We spent 20 years tent camping. The next 20 years Boondocking in a trailer. Now we're Overland in a 4x4 and back in a tent as we approach our 60s. Never been into RV parks and full hookups. Nice to see you're figuring it out!
@@robertdl my profile picture was taken from our campsite in the lower pines campground. We could see Half Dome. Upper Pines is the larger of the 3 and has the dump station and potable water but it’s right across the road. Upper Pines is also closer to the Mist trail.
Thank you for the tips on boon docking! Glad you found a nice spot to be at which is by the beach. Glad that you have had no issues with the internet in Baja! That’s a plus there! The beach looks gorgeous! The fish tacos smelled and looked good! Hope you have a great day and see you all soon!
So fun to watch and get the INSIDE LOOK INTO BOONDOCKING. The whales were very cool to share with us all...stay safe on this wonderful family journey. OBTW.... THREE things...ONE, seeing your son dress himself was SO COOL IN HIS GROWTH . Two, the creativity in Hensley's world with her name in Pretzels...SO COOL. THREE ... I dig your choices in music.
Most wild life is more scared of you than you are of it. Just don't corner wildlife or get between them and their babies. I've camped for most of my life with no electricity , pit toilets and a pitcher pump for water. RV 'resorts" really aren't my cup of tea anyway so I'll never miss them. Keep the good stuff guys and give the kids a hug for me.
We only boondocked all of our lives until we bought our Grand Design Imagine. We weren't sure we could do RV parks, but we love both equally. Now we glamp😅. Happy trails!
Very well covered & explained.... We've boondocked for ~45+ years. I am amazed how fearful some couples we've camped with were prior to going with us. You really did hit most if not all the myths. We have friends we camp with that went the $10k + route on their solar / power systems. We are in ~$1k with solar, generator & inverter. The only really nerve racking thing for me is going down a one lane dirt or rocky road and wondering if I'll not find a place to turnaround if needed.
I used to boondock without any solar. I chose to use my generator occasionally to use the microwave, make coffee or charge a laptop, but kept it to a minimum and within reasonable hours so as not to disturb others as much as possible. Solar is far better, but you can make it work without it. I’d watch movies on my laptop, tablet or phone if my laptop battery was dead at night, and the lights were dc so they worked off the coach batteries. I’d heat water for my shower and cook with propane. The fridge also ran on propane and music was provided by a batter operated boombox. You’re only limited by your water, grey and black tanks, but if you have a compost toilet or similar, and take along extra water, you’re golden, especially if you’re in an area where you can legally dump your grey tank on the ground, or in a hole and fill it.
Hi guys. I have to confess something…we have learn so much from your experience as boondockers…that we decided to jump in! We got the rig, the lithium stuff and the truck! We are all set….for Alaska this summer! Thank you for your ongoing great videos! Great job!
Our very first night in a (rented) RV was spent doing some unplanned boondocking. We drove out of Las Vegas and darkness was nearing as we reached Valley of Fire--full. Calling ahead to other campgrounds--full. We drove out the back of Valley of Fire and turned North with a fuzzy memory that there were campgrounds along Lake Mead--wrong. As darkness neared, we topped a hill and saw RVs of all sizes scattered around, so we pulled off. Looking around we saw no signs, no guard shack, no nothing, so we chose a nice spot not too close to everyone else and settled in for a great first night, fully expecting that someone might come and tell us to pay or go away, but it never happened. After we got home, we discovered it is called Poverty Flats. 100% would stay there again, and 100% would boondock again.
You guys have my admiration, living the full lifestyle with kids. My husband and I adopted 2 special needs grandchildren 14 years ago, but now that they are grown, want to do a little camping just for ourselves, including boondocking. Trying to learn what I can with these videos. Kudos to your site this video, it's awesome.
I was just out boondocking near Valley of Fire State Parking in Nevada in my 27 foot RV. You can also boondock without having to go out into absurdly crazy places and still see amazing things..
I'm really glad you explained about using a solar generator to power your rig up. Actually, that's a super smart idea. I will try it on my next boondocking adventure with my big old Bluetti....or a Walmart stopover. Great video. Extremely helpful.
We live in CO and went from tent to small teardrop with off-road capability. Best way ever! Although I have to say giant RV’s seem like not spending much time outside😂 when I see those folks that pull up and sit inside watching their satellite tv. I totally get having a large one if it is your home but otherwise it’s way to much junk and no journey to me. Great content!
