1st Walmart Overnite

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Anyone who knows us knows we LOVE staying in Walmarts. 

Never had a problem there and better security than most campgrounds.  We only use them when we are in transit on long haul trips, but we greatly enjoy them.  In fact my icon on these messages is currently the Larmie WalMart with a rainbow over their sign.  Laramie has one of the most scenic views among all the WMs.

When we were in Cody we stayed at the KOA, but I was quite envious of the WalMart RVers.  They had an excellent location right next to the rodeo and a short drive to the museum.  That is one of the most RV friendly WMs anywhere. They even have big signs up instructing RVers where to take their trash.

No one should feel bad about putting slides out if they park at the back of the lot.  Every seasoned WM RVer does this.  We like to pick a spot that has a grass lot on one side.  Then we put out the slides on the grass side of the coach.  Interferes with no one.  Would be impossible to navigate through our bedroom without at least one side out.  If you can't get a spot by the grass, and you are sure the size of the parking lot is such that it never fills up, then park vertically across a series of parking spaces.  Never ever block a driveway.  We advise against putting out awnings, chairs, etc because that is just begging for trouble and is camping in the real sense of the word.

The bigest hazzard at WM is errant carts flying through the neighborhood.

We make a point during each stay to go around with a trash bag and pick up trash.  We then, like Betty always go around and gather up carts.

We were once chewed out for this being told we were taking jobs away from employees.  How silly can you get?  Does this mean everyone should leave trash and carts all over the lots to insure that WM has plenty of jobs to offer?  LOL!  ;D  I can assure you the employees and managers are thankful when we do our part and it gives RVers a good name.  If everyone did that it would help a lot and it only takes a few minutes and is good exercise.
 
Well, when we went out west last Jan we were in a hurry so we traveled on the Flying J plan, which meant I had to deal with winey women cause wife wanted to put out slides and such (I am flexable but as tight as they park rigs in a Flying-J I did not want slides knocked off by a passing seim which was not supposed to be in the RV lot to begin with)

But it worked out fairly well.

Coming back we paid for campgrounds since there was less hurry,  this year it will likely be a mixed lot.  Longest I've stayed in a Wall-mart lot is a few hours (Actually wife stayed in the lot,,, I dropped and headed to a nearby business where the RV would not fit well, actually it would fit on the lot (They have several simular size rigs there) but I don't care for the traffic there with the RV so I parked and drove the towed)  I don't like Wal-Mart for other reasons.

As for taking up employee parking... Many stores request emp;loyees park "Out around the edges" of the lot, in the less desierable parking places.  It fits 100% with the Wal-Mart management style to demand (not request but demand) this of their employees.  (This has to do with why I don't like Wall-mart) and, of course, as a courtisy to the customers and, thus to management, this is where I'm going to want to park my big rig, out along the edge, where nobody else is parked, so I'm not taking up prime parking

So, perhaps you were parked in the employee section of the lot
 
I think you missed my point John.  I was talking about someone who said if we played good Sam and picked up trash around the parking lot and returned carts that other people had left abandoned, then we would be taking away JOBS, not parking spaces.
 
Smoky said:
We were once chewed out for this being told we were taking jobs away from employees.  How silly can you get?  Does this mean everyone should leave trash and carts all over the lots to insure that WM has plenty of jobs to offer?  LOL!  ;D  I can assure you the employees and managers are thankful when we do our part and it gives RVers a good name.  If everyone did that it would help a lot and it only takes a few minutes and is good exercise.

The next time someone tries that just tell them that picking up carts that lazy shoppers couldn't return is not their primary job. They have other duties but when most of the carts are left in the parking lot someone has to bring them back.
 
Have you ever seen a WalMart that didn't have a "Help Wanted" sign up? How can you be taking jobs away from people at WalMart if they can't find enough people to fill the jobs they have? Same goes for grocery stores....not a one in our area that doesn't have a "Help Wanted" sign.
 
LOL Wendy.  True!  I will point that out the next time I am accosted by another "save jobs" weirdo. 

Though likely that was a once in a lifetime incident. 

My answer to them was to ask them if they then thought everyone should just leave their trash all over the parking lot.  ;D
 
Just as a quick note, I worked at both a Sears and a Penny's during my college years, and both demanded, not requested, that we employees park at the far ends of the lot as a courtesy to the customers. It was mall policy, not the individual stores. I even know of one case where an employee's car was towed because he consistantly parked closer in.
 
Might be hard to understand, but there are people out there who do work for a living and at a low pay. Maybe they lose a few overtime hours because of someone, who has a ton of money, is trying to innocently take them away. There is a real world out there? Heck, WM isn't even union.
 
BigEdW said:
Just as a quick note, I worked at both a Sears and a Penny's during my college years, and both demanded, not requested, that we employees park at the far ends of the lot as a courtesy to the customers. It was mall policy, not the individual stores. I even know of one case where an employee's car was towed because he consistantly parked closer in.
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Big Ed,

At a Mall in CT there are parking spots marked in white a quite a few marked in yellow. I believe the yellow are for Mall employees. Always the furthest from the entrance.  Never see many parked there but it's great when we take the motorhome on a run. We have lots of room to park out of the way! :)
 
I have been a vendor representative, with products in all the Big Box and Home Improvement stores, for the past five years. 

It is standard practice, whether in a shopping center or stand alone environment, to demand that all employees and service vendors park in remote areas of available parking.  As Jim said, they usually paint a line or use a different color paint to mark these areas.

I have heard many a store/center manager remind their folks that this was a condition of employment.

