Dec. 13, 2013. Courtesy of Woodall's Campground Management
Sherwood, Ore.'s elected officials sent a message to recreational
vehicle owners to stay out of the city's private streets and parking
lots, including a local Walmart store. And now they're hearing back.
OregonLive.com reported that more than 20 RVers from across the U.S.
have emailed Sherwood's council criticizing the city's newly-adopted
camping ban. Many said they will avoid Sherwood on their trips through
Oregon. The news has spread through RV online groups, including a
Walmart RVing Yahoo group with more than 9,000 members.
After Walmart announced it was coming to Sherwood, angry residents
suggested a flurry of new ordinances, including a ban on overnight
parking. Councilors considered it, then punted to a special committee on
business regulation.
That committee produced an ordinance banning camping in areas open to
the public, including by recreational vehicles and transients. The
police chief supported the ordinance, concerned that campers risk
becoming victims of crime. The ordinance almost went before Sherwood
voters, but councilors made tweaks and unanimously approved it
themselves.
Wal-Mart says RV shoppers are among its best customers, but leaves
overnight parking to store manager discretion. Police Chief Jeff Groth
said his officers would ask RV drivers to move along, but allow them to
sleep if they need shut-eye.
If you wish to express your opinion on this to Sherwood Mayor Bill Middleton, email him at middletonb@sherwoodoregon.gov .
To read the full article click here.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
About this blog. . .
Many RVers stay overnight in their motorhomes, trailers or other RVs in the parking lots of stores, casinos and truck stops. Somewhere along the line the term "Pavement Camping" came about, which is an apt description of the practice.
The reasons RVers choose these places is not about the scenery or enjoying a meaningful experience with nature. Often it's simply about convenience: an RV park or other campground may be too far away. Other times it's about money: it's free to stay in 99 percent of such places, which can save an RVer $20, $30 or more a night in camping fees.
Nobody knows for sure, but on a typical night, thousands of RVers spend the night in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart store. Ninety percent of Wal-Marts permit the practice. Wal-Mart's corporate office acknowledges the practice on its corporate website. "If it's okay with the individual store it's okay with us," it says, in so many words. Some stores do not allow overnight stays. Often it's because of a local ordinance. In some cases it's because of abuse: some RVers have stayed for weeks on end while others have acted like slobs by leaving trash, or even dumping their holding tanks in bushes.
Many casinos allow overnight stays — some free in their parking lots, others in a full-blown RV park.
Other place where RVers can be found overnight including Camping World stores, Cracker Barrell restaurants, Flying J truck stops and Cabela's sporting goods stores. The corportate management of these places may not state officially that it's okay to stay, but in most cases the individual locations allow the practice.
This blog is about your experiences Pavement Camping. Tell us where you've stayed, and what was good or bad about the experience. We'll post your comments and invite others to comment. Our purpose is not to serve as a directory of free places to spend the night, but to serve as a resource about how, why and sometimes where RVers stay. Please tell us about great experiences you've had — perhaps at stores that not only allowed overnight stays in their parking lots, but encouraged it. And, if you have a bad experience, feel free to pass it along to serve as a warning to other RVers.
For now, send your comments to Chuck Woodbury at Chuck@RVtravel.com.
 | |||
| Parked overnight at the Bluewater Casino in Parker, Arizona. The first night is free. You pay a modest fee per night if you stay longer. |
Nobody knows for sure, but on a typical night, thousands of RVers spend the night in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart store. Ninety percent of Wal-Marts permit the practice. Wal-Mart's corporate office acknowledges the practice on its corporate website. "If it's okay with the individual store it's okay with us," it says, in so many words. Some stores do not allow overnight stays. Often it's because of a local ordinance. In some cases it's because of abuse: some RVers have stayed for weeks on end while others have acted like slobs by leaving trash, or even dumping their holding tanks in bushes.
Many casinos allow overnight stays — some free in their parking lots, others in a full-blown RV park.
Other place where RVers can be found overnight including Camping World stores, Cracker Barrell restaurants, Flying J truck stops and Cabela's sporting goods stores. The corportate management of these places may not state officially that it's okay to stay, but in most cases the individual locations allow the practice.
This blog is about your experiences Pavement Camping. Tell us where you've stayed, and what was good or bad about the experience. We'll post your comments and invite others to comment. Our purpose is not to serve as a directory of free places to spend the night, but to serve as a resource about how, why and sometimes where RVers stay. Please tell us about great experiences you've had — perhaps at stores that not only allowed overnight stays in their parking lots, but encouraged it. And, if you have a bad experience, feel free to pass it along to serve as a warning to other RVers.
For now, send your comments to Chuck Woodbury at Chuck@RVtravel.com.
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