Hi Everyone. Well, after 15 years the RV-Dreams Community Forum is coming to an end. Since it began in August 2005, we've had 58 Million page views, 124,000 posts, and we've spent about $15,000 to keep this valuable resource for RVers free and open. But since we are now off the road and have settled down for the next chapter of our lives, we are taking the Forum down effective June 30, 2021. It has been a tough decision, but it is now time.
We want to thank all of our members for their participation and input over the years, and we want to especially thank those that have acted as Moderators for us during our amazing journey living and traveling in our RV and growing the RV-Dreams Family. We will be forever proud to have been founders of this Forum and to have been supported by such a wonderful community. Thank you all!!
You won't believe this but I was attacked by another motor homer in a Walmart parking lot.
I left home Sunday about noon on my way to my favorite campground; we got a late start so we decided to overnight in a Walmart parking lot; ( we have spent a night there many times on our way to our camp ground. There is ample parking along side of the curb and every one that stays there over night always leaves room in front of them to get out with out having to back up. (their are some that are pulling a toad and can't back up). I pull a toad so I can't back up. There was a 37 foot new motorhome next to the curb in front of me, so I left the customary 15 feet in front of me so I could get out in the morning. This (mega motorhome) had three slide outs; and had his jacks down. about 8 PM a brand new shinny jeep; (most likely another $60 or so thousand). and sandwiched in fount of me and the mega motorhome. man got out and went in the motorhome. I thought O well they will pull out in the morning so big deal. was I wrong. I ate a late breakfast hoping I would see the slides going in and the jacks going up. was I wrong. I though O well I'll just ask them to move the jeep so O I could get out. I knocked on the door and asked he if he would move the jeep' he informed me in no uncertain terms he was not going to move his jeep He said he was there first (the jeep wasn't) and he was in no way going to move his jeep. he folded up his fist and I though he would hit ; all the time cussing up a blew streak his wife (maybe) girlfriend was in side the door I and I have never heard such file language, coming from a women.
All I did was politely ask them to move the jeep so I could get out.
I did inform him that if he should strikes me (I'm 83) Florida law says 2nd degree felon and mandatory 5 years in jail.
So sorry to hear about your (tragic) experience. You know that MOST RVers are polar opposite from these morons. But, not to worry, these folks will get what they have coming. What is wrong with people? Sad.
would be a guess on my part and I certainly DO not condon this bullys attitude towards you at all but their most likely mad because he assumed u parked that close behind him knowing he had a toad(what the mad guy was thinking) and should have not parked so close? either way the guy should have simply moved the jeep for sure although why the guy never simply parked in a standard parking spot we will never know
you meet goof balls everyday and everywhere in todays world
-- Edited by ticat900 on Thursday 14th of January 2016 10:44:49 AM
Sorry to hear about this happening to you! How did it get resolved?
I guess we're one of those damn "Wally-Campers". We often camp at Walmart and never experienced anything negative. Never saw anyone with all their slides out, or chairs or barbecuing. Depending on how off-level the parking lot is we will put our jacks down on blocks and open the bedroom slide over the grass edge of the parking lot. Have to put the slide out so the bed will lay flat. You wouldn't know the slide was out unless you were looking for it.
I managed to squeeze out; later I thought that to even the score, I should have called the police and reported the motor home stolen' he was carrying something on his back bumper and he had a cover on it that covered his licensee tag. covering your tag is a violation in the state of Florida and he would get a citation for that. LOL
I don't think people with there attitude will last to long as campers. karma will get them sooner or later.
In all my years, and thousands of miles traveled and the hundreds of campgrounds I've stayed at, I never met a couple like these two.
happy travels and l may all your roads be smooth.
Florida Walmarts are pretty crazy. Last week in St. Augustine there was a guy caught stealing over $1k in materials to take to his makeshift RV in the lot to cook meth. Imagine the cops' reaction to not only the store theft but then finding a meth lab!
When we rode to Alaska in the summer, we stopped a couple days at Whitehorse, Yukon Terr. At the Walmart there, the parking lot was at least half full of RVs and it looked like they were there for a while. Slides out, awnings deployed, lawn chairs & grills set up. I don't know what the CG situation is near there, but it looked like they were there for more than an overnight stop-over. Perhaps it was a group traveling together and they couldn't have found a CG with enough spots. On my way home a week later, there weren't hardly any there.
last year we stayed overnight at this same Walmart. there was a box truck there with people living in it. the next morning we went on to our campground; we stayed there for two weeks, when we went back home we passed this same Walmart; I looked in the parking lot and the same box truck was there; I have no idea when they arrived there; my guess they were spending the winter in the Walmart parking lot. these are the squatters that ruin it for the rest of us. I can understand why Walmart puts up no overnight camping signs. it's just easer for them to put up no overnight parking than it is to keep chasseing RV's out of there parking lots. Florida has most of the Walmart's posted. The snow birds used to come down and spend the winter in a Walmart parking lot.
ruined it for the over nighters.
I dunno Mike. You make a valid case for the fee, but now you'd have squatters willing to pay the fee for the right to park there. Maybe a showing a current dated Walmart receipt for 100 dollars or more worth of groceries or other merchandise allows a rig to stay one overnight only, all others move along or be ticketed or towed after midnight. It's sticky issue for sure and abusers will truly ruin it for the courteous RVers that willingly offer quid pro quo for a place to pause overnight. The other part that doesn't get much coverage is that local municipalities are increasingly getting aggressive with all overnight parking, including parking lots with general public access, which include Walmart. A sign of the times, unfortunately.
I stay in alot of walmarts........my rule of thumb is in at dusk , out at sunrise........no slides or levelers deployed.......I always shop walmart for groceries.....service my towed , tires and pretty much everything else.......I keep all the reciepts in a tub for when the day comes I need to say Im a loyal customer and spent 10k this year to prove it......but I also understand about squatters and its only going to get worse as this economy tanks again........thats why I boondock and search out farms and places of less traveled points
__________________
1998 ...Harney Renegade DP class A
rers1@mail.com
My Service dog and life partner " Nikki"......Klee Kia Miniature Husky....(she Runs the ship!!)
We are not lost in the Woods.....Just Extreme boondocking!!!!!!
People that take advantage of situations such as overnighting in a Walmart parking lot, screw the rest of us out of the good things in life. And then, to act like pure white trash in the parking lot towards other overnighters is inexcusable.
I'm trying to picture in my mind how anyone could imagine such actions are acceptable.
I strongly disapprove of the Walmart protocol of driving every small business in a community out of business, and if I can purchase something else where, I do. That being said, if I'm traveling and need a place to stop for the night, I do use Walmart parking lots, (One of the last vestiges of Sam Walton). When I do, I immediately go into Walmart and purchase some groceries or such. And no slide-out moves in my trailer, nor do any stabilizers. When I awake, I want to get back on the road.