Traveling with No Reservations

[JayArras]

Originally Posted by Bluepill

Note the "No Hookup" listing at the bottom of the page:

https://koa.com/campgrounds/san-anto...camping-sites/

Except that WalMart is free.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by JayArras

Except that WalMart is free.

And Wally World doesn't include... "a bathhouse, pool, playground, table, laundry, and dump station."

Gotta be worth something.

[spock123]

Originally Posted by Reprise

Sorry...didn't mean to disparage everyone putting out a slide; I know sometimes it's impossible to access bed / bath, etc., without doing so. And that's why one stops in the first place.

The one I remember was a Keystone Cougar 5er, and he really did have opposing slides out. I don't know his floor plan, but I'll guess that he didn't need to put both sides out.

By contrast, there was also a Winnebago Class A in the same lot - *no* slides out. I parked right next to them; that's all that was left when I got there. At least I got a space...LOL

Yes, I'm judgmental - I dislike (deliberately) inconsiderate people. And he struck me as such.

We always make sure we are not in two spots. At the one in Sidney we sometimes have got there late and only have 30amp and no sewer. We wait until someone pulls out from a better spot we move in. At Cabela’s if you have there credit card and put the bill on it you can get a cheaper rate. A rv repair shop right across the road from Cabela’s

[Reprise]

Originally Posted by spock123

We always make sure we are not in two spots. At the one in Sidney we sometimes have got there late and only have 30amp and no sewer. We wait until someone pulls out from a better spot we move in. At Cabela’s if you have there credit card and put the bill on it you can get a cheaper rate. A rv repair shop right across the road from Cabela’s

Wait - you're saying that that particular location has *full hookups* ?
I knew as a rule that they have dump stations & water - but electric & sewer???
No wonder you love that location! LOL

I've heard of people treating Cabela's like a campground - including multi-day camping, running gennies, hooking into the building's (!) electric grid, open alcohol, using their restrooms inside, etc., etc. Depending on how prevalent that stuff is, it's a miracle that Cabela's still offers the overnight parking.

[andymil]

Why in God’s name would anyone want to camp for days in a parking lot?

I’ve used them for a rest stop, with permission, but I’m usually back on the road by daybreak. Only open a slide when necessary. DW doesn’t drive when towing.

I like to stop at a campground without having reservations for overnight, but sometimes it’s hard to find one.

[Teaman]

Teaman here.
I'm with the original poster. I can't remember last time I made a reservation in advance. Sometimes I call ahead to check if CG is full or not. Then on day of travel (during Sunday thru Thursday), I'll phone mid day or a couple hours out, to check on availability. so far CG offices or Rangers have been willing to hold open a site for me until 5pm or 6pm if they know I'm on the road and heading their way.


I try to have several camping alternates picked out close by (50 miles or so) in case 1st choices are full.



I haven't used the Walmart parking option yet. But I keep that on the list if I have trouble. I'm not a fan of camping in parking lots or industrial areas because of crime situation. Might use a well lighted roadside rest area in a pinch.


On packed out weekends and holidays, I just pull into a motel and have a day or two of rest from the road.


Look for parks that keep a percentage of sites open for 1st come 1st served. Arrive early in the day.


I kinda like the idea of (small) City and County parks. I found Iowa had plentiful supply of those parks to choose from a few years ago. Likely need to 'boondock' at some of these tho.

[CaptnJohn]

I'm pulling 43' and never make reservations except at destination. Weekends may require an extra call but always find a spot!

[DieselDrax]

We've never just roamed without a destination and timeline involved.

Based on what I found recently when booking reservations for our upcoming road trip, it really depends on the time of year and the park. One of the parks I was hoping to stay at in Arizona was booked through the weekend we'd be there (2.5 weeks from now), so I had to find an alternative. The problem with that immediate area (Prescott) is that is the best park around, the others seem to be pretty rundown or not that great. I ended up reserving a site up at the Grand Canyon Railway RV Park in Williams, AZ. The parks down in the Verde Valley are nice but it's a LOT hotter there.

So, I guess the point I'm trying to make is that I would do like others have suggested and make a reservation earlier in the day that you expect to arrive so that if you need to find an alternative you're not wasting time/fuel trying to find a space. I would never just show up to a park and hope they have space. The next-best alternative could be a ways away (Prescott -> Williams is 60+ miles).

