Boondocking and Dry Camping Solutions

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 AdminI’ve learned some good stuff on boondocking and dry camping. Us with trailers hate to have to hookup to go dump and take on water etc right? Well there actually in most case is no need to go through all that. You can go indefinitely without hooking up and re-setting up your trailer/RV in most cases. Below are some suggestions that work real well that I learned on my first trip to Quartzsite Arizona and boondocking in the desert. Read more Tell a Friend Read More →

The Boondocker’s Air-Conditioning System

By Bob Difley Spring suddenly blossomed into an early indication of the summer to come, with temps soaring this weekend in Northern California to the mid-eighties along the coast, and high 90s inland. Desert temps are driving the last of the snowbirds onto their northerly migration as temps soar over 105 degrees. When that kind of weather hits suddenly, without much time to acclimate, many RVers fire up their air-conditioners and stay inside, hoping the heat will not last for too many days. Boondockers are different, though, heading up in altitude rather than in latitude because of what is known in weather circles as “lapse rate,” the increase or decrease in temperature with the change of altitude. To complicate things, the rate of change varies with the moisture in the air–the humidity, just as the temperature spread between day and night at the same altitude varies with the humidity. You’ve all noticed that in humid areas, the mid-west and south for instance, in summer the variance between day and night is minimal. Remember trying to sleep after a 90-degree day when it cooled off to only 80 degrees overnight. Or how nice it was in the desert after a 90-degree day to have the night cool down into the 60s. In dealing with altitude, though, the amount of change for desert–or dry–air is called the “dry adiabatic lapse rate” and is equivalent to 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit (3 degrees Celsius) for every thousand feet of altitude. What... Read more

Colorful Rock Arches Delight Visitors to this Utah Park

Arches National Park, in the southeastern part of Utah’s high desert, protects more than 2,000 natural sandstone arches and other unique rock formations. These delicate features were eroded by water and wind over millions of years from the surrounding colorful, multi-layered canyons and cliffs. General Info: Humans have passed through the area since ancient times. You can still see petroglyph images left by Native Americans a thousand years ago. The Moab area was first permanently settled by ranchers and prospectors in the 1880s. The 76,519 acres of land were first set aside for protection as Arches National Monument in 1929, and became a National Park in 1971. Although the environment looks hardy, stay on marked trails only to preserve the fragile organisms that eke out a living in this harsh desert landscape. Download a PDF map of the park to start planning your adventure! Hours and Fees: The park gates are open 24 hours a day year round. The visitor center is open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (April-October) and from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. during the off season (November-March). The visitor center is closed on Christmas Day. Entrance to the park costs $10 per vehicle, including all occupants in the vehicle, and is good for seven days. Activities: There are several hiking trails to explore the rock formations and beautiful arches. From easy to moderate, short or long, there is a trail suitable for your group. Just make sure to stay on the trail at all times! Or, sign up... Read more

Journey to Mars without Leaving the Planet

Visiting this state park is like a journey to another planet! Goblin Valley State Park in remote south-central Utah is full of rocks that resemble otherworldly creatures. In fact, parts of the space movie Galaxy Quest were filmed among the park’s Martian-like scenery. The unusual sandstone formations were carved by flowing water and smoothed by blowing dust over the millennia. Geologists will delight in examining the exposed bedrock and various sedimentary layers throughout the park, which also serve as examples for teaching children about some of the earth’s natural processes.digg_url = 'http://digg.com/travel_places/Journey_to_Mars_without_Leaving_the_Planet'; General Info: Goblin Valley State Park is located in Emery County between the towns of Green River and Hanksville. The park includes more than 3,000 acres of unusual rock formations in a dusty desert valley about 24 miles south of I-70 on Highway 24. At an elevation of 5,100 ft., remember to schedule water breaks and rest time into your day’s plans to prevent altitude sickness or heat stroke. Find out more about the park in the September issue of Utah Travel Tips. Hours and Fees: The park is open daily year-round. Day use entry costs $7, while camping costs $16 per night (see camping details below). For more details call the park office at (435) 564-3633. View a map of the park for a general lay of the land. Activities: Hiking and rock climbing are the obvious activities in this park and there are several great... Read more

A California RV Park Between the Highest Peak and Lowest Valley

Trailer Life Cream of the Crop Campsites: Boulder Creek RV Resort—Lone Pine, California Nestled between Sequoia National Park and Death Valley is the town of Lone Pine. You may recognize the area from any number of movie and TV show westerns filmed in the nearby Alabama Hills over the years. Boulder Creek RV Resort is a pet-friendly Good Sam Park located off Highway 395. There are 82 RV campsites, each with full hookups (30/50 amp), cable TV, a picnic table and BBQ ring. Maximum vehicle length for pull-thrus and back-ins is 50 ft. The park has good interior roads, some paved and some dirt, with dirt sites. Free WiFi Internet and clean, modern bathroom facilities (with showers) are provided for your comfort and convenience. The clubhouse has a big screen TV, fireplace, full kitchen, tables and chairs for your group gatherings. Enjoy a free continental breakfast each morning while you read the daily papers. LP gas, firewood and laundry facilities are also available.digg_url = 'http://digg.com/travel_places/A_California_RV_Park_Between_the_Highest_Peak_and_Lowest_Val'; Cool off in the outdoor pool or unwind in the spa. The resort also features horseshoes, a playground and recreation field for a bit of outdoor fun. The onsite convenience store sells groceries, beverages and basic RV/camp supplies. For a full list of amenities, see the Trailer Life Campground Review. Rates: The nightly rate for two people is $33, and each additional person over age 5 is an extra $5 per night. Weekly... Read more

