Newbie needing overnight help

[Wolf Pup Roger]

First of all let me say I enjoy reading the questions and the great answers that happen here in this forum. We are new to RV'ing travel but are looking forward to visiting lots of national parks. My question is How Safe is staying overnight in a parking lot like Walmart or Cracker Barrel? I know they offer their parking lots for an overnight but after talking with friends who have been RV'ing for years I was told not to park there. To many people walking by and it's very hard to sleep and can be unsafe. I know your thoughts will help with our decision of Walmart lot or KOA? Thanks for all your helpful insights.

[Beachbourbon]

Our experience was good, and safety was not a concern. We stayed at Cracker Barrel and at truck stops. We found we preferred these because they had 24 hour services (the cracker barrel was next to a gas station). It made it easy to grab coffee and a donut very early and hit the road. It also gave us the option not to fill our black tank if you know what I mean. Truck stops are louder due to diesel trucks running 24/7.

We also had good luck with rest stops.

[Gohawks]

We usually stay at Walmart or Cracker Barrel. when we take long trips our schedule is tight because of the need to return to work. I try to pick one close to interstate so we can get moving early the next morning. We generally leave rest areas and truck stops(except occasionally flying J) for the 18 wheelers.
If time were not a consideration, I would fine a campground close to my route.

Safe travels and welcome to the forum from NC Illinois.

[rjshiflet]

We have stayed at WalMart on occasion and never really had a problem - except for noise and a hot trailer in the summertime (we don't have a generator). It's been years since we stayed at a WalMart...figuring there are usually convenient and not-to-expensive RV parks nearby where we don't even have to unhook if we are just staying overnight.

One particular night we were staying in a WalMart parking lot and kept hearing what sounded like a lawn mower all night.

We had a young pup at the time and about 2:30 she decided she needed to "go for a walk" so I took her out and found a grassy strip 100 feet or so from our fifth wheel.

As she was taking care of business, I noticed a fellow heading toward me. Remember, it's 2:30 a.m., pitch black and I'm totally at his mercy.

He walked up to me and said "Is that your rig?" pointing to our truck/fifth wheel. I confirmed that it was.

Next he said "We are striping the parking lot and we're finished except right where you are parked. Any chance you could pull up a hundred feet or so and we'll get finished and be out of here."

Whew...

It wasn't lawn mowers it was blowers and striping machines and 30 minutes later it was silence for the rest of the night.

[A32Deuce]

You just have to be aware of where you are. I would stay at a truck stop rather then a Wal-Mart in an area I didn't know. Even did rest areas on interstate highways.

[Reverse_snowbird]

Our answer is... it depends.

Since we had no generator in our tt, lack of electricity meant a hot, dark night when we stayed at WalMart. Noise and lack of security were a problem in some, not in others.

KOAs are a bit expensive, even if you're a member.

The least expensive places with access to water and electricity are National sites available on www.recreation.gov.

If you're lucky as we've been or do some advanced research, many cities and counties have campsites which are inexpensive and very nice.

[pilotpip]

Welcome. While others have no issues with walmarts/cracker barrels, I'd rather not chance it with 2 young kids. KOAs are a little on the pricey side but they're usually convenient to interstates and have decent facilities. The ones I've done an overnight at have had pull through sites and are nice and level which made set up a snap. I have a couple that are within a couple hours of home which makes for a nice easy last day, and lots of time to clean the black tank and get things ready to go into storage.

It's also considered bad form to extend slides in the parking lots which I would have to do for everyone to sleep comfortably.

[rsdata]

Depending on you, both Walmart and Cracker Barrel have worked for the wife and I in a pinch. Walmart can be loud at night so certainly park at the outer boundary of the lot. Some destination cities and suburbs will not allow you to park there... like around Disney World and other popular destinations.

I have actually found that most big box stores like Lowes and Home Depot will also work for a quick overnight... get there late, don't unhook, and leave early is my mode.

