# Wal Mart vs KOA



## C Nash (Mar 6, 2005)

Well, here we go again on the walmart overnight stay again :bleh: .  Took the grandkids to Morristown Ten this past week and left late thursday night around 7.  The kids needed to be at the BMX track on Friday morning. After being called cheap and trailer trash for catching a few in wally world parking lot, we decided to pull in a KOA for a few hours sleep.  Pulled in at 3 am and didn't even hook up.  Went to the office at 7:30 Friday morning and told the desk clerk I had pulled in at 3 am and didn't use no hook ups.  Showed him my KOA card and he gave us a discount HA HA 45 dollars.  Did have four teenagers and wife and took showers.  Guess I'll just go back to being cheap and trailer trash.  Could have stopped at flying J and showered cheaper. boondocked at the race track the rest of the week end :approve:  Yep have to watch them retirement dollars. :laugh:


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## John Harrelson (Mar 6, 2005)

Wal Mart vs KOA

Ouch !!  sorry you got ripped off Chelse..  

I have been telling folks about KOA for years..  They are totally disgusting, the way they rip off the public..

I would stay at a city dump before I would at a KOA,, at least the rats at the city dump don't pretend to be something they are not..

Hopefully you let the KOA people know what you thought about their "hospitality" before you left..

oh well, better luck next time, huh ?

John


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## ARCHER (Mar 7, 2005)

Wal Mart vs KOA

Wow.  I'd be sending a corporate type letter to the KOA "home" office about this $45.00 charge for 4 1/2 hours worth of stay.  Good thing you didn't stay 12 hours.....you'd have to get a second mortgage to pay them.


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## turnipbwc (Mar 7, 2005)

Wal Mart vs KOA

Now I know why I never stayed at KOA.
turnip42


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## Krazeehorse (Mar 8, 2005)

Wal Mart vs KOA

I'm a big fan of state parks.  But I don't think I'll ever check in to a park or a motel at 3 AM and expect to get my money's worth.  A parking lot (Walmart's or Flying J's or whoever's)  or road side rest area would probably be the cheap fix.


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## C Nash (Mar 8, 2005)

Wal Mart vs KOA

Krazzeehorse, That is the reason I posted. A lot of people,well some, cannot understand why we sometimes park at wally world or gas service centers for a few hours.  Wish some of the campground owners would jump in and answer why we are charged for a whole day if we only park for the few hours of rest but, they only have our word when we came in. Guess they could install time clocks for us to clock in. :laugh:  Felt no safer there than in wally world lot. No gates or anything and was off beaten path.  We also are fans of state parks and use them if they are handy or will be staying for a longer period of time. :approve:


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## janicenlarry (Mar 9, 2005)

Wal Mart vs KOA

Chelse, you now know why KOA has such a bad rep. with any body who spends any time on the road.  Suggest you invest in Passport America and Escapees for some reasonable camping fees.
We never stay at Wally World however it is nice to know that it is there for emergency short stops. Dont think anybody can call you trailer trash for pulling in late and grabbing some shut eye and leaving in the morning.  We reserve that title for the slobs who pull in for a week or two, put their jacks down, run the slides out, set up the chairs and BBQ, who yell at anybody parking close to them and then leave their garbage in the lot.  Some of these pigs also dump their tanks in the lot.  They are a very small percentage however they really reflect on those who just stop in for a short rest and leave it cleaner than when they got there. :disapprove:


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## C Nash (Mar 9, 2005)

Wal Mart vs KOA

Larry, I agree with you on the few that ruin it for the ones that do right.  I would never stay for an extended period in wal mart lot.  I just add the trailer trash for humor and know that all the true campers understand catching a few hrs sleep in road pull offs or wal mart lots.  I very seldom stay at KOA because of the price. Some argue that if you can,t afford the price you can't afford a camper but, I was raised to watch your pennies and the dollars will take care of their self. Can I justify the price of the MH and camping.  No way but, it's what we always wanted and are at the age now to enjoy. :approve:


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## turnipbwc (Mar 9, 2005)

Wal Mart vs KOA

It's geting to the point that it's cheaper to stay in a motel that at a campground with the prices some campgrounds charge. I know one family that just did that and thinking of selling their RV and just stay in motels when they travel. The price of gas going up don't help the gas miliage on the RV either. 
Last year I heard about Class A owners downsizing because of the gas prices. I suppose we will see more of that as the gas prices rise.
Now about walmart, who cares what people says about staying there for a few hours. As long as walmart says you can then I see no problem. I see people staying here at the walmart all the time and moving on after geting a bite to eat and a nap. Brings money to the area is how I look at it.
Just had to ad my two cents.
turnip42


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## zigzagrv (Mar 10, 2005)

Wal Mart vs KOA

Don't want to be too defensive of KOAs, but I doubt the $45.00 you were charged for a 41/2 hour no hook-up stay is a policy of KOA. More than likely, just a GREEDY cg owner. Yes, KOAs are expensive, but I have found most to be run by pleasant, reasonable people. Let's not paint all KOAs with the same brush like some like to paint all who stay overnight at a WallyWorld trailer trash.