Boondocking Is Not Free

Some people have a misconception that boondocking is “free.” It is not. It can be inexpensive, but not free. For example, I have reported here before that our nightly camping cost is $4.67, averaged out over a year. This includes not only all money paid for a campsite, but also includes expenses involved with dry camping that we would not have in a full hookup campground. For example, gas for our generator, and the cost of going to a laundromat, since we would use our onboard washer and dryer if we were in a park. Read more Tell a Friend Read More →

Enjoy Fresh Desert Air at this Arizona RV Park

Trailer Life Cream of the Crop Campsites: Butterfield RV Resort—Benson, Arizona Planning to take a trip out to see the Old West? Don’t miss historic Southern Arizona, where clean air, natural beauty and historical sites abound. Whether traveling as a couple or with the whole family, Butterfield RV Resort in Benson is a great spot to use as your home base while seeing the sites in the surrounding area. Benson is a town located in the San Pedro River Valley about 40 miles southeast of Tucson. Originally inhabited by the Chiricahua Apache tribe, by the late 1800s the town was an important transportation hub for the Pony Express and Butterfield Overland Stage. After the completion of the Transcontinental Southern Pacific Railroad in 1880, copper and silver from neighboring mines passed through Benson on its way to factories back East. Butterfield RV Resort hosts 173 landscaped RV sites with full utility hookups designed to appeal to a wide segment of the RV community and their pets. Located within walking distance of the Safeway Shopping Center, Super Wal-Mart, post office, hospital, restaurants and other amenities, the resort is the perfect place to restock supplies and rest up during a long-distance trip. There are 50 sites that are at least 40 feet wide and are ideal for long term Park Model units and monthly or annual renters desiring a bit more room or privacy. The other 123 sites are at least 30’ x 50’. All sites sport their own picnic tables and have WiFi access. There... Read more

VIDEO: The Beauty of Boondocking with Bob Difley

This past week at The Rally, I had an opportunity to spend a few minutes with my friend and teacher, Bob Difley. We talked about boondocking, dry camping, conservation and exploration. Read more Tell a Friend Read More →

Wild West Camping Fun at Grand Canyon Railway in Arizona

Trailer Life Cream of the Crop Campsites: Grand Canyon Railway RV Park—Williams, Arizona If you’re planning a visit to the Grand Canyon after exploring Flagstaff and Sedona, this is the place to stay! This RV park’s amenities and convenient location are tough to beat. Grand Canyon Railway RV Park is part of a high desert resort complex that includes a hotel and train depot for rail tours to the Grand Canyon. Located in Williams, just west of Flagstaff, this pristine Good Sam Park is only two blocks from historic Route 66 and downtown attractions. They have 124 extra-wide paved RV sites with full hookups (30/50 amp service). There are 73 pull-thrus measuring 25’x 65’, while back-ins measure 15’x 56’. A maximum vehicle length of 65 ft. means even the biggest rigs will feel right at home! Each site offers free cable and free wireless Internet access for your convenience. digg_url = 'http://digg.com/travel_places/Wild_West_Camping_Fun_at_Grand_Canyon_Railway'; Hungry after a day of touring? Grab a bite to eat at Spenser’s Lounge or Max & Thelma’s Restaurant (serving breakfast, lunch and dinner), both just a short walk from the RV park within the main resort complex. Unwind in the indoor swimming pool or Jacuzzi at the GCR hotel, or keep up your fitness at the exercise room. Take a stroll along the fitness trail circling the property to enjoy the clean Arizona air. If sports are your thing, pick up a game of basketball, horseshoes or volleyball while... Read more

Route 66, Petrified Trees and the Painted Desert

While you’re driving west on I-40 from Albuquerque to Flagstaff, be sure to pull in to Petrified Forest National Park in eastern Arizona where you can marvel at the vibrant hues of the petrified wood and Painted Desert. General Info: The park covers 93,533 acres of beautiful desert landscape, featuring part of the colorful Painted Desert badlands, many archeological sites and of course, plenty of petrified wood logs. Mineral deposits buried ancient conifers thousands of years ago, turning them into beautifully-colored quartz stone. Some of this stone was used to build the Agate House, an eight-room pueblo built by native peoples and partially rebuilt in the 1930s. Hours and Fees: The park is open daily from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., but the Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark (no longer an inn but a museum) is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Arizona does not observe Daylight Savings Time, so it stays on Mountain Standard Time year-round. Entrance per vehicle is $10, and is good for 7 days. You can also get an annual pass to the park for $20. All U.S. military veterans and active duty personnel and their families will be admitted free of charge on Veteran’s Day, November 11, 2009. digg_url = 'http://digg.com/travel_places/Route_66_Petrified_Trees_and_the_Painted_Desert'; Activities: The park has several maintained trails of varying difficulty and length for you to explore the wilderness on foot. Bicycles are not allowed on trails or off roads. You can also bring your horses for a ride... Read more

Next Page »