We just found your excellent channel and subscribed. You should be very proud of your beautiful family. We retired 5 1/2 years ago, sold everything, bought a 1999 National Tropical Class A for $15k, hitched our little Chevy Cobalt SS behind us and hit the road, living on our meager social security retirement and a small pension. We quickly discovered that we enjoy boondocking most of the time. For example, we boondocked for 10 months last year. We started with a 620w solar array on the side of our coach and a couple of cheap golf cart batteries and traveled with the seasons, like the song says, "Living where the weather fits our clothes." The downside of a small solar/battery system like this is we had run our generator for a couple hours almost daily to live a normal life. Nevertheless, we've been living this lifestyle for about 1/3 of what it used to cost us to live in our S&B home. It probably costs less than 1/2 of what it would cost to live in RV parks all the time too, even membership parks like TT - not to mention how living in RV parks, all lined up with other campers like sardines in a can would cramp our style. Since we committed to this lifestyle, we decided to expand our solar system so we could visit more places in "shoulder seasons." Now we live off grid just like we were plugged into a power pedestal at an RV park, entirely off the sun. We haven't run our generator even once since we installed our big system (except to exercise it, of course.) Mounting our 620w array on the side of our coach allowed us to rack 8, 550-watt panels (4,400 watts of solar) 15" off the roof of our coach. Not only do the panels run cooler, producing more power, but our RV stays cooler inside too as we bring our own shade with us, wherever we go. We now enjoy 5,020 watts of solar and 23.5kwhs of LiFePo-4 batteries (the equivalent of 18, 100ah Battleborns). Since we designed and built everything ourselves, including our batteries, we saved lots of money, so were able to afford a high-efficiency EG-4 mini split heat pump for 24/7 A/C and heat when needed, using about 1/3rd the power of our soft start equipped, Furrion, front rooftop A/C. Our entire system, with everything, including our heat pump, only cost us around $11,500 to build ourselves. A system this size would cost at least 2-3 times this much to have a professional solar installer build it for us. Where there's a will, there's a way. Our big system gives us lots of flexibility too. We're visiting family in NC now, where boondocking places are hard to find. So, we're staying in a nice RV park here, in a spacious no hook-up site for only $100/mo., saving $500/mo. off their normal FHU rates. Life is good.
Add solar, have propane & water - boondocking is enjoyable. I am looking at quality off road & off grid travel trailers for camping/boondocking across the country.
Good informational video. We camp, not RV. So, boondocking in our little square drop isn’t really much different than in a campground somewhere. Love the RV movie clips. That movie is hilarious.
The biggest "tip" I got from this vid (which is great and has good info) is using a properly sized pole to keep a storage door open to make a table. I've had 5th-wheels forever and I don't know how I never saw that before!
Love boondocking!! Helps us to focus on the most important things in life-simple pleasures with huge rewards! You captured our thoughts and experiences on this topic perfectly!
Love boondocking with our 40' DP tag. We always say a boondocking night puts $50 in the tank. BTW, Stewart should be coming off the hwy at a shallow angle, not steep like he did, that'll make the transition easier and prevent dragging.
Great video; thanks! Our original plan included boondocking, but so far, we've barely scratched the surface in two years. We thought we'd spend one to two weeks at something like BLM land, then a couple nights at an RV park to dump & fill, do laundry, etc. Instead, we've had one boondocking night at a rest stop, when a one-month reservation turned out to be for a site we couldn't fit, and nobody else in the area had a spot. We also did two separate Harvest Host boondocking nights. That's it. We're a little concerned about boondocking sites not being accessible for our 45' long fifth wheel (you may remember us as neighbors at the Lippert Getaway at Pine Mountain...Riverstone front kitchen toy hauler, Nathan got a tour), but that same issue comes up a *lot* with campgrounds too. We still hope to at least try out that 14-on-2-off idea, see how that works for us. We'd have zero shame about the hooked-up nights though. Damaging the rig...at one campground, we followed the guide to the site, got a pretty good look from inside the truck, and pulled into the (pull-through) site. If I'd gone a foot farther before making my turn, it would have been fine. If I'd started the turn a foot earlier, it would have been bad. As it was, the tailswing caused me to clip a utility pole with the cover over an awning mechanism, snapping it right off. Some neighbors came to commiserate, and the guide said something about how the pole shouldn't be right there, but I was driving. I knew better. We usually will do a bunch of get-out-and-look steps in any sort of tight space, and my wife will be outside with a walkie-talkie, talking me through potential problems. We should have done that, but didn't. We could blame the fact that we'd been at our previous place for too long, forgot to take the time, but that's a thin excuse. Seeing the extent of the damage, I just laughed it off, took it as a lesson for the future. "Without amenities"...one of our favorite campgrounds bills itself as a "retreat", and has no restrooms, showers, laundry, pool, etc. We're self contained, and the benefits of that campground far more than make up for the lack of even basic amenities for us. That part of boondocking doesn't worry us at all. We've also stayed at "resorts" (does that term have *any* meaning?), and found that we generally don't make much use of the amenities. For some, a true resort is a wonderful thing. I strongly recommend Talona Ridge RV Resort in north Georgia to anyone like that. For us, that's worthwhile as an occasional luxury, but mostly wasted on us. As for "trunk fish", we'd be all over that. Once again, it's all about compromises, as is most of RVing, and life in general. You trade off some things to get others, and have to take into account which things are most important to you, at that time. For someone else, or another time, the priorities may be quite different.
Excellent well balanced, informative, and entertaining video. I cannot afford the most recent prices for most RV parks, nor do I want to be in that space all the time. I will be going full time soon, and boondocking will be a hugr part of making it possible. Thanks!
We had to laugh when you said you don’t need four wheel drive after you just got stuck in last week’s video. LOL! Anyway, just pulling your leg. Really got a kick out of the Robin Williams outakes. This was an excellent video and we hope Stuart’s rig wasn’t too damaged.
@@LessJunkMoreJourney thanks for replying! i meant what level you're paying for with the new plans they've rolled out about having to go for different options if you want out of country coverage. of course, they only recently launched these, so maybe you were in baja before that happened :)
My first expériences with camping there was no such thing as hookups Coleman white gas stove and lantern, ice and cooler. There were bathrooms and a little camp store. So not much different than boondocking. In comparison, with solar, 4000 watt generator (rarely used), gray and black tanks, fresh water storage, propane stove& fridge I am living in luxery. 5 to 6 months of boondocking for the winter in Quartzsite AZ.
