Walmart

[Tom]

Never say never ... we came as close as we've ever come to overnighting at a WalMart in Brinkley, AR several years ago. After setting up the coach in a "campground", I looked at the gaping hole in the fence behind us, and realized we were sharing a non-fence with WM    Story and photo here.

[Oscar Mike]

Never say never ...

You're right, of course.

[carson]

I've only been RVing since 2004, and in those 10 years I've never even considered staying in a parking lot overnight. When we travel I make certain of our nightly stops. I would rather spend $25.00 to $50.00 supporting a small business, i.e., local campgrounds and RV Parks. I have not been on a trip in the Western USA that I did not pass up a CG or RV Park when it came close to shutting down for the day.

In Susanville, CA I have noticed Motor Homes in the Walmart Parking lot at night while the RV Park across and down the road has available spaces.

I cannot say I'd never stop at a Walmart to catch some rest while on the road, but it won't be my preference.

You and I think the same.  Only once did I use W/M as a stop for a couple of hours to do an emergency repair in the far corner of the lot.Luckily there was an AutoZone nearby.
 Other times were always a shopping stop.Supporting the entrepreneur makes me feel good.

[Rene T]

Tom,
I must have been handy having the hole in  the fence. It saved walking around.  That was back in 1997. I'm sure things must be much better now at that place!!!

[Tom]

I'm sure things must be much better now at that place!!!

I suspect the hole in the fence will be larger, and fewer electric hookups will be working in the campground

[elliott-maine]

Try to find convenient open campgrounds in the Northeast in early April.  The closest to my route was 50+ miles in the wrong direction.  I will stay at a WalMart, and have had to on my last trip.  The ones I've stayed at have been open 24 hours, and sometimes have other RVs there.  I always ask permission to park and then where to park.  As our bed requires me to put out the bedroom slide, I also ask if this is alright to do.  I haven't been refused yet.   Unfortunately, at our last stop, there was an RV with all slides out, chairs, grills, etc. spread around it.  We got a late start the next morning - 8 AM, and they were still all spread out.  I think that we should come in near the end of the day and leave fairly early to not disturb their major business time.  Be courteous to them as they are to us.

[Just Lou]

I guess I'm a low life who has over nighted in a Walmart parking lot on a few occasions.  It was seldom a relaxing and restful experience but served it's purpose and I may well do it again in the future.  I do much prefer a Cracker Barrel for the occasional overnight stop, however.  I've had many Cracker Barrel managers tell me that I should/could park anywhere in the lot after their 10pm closing time.

I try to keep as low profile as possible both coming and going.

[justpassin]

Wal-mart is as safe as any. Yummy food too.

[Oscar Mike]

I love Walmart too, and who knows maybe one day we'll be forced to stay in a parking lot for a few hours, when and if I do, I hope I am both welcome and unobtrusive.

My position is that small private/state/federal campgrounds & RV Parks struggle to stay afloat, I believe it behooves us as "Active Campers" to support these facilities as much as we can so that we can keep them in business for OUR fun and pleasure. Just saying. 

[Just Lou]

I love Walmart too, and who knows maybe one day we'll be forced to stay in a parking lot for a few hours, when and if I do, I hope I am both welcome and unobtrusive.

My position is that small private/state/federal campgrounds & RV Parks struggle to stay afloat, I believe it behooves us as "Active Campers" to support these facilities as much as we can so that we can keep them in business for OUR fun and pleasure. Just saying.

John, I can agree to a point, but I'm a "Traveler" and not an "Active Camper."  As such, my typical overnight stop is <8 hours.  My position on this subject is that if the CGs or RV Parks want my occasional short overnight business, they will have established a reasonable 'overnight rate' to entice me to use their facility.  (even if the accommodations are as sparse as a Walmart parking lot.)  I think you will agree that the opposite is generally true.  Discount rates, convenience  and the Welcome mat are usually reserved for longer term tenants.

