Full Time RV Travel - Boondocking - or Another Perspective to Save Money on Overnight RV Parking

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In one of my favorite RV Newsletters the owner Chuck Woodbury wrote the following:

Two weeks ago in our weekly reader survey we asked if you had ever spent the night with your RV in a Wal-Mart parking lot. Fifty-seven percent of you answered yes. When we asked that same question seven years ago, only 46 percent. What that means is a lot more RVers are holing up in Wal-Mart parking lots these days.

THE REASON IS OBVIOUS: the average price of a full-hookup site in an RV park today is $40.96. That's according to a recent survey by the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds. So holing up for a night in a Wal-Mart parking lot buys an extra 100 miles of gas.

I AM A BIG BELIEVER in campgrounds and RV parks. But I am not a big believer in staying at them when I simply need a place to sleep for the night. To pay $30 to $40 for that is crazy. For RVers in transit -- on their way to somewhere -- staying for free when convenient saves money, perhaps enough to make a trip affordable in the first place.

I salute Wal-Mart for its service to the RV community. There are few places to park along the road anymore where you can grab a free night's sleep without getting booted out. If Wal-Mart suddenly pulled the plug on its overnight parking, I suspect some RVers could no longer afford to travel or would travel less with their RV.

I believe there is an opportunity for an RV park to grab some of these Wal-Mart RVers. Why not offer in-transit RVers a place to park overnight for $10 if they arrive after 7 or 8 p.m? The RVer gets no hookups, no restroom password, they can't swim in the pool, and the free coffee at the front desk isn't free. But they can sleep. And then they can leave. I believe a lot of RVers would go for this.

If parks could find a way to make this work, then the entire RV industry would benefit because RVing would be more affordable. As is, fewer and fewer people can afford to do it -- and that means fewer RV sales for manufacturers and dealers and fewer folks enjoying one of the most wonderful leisure activities ever invented!

Read the entire piece, and sign up for Chuck's awesome newsletter HERE

I think Chuck's proposal has a great deal of validity.

Do you think it could work?
Do you think it would be abused?
Do you often camp without hookups, just to save a buck?

Leave a comment, and share your thoughts. . .

From Blogger Pictures

Dave and I have lived in our RV Full Time for the past eight years, and have traveled fulltime for the past three years. Follow our tales by clicking on the RSS feed at the top of the page, or check back often as we share the tips and tricks of living the lifestyle.

The Zen of Boondocking Part XIV – Camping along scenic byways

By Bob Difley National Scenic Byways, a program administered in part by the National Forest Service (FS), describes routes through some of the most scenic.

Publish Date: 05/07/2011 17:07

http://blog.rv.net/2011/05/the-zen-of-boondocking-part-xiii-camping-along-scenic-byways/

Because we have Android Phones, I found this next article very interesting:

Camp and RV ~ Android Application v3.7.1 By AllStays | Travel & Local

*Walmart (with Parking or No Parking noted with frequent user reports.) *Overnight Parking like casinos & other places. *2800 Truck Stops with amenities, if RV friendly, and what is nearby. *Outdoor Supply Stores (Camping World, REI, ...

Publish Date: 03/03/2011 12:08

http://www.androlib.com/android.application.com-allstays-app-camprv-qjDAx.aspx

And this next article is just funny. . .with a little common sense thrown in:

RV parking at Walmart

Dear Dr. RV Shrink: We have been using Walmart parking lots for overnight stays while traveling between destinations. We think this is a wonderful opportunity offered by Walmart. We call them our “Pit Stops.” We do our shopping, ...

Publish Date: 12/31/2010 18:31

http://rvshrink.blogspot.com/2010/12/rv-parking-at-walmart.html