Slab City: Life in the middle of nowhere

By Bob Difley The Slabs, or Slab city is a hardscrabble desert settlement scattered between the creosote bushes on BLM land in the Mojave Desert near the Salton Sea. It acquired its name from the remains of concrete slabs that once supported buildings of a former government facility, now long gone. At Quartzsite, it is understandable why RVers gather in the thousands every winter to attend the many RV shows, flea markets, and all the other quirky things that develop when there are essentially no laws about what you can do and where you can do it, especially true on the millions of acres of sparsely patrolled open desert under BLM administration. Lacking the glamour and lure of Quartzsite, though, it is a mystery why The Slabs has grown into a seasonal RV city, where Snowbirds of every type, size, and configuration move in and spend the winter. The local town and only supply center is not what you would call a tourist attraction. It looks more like a settlement in a Mad Max movie. The population isn’t just made up of those who can’t afford to stay in RV resorts or campgrounds, though the Slabs’ population includes many of them also, as well as those cast off by the recession and many who have lost their homes. But the majority (I’m guessing) of the winter residents consist of those that don’t like the formality or constrictions of a campground, who like to boondock out in the open desert, life without civilization’s appendages—water, electric, and sewage hookups.... Read more

VIDEO: the Queen Mary 2 in ROUGH SEAS!

On LonglongHoneymoon.com I have drawn an analogy between boats and RVs. Boats and RVs have a lot in common. Fiberglass, galleys, and water tanks come to mind. Many avid RV travelers are retired. Same goes for boats. But there’s one key difference: manufacturers don’t build gigantic RVs (“cruise RVs”?) that simultaneously accommodate thousands of people. I think we can all agree that this is for the best. Imagine the potholes 1200-foot long motorhomes would inflict upon our already Swiss Cheese roads. Parking would also be an issue. With with boats it’s a little different. They do build huge ships to accommodate thousands of people, and it all works pretty well. Here’s a short video I shot on one such boat last week. It’s also our Christmas card to the world. Yes, last week Kristy and I completed a transatlantic crossing (from Southampton, England to New York) aboard RMS Queen Mary 2. Those of you with a fondness for the golden age of ocean liners will appreciate this ship. The QM2 offers a travel experience that harkens to the past. Our seven night crossing included four nights of formal dining and events (coat & tie for gentlemen, nice dresses for the ladies). The trip also included a route that passed within 80 nautical miles of the RMS Titanic, and a couple of storms cranking out 30-foot swells and winds at gale force 10. Although this video isn’t the most technically RV-centric in the world, it is about travel, and I thought you... Read more

Southwestern Deserts: Options for RV snowbirds

By Bob Difley A kinder, gentler climate, the driving force behind the snowbird migration, is not the only consideration in choosing where to spend the winter, free from ice, snow, cold winds, rain, sleet, and window-rattling storms. RVers choices for a winter roost though, are as diverse as their choice of rigs. In last week’s post I wrote about the variety of climates among desert areas, now let’s look at  other considerations when choosing a winter destination. At the glitzy top of destination possibilities are the full-service resorts with teams of gardeners that maintain the manicured grounds and have pages of amenities like swimming pools, hot tubs, and recreation rooms, planned activities like line-dancing, exercise classes , bus sightseeing tours, and golf tournaments, and abundant classes and workshops in rock-hounding, photography, ceramics, wood-carving, painting, jewelry-making, and more. These parks often fill up for the entire season and command the highest rates, and they will keep you busy non-stop. You will find them around Yuma, greater Phoenix, and Tucson in Arizona, and the Coachella Valley, California, towns of Palm Springs,  Palm Desert, and Indio. At the opposite end is the RVing boondocker, who seeks a more natural, back to nature, desert experience (photo above). This RVer is willing to forgo conveniences like hookups, cable TV, and the activity schedule of the resorts for a solitary campsite with few or no neighbors. But this type of campsite... Read more

Boondocking 101: How do you camp without hookups?

