RV campers discover Wal-Mart lots

It's not what you'd call a back-to-nature experience, but RV campers travelling the Maritimes say nothing beats a Wal-Mart parking lot for convenience and price.

Wal-Mart is one of the few big businesses to allow camper vans and trailers to spend the night free of charge.

"It's pretty handy if you're late and you can't find a space at a campground," June Collier said after pulling into a Wal-Mart lot in Moncton.

"They're usually always there and they're pretty good at allowing you to stay."

Collier and her husband drove their RV from Ontario, taking advantage of several Wal-Mart parking lots along the way. And they're not the only ones who've found this penny-saving way to tour the region.

Collier said a growing number of the RV set are becoming loyal Wal-Mart shoppers and campers. There are even internet sites telling people which individual Wal-Mart stores will tolerate overnight stays and which ones won't.

• RELATED LINK: FreeCampgrounds.com

But for people who run RV campsites in the region, Wal-Mart's generosity amounts to unwanted competition.

Bob Kay runs Camper City in Moncton, which is just down the road from the city's Wal-Mart outlet. He said it's hard to compete with a company that lets RVs and camper vans stay for free.

When he looks at the Wal-Mart parking lot at night, he sees people that could be staying at his place. And he doesn't buy the argument that campers only pull into a Wal-Mart when they arrive in town too late to find a campground.

"These people are living there. You go over and look," he said. "They've got awnings out and picnic tables and lounge chairs. They are camping."

Kay has called a few managers of Wal-Mart stores in southeastern New Brunswick to complain about the camping policy. They refer him to the company's head office, and he hasn't taken the matter that far yet.

According to several RV associations, Wal-Marts in Canada tend to be more tolerant of overnight stays than Wal-Marts in the U.S., where 'no camping' signs are becoming more common.

RV groups say the locations that don't allow camping will politely ask people to leave. In some areas, they have no choice because it's against local bylaws.

But as long as they can get away with it, the Colliers and other RV tourists say they'll continue to roam the country one Wal-Mart lot at a time.