Walmart overnight parking

[rowiebowie]

My City is famous for Police clamping down on this or that "flavor of the month" ordinance, only to abandon it very shortly for something else.

I believe it is intended to make our Police Chief look like he's really doing something, but all it does is cause confusion and usually impacts the least offending, but easy targets.

Walmarts may be experiencing this in other towns. But I also expect the week-at-a-time-camping, dump-tank-leaking, disrespectful-overnighters to ruin it for the rest of us.

[featherbedder]

Originally Posted by Boxite

Apologies to polarlyse in-advance...(not picking on you, just conveniently using your quote)....

... But I am surprised at this method of travel, I.E., planning a route with deliberate intentions of free-parking in shopping-centers. Personally, I would only consider such in an emergency, such as sleepiness, or breakdown, or other unplanned stop.... not as a deliberate plan. When we have the luxury of time to plan an intentional trip, we call ahead also... but to RV parks, State and Nat'l Parks, or other "legitimate" campgrounds which are designed for and hold themselves out as welcoming to campers.
I find the idea of deliberate use of shopping centers for pre-travel planning ...unsorry for the truth... just sorry behavior. CrackerBarrel's at least have designated parking places for RVs (although inconsiderate 4-wheelers often rudely park in them), and with that attitude I don't feel the same about taking their hospitality in (although I've not tried it.)
If Wal-Mart or other large stores with large parking-lots wanted to welcome overnighters then they should do the same... designate particular places for RV-ers. Perhaps we should as-a-group begin to solicit/lobby/encourage WM mgr's to consider that avenue of relief. Maybe Target, Costco, Sams, etc might follow suit.... but meanwhile, I'll not feel especially like hugging those that use such places as a deliberate plan of travel. (Exceptions always to retired military personnel such as polarlyse...which might actually be a great PR opportunity for WM to begin such a plan.)
Just my opinion, ...not trying to flame anyone.

I also feel the same way about staying at wal-mart, or cracker barrel or any other business, as I have never stayed at one nor plan doing so. Many posts ago I stated about this thread flogging a dead horse, enough is enough.........and about $150,000 or more rvs of all types being el cheapo. There were some that took issue when I posted this before but my feelings still same. I'm on pension at 84 yrs. old & don't have unlimited income. IMO it is leeching unless, as stated emergency

[GettinAway]

If you don’t want to park in a Walmart lot, then don’t. I was thinking this thread was for folks that don’t have a problem parking in a Walmart lot. It’s a giant asphalt parking lot, with a lot of wide open space. I pull in at bedtime, get in the AS and sleep for a few hours, and leave when the sun is coming up.
I’m not sure how speaking up about how you don’t approve of parking in a Walmart lot contributes to the thread. Oh well, rant off. Maybe when I retire I’ll have a nice leisurely trip out to where ever I’m going and stop each day at 200 miles and set up in a campsite. Not now, I have nine days to get in my vacation. I like to get where I’m going as quickly as I can.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by featherbedder

. . .
it is leeching unless, as stated emergency

But Walmart, Cracker Barrel and other similar spots do not consider it leeching at all. In fact having RV's stay for a few hours or overnight is part of their marketing "buzz" IMO. We have stayed at such spots, shopped in the store, or had one or two meals, with each stop.

Each store probably would rather that we stop there, than go to a competitor to overnight.

Also, don't discount the dynamic forces of social media posts to benefit or trash a particular brand or location. The marketing departments of every major RV-related business read these forums (generally speaking).

Maybe back in the dark ages of RV'ing [before the Internet and cell phones], "leeching" might have been an issue.

No more!

"The times they are a changin' . . . "



PS -- Ditto to GettinAway's recent post. Well said.

[InterBlog]

Walmart (most of them), Cracker Barrel, Cabela's, and maybe others specifically allow overnight parking. It is their policy (unless a specific store opts out for some reason).

To the skeptics, this is what I ask: Show me anyone who drives up to 750 miles a day, four or five days in a row, and stays in an RV park or campground.

Even if we wanted to do that, we'd get in so late that we'd wake up the rest of the park with our entry and hunting for a campsite. Then we'd wake up everyone once again by departing literally at the crack of dawn. Not to mention the gates are usually already locked by the time we pull over for the night anyway (true of public facilities). Conventional park occupancy is simply an untenable option for long-distance voyagers.

I've docked extensively, and my favorite is Cracker Barrel, because of course I get an omelette on my way out. It's faster than making my own breakfast.