[spock123]

Originally Posted by Reprise

Wait - you're saying that that particular location has *full hookups* ?

I knew as a rule that they have dump stations & water - but electric & sewer???

No wonder you love that location! LOL



I've heard of people treating Cabela's like a campground - including multi-day camping, running gennies, hooking into the building's (!) electric grid, open alcohol, using their restrooms inside, etc., etc. Depending on how prevalent that stuff is, it's a miracle that Cabela's still offers the overnight parking.

At the Cabela’s store in Sidney NB the campground is full service. It’s Cabela’s headquarters. They have bathrooms, laundry room, super easy to get too. It’s by the interstate so you will hear some noise but not to loud. They also have overflow sites that only have water and electric. You can also stay in the parking lot at Cabela,s for free. If you stay at Walmart much there a big one there that normally has at least twenty five commercial trucks parked there

[PSUFan1]

Originally Posted by spock123

At the Cabela’s store in Sidney NB the campground is full service. It’s Cabela’s headquarters. They have bathrooms, laundry room, super easy to get too. It’s by the interstate so you will hear some noise but not to loud. They also have overflow sites that only have water and electric. You can also stay in the parking lot at Cabela,s for free. If you stay at Walmart much there a big one there that normally has at least twenty five commercial trucks parked there

Sidney NE is in the middle of nowhere.

[DieselDrax]

Originally Posted by spock123

At the Cabela’s store in Sidney NB

Originally Posted by PSUFan1

Sidney NE is in the middle of nowhere.

Had to look which one was correct and also found there's no Sidney in NB, Canada.

Ayoo spock123, Nebraska's abbreviation is NE, not NB.

[spock123]

Originally Posted by DieselDrax

Had to look which one was correct and also found there's no Sidney in NB, Canada.



Ayoo spock123, Nebraska's abbreviation is NE, not NB.

You are right, my bag. It looked good. It is Nebraska. We sometimes go that way to Rapid City SD and sometimes when we are going west

[JayArras]

Originally Posted by spock123

You are right, my bag. It looked good. It is Nebraska.

I think you meant, my bad! NB instead of NE...I think you have a key stuck or something, lol!

[spock123]

Probably had a brain fart

[aceinspp]

Or using smart phone Later RJD

[markb422]

Campgrounds have a license for a set number of campsites through the Health Department. The health department also requires campgrounds to have so many fixtures (toilets, urinals, showers, etc.) for a set number campsites. If they allow someone to camp in a campground that is already full, they could lose their license.

[joindy]

What if the campground does not accept reservations...and no spot open, do you just sit there waiting for someone to pull out? How does that process work?

[Reverse_snowbird]

Originally Posted by joindy

What if the campground does not accept reservations...and no spot open, do you just sit there waiting for someone to pull out? How does that process work?

Depends on the campground. We've been to National Parks with no reservations and that's exactly what happens. Except you can't just sit there. You end up joining the slow procession that cruises the campground waiting for someone in a space large enough for your rig to pull out.

[D W]

Originally Posted by Reverse_snowbird

Depends on the campground. We've been to National Parks with no reservations and that's exactly what happens. Except you can't just sit there. You end up joining the slow procession that cruises the campground waiting for someone in a space large enough for your rig to pull out.

Sounds like a motorized version of musical chairs. I couldn't live like that. I'll just make a reservation and relax with a cold beverage as you drive by.

[formerFR]

While there are plenty of 'pick your own site' type campgrounds, it's not that often that folks are just 'riding around' waiting for someone to 'pull out'. It happens sometimes in very popular areas(Dawson City's Yukon River Campground comes to mind), but really very seldom since most check-in offices will tell you if they are already full and won't let you just 'ride around'.

I actually really like these types of campgrounds, as you can not only find a site of your choice, if it's vacant of course, but you can move the next day to a 'better' site if someone there is leaving.
Sometimes, reservations for some parks leave you questioning why they do what they do, as they don't let YOU pick any vacant site that you'd prefer, but the 'automatically' assign specific sites in order that folks arrive. Not my type of camping.

Some will reserve sites 6 months to a year in advance, especially for those 'destination' type parks, and some of us will just 'wing it', knowing that we'll find our own place, even those places where others would 'swear' no one could find a site at the 'last minute'! I enjoy that as it actually happens more often than not.