and I've actually seen stopped vehicles begin to slide sideways...

 

 

 

A But, let's at least call it what it is. It ain't about emergency parking during an avalanche. It's not about the traveler who stopping for a short nap because he has driven too long and is a safety hazard. Those are straw man arguments. It's about money. It's about those who don't want to pay for overnight stays. I'm okay with that, why can't you be too. Just admit it. Fess up WDR.

 

First of all, re-read the definition of "straw man" and try to remember it.

 

It's probably not an issue in the summer when the weather is nice, I'll grant you. But snow birds don't often drive this route in the summer. In the summer the days are long (5am to about 10pm) and driving conditions, even in the mountains, are generally pretty good. But we drive this route in the winter.

 

We've been in this situation before. Trying to get south in the winter after the holidays with kids and grandkids. The daylight hours are about 7:30am to 4:30pm. Siskyou Summit is over 4,300 feet and, as this Wikiepedia article states: "The road over Siskiyou Summit is typically closed to traffic for many days during winter due to severe weather conditions. At times, it can be closed during winter even when the weather is fine." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siskiyou_Summit

 

There are no alternate routes south that do not include more mountain passes on two-lane roads. There is the Coast Range to the west and the Cascades to the east. We typically have to choose US97 or I-5 when we leave home and hope that the one we choose is the one that will get us through. Once you get to Medford or Ashland you are either committed to I-5 and Siskyou Summit or you will face 500 miles of back-tracking and two-lane roads. Over more mountains.

 

Even if Siskyou is not closed, it is often "chains required" but in a motor home that's not a good option either. Most motor homes do not have the clearance for chains. We carry them but we have never used them. And if traffic is moving at all on I-5 you cannot simply park there. RV parks in the area quickly fill up and at that point it becomes a safety issue. You don't think you'll get a ticket for parking at Walmart in these conditions? I've had those reassurances from people before; people who don't have to pay the fines.

 

 

 

Like I said before, I don't see anything wrong with Walmart being in the RV park business, just make them adhere to the same rules and laws which everyone else has to.

It's not an RV park. It's a PARKING LOT. And a self-contained RV quietly parked for a few hours is not doing any harm to the city or its inhabitants. In fact it's quite likely that the owners of that RV have spent money at the store than owns the parking lot they're parked in; and maybe in other stores, too. This is not a "camping" issue. It's all about just how long a vehicle can be parked at a store that is open 24/7. And if it is doing harm or becoming a nuisance then the city is completely entitled to pass ordinances that will allow it to control those issues with no argument from me.

 

I don't "camp" at Walmart... in fact I've only stayed at a Walmart a couple of times in the 40 years we've been RVing and every single time was due to inclement weather at night in the winter. If you want to argue parking with slides out, bbq's set up and spending a week there you won't get a quibble from me.

 

And yes, we've had all these points over and over. My argument is simple: Why isn't banning recreational vehicles from staying in a parking lot owned and controlled by a business that give you permission to stay there not being unfriendly to RVs?

 

Particularly if the aim is to drive them into local RV parks.

 

 

WDR

1993 Foretravel U225 with Pacbrake and 5.9 Cummins with Banks

1999 Jeep Wrangler, 4" lift and 33" tires

Raspberry Pi Coach Computer

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Jeez, Desert Rat, you've spent so much time debating your position here I'm surprised you have any time to enjoy the RV lifestyle. I picture you hunched over your computer, coffee cup in hand, eagerly awaiting the next counterpoint. You won't get it from me, but here's a suggestion:

- Be aware of the weather ahead. There's radio, internet, & TV to warn you so you won't have to line up on the side of the road with all those nasty truckers.

- Spend the 10 bucks on a copy of "Days End". It lists lots of free/cheap places to park., even in the Medford/Ashland area.

Take a deep breath, relax. The folks in Medford aren't going to march on your RV while parked in Wal-mart with torches and German Sheppards. Be happy, be tolerant...be an Escapee. Good night.

Keith & Brenda

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That's funny... I thought I was pretty much defending the Escapee vision.

 

And why the personal attacks? Why would you think that I don't pay attention to the weather and road conditions? I've been RVing for over 40 years. I'm an airplane pilot. I'm a licensed merchant marine officer. I get accused of being only interested in money (by people who, ironically enough, seem heavily interested in money), of not planning ahead, of not knowing that there is no Walmart in Ashland (there is, you know, and my wife's parents have told us stories of being stuck in the Walmart parking lot in Ashland waiting for the Summit to be clear).

 

I'm not defending "camping" at Walmart for a week. But I am saying that if a city bans us from peacefully and respectfully parking at a Walmart that welcomes us - and especially if we have actually shopped there during the visit - it's not being friendly to RVs.

