When you’re out on the road, sometime it’s inevitable: you have to boondock in a retail store or a truck stop for the night. It’s not the most ideal situation. Maybe you’re too tired to carry on, or perhaps you took a wrong turn and ended up way off course. There are many retail stores and truck stops across the nation that will allow you to stay overnight. Now, don’t take their generosity as a welcome sign for you to pull out all the stops and take up residence for a few days. Boondocking is only meant to allow you to get some rest or perform some minor repairs before getting back out on the road. Once you’ve made the decision to boondock in a store or truck stop, there are a few rules of etiquette that will help you be a good guest and let the managers allow you back someday.
- Always get permission from the location’s manager before settling in for the night. This shows your willingness to get approval and will let the manager know you are not some rogue camper.
- Don’t use your slide-outs. If you take the time to expand your RV, that looks like you’ll be there for awhile. If you must use them, park in a way that won’t take up too much space or obstruct traffic.
- Park out of the way. Leave a good amount of space between your RV and any buildings or residences.
- Use your generator only in an emergency. Generators are loud and nerve-wracking for the people who aren’t using them.
- Never use your leveling jacks on asphalt. They will tear it up and leave divots.
- Limit your stay to one night. Arrive late, leave early. You aren’t there to spend a week.
- Keep your personal property contained within your RV. If you start grilling outside and putting up chairs, it may look like you’re staying a while.
- Always patronize the stores or truck stops that allow you to stay overnight. RVing is all about community and the more people we have on our side, the better off we all are.
- Always abide by the campground rule. Clean up after yourself. Leave the site cleaner than when you found it.
- Say “Thank You” to your hosts and express your gratitude. Properly showing your gratitude goes a long way.
Following these guidelines is integral to successful boondocking. In my travels I’ve encountered a few retail stores that would not allow me to stay for the night due to previous experiences with boondockers.
I’ve bookmarked a website, walmartatlas.com, that provides a list of the over 3,000 Wal-Mart stores that are possible boondocking candidates. Of course you should always call ahead to double check to make sure that overnight parking is allowed. In some cities, they will not allow over-height vehicles to park overnight.
What about you? Have you ever boondocked overnight or in an emergency? Share with us on Facebook or Google+.