[M1894]

We stayed at a Wal Mart once, and it had a sign for No RV parking, so when the Police Patrol unit stopped to run me off, I just told him to look in the window of the coach, as my wife was inside working, and the store  manager had placed a sign on the coach that said "Store Employee." He even signed it. I guess the Cop wasn't authorized to read.

(Note:) Wife was helping set up the store modifications.


Lee

[Oscar Mike]

John, I can agree to a point, but I'm a "Traveler" and not an "Active Camper."  As such, my typical overnight stop is <8 hours.  My position on this subject is that if the CGs or RV Parks want my occasional short overnight business, they will have established a reasonable 'overnight rate' to entice me to use their facility.  (even if the accommodations are as sparse as a Walmart parking lot.)  I think you will agree that the opposite is generally true.  Discount rates, convenience  and the Welcome mat are usually reserved for longer term tenants.

I see your point too...no argument here. And it makes a huge difference, in that we are occasional campers. We are NOT anywhere close to being considered a "traveler" and that IMO makes a difference.

[Great Horned Owl]

I love Walmart too, and who knows maybe one day we'll be forced to stay in a parking lot for a few hours, when and if I do, I hope I am both welcome and unobtrusive.

My position is that small private/state/federal campgrounds & RV Parks struggle to stay afloat, I believe it behooves us as "Active Campers" to support these facilities as much as we can so that we can keep them in business for OUR fun and pleasure. Just saying.

When I am traveling, I am putting in 500 to 600 mile days. At night, I need a place to sleep for a few hours. I don't need electricity. I don't need water. I certainly don't need a sewer hookup. If those small private/state/federal campgrounds & RV Parks that struggle to stay afloat want my business, then they could charge a rate that is commensurate with my needs. However, I object to paying $30 to $50 to rent a parking space for a few hours.

On the other hand, I have heard about one camp ground at Lake City, FL that has decided to compete with Walmart. They will be offering low priced, overnight sites with nothing but a pad and electricity. I'll check them out when I head south next winter.

Joel

[Tom]

We just got home from a 5200 miles round trip. Outward and return journeys we were 'travelers' on a mission to reach our destination. We didn't have or feel any need to find a WalMart.

Several of the campgrounds honored the 50% Passport America discount, some even advertising it on their web site and listing it on their 'self check-in' price list on the office door. Several campgrounds offered a la carte options - you decide what services/hookups you want, and even the size, location and orientation of the site, and pay (or not)accordingly. Most were easy in/easy out with ready access from the freeway. Although I called all campgrounds from the road, none required reservations. One didn't even take reservations (first come, first served). Only once or twice did I even need or bother to deploy the jacks (sites were pretty darned level).

At our destination, we had full hookups for the coach, and were also given a bed and meals, all free.

[Just Lou]

We didn't have or feel any need to find a WalMart.

I'm not sure what 'feeling the need' would consist of.  I prefer to think it's done by choice even when expending resources are considered in the decision.

I might add here that when our travel spans more than a couple of days, we too, will utilize a campground for a day/night stop every couple of days, to do some local sight seeing.  At 76 years of age, two consecutive days of driving is about all the body can take. 

With that said, our usual seasonal travel consists of destinations an average of one overnight stop apart.  Those stops are usually at our favorite Cracker Barrel, friends drive way or a WM/SC parking lot.  Different strokes for different folks.

[Wendy]

If you like to stay at Walmart, stay at Walmart.

If you don't want to stay at Walmart, don't stay at Walmart.

Isn't freedom of choice grand ?

Wendy

[Tom]

That sums it up Wendy. Every time this subject comes up, there's always a defensive posture from the folks who prefer to stay at WM that has me scratching my head; Rationale for this and that, and always challenging the folks who  prefer to use campgrounds. Hasn't changed in 20 years, neither has our personal choice or rationale. It's one reason I normally stay out of these discussions.

