WalMart?

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We've been at Wal Marts with signs banning overnight parking.  I've gone to customer service and told them we were traveling through the area and that I planned on doing some shopping.  Then I asked permission to park there for the night.  So far, they have always said OK, and told us where to park.

Jeannine
 
I'd like to put my 2 cent's worth in here from Wal-Mart Headquarter's country...in 2005 right after Katrina hit the gulf coast, I subbed myself out to the Phone Company in Hollywood, Fla. I didn't have a RV then but I did have my $80,000 Horse Trailer yes with full living quarters! no place to park it cause it seems as tho Fla. would rather rent to Canadians. So being from Arkansas and thinking that the local Wal-Mart store would allow me to park in their parking lot, I chose to stop at the nearest one to the Phone Co. now keep in mind they just had a Cat 4 or 5 Hurricane there, so needless to say there wasn't much left of Wal-Mart, there were employees and even the Mgr's and of course the Rent-A-Cops there. I first asked for permission to Park in this VERY LARGE PARKING LOT with my GREAT BIG 38 foot Horse Trailer, after all I had gone down there to HELP THEM! well I was refused, no clear reason given except NO! very unfriendly folks! so while I was near what appeared to be a working water faucet, I asked if I could fill my fresh water tanks with fresh water! you guessed it, NO> anyway, my 2 cents.....and I'm sure as heck not ever going back to the Miami area EVER.......
 
The Wal-Mart in Florida City allows overnight parking and I guarantee you that there are probably 15 or more rigs there right now in the busy season. I see people all the time even in the middle of the day there some with their toads disconnected and even awnings out. When they have the Nascar race here it can be downright crowded with rigs.
 
Just remember.. Usually when a Wll-Mart denies you parking.. It is because the local authorities have declared RV parking anywhere other than a licensed campground to be illegal.

However in the case of the post hurricane story... It might be other reasons.

But usually it's a case of the law of the land and NOT wall-mart's fault.
 
FrontrangeRVer said:
In Woodland Park CO (near Pikes Peak) also....no overnight "camping" the signs say.  It's a City Ordinance.

Weird, the one here in the springs off of Woodman has a guy who's been living there for at least 6 months
 
I plan on keeping a list of towns that have rules against parking at stores such as wal mart ..and will not stop or spend any money in these towns. will also e-mail these cities and state that fact.
 
Just returned from Florida 2 weeks ago. We stoped overnight at a Walmart in central Ohio before returning to Michigan. There must of been a no over night parking sign on every light post!
There must of been a dozen plus 18 wheelers beded down for the night when we turned in for the night there also. No problems, sleep like a baby too!

Scott  :-X

 
I just picked up my first travel trailer.  A 16' Toy hauler.  On my way to Mesa, AZ one early morning, about a week ago, we crossed a walmart in Deming, NM and noticed a ton of RV's.  I hadn't picked mine up yet, but I told my wife that on the way back we would be stopping there to sleep or in Las Cruces, NM as these two walmarts had a lot of RV'ers.  well, we only made back from Mesa to Deming so we just stopped and slept in the Trailer.  It was pretty cool, seeing as how this was my first time to have stopped and seen so many RV'ers.  I would say there were about 20 to 30 RV'ers.  From class A down to a little Casita.  Was a pretty nostalgic feeling.  I have heard that about 95% of Wal-Marts are ok with overnighters, particulary those situated near main highways.
 
You should read this this page from the Escapees web site on overnight parking.  Pay particular attention to the Good Neighbor Policy Letter.  There is an etiquette to spending the night in the parking lot of a commercial business.

Congratulations on your new RV.  You will have many happy experiences with it.
 
Ol' Walmart definitely gets plenty of posting!  Simple facts from our experience... never been asked to leave, never asked permission, never tried to stop at one next to a huge stadium event like Nascar which we using common sense would expect problems, never stayed past one night without leaving, never stopped without buying something, never pulled out the lawn chairs like it was a campground, always look for perimeter spot before considering putting out a slide so as not to impede vehicle movement in the parking lot, never leave trash laying next to our unit upon departure (ours or other)... and the big one... use common sense, which has most likely been responsible for us never being asked to leave.....
 
