scarlett's boondocking thread

[Salida Scarlett]

Yup, I hear you Tara! If I felt more secure about traveling in this MH, and knowing how to deal with the systems, I might be more willing to venture out solo. Not to mention the expense of running this gas eating hog. As it is, I've gone ahead and ordered the tankless electric hot water heater Slowday recommended, and trying to gear up for the coming winter, (whether here or down south) ,like getting      some other issues dealt with in the rig, such as better insulation like installing padding and carpeting. I've even ordered 2 pair of Mukluks, lol! Geeze, I hate my feet being like icicles. As for TorC, NM, or some other snowbird landing place, I think I would prefer some area where there weren't a large flock of other snowbirds. That would NOT be Salida, CO in the winter, as they all take off in the winter.

 

[Terry]

What kind of "camo" are you using to be able to stay near beaches in San Diego? When Cathy and me tried to stay there, we kept getting parking tickets every where we went. And that was back in the late 70s.

 

[Salida Scarlett]

That's what I was wondering Terry...?? I haven't been there for eons, but when I was, it was like wall to wall people.

 

[Guest]

Hi Scarlett,&nbsp;when considering a solar system you should read the info in this blog.<br><br><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><a href="http://handybobsolar.wordpress.com/the-rv-battery-charging-puzzle-2/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">http://handybobsolar.wordpress.com/the-rv-battery-charging-puzzle-2/</span></a></span><br><br>It may&nbsp;not be as simple as the other poster said, you may need more than just a screwdriver.

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

If you dont want the expense of fixing or running your rv's propane heater, you can get a Mr. Buddy propane heater and an adapter house to fit a regular sized tank.&nbsp; Its like 70 plus 15 for the hose last i checked for the little one.&nbsp; If that isnt enough, they make a larger model, but the little one puts out a lot of heat and ive seen youtubes of people in class Cs that use them.&nbsp;

 

[Ken in Anaheim]

If you go the Mr. Buddy-and-BIGGER-propane tank route don't forget this :<br>http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Heater-Por...6822&amp;sr=8-5&amp;keywords=mr.+buddy+heater<br><br>KinA

 

[Salida Scarlett]

I will be sure to study the solar info on this site, as I have been wanting to add solar power to my RV, but to be frank, it has&nbsp;seemed rather baffling. Where I'm at right now, I'm totally surrounded by shade,&nbsp;but&nbsp;when the deciduous trees shed their leaves, that will be another story. If I'm here in Salida, Colorado for the winter, it's going to be very cold. Plus, the wind roars through this canyon. Right now, I'm gearing up for propane heat,&nbsp;since I don't have solar installed yet. I've heard a lot about the Mr. Buddy heater, and it sounds like it would be great for auxiliary heat. I don't mind being out in the snow when I'm dressed for it; I happen to like snow, and the fun it can bring, like skiing, snowmobiling, etc., but inside my RV, no! Or, for that matter, the issues that cold weather and snow&nbsp;can bring....car batteries that won't start,&nbsp;the possibility of freeze ups&nbsp;or busted&nbsp;pipes. &nbsp;I've already put the electric mattress pad on my bed, and it's only mid-August, lol!

 

[Salida Scarlett]

Hey there Handy Bob, I've been reading your blog; you sure go into a lot of detail. That's good, and I believe you know what your talking about....Not that I actually understand much of it,&nbsp;but &nbsp;now at least I have been forewarned not to rush off to the nearest dealers for "advice" or installation, and paying out a bunch of money for something that's not going to work the way I want it too for real time boondocking. Thanks to ya! <img class="emoticon bbc_img" src="/images/boards/smilies/thumb.gif">&nbsp;<a href="http://handybobsolar.wordpress.com/the-history-or-how-did-i-end-up-so-angry/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://handybobsolar.wordpress.com/the-history-or-how-did-i-end-up-so-angry/</a>&nbsp;&nbsp; PS: I've been saving all the "good links" from the recommendations on your blog for future reference.