[Oscar Mike]

If you like to stay at Walmart, stay at Walmart.
If you don't want to stay at Walmart, don't stay at Walmart.
Isn't freedom of choice grand?
Wendy

^^^What Wendy said. I knew my comments were a slippery slope of sorts, and might be a bit misconstrued, but Wendy said it best, thanks.

[Gary RV_Wizard]

The amount of passion this subject always stirs up IS indeed amazing. And it's not just here - the result is the same wherever it comes up.

The oddest thing is that the "victim" of the affair, if any, is Walmart themselves and they have repeatedly expressed their happiness to have RVers stay the night where local regulations permit. Yet RVers on both sides dive into the debate at every opportunity.  We humans really are a strange breed! 

[Oscar Mike]

We humans really are a strange breed! 

I cannot recall who it is, but one of the forum members has a caption in his signature line that reads, (paraphrasing) "nothing is as interesting as something that is none of your business". The bottom line (for me) is that it is none of my business, and yet I am always drawn to "look over" "scrutinize" some other person's setup whenever I see them at a Walmart. I  need to start carrying a camera to my local Wally World because we do get some, shall I say, different sort of characters using the Walmart parking lot.

[dan2]

I have seen the same rig "overnighting" for a couple of days  Staying at a campground is a cost of RVing....

Dan

[HappyWanderer]

Kittery Trading Post (Kittery, ME) allows overnight parking in their lot. We've stayed there a couple of times on the way farther north, although it would be cheaper staying in a campground. Lot's of cool toys in that store!

Last time we passed through, there was a travel trailer set up in the back lot. The guy said he was staying there for a few days before moving on to Cabela's in Scarborough.

[justpassin]

I'm surprised that Walmart allows it. I'm glad they do.
I love Walmart, spend 60% of my Money there.

[Great Horned Owl]

I'm surprised that Walmart allows it. I'm glad they do.
I love Walmart, spend 60% of my Money there.

Why shouldn't they? It doesn't cost them anything and it brings in extra business.

Joel

[pkschaf]

My wife and I stay at Wal-Mart's at times We do put a slide out if possible and like the others have said open the slide away from any customers I do need to run the generator because of my wife's heart issues. She needs the ac if it's hot out side. We always go in and ask and never put out chairs or anything else. We also get going as early as possible thankful for a good nights rest.

[camperAL]

Never say never ... we came as close as we've ever come to overnighting at a WalMart in Brinkley, AR several years ago. After setting up the coach in a "campground", I looked at the gaping hole in the fence behind us, and realized we were sharing a non-fence with WM    Story and photo here.

Hi Tom and all,

Did you have the camera club with you and sneak in the WM parking lot camando style?   

[Joezeppy]

6. Trailers are not to be disconnected.

On our 6,200 mile round trip out to Yellowstone in 2007, I needed an oil change. We stayed at one WM on the way out and another on the way back. Our 2nd stop was perfect timing so in the morning I disconnected the truck and drove over to the WM auto center and walked back to the TT. Just as I got back, the manager was (understandably) rapping on the door! Once I told him what I was doing, he was fine with it - we even had a good laugh together.

[dawnbmoore]

I completely agree with Oscar Mike.  If we felt we had to spend $40-50 to park overnight at Wally World, we'd go to a locally run park where we could have a hook-up. For the amount of money, we'd probably get a nice hot shower too!  Or we would have joined the Elks & we'd stay in their lot.     

[justpassin]

Oil change or not, don't drop your trailer.

[Campfire RV]

WM's were great overnight stops during our cross country road trip last summer. We stopped at several along our trip to get a good nights sleep and restock our supplies so I'm sure WM is happy having the RV'rs stopping by since many of us do park out of the way for a night to rest and purchase supplies for the road.

We just need to remember that WM is still a parking lot stop not a campground so we shouldn't make it a camp out by laying out the rugs, chairs and BBQ grills while staying the night. If RV'rs do this too much then they may very well begin to charge fees to stay in which many of us that do use them won't use them anymore because it would be more cost efficient to use a campground with hookups at that point.