Comments on: How to Park Overnight at Wal-Mart

By: Dennis J

Dennis J — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 02:56:17 +0000

I like the article and it is dead on with the comments on slideout and putting your jacks down. We were very close to having an ordinance in our town at the Walmart and it was because of damage and taking up so much space in the Walmart lot. If you need your jacks and slideouts, then go to a regular RV Campground. Good article and in all honesty it is just out lining the common curtious behavior we should all have.
Thanks for the info,

By: Ray Dolchanczyk

Ray Dolchanczyk — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:01:18 +0000

I have stayed in many Walmarts,across the USA.I have never been refused or asked to leave.When I leave,early in the AM,you would never know that I had been there.I really appreciate this Walmart policy and always try to buy something and say thanks for this privilege. Please don’t abuse this amenity. Thank you for this forum…Ray

By: Debby

Debby — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:36:35 +0000

I have a request from those of us who RV on a budget and who do it for the educational benefits that traveling provides our children. PLEASE PLEASE only stay at Walmart if you can follow the rules. Walmart parking lots are one of the things that make RVing possible for us. Without them, we are back to the tent. THANKS!!

By: Timothy

Timothy — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 23:00:26 +0000

I think the same. Rentals and some other older RVs fit in well. But the super expensive ones do stand out. Mostly because everything is so fancy that it all takes power. Most of the big rigs are always having to plug in just to go to sleep so you wouldn’t think they could survive in a parking lot. Or maybe they don’t have any money left to stay anywhere!

By: Michael

Michael — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 01:46:12 +0000

I always laugh when I see a $250,000.00 motor home parked at a Walmart. If you can afford a RV like that
stay in a campground. I drive a nice RV and would never stay at Walmart. Never

By: Gus F

Gus F — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 01:00:08 +0000

We stayed in several Walmarts on our travels to the mid-west. We always ask the on duty manager permission. Yes, we always seem to spend money in the store before we leave. I’ve noticed alot of RV’ers seem to think the Walmarts are their private campground and make a mess of the parking lot. They spoil it for the rest of us.

By: Adam

Adam — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 04:27:18 +0000

Thank you very much for reinforcing that tip. Calling ahead is important as the info changes all the time. Almost every day someone tells me, you have this one as “no parking” and we parked fine. Or it’s not marked as no parking and we were told no. I can only go by the tips sent in…so if it’s not marked as “no parking”, no one has given a report yet. In this case, I’ve heard back and forth about at least one store in Edmonds. One person said it is signed but if you ask nicely, you may get a yes. But it’s better to assume a no.

By: Dan'l

Dan'l — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 02:32:56 +0000

From my experience using the Wal-Mart list on this site, it’s very handy. However, you will save yourself a LOT of time and frustration if you follow the advice to CALL AHEAD to see if they allow overnight RV parking. On a recent trip through Oklahoma City, we found that all three Wal-Marts in Edmond, OK do *NOT* allow RV parking of any kind and each Edmond store has posted signs stating such. We would have saved a lot of time if we had called ahead!! In other words, just because the map indicator is blue doesn’t mean that that overnight parking is okay!

By: Joe L

Joe L — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 20:20:02 +0000

We are full timing across the country so we very rarely need a parking lot. When we do we try to stay at a fuel stop, when the trucks start up in the mornings time for breakfast and than on the road.
Walmart is our 2nd choice. We look at where in the lot we will impact the lease, park, go in to the store and get permission to stay the night.
I do open 1 small slide in bedroom if possible, that way wife doesn’t have to climb over me.

By: Whoppo

Whoppo — Wed, 20 May 2009 17:59:56 +0000

We boondock at Walmarts frequently when we’re traveling.
We have no slide-outs, no hydraulic levelers, etc. Our side stairs are manually deployed / stowed and this can only be done from outside. We will often deploy the “porch” when we arrive, but usually stow them before we turn in for the night, so we can turn the key and drive away if we need. We will often be there until 10 or 11 in the morning… not sleeping late, but shopping. We pretty much always buy something from a Walmart that has been gracious enough to let us stay for the night, and the total usually winds up be 100 dollars or more. Definitely more expensive than a campground, but eminently more convenient When making our purchases, we ALWAYS mention that we boondocked in their parking lot and we ALWAYS thank them.