Casino Parking Lot Boondocking - a Safer Option

jstrubberg said:

One thing you need to be aware of when urban boondocking is that more and more municipalities are passing ordinances against "overnight parking".  Even if Wal Mart or the casino says it's OK, you can get a ticket if a grumpy L.E.O. come around in the middle of the night.

There is an app out now for both iphones and android phones that shows what Wal Marts around the continental US allow overnight parking.  It's put out by AllStays, LLC and is called "WalMart Overnight Parking Locator".

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They did this at the WM in Saginaw, TX.  Although WM put in large spots for RV's/Trucks, now due to the City, they had to put up signs saying no overnight parking.

jstrubberg said:

One thing you need to be aware of when urban boondocking is that more and more municipalities are passing ordinances against "overnight parking".  Even if Wal Mart or the casino says it's OK, you can get a ticket if a grumpy L.E.O. come around in the middle of the night.

There is an app out now for both iphones and android phones that shows what Wal Marts around the continental US allow overnight parking.  It's put out by AllStays, LLC and is called "WalMart Overnight Parking Locator".

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Actually, we have the No Overnight Parking signs placed by the city due to a city ordinance, at our local Walmart. The local LEs say that they will not issue a citation or roust out someone in the Walmart parking lot unless Walmart calls them and asks them to and Walmart says they won't unless the person is being a PITA for some reason. Private property issues.


Instead of spending money for the Walmart Overnight app from AllStays, I recommend getting the full AllStays app where you get Walmart, campgrounds, low clearance, and more.


Have fun
Wendy

My wife and I have been "on the road" so to speak for the last decade.  In that time we've KOA'd (Kamped On Asphalt) more times than we can count in Walmart parking lots, one Lowes in Toledo and just a year or so ago figured out that church parking lots are a great place to spend the nite six nites out of the week, seven if you get up really early on Sunday morning.  The beauty of the church parking lot trick is as follows:  No matter what local ordinances are, what cop is going to bang on the door of what very well could be a visiting minister and wake him/her up in the middle of the nite?  Should we encounter anyone in the church parking lot we're more than happy to make a $10 "donation" for the convenience.

We have been invited to spend the night in a couple of church parking lots but I' m not sure I would do so without permission, sounds too much like trespassing to me.

Jeff said:

We have been invited to spend the night in a couple of church parking lots but I' m not sure I would do so without permission, sounds too much like trespassing to me.

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On that issue Jeff .. I have done that in several church parking lots with their permission and had a good time..once in San Jose CA I was a little nervous due to the area and proximity to the main drag, 101, but slept well and enjoyed the stay-over..and once in Van Wert OH I was asked to use a side lot and not run the gen-set..

most every church seemed to have their number posted on the signage and so far it has been better than road side rest areas..and never, yet, had an issue w/ the law..

George

Foto-n-T said:

The beauty of the church parking lot trick is as follows:  No matter what local ordinances are, what cop is going to bang on the door of what very well could be a visiting minister and wake him/her up in the middle of the nite? 

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I tried to spend the night in a church parking lot about 25 years ago in my class C and I was rudely awoken around 1 am by a cop who told me to get out of there.

So far we've never had an issue with church parking lots though we don't stay in them very often.  Just like staying in a China-Mart parking lot etiquette is important. 

A number of years ago when Walmart opened its first store in Cody Wyoming there was talk of prohibiting overnite parking by the city.  Of course Good Sam Club got involved and threatened a boycott of Cody which got the attention of the city council who is VERY tourist conscious.  The prohibition didn't go through and now we refer to Walmart as a campground.  It really is too bad because we get so many tourists through but a small portion will use the Walmart parking lot as an RV park.  Rigs are routinely dollied down, toad dropped and camp is set up for days.  Seldom does any commercial campground/RV park in Cody EVER see 100% occupancy and we've had two close in the last few years.  Incidentally in the last two years there have been two RV fires in the Walmart RV Park.

My point to this is:  If you're gonna stay and enjoy the area and you can afford to own an RV then you need to support the community in which you are staying and stay at an RV park and not camp for days at Walmart.  For an overnite stop it's one thing, for a vacation destination it's quite another.

Well said, Joe.

Foto-n-T said:

My point to this is:  If you're gonna stay and enjoy the area and you can afford to own an RV then you need to support the community in which you are staying and stay at an RV park and not camp for days at Walmart.  For an overnite stop it's one thing, for a vacation destination it's quite another.

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I totally agree, support the local businesses and pay for a RV Space to over night...

Foto-n-T said:

My point to this is:  If you're gonna stay and enjoy the area and you can afford to own an RV then you need to support the community in which you are staying and stay at an RV park and not camp for days at Walmart.  For an overnite stop it's one thing, for a vacation destination it's quite another.

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Well put Joe.  A lot of campgrounds are mom and pop operations....even more reason to support them. 

I agree, Joe!  I can't imagine setting up for more than 1 overnight at a WalMart. We had to do that one time in PA but I have observed many 'long-term' RV'ers in our local store parking lot (levelers down, toad detached, & slides out).

A number of years ago we headed up to Detroit from down south in March to visit my wifes brother and family.  Enroute we stopped in Toledo to visit friends who had a driveway that would not accommodate our rig.  We wound up at a Lowes parking lot (with permission of the manager) for three or four days.  It wasn't exactly a five star resort but it was an acceptable alternative at the time.  Apparently RV parks in Toledo don't exactly feel the need to open when there's still snow on the ground.

Two years ago while visiting the Detroit area once again my wifes brother made arrangements for us to stay at a marina on Lake St. Clair.  That one was fun, key card security gate, water and electric hookups and right on the water at the marina.

We do use Walmart parking lots quite a bit when we're transitioning.  But again we do like to follow etiquette  when doing so.  There's one in New Mexico on I-10 and I can't ever remember the town but when you pull in the security people will park you.  The first time we stayed there we didn't understand their reasoning as it was just us and a couple of other rigs but by 7:00pm the RV's were packed into that parking lot like Lincoln Logs.

A lot of times it just doesn't make sense to plunk down $30-$50 just for an overnite when you're tired and want to sleep.

Someone said "they don't gamble" but if you camp in a parking lot you do!

Paul & Ann said:

I dont think so.  An armed society is a violent society.  Can anyone name a society that was/is armed to the teeth and where there is no violence?

Now back to your regularly scheduled debate on safety.

Paul

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violent people are going to be violent no mater what, guns, knives, sticks or rocks.

Maybe all  they need to do is make violence illegal ....... oh, ...wait.

sounds like someone has a advanced degree in Utopian architecture  :

I don't worry about guns, I worry about the person who should be in a home, hospital or other institution. The governments closed most if not all the institutions, and gave out drugs to keep the people in line.  All in the name of saving money.

To me, the people I see shopping at Walmart are way scarier.... than the people I see at the gaming tables.