| Author | Message | ||
| Gus Causbie (Gusc)
Registered Member Username: Gusc Post Number: 673 Registered: 11-2005 Posted From: 208.54.200.17 Rating: N/A |
This was posted under "Places We Stay, Places to Avoid", but I thought others who haven't read those posts might be interested. This is my updated No Parking List including the ones from you guys; Casa Grande, AZ Flagstaff, AZ Yuma, AZ Crescent City,CA Gilroy, CA Redding, CA Grant's Pass, OR I don't expect to hear from Gilroy since they had a big fire recently. I don't know about the rest of you but these towns won't be getting any of my tourist dollars. Last year I had read that these two places don't allow WM parking but they sent me emails saying parking is allowed.The email from Missoula was especially courteous. Missoula, MT Billings, MT We're leaving Tue on a 3500mi trip to the east coast so I'll probably have a bunch more towns to add to my list when we return! Feel free to add to this list or contradict it. | ||
| R.C.Bishop (Chuckllb)
Registered Member Username: Chuckllb Post Number: 296 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 4.240.214.101 Rating: N/A |
Hmmmm........3500/10 mpg (FF) x $4.80 = $1680.00/3500= 48 cents per mile...... I heard yesterday that air travel is now up to 15 cents per mile...(and that they can't make a profit at that). Considering truckers and heavy equipment over the road folks don't get but 1/2 to maybe 2/3 of that mpg, small wonder they are in dire shape. Wonder if the IRA is going to change the mileage allowance for the coming tax season?.......sure..... Hope you have a great...and fun...trip Gus. Let us know how it played out!  RCB | ||
| Syl Szucsko (Syl)
Registered Member Username: Syl Post Number: 23 Registered: 6-2006 Posted From: 74.32.215.161 Rating: N/A |
I canceled my trip to Alaska this summer | ||
| Tom Caffrey (Pvcces)
Registered Member Username: Pvcces Post Number: 1207 Registered: 5-2001 Posted From: 65.74.72.93 Rating: N/A |
Too bad, Syl. When we made our trip to the interior last June, the price for diesel at the Fife, WA, Flying J was exactly the price for diesel at the K-mart in Fairbanks. For what it's worth. Tom Caffrey PD4106-2576 Suncatcher Ketchikan, Alaska | ||
| Edward J. Sommers (Sommersed)
Registered Member Username: Sommersed Post Number: 31 Registered: 10-2004 Posted From: 148.78.155.174 Rating: N/A |
I WILL be going to a couple of those places! I refuse to let such a matter determine my travel. I also recognize that there is probably a very good reason why those places have a no camp policy. | ||
| Gus Causbie (Gusc)
Registered Member Username: Gusc Post Number: 674 Registered: 11-2005 Posted From: 208.54.200.214 Rating: N/A |
Ed, I wouldn't refuse to visit any of these cities if I had a good reason to do so either, but I wouldn't spend any money there. In my case I was just passing through and needed a place to rest, resupply and refuel. I sent the city councils or mayors of some of these towns emails saying I wouldn't be spending any of my tourists dollars there anymore because of their short sighted policies. In quite a few cases they wrote me that their ordinances didn't prohibit overnight parking even though the signs were posted at WM saying so. In two years I have only received two emails saying the policy stands and one town didn't answer. In one town last year I received a very negative email from one city council member. However, right after that I received very positive emails from two more city council members, the mayor and a city police sergeant. Again, in this case, it turned out that the ordinance didn't prohibit WM parking even though the signs said so. So, there is a lot of confusion out there between WM and the towns and I feel that city officials need to know about the negative impact of these policies. This is my thing, it matters not to me if anyone else joins in but I thought I would share this info with other bus nuts. | ||
| Buswarrior (Buswarrior)
Registered Member Username: Buswarrior Post Number: 1307 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 76.66.19.238  Rating: |
Thanks Gus. A weakness with the democratic system, short sighted NIMBY syndrome... These selfish nincompoop obstructionists, with their "I have so little control over my wretched existence, I have to inflict what pain on others I can in order to feel important" policies... Where do they think their next door neighbour is employed? And what do they think her hungry kids will do in order to eat? Sheesh! Visitors spend a lot of money wherever they go. Every tourist bureau across the continent has the local stats. Certainly, there need to be some rules sufficient to control those "less than well brought up" types who can't contain themselves when using shared facilities... But turn away all of them with a blanket ban at your town's peril! happy coaching! buswarrior | ||
| Chuck Newman (Chuck_newman)
Registered Member Username: Chuck_newman Post Number: 265 Registered: 1-2005 Posted From: 63.145.177.245 Rating: N/A |
My younger son, until he recently moved up the food chain, was a WM store manager. I've asked him about this issue a few times and he always said unless mandated by city ordinance (which usually is not the case) each WM store manager had the choice to allow parking or not. How the inconsiderate parkers were dealt with was up to the individual manager. His management was common sense. If someone parked in the preferred area and was clean, he didn't care. He said some people stayed for up to five days, but were low profile and courteous. For those who dumped their garbage and holding tanks in the lot were told to leave immediately or the police were called. He told me some store managers get generic "No Overnight Parking" signs from the local city or county government so they don't have to deal with the parking issue at all. Generally due to past bad experiences with one or more arrogant, inconsiderate RVers. | ||
| R.C.Bishop (Chuckllb)
Registered Member Username: Chuckllb Post Number: 300 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 4.240.213.206 Rating: N/A |