This video was so awesome. I love the part when you were watching the whales in the water. That would be my cup of tea. I am so proud of JJ and Hensley. Especially Hensley when she helped JJ get dressed. I so enjoyed this video. Sending many prayers and love for your family. Be safe❤❤❤
Great video. I've been RV'ing fulltime since June of 2016 and spending significant time off-grid is my biggest hurdle. I don't deal with discomfort well. But now I bought a 2000 Winnebago and it's the first rig I've had with an onboard generator and a slideout, so boondocking is definitely in my future. (Once I get said generator to be reliable). I need to add solar panels. UGH. So much to do and to learn and I'm no spring chicken. Did I mention I'm a 60 year old single/windowed woman? Yeah, so that doesn't help.
So we pretty much half or quarter boondock all the time. Meaning we have power/water but no sewer. So in that case my wife has full access to the bath, I go to the bathhouse to do all my business.(Toilet/Shower) We camp a good bit in Corp of Engineer CG and they don't have sewer. Also wash all the dishes outside and dump as much sink water outside as possible. So if we camp for more that 3 nights I take my "blue boy" in case the gray tank fills up. Some state parks in our state have Gray Water dump pits, which are for your dish water or even dumping the "blue boy" into. I have walked several gallons of gray water to the bath house before but that was early on and we were not experienced and didn't own a "blue boy".
I just. Ought my first motorhome and am picking it up this saturdsy.. I can NOT wait to do this! This is my dream come true and an opportunity to give my son once in a life time memories.
If you guys love Boondocking then you really have to try it in New Zealand because it has the most amazing places to boondock, lakes, mountains and beaches to die for.
I want to know about how you use your water during boondocking. Dishes, how often you shower, amount of drinking water you use…. Pretty much how you track usage and speed of having water running to make water last the longest
Nice video have you ever felt unsafe? It’s not like you can up and take off quickly! However it seems you boondock with friends so I’m sure that helps!
You really need to watch out for those breaching whales. Hazard #1 while boondocking. Ha ha! We boondock a lot in the West, but in the South, not so much. I always feel like a failure when I tell my brother we are at water & power sites - but oh are we enjoying the a/c in this 90 degrees in Florida!
We've been on the road for 5 months now. We stayed a total of 2 nights at an RV Park and 3 nights at a Loves RV site. Other than that, we boondock or stay at state parks on yearly passes. For example, in New Mexico the yearly pass is around $240. We then pay about $4-5 a night for electric/water sites and it's free for the dry camping sites. We boondock between state parks for 3-4 nights. My family uses way too much water, so we can't quite get a week long stay.
What movie clips were you showing in your video? Looks like a movie I'd love to see, lol ! I look forward to your videos every week, I have been watching since before JJ was born!
We go full-time in 1 week making our way from Phoenix to Yellowstone areas. I installed 800W of solar, 600AH of batteries and 2200W inverter to get into boondocking. The general plan is to boondock 5 days and full hookup 2 days to flush tanks and recharge ourselves. I hope we can find empty sites! Thanks, have fun and be safe!
I feel like there's no better demonstration of the differences between Nathan and Marisa's personalities. She loves the grab bag and his reply, I like to know what I'm getting. Also the look on his face.😂 It's called balance and what can make for great marriages. Love your videos❤
Myth #11, you can boondock anywhere you can park your rig or pitch a tent. NOT! Camping outside of a campground within the boundaries of National Parks, heavily used areas of National Forests and some BLM recreation areas is NOT LEGAL. It is best to check at National Park entrance stations and ranger stations, which will have brochures with maps showing where camping and/or building a fire (even for day use) is not legal and where it is legal. In addition there will be signs posted at the boundaries of such areas on National Forest and BLM areas. In the heavily used areas of California it is not legal to camp at trailheads. Don't expect signs stating such at National Parks, however. The restrictions on boondocking is normally listed in the park's newsletter. Many National Forests now have similar newsletters available at ranger stations. When "boondocking" on foot remember to check to see if you need a wilderness or hiking permit. Some locations in wilderness areas may also be closed to camping and/or campfires. This is especially true of lakes, creeks and waterfall areas close to the trailhead that receive a lot of day use. Signed, U.S. Forest Service Retiree
Boondocking down long gravels roads with potholes or major washboard does tend to do damage to most poorly built RV's. The tradeoff is fewer people. I've also found the better the phone connection the more overrun with people the place can be. If the review says little to no cell coverage it becomes more appealing to me. Last summer I stayed at the place you guys BDed at in Badlands. It was a poor experience the place was so overrun with people.
Boondocking does have its place and there are a few spots that I frequent during the year and I can be self contained for several days with very little investment in gear . That being said there are times when it it is nice to have hookups, like when its 100 degrees outside or below 40 at night.
I liked boondocking for short amounts of time. It was nice to challenge ourselves knowing we had x amount of water, supplies etc for the amount of time we had planned for. And it makes you appreciate the hook ups in RV parks SOOOOO much!!! lol
Boondocking: camping(?) in an area where there are no hookups. Some boondocking like the BLM LTVA's, require a very small fee. Walley-docking: Spending a night in a WalMart or Sam's Club parking lot. Cracker-Docking: Parking overnight in a Cracker Barrel parking lot. Moochie-docking: parking in a friend's or relative's driveway. (Here, you may be allowed to gab some power.) The list goes on.
