How to find dispersed boondocking campsites on public land

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our E-mail Digest or RSS Feed. We will then send you the stories that are posted each day in an e-mail digest. We use a service called Feedburner for delivery of these emails. You will receive an e-mail from Feedburner after you subscribe and you must click on that email to activate your subscription. Thanks for visiting and enjoy all the information! RV.Net Blog AdminBy Bob Difley By Bob Difley Just knowing that you can legally boondock almost anywhere on public lands, such as those managed by the forest service and BLM, as I wrote in last week’s post, http://blog.rv.net/2013/06/how-to-camp-free-or-cheap-on-scenic-public-lands-part-2/ does not tell you exactly how to find these “dispersed” campsites (not within the confines of an organized campground). You won’t find any signs saying “Campsite Here” or numbered posts designating campsites.  No hosts in golf carts will lead you to an open site. No, you have to find them for yourself. Since finding dispersed campsites is more difficult than finding campgrounds, it is one of the features that makes boondocking attractive–there won’t be a lot of RVers competing for the same campsite. First, become alert so that you notice when you enter public lands. You will recognize national forests or national recreation areas by their familiar brown signs (photo below).  Seldom, however, will signs identify BLM lands, which mostly lie in... Read more

Wise water usage the key to extended boondocking

In last week’s post, Power to the people: Upgrade options for your electrical system, I wrote about various ways to increase your electrical capacity while dry-camping (boondocking). Now we will move on to drinking water, that natural resource that will limit your consecutive boondocking days unless you are Moses and can strike a stone with a rod and water gushes forth. If you run out of water you can’t make coffee, spaghetti, or jello,  brush your teeth, flush your toilet, wash and rinse dishes, shower,  or have a nice cold glass of it. In fact, you are probably so used to just turning the spigot that until nothing but a drop or two dribbles out do you realize how thirsty you are. That’s why boondockers have to plan, curbing the natural instinct (and wasteful habit) of unconsciously turning on the spigot without thought. It’s the same as flicking on the light switch and not considering the amps fleeing your batteries. You don’t have to be paranoid about it, but if you adopt the habit of thinking about the consequences of  your actions, it becomes much easier–almost second nature–to mentally monitor your finite resources. And, of course, there’s the water level monitor gauge for you techies. You need to know basically only two rules for managing your drinking water: (1) Carry more, (2) Use less. Carrying more is the easy part. There are a variety of containers in which you can carry additional water that can be loaded into your... Read more

A FIVE-PART BLOG

By Barry Zander, Edited by Monique Zander, the Never-Bored RVers YORK AND THE HOGS — As today’s title suggests, there are five parts to today’s blog, beginning with our discovering an interesting area to visit when you’re traveling in the Northeast.  The place is York County, Pennsylvania, between Harrisburg and Baltimore.  It proudly calls itself Another "Hog" owner arrives at the factory. No photos are allowed in the production plant. “The Factory Tour Capital of the World.” Before going further about all that’s available in that area, I’ll start out by saying that the only tour we took was the Harley-Davidson motorcycle factory.   Realize that technology is not high in Monique’s sphere of interests and I’ve never longed to straddle a “Hog,” but whattaplace! The robots that paint and form parts are magnificent.  The workforce’s devotion to producing a precision product is inspirational.  Everything on every motorcycle that goes through the stations is checked and rechecked all along the assembly lines. Most of the process is done by men and women because almost every bike is different. Large and small, various colors and models, some with ultimate accessories, others lean and mean – robots can’t be programmed to cope with the variety.  [And unlike Ozzie Nelson when the Nelsons went through the U.S. Mint in the 1960s, I didn’t ask for a free sample.] When we were staying near York, we carefully chose which factories to tour... Read more

