my report on sleeping at walmart

[GotSmart]

I might crash overnight in one, but not permanent! That is scarier than my last ex wife!

 

[offroad]

Did not look scary at all. Except know that these folks might all have loaded guns and they do drink and some are mobile because family could not handle their behavior. Spinning the wheel of disaster seeing if the red number comes up.

 

[sparky1]

I don't shop at w/mt any more, but I can see the parking lot as I proceed to Kroger,-but I do look to see if there was possible van dweller parked there,- I can offer a safe place to park, on my place.
sparky1.

 

[Lucky mike]

Walmart has always been a debate.....there are alot that use it as it was meant to be and then there are the chosen many that abuse it and attempt to justify it.

staying all day, weeks at a time trashing the area around them is what creates the problem.

I use walmarts alot....I see the same people in the same store lots weeks at a time..some pull in in trash wagons, set up camp and never leave !!!!....bring there friends and call it a hobo camp....(Hobo's had more class)

its to bad but little by little all these areas we use will become issues for these reasons.

 

[caseyc]

Personally, I would never park at a Walmart...ever. I never have. Never will. I'm sure there are decent folks minding their business and doing their own thing, but it's usually the few (or several) that spoil it for the rest.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Casey, I've never had a problem at any WalMart that allows stayovers, whether in a van or RV. We try to stay to ourselves, parking "way over there" out of the main areas. Stayed at a few for a few days while seeing the area.
Yup, Wally's is almost like a travel center...all kinds of services (glasses, phone,etc), a deli, groceries, Redbox, camping stuff, and at some you can get oil changed and tire service. For your benefit many Wally's have a MickeyD or Subway.

We like Camp Wally World

 

[compassrose]

Personally, I would never park at a Walmart...ever. I never have. Never will. I'm sure there are decent folks minding their business and doing their own thing, but it's usually the few (or several) that spoil it for the rest.

You should be very careful about saying that you would "never" do something. Karma may conspire to adjust your attitude. Wal-Marts are a wonderful sight when you have destroyed a tire on an interstate where most tire shops charge double and triple normal costs. Wal-Marts are wonderful when you need to replace a part in a parking lot (and WALK a couple miles to the Advance Auto/AutoZone/O'Reilly's). Wal-Marts are wonderful when you are far too tired to drive another mile and you come up on an exit where the only signs of life are a lone Wal-Mart in the middle of nowhere (explain that one). Out "west" there are a lot of exits with nothing.

That said, we prefer to stay at Sam's Clubs. As members we have parked there when no one was allowed to park at the Wal-Mart next door. We also stay at Cracker Barrel, Lowes, Home Depot, truckstops, most any large parking lot... with or without businesses. Wal-Mart is not the only place to park. Check out Allstays.com Overnight Parking Guide. There are LOTS of places to park overnight that don't have a Wally World sign at the entrance.

 

[user 423]

I've stayed at many WMs and have only seen one instance where someone was trashing the place. In Spokane there was a guy who had stayed for a couple weeks trying to sell a really old Titan motorhome. His black tank leaked and he didn't bother moving it much so that area reeked! No wonder he couldn't sell it.

The problems probably only happen at a few stores in more densely populated areas.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Compassrose, you said a mouthful there.
I was sure glad to see the WalMart sign when our fuel pump went out as we entered Winnemucca, Nv. Had to hang out a couple days while Auto Zone got one for me...installed it in the parking lot.
Meanwhile, we had everything we needed, as well as several eats places by walking a few blocks.
Saved our bacon.

 

[VibesAlive]

I currently work for walmart and from what I can tell no one cares what goes on in the parking lot. They load the workers including management with busy work, not much time to stop and realize what goes on outside of your work area.

 

[compassrose]

I work for Home Depot and I have had my store managers say that if you park without permission from a manager on duty (and/or party) then you will be woken up and moved on. Workers start arriving at the store around 4AM. Ask permission and don't grill outside (or ask if it's okay to grill). I do know that 3 RV's parked in our lot one night , never asked permission and hauled out the beer coolers, grills and boomboxes. They were booted within minutes.

We have been given (even encouraged) to grill in a Sam's Club parking lot (we opted for a rotisserie chicken and red tater salad... yummy) as well as invited to stay not only for one night but for a week! By the Sam's Club managers (yep, plural.... their community was having a Founder's Day celebration the following weekend). We always ask permission.

 

[user 423]

I currently work for walmart and from what I can tell no one cares what goes on in the parking lot.

That varies a lot by location. Stores in many urban areas have security that will run you off. I always try to use one with a Tire and Lube Express so I can tell them I need a critical service or part when they open in the AM.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

That varies a lot by location. Stores in many urban areas have security that will run you off. I always try to use one with a Tire and Lube Express so I can tell them I need a critical service or part when they open in the AM.

I'd have to check my logbook, but can safely say that we've stayed at some 75-80 WalMarts in the last year and only in Bend, Or were we told we couldn't stay over night due to local laws. Their security, if they have it, has never been anything but a friendly wave or no contact at all.

Ask and ye shall receive

 

[compassrose]

The Walmart in New Braunfels, TX is one that we will not be staying at again. It was also a lesson for us. The only bad experience we have had at a Walmart was in New Braunfels. Now our standard response to an escalating bad situation is to call 911 and we write our location down on a piece of paper before turning in for the night. Three calls to the night manager went unresponded. Luckily either the cops happened by or one of the other RVs called 911.

 

[user 423]

The only bad experience we have had at a Walmart was in New Braunfels.

Do you mean with people harassing you?

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

The article says the author was lonely, unhappy, and felt unsafe around these people, then highlights a bunch of very nice people who help each other and even cook up meals together. Even the drunk guy looked otherwise respectable.

 

[compassrose]

Do you mean with people harassing you?

Either drunk or high. Either way a man & woman were screaming, yelling and fighting in the parking lot. The woman kept yelling at the RV's parked in the parking lot ("Stop looking at me"). We were trying to sleep (on our way from Corpus Christi TX to Socorro, NM) and had stopped in New Braunfels to check it out.

 

[SoulRaven]

I'd have to check my logbook, but can safely say that we've stayed at some 75-80 WalMarts in the last year and only in Bend, Or were we told we couldn't stay over night due to local laws. Their security, if they have it, has never been anything but a friendly wave or no contact at all.

Ask and ye shall receive

Greetings!

I stay at that Walmart in Bend with no problems when I'm passing through... The guard told me since I was in a van the cops wouldn't notice.

Cheers!

The CamperVan_Man

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Cool, vans do blend in a little better.
We found a great place beside a little neighborhood bar where we were able to park when we came in from BLM for a day or two.

Greetings!

I stay at that Walmart in Bend with no problems when I'm passing through... The guard told me since I was in a van the cops wouldn't notice.

Cheers!

The CamperVan_Man

 

[compassrose]

Cool, vans do blend in a little better.

I have to disagree. People can't see a 40 ft bus, especially while it's traveling down the highway. That is based on how they drive and have "near hits" with the bus when we travel. :-/ So how can they notice the same bus while it's parked. Does it suddenly become visible? :huh: