Jump to content

End to Walmart overnight parking?


Biker56

Recommended Posts

Yes, there was no mention in the article that the people involved in this incident were NOT in an RV.

 

On another note, according to another post here, the WalMart in question has already banned RVers from staying overnight. Although we are not parking lot overnighters, it's too bad that RVers are banned when the incident had nothing to do with RVers.

LindaH
2014 Winnebago Aspect 27K
2011 Kia Soul

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I suspect the people in the SUV were using the restroom to clean up or bath at the sink. Then when an employee talked to them about it the problems began.

 

Might have been avoided if management had noticed they were in the parking lot for more than overnight and got them to move on.

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

http://downtheroadaroundthebend.blogspot.com/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to comment
Share on other sites

With all the real boondocking opportunities in the Cottonwood/Sedona/Camp Verde area, some only a few miles from the Walmart; I have never understood why a self contained RV needed to overnight in the Cottonwood Walmart or what the attraction was other than using the restrooms and bathing in the sinks.

 

Would the average RV'er from out of the area know where to find these boondocking opportunities when looking for an easy overnight stopping point?

Dutch
2001 GBM Landau 34' Class A
F-53 Chassis, Triton V10, TST TPMS
2011 Toyota RAV4 4WD/Remco pump
ReadyBrute Elite tow bar/brake system

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Would the average RV'er from out of the area know where to find these boondocking opportunities when looking for an easy overnight stopping point?

What is the average RV'er? Does the average RV'er stay at Walmarts? I think not or the parking lots would be so crowded there would be little room for other customers to park. How does this average RV'er from out of town find a Walmart that allows overnights? If one can use the Walmart locator to find a Walmart, they could use Free Campsites.net or other websites to find boondocking locations. In addition to Free Campsites there are other sources like: Free Campgrounds, Bob's Cheap or Free Campgrounds, Dean's List, Boondockers Welcome, and Harvest Hosts, The National Forest Campground Guide and the Ultimate Public Campground Project websites list both free and pay public campgrounds. In printed/ebook versions there is the Escapees Days End Directory and Don Wright's Guide to Free Campgrounds.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Walmart and the other big box stores that allow overnight parking put up these huge signs that make them very easy to find in most locations. I haven't noticed any signs like that for boondocking sites. An RV'er can pull off an Interstate exit in nearly any populated area with a good chance there's a suitable parking lot nearby where they can catch a nights sleep. Personally, I prefer a campground or boondocking to parking lots when our travel situation and location reasonably allows it, but that's not always the case. Try finding and getting into a boondocking spot at 9 o'clock at night after a day of travel delays due to weather and/or traffic have prevented you from reaching your intended destination for the night.

Dutch
2001 GBM Landau 34' Class A
F-53 Chassis, Triton V10, TST TPMS
2011 Toyota RAV4 4WD/Remco pump
ReadyBrute Elite tow bar/brake system

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Walmart and the other big box stores that allow overnight parking put up these huge signs that make them very easy to find in most locations. I haven't noticed any signs like that for boondocking sites. An RV'er can pull off an Interstate exit in nearly any populated area with a good chance there's a suitable parking lot nearby where they can catch a nights sleep. Personally, I prefer a campground or boondocking to parking lots when our travel situation and location reasonably allows it, but that's not always the case. Try finding and getting into a boondocking spot at 9 o'clock at night after a day of travel delays due to weather and/or traffic have prevented you from reaching your intended destination for the night.

 

 

 

 

X2.....I am what I consider an "average RVer " and I agree 100% with Dutch.

<p>....JIM and LINDA......2001 American Eagle 40 '.towing a GMC Sierra 1500 4X4 with RZR in the rear. 1999 JEEP Cherokee that we tow as well.

IT IS A CONTENTED MAN WHO CAN APPRECIATE THE SCENERY ALONG A DETOUR.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The story here isn't about overnight stops by an RV. Its about a group of individuals traveling in a non RV vehicle who crossed the line with local law enforcement. While some may see the local Wal Mart decision to ban overnight parking of any vehicle as unfortunate it speaks to a local need. Obviously these were not "boondockers" in the sense that many here are.

Ron & Linda

Class of 2007
2000 Monaco Diplomat

2005 Honda Element

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are" Theodore Roosevelt

"We can't control the wind, but we can adjust our sail"

"When man gave up his freedom to roam the earth, he gave up his soul for a conditioned ego that is bound by time and the fear of losing its attachments."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Am I the only one that thinks that this particular WalMart shares, at least, some of the blame?

 

According to RV Newsletter: "Cottonwood WalMart officials have met with local police to "discuss solutions to extended camping" in their lot."

 

Extending camping? Why was WalMart allowing this in the first place?

 

Overnight is one thing, "extended camping" is another.

Camping Rig:

2005 Dodge 3500 - Dually- Cummins

2006 Outback 27 RSDS

 

Two rescue dogs: A Catahoula mix & a Chihuahua mix.