Power to the people: Upgrade options for your electrical system

By Bob Difley In last week’s post, How to get the most out of your electrical system when camping without hookups, http://blog.rv.net/2013/05/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-your-electrical-system-when-camping-without-hookups/ I wrote getting started dry-camping or boondocking and how to conserve the electricity in your house batteries to add time to your camping trip before having to recharge. Today we will look at ways to upgrade your electrical system to provide even longer stays out in the boonies. Lower wattage and Energy Star appliances will take less energy to run, pull fewer amps from your batteries, and run more efficiently than your older appliances. However, it is not practical or economical to tear out your old installed appliances and replace with Energy Star (until they start getting tired and need replacement), but you can check before you buy a new RV whether the appliances already installed are in compliance. You can also vastly improve your electrical system–actually more than doubling your storage capacity–by installing additional or different batteries. Here you have choices. Buy an additional deep cycle flooded lead acid RV battery like the one your rig came with. But, don’t add a new battery into a system with older batteries or the older battery will draw energy from the new one. A newer type battery option is the absorbed gas mat (AGM) type, which has no liquid in the cells that must be monitored or refilled. Or you could install two... Read more

A FEW SITUATIONS OF OUR OWN

By Barry Zander, Edited by Monique Zander, the Never-Bored RVers Dear Lug_Nut, We cringed during yesterday’s posting, wondering how we get ourselves into these no-going-back & no-going–forward situations.  We had a few, but, honestly, none that I can remember as harrowing as your knuckle-whitener.  Good writing, Lug! Since “Comments” aren’t active these days, a victim of spammers (who sent me over 400 messages at one time), I’ll relate a few of our experiences in this blog.  I wrote this same type column about a year ago, but Monique urged me not to run it.  I must have erased it, because it has disappeared from my files. First incident happened about the fifth day of our RVing experience, so naturally I was still nervous.  We approached a long, narrow bridge pulling our 22-foot Starcraft Antigua travel trailer.  As we moved on forward, I realized there was a truck with a wide load heading toward us !!! at a high rate of speed !!! and weaving a bit.  I truly white-knuckled it, hanging onto the steering wheel for dear life. We must have made it across, because we’re still RVing.  I may have blacked out as we almost scraped past. Not long afterward, we pulled into a shopping center … only it wasn’t the entrance to the center’s parking lot.  It was the entrance to a small Starbuck’s – no way to back up or turn around, only the narrow drive-thru driveway.  We didn’t order a Frappuccino:  we were just happy with our escape. Still new to the... Read more

How important are size restrictions when searching for a public campground?

By Bob Difley When you were scouring the campground directories for campsites–especially those in National Parks, Monuments, and Forests–to spend a few days or for one-nighters when traveling and you see restrictions on maximum size allowed, such as “Maximum size 27 feet” did you cross it off your list of potential camping locations? If so, you may have missed an opportunity to visit what might be a wonderful national treasure or a nesty, forest campsite beside a tumbling stream. The maximum length referred to means that all–or most–of the campsites in the campground will accommodate that length. But . . . SOME will also accommodate longer lengths, sometimes much longer. Those who write the rules do not want to officially include longer lengths when maybe only three or four campsites will fit longer lengths, and if those are taken but smaller ones remain open, they may get in a tangle with RVers with a longer rig urging them to move someone with a shorter rig out of the larger site and into a smaller site. Or, when those with larger rigs show up and find there are only a few that fit the maximum size stated and they are taken. Whatever the reasons–not that I blame them at wanting to avoid such hassles–knowing this does open up some options. If you can fit into the campsite they won’t tell you to leave. And often, the measurement is made from the wheel barrier at the rear of the campsite to the front, the length of the pad itself... Read more

RV camping options that you likely won’t find at the Tourist Bureaus

By Bob Difley What could be more enjoyable than roaming around the country in your RV and exploring places you’ve never been before? But if you just go to the major tourist attractions, most popular national parks, and stay in only campgrounds recommended by Tourist Bureaus, Chambers of Commerce, and State Campground Organizations you will miss a lot of what America has to offer. The following three alternate camping opportunities, from my ebook 111Ways to Get the Biggest Bang From Your RV Lifestyle Buck (PDF or Kindle), could lead you to many memorable places that most RVers overlook or miss. Indian Reservations Indian reservations are scattered about the country with the largest reservations in the western deserts. Each tribe has its own rules regarding camping and depending on the reservation, you can find any style of camping from a full service hook-up campground to boondocking on open land (photo – Lake Tombigbee campground on Alabama-Coushatta Reservation east of Livingston, Texas). Always check in with the tribal headquarters before setting up camp. Most have Websites where you can get info.  A good place to start is the American Indian Web site. National Wildlife Refuges In addition to all the state wildlife areas around the country, the U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service manages the world’s premier system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America’s fish, wildlife, and plants. Since President Theodore Roosevelt designated Florida’s... Read more

