Let’s discuss a subject that raises the hackles of many RV owners. Truly the debate about grabbing a few winks at Wal-Mart has been raging on various RV related message boards. A few RV owners seem to feel that parking in an out of the way space at Wal-Mart is beneath them. Others, like me, appreciate Wal-Mart’s meeting the needs of their customers. Wal-Mart got to be Wal-Mart by providing customers with what they want. We have never spent a night in a Wal-Mart parking lot without buying something. From a low of ten dollars to a high of well over a hundred we always spend money, but generally on necessities that we would buy anyway but not necessarily from Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart knows that.

So if any RV Park owners or operators are reading this, please consider another point of view. You may see the situation as being them or us, but it is not so. The choice is not just between staying at Wal-Mart or an RV Park. If those were the only two choices your concern about Wal-Mart and other places an RV owner can grab a few winks would be understandable. While I can only speak from personal experience, it is quite likely that many RV owners will agree with the following points.

There are several reasons RV owners sometimes choose to stop overnight at a Wal-Mart, but I will only deal with two. The first is because we can. We own a recreational vehicle, not a car. We pay a hefty premium for the conveniences of an RV. We can sleep, eat, and shower without checking in anywhere. We didn’t buy an RV to be chained to hotels, motels, or RV parks. It is the essence of the freedom we purchased.

The second and most important reason is money. With the quickly escalating price of fuel it is necessary to find ways to hold down costs. One night out of two or three or four keeps the cost of being on the road manageable. So RV parks everywhere this is the heart of the matter. The choice is NOT staying at Wal-Mart or staying at your park. The choice IS staying at Wal-Mart or staying home.

If we are sometimes resting overnight at a Wal-Mart that means we are on the road. Therefore, more often than not we will also be staying at your park. I own a small RV and two nights without hookups is about all I can comfortably go. If we sleep at Wal-Mart on Monday night the odds are great we will be seeking an RV park for Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday. Bringing down the cost of parking overnight by even twenty to twenty-five percent is what makes our extended travel possible.

If you make it impossible for us to hold down costs then we definitely will not be staying with you. During the course of a year we check in at RV parks 90 to 120 nights. We might stay at Wal-Marts or other free spots about 30 nights. Take the 30 nights of free parking away from us and we will take the 90 to 120 nights away from you.

The arrogance of some RV parks is quite amazing, though I hasten to add this is not true of most. The cost of a full hook-up varies greatly, but it is routine that electric and water only is just a dollar or two less. Often a space with no hookups costs just a buck or two under that. The price structure is designed to encourage RVers to go for the full ride.

What could an RV park do to draw some of us traveling on a budget? They could set aside a few non-hookup spots for under $10. This option would certainly come into play in our budgeting process. For $10 we would get security, a level space, and use of the showers. RV parks might put some restrictions on these spots such as check out time at eight or nine in the morning and allowing only one night at a time in these spaces. Of course this will only work for RV Parks located close to major highways.

It has been reported that one or two RV Parks have set aside a few non-hookup spaces which can be used for free. They charge only for dumping. I don’t think that is a good idea. A better idea would be to charge a few bucks for parking and another dollar or two for showers and charge for dumping. This would give the RV Parks some incentive in addition to showing frugal campers what a great place they have.

When I am aware of a town that has passed an ordinance preventing overnight parking at Wal-Mart, or other free sites, I plan on passing it by. My money will be spent where communities meet my needs. I scheduled my last trip not to spend a night in northeastern Colorado where I’ve had bad experiences. These sentiments are definitely shared by many.

Jack Kean