new to boondocking

[keysbottles]

Hi,  My family and I have been camping for 40 years but have always stayed in rv parks.  We are now retired and plan to travel (in our rv) but have a limited budget!!!  I've watched cheaprvliviing and others for years.  Boondocking seems to be the answer for the budget problem and includes other perks, social, education, new friends etc. I have watched individuals on YouTube that I would love to meet in person.  We are a little  nervous, as in any new venture, but also excited.  We have purchased a used MH and when we get it equipped properly hope to hit the road.  See you soon.  Don and  Trish

 

[highdesertranger]

Welcome Don and Trish to the CRVL forums! To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips, Tricks and Rules" post lists some helpful information to get you started. We look forward to hearing more from you.

you might want to look into the caravans.

highdesertranger

 

[WanderingRose]

Boondocking is a great way to take advantage of free spaces, some of them gorgeous and many just ordinary, and it is a liberating feeling to know you carry everything you need with you.

It is a leap of faith, but not difficult to master once you take that first step.

Enjoy!

 

[MrNoodly]

Probably the biggest thing to get used to is lack of hookups. You can practice by using your RV (when you get it) at your house, not connected to anything. Move into it for a couple of weeks and try being self-contained, self-sufficient.

 

[becida]

It is a bit different from full hook up RVing, the mind set thing. I had to get used to not having what I had and to rationing... turn the lights off and watch the water kind of thing.

Solar really helped! 

That was then. These days we go weeks and months without hooking up, it does save the dollars.

 

[LoupGarou]

There can certainly be a social aspect to camping at free sites these days.

I was camping this past weekend in a Missouri Conservation Area. I awoke to the sounds of turkeys gobbling in the woods, geese honking on the lake and a human hocking up a quid in the site nearby.

All it took was eye contact and a slight wave and the stage was set. It was like the movie “What About Bob?”. The guy just wouldn’t go away. All he did was ramble, jumping from topic to topic. He wasn’t happy that he had been at his site for the 14 day limit and had to pack up and move.

 

[keysbottles]

I was RSVP'd to caravan  4 in Lordsburg, NM last month.  At that time we had a Trailmanor pop up and on the way to meet up, a bearing froze, one of the wheels came off the trailer, did enough damage to total it.  so, we bought a used MH are starting again.  Hoping to avoid Murphy this time around.

 

[RoamerRV428]

boondocking is all about what you can live without and how you manage and WHAT do you want to manage

We were always in boondock frame of mind from our first tent to our giant 5th wheel rvs. even at campgrounds we made tanks go AS long as they could before dumping....like another said, you need to practice your skills.

we can go what seems like almost forever on our tanks til we must handle the situation as all must. life minimal. we love that.

Sounds like you guys are wanting a new adventure and just go for it! The small amt of 'dealing with tanks' and 'supplies' is not all that dramatic at all in boondock situations. Worst is when YOU MUST DO something about that situation cause you took it as far as ya could then ya gotta deal with it...which is never all that bad truly Think of all ya gain vs. the little work required to live how you want Rock on!!

 

[ckelly78z]

Even when camping in a State Park with electric like we will be doing for this weekend, you have to fill up the water, and watch tank levels for your grey/black tanks, and then dump at the end of the trip. We may run an electric heater (rather than propane), but most meals will be fixed over an open fire, and no TV will be watched.