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Hi Hanks. I watched your videos a lot. Good job. If you ever start to run out of battery for your leveling system... just pull the truck next to it and plug the lights in since it will charge the battery while you are adjusting the leveling system.
Hubby and I just parked our RV at our very first campsite. We are officially full-time RVers as of TODAY!!! Watching you guys over the last year and and a half as we planned for this was so much fun and we learned a lot. Thanks for what you guys do!
Here my tip. I do this all the time: Your RV battery should be wired up to charge off your truck alternator through the 7pin plug. We have a longer cord on our rig, so if you’re trying to Jack it up and the electric Jack sounds weak, you could try getting the truck close enough to plug it in and let the engine idle and pull power from the alternator and truck batteries too to help assist the electric jacks.
Boon docking in those areas is amazing! Glad you guys are stepping out of the comfort zone! Coming from someone who often goes off the beaten path, it takes more time, but it’s good insurance to carry a small air compressor so you can air down the tires for the off road trek. Smooths out the ride for rig, and helps give way more traction when you hit the soft spots. 👍
Watching this vid. brings back the ATV and sand dune days. Had to air truck and trailer tires down. Do not recall any one in our group concerned about soft sand driving, (yes 4x4 tow vehicle was essential). Except for on on-road driving days, having the bathtub stacked with cases of different brands of brews, assisted in taking the worry level down many levels. Did not even think about emergency situations or obtaining vehicle help back then. No way interested in doing that again these days. Enjoy the remote camping while still able and still want to. Wahoo‼️ 🎉
LOL! We camped for a week in our new camper, in the non-electric area. Our "brand new" battery did not hold up. We were close to home so both worked during the day. Barely used the battery. It was Oct and on Saturday, I was alone, Rod was at work. We lost all power. No moving the awing, no lights. We just needed a new battery and learned from that experience. Great video. Know your rig.
All we do is Boondock and dispersed camping. We have to use our 4x4 a lot of the time and not because we are on flat lands. It is the best way to travel. We do not really make plans in advance we just go to the next set of pin drops we collect We use The Dyrt Pro, Campendium and TH-cam as our resources. Love it and we would never change it. We hit a RV Park every 9-14 days for laundry and reload. We travel with two 17yr Chihuahua’s who seem to enjoy the lifestyle. One thing we do travel by for now is a emergency vet in some sort of close proximity. Amazing that you find rural vets (large and small animals) everywhere. We travel in a InTech Terra TT and Ford F-150 4x4. Doing this for two years then settle on a Brinkley for older age. Great Channel and Camp On!
We have 1800watts of solar 5 202ah Lithium Batteries 4000/5000 watt inverter and a transfer switch We can run a/c a few hours a day to cool down and all other systems for a couple days without sun. But on season we are unlimited with our trailer
Love being in Nevada, lots of places to boondock. Excellent suggestions regarding the sand to have boards. Washboard roads shook off my medicine cabinet. Safe travels😎
Like watching you trips and tips you give out. But, GM ‘s were designed to put into 4 high while driving, just let off the throttle a bit and let it slide into 4 high. 4low is a different story, must be at a stand still and in neutral to put into 4 low. Just a bit of advise from a master technician . keep safe out there and keep letting those videos roll!
I have a travel trailer and whenever I had to use the power tongue jack or the slide out I leave the wiring harness plugged in which gives me maximum power due to using the 14 volts from the engine and the alternator. Not sure if you can plug in with the distance on a 5th wheel?
I will be a newbie solo woman boondocking. I have my 28' Class C. Maiden voyage this weekend to the ocean to scatter my husbands ashes. He passed on Feb 8th. We were both going to be boondocking and just living in an RV. Now I need to do it on my own. 2.3 acres and home is too much for me to take care of. A 28' RV is easier for me to take care of. Thanks so much for your video's. they are awesome! (WA state here)
I’m sorry for your loss. I’m a single mom with two kids and I just bought my first RV to get back out and see the world. I believe in you. We can do this!
I'm really sorry for your loss ma'am and you should be really proud of yourself doing it alone. You are brave. I pray God's peace on you when you scatter your husband's ashes.
1) position your truck so your 7 way could reach to run your Jack. 2) if you’re jacks are sunk too deep to get enough lift or you can’t get power to your jack; let air out of your truck tires just enough to get under your hitch. Then air back before raising your jack & moving.
Simply make an extension cord to reach between the truck and trailer. A plug, a socket, and 6~8 feet of 7-wire cable are inexpensive. Longer cable would allow the truck to be parked beside the trailer and still hooked up to top off the batteries.
