Oldgator73
Well-known member
I never used a WM parking lot unless there were other RV’s there. So asking was moot.
Walmart overnight parking
- Thread starter Tom_M
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
DonTom
Well-known member
You think the next shift would even know? I doubt they want to be bothered with such "courtesy".
-Don- Auburn, CA
Reinigm
Well-known member
That's something I was meaning to ask this forum. If they have any experience with camping in church parking lot. I know I pulled into a catholic church lot in Portsmouth, Iowa, and they had no problem at all with it. Of course, my Dad's family was raised there before the war, and just about everyone in the cemetery is related somehow. My Dad used to say that they had to go down the road 10 miles to the county seat at night if they wanted to date a girl. Otherwise it was a cousin.
Tulecreeper
Well-known member
Why...were their cousins ugly?That's something I was meaning to ask this forum. If they have any experience with camping in church parking lot. I know I pulled into a catholic church lot in Portsmouth, Iowa, and they had no problem at all with it. Of course, my Dad's family was raised there before the war, and just about everyone in the cemetery is related somehow. My Dad used to say that they had to go down the road 10 miles to the county seat at night if they wanted to date a girl. Otherwise it was a cousin.
You’re right, it’s a big parking area and as long as you’re not causing any issues, it doesn’t turn into a campsite and it’s not designated N.O. P., they really would rather not be bothered.
LarsMac
Well-known member
Actually, yes.
The manager often makes a note of such things, and the cameras also can see the parking lot and what's out there.
I won't say that all the managers will handle it the same way, but many at least make a note in their logs, and it gets passed on to the next shift.
CharlesinGA
Well-known member
Many communities have ordinances which forbid overnight parking within their political boundaries, so those businesses are out for sure. This is to keep the riff raff out and everyone else is caught in the crossfire when this happens.
Just last evening before dark, I went to the Lowes about 15 miles from me. It is a line of stores running from the WalMart to the Lowes, and there was a fairly long bumper pull aligned with the outer most curb in the Lowes parking area, right up against the trees that separate the parking from a fairly low use frontage road at that point. While still hooked up, they had the stabilizers down, the slides (2) out, and a generator inside of a box make of insulation board. I could hear it but it was not very loud.
Charles
Just last evening before dark, I went to the Lowes about 15 miles from me. It is a line of stores running from the WalMart to the Lowes, and there was a fairly long bumper pull aligned with the outer most curb in the Lowes parking area, right up against the trees that separate the parking from a fairly low use frontage road at that point. While still hooked up, they had the stabilizers down, the slides (2) out, and a generator inside of a box make of insulation board. I could hear it but it was not very loud.
Charles
DonTom
Well-known member
Who is likely to know there besides the one employee you tell?
In above message 17, the translation of that sign is very clear IMO,
It translates to:
"Stay if you wish for a night, but don't bother us with it".
Perhaps that is why they put up the sign.
-Don- Rolls, AZ
DonTom
Well-known member
In Wasco last night, I was the only RV in the entire parking lot.
FWIW, I spent $184.98 inside that Wal*Mart at zip 93280. I have the receipt right here. Nice to have the room inside this RV as well as inside the refrigerator/ freezer. Ref./freezer was totally empty before I went into the Wal*Mart and now both are full.
-Don- Roll, AZ
DonTom
Well-known member
Perhaps old junky RVs are questionable to them. Perhaps even Wal*Mart has the ten-year-old rule.
Joezeppy
Well-known member
Correction/update - I was at the Herkimer store the other day and they do indeed have a "no overnight parking" sign up. Utica is still wide-open for RVs, though.
Dusty Traveler
Well-known member
Here is a WalMart, Official Locator location for Overnight RV Parking.
Click Here to Locate RV Parking
Click Here to Locate RV Parking
Dusty Traveler
Well-known member
I Thought, this was worthy of a POST on our forum:
Industry-Sanctioned Code of Conduct
(RVers’ Good Neighbor Policy)
Most of the complaints lodged regarding RV parking on business parking lots have to do with aesthetics and perceived abuse of the privilege. There are a variety of competing interests that were balanced to arrive at this industry-sanctioned code of conduct. As you can see, this Code of Conduct is nothing more than an RVers’ “Good Neighbor” policy.
