AWESOME VIDEO! Thanks so much for ur honesty! I’m dying like to say I REALLY APPRECIATE U TWO BEING YOURSELVES-NOT TRYING TO ACT “CUTESY”!!! I’ve seen waaaay too many videos with couples that think they’re on a variety show…so corny to me! So keep on being sincere & normal. I hope that comes across as a compliment because it’s certainly meant as one! Happy Travels:)
Great video. We agree with everything you said. We started out like you did, in RV parks, but after about a year discovered we prefer boondocking. We started out with just a couple golf cart batteries and a 620-watt solar array mounted on the side of our MH but expanded our system as we could afford to over the next 4 years of FT living. We built our solar/battery system ourselves on a tight retiree's budget. We now have 5,020 watts of solar, 23.5kwh of batteries (the equivalent of 18, 100ah Battleborns) and a 6,000 watts of inverted A/C power that we built for only $11,500 including a $1,500 EG-4 28.5 Seer-2 mini split heat pump. Though this may sound like a lot it has already paid for itself in the money we saved on expensive RV parks, and it will probably outlive us. We've been entirely off grid for a year and a half now, mostly boondocking out West. Like you guys, we now stay in some of the most beautiful wilderness areas imaginable, mostly free on Forest Service, BLM and State Trust lands, regardless of the season. Last year we visited 11 states, without plugging into a power pedestal the entire time, as we can run everything just like we were plugged in at an RV park, including both A/C units. In fact, we run our mini split 24/7, 7 days/week with no problem whatsoever. Last winter we boondocked near Yuma, AZ. We're visiting family now in NC where boondocking places are pretty rare, so we're staying in a spacious, no-hookup site at a convenient RV park for only $100/mo., saving us $500/mo. off their normal rates. It's good to have options. BTW, last year we were boondocking on top of Mt. Roosevelt, just north of Deadwood, SD and had an Amazon driver actually deliver a package to our campsite, just off the road, after I gave him the GPS coordinates. You might want to give it a try one day and see how it works out for you. Hope to see you down the road!
Wow, that’s amazing! Good for you guys! We definitely cannot run both ACs on our solar system. And the Amazon package 🤯 We’ll be in Yuma this winter if you will? Hope to see you down the road as well :) feel free to follow our IG for somewhat current travels!
Hey y'all, we are Shion and Matthew and just recently found your channel! We just became full-time Rvers back in March. We really enjoyed this video because we plan on doing a lot of boondocking! Thanks for sharing!
Hey Joanne! Yes, that’s a great idea if you’re staying somewhere long enough. The postal service has been very slow this year and unreliable for receiving general delivery from what other RV friends have told us. We hope they return to normal soon 🤞
Hi friends. Very cool that you got your solar hooked up and you've been off grid for two months. Living in the motorhome full time sounds really awesome. We have camped almost exclusively in RV parks. It's cool to learn that you can have mail sent to RV parks. I've not thought about that before. You are right that you don't have as much privacy in the park as you would boondocking. And then the costs associated with the parks-great point. The sunset you showed was gorgeous. Finding drinking water is something else we've not though about before. Wow. Thank you for sharing your pros and cons. We have some videos you would enjoy. Come check them out when you get a chance.
RV park are OK when you need them but Boondocking is the way to be. Just a need know where your water is coming from.A lot of good information in your video thumbs up
We always keep the bus locked up while we're out exploring. We usually leave our patio setup out and have never had any issues. We are thinking about a security camera system mostly out of curiosity, but have never felt that we need it. We're oftentimes nearby to people that we become friendly with, and always feel pretty safe.