 

[BamaDuke]

Did I hear my name used in vain? <img class="emoticon bbc_img" src="/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif"><br><br>Hi Miz Scarlett,&nbsp;I do indeed know a bit about the TorC area.&nbsp; The snowbirds there are a pretty hardy bunch, most coming from Montana or Colorado.&nbsp; There is a fairly large artist group, there, too.&nbsp; I have spent about 5 weeks a year there for the past 6 or 7 years.&nbsp; It does get into the 20s a few mornings each year, but the low humidity makes it tolerable for even a heat lovin' Texan like me.&nbsp; The historic Ladder Ranch is just to the west, and it is considered private property, but there are many thousands of acres of BLM land there.&nbsp; Percha Creek usually has water, at least up near Hillsboro.&nbsp; Elephant Butte is VERY upscale, but TorC itself is much more laid back.&nbsp; Several of the RV parks rent spaces for less than $130 a month, so boondocking may not be needed long term.&nbsp; The land around Cabballo Lake is state land, not BLM, and I am not familiar with their camping rules.&nbsp; In Winter I would stay closer to TorC, but in the Spring I would move higher, toward Hillsboro and it's heavily forested Gila National Forest. The area close to TorC has ZERO trees, and very few plants of any kind, except near the Rio Grande.&nbsp; The hot springs are awesome, though.&nbsp; <br><br>An interesting (to me, anyway) story about TorC involves the new Walmart, opened about 2 years ago.&nbsp; As recently as my March of this year trip, Walmart was still busing in workers from Las Cruces and Socorro, because they could not find enough applicants in TorC who could pass a drug screening.&nbsp;Sierra County is the poorest county in New Mexico, but it had the richest gold mines in the state.&nbsp; There are seemingly a large number of near-homeless in the area, but I have asked many if they would like to earn $10 or $15 an hour to dig gold.&nbsp; None have ever taken me up on it. <br><br>I will be heading back there in September.&nbsp; If you have any specific questions or would like particular information, let me know.&nbsp; PM if you'd like.&nbsp; We can only dig a few hours a day.&nbsp; An info search would be a welcome break in the action.<br><br>Bama

 

[Salida Scarlett]

Hi Mr. Bama, nice to meet you. No, you're name wasn't spoken in vain. It was recommended as a font of wisdom on various subjects, including TorC <img class="emoticon bbc_img" src="/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif">, which I've been looking over. It does seem like a pretty good area, but then I'm not exactly an expert on that part of&nbsp;New Mexico. One thing I did notice is that there is a lot of fighting and criticism on the TorC Topix forum. I would like to think most of the locals are accepting of visitors, (and snowbirds) in that area, but I've experienced that not all places cotton to them that much, which is sad. In researching TorC, I once read that there is an area where you can boon dock and get fresh water from a windmill out in the desert.....(doesn't seem like that would be BLM tho). I had the idea I could pump water into my RV from such sources close to rivers, streams, or in that case the windmill tank. Seems like a person needs good water as a necessity even before solar power. And if one had both, a trip to town every couple of weeks for supplies and a visit to the dump station would be all you'd need. Sweet! Anyways, what I'd like to do and what I get to do may be 2 different things. <img src="/images/boards/smilies/frown.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"> I did meet a gold panner here on the river in Salida. Interesting people gold prospectors but this fellow wasn't doing so well for himself....nice guy though. He was nice enough to show me the "color" he found on the Arkansas and a few places around here. I believe you'll probably do better around TorC. Thanks for all the great info. I now know a lot more than I did about the TorC area. Keep in touch when you get there in September, please! <img class="emoticon bbc_img" src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif">

 

[BamaDuke]

