Wal-Mart Overnight RV Parking

[Oz]

Original Message Sent: 3/4/2006

There has been a continuing question as to what Wal-Mart's overnight parking policy is and which ones won't allow it.  Having been a WM manager, I can tell you in a nut-shell, Wal-Mart WANTS RVs to be there... It's the locals who press the municipalities for ordinances against them. 

Here's an excerpt from a recent article, "RV Parking Ban Simply a Nasty Move" in the York Dispatch (italics and color added for emphasis):

"Knee-jerk, and often goofy, legislation is not confined to Harrisburg.

Now that Windsor Township's zoning board has approved a Wal-Mart SuperCenter along Cape Horn Road, it's obviously time to take the resultant citizen discontent out on -- of all things -- the RV crowd.

Seems the RVers, or boondockers as they're known... receive, and appreciate, a free pass for  a night's stay at many Wal-Marts across the nation, depending on local regulations.

The harm?  None as far as Wal-Mart's concerned.  The unspoken rule, according to veteran RVers is, just don't set your 'rig' up as if you're planning an extended stay.

And since they're on Wal-Mart property for the night, usually in a far corner of the parking lot and usually asleep as soon as possible, it's difficult to accept claims of additional litter, traffic and noise about which some township residents are reportedly complaining.

No need, however, to ask why all the fuss.  The battle over Wal-Mart's plans for the Cape Horn Road store has been long, costly, and bitter.  And for some opponents it was bitter enough to determine someone should pay.

But why pick on the RV crowd?  Because they may take advantage of a relatively secure area, on private property, for a night's shuteye?  A rowdy crowd they're not (unless you're talking about the Sob, Lowell & Rick Shaw gang... according to the Army Corps of Engineers Park Weenie at Raystown Lake... but I digress...).  And they appreciate the opportunity to get some rest while saving the rising cost of campground fees.

Besides, some residents' personal feelings about Wal-Mart aside, the retailer's  policy regarding RVers is a welcoming extension of the area in which they're located.  It is good will, like it or not, and does reflect well on the community (there are always a few exceptions depending on the specific store manager of course, but that attitude can be quickly corrected throught the District Manager, who's phone number is posted at the Courtesty Desk).

RVers in the main are a courteous and friendly group of people eager to make new friends and discover new corners of the country.  Many are retirees who have a hefty amount of their savings poured into their rigs and simply want to enjoy their travels.

The proposed action by Windsor Township to ban overnight parking -- clearly targeted at a Wal-Mart not yet built  (but making RVers the vicitms of their anger) -- is knee-jerk nasty."

See additional important information on Wal-Mart's policy and locations which have ordinances banning RV parking at Wal-Mart below.

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Bottom line as I know it from Wal-Mart management experience:

We want RVers.  All the PR angles aside, it's simple economics.  More customers = more sales and the store managers' incomes are based heavily on total sales... no matter what the customer drives in or if they stay overnight.  Especially at night because that's the slowest sales time.  RVers usually arrive later, after the mega-day rush has subsided and they do their shopping. 

When an employee would come in and say, "Hey Mark, there's two huge rigs out in the parking lot... what should we do about it?"  I'd say, "Great!  I hope the parking lot fills up with them... go take them some fresh coffee from my office and thank them for staying with us."  You know, I tracked their sales separately and found that, when you treat them like they're welcome, they will totally re-stock their food and misc supplies, grab some camping gear they forgot or wanted to get, and hit all kinds of departments.... crafts, clothing, automotive, stationary, housewares, electronics and even the  toy department, buying everything from CDs to bikes to books, pots and pans and George Forman grills.  I often greeted them myself and they would gladly grant my request for a tour of their rig.  I'd chat with them about their trip and their experiences we walked the aisles and take them to the items they were looking for... like all Wal-Mart employees are supposed to do, as Sam Walton, God bless his soul, had originally intended.  Show them that you appreciate them as people and your business grows.  Need there be any proof given?

Unfortunately but understandibly, many communities are against Wal-Mart openings because they inevitably drive the small, local retailers out of business; they simply can't compete with the retail giant's ability to buy enormous quantities of goods at vastly reduced cost and sell them way below what a local retailer can.  This is especially true  in the north-eastern most States.  And the community will do whatever it can to needle this unwanted mega-merchant.  Even at the expense of innocent, un-involved RVers.

So, in the vast majority of cases, it's the community, not Wal-Mart who is keeping us out of their parking lots. 

Now, on to the most important aspect of this series of posts...

Where is overnight parking at Wal-Mart banned, and what do I do if I'm not allowed to park at a Wal-Mart which doesn't have a parking ban?

As a side note, there are numerous anti-Wal-Mart websites out there, including a "Wal-Mart Sucks" forum for everyone who wants to bash them.

