The company has allowed overnight parking for RVers in many of its 4,700 US lots going back to the days of founder Sam Walton in the mid-twentieth century. Even RV enthusiasts Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and his wife, conservative activist Ginni Thomas, have been known to stay at Walmart.
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I see the occasional motor home at our Walmart, but not too many - maybe one or two a week. Lafayette's a little off the beaten path.
If you "can't afford" an RV park, you aren't on vacation in your new RV. You are homeless and sleeping in your (larger) car. No wonder local ordinances prohibit it. Walmart parking lots could turn into camps.
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Outside Knoxville you get a couple here snd tgere. Any big "mall" like parkinglot, really.
ReplyDeleteThe WalMart lots in my area have turned into open-air drug markets open from 1 AM to 6 AM. No wonder the RV retiree owners are opting for Red Roof Inns instead.
ReplyDeleteI’ve used Walmart lots often on my travels. Easy in easy out usually, that’s great when you’re pulling a big fifth wheel. Other business get our/RV money to not just wallofchinamart.
ReplyDeleteno more welcome mat for truck drivers either. It's a real problem finding a place to park a rig when your electronic overlord says it's time to shut it down.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the Super WalMart here allows boonjdocking anymore. Dilapidated trailers and RV's that shouldn't have been on the road in the first place are abandoned and WalMart is left with the cost of having them towed. So, yes, the low life's again ruined it for those who are responsible boondockers. Now the POS RV's are parked across the street and they panhandle in front of WM. Same ones always there - because they're only used to sleep and do drugs in.
ReplyDeleteI must agree that it is the bad ones who have ruined it for the decent ones, who just want a cheap place to stop and sleep for the night, and then be on their way. We have a Wallyworld close by, and lately, they have been discouraging overnight stays. But truck drivers still park overnight. I don't think that management tries to get them removed, as long as they are not causing trouble.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with a store manager who shuts it down, when he or she has to continue to devote time and money to cleaning up and disposing of garbage, sewage, and dead RV's. It is just like any other thing. If you are decent, treat people kindly, perhaps spend some money in their store, then ask nicely if you can spend the night and be gone before the place gets busy in the morning, I suspect you will get a lot further than the selfish type, that we all know about.
pigpen51
The ones here have designed the main parking lot with entrances that have tight turns and high curbs probably to prevent RV's from entering. The Truck entrances only have space for the Trucks to back into the loading docks and they'd get towed from there...
ReplyDeleteOn an RV trip a few years ago, my wife and I pulled into a Walmart parking lot and parked next to a few other rigs that were overnighting there. Worst night's sleep EVER. The Walmart people spent all night crushing boxes in a compactor about 30 yards from our rig; the trucks left their diesel engines running, people out milling around and TALKING LOUDLY all f*$king night long. We finally gave up around 6am and hit the road to our final destination. I'll never do that again.
ReplyDeleteWe had a popup that we used in michigan so there was no need for overnight lay ups. couple of years ago we got a smaller trailer we could tow behind our Chevy Traverse, so we took the Tsgt Joe dog and cat show on the road to Florida then south carolina. We did stop at walmarts overnight. A couple of places were a bit scary and we saw some folks fucking it up for everyone, dumping their trash in the lot, some folks obviously living there.
ReplyDeleteI do have one fond story, We set out for Florida after Christmas 2018 with our new rescue dog "bobby" We had only had him less than 3 months and he slept on a dog bed on our bedroom floor, he had gone through a lot medically during that 3 months, including getting his left rear leg amputated. The trailer was small and I figured he could sleep on the floor. First night the trailer floor was bitter cold so I put him in bed with us, the cat copped a "fuck that " attitude but we parked bobby between us and every 10 minutes for the first couple of hours bobby would pop up look back and forth between my wife and me then dive back under the covers. Since that time he has slept almost every night with us. At some point in the vacation the cat mellowed and started snuggling with the dog.
A family camped at my local Walmart for 2 weeks or more. After they attacked a Walmart employee, police being called, brawls, and a police shooting (all due to this one family), the city said "go away." Can't say I blame them.
ReplyDeleteSome Walmarts actually have designated semi truck and RV parking. Effingham Illinois comes to mind.
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