Boondocking - is it as easy as it sounds?

Old Sep 16th, 2010, 03:18 PM
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Boondocking - is it as easy as it sounds?

Hi, We are planning a road trip in the following destinations in and RV over 9-10 days. We know its a long way but its something we want to experience!

We are planning to do something called Boondockings - where you park in the carpark of a Walmart or at a truck stop along a highway. We just want to get some tips or advice if anyone has done this previously?

Day 1 - Fly from NJ to Nashville

Day 2 - Drive from Nashville to Memphis

Day 3 - Drive from Memphis to New Orleans or Mobile

Day 4 - Drive from New Orleans/Mobile to Orlando

Day 5 - Orlando

Day 6 - Orlando

Day 7 - Orlando

Day 8 - Drive from Orlando to Miami

Day 9 - Miami

Day 10 - Leave Miami and fly back to NYC

Cheers,

Angie & Lee
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Old Sep 16th, 2010, 05:00 PM
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I'm not sure why you would 'drive through' Nashville, Memphis & Nola or Mobile & not spend any time in any of those cities, all (IMHO) superior to anything Orlando has to offer. So you spend over 1/2 your trip driving ??
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Old Sep 16th, 2010, 05:08 PM
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Coming all the way from Australia, these places seem like nothing we have over here. Its just one of those places we would love to visit!

The itinerary isnt a set one but just something we put down as a suggestion to a route to follow.

We know that we have alot of driving involved but thats just the restraints of the time that we have for seeing all the things we want too. We dont mind driving for hours on end just to experience the scenery and the differences to life on the road back home.

We are always open to suggestions from the locals on whats best to see in these towns though as we are from far away!
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Old Sep 16th, 2010, 05:44 PM
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I always wondered why RV people would want to spend the night in a paved parking lot when we have all these beautifull national and city/county parks and private RV parks throughout the country.
Sorry, don't understand!!!
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Old Sep 16th, 2010, 06:34 PM
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Hi All,

I thankyou for your opinion but this is just the quick holiday we are chosing to have. Id love to have the time to park in a beautiful national park and explore every day the nature walks and wildlife but I am not a strict time frame due to work and are making a quick trip to explore different parts of the US on this journey - maybe on my next trip back I will do it a different way.

Cheers,

Angie & Lee
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Old Sep 16th, 2010, 06:54 PM
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I think the point SAnParis2 was making is that Nashville, Memphis, and New Orleans are worth at least a full day each in order to begin to see what they have to offer. Obviously you could easily spend more time in each!

Drive times are AT LEAST

Nashville-Memphis 3.5 hours

Memphis-New Orleans 6.5 hours

New Orleans-Mobile 2 hours

Mobile-Orlando 8 hours

So you won't have much time to see or do anything in the cities you visit before Orlando.
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Old Sep 17th, 2010, 02:53 AM
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We have boondocked in rural areas, someplace without electricity, water or sewage hookups. There is a limit to your batteries. You will not be able to use anything electrical that plugs in i.e. the coffee maker while you are on battery power. The stove runs on propane. Your RV lights will work on battery power. But the most important, grey water tank fills up. Recently we spent 3 nights without sewage hookup. With just 2 people the tanks were full as we were leaving the campground. You will need to know the location of dump stations you can use. (We use the campground bath house for showers when we're trying to conserve.)
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Old Sep 17th, 2010, 04:02 AM
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Okay. Boondocking in Walmart lots. Yes, Walmart does not mind and may even encourage it. Some towns and cities do NOT encourage it and may prohibit it. For all the reasons dhfrostnh suggests and more, it will not be appropriate for you to do every night, especially in Orlando.

My bigger concern is that you are going to have to find someplace to park an RV outside Memphis and New Orleans because there is certainly no place safe to park in the parts of the cities you will want to visit as a tourist, and they are not at all suitable for "drive throughs." On your schedule, you have about 6 hours in Memphis and less in New Orleans, less your travel time from a campground to the center of the attractions and back. Ditto Miami. Doesn't make sense to me at all. These are all wonderful cities.

Your plan would be like me flying to Oz, renting an RV, driving to a hilltop overlooking Sydney Harbor, taking a photo, then driving to Surfer's Paradise and doing the same before heading to Canberra, then Alice Springs, etc.

I think it makes a lot more sense to do Nashville, Memphis, NO, Mobile, and, say, Apalachicola, and skip Orlando and Miami. Fly to NY from Jacksonville, FL.