By Bob Difley In last week’s post I suggested some reasons why you might want to try boondocking. This week we look at how to survive–and enjoy–camping without the appendages we call hookups–what seems to be the biggest concern for new boondockers. The length of time you can boondock is mostly developing habits of conservation. When you run out of water, you run out of boondocking days. Conserve your fresh water supply by taking Navy showers—rinsing down, turning off water, soaping up, rinsing off. Wash your hands the same way. And while you are warming up the water, run it into a plastic tub or bucket and use it to flush the toilet or rinse dishes. Rinse dishes in the tub of water, rather than under a running faucet. When washing dishes, use a small bowl of soapy water to wash with. Carry extra Jerry jugs or gallon containers of water to dump in your tank in case your pump starts sucking air. Wipe food off your dishes before washing–it will keep you dishwashing water cleaner and take less to do the job–then dump your wash and rinse water (but only if you use biodegradable soap) on a thirsty plant several yards outside your campsite. You can also dig a hole and pour the waste water in, then fill in the hole. Filling your gray water tank is one of the more limiting factors in how long you can boondock, so prevent as much waste water from entering the tank as you can. With a little practice you will be surprised at how little water it takes... Read more

If you liked the Ecco futuristic green RV, wait till you see the Donk dinghy

By Bob Difley If you liked the NAO Designed Ecco that I posted about a few days ago, a green out-there “RV” of sorts, then this is the dinghy for you, the Badonkadonk–designed by the same design firm. The same design firm, NAO, has also designed . Following is a shortened description from their website. “Feeling like your SUV blends into the crowd? In need of something to transport your groceries by day and serve as a mobile party or arsenal by night? Meet the Badonkadonk, a one-of-a-kind “armored land cruiser/recreational tank”. To look at it, one might think it to be a hovercraft, but in fact it runs on four off-road wheels, concealed by a unique industrial-strength rubberized flexible skirt that shields and protects the wheels to within an inch of the ground, while still allowing for enough flex to give clearance over bumpy and uneven terrain. The roof of the Donk features a guard rail and durable rubber matting, making it the ideal place to carry up to 3 friends or several hundred pounds of cargo. Slide open the roof hatch and you’ll find the interior fully carped and cozy, with accent lighting, glove box, controls and room to seat up to 4 people, or 2 comfortably. Donk Driving The Donk was designed to be as versatile as possible, and that includes the ability of the craft to be piloted from either a seated position within the armored shell, or from an exposed, standing position out the hatch, thanks to a pivoting control stick and... Read more

Boondocking 101: Why would anyone want to boondock?

By Bob Difley Though you’ve heard about boondocking from other RVers and on blogs but never tried it you might wonder why anyone would want to camp where there were no water, sewage, or electrical hookups. After all, camping in an RV in an RV resort or upscale campground is pretty comfortable, and living without those hookups would seem to make it less enjoyable. But in reality, all modern RVs have been manufactured to be not only mobile, but also to be independent of appendages that hook them up to land-based resources. All RVs have a holding tank for fresh water, and most of the time two holding tanks for waste, one from the toilet and one from the shower and sinks. They also have a house battery or batteries to supply 12-volt electricity to the RV in lieu of plug-in 120-volt power, and a generator to produce 120-volt electricity directly to both the 12-volt and the 120-volt systems, and to recharge the battery/ies. So when using your RV’s systems rather than a campground’s, it opens up many more camping possibilities. There are vast natural areas on public lands for enjoying your RV lifestyle, such as in our national forests (photo Oregon’s Deschutes National Forest) and on land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The National Forest Service (FS) manages the nation’s 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands–193 million acres. The BLM manages approximately 253 million acres–one-eighth of the landmass of the country—most of it... Read more

Why do only one in four RVers boondock?

By Bob Difley There are few RVers that hit the open road for days or weeks at a time that haven’t dry-camped (without hook-ups) at least a few times. If you’ve stayed in a Walmart or forest service campground you’re done it. Weekenders probably spend most of their camping trips hooked up since it takes more time to find or get to a good boondocking site which cuts into the actual camping time on an all-to-short weekend. However, less than 25% of RVers boondock, preferring to stay in organized campgrounds. I would guess that the reason is that convenience trumps all else. Why else would RVers prefer to pay for a campsite rather than stay at a free or cheap one? Or be shoehorned in with other campers when you could have lots of space and privacy instead? And why prefer a campground with almost incessant noise from the other campers, running vehicles,and  late night partiers around a campfire, when you could have peace and quiet and solitude? One reason is that most RVers are sociable types and like meeting other campers and being part of a campout community. There are other reasons also, like access to a swimming lake with a lifeguard to watch the kids, park campfire programs and talks put on by rangers,  amenities offered by RV resorts like  Wi-fi, cable TV, heated swimming pools, hot tubs, recreation rooms with programs, games, TV, and potlucks, proximity to cities, restaurants, golf courses, and shopping. Otherwise, choosing organized campgrounds or RV... Read more

