If you love traveling in an RV but have never experienced boondocking or camping before, here are RV Boondocking For Beginners you must know. Camping or boondocking is one of the important things that RVers must know. Though RV is your good companion, you should learn some tips and facts about RVing before you set out for an adventurous trip.
These essential things include power sources, water for different uses, food, shelter for environmental conditions, and where to park your RV.
Read on to find out all the essential requirements for boondocking and finding the parking areas for boondocking effectively. You might also enjoy reading: Boondocking And Dry Camping: What Are The Differences?
What Do You Need To Know Before Boondocking?
Here are some of the essential things that must be considered before planning boondocking.
1- Finding the Parking Area
As you will need to park your RV to camp for some time. You will need a proper area to park your RV. You can’t find a good parking place every time you set out for a trip. Sometimes, you’ll have to manage accordingly, like when you’re in a forest, hills, desert, or any other off-grid area. Here are some of the best choices for parking the RV.
- 1- Stealth Parking for Short Time
Stealth parking is considered secret parking where one will park his or her RV at a place that doesn’t have any non-parking tag. This type of parking point is mainly intended for parking vehicles for a short time. However, make sure that you don’t challenge any security issues in the local area.
- 2- Dispersed Parking
Another option that can help you out when you’re on a trip and want to park your RV for a stay is dispersed camping. This type of boondocking or camping can be carried out on public lands.
These places are open for public parking for RVs or any other vehicle parking. A benefit of this kind of camping is that you’ll have some facilities along with simple parking that will make your camping easy.
- 3- Finding Parking Lots
Different big stores have made some special grounds or parks for parking the public vehicles and vehicles of the visitors. Some of them are paid, while others may be free. You can choose anyone accordingly.
You can find information on the Campendium website and app to find camps sites throughout the US.
- 4- Campgrounds
Certain campgrounds are also built-in in different visiting areas that are intended to facilitate the visitors and campers. One can park his or her RV in such campgrounds too.
Different campgrounds and other parking areas have their location on google maps that can help you find them. So you can also locate them via GPS. Check Camping Road Trip to find and chat about RV parks and campgrounds.
See also: Top 5 Must-Have Off-Grid Tools
2- Reserving Adequate Water
Water is an inevitable necessity that can’t be ignored while at home or off to home. All types of RVs are built with three water tanks that are specialized for freshwater, washing or showering (gray tank), and toilet use (black tank).
The second important thing that you must keep in mind is filling these water tanks. Depending on the capacity of your RV’s water tanks, you can survive for different times after refilling these tanks.
3- Store Ready-To-Cook Food in Your RV
You can survive without food. All RVs come with an inbuilt mini kitchen that lets you cook for your survival. However, you’ll have to store ready-to-cook food in your RV to prevent a food crisis.
If you fail to store enough food resources, you may face certain difficulties.
4- Power Source
As you’ll have to survive off the grid, so you’ll have to arrange any power source in your RV, which will help you to light up your RV and perform your different functions. You can live off the grid through multiple power sources. However, these three resources are most frequently used in boondocking.
- Solar Panels
- Propane Based Power Generators
- Wind Power Sources
The most efficient power source out of all these is solar panels. However, you’ll manage any backup, too in bad weather situations. A propane-fueled generator will be the best choice for such situations.
See also: Solar Vs. Propane: Which One is Better for Living Off-Grid?
5- Make Your Safety Sure
Safety is the foremost thing that you should not ignore at any cost. Choose such a spot for boondocking that is secure from wild animals, thieves, and other dangers. If you’re in a forest and think that you’re vulnerable to wild animals, you’ll move on to the next spot.
Also, you should equip your RV with preventive items and tools that can make you safe and secure against wild animals and other security threats.
How Do You Start Boondocking?
Before starting boondocking, one should understand certain facts and tips that will be helpful during boondocking. Some of these facts are listed below:
- Always ensure you check the weather before you go.
- Make sure you cover your RV basics.
- Plan for where to park your RV.
- Boondock at the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) campgrounds with the opportunity to camp with more privacy and explore nature.
- Boondock at National Park Service (NPS) campgrounds.
- Boondock at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) property, where you can enjoy outdoor activities such as backpacking, fishing, or mountain biking.
How Long Can You Boondock in an RV?
Generally, some national forests and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) sites allow boondockers to stay for 14 days. But other places will typically limit how long you can Boondock in an RV to under a week.
Your RV decides how long you can boondock in it. If it has excessive water storing capacity, you can boondock for more time and vice versa. You can survive in an RV with maximum water storing capacity for about two weeks before refilling the water tanks.
See also: Off-Grid Lifestyle for Beginners: Everything You Must Know!
Can You Boondock Full-Time?
You can live full-time boondocking if you find Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land where you can camp for up to a month. However, most BLM lands won’t allow you to camp in one spot for an extended period. They generally will limit you to stay camped for up 14 days.
Many Americans chose to live full-time in their RV while experiencing the beauty of nature.
Final Thoughts
Boondocking is not as easy a task as it sounds. However, one can make it easy simply by understanding some beneficial tips and facts about it.
If you’re an amateur traveler but don’t know how to boondock, you should know some facts before setting out for a boondock-based trip. Some of the important tips mentioned in the above section can help you while living outside the home in an RV.