99% of my rving is boondocking. Yes I'm cheap, but sunrise- sunset 1000starburts on new-fallen snow and so much more! There's challenges, shure: but it's worth it
We converted an SUV to a camper so we could travel a few days at a time. We don't do it for the camping, but for going places, but we still seek out the free or $10/night dispersed camping in State forests. No amenities and finding them can be a challenge. It's all part of the adventure.
Thanks for this video. We recently bought an RV, and I love the idea of Boondocking, but my wife is very skeptical. This video should help me win her over.
Love boondocking as long as the water tanks are full and the toilets are empty, plenty of food, we have 170W ?? solar panel an Agm battery we can stay for days we can watch the tv listen to the radio we can have dingos, snakes, kangaroos, emus huge monitor lizards going thru our campsite we 😢stayed for days watching a massive croc and his girlfriends just swimming up and down the river and whales also going up and down the Indian Ocean wouldn’t change a thing personal hygiene a ice cream bucket and a quick hose off no worries.
I find that RV life pushes you outdoors more. RV parks are rarely that great. I have stayed at one rv park that had a creek flowing through. All the rest are literal parking lots with hookups. I prefer Harvest Host. I also subscribe to Boondockers Welcome and the golf resort add on. Harvest Host is where I have stayed most. I like to buy a bottle or 2 of wine. Then chill out in a very safe tidy location. Well…all this wind in Kansas likes to toss unsecured pet carriers down the way. My 2 cats really enjoy the quiet too.
I am the exact opposite, why would anyone camp in a loud and crowded campground with no space. lol I have only boondocked and hate the thought campgrounds... I'm sure it will happen at some point :)
We have never boondocked, we have used Harvest Host, or a few overnights without hook ups. But we know we can do it! Next year we are planning a trip west where I see there are lots of boondocking options. Watching your video has encouraged us to do some research and plan to take advantage of some boondocking spots. Thanks for the great video.
Where were you boondocking? We camped without hookups when we were first rving and had no idea how 12volt and 120volt worked. Totally went thru the battery on our rental camper the second day! Then the "rented" generator wouldn't work. Maybe you could do a video about that?
We spent 20 years tent camping. The next 20 years Boondocking in a trailer. Now we're Overland in a 4x4 and back in a tent as we approach our 60s. Never been into RV parks and full hookups. Nice to see you're figuring it out!
As an introvert I am a huge fan of boondocking! We get far enough away from the touristy areas but still close enough to see some amazing sights!
Y’all sure make RVing look so much fun !! Great memories that will last a lifetime !! 😀😀😀😀
Definitely!! Thank you.
We boon-docked in Yosemite it was amazing! We just have regular batteries and a generator (just used during generator hours) we stayed for 5 days.
That sounds perfect.
Where did you stay?
@@robertdl my profile picture was taken from our campsite in the lower pines campground. We could see Half Dome. Upper Pines is the larger of the 3 and has the dump station and potable water but it’s right across the road. Upper Pines is also closer to the Mist trail.
Thank you for the tips on boon docking! Glad you found a nice spot to be at which is by the beach. Glad that you have had no issues with the internet in Baja! That’s a plus there! The beach looks gorgeous! The fish tacos smelled and looked good! Hope you have a great day and see you all soon!
So fun to watch and get the INSIDE LOOK INTO BOONDOCKING. The whales were very cool to share with us all...stay safe on this wonderful family journey. OBTW.... THREE things...ONE, seeing your son dress himself was SO COOL IN HIS GROWTH . Two, the creativity in Hensley's world with her name in Pretzels...SO COOL. THREE ... I dig your choices in music.
Glad you enjoyed! This was a fun video to make.
My husband and I tent camped for 30 years in the Sierras, I guess we were boondocking before boondocking was a thing, lol
You made it cool 👍
Most wild life is more scared of you than you are of it. Just don't corner wildlife or get between them and their babies. I've camped for most of my life with no electricity , pit toilets and a pitcher pump for water. RV 'resorts" really aren't my cup of tea anyway so I'll never miss them. Keep the good stuff guys and give the kids a hug for me.
Boondocking is AWESOME. There aren't many spots around our place to go, but we park at family or friends places for the weekend. totally love it.
We only boondocked all of our lives until we bought our Grand Design Imagine. We weren't sure we could do RV parks, but we love both equally. Now we glamp😅. Happy trails!
Very well covered & explained.... We've boondocked for ~45+ years. I am amazed how fearful some couples we've camped with were prior to going with us. You really did hit most if not all the myths. We have friends we camp with that went the $10k + route on their solar / power systems. We are in ~$1k with solar, generator & inverter. The only really nerve racking thing for me is going down a one lane dirt or rocky road and wondering if I'll not find a place to turnaround if needed.
So jealous! Baja is such a fun beautiful time with friends & family! (Minus the mishaps, & sand fleas!) 💦😎❤
I used to boondock without any solar. I chose to use my generator occasionally to use the microwave, make coffee or charge a laptop, but kept it to a minimum and within reasonable hours so as not to disturb others as much as possible. Solar is far better, but you can make it work without it. I’d watch movies on my laptop, tablet or phone if my laptop battery was dead at night, and the lights were dc so they worked off the coach batteries. I’d heat water for my shower and cook with propane. The fridge also ran on propane and music was provided by a batter operated boombox. You’re only limited by your water, grey and black tanks, but if you have a compost toilet or similar, and take along extra water, you’re golden, especially if you’re in an area where you can legally dump your grey tank on the ground, or in a hole and fill it.