 

 

WDR

1993 Foretravel U225 with Pacbrake and 5.9 Cummins with Banks

1999 Jeep Wrangler, 4" lift and 33" tires

Raspberry Pi Coach Computer

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Oregon has always been a "special place" with the faces of Good....Bad.....and Ugly.......

 

I was born in Central Oregon but spent a lot of time in far away places so I have seen a lot of changes in Oregon over the decades.

 

We own property in TWO very popular RV destinations in Oregon, one in Bend (Central Oregon) and one place just S. of Waldport on the Central Oregon Coast.

 

Bend has been RV crazy from the early days that Beaver Coaches started making little pickup campers and then becoming a cult-following high quality motor-home operation that at one time was one of the largest employers in central Oregon. Today Beaver Coaches still has a large service center Bend and Host Campers are being built in the old Beaver plant by the sons of the original Beaver founders.

 

RV's have been good to Bend, and Bend has been good to RV's....... Bend is a mid-size town here in the West (80k pop) about par to Medford and Ashland but Bend is almost too friendly to RV's at times but at the end of the day Bend loves RV's and each year many more thousands RV's come and stay in Bend.

In peak RV periods ALL RV parks are overflowing and BIG RV's are often forced to make do with "urban-boondocking".......sometimes even on side streets.

As I recall Bend has some local laws to limit RV "squatting" but at the end of the day RV's are VERY welcome and we will make a effort to fit you in.....

 

Now fast foreword to our Waldport Central Oregon Coast 5.5 Acre Beach / Forest place.........BY LOCAL LAW we are not allowed camp in our RV on our own land in Lincoln county........ Several factors conspire to make Lincoln County "boon docking hell".........First is that the ONLY highway on the Oregon coast (Hwy 101) is narrow two-lane and very curvy for the most part and pull-overs are really meant for vehicles that need to stop for a short time.....not overnite stays by RV's.

 

Second , during late spring, summer and early fall a huge amount of RV's hit Hwy 101 with folks taking in the Wolrld -Class rugged vistas that are world famous so........every small parking lot near the beach is PACKED with folks just wanting to jump out to shoot about 50 quick images of the vistas.

 

Third, with almost no boondocking room RV parks can become overfilled during peak seasons and some RV'ers will try to park on narrow back roads and often make traffic problems that are not good in a very dense rain-forest setting.

 

Forth, the Oregon Coast is VERY rugged land and only a very small strip between the Pacific coastline and maybe a half mile inland has much room or roads to travel on and small private acreages are costly and somewhat rare that are suitable for habitation due to high water tables and no septic suitability. Small lots that have NO septic suitability used to be bought by out-of-local-area RV folks and they would often just park a older RV in the lot and just drop by once or a few time a year to stay WITHOUT any real septic system........ugh...... The Oregon coast has some pretty wild weather at times (our weather station stopped reading at 104 mph one day when a 3 ft dia. 160' tall spruce tree fell on it) so leaving a RV out in the rainforest's all year will result in a pretty shabby looking RV in a short time. The county had some complaints from RV park owners AND some local land owners regarding the "long-term-parked RV's" so the County reacted in enacting some pretty drastic laws............

 

If you look at the above conditions you might be able to see the ponts of all of the parties involved but this is the way things are...........

 

We do camp on our 5.5 acre parcel at times but we have erected a 30 ft wide , 40ft long, 13ft eve Lexon glazed greenhouse that we just open the door and pull our toy box and truck into so we are not in violation of the local laws.....we have TWO septic approvals so we are in good shape.

 

So there you have it............TWO Oregon locations 204 miles apart....... but worlds apart concerning the treatment of RV's........

 

Points to ponder......

 

Happy travels,

 

Dollytrolley

97 Freightshaker Century Cummins M11-370 / 1350 /10 spd / 3:08 /tandem/ 20ft Garage/ 30 ft Curtis Dune toybox with a removable horse-haul-module to transport Dolly-The-Painthorse to horse camps and trail heads all over the Western U S

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I received a reply from the Medford mayor's office, which does elucidate their concerns fairly well. BUT, it still does not satisfy my concerns for being able to spend a few hours off the road in Medford while going north on I-5.

 

Dear Mr. Jones,

Thank you for contacting the City of Medford. We have received many emails expressing disappointment in the recent enforcement of our Code prohibiting overnight parking in Medford, specifically in a parking lot near our north Medford Wal-Mart store. We appreciate your concerns and sympathize with any difficulty this may have caused.

The City handles Code violations on a complaint-basis. Once a citizen submits their concern, we will physically visit the site to determine whether a violation has occurred. If one is found, our Code Enforcement staff works with all parties to determine the best course of correction.

The recent enforcement of our Code prohibiting overnight camping began after the City received complaints from nearly every business in the north Wal-Mart shopping center. The businesses installed "No Overnight Parking" signs in their lot, but were struggling to remove those who would not comply. In addition, the businesses reported shoplifting, panhandling, camping, garbage and other issues, which they believed were caused by those staying in their parking lot. Because ensuring the public's safety and well-being is one of our top priorities, the City worked with Wal-Mart and the neighboring businesses to enforce our Code and alleviate this activity.

