Walmart and other over night stays.

I have been reading peoples post about stopping over night at WalMart and other free places and Camp Grounds. I have not traveled in a RV for many years and when I did here in California there wasn't many places to stop for the night. Many cities have passed laws banning stopping in their towns. Rest stops are closed and those that are open are full of truckers. I remember traveling up I-5 north of Sacramento pulling into 4 different rest stops and finding the RV spaces filled with 18 wheeler. Finally I pulled into a truckers space sense they were in the RV spots. The Woodall I bought was very miss leading on what you would fine. One place they rated it as average. I wouldn't let my dog stay there. The power plug in was on the ground and had been ran over many times. The rest room and showers were non-useable. Why pay to stay in a dump. The town in Kentucky (Russeville) has no RV parks near by. WalMart is the only place to stay. I haven't found out yet if the WalMart there allows over night stays. I would hate to get there and have no place to stay.

The primary reason people stay at Walmart is because it is free.

No. I'd say that many are convenience.

dieharder wrote:
The only thing you need to keep in mind when overnighting at a Wal-Mart, or anywhere else for that matter, is the lack of rules. If buddy parked beside you wakes at 4am and decides to run his generator to make his coffee, nuke some breakfast and watch whatever might be on tv at that time for a couple of hours, there is not a lick you or anyone else can do about it. To me, it's the only negative about it. I've Wal-Marted and Crocker-Barrelled fairly often.

If I plan to use a generator I come in first or stay away from others. If it's hot out I will run my generator all night to keep the A/C going. If you parked close enough for that to bother you I don't see where that would be an issue for me at all. You are exactly correct. There are NO rules OTHER than you cannot "camp". Don't put out your chairs and propane fire or put out your awnings. I still see this going on, however, but mostly at places like Casinos that invite RVers to stay. I don't get it and I never will, but some folks just can't help themselves.
As others have mentioned, I do love these ongoing, never ending Wal-Mart threads.

The only thing you need to keep in mind when overnighting at a Wal-Mart, or anywhere else for that matter, is the lack of rules. If buddy parked beside you wakes at 4am and decides to run his generator to make his coffee, nuke some breakfast and watch whatever might be on tv at that time for a couple of hours, there is not a lick you or anyone else can do about it. To me, it's the only negative about it. I've Wal-Marted and Crocker-Barrelled fairly often.

Markiemark32 wrote:

The point is, every thread asking about ways to find Walmart overnight options, (which there is actually several resources and ways to research & safely utilize this option, with many reasons why to utilize), eventually someone turns the thread into a Walmart overnight bashing and why the heck would you overnight at a Walmart.


Markiemark:C

But normally the people that back WalMark parking to the hilt are against staying at an Interstate rest stop...community park ( where allowed of course) or anywhere that does have a flat and level asphalt location.

Effy wrote:
What's wrong with campgrounds?

There is nothing wrong with campgrounds or Walmarts. When we travel crosscountry, which we frequently do, we stay at Walmarts or Flying J's because we stop at midnight and start at 6AM, and we never know where we will stop until we feel like stopping. We stay at campgrounds at our destination. To answer the OP, we actually never asked if we can park at Walmart, we just do, and are ready to leave if asked to leave. We never had a problem. We look for clues such as no overnight parking signs and other RVers or truckers in the lot. We mostly stick to Flying J's and other truck fuel stations.

Effy wrote:
What's wrong with campgrounds?

Usually a LONG way from X-Way, and if stopping for a few hrs ,late at night,the campground office is usually closed, and people dont like you coming in at 10,11 oclock, and leaving at 0600

other than that, nothing.

If it is late, next time, I'm thingki nof not going through the hassle of fining a campground and stopping at a Wall Mart, for the night. I've found when we do stop there it cost us over a hundred to a couple hundred or more by the time we leave on groceries and supplies. So why not just finish staying the night. We have everything we need on board. I do want to get proxmity alarm to put one on the car and on the sides of rv. We have an on board or what is left of it from the Delaers destruction alarm system. I've got to find someone to sort it out.

Tom N wrote:
I've been overnight parking in out of the way parking areas since 1976, long before Walmart existed. -Tom

Wal-Mart was founded in 1962! ;):D

Stopped at a Walmart once to go in an pick up a few items. It was about 8pm winter and already dark. Before we were out of our motor home a security guard on a golf card came up. He wanted to lead us to the "RV" parking area up at the side of the store where it was more level. We thanked him and told him we were just shopping and not staying the night.

In areas where campgrounds close for the season we have had success just for an overnight stop at hospitals.