Seems to me that most boondockers do not seem to be taking this seriously. I plan on doing this in a year or two. Here is what I have figured out ---- 1. Electricity needed. Serious solar is needed, not a toy. For me, 2000 watts minimum. I will have at least 3200, or even 4000 watts. If this is going be how I live, I don't want to bother about electricity. 2. I will NOT be camping. This will be how I live. "Camping", to me, implies temporary. I will be doing it permanent. 3. Space is a premium - no second toilet, or 1 1/2 baths. 4. NO black water tank- either compost toilet or incinerator toilet. 5. Water is a NECESSITY. I want to fill up my water from streams, ponds, and lakes I pass by. So, a water Filtration & PURIFICATION system is needed. Micropore filters, carbon filters, AND UV purification needed. 6. A dishwasher actually uses less water than me doing it manually. So, dishwasher. 7. Since no need for black water tank, I will increase my clean water tank to 200 gallons, or so. 8. In my car, I will have a 100 gallon bladder tank, and pump, to go get water, if I don't have it real close by. Although, I hope to be able to usually set up near a water source most of the time. 9. I want a 65' TV, minimum. Haven't seen one of those in a motorhome, yet. Will I be the first? 10. BTW, my roof solar will be linear actuator tilted so maximize production. I intend on getting a 40' motorhome. I have already calculated that I will be able to put 4400 watts on the roof (at least). Actually, I saw a rig on TH-cam, that if I applied it to my entire roof array, I would be able to double that output to 8000+ watts. Some people might think I am crazy, but I do consult, install, and sell residential and commercial solar systems. For instance, I know what panels to use that are not degraded by partial shade, unlike the vast majority of panels and systems. I also know what panels have the greatest production per area - which is important when you are only working the the roof area of a motorhome.
Congrats and good luck! We can last about 3 weeks on our systems without having to move the bus (we do have a 60 gallon water bladder). We have 1500 watts of solar and we achieve 100% on our 4 battery bank every day. This is more than enough to cover our daily living needs. The only thing we are considering upgrading is our inverter to handle higher wattage appliances. But we really don’t worry about electricity. Our 40’ Motorhome feels sufficient for full time living and doesn’t feel like we’re compromising on anything. Again, good luck and enjoy!!! 🙌
Sorry, you missed a lot of Boondocking Cons. Damage to your RV driving it down uneven potholed dirt roads. All the dirt in your engine, generator's, and A/C air filters. No A/C unless running your generator. What happens when those dirt roads turn into mud? No cell service.
Those are all true James. There’s definitely a cost to the dirt roads. We’ve been chasing weather and haven’t needed AC yet, fingers crossed for the summer! And we’ve been really lucky with cell service and haven’t had too much trouble finding spots with signal. We both work so we have no choice. Cell signal definitely dictates where we can and can’t go though. Thanks for watching!
Great video. Good info and well done! Thanks for sharing! We just subscribed to your channel!
Awe, thanks for watching! We really appreciate it :)
AWESOME VIDEO! Thanks so much for ur honesty! I’m dying like to say I REALLY APPRECIATE U TWO BEING YOURSELVES-NOT TRYING TO ACT “CUTESY”!!! I’ve seen waaaay too many videos with couples that think they’re on a variety show…so corny to me! So keep on being sincere & normal. I hope that comes across as a compliment because it’s certainly meant as one! Happy Travels:)
Thanks so much Tammy! We just try to be ourselves, glad someone appreciates it :) happy travels to you as well!
Great video. We agree with everything you said. We started out like you did, in RV parks, but after about a year discovered we prefer boondocking. We started out with just a couple golf cart batteries and a 620-watt solar array mounted on the side of our MH but expanded our system as we could afford to over the next 4 years of FT living. We built our solar/battery system ourselves on a tight retiree's budget. We now have 5,020 watts of solar, 23.5kwh of batteries (the equivalent of 18, 100ah Battleborns) and a 6,000 watts of inverted A/C power that we built for only $11,500 including a $1,500 EG-4 28.5 Seer-2 mini split heat pump. Though this may sound like a lot it has already paid for itself in the money we saved on expensive RV parks, and it will probably outlive us.