[Nancy0404]

We have never had a problem staying overnight at a Walmart, but we are smart about which ones we chose. However our BEST overnight experience was at a Cabelas parking lot. It was located in Hamburg, PA. Way up a hill, great views of the hills, quiet and the best part was they actually had signs saying RV parking only! In Cabela’s they had clean bathrooms and a wonderful cafe. Who knew?? Happy trails!

[PenJoe]

Just married and on our honeymoon, we found a very remote place to camp for the night. Then there was a knock on the door. I opened the door and was facing a shotgun pointed at me. It was two deputies telling us that we were on private property (not posted where we entered). Thankfully, it was the good guys.

If you are looking for guidance, there is no definitive answer. You are in strange public surroundings and at the mercy of those around you, whomever that might be. Discretion will always be your best guide. It may help if there are fellow campers in the area.

[Tundra 2014]

Prefer Cracker Barrel to Wal-Mart. Just depends where you are. We like to stay at county parks when close, a few bucks but quiet. Last trip we fond some that were $10 a night. One in Mississippi was $16 had a water park for the kids and a 3 acre lake in woods for a dog walk. It also had a "Book exchange library". Cabela's would be a good idea, if close. Some have a dump site for a few $'s.

[markb422]

Brother in Law had a bad time at Wal Mart. Middle of the night, wake up as someone pulled up next to them in a car with music blasting. They just got up and just left the noise behind. After that they only do Cracker Barrel and have no other issues. But like others have noted it depends on the location. I have seen Cabella's with separate parking areas for RV's and some have dump stations for a nominal fee.

[slgjeg435]

Originally Posted by Wolf Pup Roger

First of all let me say I enjoy reading the questions and the great answers that happen here in this forum. We are new to RV'ing travel but are looking forward to visiting lots of national parks. My question is How Safe is staying overnight in a parking lot like Walmart or Cracker Barrel? I know they offer their parking lots for an overnight but after talking with friends who have been RV'ing for years I was told not to park there. To many people walking by and it's very hard to sleep and can be unsafe. I know your thoughts will help with our decision of Walmart lot or KOA? Thanks for all your helpful insights.

We went cross country from massachusetts to the west coast 120000 miles altogether from april to june. we never made any reservations along the way we stayed in walmarts and Lowes many nights and never had a probem. I have always said there is security in numbers if no one is boondocking in one of these I just didnt feel comfortable and moved on to the next one. We did stay in many State parks along the way also. Just use common sense if it looks rowdy maybe it is not the right choice.

[Dirt Sifter]

I've never had a restful nite's sleep in a WalMart lot. With the tweakers removing stuff from pickup beds and milling around the parking lots at all hours, I use the Camp Ground Reviews site and budget in the fees.

[Fluffywhitedogs]

Originally Posted by Dirt Sifter

I've never had a restful nite's sleep in a WalMart lot. With the tweakers removing stuff from pickup beds and milling around the parking lots at all hours, I use the Camp Ground Reviews site and budget in the fees.

Often it’s about the schedule and not the fees.

I have pulled into Walmart’s and then pulled right out because they felt sketchy. If in doubt, keep moving. Allow enough time so that if one doesn’t work out, you’re not falling asleep at the wheel before the next one.

The Allstays Walmart app is helpful.

[Grapehound]

I think many Walmarts are relatively safe. Be aware that some Walmarts do not allow RV's overnight due to local ordinances.

Funny story...we were traveling south on I-95 one November and saw several signs for a new RV resort at Roanoke Rapids. NC. Stopped at Pizza Hut for dinner and mentioned our plans to our server. She said, "Oh, that camp resort never opened..."

By this time we were tired, it was dark, and the server did not know of any nearby campgrounds.

Then she said, "Oh, go park at Walmart across the street, they welcome campers." We hesitated as we needed water, so mentioning that concern, she asked her manager and Pizza Hut let us hook up our hose to put some water in our fresh water tank.

Then we made the short trip to Walmart and parked next to a nice grassy strip on the outer edge of the parking lot. It would also be a convenient place to walk our dogs. Staying at Walmart also means you can shop for any food items or supplies you need after you get set up or get some fresh breakfast items.

