To Slide or not to Slide with Walmart

Topic: To Slide or not to Slide with Walmart (Read 1070 times) previous topic - next topic

To Slide or not to Slide with Walmart

July 20, 2013, 09:17:28 am

In traveling to and from I have decided to try staying at FJ or Pilot or Walmart instead of paying KOA for not great parking experience. Easier to get into, shopping available, sometimes fuel but is it OK to put the front slide out for more room while parked. Will go to corner of lot away from normal parking as most of these lots are big. What is the correct thing to do? Do not wish to hamper the welcome mat. DAN

Re: To Slide or not to Slide with Walmart

Reply #1 – July 20, 2013, 09:23:37 am

I never put out my slides especially in a truck stop.

Re: To Slide or not to Slide with Walmart

Reply #2 – July 20, 2013, 09:31:05 am

I Googled "Walmart RV Etiquette" and see nothing on at least 4 sites suggesting no slides. Lots of no awnings, bbq, chairs, dog pens, and trash, and generators.

Of course all the sites said to get permission from someone in charge. Then park away and out of the main drives, arrive late and be gone early. Purchases in the store or fuel are encouraged. There are several sites that list the stores that allow or do not allow over night parking. And all the sites mention, "parking, not camping".

Other places to stop, might include Cracker Barrel and Cabellas.

Re: To Slide or not to Slide with Walmart

Reply #3 – July 20, 2013, 09:41:59 am

I have an app which locates all Walmarts which allow overnite parking. When in Cody, Wy last summer there were about 25 to 30 rvs in the Walmart parking lot (back and to the side), mostly out of necessity as all the campgrounds were full. DAN

Re: To Slide or not to Slide with Walmart

Reply #4 – July 20, 2013, 10:06:04 am

In today's world, does it really make sense to stay in a Walmart parking lot? Are you really secure there? I would say unless all campgrounds are filled to capacity, staying at a public site in public view invites trouble. You never know today what individual will do when seeing a person like ourselves who can afford a Foretravel will do today. We have heard of stories about truckers doing bad things to RVs in truck stops overnight. Well, Joe public would be the same. I personally like to support those campground owners who would not mind getting a few dollars for an overnight stay instead of taking my chances wide open, in plain site at a Walmart shopping lot. Thank is my opinion and we are full timers with no residence to call home.

Re: To Slide or not to Slide with Walmart

Reply #5 – July 20, 2013, 10:18:09 am

You would hate. To have me as your neighbor in a camp ground. I will arrive at 8 or 9 and leave at four in the morning. If I have to unhook it is earlier. Then there is the time spent getting off setting up and getting back to the interstate. Never had an sue in 13 yrs of truckstops rest areas or wal marts. The reason I do not put them out is that they are hard to see at night.

I do not worry about others thinking i have a motor home and bothering me. Mosttruckers ask about the coach and the only issues I have had have been broad daylight walking the dogs.

Camp grounds are for when I get there. I have probably stayed in five gampground travelling to and fro in 13 yrs and 300k miles. I will say this though with the price of fuel now a cheap campground near the interstate with a pull thru on a short travel day is my new thing. Long days not so much.

Re: To Slide or not to Slide with Walmart

Reply #6 – July 20, 2013, 10:30:29 am

Well, we are not point A to point B type of people. We drive 200 miles a trip, stay three weeks, and then go again. I know some are up in the early hours of the morning, drive 12 hours straight to get to the next stop. I have driven like that for many of the years driving buses and it is not safe at a later time in life. Life is about enjoying to little things along the way to me. All to their own way of driving. Hope those who are flying down the road after 12 hours of straight driving will be going another way than mine

Re: To Slide or not to Slide with Walmart

Reply #7 – July 20, 2013, 10:56:22 am

I agree and would love the 200 miles and stop and maybe I will get that one day whie it is of my choosing. My grands live cross country and I still work, well not this month, and I have two weeks to get there see them and get home. Always build in an extra travel day into the plans though. I drive a work day about ten to 12 hours.

Re: To Slide or not to Slide with Walmart

Reply #8 – July 20, 2013, 11:45:27 am

We stay at Walmart or a truck stop if we are doing an A to B type trip. It doesn't make sense to spend $30 to $50 dollars to stay in a campground for a few hours. We've done it several times and never had an issue. Well there was that time in Springfield, MO where we parked at the far end of the parking lot and when we woke up in the morning we where surrounded by cars parked by senior citizens that were catching a bus to Branson for the day. We barely had room to backup and make it out!

Escapees puts out a guide for parking at Walmart. They say to always ask permission but the last couple of times I've asked the service desk gave me a generic answer of "It's a public parking lot. We can't say yes you can or no you can't". I guess the lawyers are having them say that now to avoid any responsibility. Here are some of the suggestions from Escapees.

Don't make an "overnight" into multiple nights. Nothing gives more fuel to the RV park owner's fire than to see the same rig in the same spot for more than a few hours.

