Boondocking etiquette: More than the Golden Rule

Last Saturday I wrote about the boondocking code of Leave No Trace, of respecting nature and its inhabitants, and leaving your campsite cleaner than you found it. But there is also another form of respect when boondocking, and that is how your treat your neighbors. And it’s not as easy as the Golden Rule’s “Do unto others . . . “  implies. Example #1: You’re an off road vehicle (OHV) fan and enjoy getting together with others in desert boondocking locations, driving your ATVs across the desert, and enjoying a few beers around a campfire swapping stories long into the night with your fellow campers about great ATV riding areas. You arrive at your favorite boondocking site and find another camper nearby. But it doesn’t bother you, since you follow the Golden Rule and will invite your neighbor to ride with you on your ATV and to join the others around the evening’s campfire  and everybody will have a good time. Example #2: You’re a bird and wildlife watcher, and enjoy getting up before dawn to see what birds and native wildlife you can see as they arise for the day. Later you take walks through the solitude and quiet of the desert, enjoying its serenity and peacefulness. You sit quietly outside your RV as the sun goes down to see what night critters wake and quietly go about searching for food, then go to sleep early so you can enjoy the sunrise early in the morning. When you arrive at your favorite boondocking site, you see another... Read more

The RV Trivia Challenge #10. How Well Can You Score?

  Welcome to the Lug_Nut RV Trivia Challenge No. 10. Unlike the Love Potion by the same name, (I guess that was No. 9) this will challenge you mentally, not emotionally.  Remember, this is a trivia, not an IQ test.  Therefore you may need to guess at many.  So get a pencil to record your answers.  Then check them with the answers found near the bottom and post your score and comments in the comments section at the very bottom. So, let’s see who will get this month’s bragging rights.  Give it a try.         1)     Trailer hitches are available in various capacities from a Class 1 to V.  What is the maximum rating of a Class II hitch? A)   2,000 lbs. B)    3,500 lbs. C)    5,000 lbs. D)   10,000 lbs. E)    15,000 lbs. 2)     Camping by, or near a lake has always been a great attraction.  Which of the lower 48 states has the most lakes? A)   Minnesota B)    Michigan C)    Arizona D)   Washington E)    Tennessee 3)     If you are into lighthouses, you might head your RV to this place.  It is the tallest brick lighthouse in the world and there are campgrounds nearby.  Surrounded by water, this attracts over 175,000 people each year.  Where will you be headed for to visit this? A)   Halifax, Nova Scotia B)    Bar Harbor, Maine C)    Charleston, S.C.  D)   Cape Hatteras, N.C. E)    Key West, Florida   4)     The ill-fated Titanic Ocean Liner is the subject of two museums devoted fully to its history.  This... Read more

Leave no trace: The boondocker’s code

By Bob Difley My inclination is that all boondockers know and practice the Leave No Trace principle. Unfortunately, I find that idea does not always match reality. I’m sure we all have found trash when we pull into a new boondocking site, and probably blame it on “those damn kids” that come out here in our territory and mess the place up. Read more  Read More →

Is there an “ideal” DP?

Well, we got several good comments about our first installment on this subject, so let’s push forward with more of our observations in our ongoing attempt to find the ideal diesel pusher motorhome. So, where are we so far in our project to design our ideal DP?  Well, we want a fairly large, midship LCD TV that you can watch with the slides in, and no full wall slide.  So far, so good.  Now, here is another item that we want, and that makes me wonder when looking at motorhomes on display at various RV shows.  Our motorhome has solid surface countertops and we really like it.  Our stove top is also covered by the same material.  However, our stove top is also hinged.  In other words, when you want to use the stove we simply raise the top, fold it to the back of the stove and it resides there until we are finished and the stove has cooled, then we fold the top back into place.  On virtually all new motorhomes, the same stove top is supplied as two loose pieces laying on the stove top.  If you want to use the stove, you lift the pieces off, and then stand in the middle of the kitchen, looking foolish while you decide if you want to put the pieces in the bedroom on the bed, or, better yet, put them in the basement for permanent storage.  Cost of two hinges: $2.50.  Go figure that one.  My next subject is not really within my area of expertise and I defer to my lovely wife and partner, Linda, to inspect and pass judgement.  That is the area of storage within the living... Read more

What’s your style of RV travel?