I contacted Walmart rescently with a completely different question but received this canned response. I believe as soon as they saw "RV" in my email they immediately assumed that it was regarding parking.

[size=10pt]Thank you for taking the time to contact us with your inquiry.  While we do not offer electrical service or accommodations typically necessary for RV customers, Walmart values RV travelers and truck drivers and considers them among our best customers.  Consequently, we do permit RV and tractor-trailer parking on our store lots, as we are able.  Permission to park is decided by individual store managers, based on availability of parking space and local laws.

Please contact management at each store to ensure accommodations. To find specific store information such as the address, you may purchase a special Walmart edition of the Rand-McNally Road Atlas in our stores that includes Walmart/Sam's Club locations in the US, Mexico and Canada.  The cover says "Walmart Store Directory Included."  If you cannot locate this special edition, contact a store associate or ask for assistance at the Customer Courtesy Desk. For our most current store information, including the store phone number, please visit our web site at www.walmartstores.com and select 'store finder' at the bottom of the page.  You may search by city/state or zip code and view a map and directions to each store.
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We just discovered an alternative to the Walmart in Gallup, NM where we had planned to stop for tonite. We are at Fire Rock Casino, about 2 miles east of I-40 exit 26 on old Rte 66. After checking with security as we pulled in, we are all alone in the employee lot except for the shuttle buses. VZ wireless and Sprint cell both work here.
 
Bernie,

Thanks for the info about the casino.  I was looking at the Gallup Walmart as a possible stop on the way to Moab next month.  I found some notes about that store that said the parking lot was noisy with train & truck noise.  I'll look into the casino.

Mike Wagner
 
Mike

When we drove by the Walmart, it looked like all the spaces were already taken :( . The casino is about 1/3 mile north of I-40 and 1/3 mile south of the railroad tracks. While traffic on both is reasonably heavy, we weren't bothered by the sounds, specially since there are no grade crossings nearby for the trains to whistle at. We both slept very well last nite. From the east, take exit 33, turn right and then left about 5 miles following the signs toward Red Rock State Park and keep going west on old 66.
 
Glad to hear about the casino. We stayed at the Gallup WalMart ONCE. It is crowded and noisy, not just with train and highway noise but with people coming and going in the parking lot at all hours of the night. I would park just about anywhere other than the WalMart.

Wendy
home in Cortez
 
I think noise & Walmart parking lots go together.  We overnighted in a Walmart parking lot in rural Elkin NC on our way home last month.  It was Saturday night & I think every guy in the area with a loud muffler on his car or truck was driving around the parking lot.  There was even a little scooter zipping around & it sounded like a Harley wannabe, at least as much as a 49cc engine can.  ;D  But it's free so no complaints.

Mike Wagner
 
ceemike said:
I think noise & Walmart parking lots go together.  We overnighted in a Walmart parking lot in rural Elkin NC on our way home last month.  It was Saturday night & I think every guy in the area with a loud muffler on his car or truck was driving around the parking lot.  There was even a little scooter zipping around & it sounded like a Harley wannabe, at least as much as a 49cc engine can.  ;D  But it's free so no complaints.

Mike Wagner
Yup, free = noise.  Maybe that's why I've never been asked to leave... could not hear them banging on the door... while wearing the ear plugs.
 
Wendy said:
Glad to hear about the casino. We stayed at the Gallup WalMart ONCE. It is crowded and noisy, not just with train and highway noise but with people coming and going in the parking lot at all hours of the night. I would park just about anywhere other than the WalMart.

Wendy

We are parked at one of your favorite casinos :-* , Sandia in Albuquerque but need an answer. The question is, where can you dump trash, there is nothing on site and we're going to be here at least 3 nites.
 
There used to be a couple of trash cans in the upper parking lot where the RVs all park. If they're gone, I guess you just have to take your trash with you when you go anywhere, or drop it at the convenience store across the road.

Great view there, eh?

Wendy
home in Cortez
 
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