Did I mention it was November and about 28 degrees?

About 3AM I awoke to a tapping sound on the side of the trailer which kept repeating. You'd hear "tap-tap-tap" for 10 seconds, then nothing for 30 seconds, then "tap-tap-tap" again.

I opened the door to look out and here the Walmart oscillating lawn sprinklers had kicked on. Their water pressure down there must have been about 80psi, because the sprinklers were spraying a strong stream of water about 50 feet and were covering my 33 foot RV and my Excursion with a heavy coat of ice as they sprayed back and forth along the sides of our rig.

I believe Walmarts are generally a safe place to camp, if camping is allowed and if they've turned off their sprinklers for the season. I always ask the manager if it's OK to camp there at Walmart; they too can advise you on the best place to park and any safety concerns. They would know.

Camping at Walmart can be like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get.

[DougW]

We have overnighted in Wal Marts, rest areas, truck stops, Cabela’s and campgrounds.

We have found that truck stops and rest areas are not good places to get a good night’s sleep because there are trucks coming and going constantly and it seems like about half the time we get a reefer parked next us so we have to listen to the reefer unit kick on and off all night as well. Wal Marts near interstates are getting almost as bad as truck stops for noise since most truck stops and rest areas get full truckers have been using Wal Mart a lot more. Cabela’s are the best overnight free places we have found but they are not always convenient to where we want to stop.

The Park Advisor app on the IPad is very useful for finding places that allow overnight stops. Zoom in to the area you want to stop, touch the icon for the store in question then touch the I for Info and it will tell you if overnight is normally allowed. Works pretty good to find places to get some sleep.

[pmsherman]

We've stayed at many WalMarts during our 8 years of cross country trips. We've never had a problem, even the night we stayed at one that had signs posted stating no overnight parking. (We pulled into that one at around 11pm and didn't see the small signs.) We also frequently stayed at truck stops and put up with the noise from the 18 wheelers engines and generators.



Stopping at these places for overnights ended a couple of years ago when I started needing clean AC power at night. I could run the generator for the entire night but the cost of doing that became close to the cost of an overnight at an rv park. In addition to this change, truckstops have become a bit less friendly to rv overnight parking since the new ICC regulations went into force.



Truck drivers are no longer allowed to keep written logs. Their logs are electronic and are tied into the engine controls which prohibit driving once daily or weekly driving limits have been reached. The 18 wheelers need the truck stop parking places because they can't continue driving. I haven't yet heard about an rv owner having a confrontation with a truck driver over a parking spot but it's only a matter of time until this happenns.


Phil

[mtnlvr]

My experience with Walmarts depend on the location first; is it a sketchy neighborhood, forget it. Also whether it’s a weeknight or maybe a noisy weekend. I try to find a quiet, safe looking, well lit area that also has grass or dirt close by for my dogs. Some rest areas are ok but also tend to be noisy. My solution is to always travel with earplugs. Great for the occasional campground with adjacent partiers.

[quicky06]

Originally Posted by PenJoe

Just married and on our honeymoon, we found a very remote place to camp for the night. Then there was a knock on the door. I opened the door and was facing a shotgun pointed at me. It was two deputies telling us that we were on private property (not posted where we entered). Thankfully, it was the good guys.

If you are looking for guidance, there is no definitive answer. You are in strange public surroundings and at the mercy of those around you, whomever that might be. Discretion will always be your best guide. It may help if there are fellow campers in the area.

My opinion on this is that unless it was posted as public land you should not have been there.


As far as where to stop I prefer truck stops, loves, flying j and such. I find a spot out of the way that’s difficult for the big trucks to get into and I back my 33 ft trailer in.

With that being said I prefer to stop for a couple hours. Get some shut eye then get back on the road. I’ve found that I can travel farther and less tired if I drive through the night marking multiple shorter stops instead of one long stop.

I just get in the spot climb in bed with the slides closed like I parked it and go to sleep with an alarm set. Wake up and go until I need more rest.