Over the years we have "parked" in WM lots....well, a lot. Always have gone in to Customer Service first, asked for a Mgr. and have yet to be denied a spot. Even when the sign says "no overnite parking". Talked at lengths a number of times with the "security " person overnight, including Nova Scotia, who assured a comfortable stay. Never abused the occasion with cookouts, awning stretches, etc..and, I am quite sure, in most cases, we "paid" for our stay. FWIW RCB | ||
| Jack Conrad (Jackconrad)
Registered Member Username: Jackconrad Post Number: 771 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 76.3.173.51  Rating: |
When using a WalMart, we PARK, we do not CAMP. There is a difference between parking & camping. No awnings out, nothing set outside the coach. We usually try to park under a light far from the store entrance. Only thing done after shutting down the engine is to raise the TV antennas. The CAMPERS are the ones that ruin it for all of us. Jack | ||
| H3-40 (Ace)
Registered Member Username: Ace Post Number: 854 Registered: 10-2004 Posted From: 70.220.51.98  Rating: N/A |
Here's one for ya! Our local Wal-mart has one on a regular basis! A million dollar plus prevost with 3 slides out and all the shades closed. It's the second one in the same week that I have seen with temp tags! Where is everyone getting all the money? They don't seem to be camping... just parked, now going on the 3rd day! LOL Ace | ||
| Jack Campbell (Blue_goose)
Registered Member Username: Blue_goose Post Number: 84 Registered: 5-2007 Posted From: 71.100.207.86  Rating: |
Ace they are working in Wal-mart trying to get fuel money. Jack | ||
| john degemis (Degemis)
Registered Member Username: Degemis Post Number: 13 Registered: 3-2008 Posted From: 71.92.155.140 Rating: N/A |
I live in Crescent City,CA. I do not know the policies but people often park over night at our Walmart. They also park at the FairGrounds over night on the 101 and Safeway. I know the local RV park owners have complained to the city that WalMart alows overnight parking and it hurts thier business. | ||
| H3-40 (Ace)
Registered Member Username: Ace Post Number: 856 Registered: 10-2004 Posted From: 216.9.250.62 Rating: N/A |
LOL Jack yea now that I think about it, I did over hear the door greeter telling a co worker about their new ride! Wonder if they are hiring! Ace | ||
| Gus Causbie (Gusc)
Registered Member Username: Gusc Post Number: 677 Registered: 11-2005 Posted From: 66.31.16.111 Rating: N/A |
Since we got the gps, which shows phone numbers of stores, we've started calling ahead. This has saved us a lot of driving and allows us to ignore any signs. We parked at two exceptionally friendly stores in Youngstown,OH and Newburgh,NY. The manager in Newburgh was funny, said OK as long as we parked well away from the entrance and didn't build any camp fires! One note about the Newburgh store address. If you enter 1201 Union in your gps you will end up in the boonies. The correct address is 1201 Rt 300 which isn't even in the book. The store is about a mile south of I84 on Rt 300. The highest price for diesel so far was $4.99 in NY. Here in MA it is $4.73. OH had the best prices. We're going on south to Philadelphia and Delaware so it will be interesting to see the prices there. I admit that I expected problems in the east but have been pleasantly surprised. Only Middletown, NY said, no. (Message edited by gusc on June 09, 2008) | ||
| Jim Wilke (Jim Bob) (Pd41044039)
Registered Member Username: Pd41044039 Post Number: 282 Registered: 2-2001 Posted From: 69.77.151.47 Rating: N/A |
We have stayed overnight at quite a few Wal Mart stores. At first we would not stay if they had a "No Overnight" sign, but after we accidentally stayed at a few when we did not see the sign till the next morning, we started ignoring the signs. BUT.... when I say ignore, I mean that like Jack Conrad, we only park the bus just as if we were stopping to shop. We don't even put up an antenna. We rarely stay longer than 7 hours including the normal trips into the store when arriving & before leaving. Like everyone else, we have seen big $$ factory buses with EVERYTHING deployed, jacks down, even dog pens set up under the awning just as if they were in KOA! Not only does this annoy the WM manager but seeing them CAMPING there sets off any local campground operator & rightfully so. We are just stopping for a nap but those folks are "homesteading" the place. They really should be in a campground. | ||
| john degemis (Degemis)
Registered Member Username: Degemis Post Number: 16 Registered: 3-2008 Posted From: 71.92.155.140  Rating: N/A |
From Wal-Marts website FAQ Page: Can I park my RV at a Wal-Mart store? While we do not offer electrical service or accommodations typically necessary for RV customers, Wal-Mart values RV travelers and considers them among our best customers. Consequently, we do permit RV parking on our store lots as we are able. Permission to park is extended by individual store managers, based on availability of parking space and local laws. Please contact management in each store to ensure accommodations before parking your RV. | ||
| David Dulmage (Daved)
Registered Member Username: Daved Post Number: 206 Registered: 12-2003 Posted From: 66.78.127.249  Rating: N/A |
We have never been refused at a Wal-Mart. If we park at one, we usually re-stock by shopping the groceries department of their Superstore, with a side trip through the rest of the store anyway. For those RV campground operators that complain about a loss of RV business, if they had reasonably priced spots at the front of their campgrounds, they might get some of the short term business. We usually stop late at night at Wal-Mart and leave in a few hours or early in the morning. I doubt most campground guests would appreciate a diesel powered bus snaking through the campground at midnight or later looking for a site and firing up at 5:30 or 6:00 am getting ready to depart. Just my 2 cents | ||
| David B. Sweet (Sweets4104)
Registered Member Username: Sweets4104 Post Number: 10 Registered: 2-2007 Posted From: 71.195.101.200  Rating: N/A |
You might look into the directories RVbookstore.com has, the Walmart Atlas lists all of the stores that permit parking as well as Fueling information. They also have a little directory that lists all of the WM stores that do not allow parking. On many occasions, it is local ordinaces that make the difference. Blessings, David |