He has the Lippert remote manual control on his phone. He can plug in, start the truck. Charge the battery. Then lift. Or use his buddy’s generator and extension cord. Bet a donut he has a 15 amp dogbone.
Love all the fretting' and fuse'n about nuthin'. We boondock 98% of the time and still don't have an inverter or lithium bateries. I did add one solar panel (165w) to charge our two 6v golf cart batteries when we got our 5th wheel (3 travel trailers previously) because everything seems to use power in it. LOL We are planning to full time at the end of this year, and you guys have been one of our inspirations! We started taking our cat with us last year to get him road ready like Sexy Dexy! Thank you and keep it up, "no risk it no biscuit"!!
Living in Florida I learned that if you go faster on a washboard road, the ride will get smoother. My first time, going slow, I thought we were going to die. The second trip, guy who owned the farm was leading and took off much faster, we speed up to keep up, and the ride got smoother.
Love spending Thursday with the Hanks. You guys are doing it right figuring out what you need before spending big bucks, we’ve all been there. I’ve got the lithium batteries, zamp solar suitcase and 2200 watt inverter generator for power. The game changer was my 2 100 amp hour batteries from Battle Born. At the time Battle Born was the only game in town, now you have lots of choices. Your killing it on one battery, nice job. When having trouble getting enough juice to run the levelers hook it up to the truck!
Hey Hanks, when my battery was low on the 5th wheel trailer, I just backed the truck up to the hitch and plug the trailer in and it would charge the trailer battery up for me to raise or lower it.. Then unhook from the trailer cord from the truck and then hitch up, hopefully I made sense out of this 🤣😂
As an Arizonan, I can tell you that if you go faster your wheels ride mostly on top of the ridges. As you go slower, you are allowing the wheels to drop into the troughs instead of ridge riding. So yes, I pull my travel trailer faster and the ride has been smoother; it all does depend on the road condition and hence the result will be variable every trip. Remember, washboard roads are created when the road is wet from the compression of wheels pushing material forward. Each vehicle pushes just a little more and creating an exponential increase to full washboard.
We've been dry camping now since 1987, and this is still our preferred method of camping. Our first couple of RVs had only one 12 volt lead acid and no generator, which resulted in a couple of dead batteries in the morning after cold nights. Fast forward, we now have a 30 foot TT with 3 lead acid batteries, a generator (which we rarely use except in cold wet winter weather), 300 watts of solar suitcase, several LED puck lights that run on AA batteries throughout the RV, and a 1000 wh power station. We never get below 2/3 battery. This includes after cold nights or hot days where we run a very powerful swamp cooler.
We have the same leveling system. It is the number 1 problem/stress in our camping trips. I call it our might work leveling system. Our solar system is great at keeping the batteries topped off. That is one of the none stressful parts of camping. Safe journeys.
Really one of your best videos yet, shows your cool experiences! We are doing research to boondock here in NZ. We have a lot of Freedom Camps from the national conservation service here. No water, no hookups. Just stunning views. Looks like you guys are having fun out in Arizona! You are slowly convincing me to buy the Denali.
If you ever want to add lithium, inverter and potentially solar - I have the exact same model as you and added it to mine. If you come through Maryland you can take a look at our camper and copy (and spend a week in our driveway using all the tools I had to buy to do the battery/solar/inverter install.) We have 50 amp and water ;) Nice video - Makes me want to do some boondocking
Totally awesome video Kyle and Rene! Loved every minute of it and felt like I was right there with you. Now it's a whole week till Thanks Hanks Thursday again. You're the best!
We do try camping a lot. We got a new trailer this year. It's got a little bit of solar, bigger water tanks and propane. We are excited to try the new trailer dry camping!
Just back truck up enough to plug in your light cord and leave truck running and it will give plenty of 12 volt power to raise your trailer to hook up, You have to remember when you’re plugged in driving down the road. Your alternator on the truck is charging your batteries on your trailer. So in that situation of not knowing if you have enough power to lift your trailer, do you like I said plug in your light cord, get close enough that you can plug it in and leave your truck running and you’re good to go, it it will be again charging your trailer batteries immediately plus give you the power to lift your trailer up in front
your channel inspired me to plan my life to do RV life and do Travel Nursing as a career. I'm still a ways away from actually being able to do it but I want to do it so badly, I'm planning on saving money for the RV, looking up what kind of style of RV's I want and what kind of truck I'll need. My ultimate goal is to save money for buying me and my parents a plot of land to build them a house, and travel nursing will hopefully help achieve that. I hope in the future when I'm able to get out on the road, Y'all will still be doing RV life and we'll cross paths! Thank you for helping me find what i want to do in life and getting me out of the rut I was in.