OR fly to Orlando and do Orlando, Miami, the Everglades, and the Keys, flying to NY from Miami as planned. None of these places is wonderful in an RV either. Do you see where I am heading with this? The southeast is full of budget lodging and budget restaurants and cafes that are likely to be cheaper, even with a rental car than going the RV route.
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Old Sep 17th, 2010, 05:43 AM
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You have overly symplified Boondocking in around major cities. All most all have ordinances against camping on city streets or in the parking lots of the shopping centers and big box stores. Your safety is another thing you will have to consider. In addition to that you will find it almost impossible to find parking for an RV when you want to be just a "tourist"... You will need to find an RV park for your base camp and arrange for transportation into the city. This will most likely require renting a car. All of this is time consuming and wont leave you much time to look around and stay on your proposed itinerary.
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Old Sep 17th, 2010, 06:51 AM
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You asked for tips or advice - so here goes:

Keep in mind that many places like you have mentioned are very noisy at night. At truck stops the noise made by the refrigerated trucks as well as truck movement is continuous.

Check out www.allstays.com/c/wal-mart-locations-map.htm for a listing of Wal-Mart locations. This non-Wal-Mart site gives info of whether or not the location permits RV parking. As local regulations can change you must confirm with the manager. It is important to get permission. You will generally be told where they want you to park (not near the entrance, etc.).

At Wal-Mart you must not appear to be camping i.e. no extended awnings, no chairs outside of unit, no grills, no levelers in use, no extended slideouts, etc. In other words, just park and stay inside.

There are security concerns at these locations (and all others) that means keep your door locked at all times and do not open unless you are certain who is at the door.

There are suitable campgrounds, rv parks near each of your destinations that would give you comfortable facilities. You are missing the opportunity to meet the "locals" if you do not go to campgrounds. At the campgrounds the folks walk about and meet others, maybe sit around a fire or just get to know one another. Long-term friendships are sometimes made - we have corresponded with Canadians we met years ago. After you return home you may reflect on these spontaneous meetings as highlights of your American experience. One of our memories is enjoying an evening with an Australian couple at a campground in Seward, Alaska.

You indicate an interest in the scenery, yet you only mention the cities. For instance, the Natchez Trace Parkway from Tennessee to Natchez, Mississippi is a beautiful route with numerous historic sites. Some folks take the scenic routes along the Mississippi River.
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Old Sep 17th, 2010, 08:51 AM
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If Walmark doesn't work out for you in some areas, consider KOA. KOA is a company with campgrounds (kampgrounds, they call them) all over the use, where you could park your RV and get the hookups (electricity sewage, etc). It doesn't usually cost much.

They have a website with good maps, too -- you can plan ahead and reserve a spot, if you want.
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Old Sep 17th, 2010, 09:27 AM
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Honestly, I'm not sure what you expect to see except a variety of Wal-Mart parking lots. The places you have chosen have much to offer, however, you are going to miss all those things sitting about in a cramped up RV. Since I am assuming you don't know anyof the cities mentioned, how will you even know what may or may not be safe ? This looks much like a recipe for disaster too me, & little else.
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Old Sep 17th, 2010, 10:52 AM
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I know it probably seems like everybody is raining on your parade, but really, people are just trying to help you have a good trip.

I think that the trip as you have planned it is just more than you have time for and that the realities of taking a trip like this in an RV are much different than how you have imagined it. I like the ideas that have been suggested of focusing more on a smaller area rather than trying to cover so much ground. Also, the RV does pose a fair amount of logistical issues for visiting cities - parking, overnights, etc. In the US, RVs are much more suited to seeing natural places rather than cities.
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Old Sep 17th, 2010, 12:30 PM
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None of these worries, including mine above, apply if you are renting something the size of an ordinary car -- like a Volkswagen Westphalia. But you won't be able to pop the top because it will make it obvious you are camping in a place that isn't really meant for camping.

But you are still planning to cover w-a-y too much territory.
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Old Sep 17th, 2010, 01:04 PM
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Something else to consider - whether or not you can rent an RV one-way. Car rentals one-way are common, although sometimes have an additional fee, but I am not sure about one-way RV rentals.
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Old Sep 20th, 2010, 06:37 AM
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Two other thoughts on your parking lot-camping plan:
1)Hot asphalt
2)No shade

We enjoy camping and some of the joy is stepping outside on or near green grass, hearing the birds sing, and watching the sun sparkle through the trees.

I could understand maybe one night of parking lot for convenience to the airport, or as a back-up plan, but a parking lot every night sounds very dreary.
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Old Sep 20th, 2010, 08:56 AM
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I think you will have a much nicer trip if you rent a car and stay in hotels in these cities. RV rentals are expensive so it might even be cheaper to stay in hotels!

I would recommend an rv rental only for someone who wanted to "camp" in national or state parks, but did not have camping gear. An rv in a city, any city, is limiting at best.
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