Boondocking at Walmart

[wingnut60]

Personally, have NEVER seen/heard a sweeper in any of the WMs we have stopped, and now seem to see less of the security vehicles.
There can be the odd noise that bothers a light sleeper--my wife wakes me up once in a while to have me check if the truck is still under the trailer...
Fully air-conditioned restroom is nice, and some even have hot donuts/pastries.

aauummm,
That is how we try to spot our truck/fiver. That grass is oh, so nice for the dogs, and we are sure to pick up after them.

Joe

[Superslif]

But, seeing as we are a bunch of Wallydockers here... How many of you who've stayed at a Walmart feel the parking lot sweeper truck does laps around/drives close to your RV for fun... at let's say... at 3:00am ???

Yup happened this morning to us in Billings. But it was closer to sunrise. First I woke and thought a plane was land next to my rig. Kind of laid in bed 30 more minutes and then got up. I guess it's apart of their job.

[Lovin2Camp]

Hey Newmarpusher
I just love
>>>BOONDOCKING<<<
At Walmart also!👍


Sent from my iPhone using iRV2 - RV Forum

[lonfu]

If you are going to Glamdock at wallymart I think it is just plain bad manners to put out you slides. If you are going to put out your slides then you might as well pitch a tent. It is a parking lot, not a camping lot! Gee, I'm so sorry that you got woke up by the parking lot cleaner in your 100k DP pusher. What do you expect when parking for free?

I've been staying in Walmart parking lots since the 1980's. I've seen a number of high tourist destination area's like Northern California Wine country make laws that prevent any Glamdocking at Walmart illegal. They will leave you a $100 ticket on your windshield. Sad, but true. When I pulled into the lot at Windsor California, I use to live nearby, the place looked like an used RV sales lot. Cops came, wrote tickets and cleared the place out while we were shopping, it was like 3 in the afternoon. Another time when I was working nights, I would drive my moho to work so I would stop off at Walmart in Rohnert Park California to do my grocery shopping on the way home. Came out to a warning ticket on my windshield. So, it is called a crap shoot, you take your chances

I've stayed at least a thousand Walmart's all over this country and Canada and never had a problem except for that warning ticket in Norcal when I wasn't even sleeping there. But.......I go in late, and leave early, don't put anything outside and park out of the way of the night semitruck delivery loading docks.

I did see some fool that blocked one of their loading docks at a supercenter. It was late but I decided to stay anyways. Idiot's wouldn't answer the door. Cops came arrested them, rousted everyone else in the lot. Towed off their rig. This was many years ago at one of the first supercenters that I'd ever seen, at a inner city WM back east.

When folks are Glamdocking at Walmart some times they forget that it is a privilege rather than a right.

At our local Walmart here in Kingman Az, we have a nightly regular that is trying to live in the lot. I've seen this trashy old rig every time I go there. I know it is just a matter of time before he gets towed as there are "no overnight parking" signs on all the posts. I usually see 7 to 15 rigs in the lot every night.

So, don't put out your slides and you will be parking. Put them out and you are Glamdocking and could be ticketed. Seems like common sense to me!

[cwsqbm]

Originally Posted by lonfu

If you are going to Glamdock at wallymart I think it is just plain bad manners to put out you slides.

Besides slides, what about traffic cones and a satellite dish? Saw this setup recently.



I also got woken up by a sweeper cleaning the parking lot at 5 A.M. Might be the first one I've seen. Fortunately, since I don't have slides, cones, or a satellite dish, I was gone in under a minute to get out his way. No need to abuse the privilege.

[baraff]

We've been woken up at 2am at Cracker Barrel by contractors power washing the dumpster area. Once we knew what all the noise was we got back to sleep.
Nice to know they keep it clean!

[twinboat]

I often put my tripod dish out between the MH and toad, before I got my roof mounted dome.

I also worry about someone parking in the spots directly in front of us, since we can't backup to leave in the morning.

I don't have jacks but do occasionally use blocks under a tire or 2 to level up a bit.

I have heard the sweepers and learned to not park downhill of shopping carts on a windy night.

[wolfcreek]

haven't done that many nights at Walmart, but I can certainly agree the lower a profile we make of ourselves the better. I can see where some are taking advantage of the short overnight stay and actually setting up stakes. Oh well, I just hope Wally doesn't put an end to this nice little nap area because of some that take advantage of it by pushing the envelope...JMHO

[Gordon Dewald]

Interesting comments about putting out slide or not while overnighting/boondocking at a Walmart.

If parked at the edge or sideways in the delineated parking spots well away from the store what difference does putting out slides or not make?

The proof of the pudding is if you are still there at 2 pm the next day. If you leave before 10 in the morning to continue your journey what possible reason to leave the slides in. Perhaps parking 3 abreast instead of two?

We always go in to talk to the manager or designate prior to stopping and have never been given any restrictions except do not park in front of the store doors. Wonder what fool initiated the store having to tell RV'ers something as common sense as that?

[cwsqbm]

Originally Posted by Gordon Dewald

Interesting comments about putting out slide or not while overnighting/boondocking at a Walmart.

If parked at the edge or sideways in the delineated parking spots well away from the store what difference does putting out slides or not make?

I agree. If you're long enough that you have to park parallel to the aisles, putting out the slides isn't going to take any additional space. That's assuming you park in the middle of the space. In one really crowded parking lot, one guy with a 5th wheel had parked parallel to the aisles and right down the line separating spots, taking up twice as much space as he needed, even with all five slides out. I guess he didn't want a truck idling next to him.

[Don and Dale]

Well...

[newmarpusher]

Originally Posted by Gordon Dewald

Interesting comments about putting out slide or not while overnighting/boondocking at a Walmart.

If parked at the edge or sideways in the delineated parking spots well away from the store what difference does putting out slides or not make?

The proof of the pudding is if you are still there at 2 pm the next day. If you leave before 10 in the morning to continue your journey what possible reason to leave the slides in. Perhaps parking 3 abreast instead of two?

We always go in to talk to the manager or designate prior to stopping and have never been given any restrictions except do not park in front of the store doors. Wonder what fool initiated the store having to tell RV'ers something as common sense as that?

I completely agree.

We always put at least one slide out when BOON/GLAM/DRY/WALLYDOCKING at Walmart. It takes no more space than if we didn't put the slide out. I always park along a curb and put the two curb side slides out. If we didn't, our coach is quite cramped and the we'd have to climb over the bed to get to the bath. I also couldn't get my clean underwear and socks out of my dresser in the morning.

We never put jacks or awnings out. Why would you if you're only staying for the intended purpose of overnight?

I ALWAYS call the store right before we arrive and ask if overnighting is allowed. If allowed, the store has always directed me as to the area they wish RV's to park. They could care less if you put a slide out or not.

BTW: My curb side slides protrude out less than my front door does. If someone wanted to park that close to me, I couldn't get out.

[Reed Cundiff]

Boondocking is trying to sleep under a poncho in the rain sitting on muddy ground: doesn't matter if it is in the Army, Marines, Boy/Girl Scouts, backpacking. OK, a poncho if you are lucky. Anything beyond that is semantics.

Those days are gone forever, we hope.

Reed and Elaine

[sam-3]

"GullMart" You have the gull to park at Walmart for free. Only did this once and hardly slept. I end up shopping at Walmart at least two to three times a week. This is a nice thing for Walmart to do.