Community Forums

rshackleford · 01-19-2016, 10:11 AM

Im planning on arriving at a WalMart that is listed as an ask permission store. Im going to arrive after the store has closed for the night. Is it typical to just call in advance and ask for the store manager to get permission to stay in advance?

Steve Ownby · 01-19-2016, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rshackleford

Im planning on arriving at a WalMart that is listed as an ask permission store. Im going to arrive after the store has closed for the night. Is it typical to just call in advance and ask for the store manager to get permission to stay in advance?

I always call in advance. I typically ask the customer service person that answers and they always know. In my opinion, the mgr is very busy & would rather not be bothered. Since this is not a 24 hour location, it might be necessary to talk to a mgr.

kalynzoo · 01-19-2016, 10:27 AM

Just make sure you look for signage in the shopping center. Some towns have regulations prohibiting over night parking. True in many Calif towns and Henderson, NV.

jergeod · 01-19-2016, 10:17 PM

Put the RVparky app in your phone and it tells if it is and overnight parking store or not and gives you the phone number if you click on it. I have also called days in advance with no problems.

Old-Biscuit · 01-19-2016, 10:37 PM

YEP.......if it states ask for permission then you would need to call prior to closing and ask.

Course showing up after closing and leaving prior to opening who would know.
It's not as if they hand out permission slips

halfwright · 01-19-2016, 10:43 PM

Sometimes it is easier to get forgiveness instead of permission.

jimbo2013 · 01-20-2016, 04:13 AM

first clue, no other RV's

If there's no sign or no other rv's, just park

I think you're worrying too much, I never called

Dr4Film · 01-20-2016, 04:42 AM

I have never purposely gone inside or called to ask permission to stay at any Walmart. However there have been times where there have not been any posted signs or trucks/RV's in the parking lot BUT my app states that it may be possible to park overnight so in those cases I go in to verify whether it is or isn't. In some cases I've been told that it is NOT and other times they say that one night is OK.

I recently stayed at the Walmart in Gadsden Alabama where there were many signs posted prohibiting overnight parking. However, there must have been 10-15 trucks scattered all over the parking lot but no RV's. We stayed the night without any problems and left for a 7 am appointment to have trailer tires installed. Even the WONP app stated information about the signs but obviously the local LEO's do not enforce the reg's.

If you ever get to the Walmart in Whitehorse Yukon you will see Full-Timers living there. I have been there about three different times and there are always 20-25 RV's in the parking lot spread out all over.

Dr4Film ----- Richard

twinboat · 01-20-2016, 04:45 AM

I usually check 2 apps on the phone for Wal-Mart parking. I have never called.

If they both say OK, I pull in and find a spot along the perimeter of the lot in the white lined area.

I park with the generator exhaust pointed away from others.

Great thing about Wal-Mart is most of them are stand alone store. No bar, club or resturant patrons, staggering around at all hours.

Superslif · 01-20-2016, 07:04 AM

Quote:

first clue, no other RV's

If there's no sign or no other rv's, just park

I think you're worrying too much, I never called

Agreed

I'll just play stupid...The few times we Wally-docked we arrived well after midnight and left at first light. (Ohio, PA, KY. locations) never had a problem.

Nana25K · 01-20-2016, 03:48 PM

We always ask. I particularly want to know where they want us to park. We have experienced more frequent request by stores to park in specific areas and we have seen RVs being moved to those areas after they have obviously settled in. While " asking for forgiveness" might sound OK to some, we have no desire to have a late night knock telling us to moive on..

dutchstr3884 · 01-20-2016, 04:21 PM

We've stayed at about 6 Walmarts and always asked, even if other RV's were there. If Walmart is nice enough to let RV'ers stay then I think we should be nice enough to check in with them. Just my 2 cents.

**NLOVNIT** · 01-20-2016, 06:31 PM

I call & ask permission especially since it's an ask permission location.

Lori-

fisher99 · 01-20-2016, 06:33 PM

We stayed at a couple of Walmarts for the first time on a trip last fall. One in Idaho and one in Montana. Both had RV's in the parking lot when we arrived and both had city signs posted that overnight stays were not allowed. In both cases I went inside to the customer service desk and asked what was going on, and in both cases I was told that the city posted the signs to give Walmart leverage to handle RV'ers who set up camp and stayed multiple nights. I felt nervous parking there with the signs, but since many others were doing so, and since the store manager gave approval, we stayed.

I had also heard and read that if you stay at a Walmart you do not open your slides, you do not run your generator, you do not put your stabilizer jacks down, and you do not unhook and drive off in your TV. In both Walmarts we stayed at there were RV'ers doing all of the above. At the Walmart in Montana we wanted to eat at a restaurant that had been recommended to us so I went back inside again and asked whether it would be ok for me to unhook for that purpose. The customer service rep looked at me like I was crazy and said "why wouldn't you be able to do that?". He then went on to explain that (at least at this particular Walmart) they didn't care about any of the things that I mentioned above, as long as RV'ers were courteous and parked in the "out of the way" areas of the parking lot, rather than taking up prime shopper space.

I'll still go in and ask when we stay at a Walmart, but I'm now less worried about some of the little stuff. In particular, opening my slide, since I can't get from the living room to the bedroom without the slide being open. But I will always try to park on the edge of the lot with the slide facing out if possible. But it also still worries me a bit about having city signs posted for no overnight stays, even if the Walmart manager says that it's ok. I wouldn't relish having a cop banging on my door at 2:00 AM asking me to leave...