Hi guys. I have to confess something…we have learn so much from your experience as boondockers…that we decided to jump in! We got the rig, the lithium stuff and the truck! We are all set….for Alaska this summer! Thank you for your ongoing great videos! Great job!
So excited for y’all!
Enjoy Alaska, lots of great boondocking options in lower 48. I have been in camps in Eastern Oregon and not seen another camper for up to six days.
Super vlog love the sound of the ocean on a pebbled beach and of course coffee, sunrise and the whales jumping out of the water brilliant. ❤️🤗🇬🇧
Thanks so much
Our very first night in a (rented) RV was spent doing some unplanned boondocking. We drove out of Las Vegas and darkness was nearing as we reached Valley of Fire--full. Calling ahead to other campgrounds--full. We drove out the back of Valley of Fire and turned North with a fuzzy memory that there were campgrounds along Lake Mead--wrong. As darkness neared, we topped a hill and saw RVs of all sizes scattered around, so we pulled off. Looking around we saw no signs, no guard shack, no nothing, so we chose a nice spot not too close to everyone else and settled in for a great first night, fully expecting that someone might come and tell us to pay or go away, but it never happened. After we got home, we discovered it is called Poverty Flats. 100% would stay there again, and 100% would boondock again.
You guys have my admiration, living the full lifestyle with kids. My husband and I adopted 2 special needs grandchildren 14 years ago, but now that they are grown, want to do a little camping just for ourselves, including boondocking. Trying to learn what I can with these videos. Kudos to your site this video, it's awesome.
Thank you for watching! Sounds like you’re working on making great memories for your grandchildren!
I was just out boondocking near Valley of Fire State Parking in Nevada in my 27 foot RV. You can also boondock without having to go out into absurdly crazy places and still see amazing things..
Agreed! 👏👏👏
Has it warmed up there? Leaving AZ soon, wanting to head to some Nat'l parks bit have had enough cold!
@@mouseboots46 Yes, it was quite warm during the day and pleasantly cool at night.
"Mr. Nathan, sheez gunna eat yer camera!!" 😂😂😂
Boondocking is bomb-diddly good & if you don't you miss out on at least half the potential fun of RVing
It is Ana amazing part of the life for sure!
I love Boondocking. We started Boondocking when it was just called camping. Great way to experience new adventures.
It really is!
There is something very special about boondocking. Sense of freedom? Great video!
Couldn't agree more! Thank you.
I'm really glad you explained about using a solar generator to power your rig up. Actually, that's a super smart idea. I will try it on my next boondocking adventure with my big old Bluetti....or a Walmart stopover. Great video. Extremely helpful.
Glad it was helpful!
We live in CO and went from tent to small teardrop with off-road capability. Best way ever! Although I have to say giant RV’s seem like not spending much time outside😂 when I see those folks that pull up and sit inside watching their satellite tv. I totally get having a large one if it is your home but otherwise it’s way to much junk and no journey to me. Great content!
Thanks for sharing!
We just found your excellent channel and subscribed. You should be very proud of your beautiful family. We retired 5 1/2 years ago, sold everything, bought a 1999 National Tropical Class A for $15k, hitched our little Chevy Cobalt SS behind us and hit the road, living on our meager social security retirement and a small pension. We quickly discovered that we enjoy boondocking most of the time. For example, we boondocked for 10 months last year. We started with a 620w solar array on the side of our coach and a couple of cheap golf cart batteries and traveled with the seasons, like the song says, "Living where the weather fits our clothes." The downside of a small solar/battery system like this is we had run our generator for a couple hours almost daily to live a normal life. Nevertheless, we've been living this lifestyle for about 1/3 of what it used to cost us to live in our S&B home. It probably costs less than 1/2 of what it would cost to live in RV parks all the time too, even membership parks like TT - not to mention how living in RV parks, all lined up with other campers like sardines in a can would cramp our style.
Since we committed to this lifestyle, we decided to expand our solar system so we could visit more places in "shoulder seasons." Now we live off grid just like we were plugged into a power pedestal at an RV park, entirely off the sun. We haven't run our generator even once since we installed our big system (except to exercise it, of course.) Mounting our 620w array on the side of our coach allowed us to rack 8, 550-watt panels (4,400 watts of solar) 15" off the roof of our coach. Not only do the panels run cooler, producing more power, but our RV stays cooler inside too as we bring our own shade with us, wherever we go. We now enjoy 5,020 watts of solar and 23.5kwhs of LiFePo-4 batteries (the equivalent of 18, 100ah Battleborns).
Since we designed and built everything ourselves, including our batteries, we saved lots of money, so were able to afford a high-efficiency EG-4 mini split heat pump for 24/7 A/C and heat when needed, using about 1/3rd the power of our soft start equipped, Furrion, front rooftop A/C. Our entire system, with everything, including our heat pump, only cost us around $11,500 to build ourselves. A system this size would cost at least 2-3 times this much to have a professional solar installer build it for us. Where there's a will, there's a way. Our big system gives us lots of flexibility too. We're visiting family in NC now, where boondocking places are hard to find. So, we're staying in a nice RV park here, in a spacious no hook-up site for only $100/mo., saving $500/mo. off their normal FHU rates. Life is good.
We are so glad you found us!
Add solar, have propane & water - boondocking is enjoyable. I am looking at quality off road & off grid travel trailers for camping/boondocking across the country.
I like to Boondock but I enjoy being plugged in too! ❤ Great video.
Yes! Thank you!
Good informational video. We camp, not RV. So, boondocking in our little square drop isn’t really much different than in a campground somewhere. Love the RV movie clips. That movie is hilarious.
