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Walmart & Tip out


Sparksvonrou

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Hi,

I am new to this forum.

I have a 35SRV Dutchmen and am making a quick trip that I planned on stopping at a Walmart for overnight sleep.

The 35SRV is being refurbished and has only the main bedroom bed to sleep in. The bed collapses when the bedroom tip out is retracted. Is there any exception at the Walmarts (maybe if we ask) to allow us to extend just this small tip out? Has anyone dealt with this before?

Thanks

Sparks

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We try to park at Walmart along the outer edge and extend our slides over the grass. I also use Google Earth to view the parking lot of any Walmart we are thinking about stopping at to see how crowded the parking lot is and how easy it would be to find a parking spot far away from the entrance.

Al & Sharon
2006 Winnebago Journey 36G 
2020 Chevy Colorado Toad
San Antonio, TX

http://downtheroadaroundthebend.blogspot.com/

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According to https://www.escapees.com/images/pdfs/094-parking-etiquette.pdf, the rule is "Avoid using slide-outs if at all possible". It sounds like that is not possible for you, so go ahead. There are many RVs that are completely unusable with all the slides in, so they extend slides when they park overnight.

2004 40' Newmar Dutch Star DP towing an AWD 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid, Fulltimer July 2003 to October 2018, Parttimer now.
Travels through much of 2013 - http://www.sacnoth.com - Bill, Diane and Evita (the cat)
 

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We always extend our slideout in the bedroom. Always. We simply find a place where it is safe to do so. Parking along an island, grass, or against a light pole will allow safe use of the slide. What you want to avoid is it being out where it could be hit. Other than that, Walmart cold care less.....As Al said, use Google Earth to check out what the lot looks like, and pick a couple of places out that it looks like it will work.

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Generally if you follow the " ask on parking" etiquette they will tell you where they prefer you to park. In general we find that in an outer area of the lit. That should afford you space to put your slide out over a curbed or grassy area.

Now be prepared for the " boondickung" police to jump on this.

In 10 years we have always been told to go ahead and deploy the slide

Ron & Linda

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  • 2 weeks later...

My "spidey sense" alerted me someone talking about parking at a Walmart parking lot........in the "boondocking" forum. My spidey sense was correct. C'mon folks, if we are going to redefine this term, just go ahead an steal it for this use......and the "boondockers", after having this word for 30 or 40 years....will get a new term. Now, back to mowing the lawn.... :angry:

1977 GMC Eleganza II

ARS WBOJOT

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I just recently spoke to a manager, he said he was always appreciates the good business from the RV community, if they would just not block his parking lot! They also appreciate being ASKED, that way they can direct you to a parking location in the lot and warn you of possible problems. My note is that we may tend to sometimes forget that it is still private property. Shop where you park.

 

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"in the "boondocking" forum... if we are going to redefine this term, just go ahead an steal it for this use......and the "boondockers", after having this word for 30 or 40 years....will get a new term."

 

Sorry, I don't get it. Can you elaborate, please?

The richest are not those who have the most, but those who need the least.

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Sorry, I don't get it. Can you elaborate, please?

 

Not to put words in Larry's mouth... but some folks would argue that dry camping overnight in a walmart parking lot (or any for that matter) isn't "boondocking" so this thread doesn't belong in this section of the forum. Others would contend that camping anywhere without full hookups is "boondocking".

 

Boondockers know what "boondocking" is.. but the term is thrown around quite loosely for those that don't. Some folks are sensitive to that.

 

Kind of like someone that flies R/C planes posting on a pilot's forum. ;)

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Thanks Yarome. So folks say there are different degrees of RVing without hookups. enough so that it justifies discussion and comments and, I'm assuming discord? Really?


Um - Well - OK...

The richest are not those who have the most, but those who need the least.

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Thanks Yarome. So folks say there are different degrees of RVing without hookups. enough so that it justifies discussion and comments and, I'm assuming discord? Really?
Um - Well - OK...

