Not welcome at Walmart

[Kiwi]

When a family member had a medical problem, we followed them to the hospital at Idaho Falls. We pulled in the regular parking lot and tried to stay out of the way toward the back.

About 11:00pm a security guard knocked on the door, "Sorry to disturb you sir, but I just wanted to let you know that the hospital provides full hookups on the other side of the hospital at no charge. You are welcome to stay here tonight, but I am sure you will want to move over there in the morning. Have a good night."

Now, that is first class customer service!

Kiwi

[Dick & Pat]

Never had a problem with staying at a W-M

cuz we've never done it, and don't plan to

[GG1]

A lot of rv owners abuse the privledge and ruin it for rvers who are just looking for a quick overnight stop and then move on. I have seen slides out, awnings out, grills out with rugs, dogs tied up to the outside of the rig giving the parking lot the look of an old fashoned "trailer camp". I have even seen one guy doing body work on his rv, a week later he was still in the lot and his motorhome was re painted. That takes big you no what. A few days later there were signs up prohibiting overnight parking in the lot. Personally I get a kick out of seeing two to threehundred thousand dollar coaches staying in Walmarts there is something wrong with that picture.

[read & learn]

We all look to save a buck every now and than, but a couple of nights ago in a parking lot just outside the CG I was staying at was 2 MH parked with jacks down for 3 days. The sign for the CG was painted on a 53 foot trailer 100 yards from where they were parked.
It's not only Walmart, but all the places that we dry camp at overnight and the way we do it that upsets the CG owners and the local residents.
Did you know that if you asked to park at a lot of places they will tell you where to park on their property that is out of the way and safe.
We have seen a couple of parking lots with low overhead bars so nothing over 7 feet could get under with signs stating NO OVERNIGHT RV PARKING. Talked to a few neighbors at one place and they said worse thing the town ever did as now the trucks have to drive into the back of the stores on residential streets. This was from CG owners complaints which was just down the street.

[2Divers]

Originally Posted by KC1BUD

The local ordinances aren't meant to keep you from shopping at Walmart, but rather, camping. Easy for law enforcement to tell when they see the jacks down and the slides out.

I have yet to see any store that erected barriers to keep people with RVs out. I don't easily maneuver in these parking lots with 34 ft Mh and a 20 ft horse trailer, but never seen one that would keep me out.

One time I did pull into a gas station that asked me to move my rig to another pump so I did, of course, the pump was at another station.

I have no dog in this fight BUT, I have seen the barriers before. I believe the store at I-10 in Lousianna exit 64 Jennings has the barriers.

happy traveling

Bill

[Always-RVing]

The community where I used to live fought a local city ordinance to ban RV parking at Wal*Mart. The community and Wal*Mart won!!! Yeah!!!

[WilleyB]

Originally Posted by Dick & Pat

Never had a problem with staying at a W-M

cuz we've never done it, and don't plan to

On the other hand I have no problem with staying in campgrounds, cuz I don't and don't plan to anytime in the future

Seriously! in regard to WM parking lots being posted, keep in mind that the Wal Mart store may not own or control the regulations regarding parking.
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In these cases I just park overnight anyway, haven't had to move yet. As it says PRIVATE PROPERTY and quotes an local ordinance as the reason. These are rarely enforced as it requires the property owner to file a complaint.

Second case, as noted previously it may be posted because of a local ordinance, in this case ASK, you may be surprised at the answer.
Case in point:
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Much the same as above only WM owns this lot and is forced by the city to put up a sign (this was the only one)
I had no intentions of staying as the day was still young and the highway was beckoning but I asked anyway. The store Mgr. said the by-law required him to erect a sign and to file a complaint if there was a violation. He assured me he had no intentions of doing that so we could park overnight if we wanted to.
Also keep in mind that Police will not act on these signs unless they have been specifically authorized to do so, because these infractions are dealt with by municipal appointed inspectors (properties acts) and are NOT under the criminal code, refusing to leave when asked is.

Cheers
Willis

[Always-RVing]

Freedom definition is having a right of choice or a right to choose. Lack of freedom then is taking away the right to choose.

There are those who desire to remove your choice and thereby take away your freedom.

[mythplaced]

Originally Posted by KC1BUD

.........
I have yet to see any store that erected barriers to keep people with RVs out. .....

Wal mart, I40 Oklahoma City OK

[mythplaced]

Originally Posted by GG1

........Personally I get a kick out of seeing two to threehundred thousand dollar coaches staying in Walmarts there is something wrong with that picture.

When I just am "passing through" and need to grab 40 winks before hitting the road again, WM is a "perfect location for an overnighter..

I always buy something before bed and tell the MOD that I am there.

