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Friday, May 2, 2008

Camping in a parking lot: the reality


If you have ever spent the night in your RV in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart, Sam's Club or other big box store, then you probably know the routine -- pull in, blend in, do a little shopping (optional), then hop in bed for a good night's sleep. That's best case: but what about those noisy street sweepers that show up early in the morning? Or worse yet, how about the security guard who knocks on your door at 3 a.m. and orders you vamoose! In this short video, shot in the wee hours of the morning, you can get an idea of how a camping experience at a big box store might be.

6 comments:

  1. Couldn't make the video play on my computer.

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  2. This is what you get when you record in the wee hours --- a rambling discorse with no apparent point. Is he complaining about the store cleaning their own parking lot? About the watering of the plants? The campers are all over the lot, not concentrated in an off area, extending slides, etc. I wonder if any talked with the night manager to get permission?

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  3. In over 16 years of staying overnight in Walmart, Kmart, Home Depot, Cracker Barrel, Sam's and other parking lots, have _never_ had a police officer wake me up at 3am... That is much more myth than reality.
    Get permission from customer service, and no one disturbs you. Have a well built rig, and the sound of a sweeper cleaning the parking lot, is 10% as loud as a truck sitting next to you in a rest area. Even where there are signs saying "No Overnight Parking" the find print says, "unless authorized." Get permission, and you are authorized.

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  4. Rule of thumb... always get permission... and do spend a few dollars at the establishment. every trip I do have to restock the rig... so why not do it before you leave. Did not check with anyone one time at a shopping mall, stopped in to do some shopping then decided to get some needed rest from a 12 hour day of driving...then you see that little yellow flashing light on the security patrol car driving by me several times before the mall closed at 10PM.... but they dont tell you to leave then... they wait till 2 or 3 am to advise you.

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  5. Point? or pointless.

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  6. This guy must be a disgruntled RV Park owner. I have stayed at Walmarts and even had security ask truckers with rigs idling for AC to move across the lot so they would not bother RVers.

    ReplyDelete

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