The bottom line is this: don’t ask for permission to park your RV overnight at a casino parking lot. Because once you announce your arrival, they’ll check up on you.
This became apparent to us after a week into our stay at Morongo Casino in Cabazon, CA. We had arrived at their RV parking lot, and set ourselves up, hoping to stay two weeks for free. We had already stayed here before (for 4 nights) about six months ago, and liked it a lot because the casino offered some great dining, along with a travel center with propane and an RV dump. Seeing the casino had not posted its policies anywhere visible, nor even on its website, we came back here again hoping to stay longer.
About a week into our stay, another RVer had knocked on our door. He was actually in the process of leaving. He had stopped by our trailer to ask if everything was alright with us. He noticed that our pickup truck was gone, and I explained that my wife had taken it to visit her grandkids. He mentioned that when he first came here, he had asked casino security how long he could stay. They told him 3 days. Hence, after three days, they knocked on his door and told him it was time to leave.
So, I told him that I hadn’t asked for permission to stay. I simply just arrived unannounced, and had been here already for a week without being bothered by security. He responded that perhaps he would leave for a day and then come back.
And as such, he did.
However, security noticed him about 5 days later, and told him he had to leave. The casino apparently has another rule that once you leave you cannot return for 30 days. But to his frustration, he complained to them that other RVers had been here longer than the 3-day limit and that it was unfair they were picking on him.
Before he left (for the second time), he stopped by our trailer to let us know he got kicked out again. He inadvertently told us that he complained to security about why they hadn’t kicked out other RVers. Sash and I, of course, rolled our eyes realizing he had just pointed us out to security.
Sure enough, a few hours after he had left, security came by and kicked out every other RV that was there, including us.
In a way, we were pissed because this guy had to take us and everyone else down with him. He couldn’t just go quietly. However, we really could not complain because by the time we got kicked out, we had already been there for two weeks, the length of time we had originally hoped to stay, and we had stayed for free.
Well, not technically free. We did buy Sunday brunch for two at their buffet, and we did fill up with gasoline a couple of times at their travel center, along with RV dump, propane fill, and bought stuff from their convenience store.
Still, it’s not cool when RVers point their finger at other RVers.
The moral to the story is, if you plan to boondock at a casino parking lot, don’t ask for permission. This only puts you on their radar. Just get there, be quiet, and keep your space clean. If casino security feels it necessary to inform you of the policies, they will let you know. Otherwise, play dumb and just stay there for as long as they let you.
Had that crybaby just kept his mouth shut, the other RVers would not have gotten kicked out.
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