Walmart overnight parking

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but never one endorsed by Walmart Corporation or even a single store.
Yep. The BS I often hear is to buy some stuff at the Wal*Mart.

IMO, nobody notices or cares if we do or not.

However, I rarely pass a Wal*Mart without buying a few things when I am RVing. And if I do stay at one overnight, there is no doubt I will go in and buy a few things. But not because I believe anybody cares.

-Don- Auburn, CA
 
Maybe its ok and maybe it aint but if i dont ask im afraid my mother will come down and smack me on the back of my head for forgetting my manners 🤣
Yeah, I am kinda saying the same. If it makes you feel better, ask. But I feel better by NOT asking and bothering working people who have better things to do.

-Don- Auburn, CA
 
We stayed at Walmarts. Never asked. If there were no other RV’s there we just moved on. We normally pulled in around 2300-midnight, had a bite to eat and couple glasses of wine and pulled out about 0600.
 
We once pulled into a Walmart about 5;00 and saw signs on every pole NO OVERNIGHT PARKING so we thought we would go in and pick up a few things we, saw a cart boy picking up carts so i asked if we could park and told him about the signs, he by morning you will see about 6 RVs and about 6 18 wheelers so we parked with no problem.
 
Back in the day I used to go inside and ask, even though I had guides reporting that location did allow RV parking. After the 4th or 5th time getting blank stares from a Customer Service rep or hearing them call out "Hey Fred, this guy wants to know if we let RVs park", I decided I was wasting my time and theirs. But if I didn't know the status I would certainly ask, if only to avoid the hassle of being told to move at 11 pm!

I once had a private cop knock on my door at around 6:30 pm and say we were welcome to stay at that Walmart, but he recommended we move to another Walmart across town where it was "more quiet and safer". He said this neighborhood was pretty rough after dark. We moved.
 
I once had a private cop knock on my door at around 6:30 pm and say we were welcome to stay
Tom & I were boondocked out in the desert not far from Las Vegas. Down a dirt road a ways. Just before dark, a cop knocked. We then realized we could be seen from the freeway.

The cop didn't exactly ask us to leave, but he mentioned they had been finding bodies dumped out in that area from murders in Las Vegas.

We decided to leave that area. But that was many years ago, I can't now remember where we went from there.

-Don- Auburn, CA
 
Back in the day I used to go inside and ask, even though I had guides reporting that location did allow RV parking. After the 4th or 5th time getting blank stares from a Customer Service rep or hearing them call out "Hey Fred, this guy wants to know if we let RVs park", I decided I was wasting my time and theirs. But if I didn't know the status I would certainly ask, if only to avoid the hassle of being told to move at 11 pm!

I once had a private cop knock on my door at around 6:30 pm and say we were welcome to stay at that Walmart, but he recommended we move to another Walmart across town where it was "more quiet and safer". He said this neighborhood was pretty rough after dark. We moved.
Good point Gary, it's difficult to imagine how harried those customer service reps are, especially in Sam's Clubs, where it's defcon 1 code red from an hour after to opening to closing. Both Walmart and Sam's Clubs build zero redundancy into their staffing, meaning workers there are often up against unachievable expectations. If there's no sign, park it out on the perimeter, no one cares.
 
I am now Boondocked at the Wally*Mart in Wasco, CA (Hwy 46 near Hwy 99). I would feel like a jerk if I bothered anybody here to ask. They look understaffed --at least at night.

On the way down here it was quite hot (still very warm here at night) and my cab A/C wasn't working as well as it should. In the Wal*Mart here, they have the R-134a, but all locked up. I couldn't find anybody to unlock the glass cabinet--all the workers were very busy at the other end of the store. Nobody in the auto section. So I didn't buy it as I wasn't going to wait around all night.

But I still managed to spend $150.00 in there for this trip, just for food & drinks. I started out with almost nothing since I could not turn on the fridge until I left (not level at my house in Auburn).


-Don- Wasco, CA
 
That's not a policy pal it's corporate cya, I worked there, trust me, the last thing the mgr. wants is to be called to the service desk to tell some graying dude in bermuda shorts, white socks and sandals, he can park his rv there overnight. If there's no sign park it and I promise nobody there will give a s*** one way or the other.
This 100% is more bothersome to them than the RV parked over in the corner that will be gone by 9am. Most of the apps (RV parky, iOverlander) are up to date with reviews on which walmarts allow it and which do not. No need to go in and bother a manager.
 
I am now Boondocked at the Wally*Mart in Wasco, CA (Hwy 46 near Hwy 99).
We've driven past this Walmart a few times, crossing over from the 5 to get to hwy 58 and have wondered about using this location for an overnight. Information on RV Parky says no, like every other Walmart in the San Joaquin Valley, so we just kept going.
 
We've driven past this Walmart a few times, crossing over from the 5 to get to hwy 58 and have wondered about using this location for an overnight. Information on RV Parky says no, like every other Walmart in the San Joaquin Valley, so we just kept going.
Then RV Parky is incorrect. Here it says yes to Wasco. And several other RVs were staying overnight there both times I stayed there.

I just read the reviews on RV Parky and found this:

“We WERE Allowed to overnight here - 06-Jan-2023

We checked with the Customer Service desk, allowed one night in an outer parking area, next to one of the entrance/exit streets. We noticed semi trucks parked on that street, but not in Wal-Mart's lot.
Our area was not quite level side-to-side, and quite sloped front to back. Price was right, though ! Wasco is a small agricultural city, a decent collection of fuel stations, a few accessible with larger rigs."


Don- Cinder Hills, Coconino Forest, AZ
 
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I'm heading down the highway, looking to stop within the next hour or so. My DW will start checking out Walmarts close by, usually first on RVParky, then Google. Once we identify a store within the distance I'll want to continue driving she'll call the store, regardless if Parky or other Apps say no overnights, and ask permission. My wife will also get the name of the person she talked to, and ask where in the lot should we park.

This worked out great for us a couple of years ago as we approached very tony Park City, UT, ski capital for Hollywood elites. Very small lot plastered with No Overnight Parking signs, but again permission was granted and we had a very comfortable overnight stay. A bonus was the Mexican restaurant across the street "Local Lizard" that had some, if not the best Mexican made-to-order food we've found.
 
but again permission was granted and we had a very comfortable overnight stay.
Permission from Wal*Mart may not be what is required where they have the "no overnight parking" signs. Cops can enforce the local laws on private property that is for public use. Wal*Mart would probably always allow overnight parking, but it is not up to them where the law says otherwise.

-Don- Tucson, AZ
 
Permission from Wal*Mart may not be what is required where they have the "no overnight parking" signs. Cops can enforce the local laws on private property that is for public use. Wal*Mart would probably always allow overnight parking, but it is not up to them where the law says otherwise.

-Don- Tucson, AZ
But the local store manager should know
 
But the local store manager should know
Perhaps should, but could not care less if the cops knock on your door at 0300 hrs. Wal*Mart is not the cops and the cops can enforce the local laws on WallyMart property.

But of course, this doesn't mean they will. Just if they have nothing better to do at 0300 hrs . . .

-Don- Tucson, AZ
 
Perhaps should, but could not care less if the cops knock on your door at 0300 hrs. Wal*Mart is not the cops and the cops can enforce the local laws on WallyMart property.

But of course, this doesn't mean they will. Just if they have nothing better to do at 0300 hrs . . .

-Don- Tucson, AZ
Yep. How things should work and how they really do are rarely the same
 

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