 

 

Meh.. tomatoe/tomato in my book, but for some folks it's a hard earned point of pride.. and that's just fine too. They're all good folk, but It happens. ;)

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Thanks Yarome. So folks say there are different degrees of RVing without hookups. enough so that it justifies discussion and comments and, I'm assuming discord? Really?
Um - Well - OK...

 

 

I think the distinction is that parking lot camping does not embody the remote / back to nature scenario envisioned by the "boondocking" term.

 

It doesn't bother me, but IMHO if you think roughing it in Wal-Mart parking lot is boondocking then you are really missing out on some great camping experiences.

fuso.jpg.b3c0d8d35ed0a147efc1900170d393e5.jpg

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Not to put words in Larry's mouth... but some folks would argue that dry camping overnight in a walmart parking lot (or any for that matter) isn't "boondocking" so this thread doesn't belong in this section of the forum. Others would contend that camping anywhere without full hookups is "boondocking".

 

Boondockers know what "boondocking" is.. but the term is thrown around quite loosely for those that don't. Some folks are sensitive to that.

 

Kind of like someone that flies R/C planes posting on a pilot's forum. ;)

 

Yes, that is it exactly. Thanks for not jumping all over me but this is my only....well......maybe one of my few obsessions that causes me to break out in hives. If one were to google "boondocking" we can find decades of historical dissertations on the subject of "boondocking" but you won't find "Walmart" mentioned for some reason. :) The noun "boondocks" used to mean "out in the sticks". Or, as I just checked........ "rough, remote, or isolated country. "we're out here in the boondocks, miles from a telephone".

 

Someone else coined the phrase "Wallydocking" for this type of discussion, but probably in jest. I would love to keep the definition as it has traditionally been used. RV Sue and her Canine Crew are "boondockers" because they "dry camp (no hookups) in a remote area".

 

Anyway, RC pilots are "aces" with me. Wish I had the skills, because I love watching them. I have to stay with something I can sit in :lol: .

1977 GMC Eleganza II

ARS WBOJOT

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Thanks for not jumping all over me .

 

I completely understand. Personally, I agree. Sans hookups is just 'dry camping'. Although it does give me a little chuckle when someone will say, "we were boondocking at a COE all last week".. and the little voice in the back of my head says, "well.. not 'really' ;)"... but I know what they mean and it doesn't bother me.

 

Just for others that might be new to the term. As Larry said, boondocking is generally camping in dispersed or 'back country' locations.. typically in NSF's, on BLM land or similar. Avid "boondockers" are, in general, a very conservation minded, self reliant, getting back to nature sort of folks (not that other RVers aren't).

 

I guess you could say that boondocking isn't 'just' the location, but a mind-set and way of life. As far as a "hard-earned point of pride"... it's justified, IMHO. Just some people take it more to heart and don't appreciate others trying to re-define the lifestyle they practice day-to-day.

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I completely understand. Personally, I agree. Sans hookups is just 'dry camping'. Although it does give me a little chuckle when someone will say, "we were boondocking at a COE all last week".. and the little voice in the back of my head says, "well.. not 'really' ;)"... but I know what they mean and it doesn't bother me.

 

Just for others that might be new to the term. As Larry said, boondocking is generally camping in dispersed or 'back country' locations.. typically in NSF's, on BLM land or similar. Avid "boondockers" are, in general, a very conservation minded, self reliant, getting back to nature sort of folks (not that other RVers aren't).

 

I guess you could say that boondocking isn't 'just' the location, but a mind-set and way of life. As far as a "hard-earned point of pride"... it's justified, IMHO. Just some people take it more to heart and don't appreciate others trying to re-define the lifestyle they practice day-to-day.

Also....while we are on the subject of terminology....many of us spend a lot of time and money to research and implement the modifications to our rigs that allow us to "boondock". So, I guess we are sensitive about the whole walmart "boondocking" discussion. I did not invent the term, but it has been around for a long, long, time. Ever since the Good Sam Highways magazine was the size of "Cliffs Notes"..... :rolleyes: (And now it doesn't even exist).