Not following the code has serious consequences and is detrimental to the rights of all RVers. Already, some municipalities have passed ordinances to prohibit parking on private business property overnight.
This code of conduct is only provided as a reminder that RVers must be perceived as good neighbors, or there will be more pressure to institute state, county and local ordinances to prohibit parking on private business property.
"The above is a REPOSTING taken from the website WalMart Locator - HOME - Under Welcome message"
My two cents
"As a member of this forum and fellow RV'er, I have always felt anyone showing you kindness should be shown hospitality with respect in return."
I think we all have some family members who overstay their welcome. If I could be a fly on the office wall of all posted "NOP" signage as to why this happened. I'm sure many of us would be shocked and I'm not going to repeat stories I have no STATED FACTS to prove. Sadly, we do have some on four wheels, who have no self-respect for their state in life and I would like to think none were in an RV.
Overnight RV Parking Etiquette
Some of the most respected RV consumer clubs have joined together to support your right to park on private businesses’ parking lots overnight under the following code of conduct. The code pertains to establishments that permit “dry camping” on their lots. Dry camping means camping without the use of external hookups for electricity, water supply or waste disposal.Industry-Sanctioned Code of Conduct
(RVers’ Good Neighbor Policy)
- Stay one night only!
- Obtain permission from a qualified individual.
- Obey posted regulations.
- No awnings, chairs, or barbecue grills outside your RV.
- Do not use hydraulic jacks on soft surfaces (including asphalt).
- Always leave an area cleaner than you found it.
- Purchase gas, food, or supplies as a form of thank you, when feasible.
- Be safe! Always be aware of your surroundings and leave if you feel unsafe.
Most of the complaints lodged regarding RV parking on business parking lots have to do with aesthetics and perceived abuse of the privilege. There are a variety of competing interests that were balanced to arrive at this industry-sanctioned code of conduct. As you can see, this Code of Conduct is nothing more than an RVers’ “Good Neighbor” policy.
Not following the code has serious consequences and is detrimental to the rights of all RVers. Already, some municipalities have passed ordinances to prohibit parking on private business property overnight.
This code of conduct is only provided as a reminder that RVers must be perceived as good neighbors, or there will be more pressure to institute state, county and local ordinances to prohibit parking on private business property.
"The above is a REPOSTING taken from the website WalMart Locator - HOME - Under Welcome message"
My two cents
"As a member of this forum and fellow RV'er, I have always felt anyone showing you kindness should be shown hospitality with respect in return."
I think we all have some family members who overstay their welcome. If I could be a fly on the office wall of all posted "NOP" signage as to why this happened. I'm sure many of us would be shocked and I'm not going to repeat stories I have no STATED FACTS to prove. Sadly, we do have some on four wheels, who have no self-respect for their state in life and I would like to think none were in an RV.
Last edited:
No one has a right to park on any businesses parking lot regardless of any industry sanctioned ( whatever that means) code of conduct.
Skookum
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 19, 2018
- Posts
- 3,756
It should also be noted that the supplied link is not affiliated with Walmart and can only be as "official" as a secondary source is.
LarsMac
Well-known member
I found this on that page. A mark of the changing times?
www.walmartlocator.com
No Artificial Intelligence Use – Walmart Locator
www.walmartlocator.com
No Artificial Intelligence Use
The owner of this website does not consent to the content on this website being used or downloaded by any third parties for the purposes of developing, training or operating artificial intelligence or other machine learning systems (“Artificial Intelligence Purposes”), except as authorized by the owner in writing (including written electronic communication). Absent such consent, users of this website, including any third parties accessing the website through automated systems, are prohibited from using any of the content on the website for Artificial Intelligence Purposes. Users or automated systems that fail to respect these choices will be considered to have breached these Terms of Service.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
While I think those are all excellent etiquette suggestions, I don't think any person or group can represent themselves to have authored an Industry-Sanctioned Code of Conduct. In this case, that code originated with the Escapees RV Club, a respectable group but only one of many RV groups or clubs.