Ask first. Unless otherwise posted, many Walmarts welcome RVing friends, but a quick check at the service counter will yield an answer you can respond to critics with. Often stores will have areas they'd prefer we stay in, typically farther away from the store to allow in-and-out customers easier access.

Don't put out your awnings, barbecue grills, loungers, etc. The idea is to put in overnight, get a little rest, and be gone.

Hydraulic levelers can damage asphalt. Seek out a level spot so you won't need them.

Don't leave anything--other than your dollars--behind. Some RVers go out of their way to pick up trash left in the area by others. Certainly we'd never want to leave trash--or worse--behind when we leave.

Doing these things makes it a whole lot easier for business folk to defend RVers if and when well-meaning but oft misguided public officials try and kill off a good thing.

see ya
ken

Re: To Slide or not to Slide with Walmart

Reply #9 – July 20, 2013, 12:05:24 pm

For us it doesn't make economic sense. The wife needs AC and her O2 concentrator. We don't hit the road early. 12 hours of generator run time makes the price differential pretty thin. If I'm on my own (pretty rare - only happened 3 times and 2 of those were buying/selling!) then I'll stay in a truck stop or Walmart. I wouldn't deploy slides though.

Re: To Slide or not to Slide with Walmart

Reply #10 – July 20, 2013, 12:14:28 pm

newer walmart parking lots are designed with gardens, trees curbs, etc.
that make navigation of a forty foot foretravel almost impossible. enjoy
them while you can.

Re: To Slide or not to Slide with Walmart

Reply #11 – July 20, 2013, 12:38:28 pm

Nice to have so many choices. I generally do not extend the slide at all unless I am in my garage, having been caught with it out and unable to retract it and spending $300.00 for a MOT man come and hit the motor on the hydraulic pump, then it worked. I promised myself I do not need the extra space that much, so I'm chicken to put it out.
As for the camp grounds vs traveling, I am a traveler, not much of a vacationer. Just got home from a 4700+ mile venture, stayed in paid campgrounds 3 nites, then between FOT and Xtreme 5 nites. While there is no fee for FOT or Xtreme, they are far from free. The rest of the time, Truck Stops, 1 Wally World, I feel as safe between two truckers as anywhere, maybe cuz I drove 18 wheelers years ago and have a sense of who, what & where as for the surroundings. That does not include ALL truck stops. I also travel alone and do not close the front or door blinds, just the locks. No one knows who is watching.
Do what makes you feel good.

Re: To Slide or not to Slide with Walmart

Reply #12 – July 20, 2013, 12:42:13 pm

We always use Wal-Marts en route and have for 12 years. KOAs have priced themselves out of reason for us and don't allow for simple dry-camping. Most Inights, I just want to park and sleep, and do not want to get out and hook up anything. That is one reason I have a Foretravel: The wonderful capacities of fresh water, grey water, battery/generator amperage, etc. Plugging in every night sure isn't necessary, and my bathroom is more comfortable than a campground bathroom.

I agree with the Escapees Etiquite guide. Toad stays hooked up and my slide stays in.

Truck stops have lots of fender-benders, according to my truck driver son who now uses a dash cam to keep watch for "bump and run" trucks while he is out of the cab or in the sleeper. The RV parking at the truckstops I seem to pass is usually a bit short for the coach and toad, so I am partial to WMs (and Elks Clubs).

Re: To Slide or not to Slide with Walmart

Reply #13 – July 20, 2013, 12:56:59 pm

Walmart is great. Food and Fixet store right there.
We also look at county fair sites.. sometime $10 full hookup drive thru sites.

Re: To Slide or not to Slide with Walmart

Reply #14 – July 20, 2013, 03:29:13 pm

We no longer have a slide but when we had the 5er with a slide we did not put it out unless we were "camped". We often use rest stops for quickie naps and even an overnight (harder to find a spot what with 18-wheelers using all of them now that the rules have tightened for them). We like Walmart and appreciate their attitude towards RVers so we do spend nights in their parking lots when we need a rest and are near one of them that allow it.

Our personal rule is to not appear to be "camping" but to look like we're parked and shopping. Since we do shop in the store when we are parked that's never been a problem for us. We will often unhook the toad because the distance to the store from where we park is often farther than I can walk in any reasonable time frame. Walmart, for some reason, gets cranky when I ride my mountain bike inside the store. Go figure....

Craig

Re: To Slide or not to Slide with Walmart

Reply #15 – July 20, 2013, 05:07:16 pm

I can't imagine Walmart, not making good or at least... income... off of RV'ers staying for the night, so they generally have a good plan; Park here, shop and we are both happy. That said, traveling through N. Mississippi will show you big yellow 'steel' horizontal members over the ingress of some of their parking lots.. usually too low for an RV to enter. So some of their locations, I think, where their parking lots are small and interstate is close, they do their best to limit us. I get it.

