Walmart let you stay for free - do ASDA? (1 Viewer)

[yorkieman]

WQe went RVing in the USA four years ago and had an amazing time touring Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, etc.

On a couple of nights we stopped over at the 24 hour Walmarts. We'd been told that Walmart welcomed overnighters.

We didn't plan on using Walmart at first, but we rolled up in Laramie at 11.00 at the sites were closed so we decided to give it a try.

We parked up out the front of the Walmart and set about making a cup of tea (typically British). A few minutes later a security guard drove passed, parked up and knocked on the door. Uh-oh!

He was very welcoming and suggested that we might want to park round the back rather than at the front of the store so we drove around the back. We were amazed to discover not one or two RVs, but about 30. We felt as safe as ever and spent a very pleasant night there.

At about 1am we decided to stock up on provisions - it seemed the right thing to do as we were staying for free - and ended up spending $300 in Walmart on food, a new camera, and various gifts.

I'm sure that's exactly why Walmart encourage RVs to stop the night.

Asda is now owned by Walmart, so I'm wondering if they welcome overnighters in motorhomes at their 24 hour stores.

Does anyone know?

And if not maybe we could start a campaign to get them to do so

 

[jhorsf]

I have been in more than 1 Tesco 24 hr store at night for a few hrs kip and breakfast no one bothered and I did not ask but that is a van conversion not a big white motorhome

 

[Jim]

I have stopped in loads of 24 hour supermarket carparks. I choose where to park carefully and never had a problem. But then always arrived very late and left very early.

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[jhorsf]

Lots of the big supermarkets that now deliver have parking for vans with hook ups for the freezers they should rent them out overnight when they do not use them they are ready made aires

 

[bigfoot]

I've done the same in Canada great idea. I thought the same as you.
I realised this is England and the Large 'club'discourage this because they will lose out:Angry:.
Some pubs will let you which makes sense when you've had a great night:thumb:.

 

[pappajohn]

I have stopped in loads of 24 hour supermarket carparks. I choose where to park carefully and never had a problem. But then always arrived very late and left very early.

Stealth camping Jim :thumb:

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[aba]

Lots of the big supermarkets that now deliver have parking for vans with hook ups for the freezers they should rent them out overnight when they do not use them they are ready made aires

they only need to put in a black /grey waste dump and water point to be fully equipped.

 

[656]

As I work part time for ASDA, I will ask and report back

 

[tonka]

Dont even bother around here ( not that I would think anyone would want to stay in this area !)..
Takes you all your time to get a car parking space let alone trying to park a van !!!

Except when my wife parked at Asda and stayed for nearly 4 hours while she had her nails done.. We then get the threatening letters from a parking company wanting £40...!!
And NO I'm not paying it, I know the scam.. Not a fine just a private invoice..

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[Road Runner]

Walmart want's you business in the US whereas in the UK a motor homer is seen as a pariah's.

I loved it in the USA with my RV..........

 

[GJH]

No, Asda don't ordinarily allow overnighting. I got in touch with the major supermarket chains some time ago, the results being published Here.

None of the chains actually came out and said it but I'm pretty sure that their lawyers will have picked up on the point that any official policy of allowing overnighting would fall foul of the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960. Under the Act, as soon as anyone brings a caravan (including a motorhome/motor caravan/camper van) onto a piece of land for the purpose of human habitation (rather than simply parking or storage) the land becomes a caravan site and is subject to the licensing requirements of the Act. See Here for further details.

 

[bigfoot]

I think 24 hour opening stores would be more suitable although not all locations would be ok.
The ASDA at Cribbs Causeway Jcn 11 M5 may be suitable,but the TESCOS at Bidston Moss
M53 Jcn 1 is too close to a notorious housing estate!

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[GJH]

One factor, as tonka alluded to, is that many supermarkets now have limited time parking rules and use ANPR to identify, and invoice, keepers of vehicles which stay longer than they should.

So (as advised by Tesco noted on my web page) and leaving aside any arguments about payment/not of an invoice, if anyone does intend staying overnight a word in advance with the duty manager would be advisable.

 

[Landy lover]

. Under the Act, as soon as anyone brings a caravan (including a motorhome/motor caravan/camper van) onto a piece of land for the purpose of human habitation (rather than simply parking or storage) the land becomes a caravan site and is subject to the licensing requirements of the Act. See Here for further details.

Can understand that but if that is a blanket planning law how do motorway services get past it - could the same arguments ( what ever they are ) be used by the Supermarkets ??

 

[motorhomelover]

as with all things if they do not know they do not object
I have wild camped at many shopping car parks no problem
get up when they open and buy some thing and they never say anything
once you ask they have to say no jobs worth world of employment

always leave as you found it and do not obstruct any where and your ok :thumb:

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[yorkieman]

As I work part time for ASDA, I will ask and report back

That would be terrific. Do let us know.

I think it would be a great idea for them

 

[yorkieman]

No, Asda don't ordinarily allow overnighting. I got in touch with the major supermarket chains some time ago, the results being published Here.

According to that link Tesco seems to be the best possibility. Good on them if they have that policy.

This whole idea of cameras with automatic number plate recognition is terrible. I know I've been had a few times with it. One time I was buying a mobile phone and it took them over two hours to sort out all the paper work, set it up, etc. Guess who got a ticket for overstaying :Sad:

 

[GJH]

Can understand that but if that is a blanket planning law how do motorway services get past it - could the same arguments ( what ever they are ) be used by the Supermarkets ??

