#Walmart boondocking for free
And some park owners for very legitimate reasons don't want to compete with someone who furnishes for free a "product" for which they must charge a fee in order to survive. What if these were your dollars invested in the RV park - can you honestly say you'd champion "boondocking rights" with the same enthusiasm? Of course not.Īt this point we've done no more than put the issue in objective focus: RVers for very legitimate reasons want to preserve their rights to enjoy the benefits of boondocking. From the park owner's perspective, all of a sudden you have a new "competitor" - someone who is "giving away" a product which you need to charge for in order to stay in business. Imagine further that a new shopping mall is soon built across the street, and once constructed invites RVers to park there free overnight.
Only then can we make a fair and balanced evalutation of the matter.įor starters, imagine a family business that has invested substantally all of its savings in purchasing or constructing an RV park.
If that premise is correct, then we need to take a closer look at this issue from the perspective of park owners. And if we want to ensure they'll not only be there, but be able to provide the services and amenities we're asking for, we have an interest in their continued success. Our predicate is that most RVers need a strong and viable network of RV parks (from budget priced to true RV "resorts") available to us. This latter group is the true "natural market" for the private park owners but even these RVers can resent the perception that park owners are seeking to eliminate boondocking options for all RVers. These RVers almost always prefer the added comfort and amenities that an RV park will provide. And there are still others who rarely, if ever, would consider staying overnight in a Walmart parking lot. Others see boondocking as a "sometimes" thing, such as occasionally overnighting in a Walmart or truck stop en route to an RV destination where they intend to avail themselves of all the amenities offered by a private or public RV resort or campground. Some of these RVers have little interest in other amenities, such as swimming pools and club houses, which are included in the rate base of the price of a night's stay. This group of RVers neither needs - nor wants to pay for - a duplication of these same amenities which are offered by the hookups and restroom facilities at RV parks. After all, they own a modern RV unit with virtually all the comforts of home - and they want to enjoy the independence this mode of travel and living offers. For others, it's also an issue of common sense economics. In fact it's the fundamental reason some RVers have chosen to adopt the RVing lifestyle. For some RVers, this is the very essence of RVing. However, it's really much broader than that, as it involves virtually all types of shopping centers, as well as truck stops, rest stops, and other areas where enterprising RVers have found they could overnight without cost. Because a number of well publicized disputes have resulted from the RV friendly attitude of many Walmart stores, it's often referred to as the "Walmart" issue. These small businesses which we recognize as RV parks have a variety of complexities to deal with, whether it involves the maze of government regulations that limits the construction or renovation of RV parks, or simply the challenge of managing an existing park in a profitable manner.Ĭlearly one provocative issue is "boondocking". While there are some large corporate concerns that operate networks of upscale RV resorts, the mainstay of the private RV park industry is still characterized by something akin to a family owned business. Just as park owners can benefit from understanding the needs and objectives of RVers, RVers can learn as well from a thoughtful consideration of the issues which face the owners of RV parks.
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