Camp Wal-Mart

[tmaki1]

[Admin note - "Bounced", text enriched. Toby, please post
in "plain text" only to GMCnet. Thanks, Patrick]

And just to relate our experiences, when we drove the '73
Glacier home from New York in early September, I had purchased
the new R-M atlas, and knew of the WM policy re: overnight
parking.

After the first, long day out of Binghamton, we found a WM
supercenter in Pennsylvania about 1 AM. Pulled in exhausted, and
cautiously looked around for other "campers". Saw a Class C
sitting way out from the store and pulled up a reasonable
distance away. Went into the store to ask about parking
overnight. The cashier very graciously told us "Yes, of course.
Just park out away from the area closest to the entrance." It
wasn't that they didn't want us closer -- just to avoid our
being disturbed by early morning employees and shoppers. We
wound up spending nearly $100.00 before we left the store. And
it was so convenient to have restrooms and a place to clean up
in the morning, given our circumstances. The Supercenters are
especially great in that if they don't have what you need, you
probably don't need it (well, except for GMC parts

 

[richard bachert]

Thought some of our -- ahh -- more FRUGAL (yeah, that's it -- "frugal")
members would find this of interest.
Don't try this at a K-Mart. They'll send Rose O'Donnell, Chuck Schumer or
Diane Feinstein out to search your coach for handguns.
Dick 75 PB in Atlanta

Camp Wal-Mart

Much to the consternation of its competitors, Wal-Mart has - quietly and
without fanfare - rolled out the red carpet for the approximately 30 million
RV enthusiasts across the fruited plains. Explaining that campers "are some
of our best customers," Wal-Mart welcomes RV'ers to "make camp" in their
2,910 parking lots coast-to-coast. And as the Wall Street Journal noted in a
front-page story last August 9th, Wal-Marts are "free, they don't require
reservations, and they always have vacancies." In fact, this edition of "GOP
News & Views" is coming to you from the parking lot of the Wal-Mart store
located on Murphy Canyon Road in San Diego - where we gratefully and
peacefully spent last evening in our mobile RV headquarters-on-wheels, "GOP
1." And yes, when we woke up this morning we needed some supplies - and yes,
we just walked into the Wal-Mart and bought them. Smart marketing and
enlightened customer service from these Wal-Mart folks. (Tip to fellow
RV'ers: Wal-Mart sells a customized Rand McNally road atlas which includes
the address of each store and its map coordinates for about $10 bucks - which
you'll save the very first night you stay at "Camp Wal-Mart.")

 

[bartz paul]

Toby:

What does CA have against them??

Paul Bartz

From: tmaki [mailto:tmaki]
Sent: Monday, October 18, 1999 10:45 AM

(We are super-torqued that California law is not allowing Supercenters to be
built here.)

 

[dave1]

Straight from the horses mouth:

>Thank you for the message. While we do not
>offer electrical service or the
>accommodations typically necessary for
>recreational vehicle motorist, Wal-Mart
>values RV travelers and considers them
>among our best customers.
>
>Consequently, we do permit RV parking on
>our store lots, as we are able. That is
>determined on a store-by-store basis, and
>contingent upon local regulations, as well
>as parking lot space. It is our intention
>to satifly the needs of all our customers,
>and our RV customers are no exception.
>
>Thank you for your concern and if you would
>like to send us your name and complete
>mailing address we can send you a map that
>lists all our locations throughout the
>United States.
>
>Thank you.
>Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
>

Dave
Ann Arbor, MI.
73 Sequoia (26'/455/EFI/HEI)

 

[al chernoff]

I would like a map... could you give us the address. Thanks
al

> In a message dated 10/27/1999 10:15:31 AM Pacific Daylight Time,

>
> >mailing address we can send you a map that
> >lists all our locations throughout the
> >United States.
> >
> >Thank you.
> >Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. >>
>
> George E. Scott
> ++++++++++++++
> Santa Barbara, CA 93111

 

[dave1]

> I would like a map... could you give us the address. Thanks
>al

Sorry, I must have chopped the address when I forwarded the message from
Wal-Mart. For maps, send a request with your mailing address to Brenda
Kellenbarger at Wal-Mart.

Their web site has a map server if you are looking for a specific location.
The URL is kind of ugly:

http://data4sale.mapinfo.com/cgi-bin/hsrun/webapps/WALMART_LOCATOR/MapXtreme
.htx;start=HS_Search

It would probably be easier to go to http://www.wal-mart.com and click on
the "Store Locator" link.

Dave
Ann Arbor, MI.
73 Sequoia (26'/455/EFI/HEI)