Parking @ Walmart

[DK-in-SC]

Wow! Lots of opinions here on all sides of the debate. Ok, here's mine from a fellow 23IKSS owner.
When we have a long trip that requires an overnight stop, I do seek out free "camping" options. Cracker Barrel is my preferred stop because we will typically go in for dinner and/ or breakfast. I will go in and ask permission from the manager and thus far have always been welcomed. Some local ordinances will trump a corporate policy, so just because CB or WM allows it, if the town says "no" then no it is. I use a website called overnightrvparking.com to search out potential spots.
When we get there, my goal is to setup as little as possible both for my convenience and for the appearance I give. I don't want to look like I'm camping because I'm not. Camper stays hitched, stabilizers stay up. I will put out the dinette slide so we can use the dinette as a bed and also get back to the bathroom. I try and park so that the slide I deploy ends up over grass or an island so as not to take up a second parking space. I have put down the front bunk because I can deploy it without unhitching. But lately we just use the air bed and dinette since there are just four of us.
Hope this helps.


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[flymhi]

Originally Posted by KMP44

Welcome to the "Roo Crew!" I think if you do some searching in the Hybrid section, you can find some threads on "turtling" - which is what you are asking about. Spending the night without putting the tent ends down.

I think the (near) consensus from the hybrid owners on turtling at Wally World or in another parking lot is don't put the tent ends down - for several reasons. But I wouldn't worry about having the slides out or putting the stabilizers down. You won't hurt anything to have the slides out with the stabilizers up, but with those torsion axles, the trailer can really bounce and rock when people are moving around.

The 23IKSS is definitely not user friendly with the slides in. Turtling, to us, was not anything we wanted to be able to do, so it was a no-brainer to go with this floor plan and get the extra space when setup and it takes about 30 seconds to put the kitchen slide out when we stop for a lunch break or to use the bathroom. It comes down to what is important for how you want to use it. But I wouldn't sweat putting the slides out in a parking lot as long as you are off where you have a little extra space to do it.

When we traveled from SC to CO we stopped at Wally World in OKC for the night to miss two sets of severe weather to the north and south. We turtled it and kept the slide in. At 2am the trailer started dancing and we elected to go in, buy something, and wait out the twisters around us. Not much sleep that night and from that point forward OK became Twister Nation to my 4 year old. For the next year, whenever we went camping, he would ask if we had to go through "OkaHoma" ...

[Still Kickin]

Originally Posted by RACarvalho

Hello Folks,
We are planning our July trip and would like to hear those that have stayed overnight at Walmart parking lot with a HTT.
The questions we have so far are:
Do you disconnect the trailer from the car?
Do you drop the stabilizer jacks?
Do you open the beds and or the slide outs?

Thank you for any info,
Ricardo

Walmart educate is; No you should stay connected
No you should not put your jacks down
No you should not extend slide outs as if your at a camping site.

Now heres why; leaving a trailer by itself makes any casual observer, especially Walmart management seeing just a trailer sitting in their parking lot think whats going on over there.
Parking lots are not built in their substructure to take compressed loads. So, why damage their lot when they are extending the courtesy of a free overnight stay.
Everything I have ever read from reputable RV sites say; Do Not make it look like you're camping. Others may be doing these things, but given enough over stepping the bounds and more and more Wally Worlds will deny the courtesy.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by doc73

I like the turtleing name, never seen a roo with the ends in but my guess it was like our popup bef9re I pulled out the end bed slides with the roof cranked up..

Not really similar since hybrid beds don't impact the interior area, like a popups beds do.
Turtling makes a hybrid like a smaller TT, where you sleep on the dinette or sofa.

That's one of the advantages hybrids have over popups and TTs.

[doc73]

Oh, am looking at your profile pic... I see, do they fold down? Not on a slide... Ok, never really noticed that.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by doc73

Oh, am looking at your profile pic... I see, do they fold down? Not on a slide... Ok, never really noticed that.

All hybrid TTs have drop down bed platforms.

Old ones had pole supports, like popups.
Since about 2004, they're supported by aircraft cable, like a tailgate.

