Wal-mart parking entrance hazard

[rip]

So, I'm pulling my Windjammer into the Shreveport LA Wal-mart on W Port Ave to do some shopping for supplies, my cousin is behind me in a Forest River 5th Wheel... I'm worming my way thru typical mid-day traffic at a long entrance driveway with left/right side traffic coming from several directions as the lane also goes past the fuel pumps area, some people are courteous and give us room to make turns in to clear curbs and them.

I go in first, busy using rear view mirrors and watching all around to clear moving cars and curb. Hurry Ray, hurry, watch that car there, and that one too, miss the one trying to go around you, go, go, turn, made it!!! In a bit, my cousin is coming in... wham, bam, crunch, grind... their A/C's are smacked and roof vents cracked across their tops!!!

As we look back, we see it, an overhead barrier with iron I-beams hanging from chains. I never saw it as I came in because I was too busy paying attention to all the left/right/front/behind traffic, and obviously my cousin didn't either. We notice that a tree partly obscures the contraption too as you're driving in past the fuel pump area to the right at the entrance.

We learn they have them at all three entrances. My bumper pull just cleared it, a fifth wheel is in trouble. No big warning signs, no big flashing hazzard lights, just better be looking up and see the 12' warning on it. Well, I never noticed the contraption itself much less the text printed on it.

Now aware, we go back and take a picture when there is a short break in the traffic so we can stand in the driveway...

[TURBS]

Man that bites!
Sorry about that!

But that sucker is bright yellow!

Turbs

[B47]

That's rough. I never saw barriers at any of the few WM's I go to.

One thing - anytime I see a yellow or any color frame like that one, I look up while applying the brakes to slow down to get the big picture.

Mr.WM will probably say that the warning signs were all there - Sorry.

[B47]

Originally Posted by f1100turbo

Man that bites!
Sorry about that!

But that sucker is bright yellow!

Turbs

Yep - and Yellow means Caution.

[B and B]

Must be to keep the mud trucks out of the lot! Those suckers are higher than my fiver!

[rip]

In the calm after all the traffic is not there, and walking around the tree down the driveway, and expecting there to be some kind of barrier at a huge WM parking lot, it's true, the big yellow contraption is now obvious.

More than anything, I just didn't expect it.

As a side, there is nothing else in the lot that his fifth wheel would have hit.

[EJM4]

They had them at the local Wal-Mart here in Mechanicsburg, PA several years ago. The overhead steel part is now removed with the exception of the post into the ground.

I would think there is another way around them since they need to get the tractor trailers in with deliveries.

[rip]

Originally Posted by EJM4

I would think there is another way around them since they need to get the tractor trailers in with deliveries.

There are none to the separate area behind the store for deliveries, but I noticed that you can't get to the delivery area from the regular parking lot.

[Oakman]

I’ve seen those on other WalMart parking lots and they are usually installed to keep trucks from overnighting on their lot. Usually the only entrance on those lots without the barrier is the one leading to the loading dock.

Your cousin has my sympathy, but as a fifth wheel owner you have to always be aware of your height. I know this is going to sound calloused but I have to say it, if your cousin didn’t see that bright yellow barrier, how is he going to identify a low hanging tree branch?

[chuckw5kav]

They have these barriers at many of the Wally
world stores now days in the front of the stores
to keep semi's from parking in their lots. The
delivery entance for trucks has none in the back
of the stores, these do to the fact some drivers
don't care what they leave behind in lots were
they park....

[Forbes]

Is there a Lowes next door or in area, Lowes has put them up just about everywhere there may be RV's traveling. They don't want RV's in their parking lots, so I have been told by a Lowes manager.

[B47]

I wonder if the increasing number of companies that appear to ban RV parking is the result of the small number of RV owners who disregard common courtesy rules and as a result, ruin it for everyone who does?

It has happened before.

[rip]

Originally Posted by Oakman

...but as a fifth wheel owner you have to always be aware of your height. I know this is going to sound calloused but I have to say it, if your cousin didn’t see that bright yellow barrier, how is he going to identify a low hanging tree branch?

He's always bypassing certain fuel stops and wary of trees over streets and bridges and streets or lots where he can't turn around.

I dunno, I guess it was all the traffic at the moment distracting me and later him. The photo doesn't reflect all the cross drives branching into that driveway at and just before that final right turn around the tree into that barrier.

If we had entered at one of the other entrances which are more open and direct off other side streets, both he and I would have had better long range visual awareness.

No doubt, we just missed it as we approached. I guess it would be like entering an intensely busy light intersection, with all lanes moving and full, and not noticing that, for some reason, a particular traffic light is too low to clear.

Not whining here, just trying to let others be aware of this unexpected circumstance.

[deartruc]

Thanks for the heads up Rip. We often do the same when we get near our destinations.

[themounties]

One of the wm around us had put that up also, within a couple months they took it out and put a side lot in for big rigs and campers, they must have realized they were losing business.

[rip]

The Cracker Barrel restaurant next to this Shreveport Wal-mart set aside part of their parking lot for RV parking, and it was full of big RVs. No barrier hazzards at this family friendly dining.

[beipers]

They have the exact same thing at the WM in Iowa City, IA. It was easy for us to see, but that's because of the height of the DP seats. We've learned that when we want to enter any big box store parking lot, we look for their delivery entrance. Even if it is at the back, they typically have a side entrance that doesn't have the barrier. That is the way Iowa City is.

[MeepMeep]

Wal-Mart wants to put up barriers to keep us out, I guess they have the right. I also have the right.....to shop somewhere else. (When we pull into a Wal-Mart it's typically just to stock up and take advantage of their RV/Camping dept stuff and then we hit the road again) Shame on the ten percenters who ruin a good thing for the rest of us

[Big Paul]

Sorry about your trouble Walmart is getting very unfriendly to RVs their is hardly any you can fuel up at. Getting at most almost impossible to maneuver around the pumps. Have saw some park trailer in lot then go fuel up, i refuse to do that if they don't want my business I just take it all to another user friendly place even if I have to pay a little more.


Rockwood 2608WS
Paul

[rip]

Walmart is usually RV friendly, that's why we like to load up on supplies there on our trips.

Had a chance to sleep on this. When I went to local Walmart today, I decided to use a pro-active approach... I asked to speak to the store manager and thanked him for being RV friendly unlike the WM in Sheveport which used entrance barriers that could damage an RV. Think I'll do the same when I visit Target, Sams Club, Costco, Kroger, HEB... and mention fuel access too.