I am usually traveling A to B so I will certainly use Walmart or anywhere the law allows. IF at Walmart, I always ask or make my presence noted at their front desk(and "remember" the name tag). I also tape my last Walmart receipt onto the inside of the windshield/driver's side, until I return with the one for that day's stop and................ 'always buy something.'
As a customer, no slides, no generator, no beach chairs/barbeques etc. i am then a customer...."Parking" like any other. Unless they Post a sign limiting Time, I am a customer/ my vehicle is larger so I do stand out, so I do my best to blend in.

However, I believe much of this is about 'courtesy'. Show it first and you get it back.

Re: To Slide or not to Slide with Walmart

Reply #16 – July 20, 2013, 05:20:12 pm

Walmart yellow crossing pipe that I have seen are at least 12' 6", my coach goes under just fine with the antennas taping it, no issue. Also have seen numburous stands that have been torn out/up by wide awake truckers, they are the problem Walnart is trying to discourage. If I had a taller vehicle I would be more cautious.

Re: To Slide or not to Slide with Walmart

Reply #17 – July 20, 2013, 06:07:35 pm

I would keep in the slide and the other considerate points (per escapees). Agree also that if one is going to be there several days, probably best to go to campground (also I would rather not hang around a Wal-Mart too long). I pretty much only stay at a WalMart for a few hours whilst traveling to rest up for a bit. However, I am not a full timer and have limited time which keeps me on the road when traveling.

Re: To Slide or not to Slide with Walmart

Reply #18 – July 20, 2013, 07:42:29 pm

we have used Walmarts in Phx for years on the way to Mexico but now most are not allowing overnighters due to the fact the parking lots are on leased land not owned by walmart so local bylaws stop parking. We use any place we can find and last few years the rear parking at churches have been good. We allways ask first and have never been refused. Truck stops are good but too noisey for ruth usually. with the solar we never need the gen'. Only if we need camping for more than 2 nights do I look for a C-gound.
John h

Re: To Slide or not to Slide with Walmart

Reply #19 – July 20, 2013, 08:29:23 pm

I put mine out, but only even stay one might

Re: To Slide or not to Slide with Walmart

Reply #20 – July 20, 2013, 08:29:25 pm

We team drive to nascar, 22 hours straight a common trip.

Re: To Slide or not to Slide with Walmart

Reply #21 – July 20, 2013, 09:25:20 pm

No slides on our coach, so no concern about slides. We will almost always shop at a business that has allowed us to park overnight. We avoid shopping where the posted signs prohibit overnight parking. About the only change in the appearance of our coach from shopping trip to overnight stay is whether the blinds are closed. We seldom stay at any "freebie" more than 12 hours.

A document that appears to be endorsed by several RV organizations is here: http://www.overnightrvparking.com/parkingetiquette.pdf

Re: To Slide or not to Slide with Walmart

Reply #22 – July 20, 2013, 10:00:15 pm

When my son and I drove the coach home from Florida after purchasing it a year ago, we stopped at a Walmart in Missouri at about 2 am to rest for a couple of hours. I went outside to do a walk-around to check tires, etc. and when I got back to the door a man was waiting for me and asking for money. I learned when pulling in late to a Walmart, don't get out of the coach until morning.

Re: To Slide or not to Slide with Walmart

Reply #23 – July 20, 2013, 10:19:31 pm

We Walmart regularly when going from point A to point B and dont' want to bother with a campground. We always "check in" with one of the Greeters, park in an out of the way spot (or with other RVs or semi rigs, and we only unhook the toad if we can't get it out of the way. We don't need to put the slide out to be comfortable, and it is only for a few hours.

Re: To Slide or not to Slide with Walmart

Reply #24 – July 21, 2013, 08:46:45 pm

Somewhere, I have a page I ripped out of some magazine written by an attorney. Gosh I hate to rely on that

, but... there was some common sense in his article.

Be courteous, I do think was mentioned

If signs said, "No Overnight Parking", then don't!

IF..town rules are not posted, but you get a knock on the door and there is a gent wearing a Police uniform..then listen and yes, obey/no matter what.

However, (if I remember this correctly), IF, you are on some public property, paid for by taxes, like a road side rest area or steet parking..., then...it's ok to park your registered vehicle and certainly rest.

IF, it's a street and NO signs prohibit OVERNIGHT parking, then if you trust your surroundings then....certainly rest.

Same too for any parking lot that DOES NOT SAY.... "specifically, NO overnight parking". ( Parking lots of public or private businesses that offer parking without prohibitive signage....) cannot disallow you from parking there. (Ok, this I believe was his words) If it's open to the Public, you can use it...YOU ARE the PUBLIC....(your vehicle just looks different) (I'm adding this: NO PROFILING!

Also said was...."Places like Post Offices , court houses, or locations in or near Police Stations....(IE other places that are official/public and can expect and early morning crowd, should have NO problem with you showing up EARLY, (no beach chairs).

Be respectful and things should flow.

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