WalMart campground?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
We did find a campground in Rawlins, WY, that offers long, level, pull through sites with electric only, perfect for a one night stop.  Unfortunately, it was $22 even with the GS discount :(
 
However, I'm probably more radical than Tom in my thinking in that I think many people use it because they are too cheap.  It confounds me that people will spend in excess of $100K (in some cases WAY more) and yet be so cheap as to not be willing to pay $30 to stay overnight at a CG.
Click to expand...

Did you ever consider for a minute that the reason those folks could afford to spend in excess of $100k (and WAY more) for their rig was because they were thrifty?
 
Ned said:
We did find a campground in Rawlins, WY, that offers long, level, pull through sites with electric only, perfect for a one night stop.  Unfortunately, it was $22 even with the GS discount :(
Click to expand...

Ned:

Come out to New England! $22.00 would be a real bargain. We have been paying 26/30 for W/E, up to 40 for FHU.
 
No thanks, Jeff, been there and done that.  In the past week we've paid $51 and $46/night for full hookup, but our average for the year is still <$13.  What is surprising is how full the campgrounds are at this time of year.  Usually they're quite empty after Labor Day.

And too many trees east of the Mississippi :)
 
Tom said:
Denny, you need to be more specific; There's more than one Tom in this discussion.
Click to expand...

It must be me, I'm not radical in my thinking. Oh wait, I don't think. :eek:
 
Wendy said:
Denny - Sadly the Olathe has been done and gone for nearly two weeks now. If you're ever in this area the first weekend in August, you should hit the Olathe Sweet Corn Festival - all the corn you can eat, roasted or steamed, with or without butter. It is absolutely the best corn anywhere.

Wendy
Click to expand...

I stayed in Olathe for four months this year and managed to hold down my corn intake at the Fest to a mere nine ears!
 
Lou, all nights.  Our average for 12+ years is just under $14.
 
Ned said:
Same way you would account for WalMart parking :)
Click to expand...

Not quite the same, (I don't have a deed or a mortgage on a Wal-Mart parking lot. :D) but I get your point.
 
Lou (onaquest) said:
Ned, is this the average for all nights this year, or just those nights on the road?
Click to expand...

Lou

I'm not sure what this can demonstrate, but since we bought our first motorhome in 1998, we've "camped" 1,968 days at an average cost of $17.40. We seldom use Wal-Mart, which was included :D and we don't own a lot to park on for "free". Thank you Rolling Stock for the statistics. One interesting number is that the summer of 2009 was our lowest average for the last 5 years, $18.34 vs. a high of $26.99 in 2005. Probably didn't stay at any Wal-Marts that summer  ;D
 
Well, if I might step in here with the RVForum oldtimers.... ;)

We have a new Walmart here in Woodland Park, CO, and they put up "NO Camping" signs in the parking lot of it, and in our opinion, we are very glad.  The closest Walmart in Colorado Springs looks trashy because of their allowing RV's....just our opinion.  

If I were Walmart, I would just ban any overnight camping at all their stores, and be done with this......

I hear the "Walmart Campers" say "I spend money there", and apparently they think they now have the right to squat on the property....I contend once Walmart does away with the RV overnight parking, their revenue won't go down any.  ;)
 
Bernie, your data is probably more applicable to my (and the average non-full timers) situation than is Ned's. 

For my purposes, I would only calculate costs for nights away from my residence.  The only other factor I can think of that may cloud the issue would be storage fees when not on the road.  Folks like myself, who can park on their own property, have a small advantage.  However, unlike Ned, I can't legally live in mine while parked at home.

A thought (might have been a brain fart) just occurred to me.  If I didn't have this RV to park, I probably wouldn't need this property. :D

OR, put another way, if I didn't have this property to look after, I wouldn't have to park the RV ???
 
If you really want to muddy the waters, we averaged $3.84 per night last winter. We do a lot of boondocking and also have half-off and free camping at a number of places.

Wendy
 
FrontrangeRVer said:
If I were Walmart, I would just ban any overnight camping at all their stores, and be done with this......
Click to expand...

Wal*Mart does indeed make money on RVers and as such, will not institute a ban as a corporate policy.  You are talking about a company that squeezes every single penny out of their suppliers, employees, service providers, and distribution operations in order to maximize their profit margins.  If they believed they could make more money by not allowing RV parking, trust me, they wouldn't allow it.

In Virginia, most retail stores are located in retail development complexes that include more than just the Walmart.  As such, most of the time Walmart doesn't own the property or have any sway (other than through political pressure) on the parking regulations.  In most of these situations, overnight parking is not allowed.  I have never stayed at a Walmart overnight, but respect their business decision to allow it.
 
I'm with Mark on this one ;) 

Who wants to git the family all dressed up, git 'um loaded in the truck, git on over to that "New Wal-Mart" only to have to park in the same lot with a Monaco Diplomat trashin' the place up?
 
I shop at Walmart, maybe once every 3 months. Have never stayed in their parking lots, why? We have 2 big ones in a 10 mile area from my home. The few things we need while traveling are minimal.. we prepare. (Unless you are a full-timer..most are not.)

  Just to save a few bucks not parking in an RV park? I love to give RV parks my money so that the can stay in business...

  We all need RV parks all over the country, good or bad, so why cut their knees off?

  I guess I am of the old school. Live and let live.

I support the RV parks..they are hard working folks trying to stay alive. Folks who want to save buck, maybe buy a hamburger instead of those $12.00 steaks on your BBQ.

  Believe me, I am a free entrepreneur. (Enterpriser).

Guess I had better quit before I get into trouble.

carson FL
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 898 (members: 40, guests: 858)

Forum statistics

Threads
131,961
Posts
1,388,263
Members
137,714
Latest member
JollyJim
Back
Top Bottom