The biggest "tip" I got from this vid (which is great and has good info) is using a properly sized pole to keep a storage door open to make a table. I've had 5th-wheels forever and I don't know how I never saw that before!
Glad you found it helpful!
Love boondocking!!
Helps us to focus on the most important things in life-simple pleasures with huge rewards!
You captured our thoughts and experiences on this topic perfectly!
Thanks so much!
Love this video!
Boondocking with friends create the best memories!
Couldn't agree more!
It was refreshing to see family outside and injoy
I have never paid for a camping site. I love making breakfast outside during sunrise. Coffee, bacon, eggs, hash browns.
That sounds like an amazing adventure!
Thank you for sharing and your advice. Love your Channel. 📺😄
You are so welcome! Thank you for watching.
Love boondocking with our 40' DP tag. We always say a boondocking night puts $50 in the tank. BTW, Stewart should be coming off the hwy at a shallow angle, not steep like he did, that'll make the transition easier and prevent dragging.
OMG never been on a rock beach that sound of the rocks was magical.
Best sound EVER!
Great video; thanks!
Our original plan included boondocking, but so far, we've barely scratched the surface in two years. We thought we'd spend one to two weeks at something like BLM land, then a couple nights at an RV park to dump & fill, do laundry, etc. Instead, we've had one boondocking night at a rest stop, when a one-month reservation turned out to be for a site we couldn't fit, and nobody else in the area had a spot. We also did two separate Harvest Host boondocking nights. That's it. We're a little concerned about boondocking sites not being accessible for our 45' long fifth wheel (you may remember us as neighbors at the Lippert Getaway at Pine Mountain...Riverstone front kitchen toy hauler, Nathan got a tour), but that same issue comes up a *lot* with campgrounds too. We still hope to at least try out that 14-on-2-off idea, see how that works for us. We'd have zero shame about the hooked-up nights though.
Damaging the rig...at one campground, we followed the guide to the site, got a pretty good look from inside the truck, and pulled into the (pull-through) site. If I'd gone a foot farther before making my turn, it would have been fine. If I'd started the turn a foot earlier, it would have been bad. As it was, the tailswing caused me to clip a utility pole with the cover over an awning mechanism, snapping it right off. Some neighbors came to commiserate, and the guide said something about how the pole shouldn't be right there, but I was driving. I knew better. We usually will do a bunch of get-out-and-look steps in any sort of tight space, and my wife will be outside with a walkie-talkie, talking me through potential problems. We should have done that, but didn't. We could blame the fact that we'd been at our previous place for too long, forgot to take the time, but that's a thin excuse. Seeing the extent of the damage, I just laughed it off, took it as a lesson for the future.
"Without amenities"...one of our favorite campgrounds bills itself as a "retreat", and has no restrooms, showers, laundry, pool, etc. We're self contained, and the benefits of that campground far more than make up for the lack of even basic amenities for us. That part of boondocking doesn't worry us at all. We've also stayed at "resorts" (does that term have *any* meaning?), and found that we generally don't make much use of the amenities. For some, a true resort is a wonderful thing. I strongly recommend Talona Ridge RV Resort in north Georgia to anyone like that. For us, that's worthwhile as an occasional luxury, but mostly wasted on us. As for "trunk fish", we'd be all over that.
Once again, it's all about compromises, as is most of RVing, and life in general. You trade off some things to get others, and have to take into account which things are most important to you, at that time. For someone else, or another time, the priorities may be quite different.
We love your precious family and have watched from the very beginning in awe of how awesome it is. Could you live this lifestyle without patrons?❤
Certainly, we would not make videos and would find another way to work remotely.
@@LessJunkMoreJourney thank you for answering my question because I really didn’t know if it was option. What you said makes sense.
You kids are adorable. What wonderful memories you are giving them!
Thanks so much!
Great video. Thank you. Blessings
Excellent well balanced, informative, and entertaining video. I cannot afford the most recent prices for most RV parks, nor do I want to be in that space all the time. I will be going full time soon, and boondocking will be a hugr part of making it possible. Thanks!
Our pleasure!
Love the idea of boondocking!! Thanks for the quality content and encouragement!! Happy travels to you both!!😍😍😍😍
You are so welcome. Thank you for watching.
Great video!! Very encouraging. Nice to see so many others doing it.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Very cool to see someone boondocking Mexico! I would really like to learn more! Safe travels!
Awesome! Thank you!
I really enjoy channel with the now smaller RV and how you manage it
Glad you enjoy it! Thank you.
We had to laugh when you said you don’t need four wheel drive after you just got stuck in last week’s video. LOL! Anyway, just pulling your leg. Really got a kick out of the Robin Williams outakes. This was an excellent video and we hope Stuart’s rig wasn’t too damaged.
Thank you so much.
It's all about adjusting your expectations! Love it!
Absolutely!!
maybe you filmed this awhile ago, but i'm curious what service level you have with starlink that you're using it in mexico?
We had great service as long as you can find some clear sky.
@@LessJunkMoreJourney thanks for replying! i meant what level you're paying for with the new plans they've rolled out about having to go for different options if you want out of country coverage. of course, they only recently launched these, so maybe you were in baja before that happened :)
@@rahdo We have the RV plan, we hope that helps. They keep changing them so it is hard to keep up with.
