1st Walmart Overnite

[ArdraF]

GypsyMom,

When you get to NYC, if you can possibly fit it into your budget I highly recommend a day-long Gray Line city tour.  It will give you a wonderful overview of the city, some of its history that you've long since forgotten, and it's a relatively safe way for you to explore a large city alone but with children in tow.  We stayed at an RV park on the New Jersey side and the tour bus picked us up there and returned us there at the end of the day.  One of the things we liked best is that we were shown, for example, where famous people currently lived.  These are things we never would have known about had we just driven or walked by on our own.  That was many years ago and we felt a city tour was such a good thing that we've since made it a habit when visiting a new city.  You learn so much more than you would on your own.

ArdraF

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Sam's, which is a Walmart company, has the same policy as Walmart. We've stayed in a few Sam's Clubs lots here and there.

Costco is another matter - largely decided locally, from what I hear.

 

[KodiakRV]

Sam's, which is a Walmart company, has the same policy as Walmart. We've stayed in a few Sam's Clubs lots here and there...

We haven't done either yet, but I would be more comfortable staying at a Walmart that was open all night than at Sam's Clubs which are not.

 

[Tom]

I would be more comfortable staying at a Walmart that was open all night than at Sam's Clubs which are not.

Just curious .... occasionally, I've found a Wal*Mart adjacent to a Sam's Club, and they shared the same parking lot. Would you feel safer on the WM end of the lot than on the Sam's end?

 

[Jim Dick]

Just curious .... occasionally, I've found a Wal*Mart adjacent to a Sam's Club, and they shared the same parking lot. Would you feel safer on the WM end of the lot than on the Sam's end?

Tom,

I think the key, for us, is we feel better with a 24 hour WalMart than one that closes early. Most have a security car that roams the lot all night long.  We recently stayed at one outside Savannah with Gary & Nancy and felt quite comfortable. Several other rigs were there as well.

 

[Wendy]

We've stayed at several Sam's Club parking lots. They tend to get a lot of deliveries late at night and early in the morning so we never felt like we were isolated or alone. Of course, it also wasn't quiet but we didn't expect it to be. I've never felt unsafe in either Sam's or Wal-Mart parking lots.

Wendy

 

[Tom]

Understood Jim. I was just curious about a situation where a WM was open 24 hours while the adjacent Sam's closed at night. Brought a smile to my face, and reminded me of the sleazy campground we stayed at which was the other side of a fence from a Wal*Mart parking lot. Story and photo here. The fence even had a walk-through hole in it. Was I safer one side of the fence than the other?

 

[Just Lou]

Tom, the very situation you described exists in South Charleston, wv.  The Sam's Club, a Sporting Goods store and a 24 hour WM share one big parking lot.  I've stopped there twice in the past three years.  Maybe it's because the sporting goods store is in the middle, and closed along with the SC, but all overnight trucks and RVs parked only in the WM third of the lot.  I did the same just so I wouldn't stand out.

 

[Jeff]

Tom:

There are just us Wal-marters and the rest of you. ;D

 

[WilleyB]

They tend to get a lot of deliveries late at night and early in the morning so we never felt like we were isolated or alone.

Yes we find it to be the same. The WM's in Canada (the ones we know of) close at 10:30pm. As Wendy says there is staff there all night, restocking shelves I presume. The lots are still well lighted (50% lights on all night). The stores I know of are (stand alone) with their own parking lots. If there were any re supply trucks they didn't disturb us as delivery's are usually at the back or the side areas of the stores. There are WM stores that are inclusive in shopping malls and share the parking lots with the other business, but most of the stores are new and on their own in buisness parks like this.

 

[Jim Dick]

Tom,

Interesting thought. Who would be more safe?? Hard to say but you made it so I guess it was alright. I felt more uncomfortable in a Vicksburg, MS campground than I ever did in a WalMart parking lot.

 

[Tom]

Jim.

You know this is self-deprecating humor on my part. I catch a lot of brown stuff and ridicule from folks because of my lack of desire to stay at WM, and my distain for folks who roll out the slideouts, fake grass, chairs and BBQ in a WM parking lot, then try to convince me they're only staying for a few hours sleep on a cross-country trip.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

The whole Walmart camping business has taken on a life of its own, a cult-like thing.  Oddly, it encompasses those who passionately disapprove as well as those who love them, and all sorts between the extremes. RVers have even invented a code of conduct for Walmart camping overnighting, something that Walmart itself does not seem to think necessary.  I wish I could sit in on a discussion among Walmart execs and hear what they really think, if they indeed spend any time thinking/talking about it at all.

