Parking restrictions moving West

[AC0GV]

I think this is new. Some of the Walmart’s in Idaho now ban ALL RV parking.
I did not see this two years ago when I was there. I like shopping at Walmart when on the road because it is easy to find things in the store.

[Raspy]

Originally Posted by AC0GV

I think this is new. Some of the Walmart’s in Idaho now ban ALL RV parking.
I did not see this two years ago when I was there. I like shopping at Walmart when on the road because it is easy to find things in the store.

Does that mean we can't even stop there to shop, if we are pulling a trailer? Is it just a certain area of their parking lot, or the whole place?

[Jon in AZ]

Before we call the tow truck, can we bring in the grammar police? It should read "at any time," not "at anytime."

[Flydog]

I think some of the municipalities didn't like the free parking because it took revenue away from local RV parks. Also some trailer folks acted like trailer trash and treated the parking lot like an open dumpster. I saw this first hand at the WM not too far from us.

[Iowa Dave]

Well, numerous bad apples can spoil things for everyone to paraphrase and mix a metaphor
https://www.google.com/search?q=yout...DOQhobRLY,st:0
I’ve never stayed in any of these places, just haven’t ever needed to. I did stay in the Cabelas camping area in their designated area in Billings Montana though.
Nice enough.
Iowa Dave

[Jann Todd]

Originally Posted by AC0GV

I think this is new. Some of the Walmart’s in Idaho now ban ALL RV parking.
I did not see this two years ago when I was there. I like shopping at Walmart when on the road because it is easy to find things in the store.

Because of homeless and illegals living in RV's and trashing parking lots many cities and Walmart have made it illegal to park overnight in their parking lots. It took the parking away from good people that shopped and even picked up trash in the parking lots as we did sometimes. It is OK to park in the lots while shopping and the signs are done wrong. It should say overnight. We now find other lots to stop in at night and sleep. We stopped in a Flying J and there was 5 cars of homeless there. Some of them even built fires on the grass on the edge of the parking lots. We got there late evening and left early morning. Don't need to spend $40 or more to sleep only. That is why we use parking lots sometimes. It is not to live in them or use like a campground. But once we asked for our money back from a campground and opted to stay in a parking lot the second night we were in the area because the parking lot was much better than the campground that gave nice spots to long term staying customers and put us in an area they used to dump junk in and was very unlevel. It was also about 50 feet from the interstate. They had nice sites unused but wouldn't let overnighters use them.

[jgilliam1955]

This is here in Williamsburg VA also.

[DaveWI]

My advice: flag down a cop or go to the PD and ask where there would be a good place to park. Most police appreciate someone asking. Tell them how long you plan to be there. Let them know that you don’t intend to use the spot as a campsite. Just saying….

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by DaveWI

My advice: flag down a cop or go to the PD and ask where there would be a good place to park. Most police appreciate someone asking. Tell them how long you plan to be there. Let them know that you don’t intend to use the spot as a campsite. Just saying….

Have you done this? And, how were you received?

[David Tilston]

Maybe this is just a Canada thing, but I have frequently slept in rest stops along the highway. We have some very nice rest stops. With picknick tables, out houses and all.

I planned to be able to be on the road in 10 minutes, if the local police objected. However, that has never happened.

[Flydog]

I would not overnight in a rest stop in the USA.

[sunnyone]

Originally Posted by Flydog

I would not overnight in a rest stop in the USA.

Why not?

[Flydog]

Originally Posted by sunnyone

Why not?

Too many nut jobs out there. Our country is not what it used to be.

[ShelbyM]

Originally Posted by David Tilston

Maybe this is just a Canada thing....

Could be. It's pretty safe in Canada, apparently. Seems to regularly rank in the top 10 safest.

[RollinMike]

Originally Posted by DaveWI

My advice: flag down a cop or go to the PD and ask where there would be a good place to park. Most police appreciate someone asking. Tell them how long you plan to be there. Let them know that you don’t intend to use the spot as a campsite. Just saying….

I flagged down a cop to ask directions one time. He freaked out and started yelling and cussing. Another time I was parked at the entrance to a hotel and a cop pulled up and demanded I move even though I was in the unloading/loading area with suitcases in hand. I was threatened with arrest and screamed at again by another psycho cop. I'd really advise you to not contact the police unless your life was in actual danger and you needed EMS. Categorizing most police off of one interaction is just like generalizing the safety of a third world country based off a quick vacation there. Oh yeah Mexico was so safe nothing happened to us. But I heard the bar go shot up the day after we left and 4 tourists were shot. Oh well. It was so cheap! The Riviera Maya is so beautiful. Lovely people.

[Bruce H]

Originally Posted by ShelbyM

Could be. It's pretty safe in Canada, apparently. Seems to regularly rank in the top 10 safest.

Is it true that US citizens traveling through Canada to Alaska with RVs are required to stay in hotels/motels and not allowed to overnight in their RVs (because of covid)?

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by Bruce H

Is it true that US citizens traveling through Canada to Alaska with RVs are required to stay in hotels/motels and not allowed to overnight in their RVs (because of covid)?

If I wanted to know the rules, I would look up Canada Border Services Agency.

https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/menu-eng.html

[floyd]

Originally Posted by AC0GV

I think this is new. Some of the Walmart’s in Idaho now ban ALL RV parking.
I did not see this two years ago when I was there. I like shopping at Walmart when on the road because it is easy to find things in the store.

I think you are misreading that sign.
Likely refers to large Motorhomes not RV trailers.
It also says no trucks,Likely refers to semis and large straight trucks... I am sure nearly half the vehicles in the lot on any given day are trucks!

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Flydog

I would not overnight in a rest stop in the USA.

Thanks for leaving my spot open!

[Raspy]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

Have you done this? And, how were you received?

I did it in Kanab, Utah. One night late, I asked a cop where I could park till morning. He was very friendly and directed me to the Wendy's parking lot. Plenty of room and others were there too.

We just got back from almost a month, and 5,300 miles, to the Oliver Rally at Lake Guntersville, AL. We spent a week at McFarland Park in Florence, AL, paid for those nights, but everywhere else on the entire trip, we stayed for free in legitimate places with zero hassle. Never a Walmart. This is the third time we have done this same trip and we've done it the same way every time. Except on the first trip, where we stayed one night at a Walmart in Houston because it was near a tire store we had to visit 1st thing in the morning.