We understand the difficulty this may cause for some travelers and realize the majority of people parking their RV's within Medford City limits are not causing these issues. Unfortunately, we cannot determine which person will stay overnight from those planning to stay and camp.

The City of Medford welcomes visitors and we hope that you will continue to stop here during your travels.

Thank you,

Winnie Shepard
Mayor and City Manager's Office
411 West 8th Street
Medford, OR 97501
(541) 774-2003

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Dear Mr. Jones,

 

The recent enforcement of our Code prohibiting overnight camping began after the City received complaints from nearly every business in the north Wal-Mart shopping center. The businesses installed "No Overnight Parking" signs in their lot, but were struggling to remove those who would not comply.

 

...the City worked with Wal-Mart and the neighboring businesses to enforce our Code and alleviate this activity.

 

 

Typical political Weasel Wording!

 

It appears from the letter that WalMart said overnight parking was OK in THEIR lot but other nearby business objected so those businesses posted THEIR lot "no overnight parking" but WalMart refused to go along. Then, when RV'rs parked in the other businesses lots, in violation of the posted signage, the City's solution was to pass an ordinance forcing WalMart to post their lot also and sicked the LEO on all RVrs who stopped for the night.

 

Sorry Medford, you remain on the RV Unfriendly list!

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One option if weather is iffy on the trip south is to stop at the Escapees Park in Sutherlin and boondock there or even get a hookup site.

 

Monitor the weather when you're ready to leave and it's only 160 miles into California way past the Pass. Pick late morning/early afternoon to hit the Pass.

 

If you happen to be delayed for a couple days because of extreme weather, at least you'd have friendly Escapee folks to be around!

Full-timed for 16 Years
Traveled 8 yr in a 2004 Newmar Dutch Star 40' Motorhome
and 8 yr in a 33' Travel Supreme 5th Wheel

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Sounds like what is needed is a thing like Yelp, where these areas that want to control everything from the air you breath to the capture of rainwater can be noted.

 

Armed with that information, we will know where to go and where to spend $.

 

Could that be a Pinned thread, kind of like the HDT friendly campgrounds.......or maybe it could be an added feature to that existing campgrounds map.

 

 

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One option if weather is iffy on the trip south is to stop at the Escapees Park in Sutherlin and boondock there or even get a hookup site.

 

Monitor the weather when you're ready to leave and it's only 160 miles into California way past the Pass. Pick late morning/early afternoon to hit the Pass.

 

If you happen to be delayed for a couple days because of extreme weather, at least you'd have friendly Escapee folks to be around!

Yes, this is what we try to do. It's about 450 miles from our home to Sutherlin and we usually try to make this in one long leap but part of our route lies in the Columbia River Gorge which has serious icing issues in the winter that can interfere with planning.

 

No use making reservations because the conditions change so rapidly. I-5 is warmer and wetter but has Siskyou Summit. US97 is much colder but is dryer and usually has less snow for that final drop into California. So rather than drive in -20F temps for 500 miles we usually opt for the warmer (+35F) I-5 route.

 

This difficulty of planning - especially in the winter - is why I don't like to lose the option of being able to hang safely at Walmart. While the SKP park Timber Valley, at Sutherlin, OR is a valuable resource but it's also one that not all RVers even know exists and very few other RV parks have a drycamp option.

 

When towns and cities along the route take this option away, I consider that to be RV unfriendly.

 

 

WDR

1993 Foretravel U225 with Pacbrake and 5.9 Cummins with Banks

1999 Jeep Wrangler, 4" lift and 33" tires

Raspberry Pi Coach Computer

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Sounds like what is needed is a thing like Yelp, where these areas that want to control everything from the air you breath to the capture of rainwater can be noted.

 

Armed with that information, we will know where to go and where to spend $.

 

Could that be a Pinned thread, kind of like the HDT friendly campgrounds.......or maybe it could be an added feature to that existing campgrounds map.

Yelp and Angie's list are no help in this regard (I checked). But something like this would be a valuable resource.

 

Day's End is also a valuable resource but a lot of these places are deep in snow in December when so many snobirds are headed south and for many RVers impossible to get into; sometimes impossible just to get to.

 

But Yelp and Angie's List have changed the way a lot of businesses deal with the public. They are realizing that their customer base and revenue stream is affected by the access to information that the public now has via the Internet. This could be a good niche for someone else wanting to get involved.

 

WDR

1993 Foretravel U225 with Pacbrake and 5.9 Cummins with Banks

1999 Jeep Wrangler, 4" lift and 33" tires

Raspberry Pi Coach Computer

Ham Radio

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