If that’s the case they’re great for practice (barring poor weather) as they make for a nice short stay. You may only want to become proficient at boondocking to attend your favorite sporting events, like tailgating at football games or NASCAR races. You may also be able to pick up some tips from your fellow RVers. That being the case, there’s plenty of help should you need it. You’ll be camping with other RV enthusiasts who are also boondocking for the weekend. Many RV shows do allow onsite camping but without any hook-ups. RV shows are a great place to begin dry camping if they allow onsite camping. At the least, you could hook up to a house’s power or water to charge up or refill your tank if you needed to. You are able to practice camping without hook-ups, but should anything not turn out right, there is a house nearby for modern conveniences. Friends’ and Family’s DrivewaysĪ friend or relative’s driveway, or even your own, is a great place to practice boondocking. You may find you can boondock for longer than you thought. You can even extend the stay to five or seven days, and closely monitor your power and water consumption per day or week. This is a great way to practice because you have the hook-ups there if you need them. A great way to practice is to camp at a campsite with hook-ups without actually hooking up your RV. What better way to learn than with a safety net? Try a short, two to three-day boondocking stay at any of these sites. You can practice your water management without having to worry about your power too. A state park might offer electric-only, but make water available at spigots located throughout the campground. After that, try camping at a campground that offers just one hook-up.
Boondocking tips full#
If you’re used to full hook-ups with sewer, try going without the sewer hook-up at first. Why cut all your hook-ups at once? Try starting out by camping with just partial hook-ups at a campground. If you find you underestimated how much water you use for dishes or showers, you can always switch to drinking and cooking with the extra water you packed. Yes, you can drink water being pumped from your freshwater tank, but packing drinking water will leave room for error. Last, be sure to stock your fridge and pack some extra drinking water.
Boondocking tips how to#
Make sure you know how to operate it (it may need to be primed if you’re in a high altitude, like the Rockies). Many motorized RVs will have an onboard generator, but not always.
Boondocking tips portable#
If you’re in a towable travel trailer, pack your portable generator. Refill your propane and make sure your batteries are fully charged. Cover Your RV Basicsīefore setting out on your first boondocking adventure be sure to check off some RV basics. Stack the odds in your favor when you’re starting out by learning to boondock in mild weather. Of course, you can boondock in other weather conditions, it’s just not as easy and may require a generator. In this weather, you won’t need temperature control to keep you comfortable. Try boondocking for the first time in temperatures where the highs are in the 70s and the lows don’t dip below the 50s. When you’re first learning about power consumption, this rookie mistake could put you in a position where you wake up to find your battery is drained. Although your furnace likely runs on LP, the fan draws power. Likewise, if it’s cold, you need to run your furnace. Needing to run your AC adds an extra challenge you don’t need when you’re learning. Being mindful of your power consumption is key to boondocking. If it’s sticky and hot you’re going to need to rely on your AC to stay comfortable. Extreme weather just complicates matters. Check the WeatherĪvoid boondocking for the first time in frigid or sweltering conditions. In no time, you’ll be ready to camp off-grid in your new or used motorhome, whether that’s nestled among mountains or following your favorite college football team around the country. Let’s go through some tips to help you get comfortable with boondocking little by little.
Take boondocking one small step at a time and you’ll find you’ll want to do it again and again. The good news is, like many things in life, all you need is a little bit of practice to boondock comfortably and confidently. It can also feel a bit daunting for more experienced RVers who are used to having the conveniences of a campground with full-hookups. If you’ve fallen in love with the off-the-grid kind of camping that skips these campground sites, you’re in love with the idyllic RV experience called “boondocking.”īut, boondocking, also known as “dry camping,” can be intimidating for beginner RVers. What you don’t see in these picture-perfect set-ups are the surrounds of a crowded campground, like a power pedestal and sewer hose running to your dumpsite.
It’s also the stuff of RV images we fall in love with. Camping beneath the stars surrounded by rustling pines, hooting owls, and crashing waves is the stuff RV dreams are made of.