Walmart is getting tougher on overnight camping

[Steven M]

Found this article from CNN. We overnight in Walmart parking lots on occasion and we've seen some of this including last year in Kearney, NE where we saw a couple that was there for the long haul detached from his tow vehicle and charging his batteries with a generator. I fear it isn't going to get better with the people buying their first RV.



https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/31/busin...ing/index.html

[steve dunham]

The Walmart just North of us no longer allows overnight parking / camping in their parking lot
We stopped there one Friday morning and there was a couple of RVs parked in their lot .
When we drove by the store returning home on Sunday the same trailers were still parked in their lot , their lawn chairs & coolers were out and the grill was a smokin
The few ruined it for the many in my estimation


PS ; There is a city / county campgrounds about 3 blocks from the Walmart — Sites with electricity are under $20

[MyronL]

I wouldn't worry about this too much. Walmart overnighting has always been a great option. True, there'll always be inconsiderators (rare, we hope) who will abuse the privilege. I think it is not unusual if there's a private campground nearby for them to "ask" that Walmart to curtail overnight camping because it means lost business for them.

[TTMartin]

Originally Posted by Steven M

Found this article from CNN. We overnight in Walmart parking lots on occasion and we've seen some of this including last year in Kearney, NE where we saw a couple that was there for the long haul detached from his tow vehicle and charging his batteries with a generator. I fear it isn't going to get better with the people buying their first RV.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/31/busin...ing/index.html

That and people 'living' in Walmart lots. They keep track of vehicles and those that stay multiple nights are given no trespassing notices.

[Ron in BC]

The Walmart option, of which we're great users of, is a mixed bag governed by 3 jurisdictions. The primary one is the head office of Walmart itself. Their policy has always been and I believe still is, that self contained RVs can overnight in their parking lots.

If Walmart is a tenant in a mall then the landlord may have a restrictive ban in place.

If there's local RV parks then the operators may have exerted pressure on the local council to ban over night stays.

In those two cases sometimes the Walmart employee, we always ask, might say, "well you're not supposed to but......" In those cases we usually move on.

The most severe mis-use of a Walmart that I've seen was in Whitehorse, in the Yukon. A huge population of "campers", many who appeared to live there occupied almost half the parking lot. Don't know why that situation was allowed to happen but in that case it was thanks but no thanks.

Ron

[MyronL]

Ron, we cannot blame those Whitehorse/Walmart campers for being there. It's Alaska. You know they only wanted to be close to the Walmart deli jelly doughnuts, and the fresh fried chicken wings.

[Ron in BC]

Myron, we had our 10 year old American nephew on our boat while cruising. We played a game called how many states/provinces can you name. We came to the conclusion that American schools must be big on American history, not geography. Whitehorse is in the Yukon and the flag they fly is Canadian.

Yah, I don't know if anyone has ever done a demographic study of Walmart patrons. The term "all sizes and shapes" wouldn't even begin to cover it. The strange thing is we find shopping at Walmart quite good at times.

The Walmart with the biggest surprise was at Mexicali. First I'd bet that they never in a thousand years, given the proximity to the border, would ever allow overnight camping. But, yes they do allow it. There didn't appear to be any transient crowd and it turned out to be nicely landscaped and even had an electrical outlet that could have been used in a pinch.

Ah Walmart, my home away from home.

Ron

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

Myron, we had our 10 year old American nephew on our boat while cruising. We played a game called how many states/provinces can you name. We came to the conclusion that American schools must be big on American history, not geography. Whitehorse is in the Yukon and the flag they fly is Canadian.
Ron

Every kid from the 50’s knows where the Yukon is . It’s the home of Sergeant Preston and his dog Yukon King !

[padlin]

Alaska, Yukon, I think to most down here it's really the same thing. Until I joined this forum, I didn't know there was a province called Nunavut. Is a territory the same as a province?