As an Alaskan and having pulled a trailer in both up and down the alcan several times, I will say good luck going to Alaska. Between Whitehorse and about 100 miles past the border, I saw a few travel trailers rip off their entire hitch assembly on the frost heaves. But it's beautiful.
Beautiful is really kind of an understatement. ❤ But, yeah, past Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, you're going to be going slow. P.S. Do not pass a gas station without topping off. Ask me how I know! 😆
Take an extra set of leaf springs for the fifth wheel . If you break one it's about a five to six hours round trip to get a set if they have one in stock.
Our solar is 800watts on the roof with a 1500w inverter. I would recommend going larger, for what we have at least. (Washer/dryer, dishwasher, then molre important is the AC. I'm going to upgrade the system to around 2000 watts on the roof with a 3000-6000 watt inverter for the AC. Then the batteries... Always spend the money on the Lythium batteries. We have 4-100AH batteries and it's not enough for what we've got now, without the AC and other stuff. Holding capabilities is the problem. We need around 10 or more. We can boondock just fine on the 800/1500/4-100AH system though using the TV, internet, fridge and basics.
Looking forward to watching your mod videos for upgrading batteries, solar and inverter. I recommend watching Chad's (changing lanes)videos about doing those mods. For batteries, Wil Prowse.
We always boon-dock when there’s a place within our travel miles to do so. We’re set up for it though. We have a micro Minnie FLX so 12 V fridge, solar, truma ac & water heater systems are stock on our travel trailer. We purchased a 4500 duel fuel generator before we started this adventure. It’s does cost a lot to properly set up for comfortable boon-docking especially with a lg travel trailer. Your to be commended for sticking with it. Your doing good without the tools to be comfortable. I’m spoiled and need my power. 😊
Sometimes it's painful watching you guys wing-it. You're doin' it though. Keep on keepin' on. I'm glad you're with friends... There is strength in numbers. Safe travels.
One thing to have with you is a portable jump pack of some type. This can be a standard battery (like ones made by Clore), or the lithium ones (like made by Noco and others). The lithium ones are much lighter. This will allow you to not only jump your truck if it is dead, but you can hook it up to your trailer to raise or lower the jacks (or slides) if necessary. Part of RV'ing is being prepared for situations. Just an idea. Good luck.
From all I've read and watched, Lithium batterys are much better then the lead acid. True they cost more but weight like half of a lead acid battery, can be discharged to around 10% without harm to the battery, where lead acid your not suppose to discharge under 50%, So by switching to even one Lithium battery you can almost double what you have now. And it open alot of possibilities...solor more battery, and less worries when out boondocking. Safe Travels 🙂
After 35 years of marriage, I can attest that the "Hun, where's X" is normal for married couples. I'll go 1 better and say that; it depends on the subject matter if it's me asking my spouse about x or my spouse asking me about y. I knew I needed an inverter up-front and decided to get that extra battery before going boon-docking. Since we were powering an O2 concentrator all-night, we were only able to last about a day and a half before I had to break out the 30amp Generator and recharge the batteries. As long as you don't need to power AC units, you can usually last a day boondocking. Adding things like O2 and CPAP are where you really need to look at your DC capacity.
I didn't realize it was considered camping if you were plugged in? jk lol 😂 I guess we have always boondocked, we have solar. Love and support everyone, as long as the pack it in, pack it out!👍
A few suggestions for Arizona deserts locations: there are mice - we use solar-powered flashing lights from Harbor Freight. The gentle flashing looks like the eyes of predators. Arizona sand is highly abrasive. New Mexico sand is often gypsum, which is much less abrasive. Don't leave closed shoes and boots outside overnight. If you forget and do, turn them over and really shake them out to remove possible scorpions. Don't like the heat? Go north of Mogollon Rim.- mountains! Try not to touch your nose in the desert - mucus dries into needles in your nose, so rubbing you nose can lead to nosebleed. It's really easy to get lost in the desert, so take precautions. Awnings are not for the Southwest - try not to use them. Dust devils come out of nowhere, and rip off awnings. If you use them, stake them, and only extend them half-way.
Actually, by going that slow on washboard, you're not doing your RV any favors'. The vibrations will cause it and your truck to disassemble themselves. Increase your speed until the vibration stops, faster is better!
Well it might seem a little trivial to some people. But we do not boondock without a generator. Some people might not call that boondocking but I do LOl
YES the Arizona episode, I’ve been waiting for it. I’m sure you guys are long gone by now but definitely check out northern AZ if you come back. Will definitely keep this BLM spot in mind for a winter spot.
