Walmart — Manville Supercenter

I'm following up on my review from exactly a year ago with some photos, updates, and because there was already so much detail before, here’s a topline summary of HIGHLIGHTS and LOWLIGHTS:

HIGHLIGHTS:(1) Huge, level lot rare for RVs with plenty of space to stretch out and sleep off the road;(2) Solid nighttime lighting and security cameras mean you won’t have to feel like you need to keep guard over your rig all night;(3) Quiet after 10 PM when the lot settles into peaceful silence;(4) Easy on/ off from nearby I-287 and clean store facilities—shop, rest, and roll without missing a beat; and(5) It’s a real Walmart, so restocks, basic meals and that impossible-to-resist$5 meal challenge are all right there.

LOWLIGHTS:(1) Semi traffic noise and occasional early-morning customers remind you it's still a retail jungle despite the silence;(2) Parking slopes near the entrance, so big rigs, beware or bring chocks. It’s not a sidewalk; and(3) It’s a Walmart lot, not a campground, with no shade, no picnic tables and definitely no s’mores.

Happy Overnighting!

This blue shaded big box retailer is of the larger garden variety Walmarts with a fairly massive parking lot that is in pretty good condition, with ample space, very flat and not to terrible on the heavily trafficked and congestion front. It sits out in a suburban area that adds to both the peace & quiet factor as well as the overall safety and security front and is located conveniently between I287 to the east and route 206 to the west. While there is ample space pretty much everywhere you look, the most optimum parking location is on the southern perimeter, away from both storefront as well as the busy road that likely brought you into this location.

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) Be sure NOT to park behind this Walmart as there’s an auto auction that flanks the retailers backside – so your car will either be towed, or worse, be mistaken for one of the autos that is being auctioned!; (2) There’s a number of fast food restaurants surrounding you at this retail outlet, such as Popeye’s, Taco Bell, McDonald’s and Subway, but if you want to try out some fairly decent local fare, you might want to check out Manville Diner, Grub Hut Unique BBQ & Mexican Grill, Frank’s Pizza and Italian Restaurant, but the best to be had is Brooks Brewery at the Northside Lounge; (3) If you are on the road with your kayak or canoe, you may want to drop your bird in for a dip over at Raritan River, which is just a few blocks north of here; (4) Should you want to grab a slice of nature while you are in the vicinity, check out Dukes Parkway Park, which is a great place for a stroll, throw a frisbee or let your canine off its leash for a bit; and (5) If you don’t like the set-up at the Walmart, you might want to head west on Dukes Parkway where you’ll discover Gerber Field, which has a baseball diamond, but when not in use looks as though it would be a perfect little isolated patch of land that might be better to hole up for the night.

While scoring criteria may vary from one person to the next, here are the 5 most important criteria that informed my rating of this overnight location: convenience (EZ on- and off-access), safety & security, quality (of facilities), peace & quiet and amenities (either on-site or nearby). Here’s how I ranked this particular overnight spot:

Convenience: 3 

Safety & Security: 3 

Quality: 3 

Peace & Quiet: 4 

Amenities: 2 

Overall, I scored this location a 3. 

Happy Overnighting!