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With over 3,000 Wal-Marts and Sam's Clubs stores across the US alone, only about 200 have RV overnight parking ordinances.  For a current listing to check before you travel:

Freecamgroungs dot com.  Less than $5.
http://www.freecampgrounds.com/noparking.html

Here's some tips about good practices when staying in a Wal-Mart lot:

http://www.rv.net/forums/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/CFB/1/TID/157571.cfm

If you are at a Wal-Mart that you know allows overnight parking and anyone gives you any grief.... contact the store manager immediately from the courtesty desk.  He won't be happy with any employee who makes him have to get this call!  If he's not co-operative, get the District Manager's number from the courtesy desk as well.  He'll straighten out that store manager's attitude in a heart beat.

[Wendell]

Sent: 6/7/2005

We had our first experience staying overnight in a Wal-Mart parking lot 2 weeks ago.  Due to poor planning on my part, we arrived at the state park where we had reservations over the Memorial Day weekend only to discover that they had locked the gate for the night about 20 minutes before.  We were only about 4-5 miles from the burgeoning metropolis of Ville Platte, Louisiana where I knew there was a Wal-Mart (every town in Louisiana has one) and so we motored over there and parked.  They had just closed for the night too as this one isn't one of the 24 hour places and we simply parked as far away from the store as we could and got ready for bed. 

We had a good night and the next morning when the store opened at 7, I was the first one in the store to pick up an item or two that we had forgotten to pack and we were on our way.  I probably spent more with them than I would have if I had found a private RV park or something to stay the night.  Nobody bothered us and I was glad to have a flat quiet place to park for the night.  I wouldn't want to stay there as a matter of routine, but it is nice to know that you can do so in most places if you get in a bind.

[denisondc]

Sent: 6/8/2005

I have slept in my vehicle in a WalMart parking lot, after asking for and getting permission.
I make a distinction between parking to sleep, and camping - which I do at campgrounds, state parks, etc. If the campground offices would stay open for about an hour past dark, I would be more inclined to use them when we are driving for a long day.
The walmart at Gettysburg is off limits to overnight parking, due to RVs parking there by the dozens, for sucessive nights in the summers. I think the township board just didn't want that parking lot to be used in a way it wasnt set up to be used for; Long-term Campground overflow parking.
And a few Walmarts are located in municipalities where overnight parking wasnt allowed in ANY commercial parking lot that wasnt zoned for it, i.e. a campground.

[Oz]

Sent: 6/8/2005

The massive numbers of RV parking at the Wal-Mart in Gettysburg is a result of the battle re-enactments.  Too many RVs take up too much room and they have been abusing the privelage Wal-Mart extends in order to avoid paying at the local campgrounds.

[k0lde1]

Sent: 6/8/2005

I'm "guilty" of overnighting at walmart.

when driving across country I'll often "Crash" at a rest stop along the way, if i'm lucky enough to have to time to take a highway (as opposed to an interstate) I oft catch my "Z's" at a walmart.

i too usually fall into the didn't-ask-permission-because-they-were-closed category, as i drive pretty late. as a nice side effect I'm usually getting up around opening time, and at the very least restock on the road food.

Rest stops, truck stops, walmart,  whatever is handy and don't overstay your welcome in anyway.

[Daved27c]

Sent: 6/9/2005

While I know that our Wal-Mart (Glenmont NY 12077) allows RV parking, you would only be 5 minutes from our house. If you don't mind kids jumping on you at 6:30 am, we would be willing to cook you breakfast.

Dave

[Slantsixness]

Sent: 6/16/2005

There arer two Super Wal*Marts off I-95. One in Central Park in Fredericksburg VA(exit 130) and a brand new one in Massaponax VA(exit 126) both allow ovenighters...
There is even one other regular Wal*Mart in the area in Ferry Farms (George Washington's Boyhood home) they let you stay there too, but it's rather small for a Wal*Mart.

Heck, I've even seen overnighters at Target in Central Park! They seem to allow it, too...at least at that one...

And did I mention there's a Flying J in Carmel Church (exit 107)? on back roads, too.

Tom

[Oz]

Sent: 6/16/2005

Don't forget the Members' Area side-bar option, "Stops on the Way".  It provides links to the web-sites which contain complete listings of rest stops, Flying Js, and Wal-Marts across America.

[Slantsixness]

Sent: 6/16/2005

Speaking of "Stops on the Way"....
The Wal*Mart locator just sends you to some place where you can buy a book, not a locator.

[DheckmanCFO]

Sent: 3/5/2006

Try this link for locations its free

http://www.allstays.com/c/wal-mart-locations.htm

Dave

[Oz]

Sent: 6/16/2005

Another option is to buy a  Wal-Mart road map at any WM.  This gives all the locations at current time of printing in addition to having maps of the US and Canada.

