Walmart parking lots

[Rocky Larson]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/188546472X...osi&th=1&psc=1

Don't leave home without it....

[TXTiger]

I only stayed in a WalMart once. People riding bikes around the parking lot at 3AM. Didn’t feel safe. Looked like drug deals going on. Also I have a 43 foot Class A with a toad and it was hard to maneuver around all the parked cars and shopping carts. Did Pilot J and Loves a lot but they do tend to be noisy. Trucks going in and out all night and refers running. I now mostly use rest stops, casinos, Cabellas or Mom and Pop truck stops which are less crowded. I use freecamping.net to find local, city and municipal parks that are free or low cost, $5 to $15 a night. I can’t justify staying in a campground for $30 to $45 a night if I am only there from early afternoon till early next morning. About every 3rd or 4th night I may get a campsite for a couple of days to rest.

[grindstone01]

I used to park overnight in Walmart lots while trucking but always slept with one eye open. I don't like to sleep that way in retirement.

Here is another site to check for free/low cost camping.
Casino Camper - RV Friendly Casino Locations

[Tom and Patty]

We use Walmarts, but also use Bass Pro Shops and Cabelas.
Use FJ, Pilot and Loves but usually ask if there is a place to park away from the truck. Most of the time we are accommodated and have a quiet night.

[timjet]

Being retired I am not on a schedule so I camp at CG's. I've never camped in a parking lot. I've found some of the nicest CG's a few miles off the interstate.
I couldn't imagine maneuvering our 40 ft rig and towing in a parking lot designed for cars.

[winniman]

Originally Posted by timjet

Being retired I am not on a schedule so I camp at CG's. I've never camped in a parking lot. I've found some of the nicest CG's a few miles off the interstate.
I couldn't imagine maneuvering our 40 ft rig and towing in a parking lot designed for cars.

Their parking lots are designed for tractor trailers to deliver all the stuff they sell. Most Walmarts are very easy in and out, that's why people with rvs use them. I cant imagine trying to stop somewhere to pick up groceries enroute, and rolling the dice just trying to enter any some unknown parking lot. At least Walmarts, you are somewhat assured that it is big rig friendly.

[Billybobtx]

I really like Flying J especially the ones with Dennys. Get a sit down late meal and the same in the morning. Although having activity 24 hours a day can be disturbing it can also be a safety issue working in your favor.

Remember: you are NOT camping. You are staying the night. I never move my slides out when staying at a Walmart, FJ or casinos. You are also on battery power. If I have to use the "can" I just flush from a handy gallon of drinking water.

Don't over think this stuff, it adds stress. Good luck and enjoy.

Bill

[aether_one]

Originally Posted by Billybobtx

I really like Flying J especially the ones with Dennys. Get a sit down late meal and the same in the morning. Although having activity 24 hours a day can be disturbing it can also be a safety issue working in your favor.

Remember: you are NOT camping. You are staying the night. I never move my slides out when staying at a Walmart, FJ or casinos. You are also on battery power. If I have to use the "can" I just flush from a handy gallon of drinking water.

Don't over think this stuff, it adds stress. Good luck and enjoy.

Bill

Why? The water pump runs on 12 VDC from the battery.

[Billybobtx]

I don't travel with water in the holding tank. Since I full time I am pretty sure I am at weight constraints as it is. I make liberal use of the "low point drain." No apologies.

The battery warning was for the OP because of this: When I was a noobie, I stopped at a casino in Shreveport, for three days. Perfect weather, the stay was great, except the ca$ino part. I think I left my bathroom blower on and when I went to leave the battery on the truck was dead. I now disconnect my electrical from truck to TT whenever I overnight for more than 8 hours.

[Isaac-1]

Having spent 5 years of my working life in a Wal-Mart store on a daily basis in the late 1990's though not as a Wal-Mart employee, I observed a lot about Wal-Mart culture.


Based on that I can say there is some bad advice given here


1, You NEVER disturb the Wal-Mart Store manager if you can help it, their time is far too valuable for these sorts of questions. Instead inquire at the service desk, maybe the service desk manager, perhaps even the next person up in the food chain, and ask the front line manager that is over the service desk. This is still a 2nd or 3rd tier manager depending on time of day and who is on shift.


2, Don't ask the switchboard operator (assuming they still have one), the switchboard is traditionally where Wal-Mart puts inept employees which are incompetent at every other task, but that they don't want to or can't fire for some reason.


3, My advice is to call ahead, ask for the customer service desk, ask for the "service desk manager" then ask them if overnight RV parking is allowed in the parking lot.


Ike


p.s. One other observation about Wal-Mart store locations, in smaller towns, those only big enough to have 1 Wal-Mart, the tendency is to locate the store in prime real estate areas, on busy roads in good parts of town. In mid size cities big enough for multiple Wal-Marts, all but 1 will be located in "the bad part of town"

[dix39]

We haven't transitioned to having internet while traveling, but plan in much the same way we did when we started in the late '70s. Walmart sells a great Rand McNally atlas that shows the location of Walmarts all across the US as well as freeway rest areas. I upgrade every few years. The price on our current one was $7.97. It was worth a lot more than that last summer when the GPS failed to take us through the construction in Birmingham. When we realized we weren't where we wanted to be I used the atlas to get us back on track.

We've always stayed in rest areas, Walmarts, truck stops, etc, and sometimes just wide spots/picnic areas along the road. We eat our own food, shower at night, cook if we want to, etc., just as we would at home. The gen runs the micro if we need it and the bats get charged the next day as we travel. When the water runs out we just dump, fill, and go on. That's what we bought the RV's we've had for.

We usually stop at Walmarts when we need groceries and just ask while we are checking out if it is all right to overnight there. We've always been told yes and verbally directed to where we should park.

We haven't had any problems so far, except loosing a shotgun and camera outfit while we were in New Orleans visiting the French Quarter in mid-afternoon. As we were returning to the camper we watched a person go through the bumper to bumper traffic with one in each hand holding them up to avoid banging them into cars. He had broken a window, unlocked the door, and walked right in, all this on a busy street in mid-afternoon.

It's good to carry jumper cables that will reach from the house batts to the chassis batts just in case. I do and have used them several times. They're also good to carry in case you see someone else who needs a jump, or need one yourself.

Steve

[foundwaldo]

I used flying j on my way to Canada and back from PA. Tried to use a rest area but was crowded and ended up parking on the entrance ramp that I was at an angle and so close to guard rail I couldn't get out the door.

[Isaac-1]

And people wonder why I hate visiting New Orleans, even though I live in Louisiana

[V3600]

Our local Walmart has had overnight RV's in the past. Today I noticed the parking lot covered with these NO OVERNIGHT RV signs. Tucson.

Sorry the picture is sideways.