Ugh, I liked the beach but no to dusty, sandy desert. I know I'm in the minority, but unless I had to live free on BLM land, I'd stick to greener areas near water. But I enjoy seeing your experience!
Boondocking is definitely our favorite kind of camping! You just can’t beat the views!💖 I’m surprised you all drove that far to only stay one night. 😜🤣
one big uestion WHY DONT YOU HAVE A GAS OR DIESEL GENERATOR, IT A MUST FOR BOONDOCKING, also i you are going to buy batteries the 6 volt set up is far better then 1- 12volt, i know you have to buy 2- 6volts to equal the 1- 12v. but the 6 volt can drain down to 1.5 volts and recover better then a 12v . once you drop below 10.8 volts the 12v is toast. on my trailer there is 6 -6volts lead acid batteries, 2- 1000 watt solar panels, and 5000 watt convertor generator is a onan cummins diesel 7.5 kw runs both a/c and everything else. this why i told you to purchase a transfer tank in the back of your truck, . i know its more weight , but you can boondock longer?
Jumper cables from your running truck will recharge your house battery or operate you leveling system when your in a jam. LEARN THE CORRECT WAY TO JUMP BATTERYS. No tow truck needed
We were out there last year inJanuary with our 1970 Holiday Rambler and did nothing but boondock for weeks at a time with 2 lead acid batteries and a generator because we needed it. We realized the need for solar to stay longer stays. We added solar this past Summer and ir really made a big difference.
🙈 In our 1984 Itasca 28ft Winnebago motorhome we learned the hard way with boon-docking....... If your RV fuel tank is less than half tank of gas ⛽........ Your generator will NOT 🚫 run as a safety precaution!! Lol 😂 #davesandersstepdaughter
The one thing I get concerned about being in nowhere ville like you are now is the lack of medical emergency. Maybe not lack, maybe proximity to emergency medical services concerns me. As former paramedic/ER nurse you guys have much of those concerns handled. Either way we I am looking forward to RV days.
One thing we have done if you need to slightly lower/raise the front of your trailer without unhitching it to put leveling blocks under the front or rear wheels of the tow vehicle. We can normally get it pretty level if we just need an inch or two.
Just FYI if your ever boondocking like that again just back the truck as close as you can connect the 7way pin and you wont have any issues raising the RV up due to battery. we've had to do that several times before :)
Or, instead of photo. Just put your lic plate numbers in Evernote. And all your other misc notes and stuff and journals. Then you easily search it in second. Bomb.
Born and raised in the southwest desert Boy Scout camped my youth by cacti and mesquite campfires. Has it’s charm but the forest and streams are my idea of “the great outdoors “ (sucks teeth and spits a muddy blob😂)
Same model rig as you, 2020 with residential fridge. We went a year with two 100ah lithium batteries and no solar. Overnight, whether boondock or Harvest Host, was a breeze and didn't have to worry about low batteries. I did have a Harbor Freight Predator generator in the bed of my truck "just in case", but seldom needed it. Now we have six 100ah lithium and 1,320 watts of solar and 3,000 inverter all installed by The Dry Campers and we almost never need hookups.
A question totally unrelated to the video. Do y'all still work as nurses? If so, do you plan your travels accordingly? How long do y'all stay at one place and work? Thanks. I can't wait till Thrusdays for the new video. Keep the sunny side up and the greasy side down.
One of the reasons for the washboard roads is because of those drivers that speed down them! If everyone took their time, it wouldn’t be that bad. We know that because of the 10 miles of dirt road we have to traverse at 3-5 mph MAX (!) to get to our favorite lakeside campsites. Also we are really enjoying your boondocking videos. That’s the way we camp! We have only stayed in a campground 4 times in 18+ years! Have been loving watching your trip with good friends!
Almost to our neck of the woods down in Sierra Vista! You'll love it there...Bisbee, Tombstone, Ramsey and Carr Canyons, the Coronado Monument...Fort Huachuca... The best way to deal with washboard is going faster...way smoother.
I don't like heat so I am nervous about NOT having air conditioning. I can do without a lot, but I cannot sleep in heat and no sleep makes a very grumpy human.
I read, on an Alaskan channel, to go 40 mph on washboard roads. Supposedly, it won't be as hard on you or your rig? If there is a heave, that doesn't apply! My husband and I will find out in a couple weeks. We leave for Alaska May 10th, from Indiana.