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## C Nash (Mar 10, 2005)

Wal Mart vs KOA

The young lady that was at the KOA was very nice and not the owner so I'am sure she was just doing her job. The bathrooms were very clean but, the campground was just so so. Our daughter stayed at a motel for 39.99 in the same area but, there were only two people. I'am not knocking KOAs, most are very frindly and clean and close to major highways.  Just think they could pull more late rvers if they had pricing for just a few hours.


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## zigzagrv (Mar 11, 2005)

Wal Mart vs KOA

Don't those 'one size fits all, no exceptions' rules drive you nuts!

We use KOA's only because they are usually conveniently close to our route, easy to find, and generally consistant in cleanliness. In other words, you know what your getting when you pull into a KOA.( including higher prices). We use campgrounds mainly as places to dump and recharge for a day or two, and then move on. We are more travelers than campers, if you get my point. We will also use Walmart occasionally for just getting some rest for a few hours or if we're traveling late. Walmarts are even easier to find than KOAs. :laugh:


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## Poppa (Mar 11, 2005)

Wal Mart vs KOA

A clarification needs to be made.

You can not be allowed to call yourself TPT unless the following are true;

Your rig has to be parked for at least a year or more without any tires on it.  

You have to have a tow vehicle that makes the owners of a wrecking yard shutter when you drive by hoping you are not going to drop it off to them. :clown: 

Alright guys and gals help me out here :laugh:


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## rking (Mar 13, 2005)

Wal Mart vs KOA

How is the KOA in San Antonio TX.? Will be staying there in April.


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## Poppa (Mar 14, 2005)

Wal Mart vs KOA

If you E-mail the Texas Association of Campground Owners @ tacoexc@swbell.net , they will send you a listing of the campgruonds in Texas along with a discount card that will get you 10 to 15% off daily rates :laugh:


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## ARCHER (Mar 14, 2005)

Wal Mart vs KOA

Hey Poppa,
Do they have a web site for the Texas Association of Campground Owners?


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## campbud (Mar 14, 2005)

Wal Mart vs KOA

You know you would think that these campgrounds would think like the Wal~Marts...If they would have a few sites for rent for a few hours they could bring more money in...but then they probably think that a spot might fill for a guest paying for the whole night versus a couple of hours. But still I think most campground could find the room for one or two. I am anxious to see how the new RV oasis is going to be here (off 39 in IL)they are catering to the RVer..like a truck stop. Complete hook ups, dump, gas and food...it should open late spring. I am hoping to see more of these pop up in different places.


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## Poppa (Mar 15, 2005)

Wal Mart vs KOA

The website noted in my post is for the Texas Association of Campground Owners :laugh:


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## ARCHER (Mar 15, 2005)

Wal Mart vs KOA

Poppa, I found their web site and ordered their stuff and the discount card.  Tks.  Bye the way, I clicked on your website post and it was just for an email to them, but I did a search and found their actual web site.  tks again.....we will be spending winter there in SE Texas starting this fall, cause all the good places in Florida have been sold for "condos".    :disapprove:  :disapprove:  :disapprove:  :laugh:


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## C Nash (Mar 15, 2005)

Wal Mart vs KOA

Archer you trading the suntan lotion for boots and spurs :laugh: . 
Follow up on KOA
Did get a letter asking what I thought of KOA from their head quarters.  Told them I thought the 45 bucks was kind of high for the time I was there and suggested that a express type site might pull in some rvs just wanting to catch a few. i pass a Flying J every morning on 65 north Birmingham and there are at least four campers there every morning.  Roads are still full of rvs.  Fuel price has not affected rving yet but, wonder if most are camping closer to home although most on 65 are out of state.


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## ARCHER (Mar 16, 2005)

Wal Mart vs KOA

Yup (gotta start talking that way now that we will be Winter Texans).  Fuel prices don't surprise me anymore.  Of course, they say it is due to the price of crude by the barrel going up, but we all know the real reason the fuel prices are going up right now.....IT'S SPRING BREAK and IT'S TIME FOR THE SNOWBIRDS TO HEAD NORTH, so IT'S TIME TO GOUGE THE PUBLIC AGAIN AND BLAME THE PRICE OF OIL.  I sometimes wander if they really really think we are that stupid.... :dead: , but I guess so.  We will be leaving early am on the 23rd and plan on driving about 500 miles first day.  That will put us just about at Greenville, Al., on I-65.  Won't be stopping in Birmingham as it will be too soon that next day to pull off for night.  We need to get home by late 24th or sometime early on the 25th.  Dog is going down hill pretty fast and we want to get her home for her final days.  Sorry we won't be able to stop and chat with you on the way.  SOMEDAY maybe.  As long as we keep our health and can afford to put gas in the ole gal and we still have a reasonable costing place to spend the winter, we will keep on moving down the highway.   :laugh:


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## Poppa (Mar 16, 2005)

Wal Mart vs KOA

Hey guys, 

I am not defending the prices of gasoline or the oil companies but I have something for you to think about :laugh: .