Alternative free (or cheap) overnight camping when on the road

Bob Difley Campground costs are an important aspect of the RV Lifestyle, and taking some extra effort in choosing where you will spend the night while on the road can save a considerable amount from your monthly expenses. You may enjoy a full service campground when you are spending several days enjoying their amenities, but when you just want to stop for the night and leave early in the morning, paying for a full amenity RV resort can get expensive. However if you keep your eyes out as you travel, and do some advance research on the area you plan to travel through, you may find some opportunities to save some money, but also enjoy something different for a change. The three ideas below for alternative overnight stopping spots are taken from my ebook, 111 Way to Get the Biggest Bang From Your RV Lifestyle Buck. Boat Launching Ramp and Marina parking lots Check with the Harbor Master’s office whether you can park overnight in the parking lot or elsewhere in the harbor (photo – Port San Luis harbor, Central California), or if you see other RVs, ask them. Boaters and anglers often sleep overnight in order to get early morning starts. You don’t necessarily have to have a boat, and you might enjoy a walk around the harbor area and even find fresh fish available if a pier or wharf is part of the set up. Most will charge a moderate overnight parking/camping fee, while others won’t, so don’t be afraid to ask. If the marina is large, you can probably get by just by pulling... Read more

YOUR STORIES … AND MY ‘WHAT-TO-BUY ADVICE’

By Barry Zander, Edited by Monique Zander, the Never-Bored RVers I just read your article about Enon. It gave me a chuckle. I actually live close to Enon and still am not sure where it is.   I hear people talk about it but it remains this mysterious place that only certain people know where it is located. I’ll be following your journey and hope you have a fun and safe trip. Carol Garris In the book “Then There Were None” by Agatha Christy, which was made into a movie in 1959 called, “Ten Little Indians,” the name of the omniscient host was U.N. Owen.  It was later decoded to mean “Unknown.”  Well, maybe the “Mystery of Enon” is that it’s “None” spelled backwards. In response to my request for wrong turn stories, there’s this one from Gary: Perhaps not as good a story as yours, but here goes anyway. My wife and I were traveling south from Mount Vernon, WA, on Interstate 5, talking about anything and everything when we found ourselves on Old Highway 99, the old main north/south Hwy, from Seattle, which is about 10 miles or so to the west, of I-5, without any knowledge of how we got there. We knew where we were, but how we got there remains a mystery even today. That was over 30 years ago and we still refer to that time whenever we find ourselves talking past a turn-off.     Good times.   Yes.  Thanks, Gary AND … We once spontaneously decided to tent camp with canoe, two kids, and a dog. The idea was to get to Flagstaff Lake, put gear and... Read more

A Popular Choice In RV’s Today

Lug_Nut, with a product class point of view.  With the economy slowly improving and banks loosening their grip on loans, RV sales are increasing in many areas.  One of the brightest stars in this recovery seems to be the Class B motor home.  These are the smaller, van like, vehicles that are manufactured by such companies as Roadtrek, Pleasure-Way, Thor and Winnebago.  Sales for these types of recreational vehicles soared to a 32% year over year increase during the first eight months of 2012.  The market share certainly belongs to Roadteck, capturing 35.8% of the Class B sales.  They are followed by Pleasure-Way at 19.9%, closely trailed by Thor at 19.3% and Winnebago securing 16%. So, why are these motorized RV’s becoming so popular?  Well let’s look at some of the advantages they may have over that of a Class C or A. Attractive price point ranging from $65K to over $100K for new. Easy to drive and park in urban areas, requiring no special license. Thrifty on fuel and available in gasoline or diesel powered. Can operate as a lone vehicle or a daily driver. Can be stored at home in the driveway in nearly any city. Can travel in locations not accessible to larger rigs.  ie: Going To The Sun Road. Much of the servicing can be done at your local repair shop. Much more energy efficient to maintain interior temperatures in all climates. Okay, but what about the home comforts and conveniences?  Well, no shortage there.  The inside seems surprisingly large given the vehicle’s... Read more

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