New forest service rules will affect boondocking

By Bob Difley Beginning a few years ago the Forest Service began developing restrictions for users of the forests, including hunters, users of off-road vehicles, and campers. The new plan was titled The Travel Management Plan (TMP) and would be undertaken by the management of each individual forest to define their forest service roads that were authorized for motor vehicle use. Theoretically, authorized roads would consist of those built by the forest service to approved standards, such as suitable for log trucks, cattle trucks bringing in cattle for grazing (on leases paid for by ranchers but still open for recreation), and fire fighting equipment.  These roads, ideally, would also be suitable for large RVs as well. Roads not authorized for motor vehicle use would include those established by users, such as hunters in 4WD trucks accessing hunting grounds or for hauling out their kills, trails created by off-road vehicles, and forest service roads that had been abandoned and not maintained. Most of these would not be suitable for RVs, except for truck campers mounted on 4WD trucks. Campers/boondockers would only be allowed to park within one vehicle length of the road unless in an authorized “dispersed camping area” as defined by the forest service.  The penalty for driving on an unauthorized road or parking in an unauthorized area could result in a $5,000 fine or six months in jail. But–until we actually see this TMP implemented–which will begin to take... Read more

The Zen of Boondocking Part XII – More public land camping options

By Bob Difley In last week’s post I wrote about camping on public lands other than the two big entities, the BLM and National Forest Service. This is a continuation, since I ran out of space last week. But it does indicate just how much area in this country is available for boondocking–if you know where to look. NATIONAL MONUMENTS In National Parks you can camp only in a designated campground. National Monuments are less restricted, have fewer facilities, and may allow boondocking in certain areas. Check at the visitor center or online whether the park allows dispersed camping before making camp. Many monuments also have primitive campgrounds (photo – Craters of the Moon, near Arco, ID). NATIONAL RECREATION AREA (NRA) Eighteen NRAs are managed by the NPS, with the FS managing several more and the BLM managing one. It depends on the NRA itself whether dispersed camping is allowed. Most have designated campgrounds, some with partial hook-ups, some without, but with amenities like dump stations and drinking water. NRAs are often found within National Forests and on large reservoirs with lots of recreation possibilities. One of my favorites, the Sawtooth NRA in central Idaho, has lots of dispersed campsites on the edge of the forests bordering the Salmon River that flows through the valley. East of the town of Stanley, the hub of the NRA, dispersed sites also lie along the Salmon River, several with hot springs bubbling and steaming into the cool river. HARBOR DISTRICTS Don’t... Read more

The Zen of Boondocking Part XI – Additional public lands camping options

By Bob Difley Now that we’ve looked at the responsibilities of a boondocker toward his campsite, as stated in last weeks Part X, let’s look at some often missed public lands and their boondocking possibilities. And in previous posts in this series I wrote mostly about boondocking on the public lands managed by the BLM, that manages the most land, and the forest service also with a large amount of land available for boondocking. But there are other public lands that are also open for boondocking, though with varying restrictions from one to the other. NATIONAL GRASSLANDS (NG) The 20 National Grasslands administered by the Forest Service cover nearly four million acres of waving fields and rolling hills of prairie grasses in thirteen states, with more than 82% of the total land area in nine of the NG located in the Great Plains states of Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. The largest is the sprawling one million plus acres of the Little Missouri NG in North Dakota and the smallest the 1,449-acre McClellan Creek in Texas. Camping and boondocking is limited on NG, though some do have primitive camping. If you are passing near a NG, check it out for recreational and camping possibilities. US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS (USACE) The Corps manages and conserve the land and waters of several water resource projects and provides public recreation opportunities in all states. Recreation at Corps locations can include fishing, boating and water sports, and camping... Read more

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