Parking lot boondocking

[g1g]

I have been on forums for a year before we got our B and thought boondocking was a great way to go to save a few bucks. Although I was concerned my wife wouldn't take to it. Well after a few nights in Walmart & K Mart as well as campgrounds I found the answer.
Campgrounds are cheaper since the other half spends more at the stores, and likes this method, than campground fees.

[markopolo]

Good tip!

[kenking]

I hadn't yet suggested boondocking at Wally World, just for fear of the result you got!

[Bobbi]

You folks made my day, haven't had such a good laugh for a while.

[g1g]

We talked about another trip and my wife already mentioned staying at Walmart. I thik I'm in trouble.

[renrut]

When we moved from the East Coast to the Prairies, we stayed in Walmart parking lots the entire way. Work would pay for a hotel but only what we paid. If we stayed in a non-commercial place, we got $50 per night. So, for the 9 nights they allowed us, we made a few extra dollars. It helped pay for the extra gas our motor home used. I was also pulling a 5000 pound trailer which killed my gas mileage. (14ft utility trailer with a 3500 pound tractor on it and a few extra things)

The one thing we don't like about parking lots is the heat. Camping on a paved parking lot gets a little hot during the day and hold the heat on into the night. We don't have a generator so the RV was a little warm inside.

When we moved last year from the Prairies to Ontario, we stayed in mostly Provincial Parks. Having nice treed sights with electricity was a lot more relaxing. Having a playground for the kids was also a big bonus.

We haven't camped in any parking lots since that one trip. We may do some winter traveling to see family out West. If we do that, we'll probably use the parking lots since I doubt there will be any campgrounds open.

Just to make a point, my wife spent a lot of time in Walmart. I'm sure she spent most of the money we made.

[rinkman1]

lOOK AT MY PHOTOS GALLERY ABOUT OVER NIGHT PARKING.RINKMAN1 Random photos from our travels

[Joe]

We live in Maryland and I recently went to vist my brother who lives in Ocean City Maryland. We took our car but while we were there I ask the locals about campers and such. I had to go on line and check because I could not believe what I was told. You cannot park a camper on any city street in Ocean City except for I think it was 20th Street where you have to leave your camper and hitch a ride. The Wal Mart is even posted. I was wondering about Class B campers as they are registered as a van. Hate to get ticketed and or towed to find out.

[Mike]

I'm just about to head out east to the Maritimes in Canada, so I checked with
all 4 tourism sites, and boondocking is pretty much frowned on in the mainland
provinces, but the islands have no particular problem with it. Apparently Nova
Scotia is the worst. I've seen hits on the net describing their bylaws and they
apply the punishment to the property owner, not the boondocker, to discourage
places like Walmarts from allowing overnight parking.
We still plan to play it by ear, one parking lot at a time.

[judyallen]

We are planning trip to the Virginia Beach area, does anyone having any recommendations for boon-docking, in or around that area? I love Wallyworld

[Mike]

Go with it.
We just got back from a week out east and stayed at the Wallyworld Asphalt Courtyard Resort more than once.
Also, we stayed in them in both NB and NS without any problems.
Rumours about anti-boondocking there are largely over exaggerated, it appears.
We weren't bothered by anyone, but one night in Campbellton NB, some "boisterous" locals
buzzed the boondockers in the Walmart parking lot overnight with their poorly muffled cars.
My wife woke up and heard them driving around us all, but I slept through it.
We also like Flying J, T/A, Pilot, and Love's truck stops where we take full advantage of the
coffee and showers. We don't use our van's shower, nor do we make our own coffee.

Mike.

[arrveedogz]

Originally Posted by Mike

We also like Flying J, T/A, Pilot, and Love's truck stops where we take full advantage of the
coffee and showers. We don't use our van's shower,
Mike.

OK, now I feel better. We stayed at campgrounds and parks from TX to Maine -- all with showers and bathrooms. I figured that if I'm going to shower, why not use the park's HW and enjoy the extra space? Most of the other people at these places were big rig types -- and I got the distinct impression that I was somehow violating an unwritten code of conduct: "Thou shalt only shower in thine own RV."

I wonder if "Strange things people say when they first see a Class B" wouldn't make an interesting thread of its own. Maybe in the Members Area?? We definitely heard some interesting chatter, especially at the dump station.

nor do we make our own coffee.

