RV not a Van, but looking for info

[richkphoto]

Can anyone tell me if my outfit is to big for BLM or National Forest land ? We have an older 40' diesel pusher and a 24' cargo trailer to carry our car and tools for our jewelry biz. We'd like to hit the road full time when my wife retires in December and we'll have a very limited budget (under $1000.00 a month) so we can't afford to go down road and get stuck. I've put a lot of work into the RV adding solar and good AGM batteries so I can boondock for quite a while. Would we be able to get into free places to came or should we plan on getting rid of this RV and get something smaller? We won't be able to stay in paid camp grounds. Any insight would be of great help.

 

[becida]

Won't be a problem in the BLM areas that I've seen in the Arizona/Calif, lot's of room there.  
National forests areas are all unique.

You'd would fit in the NF just outside the south entrance to the Grand Canyon and the areas around Flagstaff that I have stayed. Not real sure about some of the NF spots I've stayed at in Tennessee or Georgia... The place I stayed outside of Mesa Verde would have been a no go for something that big...

Get your computer or smart phone, then check out freecampsites.net for places you're interested in. Then go to google maps and take a look at the spots, you'll have a way better idea if you'll fit or not.

New Mexico has a state park pass (around $200, you'll need to check on the price) that allows you to camp for free in the state parks for a year. Electricity & sewer hook ups cost extra. It's not a bad deal if your looking for somewhere to hang out in that part of the world...

There is (still) Slab City down by Niland, Calif if you have no where else to go....

 

[rvwandering]

Welcome to the CRVL forums Rich! It is possible to boondock with your current setup but it will be difficult. The couple with the blog Wheelingit lived in their diesel pusher for 8 years and boondocked whenever they could. They wrote good posts about each site - https://wheelingit.us/category/boondocking-2/boondocking-sites/
Almost all are in the desert. Most national forest roads will be too narrow or have tight curves or overhanging branches. Clearings where you could boondock are often too small to turn around a large rig especially with a towed trailer.

Becida's suggestion of the New Mexico park pass is excellent. You could try that for a year and see how it works for you. I think there are a few higher elevation parks where you could go in the summer months.

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.

 

[highdesertranger]

as far as clearance goes there a plenty of areas you can get to. however that leaves plenty of places you can't get to. what seems to be a big concern with pushers is that the dust that gets kicked up and gets sucked right into the engine air cleaner. highdesertranger

 

[richkphoto]

Thanx for all the info. I went to a BBQ competition in Iowa and relied on google maps for navigation  . I thought that when I arrive I would find everything on my roof gone, but it survived. My tow biggest fears are low clearance and not being able to turn around

 

[highdesertranger]

for clearance I was not just talking about height but also about width. desert pin stripes are real. highdesertranger

 

[becida]

We have an older 40' diesel pusher and a 24' cargo trailer to carry our car and tools for our jewelry biz. We'd like to hit the road full time when my wife retires in December and we'll have a very limited budget (under $1000.00 a month) so we can't afford to go down road and get stuck.

Thinking about an RV & a budget something worth mentioning is that I've found free RV dumps, drinking water & dumpsters at more than one National Park (the Grand Canyon & Meas Verde come to mind).  
With the annual pass ($80) you can get in the parks for free. 

Another budget thing is Passport America, half off at member RV parks a lot of the time. We've spent $15 to spend the night at a full hook up park just because we could, it was convenient and/or it would have cost us that much at an RV dump. Really crappy weather is another reason we've stopped & spent the $15.
PA is not perfect but we have always gotten our money's worth ($50) in the year.


We're now in Maine at a friend's place & all the dumps are 15-20 miles from here & cost between $20 & $40 to use. 
The local sewer plant has it for $10 but it's not built for RV's. Real close quarters & a tall curb to get the hose over, higher than the sewer outlet on my RV.
This is free camping but there still are costs...