Is it viable to drive a RV around California in winter?

I am planning a 10/11-day family trip in an RV this coming January (yes, winter!). Since we are a small team of four people, we are looking at the smallest RV possible, such as this one.

So far my plan is to visit Napa Valley and Lake Tahoe before driving along the famous California Highway 1 (tour Big Sur, Solvang, etc. along the way). So here is our route.

How viable is this route in winter? Any issue with road conditions or with sleeping in a RV in this season?

P.S.: As @Nate points out, it will be quite inconvenient to drive an RV while touring San Francisco City and Los Angeles City. So I am only asking for the route in between these two cities.

Best Answer

For RV overnight parking in Mountain View, you could try the Walmart at 600 Showers Dr, Mountain View, CA 94040. I see RVs parked there every time I visit, and apparently Walmart is OK with this:

According to the Walmart website:

While we do not offer electrical service or accommodations typically necessary for RV customers, Walmart values RV travelers and considers them among our best customers. Consequently, we do permit RV parking on our store lots as we are able. Permission to park is extended by individual store managers, based on availability of parking space and local laws. Please contact management in each store to ensure accommodations before parking your RV.

Overnight Parking

Of the 4,000 or so stores nationwide, more than 1,000 prohibit overnight RV parking for one reason or another. Oftentimes local ordinances prohibit overnight RV parking. In some cases, Walmart is only a tenant and does not own the property their store is located on nor do they own the parking lot. In these cases, landlords may prohibit overnight RV parking.

Permission to park is granted by individual store managers. Some managers may not allow overnight RV parking because of previous bad experiences while others may choose to allow it. It’s possible to speak with different managers at the same store on the same day and receive different answers regarding overnight RV parking. That’s why it is important to ask management for permission to park. Don’t just assume it is allowed because there are other RVs in the parking lot.