[Dick & Pat]

Originally Posted by WilleyB

On the other hand I have no problem with staying in campgrounds, cuz I don't and don't plan to anytime in the future

Willis

Ineresting concept, Willis!! To each their own...that's what makes the US & CA such great countries to live in....freedom of choice

[chasfm11]

Originally Posted by Bill Adams

Often the rules are pushed by local campground owners as well who don't want to lose the income despite the fact that I only want to come in after 5 and leave by 9 without using any of their facilities. If a campground owner would just offer a discounted late in - early out option I would likely quit going to Wal-Mart at all.
Even in areas where Wal-Mart "used" to allow RVer's many of these stores get complaints due to the owners "camping" there. Awnings out, cooking on the grill, slide-outs, sitting outside in their chairs getting a bit of sun, etc. Wal-Mart is not a campground and the RVers abuse of this privilege is going to ruin this overnighting option (not a weekend stay) for everyone else.

We have never overnighted at Wal-Mart but we have used other places. My favorite is small motels that cater to truckers. Many of them will let you stay overnight with no problem.


Overall, I'd make a couple of comments:
- on another, high volume RV forum, the call has gone out repeatedly for pictures of the "offenders" who camp at Wal-Mart. To date, I've never seen a single picture. There is one particular CG owner/manager there who hates the concept of Wal-Mart parking and would definitely post a picture like that if she could get one. That leads me to that the suspicion that such a practice of awnings out, etc. happens very seldom. I suspect that more often, the offenders at Wal-Mart lots are full-timers who have been forced to live in their RVs (as opposed to full-timers who made that choice.) living in the lots for many days/weeks at a time.
- The ARVC has had a campaign to get local campground owners to lobby their local governments to ban Wal-Mart parking for years. It used to be posted on their website. As a result, we use ARVC registered campgrounds as an absolute last resort. If more RVers would do the same, the lobbying for the bans would dry up pretty quickly. IMHO, when a business owner has to resort to lobbying local government to shut down the competition, there is something wrong with their business model.
- By the time that we are looking for a place to stay late at night, most campground owners don't want us. First, there is the logistics of trying to find an empty place to put the RV, never mind negotiating often tree limb filled lanes in the dark. Others campers are not thrilled with our arrival around midnight and departure around 5:30am. I agree that a CG owner wanting that kind of trade should offer easy to pull in areas close to the office and not try to force me into a regular site. It is just so much easier to pull into a wide open lot and park where the diesel engine isn't going to bother anyone, coming or going. Normally, we plan ahead while traveling and have already called for a site for the night by 2pm, pulling in around 3-4pm. The best laid plans, however, don't always work out. I hate the idea of someone limited my options under those conditions.

Like many other topics, this one seems to elicit passionate opinions from many sides.

[dajudge]

I think the privilege of parking overnight on a walmart lot is being discontinued because of people camping on the lot, jacks down, slides out, awnings open etc., etd.,. This is why we are not being welcomed with open arms any more. Throw in the occasional idiot that leaves trash on the lot or dumps his sewer tank, and this shows why the cities are passing ordinances against this. Just staying a few hours is all right, but, people wake up and smell the roses.

[WilleyB]

Originally Posted by Dick & Pat

Ineresting concept, Willis!! To each their own...that's what makes the US & CA such great countries to live in....freedom of choice

glad you see it that way. Actually there is one campground I've been meaning to visit, no charge (donation is appreciated), no amenities as hook ups or pads. But the fishing is great, the trails are beautiful. Just for us old people and handicapped. Lansdowne Outdoor Recreational Development Association -Home-
I used to work with Dave, and when I was on Town Council I got a grant $$ for the park. Every year I've been invited to come and stay for awhile. I wonder if that would count as a campground stay and ruin my record

Originally Posted by chasfm11

the call has gone out repeatedly for pictures of the "offenders" who camp at Wal-Mart.

Well I didn't know I was offending anyone, as I asked and received permission to stay overnight. Now that seems to be between myself and the store and I fail to see where it is any one else's affair or who and why they might be offended by it. But anyway!

I'm sorry , but this is the best I can do, no jacks, no slides and no awning can't expect one who parks overnight at WM to have all the bells and whistles eh! now to call this camping one really has to stretch the meaning of the word to it's full extent. But now that brings another thing to mind. This year on my travels, while overnighting at the WM's I noticed folks sleeping overnight in cars and also mini vans. And they didn't use the lot to dump their personal tanks either, I know this to be a fact by the way they made a bee line for the store when it opened was a sight to behold. So if I was camping so they must have been camping too

As for that dumping the tanks thingy, there are lots of free dump sites just about anywhere I've traveled. I do prefer the ones where you pay $5 or $10 because they have flushing water and potable water facilities so it's well worth it.

Cheers
Willis