Overnight at Sam's Club

[Tom]

I've seen occasional mention of Sam's Club in some Wal*Mart topics. Has anyone actually overnighted at Sam's Club? Do you ask permission, as most folks do at WM? Anyone been refused permission after asking?

[Wendy]

We often overnight at the Farmington NM Sam's Club. We asked first and they said "no problem" but did ask that we park in one of the secluded edges, which was fine because that's where we'd rather be anyway. There are almost always people there. They do have a lot of early morning deliveries and you often get trucks parking with engines running overnight while they wait for to unload so watch where you park. We've parked at other Sam's Club stores but can't remember where off-hand.

Wonder if Costco is the same?

Wendy

[RV Roamer]

We've stayed at a few Sam's Clubs and quite a few of them are listed in the Overnight RV Parking website. Same basic rules as Walmart - ask unless you have prior knowledge that it is OK.

Overnight RV Parking is a fee site, though you can earn free access by participating in the reporting of free sites. The associated OvernightRVParking Yahoo  Group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OvernightRVParking/?yguid=226057334 is still free, though it will likely go away before too long.

The advantage of the fee site is that it is searchable by city  and contains more detailed information than the spreadsheet format lists on the Yahoo Group.

[Tom]

Thanks Wendy & Gary. Since it's the same company, I figured the policy must be more or less the same.

Dunno about Costco Wendy. I'll ask next time I'm at a Costco store.

[RV Roamer]

There are also some K Marts that allow overnight parking, as well as Cracker Barrels and some regional stores as well. Cabela's outdoor sports stores also allow overnight parking (and some even have dump stations & potable water available).

[Rockcreek73]

Oh but YIKES it cost's me much more to boondock in Cabela's lot rather than Walmart!   I have no spending disipline at Cabela's!

[RV Roamer]

 Us too. [LOL].  But Walmart isn't cheap for us either - many times I think a campground would be much cheaper for an overnight, since we probably wouldn't leave the park on a one night stay.

[Wendy]

I remember stopping overnight at a Wal*Mart somewhere in Kansas. In the morning, I went in to buy Mike a donut. I came out $35 poorer.....expensive donut, expensive campground.

Wendy

[Jeff]

We spent a night at Plymouth, MA on the way to Cape Cod, our forst Wally visit after two months in Canada, cost for the night, $155.00!

Sam Walden knew what he was doing.

[Ron]

Probably the most expensive overnite is a Cabela's.  They are much more fun to walk through.

[Tom]

Heck, even I would stay at Cabela's.

Out of curiosity, I just looked at the web site for Cabela's Reno store. They offer RV parking (doesn't say overnight) and a dump station.

[Ron]

There are a few Cabela's that have an RV Park.  As I recall seems all of the ones we have visited have a dump station. 

[RV Roamer]

The only Cabelas I know of that does not have a dump station is the Wheeling WV store just off I70. As with most Cabela stores, they have a large, separate area for RV and semi parking.

[BernieD]

We spent one nite at the Prairie Du Chien, WI Cabelas and there were absolutely no RV facilities there. When I went in to ask about overnite parking, nobidy seemed to know much.

By the way, a friend who is an Elk says that parking at an Elk lodge is the most expensive for him between dinners and drinks at the bar

[Dick Zeiter]

Several times we have parked at the Sams in Lima Ohio. They must have their lot swept more than once per week as more than once the sweeper ran back and forth about 5 AM. On 2/6/02 we stayed at the Flagstaff AZ Sams along the south side of the building. Can't remember if it was posted. The WM in Flagstaff is posted. Greeter said it was the town's doing.

[John From Detroit]

Overnight RV Parking is a fee site, though you can earn free access by participating in the reporting of free sites. The associated OvernightRVParking Yahoo  Group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OvernightRVParking/?yguid=226057334 is still free, though it will likely go away before too long.

The Yahoo group is members only.. I was unable to log in since I'm not a member of that group.. FYI

[Betty Brewer]

By the way, a friend who is an Elk says that parking at an Elk lodge is the most expensive for him between dinners and drinks at the bar

Bernie,

We are near Harrsiburg Pennsylvania at an Elks Park. Parking is free with a suggested donation of $10 per night.  When I paid the donation at the bar (the bartender handles all of the money) I was given a free drink (a very large draft beer) as a visiting Elk.  Then I struck up a conversation with a very friendly group of Elks. Before you know it someone had purchased me another very large draft beer.  I'd say this stay was a bargain.  The biggest problem was that  my clothes and hair smelled of cigarette smoke when I came home. 

Betty

[Jim Johnson]

my clothes and hair smelled of cigarette smoke when I came home.

I know the feeling.  I used to have that problem

[BernieD]

Bernie,

We are near Harrsiburg Pennsylvania at an Elks Park. Parking is free with a suggested donation of $10 per night.  When I paid the donation at the bar (the bartender handles all of the money) I was given a free drink (a very large draft beer) as a visiting Elk.  Then I struck up a conversation with a very friendly group of Elks. Before you know it someone had purchased me another very large draft beer.  I'd say this stay was a bargain.  The biggest problem was that  my clothes and hair smelled of cigarette smoke when I came home. 

Betty

You are a lot cuter than my friend He was the one who bought the rounds 

[RV Roamer]

The Yahoo group is members only.. I was unable to log in since I'm not a member of that group.. FYI

Did you try to join, John?  Yahoo Groups are free to join.  Since I'm already a member, I can't tell if there are any restrictions on new memberships.

[Wendy]

I've been trying to join that yahoo group for 2 days and have had no luck at all. I can get to the group via the link but get the same message as John about having to be a member but I can't find any way to join.

Wendy

[Jim Godward]

Gary,

It looks like James O. has closed the site as he is the only one  posting.  There is no way for someone to join.  I know there is an access to the list that is slightly out of date in one of the other Yahoo lists but don't remember where.  The access for newcomers is the URL you posted and it costs.

[Tom]

Friendly group eh 

Jim, the links I found on other Yahoo groups all end in the same place with the same message.

Maybe they know y'all have been talking about overnighting at WM 

[aka Porky]

In 2006 we stayed overnight in the Sam's Club parking lot in Anchorage, Ak. (twice in three weeks)
 
As soon as we entered the lot at the Wal-mart we were told by a roving guard that we could not park overnight there.
He instructed us to try the Fred Myers lot down the street.  We drove to Fred Myers, did our shopping, and returned to park on the opposite side of the street from Wal-Mart along with 15+ RV's and several large trucks, in the Sam's Club lot.

I have also used the Sam's Club lot in South Charleston, WV.

[Phil]

Gary,

It looks like James O. has closed the site as he is the only one  posting.  There is no way for someone to join.  I know there is an access to the list that is slightly out of date in one of the other Yahoo lists but don't remember where.  The access for newcomers is the URL you posted and it costs.

Jim,

http://www.overnightrvparking.com/

If you post free spots you stay in, you get a free membership.  Each time you post, James extends your free membership expiration date.

Phil

[RV Roamer]

Since the fee site is open for business, James has probably closed the Overnight RV Parking to new members.  Existing members can still view it and download the files.

The fee site http://www.overnightrvparking.com/ is not expensive at $17.95 per year and it lists over 4000 locations where parking it permitted or, in some cases, not permitted. About the same price as any other good campground directory, I guess. And for every field report a member submits earns a two week extension to the term (even if it merely verifies an existing listing), reducing the annual cost a bit. I've submitted a dozen reports myself.

The research is excellent - owner James O'Briant contacts local officials to verify local laws, calls store corporate management if there is a question on policy, and gets updates from members who actually stay in these places.

[I have no financial interest in the site.]