Here's a bit of a story, in 1979 me and My girl friend went on a camping trip before starting college and went to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and on the way back from the North Rim to the camp ground a radiator hose blew on my 1974 Pinto, we made it to the camp ground and there was a gas station fairly close up there in the Kaibab forest but he only had part's for large V8 vehicles so we had to call a garage ànd have the part driven up to us. We were 56 Miles away from the garage location so our $6.00 part cost us a additional $56.00 for the driver to bring the part up to us since they wanted $0.50¢ per mile and in 1979 that was a pretty good chunk of change.
It depends on WHERE in Alaska. The more rural, the more likely you'll be on rough roads. I drove to Alaska from NC about a decade ago; Yukon Territory roads can be rough, and there's a lot of road work in the warm months. For the first few dozen miles back in the U.S. (i.e. Eastern Alaska) the roads were golden. But, yeah, four, or so, hours north of Fairbanks and I was changing a flat tire after a rock sliced it open. But, ultimately, it was just like any other flat tire anywhere else, only there was no one to call. But, a fellow traveler stopped and helped. Y'all just go, live, and have fun. The worst road I ever traveled was in Montana, second worst was in Alabama -- they can be anywhere.
Hey Y'all, looks like you're having fun, good job avoiding the soft sand. I liked and subscribed, but need my money for our own camping adventures. We converted a shuttle bus, and you know about diesel prices. We average about 12 mpg...
As someone that grew up camping in the southern California desert, you kids did a swell job! Quick tip for soft sand, air down those tires for a larger footprint, and a softer ride!! Enjoy The Thing, it's a definite roadside attraction must stop.
In 1969 the Alcon Hyway in Alaska managed to break or shatter every window we had on the travel trailer by the time we were off of it , which was days of traveling. Largely ppl passing us fast throwing rock/ large gravel at our rig. My parents opened the champagne when we reached the end of it! I was 11 yrs old😀👍🏼
Question, why don't you back your truck very close to your camper so you can hookup your trailer cable. Once you've done that (with truck running) power for your jacks won't be an issue. I did that with our fifth wheel and TT many times.
Great video…beautiful country to boondock. I think if I were to boondock I would definitely prefer to do it in a group….thanks for this invaluable advice….. Lisa ( The Wingman’s wife)😊
When raising and lowering the the landing gear when your boondocking or when the power is out with the necessity to reserve power attach your rig to the truck while idling, this way you have paralleled with the truck and have more power to work with
Spent the entire winter boon docking at Quartzsite with a 150 watt solar setup, a generator, a macerator, blue boy, 60 gallon water bag and a little pump that hooks up to our cordless drill. Never moved our camper the entire time. Still learning, but it's a great retirement plan. First Minnesota - free winter! Boon docking all the way!
Winter basically forgot to show up in MN this year😂🤦♀️ Thinking next winter I will be down south like you all since unusual weather is the norm up here we’re in for it next winter 🤦♀️😂😂
Hey~ We are full-timers too. We are volunteers here in Arizona for Bureau of Land Management. BLM really has some sweet Site Host volunteer positions here, with great amenities. You guys are too funny!! Love your videos ❤
I'm surprised you guys dont place a sheet of plywood under the orange level pieces. I have those same orange level blocks. I was thinking putting a sheet of plywood under it just to hold those blocks from digging down in the ground.
Wish i would have found your channel sooner, my wife and i have 46 acres in Bowie behind Dwayne's Jerky/Mountain View RV park. You actually drove right by our property when you went past the pistachio orchard. Its nice to see our corner of the world on YT. We call Bowie "Radiator Springs" like the one from the animated movie Cars because it really is the town that time forgot when the big highway was put in that bypassed the town.
You might think of getting a simple portable 100-200W solar panel for the days you are boondocking. They take up a bit of storage room but they are pretty economical and easy to use. Keep up the good videos.
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Hi Hanks. I watched your videos a lot. Good job.
If you ever start to run out of battery for your leveling system... just pull the truck next to it and plug the lights in since it will charge the battery while you are adjusting the leveling system.
Hubby and I just parked our RV at our very first campsite. We are officially full-time RVers as of TODAY!!! Watching you guys over the last year and and a half as we planned for this was so much fun and we learned a lot. Thanks for what you guys do!
Congrats!! We’re about to be by next month.
Congratulations and enjoy 💚💚
I started my full time journey yesterday afternoon and last night was my first cold night but it’s gonna get better………hopefully, lol
@@1982MCI Congrats! I’m sure it will get warmer. Well, I guess that depends on where you are 😉.
Congrats 🎉🎉 Time to enjoy life, just stay out of cities 😂😂😂
Here my tip. I do this all the time:
Your RV battery should be wired up to charge off your truck alternator through the 7pin plug. We have a longer cord on our rig, so if you’re trying to Jack it up and the electric Jack sounds weak, you could try getting the truck close enough to plug it in and let the engine idle and pull power from the alternator and truck batteries too to help assist the electric jacks.