For myself, we will continue to use Walmarts (& Sams & Cabela's and ...) occasionally, which typically amounts to 6-8 nights a year for us. We arrive at our usual stopping time, about 4 pm) and depart in mid-morning. We look for an area of the lot where we won't interfere with regular shoppers, put the slides out if there is enough room and put the jacks down if necessary to get reasonably level. We've even been known to stay a couple nights in one spot. We suffer neither guilt nor angst but we do try to be good guests during our brief stay there,  minimizing the inconvenience to our host.  Just like we would if staying in a friend's driveway or yard.

It's not a credo - just what works for us. Others will have different perspectives and that's OK by me.

 

[Tom]

I see truckers parked overnight in WM lots, and they're not necessarily WM trucks. I'm never sure if they're making WM deliveries, or needed somewhere to park/sleep, or both. I'm also never sure if the drivers spend the night in the sleeper, or if they walk to a nearby motel. Any truckers or ex-truckers here who might care to share their WM/overnight perspective?

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

We often see truckers parked in Walmarts (etc) when we overnight there. In most cases they stay in their trucks, as far as I can see. I have, however, seen a few where somebody picked them up in a car and off they went for an undetermined time - I assume they are not allowed to park a truck at their home and so leave the rig at a nearby Wally World.

We have even seen trucks  transfer cargo or change drivers in parking lots. Also saw a tour band onload their bus with instruments and people from several smaller vehicles late at night - presumably after a concert somewhere that had no bus parking. It said Loretta Lynn on the side of the bus.

 

[Tom]

Aye Gary, the entertainers have to stop and sleep somewhere. When one of the kids got married approx 20 years ago, Chris hired a pro DJ. The guy turned up early that day with a large van, and was leaving the following day for a gig in Vegas. He proceeded to unload his equipment and get set up for the evening wedding. I offered the guy a room at our house, but he said "I usually sleep in the back of the van". Didn't think of asking where he was planning to park the van. The local WM store hadn't yet opened, the scenic park across the street didn't allow overnight parking, and I doubt the winery where the wedding was held would have allowed him to stay overnight

 

[WilleyB]

Tom>
my distain for folks who roll out the slideouts, fake grass, chairs and BBQ in a WM parking lot, then try to convince me they're only staying for a few hours sleep on a cross-country trip.

As a person who uses parking lots exclusively while traveling, I couldn't agree more with that statement. While they may only over night, they do give the impression of setting up camp. We don't have slides nor would I want any (my preference). However I have seen big rigs with the slides out that in my opinion looked acceptable. In those cases the RV was parked parallel on a far perimeter of the lot with the slides extended only over the grassy area. Only one time that I saw a couple with chairs out (at our local WM) and it actually looked ridiculous. Enough incentive to ensure I'll never do the same.

Gary>
The whole Walmart camping business has taken on a life of its own, a cult-like thing.  Oddly, it encompasses those who passionately disapprove as well as those who love them, and all sorts between the extremes.

"Cult-like thing" yep right on the money. look at the number of web sites, forums dedicated to free Over night parking and dump sites, (pay and free types). I suppose what it all boils down to is the reasons that each of us has an RV.and the purpose it is used for. I've no doubt between the three of us there are three different reasons why we have and use our RV's,  no doubt I'm at the far end of one of those extremes. Due to DW's MS, the "motor home" is the one and only way we can travel away from our home. Could we afford it? not really but we get by OK.  The only thing useful a CG can supply for us is "elect, water and sewer" required maybe every 5 days. However fresh water and a dump stn. I have no problem finding on the traveled route. We travel to visit friends and relatives. When we get there we stay on their property during the visit. Next year it will be a toss up in a couple of cities we'll visit.  In one city in SK. although parking on the street is allowed, we will use the close by WM lot each night after the store closes and be gone before opening time each day probably 3 days. That's only one type and I'm sure there are many more types between us and the dyed in the wool camp ground follower  ;D

Cheers
Willis

 

[Jim Dick]

Jim.

You know this is self-deprecating humor on my part. I catch a lot of brown stuff and ridicule from folks because of my lack of desire to stay at WM, and my distain for folks who roll out the slideouts, fake grass, chairs and BBQ in a WM parking lot, then try to convince me they're only staying for a few hours sleep on a cross-country trip.

Tom,

Sorry for the delay. Major problem with computer but it's getting back to normal.

Yes, I'm aware of the brown stuff you catch. ;D There's nothing wrong with not wanting to use WalMarts. I agree with you on the folks that make it appear they are camping long term!

 

[Tom]

Glad to see you back online Jim.

 

[Ron]

Welcome back Jim.