It costs Millions of dollars to locate oil deposits, drill for it, refine it and get it to the local stations (and keeps a lot of people in work) so we can put that smelly stuff  :approve: in our motor homes and trucks and they charge us anywhere from $1.95 to $2.85 a gallon  . AND WE RAISE 10 kinds of hell. :angry: 

But yet we will go down to the local store and buy bottled water at .99 a pint or 1.50 a gallon and the companies just have to drill a small well, put in a few filters and bottling systems at the coat of a couple hndred thousand dollars :blackeye: .

I feel I get more bang for my buck with the gas and diesel, least wise it gets me somewhere down the road   rather than to the pottie :blush: .


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## ARCHER (Mar 16, 2005)

Wal Mart vs KOA

Poppa,  no-one can argue the "fact" that gas prices go up in the spring and down in the fall.  It has been doing this in my almost 60 years.  Wonder why?  If some-one can prove to me that it is NOT price gouging, I'd shut up, but until then, it still upsets me.  Sure it costs millions to locate the oil fields and yes, it employs a lot of super folks, but that does not make it right to raise the prices when it is that time of the year when folks will be hitting the road more often, will it?  By the way, I buy gallons of water from Wally world for 58 cents a gallon.  :laugh:


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## janicenlarry (Mar 16, 2005)

Wal Mart vs KOA

We are now seeing the inviolate law of supply and demand at work.  Only way to lower prices is to either increase supply or decrease demand.  Unfortunately, China is on a tear and their demand for oil has gone thru the roof (as we export more manufacturing) while the "greenies" at home stop any drilling in our backyard to increase supply.  Aint no way around this equation in spite of all the BS politicians try to feed us.  Frankly, I dont think full timers are really effected that much by the price of fuel.  We just hunker down in a campground at $18/nite for a few more nites instead of burning $50-100/day of fuel.  After all, we have all the time in the world to go no where.


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## Poppa (Mar 16, 2005)

Wal Mart vs KOA

Oh I am not defending the ups and downs of gas prices because I thinks it stinks. Here in the New orleans area, the dam prices go up at Madi Gras and every time we have a home foot ball game for the loosing Saints, Jazz fest or any other big showing in the big easy.

Now if you really want something to think about, the oil companies have drilled many a well in the US way back when crude was 5 and 6 dollars a barrel and those same wells are still producing and the are claiming 40 Plus dollars a barrel, looks like a 35 dollar a barrel profit to me.

Like natural gas prices, they tapped the Tuscaloosa trend and found gas out the wazoo and turned around and capped most of the wells as being un profitable. Hmmmm make one wonder.

Anyway its too deep for my feeble mind other than the gross profits for BP were in the billions last year.

Oh well have a good one.


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## hertig (Mar 16, 2005)

Wal Mart vs KOA

I get my water from a machine outside the grocery store, for .15 a gallon...  I get 16 gallons at a time, and then refill the used little water bottles and have just as good (or better) water, at a fraction of the price.


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## ARCHER (Mar 29, 2005)

Wal Mart vs KOA

Chelse,  Just to let you know all KOAs don't charge for a monthly rate for four hours.  We stayed at a KOA just off I-65 below Montgomery, Al on the way home last Wed night and it only costs me $31.00 for a 6PM until 7AM stay.  It wasn't the best KOA I've ever stayed in, but it was OK.  Showers were hot and clean.  The site was not very level, but OK.  We drove home in two days so just needed a mid break to rest and sleep.  We were in kind of a hurry because of doggie's health.  I promised her I'd get her home to her yard.  We made it just fine.  Took her to vet on Fri and he said as long as she is still able to eat, poop, pee and get up and down to just love her and hang in there with her.  She had a really bad day on Sat....loosing control inside, but we think it was the food we gave her (over did it with grease).  I was all set to take her in on Monday, but Sunday and Monday she seems to be doing a little better so we are delaying the end.
BY THE WAY, I DID NOT BREAK THE EGG UNDER THE GAS PEDAL AND GOT 7-8 MPG on the way home.


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## C Nash (Mar 30, 2005)

Wal Mart vs KOA

Glad you made the trip ok Archer.  Hope the doggie is ok.  Probably met you somewhere on 65 north of Birmingham. Wish you could have made a stop at Oak Mountain State Park at Pelham which is just south of Birmingham.  We were there when you passed through. Lots of folks must be staying closer to home as the cg is full most of the time and has been that way pretty well all winter on week ends. Knew that egg would do the trick if you didn't bust it :approve:  :approve:  :laugh:  :laugh:


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## the_vfox (Apr 9, 2005)

Wal Mart vs KOA

If there is another campground around, I generally pass on the KOA's. But usually they are nice places to stay. We stayed at the Abilene KOA and it was 35 a night.


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