Was going to say the same - some newer trucks don’t charge, but if it does this makes the most sense!
Boon docking in those areas is amazing! Glad you guys are stepping out of the comfort zone! Coming from someone who often goes off the beaten path, it takes more time, but it’s good insurance to carry a small air compressor so you can air down the tires for the off road trek. Smooths out the ride for rig, and helps give way more traction when you hit the soft spots. 👍
Watching this vid. brings back the ATV and sand dune days. Had to air truck and trailer tires down. Do not recall any one in our group concerned about soft sand driving, (yes 4x4 tow vehicle was essential). Except for on on-road driving days, having the bathtub stacked with cases of different brands of brews, assisted in taking the worry level down many levels. Did not even think about emergency situations or obtaining vehicle help back then. No way interested in doing that again these days. Enjoy the remote camping while still able and still want to. Wahoo‼️ 🎉
I was kind of having a rough day, but on my drive home I realized it was Thursday and then all was well again. Thanks for all you do.
LOL! We camped for a week in our new camper, in the non-electric area. Our "brand new" battery did not hold up. We were close to home so both worked during the day. Barely used the battery. It was Oct and on Saturday, I was alone, Rod was at work. We lost all power. No moving the awing, no lights. We just needed a new battery and learned from that experience. Great video. Know your rig.
All we do is Boondock and dispersed camping. We have to use our 4x4 a lot of the time and not because we are on flat lands. It is the best way to travel. We do not really make plans in advance we just go to the next set of pin drops we collect
We use The Dyrt Pro, Campendium and TH-cam as our resources.
Love it and we would never change it.
We hit a RV Park every 9-14 days for laundry and reload.
We travel with two 17yr Chihuahua’s who seem to enjoy the lifestyle.
One thing we do travel by for now is a emergency vet in some sort of close proximity. Amazing that you find rural vets (large and small animals) everywhere.
We travel in a InTech Terra TT and Ford F-150 4x4. Doing this for two years then settle on a Brinkley for older age.
Great Channel and Camp On!
We have 1800watts of solar
5 202ah Lithium Batteries
4000/5000 watt inverter and a transfer switch
We can run a/c a few hours a day to cool down and all other systems for a couple days without sun. But on season we are unlimited with our trailer
Love being in Nevada, lots of places to boondock. Excellent suggestions regarding the sand to have boards. Washboard roads shook off my medicine cabinet. Safe travels😎
Like watching you trips and tips you give out. But, GM ‘s were designed to put into 4 high while driving, just let off the throttle a bit and let it slide into 4 high. 4low is a different story, must be at a stand still and in neutral to put into 4 low. Just a bit of advise from a master technician . keep safe out there and keep letting those videos roll!
If you plug in the truck to camper it will charge your camper battery.
FYI enjoy your vidios
I have a travel trailer and whenever I had to use the power tongue jack or the slide out I leave the wiring harness plugged in which gives me maximum power due to using the 14 volts from the engine and the alternator. Not sure if you can plug in with the distance on a 5th wheel?
I will be a newbie solo woman boondocking. I have my 28' Class C. Maiden voyage this weekend to the ocean to scatter my husbands ashes. He passed on Feb 8th. We were both going to be boondocking and just living in an RV. Now I need to do it on my own. 2.3 acres and home is too much for me to take care of. A 28' RV is easier for me to take care of. Thanks so much for your video's. they are awesome! (WA state here)
You can do it!!!! 🤜🤛
Sorry for your loss
I’m sorry for your loss. I’m a single mom with two kids and I just bought my first RV to get back out and see the world. I believe in you. We can do this!
I'm really sorry for your loss ma'am and you should be really proud of yourself doing it alone. You are brave. I pray God's peace on you when you scatter your husband's ashes.
So sorry for your loss!
1) position your truck so your 7 way could reach to run your Jack.
2) if you’re jacks are sunk too deep to get enough lift or you can’t get power to your jack; let air out of your truck tires just enough to get under your hitch. Then air back before raising your jack & moving.
Simply make an extension cord to reach between the truck and trailer. A plug, a socket, and 6~8 feet of 7-wire cable are inexpensive. Longer cable would allow the truck to be parked beside the trailer and still hooked up to top off the batteries.
What they said.. most 5th wheel cords are long enough so you can back close enough to plug in and raise it.
He has the Lippert remote manual control on his phone. He can plug in, start the truck. Charge the battery. Then lift. Or use his buddy’s generator and extension cord. Bet a donut he has a 15 amp dogbone.