I can also tell you, although they may not always enforce it, that it is Lowe's and HD's corporate policy to NOT allow overnight RV parking.  They will generally defer to the Shopping Center policy when located in that environment.
 
Onaquest, We are also vendors for a variety of companies at the box stores including HD, Lowes, WM, Best Buy, grocery stores and others. We are periodically sent emails reminding us that we are NOT to take prime parking spaces but are to park in the employee areas or in the 'back 40.' Personally, I prefer parking at the back of the lot and getting some exercise.

Didn't know about the corporate policy for HD and Lowe's re RV parking. We have spent more than one night at HD and actually prefer it to WalMart....quieter. Those in our area aren't in any shopping center so I guess their rules apply but no one has ever chased us away.
 
Wendy, I must admit, I've never seen it in writing either.  Being an RV'er myself, I've asked store managers from each chain and received the same answer,  "not my call, it's company policy".

I even visited the Lowe's in Anchorage, in need of a parking place, and asked the on-duty mgr.  I even (shame on me) left the impression that I was a direct Lowe's employee, and got the same answer.  No can do....

BTW - the WM in Anchorage (actually the Shopping Center) has a roving security guard informing RVs to move on if they appear ready to squat.  He sends them to Fred Meyers.  I went across the street to Sam's Club and joined the other 36 RVs there.
 
We are on a 7 month holiday from Australia traveling in an RV around the US and Canada.  We've been here 3 months already and have camped in RV parks for 6 nights total.  The rest of time has  been Wal Marts or roadside parks.  We haven't had any problems with Wal Marts or road side parks for that matter.  A couple of times they've had signs posted saying no RV parking so we've gone in and asked.  In one case they said don't worry about the sign, you're welcome to stay and the other manager said the council put the sign up, they didn't want it but that we could park across the road in the Staples car park, which we did.  We always make a point of shopping in the Wal Marts rather than anywhere else because we can stay there and we always pick an out of the way spot away from everything.  We would certainly recommend them.
 
Jim Dick said:
Betty,

Yes, Walmarts can be expensive BUT usually the stuff you buy is needed. You would spend the money elsewhere if you weren't parked at Walmart. Pat likes the Supercenters because she can buy food which we always need.

Hi, I am new here and am still in the planning stage.  I just found this post odd as I have never heard anyone accuse Walmart of being expensive.  But, I'm from Kansas and here in Kansas Walmart is the cheap place to shop - most snub their nose to it as they would never be seen shopping at Walmart.  So I was wondering - is Walmart not the same everywhere?

Being from Kansas and barely being outside of Kansas I am sure I am going to have my eyes open to many new things.  My first destination trip is going to be to Manhattan.  I am excited about this and scared all at the same time as I will be traveling alone with children.  I do have a tazor and have used it before.  I have seen other post in other forums and have never seen anyone say they didn't feel safe in the Walmart parking lots. 

Anyway... enough rambling... how about the cost variance in different Walmart locations? 
 
No, WalMart's aren't expensive anywhere that I know of.  What he meant is that one tends to spend a lot of money at a WalMart when you shop there, and probably even more than you would if you weren't parked there for an overnight.  "It can get expensive" means that you can spend a lot of money there, not that things cost more there than anywhere else.

 
As Rolf said. He was talking about the expense of staying at a campground vs staying at Walmart. You would spend $20 to $30 to stay in a campground. By staying at Walmart it usually cost us a lot more. My better half can't seem to get out of Walmart for less than $50.  ;D  ;D  ;D
 
Alaskansnowbirds said:
As Rolf said. He was talking about the expense of staying at a campground vs staying at Walmart. You would spend $20 to $30 to stay in a campground. By staying at Walmart it usually cost us a lot more. My better half can't seem to get out of Walmart for less than $50.  ;D  ;D  ;D

Oh my ONLY $50 we never get out  spending only $50.  Let me know your secret Don. ;D
 
Kansas to Manhatten?  Dang.  Talk about culture shock.  There is a CG in NJ on the shore you can see Manhatten from.  Stay there, take alternate trans into the city. 

I have very little experience with Manhatten, That was about the extent of my knowledge.  Been there, didn't like te t-shirt. 

I don't remember the name of the CG, but you should be able to find it in one of the directories. 

***************

Walmart overnights.  I would do them while travling, our only experience to date was back in RI.  CG we wanted to go to was full, but would be available the next morning.  We stayed in their overflow till about 9PM, moved to Walmart and went back at 6AM for our line spot.  However, that overnite was trying.  There were some kids there about 1AM playing car alarm soccer.  Kick a goal, hit the car set off the arlarm.  reset, replay.  Couple hundred feet from us, but dang!

 
Ok, that all makes perfect sense to me as I am a big Walmart shopper as well.  However I will be on a budget if I am to accomplish my goals so I think I can refrain from purchasing more than I need - I hope.

And yes, I am sure it will be a huge cultural shock as this is what I am seeking.  I am bored!!!  I think my main goal is to experience as much as possible and find something that will interest my son enough for him to "want" to learn more.  For myself also.  I have reached a point where I feel dead inside and this can't be good.

Anyway... that was probably TMI so I'll just say thanks so much for the clarification.

I had read quite a bit in this forum and was planning to check out transportation by train.  I would camp outside of Manhattan far enough to take an awesome train ride but close enough to ride back the same day - assuming I can see all I want to in one day.  Still have a lot more planning to do so there is no surprises - at least not costly ones.
 
I have never seen anything posted about overnighting in a Sam's Club lot.  Does anyone have knowledge about that?  Costco?
 
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