Is it okay to drop my tip out beds at rest stops or Walmart?

[09KZMXT266]

I'll be traveling to Florida from MO soon. I figure I'll have to stop for one night at a rest stop or Walmart. The beds in my toy hauler are queen tip-outs one on each side of the rig. I've never overnighted before except in campgrounds, so not sure of the proper etiquette. I would leave the bike inside and drop one of the queen tip-outs to sleep on. Just not sure if that is okay to do or not? Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated.

[noplace2]

Y'all didn't get that this was a joke,. eh?

[2oldman]

rjxj wrote:
I dont stay at Walmart often but I have never seen what I consider RV'ers to be setting up camp.

I have rarely seen it, and that's the way I'd like it to stay.

[FunnyCamper]

right on rjxj

rockhillmanor, most DO NOT SET UP CAMP.
in all the times I used walmart and other lots I have never seen anyone set up. with chairs/table/awning out, BBQ comes out. and any other thing outside. come on. how many have you actually seen with your own eyes? I bet you can count on 1 hand the number of people who have seen this. not talking one chair if someone is in a popup, I am talking a camp set up. do not blame changes in policy on the rv'ers themselves. I don't believe this thinking at all.

[azrving]

I dont stay at Walmart often but I have never seen what I consider RV'ers to be setting up camp. I think what I would just call normal RV people are not the problem and not the reason any of them close to overnighting. It's not the slides or someone running a generator that you cant even hear with traffic all around, it's the dirt bags who make it home. It's fine for the op to open his tip out over the lawn just like a slide. It's probably fine for someone to come in at night and use their pop up then get up early and leave but dont set up chairs and grills and hang out. It doesn't matter if a pop up has it's wings out and not even touch the pavement when next to him is a 40 foot MH with twice the footprint. Just dont put out the awning or chairs or grills. It's get in, sleep and get out. Well, maybe dump your black tank in the ditch on the way out, just be quick about it. 😉

[rockhillmanor]

Every day another Walmart puts up a sign "NO overnight parking".

Why?

Because a few choose to RUIN it for everyone else who use what was a courtesy on the behalf of Walmart to offer parking for what was for an RV in case of an emergency or becoming tired while driving at night.

So every time you see these RV's parked and all set up as "IF" they are at a CG that make a Walmart their destination stay......thank them for having yet another Walmart close their lots to responsible people.

When enough locals start complaining about people camping in their Walmart parking lots where they shop with their families, is when the OWNERS of the Walmart, not the managers will close the lots to RV overnight parking. It's that simple and is happening to more and more of them closing their lots.

THAT is why there is so much disdain to new Rv'ers that think they should be able to make a Walmart parking their 'destination' camp ground. If you have money for an RV you should have money to go to a safe CG with your family or perhaps change your hobby.

I am an RV'er and I do not want to see people 'setting up camp' in my local Walmart parking lot. Most parking lots today already have enough unscrupulous people lurking around, don't need them able to be living there too.:(

[Thom02099]

Regardless of the discussion of to slide out/not to slide out, keep in mind one thing; there are cities where it is illegal to park/stay overnight at all. In this area of northern Colorado, some cities prohibit any overnight parking and the local police departments do enforce that. In others, it's not an issue. The same holds true for other areas of the country.

Besides checking in with the store manager, it would probably be a good idea to ask him/her if it's prohibited by municipal ordinance and if the manager doesn't know, a call to the local police department will give an answer to that question. It could be a matter of, do you want to be awakened in the middle of the night and told to move, or not?

[2oldman]

Shot-N-Az wrote:
Is there any evidence that continued use of walmarts' lots is at risk? Is keeping one's slides retracted considered good manners? Says who?

Yeah.. have a nice day.

[Shot-N-Az]

2oldman wrote:

Shot-N-Az wrote:

wbwood wrote:
While 99% of people know that people are sleeping in an RV overnight if sitting in a Walmart parking lot, try to make it inconspicuous as possible.

Why?

So that, by using a bit of common sense and good manners, we can continue to use Walmarts when we need to.

Is there any evidence that continued use of walmarts' lots is at risk?

Is keeping one's slides retracted considered good manners? Says who?

Bear with me. It's winter, it's cold, and I'm bored.

[2oldman]

Shot-N-Az wrote:

wbwood wrote:
While 99% of people know that people are sleeping in an RV overnight if sitting in a Walmart parking lot, try to make it inconspicuous as possible.

Why?

So that, by using a bit of common sense and good manners, we can continue to use Walmarts when we need to.

[DSDP_Don]

Not everyone on here is retired and can travel at their leisure and stay in campgrounds. When we were working, we occasionally made some hard drives that had us driving until 8pm or 9pm. On occasion, we stopped at a Walmart or large parking lot of a closed business. At Walmart, we were always able to park so that the slide we were opening would open over a grassy area or island. This protected the slide from passing cars.

I think the OP could do something similar. My only concern is that his rig has a soft sided tent wall and would not provide much protection in a public area such as a Walmart.

We've also slept in Rest Area's years ago when we had no slides (slide in camper). Most Rest Areas say no overnight camping, but wouldn't typically enforce that if you didn't look like you were camping as in having your slides out.

[ScottG]

I once talked to a WM manager about slide outs and he didn't even know what they were. Once I explained it he could not have cared less. And you don't have to look like your just parked there - they know you and all the other RV's are spending the night and don't care.
This thing about not putting slides out is more of a internet folklore thing than it is a genuine concern.

[Sandia_Man]

You can do so but it is more of a safety issue if anything. There are no hard rules although many tend to believe there is, wishful thinking I guess. It seems that there are trips each year where we have had to overnight in a Walmart parking lot a time or two.

We pull into WM pretty late and find a place to park, either among other RVers or off to one of the edges. In either case we deploy and use whatever we feel inclined to do including slide-outs, stabilizers, and onboard generator.

Since we always need something we will do a bit of shopping before we go to bed in order to make a quick getaway in the morning. Obviously it would not be wise to bring out a bunch of chairs and start the barbecue under the awning , these kind of stops are to get some sleep and maybe stock up for the trip.

[Shot-N-Az]

wbwood wrote:
While 99% of people know that people are sleeping in an RV overnight if sitting in a Walmart parking lot, try to make it inconspicuous as possible.

Why?

[FunnyCamper]

we use walmart, other big parking lots and rest areas.
we have to put 2 of our 3 slides out 1/2 way to make the inside work well.
never had a problem.

just ask the manager, you will run into no problems I am sure.

MANY use places to stop just while wanting a few hours rest before driving again to their destination. a cg is not required for a 4-5 hr rest stop and get on your way. especially if you stop in the wee hours of night. after all you got a home on wheels and it is meant to have the freedom and options of stopping anywhere you are permitted so you can travel how you want. that is one of the reasons we bought our rv. freedom to do what we want.

we sure don't live by other campers rules they find acceptable. no way.

[CT_WANDERER]

We stopped at Wal-Mart during one of our trips around 3:00 in the afternoon to get supplies. Parked way out from the store, as we got out the security came over to tell us if we would park in the other area there would be room to put our slides out and less traffic during the night. I told him we were get getting some food and would be going shortly. I thanked him. So I don't see why so many on this site say "Don't put your slide out" I will always try to put my slide out over a grassy spot, curbing or towards a lamp pole.