 

Fulltimer since 2006

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nine people living in an SUV for multiple days in a Walmart lot has nothing to do with RVing. I couldn't even figure out why someone would put family members at the door of a restroom to "guard" it until someone suggested the person in the restroom was probably bathing in a sink in there. I don't consider that RVing behavior either. Even the van dwellers I know would more likely fill some water bottles to take back to camp for bathing. Plus, my understanding of Cottonwood is they are very supportive of people who have little. Apparently there are even public showers available so why would anyone bathe in the Walmart restroom in the first place? There has to be a lot more to this story that we simply have not been made aware of.

 

Linda Sand

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

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

AFAIK WalMart never allowed tent camping, or camping under the stars with just a sleeping bag in their parking lots. From the pictures that is what the Gaver family was doing. No RVs involved. Wal-Mart HAS opened their parking lots to RVrs traveling in RVs to overnight.

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...Walmart and the other big box stores that allow overnight parking put up these huge signs that make them very easy to find in most locations. I haven't noticed any signs like that for boondocking sites. An RV'er can pull off an Interstate exit in nearly any populated area with a good chance there's a suitable parking lot nearby where they can catch a nights sleep...

My comment was specifically about the Cottonwood Walmart.

 

With all the real boondocking opportunities in the Cottonwood/Sedona/Camp Verde area, some only a few miles from the Walmart; I have never understood why a self contained RV needed to overnight in the Cottonwood Walmart or what the attraction was other than using the restrooms and bathing in the sinks.

It is a little over 12 miles from I-17 so no one is going to see a sign for it from the interstate. It doesn't have a Murphy's so there is no fuel sign on the interstate and I have never seen one for a fuel station 12 miles from the exit. If you drive from I-17 to Cottonwood on AZ-260, you do infact pass a sign for the BLM boondocking area adjacent to the Thousand Trails park. As for finding Walmarts from the interstates, my experience is that I m often past the exit by the time I see the sign at the store or the Walmart sign is not visible from the highway. I have never seen a Walmart listed on the blue and white services signs one sees approaching the interstate exits. If it has a fuel station, you will see a Murphy's sign on the Fuel station signs. The Walmart signs at the store give no indication whether overnights are permitted or not, so just pulling into any Walmart can be a hit or miss as far as overnighting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Since as Linda pointed out, this incident didn't involve RV'ers in the first place, I'm going to drop out rather than belabor irrelevant points.

Dutch
2001 GBM Landau 34' Class A
F-53 Chassis, Triton V10, TST TPMS
2011 Toyota RAV4 4WD/Remco pump
ReadyBrute Elite tow bar/brake system

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As an Rver - fulltime, there are reference material I can use. The problem I have found with boondocking information, forest sites - really any of them is that I cannot find much information regarding the size of the spot, height of trees, condition of the roads, ability to turn around if needed etc. That's what scares me away from trying to find boondocking areas.

Pat DeJong

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As an Rver - fulltime, there are reference material I can use. The problem I have found with boondocking information, forest sites - really any of them is that I cannot find much information regarding the size of the spot, height of trees, condition of the roads, ability to turn around if needed etc. That's what scares me away from trying to find boondocking areas.

I'm not sure if you are talking about boondocking as a quick overnight stay or finding a boondocking site for a several day or week long stay. If only for quick o/n parking spot, it is not that easy to pick a spot.

 

If looking for longer stay, the Days End list is a great source. You do need to be an Escapees member to get the list.

 

Also I use Google Earth or Google Maps to research how easy it is to access and how large the parking areas are.

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

http://downtheroadaroundthebend.blogspot.com/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

If looking for longer stay, the Days End list is a great source. You do need to be an Escapees member to get the list.

 

 

Also, Day's End is pretty good about mentioning obstructions or limitations. For example, it might mention that the site is appropriate only for smaller rigs, or it's suitable for several big rigs. It often mentions the condition of the road getting to the site and, if there are overhanging trees, it often mentions that as well as whether the entry is steep or any other condition that may make it difficult for rigs with long overhangs to navigate.

LindaH
2014 Winnebago Aspect 27K
2011 Kia Soul

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not sure I want to see Walmart portrayed as a bad-guy here. If they were talking to police about long term campers then that implies that they saw it as a problem and they WERE doing something about it. For all we know the police weren't responding to requests by Walmart to remove long-term campers.

 

Blocking overnight camping because of this incident is a typical bureaucratic move. One of the things that annoyed me when I worked for the Federal Government is that someone was always coming up with some rule after an issue. The rule didn't solve the issue, but it gave them ammunition to name a culprit. No one could possibly memorize all the rules, anyway.

 

These people were already breaking the rules; writing another one solves nothing and for all we know might result in one of US continuing to drive when we need to rest.

 

I like Walmart. I have friends who have retired from Walmart and friends who have careers at Walmart. I appreciate their attitude towards RVers and I am pretty sure that any intolerance to overnight parking doesn't come from Walmart but from the community in one way or another.

 

Maybe we could just make being an asshole illegal...

 

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is now a post on another forum of someone being robbed of two laptops in a Cracker Barrel lot while the RVers were eating. These things happen EVERYWHERE, not just at WalMarts.

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...