[MyronL]

Wait a minute…this picture don’t lie. We took that train from Skagway, Alaska, way up the mountains and it stopped up there at a very snowy spot. I thought it was White horse. Hmm, maybe it was called White horse Pass? Oh - just "White Pass?"

Never mind. Onward, King!!

[gbaglo]

My grade 7 geography teacher at Garfield Elementary in Maywood, Ill. taught that there are eleven provinces in Canada.

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

Every kid from the 50’s knows where the Yukon is . It’s the home of Sergeant Preston and his dog Yukon King !

Dug the rest of my Yukon gold spuds yesterday. They were nice but not especially prolific. Only hilled them once and got them in a little late. Still have Pontiacs and Lasoda Reds to dig. We will can those and use them next winter in stew. The Yukon’s we will eat and share.

If you get a chance to see the movie “Togo” don’t miss it. And if it doesn’t put a lump in your throat, you’re not a dog person. “Good dogs, Good dogs
all. Hike!”

Then there was that old joke about the test to be a Yukon River Savage.
“Where’s that Indian squaw I have to wrestle?”
Iowa Dave

[rbryan4]

I try to avoid Walmart when possible, for shopping as well as overnighting, so no biggie here.

[Rossue]

Agree with that. For shopping in some smaller areas where they exist we will shop there and they have stepped up their game with organic fruit & vegetables. For overnight- no way! Said it before- and in these times for sure- church parking lots. Have had some very good experiences and never a bad one.

[Jim Bennett]

I use Walmart for a stopover while on the move. Costco, Superstore and the like too. It is great that Walmart offers this service as much as they do. A nice washroom to use, a place to pick up supplies (though I admittedly don't shop there regularly), and usually good security. They are very often nicely located for a quick overnight stop, and you can go in at any time of the evening. I always talk to the folks in Customer Service as well. Maybe not needed, but still a good thing to do.

I have not witnessed any RV people set up to actually camp, though have certainly heard lots of stories. Too bad there was not a good way to get them to use the service as intended, an overnight stop. Why the heck would you want to set up a camp for a few days there anyway?

[75thRanger]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

Every kid from the 50’s knows where the Yukon is . It’s the home of Sergeant Preston and his dog Yukon King !

"On King, On you Huskies"

[Iowa Dave]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO6IU9RpjS8

Remember seeing this movie with my Dad when I was a yute.
Iowa Dave

[gbaglo]

My dad took me to see "My Pal Joey". He thought it was about a horse, or a dog.

[Oldtimer]

Don’t forget the book series Silver Chief

[gbaglo]

I think I was probably eleven years old when my dad ( Lutheran minister ) took me to this movie. Pal Joey plot summary:


Plot summary


Linda English (Kim Novak)


The setting is San Francisco; Joey Evans (Frank Sinatra) is a second-rate singer, a heel known for his womanizing ways (calling women "mice"), but charming and funny. When Joey meets Linda English (Kim Novak), a naive chorus girl, he has stirrings of real feelings. However, that does not stop him from romancing a former flame and ex-stripper (Joey says, "She used to be 'Vera Vanessa the undresser...with the Vanishing Veils'"), now society matron Vera Prentice-Simpson (Rita Hayworth), a wealthy, willful, and lonely widow, in order to convince her to finance his dream, "Chez Joey", a night club of his own.
Soon Joey is involved with Vera, each using the other for his/her own somewhat selfish purposes. But Joey's feelings for Linda are growing. Ultimately, Vera jealously demands that Joey fire Linda. When Joey refuses ("Nobody owns Joey but Joey"), Vera closes down "Chez Joey". Linda visits Vera and agrees to quit in an attempt to keep the club open. Vera then agrees to open the club, and even offers to marry Joey, but Joey rejects Vera. As Joey is leaving for Sacramento, Linda runs after him, offering to go wherever he is headed. After half-hearted refusals, Joey gives in and they walk away together, united.