To camp or not camp at WMart ?

Some people have good luck just parking on a residential street after 8-10 PM and leaving before 7AM.

If you are overnighting, OK. Parking lots are NOT campgrounds, and people using them as such are the ones causing problems for the overnighters just needing a place to take a nap.

No camping at Walmart, just parking overnight to get a few hours sleep. We rarely spend more than 8 hours when stopping at a Walmart. Along the East Coast, unless it is a start park, most campgrounds are charging at least $40/night. Not too many State Parks are accessible at 11 - 12 at night when we are stopping. We aren't spending $40+ to get 6 hours of sleep.

-Michael

I still say when it comes to us staying overnight in a parking lot, we quit traveling in a RV.

And I don't shop at walmart so I would not stop there anyway.

Most campgrounds are locally owned, no walmarts are.

Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe's, they all have let us stay on their lots in Mexico, U.S. and Canada. There is some opposition sometimes from local campgrounds.

I say, if you have a great business, you needn't worry. People will come if you are rver friendly (don't turn away anyone), have great services, wifi and wonderful customer service not to mention great pricing.

Home Depot has great service, wonderful wifi from their parking lot, and friendly people who have never turned us away. The friendliest were in Canada.

It's not camping if your at Walmart.
Where over-nighters should go??? How about a campground?

doxiemom11 wrote:
Usually it's campgrounds in the area that object and say they are losing money that gets the City Fathers thinking about it. Walmart doesn't mind. The people to stop to park usually spend money in their stores and/or buy gas at their stations or both. The Fathers should also remember that those people go shopping in their town, go out to eat and spend money in their town.

That is what I have observed ... either the campground owners, or snooty (high end) homeowners that didn't want the walmart in the first place, not in my back yard! (but they still shop there anyway)

When I overnight at a Walmart, I almost always buy supplies at the store, even if it's just lunch meat for a sandwich tomorrow. I also walked to whatever restaurant is attached to the parking lot for dinner rather than dirty up dishes cooking.

When I'm forced to go to a campground for an overnight, I won't unhitch to go shop or to eat out. I stay put, cook something I bought someplace else, and try put as little $$ into that community as possible... I won't even buy gas in that town if I can avoid it.

However, I would never consider camping at a Walmart ... never will be a "destination", even though I might joke about it. It's a well lit overnight parking lot with easy access for large vehicles, and it's great for that purpose.

Usually it isn't a problem until either a lot of folks start using a particular walmart or they have problems from staying there.

Our local Walmart had to stop over night parking because we had a motorhome stopping on a regular basis and the owner caused problems for the store. The only way to stop him without being sued for discrimination was to ban all over night parking. Luckily,he only ruined it for one other RVer I had ever seen there because this area is not a huge RV traveling route.

Usually it's campgrounds in the area that object and say they are losing money that gets the City Fathers thinking about it. Walmart doesn't mind. The people to stop to park usually spend money in their stores and/or buy gas at their stations or both. The Fathers should also remember that those people go shopping in their town, go out to eat and spend money in their town.

the problem arises when people "camp" at a walmart. you should not "camp".
you should just park and sleep.
bumpy