Biking Yosemite National Park In RVers: How Do They Live Like That? authors Judy Farrow and Lou Stoetzer identify three styles of travel when RVers are in the initial or honeymoon stage of RV travel. They are: Meandering tourist Purposeful tourist Working tourist Read more  Read More →

Let your Voice be Heard on State Parks

Last week I wrote an article about state parks that are being closed because of state budget cuts. I received many e-mails regarding the article, including one that referenced this website www.americasstateparks.com When I started to research the topic more in-depth I ran across a Business Wire article explaining how the National Association of State Park Directors (NASPD) established this America’s State Parks Alliance. The purpose of the alliance is to mobilize and educate the public and policy makers on the positive impact state parks have on public health and local economies. Read more  Read More →

What is space? A philosophical discussion

By Bob Difley Space. The last frontier. How big is it? Last week astronomers found another hundred million galaxies in a far, unobserved corner of deep space. But here I’m talking, instead, about your rig’s storage space. That cubic area of contained air that we displace with our stuff,  that cavernous locker into which things disappear forever. It forces one to re-define the concept of what space is: the seemingly infinite deep space where entire galaxies disappear into its vastness, or the basement locker/cubicle large enough to rent out to a passing Japanese businessman to spend the night. Space is relative. If you are a boondocker, or intend to become one, space becomes even more relevant. For many of us who have been boondocking for a while, if we could dehydrate or de-atomize all our stuff and load it onto a flash drive to restore as needed, we could get by with a much smaller rig. A smaller rig would allow us to do more serious boondocking. Think driving a 40-foot motorhome over a rustic desert track or down an abandoned forest logging road. Then think again only substituting a 4WD truck camper. A no brainer. All those neat roads we could explore. All those  small nesty campsites tucked into a forest or hidden at the edge of a meadow full of grazing elk. Settle in, plug in the flash drive, type in “folding chair,” “cabernet sauvignon” (don’t forget to include a wine glass), and “cheese and crackers”, and you’re... Read more

RV.net Forum Featured Threads (Feb. 27- March 5)

Here is a sampling of some of the more popular threads this past week (February 27 – March 5, 2010) on the RV.net Open Roads Forum. Each is sure to either entertain or inform (or both): Front wheel Bounce on Freightliner Chassis : Are my shocks bad or is it something else causing the bouncing? RV Dealer responsible? Is my RV dealer responsible for winterizing my new RV (I haven’t picked it up yet)? Fifth Wheel Gooseneck Hitch: What are the pros and cons on a traditional fifth-wheel hookup vs. a goose-neck type of hookup? Remote Fob for Power Door Locks: Anyone know if my “new-to-me” used Tioga ‘98 Class C power locks originally came with remote fobs, or how I can tell if it has that option? New RV Television Show coming: HGTV show premieres March 7, 2010 Acetone for Dry Rot? Does acetone work for evaporating moisture from areas of dry rot? Eternabond question: For those who use Eternabond, which width is best or most practical for sealing roof seams? (Participation on the Open Roads Forums is completely free. Feel free to read at your leisure. Posting on the forums requires free registration and acknowledgement of forum rules.)  Read More →

RV Weekly Round-Up (Feb. 27 – March 5, 2010)

Check out these highlights of RV-related news, events and video from the previous week. 1. See New Go RVing TV Commercial: Watch the new ad spot from Go RVing in the featured video on the RV Business website. The ad is part of the “Ambassadors of Affordablity” campaign featuring cute wild animals enjoying RV vacations as an affordable way to travel with the whole family. 2. Three Tips for Being a Happier Casino Camper: Mac McClellan tells a story of listening to his own advice when visiting a casino for the first time: do your research, check in with security, and visit the players club! 3. VIDEO: Florida’s AMAZING artist Justin Gaffrey: Long Long Honeymooners Sean and Kristy Michael share a video of artist Justin Gaffrey as he creates a painting using his signarture technique. If your travels take you to the Gulf Coast and Blue Mountain Beach, FL, stop by Justin’s studio to see his work up close. 4. RV Firms Retrofit Bus into Mobile Science Lab: Several Elkhart County, Ind., RV manufacturers and suppliers are donating their time, materials and funding to help transform a four-year-old, 84-passenger school bus into an innovative mobile science center. The bus is being outfitted with computers, solar panels and other features that will help bring science closer to students and teachers in Elkhart County schools. 5. Towing Mirrors are NOT optional: Towing mirrors are often the accessory that gets the least thought. But they’re not just mirrors. And they’re... Read more

2010 Forest River Surveyor

2010 Forest River Surveyor Previously $33,351 – Now $22,886 32 ft. travel trailer sleeps 10! Features slideout, 26″ Flat Screen TV, Outside Stereo Speakers, Earth Interior luxury package, spacious pantry and more! Offered from Couchs RV Nation in Hamilton, OH. Learn more about this 2010 Forest River Surveyor! Find more great RVs on  Read More →

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