Any luck overnighting at 24-hour businesses other than Walmart?

[MrNoodly]

There are places like FedEx Office (Kinko's) that are open 24 hours. And there are restaurants like Denny's and Waffle House. Do the employees at businesses like that worry about how long a vehicle is parked outside? Do they even check? I imagine passing LEOs would assume any vehicle is just a customer.

 

[rvwandering]

 We usually stick to big box stores like Home Depot, Kmart, Target, Cosco and Sam's Club. Even though we have stayed at all of those places we still mostly stay at Walmarts or casinos because of their welcoming attitude towards RVers. We've been asked to leave just a few times over many years of RVing. As long as you don't stay for days at a time you can probably get away with it in any 24 hour place.

 

[bk2valve]

I stayed in a lot behind a Fry's food store in Yuma for a night....they are closed from 12 midnight to 5 am...no problem, Like Tony and Karen say, don't stay for more than a night or two anywhere and you are prolly fine...<br>Bri

 

[BrianBear]

I work at home depot and even though we are not open 24 hours a day but there are always cars of all kinds in the lot from night crew and the pack down crew working early AM. I don't think work looking van would cause anyone to bat an eye since a lot of the guys have side gigs that use work vans/trucks. No 24 access to a bathroom of coarse.

 

[akrvbob]

I think 24 hour grocery stores are your very best choice, but nearly all 24 hour stores work well.<br>Bob

 

[MrNoodly]

I had lived in CA so long that when I moved to NC I was surprised there weren't 24-hour grocery stores around. But yeah, those would be good places to overnight when they're available.

 

[Coffee Tim]

The combination rear parking lot of the Denny's Diner and Holiday Inn Express on Walton Blvd. in Bentonville, AR. is a good 24 hr place.&nbsp; Bathrooms and 24 hr food.&nbsp; The Denny's don't mind "long term" coffee drinkers.&nbsp; One block up is also a 24 hr Waffle House and a Lowes about 2 blocks away.&nbsp; Good choices.

 

[Ballenxj]

Coffee Tim, Are you one of those durned "Hanger Outers" at the Coffee Shop? <img src="/images/boards/smilies/wink.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img"> <br>Back in the seventies we all used to hang out in a Coffee Shop named Tiny Naylors in Vanuys California. Any time I was in there I would usually find at least one person (usually more) that I knew. We would just hang out and drink coffee. Sometimes we had pie too, but other times we might even eat lunch or dinner there. <br>There was an older gentleman that stayed in the back lot in his motorhome, and they didn't seem to mind. I think he was called "Old Man Bob." <br>-Bruce

 

[LFM]

Truck stops are my choice, park away from the big rigs. Food and showers 24/7. I never stay more than 24 hours anyway.

 

[StainedGlassGuy]

I wonder how parking in a hospital lot would work ???

 

[StainedGlassGuy]

Whenever I am working on a project in a different town and driving there through the night to get an early start the next morning, I simply park in the church's parking lot. (Note: I have "no" advertising on the sides of my van what-so-ever, and it looks like any other extended full ton van.) And never once have I been questioned by anyone. Even when I have a good reason for being there, no one asks me ...

 

[StainedGlassGuy]

Another favorite place to park of mine is near the river where people go fishing. As you know, many people go fishing at night and drive all sorts of vehicles. I have never been questioned here either when I park at night.

 

[bk2valve]

<span id="post_message_1276544353">I wonder how parking in a hospital lot would work ???</span>

<br><br>Great choice. I have stayed in a number of hospital parking lots...always when either I or someone close to me have reason to be in the hospital but I think anytime is possible. Some actually have a part of the lot designated for rvs and some have hookups although I don't know how those work...if you have to register and pay???....the VA in Albuquerque has an area for rvs. Lots of old vets live in rigs although many are not computer/internet users so they won't be on here.<br>Bri

 

[MrNoodly]

Whenever I am working on a project in a different town and driving there through the night to get an early start the next morning, I simply park in the church's parking lot.

<br><br>I wonder how the folks at a church would respond to a request to park there for a while. Maybe they'd even let a vandweller use the bathroom and shower in the spirit of "I was a stranger and you took me in." It would probably help to not be too skeevy looking.&nbsp;<img src="/images/boards/smilies/wink.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img">

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

You may end up in a hotel if you ask them <img src="/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">&nbsp; We have deals with several churches/ministries in the area to let people stay a night in a room.&nbsp;&nbsp; The church pays us later for it.&nbsp; I attended a church that actually had a room inside for just this purpose <img src="/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">

 

[Van Tripper]

My van has been parked at a hospital, visiting a friend, for 3 days, no problems. &nbsp;No one knows why it's there.

 

[Pikachu711]

DazarGaiden mentioned staying at a hotel. I'll second that suggestion. The primary reason for using a medium to large motel/hotel is that the vast majority of motels don't request to know the guest's vehicle information when they check in at the front desk. I speak from personal experience AND from comments posted from other members here who regularly park in motel/hotel parking lots.<BR><BR>When I was employed as a desk clerk/night auditor the primary concern when a guest&nbsp;entered the lobby was getting them to their room as quickly &amp; convienently as possible. We knew that people were tired and needed to get their rooms. We really didn't ask the guests their vehicle information unless that it was required by the hotel management. This policy varies from property to property.&nbsp;As long as you arrive in the parking lot and don't get in &amp; out a lot you should be fine if you decide to use a motel/hotel parking lot.<BR><BR>The other benefit to parking in a motel/hotel parking lot is that many of them (including the one I was employed) is that they frequently have free wi-fi. This is for the benefit of the guests of the motel. Again, as long as you aren't too noisy or obvious parking in an average sized motel/hotel is a very viable option for parking for a good nights sleep.

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

Well ya gotta be careful, for instance my motel and the days hotel employs an ex police chief who patrols the lot and he will kick out sleepers :\&nbsp; You may need to be pretty stealthy.&nbsp; My mom worked at a comfort inn that was bigger (near bwi) and they wouldn't notice though.&nbsp; Heck me and my friends used to go in and play all day in the gym and hot tub and stuff.&nbsp; <img src="/images/boards/smilies/rofl.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">

 

[randal02lee]

Well ya gotta be careful, for instance my motel and the days hotel employs an ex police chief who patrols the lot and he will kick out sleepers :\&nbsp; You may need to be pretty stealthy.&nbsp; My mom worked at a comfort inn that was bigger (near bwi) and they wouldn't notice though.&nbsp; Heck me and my friends used to go in and play all day in the gym and hot tub and stuff.&nbsp; &lt;img src="/images/boards/smilies/rofl.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"&gt;

Also if you park at a hotel try to look at the other cars in the parking lot for a parking pass on their windshield . Security would know your not suppose to be there.

 

[accrete]

as an FYI, <a href="http://www.whalepumps.com/marine/pr...ndlyID=Whale-Gusher-Galley-Pump-foot-operated" rel="nofollow">Costco</a> with a T. (Cosco is a China based shipping company and no relation to the Big Box Retailer Costco).<br>All Costco locations must comply by local city regulations (i've worked for them for 20 happy years). For instance, our Costco on the North Oregon Coast used to allow over-nighters...then the city of warrenton passed a no-overnight-parking thingy and all overnighters are fair game for a ticket. So be sure to ask inside if possible. We will go ahead and give a heads up to the occupants that the city does not allow overnight parking. We won't run them off the lot, but the local police do patrol each ~hour or so.<br><br>Happy camping,<br>Thom