We've been entirely off grid for a year and a half now, mostly boondocking out West. Like you guys, we now stay in some of the most beautiful wilderness areas imaginable, mostly free on Forest Service, BLM and State Trust lands, regardless of the season. Last year we visited 11 states, without plugging into a power pedestal the entire time, as we can run everything just like we were plugged in at an RV park, including both A/C units. In fact, we run our mini split 24/7, 7 days/week with no problem whatsoever. Last winter we boondocked near Yuma, AZ. We're visiting family now in NC where boondocking places are pretty rare, so we're staying in a spacious, no-hookup site at a convenient RV park for only $100/mo., saving us $500/mo. off their normal rates. It's good to have options. BTW, last year we were boondocking on top of Mt. Roosevelt, just north of Deadwood, SD and had an Amazon driver actually deliver a package to our campsite, just off the road, after I gave him the GPS coordinates. You might want to give it a try one day and see how it works out for you. Hope to see you down the road!
Wow, that’s amazing! Good for you guys! We definitely cannot run both ACs on our solar system. And the Amazon package 🤯
We’ll be in Yuma this winter if you will? Hope to see you down the road as well :) feel free to follow our IG for somewhat current travels!
@@PerpetualMoves It looks like we'll be on the East Coast this winter, but we're planning on heading out west in the spring. We'll keep in touch.
@SuperSushidog sounds good 👍
I full-time in my motorhome and Boondock 98% of the time. That’s the only way to fly for me.
Amazing! Us too. Perhaps we will see you down the road!! 🚌
Boondocking laundry 5 gallon bucket, one of those plunger/"washing machine" tools, Fels Naptha/Dr.Bronners soaps, and the sun to dry the clothes.
Amazing! We have the necessary tools, we’ll have to give it a try!!
Hey y'all, we are Shion and Matthew and just recently found your channel! We just became full-time Rvers back in March. We really enjoyed this video because we plan on doing a lot of boondocking! Thanks for sharing!
Awesome!! Welcome to the club! If you have any questions about boondocking feel free to DM us on Instagram. What kind of RV did you get??
@@PerpetualMoves Thank you! We got a Grand Design Reflection Fifth Wheel 337RLS :-)
Great choice! We have some friends who boondock in a reflection, you can do it 🙌
@@PerpetualMoves How awesome!
If you boondock how and where do you dump your black and grey tanks and fill fresh water.
There are dump stations, both paid and free, just have to search for them!
Why not have packages sent closet pot office
Hey Joanne! Yes, that’s a great idea if you’re staying somewhere long enough. The postal service has been very slow this year and unreliable for receiving general delivery from what other RV friends have told us. We hope they return to normal soon 🤞
We love boondocking! Great video. safe travels from Laurie and Rick
Hi Laurie and Rick 👋 we love it too! Have fun out there!
How much did the Full Solar Install Cost?
About $7500 all-in but we did it in parts over a couple years. Worth it!
Pro for boondocking: that backdrop!!! 🏜🤩
How could we forget the views?!?
We choose boondocking! 🌲
Yes!! 🙌🏜
Hi friends. Very cool that you got your solar hooked up and you've been off grid for two months. Living in the motorhome full time sounds really awesome. We have camped almost exclusively in RV parks. It's cool to learn that you can have mail sent to RV parks. I've not thought about that before. You are right that you don't have as much privacy in the park as you would boondocking. And then the costs associated with the parks-great point. The sunset you showed was gorgeous. Finding drinking water is something else we've not though about before. Wow. Thank you for sharing your pros and cons. We have some videos you would enjoy. Come check them out when you get a chance.
@maguires on tires- thanks for all the comments. We'll definitely go check out some of your videos! Cheers to life on the road!
@@PerpetualMoves Definitely. You guys are rock stars.
RV park are OK when you need them but Boondocking is the way to be. Just a need know where your water is coming from.A lot of good information in your video thumbs up
We agree! 👍
Boondocking is our preference because of the freedom, but RV parks are a nice treat sometimes! We like having options and being flexible. :)
Yes! Options and flexibility :) that’s why we switched to boondocking life! RV parks are all so full and booked so far in advance these days!
