Sleeping in the Walmart Parking Lot

Tedd

Tedd

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Jul 25, 2013
750
TES 246 Versus near Vancouver, BC
Leeward Rail said:
But as that says... Ask the manager.
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As I mentioned earlier, that's not really necessary because there are online sources that will tell you which Walmarts allow it and which don't--much better for planning purposes than phoning around. If you're really anal you could follow that up with a phone call, but I haven't found that necessary.
 
Leeward Rail

Leeward Rail

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Mar 20, 2015
3,095
C&C 30 Mk1 Winnipeg
Tedd said:
there are online sources that will tell you which Walmarts
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Many RV websites show information that is out of date.
Unless it was an official list on the Walmart website, or a list that is officially updated regularly.
I personally wouldn't trust it.

I have found listings of campgrounds online, and on arrival found the no longer exist.

The link above talks about the large decrease in the percentage of Walmarts that allow camping. I would hate to drive up, stay overnight and discover it wasn't allowed.

After all, the whole marketing of the idea is they want you to go in the store and buy things.

If you pull in the lot, and can't see signs.... A 10 second discussion with the greeter before a purchase, would remove any questions.. "yes sir. You can camp, but only in the NW corner of the lot". Or "no sir a new bylaw was passed a week ago that prohibits it" or "we have had a bunch of robberies in the lot and we no longer allow overnight parking"
 
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Hayden Watson

Hayden Watson

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Apr 5, 2009
2,819
Catalina '88 C30 tr/bs Oak Harbor, WA
JBP-PA said:
How can you find places like this? Especially if you are traveling. I've run across one or two, but it was just by luck. Is there was a reliable directory somewhere?
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There is an app for that. RVParky.com. You can filter the search so that it shows you want you want. You can also spend the night at many Cabela's, Cracker Barrel and Camping World. RVParky also shows rest area.
 
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S

sesmith

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Jul 1, 2010
962
Catalina 350 Lake Huron
We've stopped overnights at Walmarts on our travels. We usually get some odd looks from the RV'ers when we climb down out of the boat in the morning. The last time we overnighted at one, there was a designated RV area in the parking lot. There were a couple of rigs there that looked like they spent the summer there :yikes:.
 
Siamese

Siamese

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Aug 2, 2009
641
Catalina 315 Muskegon
I've been naked in the Walmart parking lot many times. I mean, there you are in your travel trailer, taking a shower, and you realize where you are. We traveled through the Southern U.S. for several years before getting a winter condo in Mobile, AL. We used Walmart lots whenever we were between campgrounds.

There you are, sitting in your living room watching a movie, and you get a hankering for a Key Lime Yoplait Yogurt. Wander into the store, use the self checkout, and wander back to the living room. It's like having an extremely well stocked kitchen at your disposal.
 
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walt

walt

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Jun 1, 2007
3,511
Macgregor 26S Hobie TI Ridgway Colorado
Where are the pictures so we know this actually did happen??

(show some pictures of your new toy!!)
 
Tedd

Tedd

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Jul 25, 2013
750
TES 246 Versus near Vancouver, BC
walt said:
Where are the pictures so we know this actually did happen??

(show some pictures of your new toy!!)
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Hi @walt ,

Sorry, for some reason I didn't see this until just now. I don't have any pictures of Lookfar in a Walmart parking lot, but here's a photo of her at anchor on the Ottawa River, during the test sail before I brought her home.
IMG_3221_downsampled.JPG
 
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HeelBoy

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Sep 18, 2022
102
Macgregor 25 Cincinnati
Broadly speaking, what you all are referring to is the practice of "boondocking", or "stealth camping" as it pertains to to Walmart lots and other civilized areas. Interstate Rest Areas are fair game too, but good luck finding a spot that hasn't been taken by a semi.
I have done a lot of this in over a million miles of road trips across the US, outfitting a live-aboard SUV got me ready for the luxury of a 25ft trailer sailer. lol

There are many online resources for free campsites (like The Dyrt), where you can get real user-written info to give you a heads up on the particulars. Broadly speaking, I'd drag my Mac 25 into anything that has been reviewed by RV'ers. There's actually a spot in the South Dakota badlands I's love to go back to with my Mac, just to juxtapose it against the landscape. lol
 
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rgranger

rgranger

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Jan 19, 2010
12,377
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
HeelBoy said:
Broadly speaking, what you all are referring to is the practice of "boondocking", or "stealth camping" as it pertains to to Walmart lots and other civilized areas. Interstate Rest Areas are fair game too, but good luck finding a spot that hasn't been taken by a semi.
I have done a lot of this in over a million miles of road trips across the US, outfitting a live-aboard SUV got me ready for the luxury of a 25ft trailer sailer. lol

There are many online resources for free campsites (like The Dyrt),
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I had not heard of the Dyrt before.... but now that I have....:)
thedyrt.com

The Dyrt | Camping near me: Tent, RV sites, Glamping & Cabins

Find and book camping near me from over 6,000,000 locations, tips & photos submitted by campers like you.
thedyrt.com thedyrt.com
 
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