Nor is that "Walmart Locator" in any sense "official", i.e. sanctioned by Walmart or anybody else other than the person who built that website.
Nor is that "Walmart Locator" in any sense "official", i.e. sanctioned by Walmart or anybody else other than the person who built that website.
Domo
Well-known member
As a courtesy we always contact the store whether it's a Culver's a cracker barrel, or Walmart it makes no difference we contact the store plus speak to security when we arrive on site and ask security where they want us to camp out overnight.
I seriously don't give a flying fig about what "Escapees" say about anything. I really have a very, very low opinion of the organization. Get off your lazy butts and ASK PERMISSION from the store manager. If the store will allow it, they will tell you where in the lot they prefer that you park. Also they can tell you if they don't mind if you run your generator. I have posted this tidbit many times, at some point I'm going to give up. But one more time.....
Many of those "NO OVERNIGHT PARKING" and "NO PARKING" signs are not to prevent RVers from parking over night but to prevent moronic idiots from slapping a "for sale" sign on their vehicle and leaving it in the parking lot for days, week months or even years. Back when I lived in NC, the local Walmart had so many "for sale" vehicles sitting in their lot that it was impacting traffic within the lot. Add to that a few of the parked vehicles had been hit by other idiots. So they gave everyone 30 days to move their vehicles and "No Overnight Parking" signs went up. Most of the vehicles were moved within two weeks but a few had to be towed away. They were basically abandoned. But RVs could still park overnight. I know this because we did, with permission from WalMart. Walmart has since moved to a new shopping center and they do allow overnight parking.
Super WalMart parking lot, Lebanon, TN, in front of the DollarTree (2021). Not a problem. We asked permission at DollarTree since we were right in front of their store. There were a few other semi's (with trailers) despite there being signs that said no truck or trailer parking overnight. The cops were driving thru the parking lot all night from the time we got there to the time we left, after eating breakfast at the Cracker Barrel the butted up to the parking lot. There was no problems. And the solar panels kept the battery bank up at the same level as it was when the sun went down.
PS: We head back east again this fall. We will stay in that parking lot again.
Many of those "NO OVERNIGHT PARKING" and "NO PARKING" signs are not to prevent RVers from parking over night but to prevent moronic idiots from slapping a "for sale" sign on their vehicle and leaving it in the parking lot for days, week months or even years. Back when I lived in NC, the local Walmart had so many "for sale" vehicles sitting in their lot that it was impacting traffic within the lot. Add to that a few of the parked vehicles had been hit by other idiots. So they gave everyone 30 days to move their vehicles and "No Overnight Parking" signs went up. Most of the vehicles were moved within two weeks but a few had to be towed away. They were basically abandoned. But RVs could still park overnight. I know this because we did, with permission from WalMart. Walmart has since moved to a new shopping center and they do allow overnight parking.
Super WalMart parking lot, Lebanon, TN, in front of the DollarTree (2021). Not a problem. We asked permission at DollarTree since we were right in front of their store. There were a few other semi's (with trailers) despite there being signs that said no truck or trailer parking overnight. The cops were driving thru the parking lot all night from the time we got there to the time we left, after eating breakfast at the Cracker Barrel the butted up to the parking lot. There was no problems. And the solar panels kept the battery bank up at the same level as it was when the sun went down.
PS: We head back east again this fall. We will stay in that parking lot again.
UTTransplant
Well-known member
I also have had Walmart allow overnight parking when I asked irregardless of signage. We never pull in to park overnight without calling and asking where they want us. We usually call several hours in advance just to make sure we don’t have any surprises. As for jacks, we put them on top of a large wooden blocks to make sure we leave no divots, and we never have.