Sounds great! What about Safety, to leave your rig for a day while out exploring?
We always keep the bus locked up while we're out exploring. We usually leave our patio setup out and have never had any issues. We are thinking about a security camera system mostly out of curiosity, but have never felt that we need it. We're oftentimes nearby to people that we become friendly with, and always feel pretty safe.
Seems to me that most boondockers do not seem to be taking this seriously.
I plan on doing this in a year or two.
Here is what I have figured out ----
1. Electricity needed. Serious solar is needed, not a toy.
For me, 2000 watts minimum. I will have at least 3200, or even 4000 watts.
If this is going be how I live, I don't want to bother about electricity.
2. I will NOT be camping. This will be how I live. "Camping", to me, implies temporary.
I will be doing it permanent.
3. Space is a premium - no second toilet, or 1 1/2 baths.
4. NO black water tank- either compost toilet or incinerator toilet.
5. Water is a NECESSITY. I want to fill up my water from streams, ponds, and lakes I pass by.
So, a water Filtration & PURIFICATION system is needed.
Micropore filters, carbon filters, AND UV purification needed.
6. A dishwasher actually uses less water than me doing it manually. So, dishwasher.
7. Since no need for black water tank, I will increase my clean water tank to 200 gallons, or so.
8. In my car, I will have a 100 gallon bladder tank, and pump, to go get water, if I don't have it real close by.
Although, I hope to be able to usually set up near a water source most of the time.
9. I want a 65' TV, minimum. Haven't seen one of those in a motorhome, yet. Will I be the first?
10. BTW, my roof solar will be linear actuator tilted so maximize production.
I intend on getting a 40' motorhome. I have already calculated that I will be able to put 4400 watts on the roof (at least).
Actually, I saw a rig on TH-cam, that if I applied it to my entire roof array, I would be able to double that output to 8000+ watts.
Some people might think I am crazy, but I do consult, install, and sell residential and commercial solar systems.
For instance, I know what panels to use that are not degraded by partial shade, unlike the vast majority of panels and systems.
I also know what panels have the greatest production per area -
which is important when you are only working the the roof area of a motorhome.
Congrats and good luck! We can last about 3 weeks on our systems without having to move the bus (we do have a 60 gallon water bladder). We have 1500 watts of solar and we achieve 100% on our 4 battery bank every day. This is more than enough to cover our daily living needs. The only thing we are considering upgrading is our inverter to handle higher wattage appliances. But we really don’t worry about electricity. Our 40’ Motorhome feels sufficient for full time living and doesn’t feel like we’re compromising on anything. Again, good luck and enjoy!!! 🙌
Sorry, you missed a lot of Boondocking Cons. Damage to your RV driving it down uneven potholed dirt roads. All the dirt in your engine, generator's, and A/C air filters. No A/C unless running your generator. What happens when those dirt roads turn into mud? No cell service.
Those are all true James. There’s definitely a cost to the dirt roads. We’ve been chasing weather and haven’t needed AC yet, fingers crossed for the summer! And we’ve been really lucky with cell service and haven’t had too much trouble finding spots with signal. We both work so we have no choice. Cell signal definitely dictates where we can and can’t go though.
Thanks for watching!
Quartzsite package delivery at good?happy? Times something like that .
Yes!! We found out about that but didn’t get to try it (yet). It’s “Quiet Times” I think. Thanks for sharing 🙌
Sweet background from this video. I see y’all went to Organ Pipe...that’s on our list so we’ll check that video out 🤙
Yup! Organ Pipe was a quick trip for us, definitely could have stayed another day. Thanks for watching 🍿
“Must love dirt!!!!...don’t take that as a dig”
...”Dad joke”...😉😉😉❤️
lol mom 😝
Very funny Robin!
you guys are gonna visit MEXICO?.........hahahahhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahhahah. U betta have a chiwawa with you.
We are certainly gonna try!!