My first expériences with camping there was no such thing as hookups
Coleman white gas stove and lantern, ice and cooler. There were bathrooms and a little camp store. So not much different than boondocking. In comparison, with solar, 4000 watt generator (rarely used), gray and black tanks, fresh water storage, propane stove& fridge I am living in luxery. 5 to 6 months of boondocking for the winter in Quartzsite AZ.
Great advice, get a couple decent batteries, and a generator and you’re good to go!
This video was so awesome. I love the part when you were watching the whales in the water. That would be my cup of tea. I am so proud of JJ and Hensley. Especially Hensley when she helped JJ get dressed. I so enjoyed this video. Sending many prayers and love for your family. Be safe❤❤❤
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great video. I've been RV'ing fulltime since June of 2016 and spending significant time off-grid is my biggest hurdle. I don't deal with discomfort well. But now I bought a 2000 Winnebago and it's the first rig I've had with an onboard generator and a slideout, so boondocking is definitely in my future. (Once I get said generator to be reliable). I need to add solar panels. UGH. So much to do and to learn and I'm no spring chicken. Did I mention I'm a 60 year old single/windowed woman? Yeah, so that doesn't help.
There’s soooo much to uanpackage here! As someone who’s watched for years and not commented. This is a great …….
Awesome, thank you and thank you for commenting.
So we pretty much half or quarter boondock all the time. Meaning we have power/water but no sewer. So in that case my wife has full access to the bath, I go to the bathhouse to do all my business.(Toilet/Shower) We camp a good bit in Corp of Engineer CG and they don't have sewer. Also wash all the dishes outside and dump as much sink water outside as possible. So if we camp for more that 3 nights I take my "blue boy" in case the gray tank fills up. Some state parks in our state have Gray Water dump pits, which are for your dish water or even dumping the "blue boy" into. I have walked several gallons of gray water to the bath house before but that was early on and we were not experienced and didn't own a "blue boy".
Good tips.
Loved this! God bless your journey❤
I haven’t seen this channel in awhile. Man JJ is almost full size!
Hoped you help steward fix his rig cause your good at that 😂 just thinking lol
I just. Ought my first motorhome and am picking it up this saturdsy.. I can NOT wait to do this! This is my dream come true and an opportunity to give my son once in a life time memories.
That is awesome, congratulations.
0:25 cool, what are you using to prop open your bay door to turn it into a counter top?
A tripod we carry for photography. 😀 Just whatever you have that works.
If you guys love Boondocking then you really have to try it in New Zealand because it has the most amazing places to boondock, lakes, mountains and beaches to die for.
Thank you.
Lots of valuable information in this video!
Awesome! Thanks so much!
Such a good video. Thanks for putting it all together and in a fun way.
Boondocking sounded amazing when I first heard about it!
So true that boondocking is the grab bag for RVers 😂. Great video guys!
Yes! Thank you!
I want to know about how you use your water during boondocking. Dishes, how often you shower, amount of drinking water you use…. Pretty much how you track usage and speed of having water running to make water last the longest
We certainly conserve water, it is just a skill that you pick up once you try boondocking.
@@LessJunkMoreJourney Do you use paper plates and bowls mainly
Beautiful places. Kids are happy. What more could you want
Yes, thank you
Nice video have you ever felt unsafe? It’s not like you can up and take off quickly! However it seems you boondock with friends so I’m sure that helps!
We have never felt unsafe.
Some of our favorite campsites were boondocks!
Boonddocking is gold.
You really need to watch out for those breaching whales. Hazard #1 while boondocking. Ha ha! We boondock a lot in the West, but in the South, not so much. I always feel like a failure when I tell my brother we are at water & power sites - but oh are we enjoying the a/c in this 90 degrees in Florida!
Boondocking is great but let's be reasonable 😂
We've been on the road for 5 months now. We stayed a total of 2 nights at an RV Park and 3 nights at a Loves RV site. Other than that, we boondock or stay at state parks on yearly passes. For example, in New Mexico the yearly pass is around $240. We then pay about $4-5 a night for electric/water sites and it's free for the dry camping sites. We boondock between state parks for 3-4 nights. My family uses way too much water, so we can't quite get a week long stay.
Awesome
Boondocking only way togo. I remember your trip boondocking at the Badlands. That's my trip thus summer. I just gave a minivan I sleep and cook in.
Great Advice as always
Glad it was helpful! Thank you.
What movie clips were you showing in your video? Looks like a movie I'd love to see, lol
! I look forward to your videos every week, I have been watching since before JJ was born!
Thank you so much for watching.
We go full-time in 1 week making our way from Phoenix to Yellowstone areas. I installed 800W of solar, 600AH of batteries and 2200W inverter to get into boondocking. The general plan is to boondock 5 days and full hookup 2 days to flush tanks and recharge ourselves. I hope we can find empty sites! Thanks, have fun and be safe!
Thank you.
How do you care for your rig after biondocking near salt water? How do you prevent the rust and stuff?
Just wash it real good. Including the undercarriage.
I feel like there's no better demonstration of the differences between Nathan and Marisa's personalities. She loves the grab bag and his reply, I like to know what I'm getting. Also the look on his face.😂 It's called balance and what can make for great marriages. Love your videos❤
Thank you.
I have boondocked, camped at truck stops, and truck stop showers. ❤
👍👍👍
As a 50+ year tent camper. Living in a RV Boondocking is easy peasy. 5 + years full time.
I bet that was great preparation 👍👍👍👍
Showers? Day pass at a YMCA or an aquatic center(community pool). And there is the standby bowl and a wet hand towel.