Motorway services come under specific legislation which over-rides the provisions of the Caravan Sites Act. In effect, they are licensed sites.

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[GJH]

According to that link Tesco seems to be the best possibility. Good on them if they have that policy.

This whole idea of cameras with automatic number plate recognition is terrible. I know I've been had a few times with it. One time I was buying a mobile phone and it took them over two hours to sort out all the paper work, set it up, etc. Guess who got a ticket for overstaying :Sad:

It may not apply overnight but I can't agree that ANPR is a bad thing per se. Supermarkets and other businesses provide car parks for the use of their customers, in order to generate the trade which keeps them open. There are a number of car parks in this area which would be clogged, to the detriment of many, by commuters looking for all day free parking if it were not for restrictions being imposed.

If I had had that experience with the mobile phone company I should have passed the bill on to them for their inefficiency

 

[Carol]

The large 24 hour Asda near to us has large sign's all over the car park saying no more than 3 hours unless you will get a fine.

 

[yorkieman]

It may not apply overnight but I can't agree that ANPR is a bad thing per se. Supermarkets and other businesses provide car parks for the use of their customers, in order to generate the trade which keeps them open. There are a number of car parks in this area which would be clogged, to the detriment of many, by commuters looking for all day free parking if it were not for restrictions being imposed.

If I had had that experience with the mobile phone company I should have passed the bill on to them for their inefficiency

I did pass it over to them and they sorted it out straight away, as it was in no way my fault.

I know what you mean regarding ANPR and inner city car parks, as spaces are at a premium, but where you have a giant superstore with acres of unused parking it seems a tad like big brother is watching you, and where does it end. Already ANPR is being used in London, and I imagine it will soon spread to other cities, and then there'll be new toll roads starting to use it, and before you know it there is a whole new form of stealth taxation that goes over and above the existing license fee.

Also, what about privacy. With ANPR big brother knows who is going where and when. Not always a good thing.

And I'd be surprised if advertisers don't pick up on ANPR and start delivering targeted road side advertising

Scary stuff! If someone had told us 30 years ago that every time we drove in and out of a car park our reg plate would be logged we'd have been horrified, but we're just used to this kind of thing now.

But hey, everyone will buying everything online in 10 years time so all those acres of car park will be desolate and they'll be begging for us MHers to pitch up and buy some provisions

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[yorkieman]

The large 24 hour Asda near to us has large sign's all over the car park saying no more than 3 hours unless you will get a fine.

That should just about do for my afternoon siesta

 

[reader]

Asda near us charge for over 2 hours, another one charges but if you get the ticket stamped at the till you get it free or at a reduced price dependant on time. Neither car parks are designed to take motorhomes, one having barriers

 

[Mavis]

One factor, as tonka alluded to, is that many supermarkets now have limited time parking rules and use ANPR to identify, and invoice, keepers of vehicles which stay longer than they should.

So (as advised by Tesco noted on my web page) and leaving aside any arguments about payment/not of an invoice, if anyone does intend staying overnight a word in advance with the duty manager would be advisable.

I did email tesco and they said ask each manager but that was a long time ago and before all the 24 hour shopping also before all the 3 hour notices that have gone up.

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[bryandh]

Not exactly on thread, but......

On a recent trip through France we stayed at a couple of (large) Carrefour supermarkets where they had a designated area for MH's but specifically stated "No caravans", a couple of the locations even had facilities for grey/black water. Noticeably the supermarket and restaurant/cafes were doing a roaring trade from the 20+ MH's parked up. We have come to learn that the French of course have an admirably different attitude to "camping cars", so I fully endorse the notion that UK supermarkets might consider following suit.

Regards, Bryan

 

[madbluemad]

I think 24 hour opening stores would be more suitable although not all locations would be ok.
The ASDA at Cribbs Causeway Jcn 11 M5 may be suitable,but the TESCOS at Bidston Moss
M53 Jcn 1 is too close to a notorious housing estate!

Excuse me, I resent that remark, I live on that housing estate.
Jim

 

[bryandh]

Excuse me, I resent that remark, I live on that housing estate.
Jim

Oops !!

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[darklord]

I remember reasding about all ths elsewhere a while back, I think the chains have been approached, and if i remember rightly, they nearly all said "b*****x"!
ALL of them have farmed out their parking themselves, or via the owners of the parks they are on, they REALLY do not give a toss if one or two MH owners get upset if they cant park there, they KNOW how many thousands of people will go through their doors anyway.
I live near the Lakeside shopping area and retail park (sort of seperate), park around here, and you will be clamped in minutes...yup , minutes, the release fee is................£250 for commercial vehicles!! They get their info from anpr, so no point arguing, and just in case anyone felt like getting a bit noisy or irate as the clamp is going on, my wife and I saw two female clampers do a truck a month ago. I,m not sure whether the clamping fee is less for non commercial, but you will get clamped, there are more than enough other places to park.

 

[bigfoot]

Excuse me, I resent that remark, I live on that housing estate.
Jim

Sorry Jim I was referring to the housing nearer the holy doughnut(you will know what I mean)

 

[yorkieman]

A little off topic, but sort of related.

How come 'travellers' (who don't actually seem to do much travelling) seem to be able to get away with pitching up pretty much anywhere and not get clamped, whereas us rates-paying motorhomers (who actually do travel) are jumped on from a great height the moment we step an inch out of line?

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