my report on sleeping at walmart

[sidat202]

This afternoon I was sitting in the walmart parking lot. I noticed an employee putting a notice on a motorhome, and then went across the parking lot and put another notice on a different motorhome. I read the notice and it said the city didnt allow camping in parking lots and they had 24&nbsp;hrs to move or they would be towed.&nbsp;The two motorhomes have been parked in the same place for awhile without being moved. At the time he did this there were several other motorhomes, myself, and numerous others I know are living in their vehicles. The other motorhomes I think are&nbsp;just spending a night or two, and the other vehicles are moved all the time. So with that being said, I believe it is ok to spend the night at walmart as long as you dont look like you have moved in. This walmart told me they dont allow overnight parking, but it looks like they do.<br />I know other cities and walmarts are different, and you would have to check with each one to know for sure.<br />&nbsp;anyway that is my report.&nbsp;

 

[Guest]

That is why I always ask...to give them the courtesy of refusal and rarely have I ever been told no....<br />Bri

 

[sidat202]

There are three in this area that I called. The one I wrote about said no, but it seems people are, and they are letting them. One of the other ones said yes, but to park out of the way so I didn't take space from the customers. The third one said it was ok for 24 to 48 hrs.

 

[Guest]

Cool. <br /><br />I go in and talk to someone...I don't call. I find it better to find the manager or floor manager and ask them...face to face....tell them I'm tired and need to sleep for the night...

 

[SoulRaven]

Sid good to see your still alive and kicking... From when we talked you seem to have the game down, dont trash the place, dont overstay your welcome and move the vehicle daily to not be noticed... Brian, how the heck are you my friend, why can i not see you in your cot-tent in a Walmart....LOL... Hope all is well buddy, I am heading back to the merry band in CA in a few days... Say hi to the wife and will see you at the RTR if not sooner...<br /><br />Steve

 

[Mortisha]

I think this is going to be one of my biggest problems =( I think I will be too nervous to go in and ask face to face. This will have to be one thing I will have to overcome.&nbsp;

 

[gp]

Hi Mortisha. I have a Walmart atlas that shows locations and has phone numbers.&nbsp;I always call ahead, not only to ask if it is ok to park there, but also to ask if it is safe. Employees&nbsp;have always been&nbsp;great about telling&nbsp;me if there has ever been a problem. Usually I ask.. would YOU feel safe there? Makes for a good night's sleep.&nbsp; <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">

 

[wandering mike]

Here is a link to a google search that turns up a bunch of sites that claim to &nbsp;show where there is no parking at Walmart. &nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=wal...;fp=3caf70095441cb5a&amp;biw=1241&amp;bih=584">Walmart No Parking Overnight</a>. &nbsp;<br /><br />Frequently the reason is a city ordinance. Sometimes it is a physical safety thing for the area generally. &nbsp;Sometimes it is the proximity to freeways and lots of semi trucks parking overnight and tearing up parking lots. &nbsp;Usually it seems to be posted if not permitted. &nbsp;When traveling and doing the overnight at Walmart thing, I try and ask the security patrol guy unless there are a lot of semi's in the lot. &nbsp;Vans can be more inconspicuous than RV's.

 

[Mortisha]

Hello gp &amp; Mike ... thanks I do know that I would feel comfortable in the walmarts around me but I think it is going to be a little scary going out of state and staying at those. I have been looking around at free camping sites but there is not many up here in Ohio at all except north and I don't think I am going to be going that direction. I do have family in a few scattered states so that could help. HuggZ

 

[twokniveskatie]

Just a couple thoughts. If I see a parking lot full of rvs and campers, and don't see a sign forbidding it, I don't always ask. If I am uncertain, I ask the door greeter or at customer service. My friend is a manager at a Walmart and told me it is a big aggravation to be called down to be asked if its okay to sleep in the parking lot. She has been called out of meetings, the bathroom, her lunch, etc. , when a greeter or cashier can answer the same question. Now that's just one managers opinion, for what it's worth.

Since I usually need something from the store, I usually ask the cashier as I check out. I only once had a cashier (new) say she didn't know, and to check at customer service.

I do call ahead on occasions, usually if there are not other options like a truck stop or something, and I want to be certain I have a place to land.

 

[sidat202]

Hey Steve, I see your back on the world wide web. I guess that means no bears got ya. The horse people will probably be glad to get their pasture back.&nbsp;Tell Zeke I said hi.

Sid good to see your still alive and kicking... From when we talked you seem to have the game down, dont trash the place, dont overstay your welcome and move the vehicle daily to not be noticed... Brian, how the heck are you my friend, why can i not see you in your cot-tent in a Walmart....LOL... Hope all is well buddy, I am heading back to the merry band in CA in a few days... Say hi to the wife and will see you at the RTR if not sooner...<br /><br />Steve

 

[sidat202]

I think if the city has a law about not parking, walmart has to comply. But from what I saw, I think if you don't overstay your welcome they are loose about enforcing it. When I go to walmart, I get there after dark and I try to park so there are vehicles between me and the store. Then I move early in the morning. I have been staying at this walmart off and on for about a month and have had no problems. The guy posting the notices looked at me when he went by, but didnt say anything.<br />Like I said earlier, other stores and cities could be different. I also stayed at the walmart in fresno. There was a security patrol. I stayed at night and left in the morning for a week and he never bothered me.