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by Leilanisteve

Perhaps some bad eggs have soured WalMart by pushing the limits such as setting out awnings and chairs, grilling, opening the party deck,etc.

It's more likely that local campgrounds complained to the city management that they were losing money because of WalMart's courtesy. The city saw tax revenue potentially go down and sent the cops to roust the WalMart surfers.

Originally Posted by Boxite

If Wal-Mart or other large stores with large parking-lots wanted to welcome overnighters then they should do the same... designate particular places for RV-ers. Perhaps we should as-a-group begin to solicit/lobby/encourage WM mgr's to consider that avenue of relief. Maybe Target, Costco, Sams, etc might follow suit....

That's a great idea!

[Adventure.AS]

Originally Posted by featherbedder

I also feel the same way about staying at wal-mart, or cracker barrel or any other business, as I have never stayed at one nor plan doing so. Many posts ago I stated about this thread flogging a dead horse, enough is enough.........and about $150,000 or more rvs of all types being el cheapo. There were some that took issue when I posted this before but my feelings still same. I'm on pension at 84 yrs. old & don't have unlimited income. IMO it is leeching unless, as stated emergency

It isn’t always about the money. When traveling south in the winter from Canada there usually aren’t any campgrounds open until we are far enough south, typically day 3. TTGOYHH

[Jim Flower]

Walmart is simply meeting the need of those who have not yet reached their destination. In a lot of cases, the destination is a campground. Along the way the amenities of a campground are usually not necessary. The amenities provided by Walmart are. Groceries, bandaids, shampoo, a great big parking area, and some neighbours for safety. I thank them for choosing to provide a service to travellers. If they don’t, I find one that does and then stay at a campground when I need their services, like wifi, water, a dump, perhaps some peace and quiet. Everybody wins.

[Al and Missy]

Campgrounds advertise a service for a price. Some are $30 a night, some are over $100. Passport America gets you a 50% discount at some campgrounds; Good Sam gets you 10%. WalMart advertises that, at certain stores, you can stay in their lots for free. Am I somehow wrong if I choose the $30 site instead of the $100 site, or if I use a PA or GS discount? If not, why is it somehow an inferior choice to pick the free WalMart site for a quick overnight stop? I have never used WalMart but I did stay at a Cracker Barrel when a campground at which I reserved and paid for a site that was misrepresented as being suitable for my trailer couldn't be used and neither could the alternate they offered. We checked with the manager of the Cracker Barrel by phone and ate dinner and breakfast there before leaving. I don't feel at all guilty and would do it again. That said, there are limits to their hospitality and (unwritten) rules associated with accepting their offer. I would never spend a weekend or a week there instead of getting a site at a campground.

Al

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Adventure.AS

It isn’t always about the money. ....

The ejections are certainly not about the money. The ejections are really about the elephant in the room, the OTHER people besides boondockers who would very much like to spend the night in a Walmart parking lot: the tweekers.

If you end up at Wallyworld and there are tweekers anywhere in the parking lot, consider yourself screwed. Management is going to call the cops, and in order to put on a show of fairness, to avoid accusations of any form of discrimination, they're going to clear the ENTIRE parking lot, innocents and all.

This is what happened to us last week. My husband was preoccupied and only half-heard me female-dog-talking about the tweekers who had beat us to the place. I was hoping they'd move on of their own accord, but no. And the rest, as they say, is history.

For those of us with vans, especially with tech mounted on the roof, one of the advantages of stopping early for the night is that we tend to displace the undesirables. They see an ambiguous looking vehicle which might be an unmarked law enforcement vehicle, and they cruise on by looking for a different place to do their nasty business.

There, I said it.

[wave man]

Tweekers a problem are they?
haven't seen that mentioned before on here... unexpected...

[SteveSueMac]

What the heck is a tweeker?

[dznf0g]

Steve, you don't want to know, but when you see one, your spidey sense will say, "run away, now"

[dznf0g]

Modern day, real world zombies...sorta.

[dznf0g]

Crack heads....

[dznf0g]

Needle folks.....

[dznf0g]

Ones with serious altered states.....

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by dznf0g

Ones with serious altered states.....

....and that's all I got to say 'bout that..

[SteveSueMac]

Man. I am #sheltered [emoji50]

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by SteveSueMac

Man. I am #sheltered [emoji50]

Good for you, treasure that.