The REAL Reason Walmart Is Turning Away RVers
For years, RVers and Walmart have had a symbiotic relationship. Walmart would traditionally let RVers park in their parking lot overnight, and the RVers would stock up on supplies and do their shopping at Walmart. Lately, this relationship has strained. Now we have learned the real reason Walmart is turning away RVers.
COVID 19 has made it worse
For the last couple of months during the COVID quarantine saga, more RVers have discovered the convenience of staying in a Walmart parking lot on those quick overnight stays on the way to their chosen destination. In fact, an article recently surfaced explaining everything you needed to know about Walmart parking.
City ordinances may block Walmart RV parking
It’s true that some RVers haven’t upheld their end of the unspoken agreement between Walmart and RVers. Inconsiderate RVers leaving trash and RV parts in those Walmart parking lots have made it worse for everyone. While oftentimes a local city ordinance prevents RVers from parking overnight, by and large, the practice has prevailed.
Walmart is turning away RVers to host drive-in movies
Lately, stories and rumors of RVers getting kicked out of Walmart parking lots have surfaced more frequently. Yesterday we saw a glimpse of what might be on the horizon. As reported by multiple sources such as USA Today, Business Insider, and Walmart themselves, Walmart is turning parking lots in 26 states into drive-in movie theaters and bringing the big screen to its customers starting on August 14th.
According to Janey Whiteside, Walmart’s chief customer officer,
“We recognize the challenges our customers and their families have faced over the last few months, and we wanted to create an experience where they could come together safely to create new memories. The Walmart Drive-in is one small way we’re supporting the communities we serve.”
According to their press release,
“The Walmart Drive-in promises families a fun, contact-free experience where they can watch popular films thoughtfully curated by the Tribeca Film Festival. Audiences will be welcomed back to the big screen to enjoy a wide range of films safely from their own vehicle.“
The Walmart Drive-In is a pop-up event that will tour 160 locations starting August 14th. You can learn more about these special events at the Walmart Drive-In website, or their Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
Now we know the truth, or do we?
We may never know the real truth about the surge in RV evictions from Walmart parking lots. Is it due to this upcoming event? Probably. It could just as easily be a crackdown on bad RVers making it tough for everyone due to their inconsiderate exploitation of a free resource. It could be a little of both, especially where the city is involved and Walmart is forced to foot the bill for cleanup, prompting a call to the city to change legislation.
Where else can you park your RV?
Most RVers have learned how to find campgrounds with popular websites like CampgroundReviews.com. Still, others have learned the secrets of free camping. Suffice to say, the days at parking at Walmart are numbered. RVers that have spent anywhere from $25,000 to $200,000 for an RV will likely need to pony up the $20-$80 per night camping fees at legitimate campgrounds and RV parks to continue to enjoy their RVs.
RVs have also been relying on great trip planning tools from RV LIFE to find places to park their RV and camp. Tools like RV LIFE Trip Wizard, which includes the RV LIFE GPS & Campgrounds app for free with every RV LIFE Trip Wizard subscription, make this process much easier. Both of these tools utilize the vast database of information in RV LIFE Campgrounds, the number one campground database.