Boondocking has been my favorite
Hensley you're so adorable with your pretzel name!! I LOVE it.
😊 thank you
Myth #11, you can boondock anywhere you can park your rig or pitch a tent. NOT! Camping outside of a campground within the boundaries of National Parks, heavily used areas of National Forests and some BLM recreation areas is NOT LEGAL. It is best to check at National Park entrance stations and ranger stations, which will have brochures with maps showing where camping and/or building a fire (even for day use) is not legal and where it is legal. In addition there will be signs posted at the boundaries of such areas on National Forest and BLM areas. In the heavily used areas of California it is not legal to camp at trailheads. Don't expect signs stating such at National Parks, however. The restrictions on boondocking is normally listed in the park's newsletter. Many National Forests now have similar newsletters available at ranger stations.
When "boondocking" on foot remember to check to see if you need a wilderness or hiking permit. Some locations in wilderness areas may also be closed to camping and/or campfires. This is especially true of lakes, creeks and waterfall areas close to the trailhead that receive a lot of day use.
Signed, U.S. Forest Service Retiree
Boondocking down long gravels roads with potholes or major washboard does tend to do damage to most poorly built RV's. The tradeoff is fewer people. I've also found the better the phone connection the more overrun with people the place can be. If the review says little to no cell coverage it becomes more appealing to me. Last summer I stayed at the place you guys BDed at in Badlands. It was a poor experience the place was so overrun with people.
That is too bad, we loved it there.
We were there last summer also. Although there were many boondockers, everyone was spaced out nicely. We did make sure we were there during the week.
Boondocking does have its place and there are a few spots that I frequent during the year and I can be self contained for several days with very little investment in gear . That being said there are times when it it is nice to have hookups, like when its 100 degrees outside or below 40 at night.
Always ❤ your videos
I liked boondocking for short amounts of time. It was nice to challenge ourselves knowing we had x amount of water, supplies etc for the amount of time we had planned for. And it makes you appreciate the hook ups in RV parks SOOOOO much!!! lol
That is so true!
Boondocking: camping(?) in an area where there are no hookups. Some boondocking like the BLM LTVA's, require a very small fee.
Walley-docking: Spending a night in a WalMart or Sam's Club parking lot.
Cracker-Docking: Parking overnight in a Cracker Barrel parking lot.
Moochie-docking: parking in a friend's or relative's driveway. (Here, you may be allowed to gab some power.)
The list goes on.
Are you homeschooling the kids? What an education & experience. .way to go they'll remember it forever! ❤
Yes we are, thank you.
99% of my rving is boondocking. Yes I'm cheap, but sunrise- sunset 1000starburts on new-fallen snow and so much more! There's challenges, shure: but it's worth it
Enjoyed your video, thanks
Thank you for watching.
Is that a typical tension rod you use for your RV hatch? I tried searching your videos and can't find it anywhere
You mean for the coffee? If so we used a tripod to hold it up. 😀
@@LessJunkMoreJourney awesome. I want sure if that was custom made item. It's a great idea, I'll be doing that from now on!
Excellent presentation !!!!
Thanks.
Glad you liked it!
Do u find Baja MX towable friendly? I have a f150 and 30ft TT
It can be done and you are better off at 30ft. Just know that sometimes the roads are narrow.
We converted an SUV to a camper so we could travel a few days at a time. We don't do it for the camping, but for going places, but we still seek out the free or $10/night dispersed camping in State forests. No amenities and finding them can be a challenge. It's all part of the adventure.
Thanks for this video. We recently bought an RV, and I love the idea of Boondocking, but my wife is very skeptical. This video should help me win her over.
Glad it was helpful, boondocking can be great fun.
Love boondocking as long as the water tanks are full and the toilets are empty, plenty of food, we have 170W ?? solar panel an Agm battery we can stay for days we can watch the tv listen to the radio we can have dingos, snakes, kangaroos, emus huge monitor lizards going thru our campsite we 😢stayed for days watching a massive croc and his girlfriends just swimming up and down the river and whales also going up and down the Indian Ocean wouldn’t change a thing personal hygiene a ice cream bucket and a quick hose off no worries.
I find that RV life pushes you outdoors more. RV parks are rarely that great. I have stayed at one rv park that had a creek flowing through. All the rest are literal parking lots with hookups. I prefer Harvest Host. I also subscribe to Boondockers Welcome and the golf resort add on. Harvest Host is where I have stayed most. I like to buy a bottle or 2 of wine. Then chill out in a very safe tidy location. Well…all this wind in Kansas likes to toss unsecured pet carriers down the way. My 2 cats really enjoy the quiet too.
We agree, RVing does push you outdoors and that is one of the reasons we love to live this way.
I am the exact opposite, why would anyone camp in a loud and crowded campground with no space. lol I have only boondocked and hate the thought campgrounds... I'm sure it will happen at some point :)
We have never boondocked, we have used Harvest Host, or a few overnights without hook ups. But we know we can do it! Next year we are planning a trip west where I see there are lots of boondocking options. Watching your video has encouraged us to do some research and plan to take advantage of some boondocking spots. Thanks for the great video.
Thank you for watching.
Where were you boondocking? We camped without hookups when we were first rving and had no idea how 12volt and 120volt worked. Totally went thru the battery on our rental camper the second day! Then the "rented" generator wouldn't work. Maybe you could do a video about that?
Hi there, we have several videos on subjects like that. You might like this video. th-cam.com/video/0BmmcE9UDSg/w-d-xo.html