 

Larry

1977 GMC Eleganza II

ARS WBOJOT

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I've also seen Walmart overnights called "blacktopping" which lets us include places like Cracker Barrel and Home Depot yet that term has a clearer meaning to me. I know precisely what they are talking about when they say, "blacktopping" even though I have done plenty of boondocking as well.

 

Linda Sand

Blog: http://sandcastle.sandsys.org/

Former Rigs: Liesure Travel van, Winnebago View 24H, Winnebago Journey 34Y, Sportsmobile Sprinter conversion van

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I pretty much define staying in a RV outside a place which has at least electric and water in three categories:

 

Dry Camping: Anywhere with a defined camping area that does NOT have electric and water or sewer. I have been in places which have water but no electric that I would call dry camping. The key element in my mind is that you are staying in a place which has a defined place to park your RV. Also many times someone to come by and collect a fee for staying, or at least someone who is "supposed" to check and be sure you are not parked outside the defined area.

 

Boondocking: A remote area which does NOT have a defined place to camp, much less, water or electric available.

 

Overnight Parking (o/n parking): pretty much anywhere where most people would not consider it normal to put out your lawn chairs, BBQ, etc. Places like a parking lot, a pulloff along a highway behind a building or gas station, etc.

 

As I type this, we are o/n parking in a gravel pit on the Alaska Highway about 130 miles N of the start of the highway in Dawson Creek, BC. I am undecided whether to call this boondocking or not. I lean toward NOT calling it boondocking because we have no intention of doing anything but park here overnight and move on in the morning. Although there is no reason not put out the lawn chairs if we wanted.

Al & Sharon
2006 Winnebago Journey 36G 
2020 Chevy Colorado Toad
San Antonio, TX

http://downtheroadaroundthebend.blogspot.com/

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I fully understand this discussion, as I have similar feelings about people and their use of the word "camper". Anyone who refers to a 38' fifth wheel travel trailer with four slideouts, two televisions, a king size bed, 10 gallons of hot water, two recliners and a full sofa as a "camper"...........has never been camping. :)

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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I fully understand this discussion, as I have similar feelings about people and their use of the word "camper". Anyone who refers to a 38' fifth wheel travel trailer with four slideouts, two televisions, a king size bed, 10 gallons of hot water, two recliners and a full sofa as a "camper"...........has never been camping. :)

You left out the: automatic satellite dish on the roof, generator running, air conditioners on, shades drawn and the TV on! :)

 

I have to admit, we do have auto satellite dish on roof and do watch TV while boondocking. Hey, we spend 6-8 months a year living in our 29' MH so don't wish to be "camping" all the time, as we did when we went on 1-3 week vacations. We also have the windows and shades open to enjoy the fresh air and the views of the outdoors.

 

I agree, we are not "camping" though.

Al & Sharon
2006 Winnebago Journey 36G 
2020 Chevy Colorado Toad
San Antonio, TX

http://downtheroadaroundthebend.blogspot.com/

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You left out the: automatic satellite dish on the roof, generator running, air conditioners on, shades drawn and the TV on! :)

 

I have to admit, we do have auto satellite dish on roof and do watch TV while boondocking. Hey, we spend 6-8 months a year living in our 29' MH so don't wish to be "camping" all the time, as we did when we went on 1-3 week vacations. We also have the windows and shades open to enjoy the fresh air and the views of the outdoors.

 

I agree, we are not "camping" though.

Yes, I enjoy "camping" under the wing of my 195 at Oshkosh. Anyone who visits that event can come to the Vintage 195 flightline and get a cold beverage and a handshake. But.....no plugins other than my folding solar panel, no "terlets" (as Archie Bunker would say) other than the plastic ones nearby, only my tent, sleeping bag, and cot.

1977 GMC Eleganza II

ARS WBOJOT

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