Whoa, have to differ with you there; the coffee maker is the most important inanimate object on board.

Dan

[Mike]

I haven't heard much about class B RVs from other RVers. I'm not sure I'd be all that
concerned about what the rest of the RV world think about us (B'ers) anyway. I find I do get
people come up and ask if they can have a quick look inside, because they don't believe
there's enough room in a B to be comfortable, and they're usually surprised/impressed.
Sure a class A or C might have some advantages in terms of space, but
economical travel is what matters to us right now, since we still have a base
of operations, aka our house, to maintain. If we were full timers, we'd be tempted to buy
something larger, but that would be more for our cats than ourselves. My wife
and I, on our own, don't need much more room than we have, although I'd consider
a larger rig with a full bath and shower enclosure, but that'd be more to facilitate our preferred
choice of dry camping/boondocking. That's why we don't use our shower because of the humidity
and mess. You can get a shower room (toilet, sink, shower, like a motel bathroom) at a truck
stop for about $8-$10 US (with soap/shampoo/towels like a motel) and it's yours for as long as
you want and for the both of you. We find it easier and more convenient than using the Roadtrek's
shower system. Just ask the cashier about it. We also use the facilities at National and State Parks.
We also stop at commercial campgrounds and ask if they have a shower rate, or a day rate. Many do.

Also, make no mistake, we LOVE our coffee, we just prefer to purchase it on trip, rather than make it, for the same
reason as the showers.
Our first choices for java are truck stops, then Starbucks, then McDonald's then......

Mike.
btw, my wife says I'm the most important inanimate object on board. no idea what that means.

[arrveedogz]

Originally Posted by Mike

I haven't heard much about class B RVs from other RVers. I'm not sure I'd be all that
concerned about what the rest of the RV world think about us (B'ers) anyway.

I'm not concerned, I guess I just collect funny things I hear on the road. Example: "You mean it doesn't have ANY slides?"

I find I do get
people come up and ask if they can have a quick look inside, because they don't believe
there's enough room in a B to be comfortable, and they're usually surprised/impressed.

We definitely had some of those. A couple traveling x-country on motorcycles would've made an offer to buy our RT in a gas station parking lot.

If we were full timers, we'd be tempted to buy
something larger, but that would be more for our cats than ourselves.

Yep, just the two of us and the dogs, who actually seem to enjoy the travel routine.

Also, make no mistake, we LOVE our coffee,

Much better. Our routine settled into setting up the coffee maker at night, then hitting the switch when the dogs go out for their morning potty run. By the time we're back, coffee is ready.

btw, my wife says I'm the most important inanimate object on board. no idea what that means.

I lose that one to the pot, for sure.

Dan

[Mike]

Originally Posted by arrveedogz

I'm not concerned, I guess I just collect funny things I hear on the road. Example: "You mean it doesn't have ANY slides?"

Hard to believe sometimes, isn't it? I think I've seen some "plus" sized B's with slides, but I'm not sure they're really B's any more when they get that fancy. More like smallish C's.

Originally Posted by arrveedogz

We definitely had some of those. A couple traveling x-country on motorcycles would've made an offer to buy our RT in a gas station parking lot.

Not surprising. Although the biker's still get much better gas mileage than we do. (just a bit )

Originally Posted by arrveedogz

Yep, just the two of us and the dogs, who actually seem to enjoy the travel routine.

Sadly, our B is just a little too small for our two "mousers" to enjoy. They'd probably adapt to a C or A, but right now that's not in the plans. If we ever decided to go full time, we'd pretty much have to look at larger.

Originally Posted by arrveedogz

Much better. Our routine settled into setting up the coffee maker at night, then hitting the switch when the dogs go out for their morning potty run. By the time we're back, coffee is ready.

We've kicked around the idea of making our own coffee now since we got our B last year. Except for our last trip to the Maritimes and a brief drive through the extremely crowded US Northeast (ME, NH, MA, NY), we've always preferred to toss back a couple of cups of store bought. I mention the last trip because we knew before we left, real truck stops are scarce in Canada, and we didn't see a lot of them in the US Northeast either. However, when we do find them, it's relatively inexpensive, pretty good quality, the truck stops have the best, and the closest to homemade in our opinion, and there's no clean up. Starbucks is next best, and after that, pot luck. I know that sounds lazy, but we don't cook in the van, or really use the sink that much, as we haven't really camped that much, so far. We're pretty much nomads on the road, looking at places, and the people, in various parts of the continent. We're making mental notes about those places we've visited, that we think we'd like to revisit and stay at for a while. So, until we start actually camping at places, staying for more than just overnight, we find it's easier to buy our morning coffee. Does that sort of make sense?