@@stephensteinhauer3346 or park perpendicular
Love all the fretting' and fuse'n about nuthin'. We boondock 98% of the time and still don't have an inverter or lithium bateries. I did add one solar panel (165w) to charge our two 6v golf cart batteries when we got our 5th wheel (3 travel trailers previously) because everything seems to use power in it. LOL We are planning to full time at the end of this year, and you guys have been one of our inspirations! We started taking our cat with us last year to get him road ready like Sexy Dexy! Thank you and keep it up, "no risk it no biscuit"!!
Living in Florida I learned that if you go faster on a washboard road, the ride will get smoother. My first time, going slow, I thought we were going to die. The second trip, guy who owned the farm was leading and took off much faster, we speed up to keep up, and the ride got smoother.
Love spending Thursday with the Hanks. You guys are doing it right figuring out what you need before spending big bucks, we’ve all been there. I’ve got the lithium batteries, zamp solar suitcase and 2200 watt inverter generator for power. The game changer was my 2 100 amp hour batteries from Battle Born. At the time Battle Born was the only game in town, now you have lots of choices. Your killing it on one battery, nice job. When having trouble getting enough juice to run the levelers hook it up to the truck!
Hey Hanks, when my battery was low on the 5th wheel trailer, I just backed the truck up to the hitch and plug the trailer in and it would charge the trailer battery up for me to raise or lower it.. Then unhook from the trailer cord from the truck and then hitch up, hopefully I made sense out of this 🤣😂
100% I was going to post exact same comment. Just keep truck running and let er rip!
As an Arizonan, I can tell you that if you go faster your wheels ride mostly on top of the ridges. As you go slower, you are allowing the wheels to drop into the troughs instead of ridge riding. So yes, I pull my travel trailer faster and the ride has been smoother; it all does depend on the road condition and hence the result will be variable every trip. Remember, washboard roads are created when the road is wet from the compression of wheels pushing material forward. Each vehicle pushes just a little more and creating an exponential increase to full washboard.
I came to the comments to say the same thing. You've gotta find the sweetspot for the height of the ridges. Somewhere between 30-45mph.
Im from Nebraska and i 100% agree. Need to pick up the pace a bit on those washboard roads.
It's called smoothing out the road here in Idaho
Ridge riding omfg
Absolutely agree! From western Kansas. This is what ALL of our dirt roads look like. :)
We've been dry camping now since 1987, and this is still our preferred method of camping.
Our first couple of RVs had only one 12 volt lead acid and no generator, which resulted in a couple of dead batteries in the morning after cold nights.
Fast forward, we now have a 30 foot TT with 3 lead acid batteries, a generator (which we rarely use except in cold wet winter weather), 300 watts of solar suitcase, several LED puck lights that run on AA batteries throughout the RV, and a 1000 wh power station.
We never get below 2/3 battery. This includes after cold nights or hot days where we run a very powerful swamp cooler.
We have the same leveling system. It is the number 1 problem/stress in our camping trips. I call it our might work leveling system. Our solar system is great at keeping the batteries topped off. That is one of the none stressful parts of camping. Safe journeys.
Really one of your best videos yet, shows your cool experiences! We are doing research to boondock here in NZ. We have a lot of Freedom Camps from the national conservation service here. No water, no hookups. Just stunning views. Looks like you guys are having fun out in Arizona! You are slowly convincing me to buy the Denali.
If you ever want to add lithium, inverter and potentially solar - I have the exact same model as you and added it to mine. If you come through Maryland you can take a look at our camper and copy (and spend a week in our driveway using all the tools I had to buy to do the battery/solar/inverter install.)
We have 50 amp and water ;)
Nice video -
Makes me want to do some boondocking
Can you email yr address to them pls
Totally awesome video Kyle and Rene! Loved every minute of it and felt like I was right there with you. Now it's a whole week till Thanks Hanks Thursday again. You're the best!
We do try camping a lot. We got a new trailer this year. It's got a little bit of solar, bigger water tanks and propane. We are excited to try the new trailer dry camping!
Just back truck up enough to plug in your light cord and leave truck running and it will give plenty of 12 volt power to raise your trailer to hook up,
You have to remember when you’re plugged in driving down the road. Your alternator on the truck is charging your batteries on your trailer. So in that situation of not knowing if you have enough power to lift your trailer, do you like I said plug in your light cord, get close enough that you can plug it in and leave your truck running and you’re good to go, it it will be again charging your trailer batteries immediately plus give you the power to lift your trailer up in front
your channel inspired me to plan my life to do RV life and do Travel Nursing as a career. I'm still a ways away from actually being able to do it but I want to do it so badly, I'm planning on saving money for the RV, looking up what kind of style of RV's I want and what kind of truck I'll need. My ultimate goal is to save money for buying me and my parents a plot of land to build them a house, and travel nursing will hopefully help achieve that. I hope in the future when I'm able to get out on the road, Y'all will still be doing RV life and we'll cross paths! Thank you for helping me find what i want to do in life and getting me out of the rut I was in.
