Boondocking Tips

Here are some random snippets on boondocking.   Or perhaps you prefer to call it dry camping.

As we have traveled along, we have used traditional campgrounds, membership parks, state and national parks, quick overnight stops and boondocking.  It is fun and interesting to dry camp, especially out west, without connections.

Our coach is equipped with a generator and fresh water and holding tanks that enable us to dry camp for at least a week.

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is a great website that helps you connect with other RVers who have a location for you to dry
camp for the night, find places across the country and learn from other
RVers. Check it out.

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A few thoughts on boondocking:

• Sometimes there really “ain’t no such thing as a free lunch”.
  For instance, the Walmart parking lot may not charge a camping fee, but
  running the air conditioner off the generator for 5 hours burns about
  $10 worth of diesel in our motorhome. We can be pretty frugal, but in
  the midst of summer temps approaching 100 F, the motorhome can turn into
  a giant toaster oven. It is just not an option to “stick it out” for
  the entire night without air conditioning. Ideally, you can find a
  free camping spot with electrical hookups, such we found in Blue Earth, Minnesota. But these sort of boondocking spots are few and far between.

• Click here to visit Frugal Shunpikers Guides.

• Another point to bear in mind when selecting a free camping spot
  is how far away it will be from the places you want to visit. Again, the
  high cost of fuel may be a factor.  A campground closer to the places
  you plan to visit may, in the long run, be cheaper than a free parking
  place that is miles away.  And as you make your choices, don’t forget
  about travel distances to run errands such as going into a town for
  groceries, internet access, laundry facilities, etc.

• Buy plastic or paper plates, cups, utensils to
  minimize your use of water. In general, conserve water. When you
  first try dry camping, this means pay attention to every drop of water
  you are using. Don’t let the water run while you brush your teeth or
  wash up. Dishes should be wiped with a paper towel to remove food
  before they are washed. And so on.

• If you are boondocking for any
  length of time, you need to consider how much fresh water you have and
  where you are going to find your next supply of decent water. But you
  also need to consider where you are putting the water you use, and
  manage according to the capacity of your holding tanks.

• Plan meals that are easy to make and clean-up. Perhaps you can live off
  pre-packaged meals that can just be reheated, and then the containers
  disposed of with no clean-up. If you are not a fan of frozen dinners
  or other store-bought dishes, then try to plan meals (and maybe cook
  things ahead of time) that can be easily reheated stovetop, or in the
  microwave (using the generator). Another option is to just stick to
  cold dishes. Or eat out.     In any case, when you are boondocking avoid using a lot of pots and dishes that will need to be washed.

• To this point, if you have an RV with slides, you
  will probably make a habit of considering what things are blocked when
  the slides are in. If you want to boondock, or even stop for lunch
  while enroute, will you have access to what you need? Pay attention
  to which kitchen cabinets will be blocked off with slides in. If
  there are things you might need (utensils, pot holders, food, spices,
  dishes, etc.), move them before you head out. Do the same check in
  bedroom, bath, living areas.

• Save battery power when boondocking. Look for
  hidden drains on batteries.    For instance, we have a Hurricane Heater
  that provides instant hot water.The heater would regularly cycle on and off,which was an unnecessary drain on the house batteries (as well as using diesel).

  So now we leave it off until we need it or are hooked up to shore power.
  Please don’t assume your hot water system works the same.     Read the
  specs for your RV to determine the appropriate ways you can conserve
  power.      Different RVs have different operating systems, components and
  configurations.

We bought a couple solar panels for two purposes.

• One, we knew we would be storing our coach without hookups for over a
  month and wanted to make sure the batteries would take care of the
  phantom loads on our coach. In our coach, these phantom loads consist
  of a number of things that run in the background. Examples include
  engine and transmission ECMs (electronic control modules), LEDs, the
  electronics for the refrigerator and other things we probably are not
  even aware of.

• Different RVs will have their own nuances. We bought our
  solar panels from AM Solar in Eugene, Oregon – two AM 100 panels (rated
  at 100 watts each) with a HPV-30 charge controller. We have AGM house
  batteries.

• Two, we wanted another source of power for boondocking.
  Especially in places like sunny Arizona, the solar panels keep
  the bateries charged. In the evening, we then have enough
  battery power for lights and for the invertor to provide power
  to the TV, satellite dish, computer, cell phone and camera
  battery chargers, water heater, etc.

• We seldom use the
  batteries/invertor to run heavy draws like the microwave and
  coffeemaker. But the solar power gives us enough juice to
  reduce our generator usage. And with some advance meal
  planning and instant coffee, we can minimize use of the
  generator even more. And of course power management is a lot easier if
  you are in a climate where you don’t need to use air condiioning or
  electric heat.

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Frugal Shunpicker’s Boondocking Guides:    Enjoy the freedom to camp off the grid, amidst the best nature
has to offer and save money too.

In many areas of North America,
including the most scenic states (Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah,
California, and Colorado) there are still plenty of free, scenic, legal,
and safe camping areas.

These RV publications tell you where to find these places, so you can enjoy the wonderful experience of boondocking.

A popular boondocking spot is Quartzsite, Arizona.

And our favorite for a quick overnight is Wal-Mart. Be sure the
specific Wal-Mart allows overnight parking, spend a few bucks in the
store and be discreet and courteous.