That's why they don't take up any of the interior or floorspace.

[doc73]

Originally Posted by bikendan

All hybrid TTs have drop down bed platforms.

Old ones had pole supports, like popups.
Since about 2004, they're supported by aircraft cable, like a tailgate.

That's why they don't take up any of the interior or floorspace.

Thank you for the insight. Never knew that, never have actually seen one collapsed down from the inside.

[Bluepill]

Originally Posted by Still Kickin

Walmart educate is; No you should stay connected
No you should not put your jacks down
No you should not extend slide outs as if your at a camping site.

Now heres why; leaving a trailer by itself makes any casual observer, especially Walmart management seeing just a trailer sitting in their parking lot think whats going on over there.
Parking lots are not built in their substructure to take compressed loads. So, why damage their lot when they are extending the courtesy of a free overnight stay.
Everything I have ever read from reputable RV sites say; Do Not make it look like you're camping. Others may be doing these things, but given enough over stepping the bounds and more and more Wally Worlds will deny the courtesy.

Pretty much this ^^ for me also. Under the right circumstances, I will put out the bedroom slide because it is super-tight otherwise.



Here I was out of the way in an overflow area, and opening the slide was not bothering anyone.

I don't Wally Dock to save money, but in more remote areas and during off-season there are often no campgrounds. The truth many times is that I spend more at a "Free" Walmart site than a $50 KOA site. It's easy to spend $100 bucks on supplies at the Walmart, and they know it!

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by Bluepill

Pretty much this ^^ for me also. Under the right circumstances, I will put out the bedroom slide because it is super-tight otherwise.

IMO, slides aren't nearly an issue like they're made out to be (so long as they're out of the way).

[AquaMan]

No longer than I usually pull over to grab some sleep, my wife might as well be shopping. My car has been in a shopping center longer than my camper!

[bob caldwell]

True answer..

[yetavon]

If we have a short lay over, its make the table bed up before we leave, a few gallons of water, park at a level spot, slide out half out just to gain a little room and call it a night. Only unhooking is the trailer plug so no chance of killing the TV battery, and double check with the establishment that we are OK the stay.

[dj3spots]

For us it all depends on time and location. I don't like to park in a camp ground late at night and I prefer CBs, WMs, Casinos and some truck stops. We always ask first or assume we can free park if trucks and other campers are already parked. We don't put out slides, awnings or chairs and everything stays hooked up. We're stopping not camping!


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[Davylee]

[QUOTE=sdfarmer;1110838 I figure if I can afford a camper and tow vehicle, I can spend a couple more bucks and stay in a campground. [/QUOTE]

At one point the state of Maine was trying to pass a law saying you couldn't overnight at places like Wal-Mart because too many people were passing up campgrounds to stay for free.

[DocsDad]

Arrive late, leave early and no matter how one feels about Walmart... spend money if possible to return the favor.

[dj3spots]

Originally Posted by DocsDad

Arrive late, leave early and no matter how one feels about Walmart... spend money if possible to return the favor.

X2


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[rmac04401]

Originally Posted by Davylee

At one point the state of Maine was trying to pass a law saying you couldn't overnight at places like Wal-Mart because too many people were passing up campgrounds to stay for free.

In Bangor the campgrounds have made walmarts to put up signs no overnight parking. I'm sure Bangor set an ordinance on behalf of the campgrounds. (former resident) you would think campgrounds would catch on and have areas that just had large pull through parking spots like CB away from perm sites and just charge $5 or $10 bucks .

Hard to swallow $50 for six hour rest stop.

[B and B]

Originally Posted by ependydad

IMO, slides aren't nearly an issue like they're made out to be (so long as they're out of the way).

I have to agree. If we did stop at walmart we would park far away and most likely put the kitchen slide out and bedroom has to be out otherwise you can not get into the bedroom.

[DreiHunde]

Originally Posted by dj3spots

X2


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X3!

Its about location and saving time while getting from point A to point B

[AquaMan]

The longest I've ever stayed at a Walmart, rest area, or parking lot has been about 3 hours at most. It's also been around 1:00am or so. Does anyone consider that as overnight?