I've been called a font before, but it was in reference to a fountain of not-so-desirable-fertilizer&nbsp; <img class="emoticon bbc_img" src="/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif"><br><br>Glad to be of assistance.&nbsp; I think the bickering you see on Topix is a leftover from the old days.&nbsp; There are two distinct groups in Sierra County, the granola-munching, Birkenstock-wearing, New-Age-Leaning artists and the Stuck-in-the-Mud, steak-eating, no-vegans-allowed cattle ranchers.&nbsp; The two exist peacefully for the most part, but once in awhile a voter referendum or petition fans the embers into flames.&nbsp; I have always been treated with warmth and good humor upon my arrival.&nbsp; Like siblings, perhaps a different face is presented to outsiders.&nbsp; With the large number of RV parks in the area, there are a lot of snowbirds, and the Chamber of Commerce spends mucho bucks advertising for visitors.&nbsp; All of the townspeople understand that nearly all of the money coming into the county comes from these visitors.&nbsp; We are treated fine.<br><br>The BLM land is almost all leased for grazing.&nbsp; Some is claimed for gold.&nbsp; That means that you cannot bring cows in for grazing, and you can't hunt gold on claimed land.&nbsp; Any other use of the land is fine.&nbsp; Boondocking is legal almost anywhere, except that you cannot spend more than 24 hrs within 100 yards of a water source.&nbsp; This would include the windmill you referred to.&nbsp; Every windmill (and the associated water well) belongs to someone.&nbsp; That person pays for that water, and almost certainly uses that water for cattle.&nbsp; I cannot imagine a rancher refusing a thoughtful plea for a few gallons of water.&nbsp; I also cannot imagine a rancher catching someone drawing water without permission being anything less than explosive.&nbsp; The RV park I use charges $4 for a long, hot shower.&nbsp; I believe a single night is under $20.&nbsp; For that, you can get two showers, a tank dump, and all the fresh water you can carry.&nbsp; The rivers in the area would give water, but I think the cost of filters and/or chemicals would outweigh the "free" price.&nbsp; Of course, we have camped near water, and bathed in the river, needing fresh water only for cooking and drinking.&nbsp; 30 gallons will go a long way.&nbsp; Solar power is coming down in price, but I would set as much up as I possibly could to use propane.&nbsp; The amount of energy contained in that 20 pound bottle would require quite a large number of solar panels, and several large batteries to store the energy.&nbsp; <br><br>If you think of any specific questions, let me know.&nbsp; The pic is 2 ounces we dug out over 4 days last year.&nbsp; The weather was perfect and we had 2 young diggers with us. I won't bring them again.&nbsp; It took a month to recuperate&nbsp; <img class="emoticon bbc_img" src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif"><br><br>Bama<a href="/file?id=1622854" target="_blank" rel="lightbox"><img class="bbc_img" alt="2OzGold.JPG" src="http://files.websitetoolbox.com/82529/thumb/1622854"></a>&nbsp;

 

[user 423]

Hey, BD would you happen to know how far BLM land suitable for boondocking is from Caballo State Park? The rates there are pretty low with an annual camping permit but after you've stayed 14 days, you have to leave for a week. Not a problem unless you'd have to drive a long ways.

 

[BamaDuke]

Due west out of Caballo on 152 is Hillsboro.&nbsp; There is quite a bit of BLM land just off of the highway (I think there is a 100 ft state right of way), but no trees until you get to Hillsboro.&nbsp; The Gila National Forest is just west of Hillsboro, lots of shade, a few hot springs, and more than a few primitive campgrounds.&nbsp; Hillsboro is 20 miles west of I-25.&nbsp; The first thing you see, though, is a sign saying <em>Roads Not Plowed At Night.&nbsp; <br><br><br></em>A little south of Caballo is Derry.&nbsp; There is a lot of private land here, irrigated from the Rio Grande for peppers.&nbsp; North is Truth or Consequences.&nbsp; <br><br>You really need to buy the $25 <em><strong>Roads of New</strong></em><strong> Mexico</strong> book.&nbsp; It has the different landowners listed.&nbsp; I have one I picked up used on-line for $10 or 12. Lots of good info, and all the addresses for the BLM and National Forest offices. <br><br>Bama

 

[highdesertranger]

nice pan bamaduke.&nbsp; highdesertranger

 

[Salida Scarlett]

Great info Bamaduke, makes me want to be there! The Percha Dam State Park sounds pretty nice too, right on the Rio Grande, 20 mi So. of TorC.The websites describe it as a "hidden gem". Also, Slowday, there seems to be a lot of wide open spaces in that entire area that would be good for boondocking. True of many of these "desert"areas, it's cold at night but warms up in the daytime. <a href="http://www.bing.com/images/search?q...C5DAF3C2B20546203558A867&amp;selectedIndex=81" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.bing.com/images/search?q...C5DAF3C2B20546203558A867&amp;selectedIndex=81</a>