Walmart Overnight


kidkasha

Junior Member
Is staying overnight at Walmart safe?? is there a book put out with all the listings available. Or should I stay away for safety
 

akjimny

Senior Member
I will give you a qualified "Yes," on that. You do have to take the location of the Walmart into consideration. I have overnighted at a couple and have had no problems. Just make sure to check with the store manager before settling in for the night. I have found it is best to do this after shopping so that I have a cart full of Walmart bags when I ask.:):) It also helps if there are other campers already in the parking lot.
 

Grandview Trailer Sa

Senior Member
But don't put out your picnic table, awning, grill, patio mat and chairs.....and don't dump your tanks into the storm drains. All has been done, but frowned upon.
 

TexasClodhopper

Senior Member
The best book to get for traveling is called "Next Exit" and lists lots of WalMarts that are on the interstate highways.

Oh, by the way it lists a ton and a half of other stuff on the roads, too! :triumphant:
 

JimE

Senior Member
We always call ahead and get permission and the name of the manager and they usually ask us to park in a specific section of the parking lot. My wife normally pulls up the store on Google Earth just to see what the area looks like just to make sure it appears safe. With that said, we have probably stayed at Walmarts a dozen times but on a recent trip we were asked to leave even though the store manager gave us permission. Evidently it was a local ordinance that banned overnight parking. The security guard was great and well prepared and directed us to another near by Walmart where we were allowed to park overnight.
 

H2H1

Senior Member
well we have 3 super walmarts and all will allow over night parking. However, as Ken stated, never set up like you intend on staying or empty your tank in the water drains. If you get caught emphying the tanks here you will be fined and it is a big one to.
 

akjimny

Senior Member
Like JimE said, Walmart sells a Rand McNally road atlas that lists every Walmart in the US and Canada. Or I can just ask "Suzie" (my GPS) for the nearest one and she'llgive me turn-by-turn directions to there.:):)
 

H2H1

Senior Member
Well Jimmy I don't have a "SUZIE" but I do have a "MARIA" that loves to shop at Walmart and I bet she can find one in any city.
 

Kirk

Senior Member
We have found that most Wal-Mart stores will allow you to spend the night unless there is some local ordinance to prohibit it or if they just don't have the space for customers and RVs too.

As to the safety there, it is generally safe enough unless the store happens to be in a bad neighborhood. You always need to use good judgment in where you park. If you are not comfortable just leaving a care in a location, then you probably should not spend the night. In general, they are more safe than would be a highway rest area, but less so than in an RV park.
 

Tone

Junior Member
A few years back my family and I just picked up our rental MH. First thing we needed to do is head around to the local Walmart (Las Vegas) to fill the fridge and cupboards with food for our trip across to Orlando FL.
Well we had only just turned off the motor when we were confronted with a security guard politely but firmly telling us that if we had any intentions of staying the night - forget it.
We explained that we were here to shop and will be on our way to a RV Park we were booked.
The security guard at this location sure didn't want any overnight company! :)
 

TexasClodhopper

Senior Member
I would have politely asked him to show me to the store manager, so I could ask the store manager why he's trying to run off customers before they even get into the store! THEN I would go shop somewhere else.
 

Grandview Trailer Sa

Senior Member
That would be my way of thinking Tex....but I don't shop CHINA'S OUTLET STORE any more than I have to, so I probably would not have stopped in the first place....
 

H2H1

Senior Member
What Ken does not shop at China Mart? I AM IN SHOCK, BUT where can you go and buy anything made in America? A lot of things are asemble here, but not made here.
 

Grandview Trailer Sa

Senior Member
Hollis, I do my best to shop local businesses....they are what keep this country running. I used to shop Wal Mart when Sam Walton was alive, but what he started is not the same now. Back then, he had signs hanging off the ceiling....MADE IN AMERICA
 

C Nash

Senior Member
We have stayed overnight several times and had no problems. Never put the awning out and most times no slide put out. Park in a well lit area and out of the way. Pick up all trash around you the next morning regardless whether its yours or not.
 

Tone

Junior Member
TexasClodhopper;75110 said:
I would have politely asked him to show me to the store manager, so I could ask the store manager why he's trying to run off customers before they even get into the store! THEN I would go shop somewhere else.

Perhaps I should have asked for the store manager but we had only been in your beautiful country a matter of days and weren't going to stir the pot.
It happened to us again in Florida where we we were making our way to Cape Kennedy Space Center. We got our selves a little disorientated and pulled into a carpark of a shopping center and again while we were studying the road map, a security fella came across in his golf cart knocking on my window asking us to move on. All very polite but firm.
Of course we explained what we were doing - he was ok with that.
 
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