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Sent: 6/20/2005

We stayed our first night out in a Walmart parking lot when our throttle cable broke, and we had to wait for Napa to get us a new one.  It really is pretty nice of them to let us stay there in a pinch!

We also stayed in a parking lot of a garage in Boone, NC, when it got dark on us driving through the mountains.  We couldn't find a Walmart, and it was way too dark to negotiate the dangerous twisting mountain roads!  Anyway, it was Saturday night, and we knew the business would be closed the following day (EVERY business is closed on Sundays in the South...lmao).  No one bothered us or questioned our presence, and we left bright and early the next morning, and made our campground by 2pm. 

Kev

[Rick Shaw]

Sent: 3/5/2006

     There are two Wal-Marts in St. Petersburg, Florida and neither one allows overnight parking.   I spoke to the manager and was informed that it was a city ordinance.   I traveled a few blocks from them, staying in the same city, and found a place called....."Kash & Karry".   This is a supermarket equal to any of your big chain stores.   I stay with them whenever I am in St. Pete and they welcome me.    The irony of the story is that they are only a few blocks from the Wal-Marts but the same city "ordinance" doesn't seem to exist with them.   I believe in this case that it is Wal-Marts choice to discriminate against motorhome parking.

Rick

[Oz]

Sent: 3/5/2006

There are certainly exceptions.  Particularly when the store is close to a major road exchange or tourist attraction.  Gettysburg, PA for instance.  When the re-enactments are staged around the anniversary of the battle, RVs will litterally clog the Wal-Mart parking lot to its capacity.  Therefore, they have adopted a no RV policy.  That only makes sense.

[gromit440]

WalMart saved our tails this year as well. We wanted to stay at Congaree Park in SC but they were doing prescribed burning. The ranger there recommended we stay at a state park about an hour away. As another reader, we got there at 6:17 and a sign indicated the gates closed at 6:00. From there, even though we were very tired after being on the road all day, we wandered for a couple of hours finally winding up at a 24 hour Super WalMart in Aiken. We went in and bought groceries and other supplies and were wholeheartedly given permission to spend the night. I must admit, given this was the first time we'd stayed at a WalMart, we had a great nights rest and were fully charged and refreshed to set out on our way the next morning. Much better than wandering around tired and blurry eyed...possibly causing a road mishap of some kind. We think WalMart should be commended for contributing to the safety of travelers, let alone the merchandise they have to offer.  We are very grateful for their hospitality!

Jeff and Sandra

[Cooneytoones]

Here is a current list of the Walmart Stores that will not :police: ^...REPEAT NOT let you park there so pass these store by...or you may get :police:

Do Not Park  click link:
http://www.allstays.com/c/walmart-locations-noparking.htm

For a list of all stores and locations, including maps for all current Walmart Stores
click the link below:

http://www.allstays.com/c/wal-mart-locations.htm

Timmy

[LJ-TJ]

Well the L.J. and I are Wal-Mart Campers. You'll be hard pressed to find a more welcoming group of folks. I like the fact that at most Wal-Mart's you have all night security driving around, you have 24 hour video surveillance and you can restock at a reasonable price. If our backs been up against it, they've let us do repairs. As a rule in most cases the reason you can't lay over night is not because of Wal-Mart but because the local politations think your going to go to one of the camp grounds.....NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. I'll just move along to the next Wal-Mart that will let us lay over. Believe me when I say it cost them or money when we leave and move on down the road I like being off the road before dark. So Wal-Mart works out great. When we're ready to dump we pull into a T/A truck stop or a Flying J. When your working on a pension or limited funds you have to find ways to be Frugal / Thrifty but never Cheep.

[angrybreadbox73]

hey guys im gonna add my 2 cents on this too as a professional driver many have been kicked out of walmart because of the actions of only a few so basically if u cleanup before u leave the lot and leave a good image to the naysayers or actions will speak louder than our words

[ibdilbert01]

The overnight Walmart parking policy is currently being determined by the local Walmart management.   Also some of the Walmarts are in areas where the local ordinances do not allow overnight walmart parking.   Some Walmarts have stopped it because it was being abused by other campers whom made a nuisance of themselves during their stay.   So currently some walmarts allow it, some do not.  I stayed at a few last year without any issues or complaints, however usually I get in late, and leave early.

[JDxeper]

At our  Wal Mart we have any where from 3-5 rvers per night and also 2-5 tractors. Most are gone before *8:00 am and arrive after 6 0r 7 pm.  Staying in  Wal Marts is a local thing and store dependent.
JD

[Oz]

Ours permits one or two a night as well.  I don't know if I posted this earlier in this topic, but there is a comprehensive list availble on the web of which store do and don't allow RV overnight parking.

[ClydesdaleKevin]

We'll stay at Walmarts along our route on occasion, but really prefer the Flying J or Love's truck stops. 

Kev