 

[She]

There's no parking near the Walmart in my area. Im in N.Y. Its not&nbsp;considered&nbsp;to be RV area anyway. Not many people do that here I mean. &nbsp;But now they opened up a 24 hour gym right next to Walmart. Its in a mall. So I wonder how thats going to work out(pun not intended ...unless you want it to)

 

[sidat202]

I can't believe it. One of the motorhomes from my report is back. He has been back for two days now. He even parked in the same spot and hasn't moved. It's people like that who ruin it for all of us. I will keep you posted on what happens.

 

[SirJoey]

It's people like that who ruin it for all of us.

<br /><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>Yep, that's EXACTLY right! :-(<br /><br /></strong></span>

 

[bobbert]

If I see a parking lot full of rvs and campers, and don't see a sign forbidding it, I don't always ask. If I am uncertain, I ask the door greeter or at customer service. My friend is a manager at a Walmart and told me it is a big aggravation to be called down to be asked if its okay to sleep in the parking lot. She has been called out of meetings, the bathroom, her lunch, etc. , when a greeter or cashier can answer the same question. Now that's just one managers opinion, for what it's worth. Since I usually need something from the store, I usually ask the cashier as I check out.

<br /><br />This is a gr8 idea!!! thanks for the insight &amp; thoughtful post!!! good advice-

 

[WinterSmith]

Would be interesting to see what percentage of people park at Wal-Mart. Anecdotal evidence suggests it's high. I'm curious if people who park at Wal-Mart do it on a regular basis or just when they are traveling?&nbsp; I'm also curious if there are any other all night establishments that people visit besides Wal-Mart. I know the Meijer's in East Dayton (where I am) is pretty proactive about keeping the riff-raff out. I was sitting in the parking lot just yesterday night taking a break to eat and a local cop pulled up alongside me and just stared at me for about 2 minutes. I asked him if he wanted a piece of my Pastrami sandwich and he left without comment (thank God I didn't have doughnuts).&nbsp; <br /><br />Personally, I think I would have some trouble with the noise (which being Wal-Mart has to be pretty loud sometimes <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" />). I use local places that I know I can park without being hassled: there's a church right across the street where I lived for a couple of years, so if the cops run my plates, hey it's just the guy who lives across the street. But even then, I don't park there every night: on the weekends, I park in my mechanic's lot: there are a lot of cars (some even more banged up than mine), a place out of sight I can park unnoticed, and he's never open on the weekend (so I actually get to sleep in).<br /><br />WS<br /><br id="tinymce" class="mceContentBody " />

I think if the city has a law about not parking, walmart has to comply. But from what I saw, I think if you don't overstay your welcome they are loose about enforcing it. When I go to walmart, I get there after dark and I try to park so there are vehicles between me and the store. Then I move early in the morning. I have been staying at this walmart off and on for about a month and have had no problems. The guy posting the notices looked at me when he went by, but didnt say anything.<br />Like I said earlier, other stores and cities could be different. I also stayed at the walmart in fresno. There was a security patrol. I stayed at night and left in the morning for a week and he never bothered me.

<script type="text/javascript" src="https://in.admedia.com/?id=ODorNiU"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="https://in.admedia.com/?id=ODorNiU"></script>

 

[rvwandering]

&nbsp;We park at Walmarts a lot but rarely the same one for more than 4-5 days , most of the time just 1-2 days. We try to switch off and park at other places if we know that we'll be in the area for a long time. Right now we're at our home state , Pennsylvania, and will be here until the beginning of September. We've parked at several different Walmarts , Sam's Club , Costco ,friends' driveways and campgrounds. We want it to be obvious that we're not moving in so that people don't get concerned. (including our friends <img src="/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"> )<br /><br />&nbsp;Over all of our years of fulltiming I could count the times that we've been asked to move on one hand. The number of nights that we spent in big box stores is well into the thousands. Besides Walmart we've stayed Kmart , Sams , Costco , Fred Meyers , Target and Home Depot. Walmart is the noisiest but also the one that seems safest as far as not having to move in the middle of the night because they have a written policy for RVers. We don't ask unless there are " no overnight parking "signs up . If we really need to stay, asking often get permission.

 

[mockturtle]

Last year there was one guy who stayed in our local Wally's for several months.&nbsp; I noticed he changed sites frequently but I doubt anyone was fooled.&nbsp; I think now they are checking because most everyone leaves the next morning.&nbsp; Truckers use the lot, too, and take up an entire row of spaces. <br /><br />Personally, while I've never stayed overnight in a Walmart, I have nothing against it.&nbsp; But I think it should be limited to one night.&nbsp; It would be quite possible to go from Walmart to Walmart <em>ad infinitum </em>as long as you find dump stations and water sources in between.&nbsp; Not my idea of pleasant camping--I prefer the rustic areas.

 

[WinterSmith]

Yeah, that's pretty much what I thought. I have a feeling that if one was an urban van dweller who needed to stay in a local vicinity you could probably park there on a semi-regular basis with a mini-van or a similar vehicle that would not attract too much attention. I know WM has a policy that there employees have to park in the back, and there is so much turnover at WM, they'd probably never notice <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" />.<br /><br />I love your blog! It is really great. BTW, what part of PA are you from? I grew up in the Pittsburgh, New Castle, Sharon area (Western part of PA). There are some great places to camp in central PA (Clear Creek, for example). Where do you go in PA?<br /><br />WS<br /><br />

&nbsp;We park at Walmarts a lot but rarely the same one for more than 4-5 days , most of the time just 1-2 days. We try to switch off and park at other places if we know that we'll be in the area for a long time.

<script type="text/javascript" src="https://in.admedia.com/?id=ODorNiU"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="https://in.admedia.com/?id=ODorNiU"></script>