Walmart Overnight Parking??

I stay at walmart a lot probably at least 20 nights a year. Also good sams, rest areas, truck stops, local airports, swap meets, race tracks, blm land, anyplace I can sleep. I spent 4 days in the municipal parking lot in Monterey, backed right up to the pacific ocean. I am in a truck camper, but I don't usually go camping. No sitting around the campfire, 40 feet from my neighbor. I live in the woods on a large secluded acreage, on a lake. We hunt and fish and have campfires here. I travel to see what's out there, (like mansion tours), to attend events related to my hobby (old cars, racing), and to escape winter. So campgrounds are an inconvenience. If I go to a beach area, and I am not allowed to camp on the beach, or park overnight in the beach parking lot, I'll get to the beach parking lot as soon as it opens in the morning, and get the closest spot to the beach, with the right side towards and area where no one else can park, so I can open the slide at least part way. Then after sunset, go to a restaurant or a movie, or occasionally a bar, then walmart or one of my other spots, then back to the beach in the morning. Same thing for many other attractions. It would not make sense for me to enter a campground at 9 or 10 every night and leave at 7 am.

fixed it. made it clickable as well.

R. Walter wrote:
Spotted this fellow parked in the Walmart parking lot in Elko, NV over the weekend.



I really like the design. Kinda old-fashioned or retro.... But I like the rear deck patio. And comes complete with a wood-burning stove.

Spotted this fellow parked in the Walmart parking lot in Elko, NV over the weekend.

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I really like the design. Kinda old-fashioned or retro.... But I like the rear deck patio. And comes complete with a wood-burning stove.

Dick_B wrote:
IMHO staying overnight in a Walmart parking lot spells `cheap'!

rockhillmanor wrote:
And even if it is not their final destination IMHO, JMHO I still see no viable reason to use a public parking lot instead of campground when RV'ing. Just saying if you can't afford to park your RV in a real CG, well then perhaps you can't afford RV'ing. Just saying.

For me, I'm not cheap and has nothing to do with a free night of parking.

Our travel schedule is such that we'll drive until it's late. Would you prefer that I pull into the campground at 10pm, 11pm, 12am, or even later? I think I've pulled off of the road and into a Walmart at 1:30am before. How'd you like me pulling up beside you? Try as I might, my family of 4 is going to make some noise getting parked and settled.

--

As for my kids, they wouldn't meet other kids if we were pushing through. Heck, the primary outside that they would see would be walking from the truck to do the door in the dark and back again in the morning. There's plenty of time for socializing once we're at our destination.

rockhillmanor wrote:

dewey02 wrote:

rockhillmanor wrote:


Why would anyone take their kids RV'ing and then stay in a Walmart parking lot instead of a CG? Where they could meet other camping kids instead of the indigents that come out at night in a public parking lot.

This above is just a silly comment.
Do you really think anyone plans a camping trip with their kids and plans to camp at Walmart as their ultimate/final destination....

Yup! Just read some of these walmart threads many DO make a Walmart parking lot their 'destination' to stay EVERY night while on the road. :(

And even if it is not their final destination IMHO, JMHO I still see no viable reason to use a public parking lot instead of campground when RV'ing. Just saying if you can't afford to park your RV in a real CG, well then perhaps you can't afford RV'ing. Just saying.

We'll have to agree to disagree.
I don't understand your logic at all.
If I am looking for a place to just overnight (not camp, not have a fire, just to sleep), I don't want to go miles out of my way to find a campground, have to back into a slot and then leave early in the morning without using any of the campground facilities. Why would I want to do that?
It really isn't so much about the money (although that does factor in), it is about the convenience for me. All I want is a place to park and sleep. Walmart is convenient for that.

And please don't try to tell me about what I can afford or not.
It isn't about being able to afford it, it is about choosing what I want to spend my money on.

dewey02 wrote:

rockhillmanor wrote:


Why would anyone take their kids RV'ing and then stay in a Walmart parking lot instead of a CG? Where they could meet other camping kids instead of the indigents that come out at night in a public parking lot.

This above is just a silly comment.
Do you really think anyone plans a camping trip with their kids and plans to camp at Walmart as their ultimate/final destination....

Yup! Just read some of these walmart threads many DO make a Walmart parking lot their 'destination' to stay EVERY night while on the road. :(

And even if it is not their final destination IMHO, JMHO I still see no viable reason to use a public parking lot instead of campground when RV'ing. Just saying if you can't afford to park your RV in a real CG, well then perhaps you can't afford RV'ing. Just saying.

Been snowbirding in Florida for 3 months.

In two weeks I'll be driving 1300 miles, with camper, to get home.

I have done my share of "meeting other camper kids". My focus is to get safely HOME.

DRIVE - SLEEP - SHOP - DRIVE - ETC.

PS - there are very few campgrounds open in March in the northern states.

rockhillmanor wrote:


Why would anyone take their kids RV'ing and then stay in a Walmart parking lot instead of a CG? Where they could meet other camping kids instead of the indigents that come out at night in a public parking lot.

maybe because a lot of us are not traveling with kids and are not stopping over night to socialize with anyone.:S

FYI. Another great overnight spot is Cabela's. The two we stayed at had true RV parking with dump station.

I guess I look at it like since Walmart allows it and I plan on buying supplies from them anyway, it works out for both of us.

Dean