The unwritten rule is -- RVs are supposed to just look parked. No slide-outs, camp chairs, or unhooking any attached vehicles. You arrive at night and leave first thing in the morning. Etiquette is important because the few who push the limits, can ruin it for everyone else. There's no cost and it comes with the convenience of stocking up on groceries and supplies while you're there, which is how Walmart hopes we'll return the favor. It's the perfect overnight spot if you are just passing through.
The several times we've done it, we've felt perfectly safe. The parking lots have adequate lighting and are patrolled at night, and we were tucked in amongst truckers and fellow campers. The only downside is that the trucks can be noisy.
Some Walmarts don't allow it, so a phone call ahead is a good idea. I have an app called Allstays that tells me which Walmarts welcome overnighters and which ones don't, along with reviews. (The app tells me where just about everything else camping-related is, as well.) I've heard that the reason some don't allow it is that their town has a rule against it. AND I've heard that those rules are promoted by campground owners, who don't like the competition. Although we've never tried other stores, most Cabellas and Cracker Barrels are also camper-friendly, and I've read that Costco, K-mart and some grocery stores let you stay there as well.
So next time you're on an evening Walmart-run to pick up milk for breakfast, notice the RVs and trucks, quietly parked on the outer edges of the parking lot. If there are none there, that means you live in one of those towns where the No-Overnight-Parking signs are posted. Our closest Walmart, sadly, is one of them. Being just a few miles from home, I'd never have need of sleeping there, but all the same, it seems a little sad to me.
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