Originally Posted by arrveedogz

I lose that one to the pot, for sure.

Mike.

BTW, WARNING - Starbucks has almost NO presence in eastern Canada, aka Quebec and the Maritimes. We found one by accident (it's not listed in their online store locator) in Halifax next to a really nice Irving gas bar when we were returning from Peggy's Cove one morning. They said there might also be one in Moncton, but they weren't sure. Tim Hortons is everywhere out there, and rules their coffee world.

[judyallen]

During our travels, we have no problem boondocking in parking lots, Walmart, Flying J Truckstop, etc...But, if you have never stopped at the Flying J Truck Plaza, at Texarkana, Ark.....DON'T!!! That place is so nasty. I usually don't complain, but this was totally awful. We went in to use the facility, the rest rooms, were stopped up, and the serviceman was walking through the "store" with his plugger, not even wrapped up. I thought, Ugh!! We were told to use the Truckers restrooms, and the woman's was absolutely the filtiest, I have ever seen. The people who work there, were kind of rude. Couldn't hardly get them to wait on us, guess we were intrupting their conversation. I called my son, who is a over-the-road truck driver, and he said Mom, its the worst in the country. I do not know how they stay open. But, there is a new Flying J just North of Houston, Tex., on highway 59. Very nice, and very nice people working there.

[Davydd]

No Starbucks in eastern Canada? Wow! And to think the last Starbucks cup of coffee I had was last month in Istanbul, Turkey.

My wife can't function without coffee so that is the first thing we do on waking is make a pot. That still does not keep us from topping off again at a coffee shop once on the road. McDonalds seems to get most of our coffee money mainly because they are everywhere and Starbucks is mostly in metro areas we avoid.

[Davydd]

Five seasons and 60,000 miles on the road and most of them, maybe 80%, on the blue highways and we have yet to stay at a Walmart or truck stop. We seek out state parks, state forests, municipal parks, county parks, national parks and national forests for our stops. Most state parks have satisfied the need for electric, water, showers and dump stations. We prefer the privacy and usually woodsy settings.

[Mike]

Originally Posted by Davydd

No Starbucks in eastern Canada? Wow! And to think the last Starbucks cup of coffee I had was last month in Istanbul, Turkey.

My wife can't function without coffee so that is the first thing we do on waking is make a pot. That still does not keep us from topping off again at a coffee shop once on the road. McDonalds seems to get most of our coffee money mainly because they are everywhere and Starbucks is mostly in metro areas we avoid.

It is sort of understandable, with Tim Horton's being a national monument to coffee here in Canada.
However, Starbucks seems to be slowly increasing it's Canadian presence, and we don't know what
we'd do without it, combined with the truck stops, for coffee when we're in the USA.
We did make our first pot of coffee last weekend in GC NP. Brought the HamBeach Stay or Go with us,
and drove to the parking lot by the trading post/restaurant/Chase Bank branch, and fired up the generator.
17 minutes later we enjoyed a full pot of fresh brewed, freshly ground French Roast, with Land O Lakes
Mini-moo 1/2 and 1/2 which we also got at Walmart back at our campsite. We had satellite TV too.
Absolutely marvelous way to start the day! We were finally grownup campers and self-sufficient for coffee
and TV.
btw, did you take your PW to Turkey? How was the food there?

[Davydd]

No, the only foreign country we'll travel to in our Pleasure-way will be Canada.

We flew to Rome, Italy for a couple of days and then took a Mediterranean cruise to Alexandria, Cairo and Giza (Great Pyramids), Egypt; Chios, Greece; Istanbul, Turkey; Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey; Athens, Greece; Naples and Pompeii, Italy; and back to Rome.

Coffee in Rome was mostly espresso that you drank standing up at sidewalk kiosks. In restaurants if you wanted coffee without cream or sugar, Americano was a thick syrup like mixture that you diluted with hot water to make it sort of like we have coffee in North America. Starbucks was the only place where you could buy coffee in a larger container than a simple cup that was like we buy. They had all the paper cup sizes we have served piping hot.