As an Alaskan and having pulled a trailer in both up and down the alcan several times, I will say good luck going to Alaska. Between Whitehorse and about 100 miles past the border, I saw a few travel trailers rip off their entire hitch assembly on the frost heaves. But it's beautiful.
Beautiful is really kind of an understatement. ❤
But, yeah, past Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, you're going to be going slow.
P.S. Do not pass a gas station without topping off. Ask me how I know! 😆
Then get to Tok. The road is really full frost heaves.
Take an extra set of leaf springs for the fifth wheel . If you break one it's about a five to six hours round trip to get a set if they have one in stock.
Love boon docking! We spend most every weekend doing just that. Glad you guys are trying it out. It can be addictive 😊
You all are awesome! Glad everything worked out. Thanks!
Our solar is 800watts on the roof with a 1500w inverter.
I would recommend going larger, for what we have at least. (Washer/dryer, dishwasher, then molre important is the AC. I'm going to upgrade the system to around 2000 watts on the roof with a 3000-6000 watt inverter for the AC. Then the batteries... Always spend the money on the Lythium batteries. We have 4-100AH batteries and it's not enough for what we've got now, without the AC and other stuff. Holding capabilities is the problem. We need around 10 or more.
We can boondock just fine on the 800/1500/4-100AH system though using the TV, internet, fridge and basics.
Looking forward to watching your mod videos for upgrading batteries, solar and inverter. I recommend watching Chad's (changing lanes)videos about doing those mods. For batteries, Wil Prowse.
We always boon-dock when there’s a place within our travel miles to do so. We’re set up for it though. We have a micro Minnie FLX so 12 V fridge, solar, truma ac & water heater systems are stock on our travel trailer. We purchased a 4500 duel fuel generator before we started this adventure. It’s does cost a lot to properly set up for comfortable boon-docking especially with a lg travel trailer. Your to be commended for sticking with it. Your doing good without the tools to be comfortable. I’m spoiled and need my power. 😊
Sometimes it's painful watching you guys wing-it. You're doin' it though. Keep on keepin' on. I'm glad you're with friends... There is strength in numbers. Safe travels.
Pro tip, send your car/tow vehicle ahead to scout the road conditions
One thing to have with you is a portable jump pack of some type. This can be a standard battery (like ones made by Clore), or the lithium ones (like made by Noco and others). The lithium ones are much lighter. This will allow you to not only jump your truck if it is dead, but you can hook it up to your trailer to raise or lower the jacks (or slides) if necessary. Part of RV'ing is being prepared for situations. Just an idea. Good luck.
From all I've read and watched, Lithium batterys are much better then the lead acid. True they cost more but weight like half of a lead acid battery, can be discharged to around 10% without harm to the battery, where lead acid your not suppose to discharge under 50%, So by switching to even one Lithium battery you can almost double what you have now. And it open alot of possibilities...solor more battery, and less worries when out boondocking. Safe Travels 🙂
Glad everyone was able to get out without getting stuck. Looks like an incredible place to camp.
Y’all will be fine in Alaska. The roads aren’t that bad. Portions of the ALCAN have large frost heaves but just pay attention and you’ll be fine. 🤙🏼
After 35 years of marriage, I can attest that the "Hun, where's X" is normal for married couples. I'll go 1 better and say that; it depends on the subject matter if it's me asking my spouse about x or my spouse asking me about y.
I knew I needed an inverter up-front and decided to get that extra battery before going boon-docking. Since we were powering an O2 concentrator all-night, we were only able to last about a day and a half before I had to break out the 30amp Generator and recharge the batteries.
As long as you don't need to power AC units, you can usually last a day boondocking. Adding things like O2 and CPAP are where you really need to look at your DC capacity.
I didn't realize it was considered camping if you were plugged in? jk lol 😂
I guess we have always boondocked, we have solar. Love and support everyone, as long as the pack it in, pack it out!👍
It’s crazy not to have the solar and battery set up in your full time home. Especially in case of storms, power outages ect. Just seems necessary
A few suggestions for Arizona deserts locations: there are mice - we use solar-powered flashing lights from Harbor Freight. The gentle flashing looks like the eyes of predators. Arizona sand is highly abrasive. New Mexico sand is often gypsum, which is much less abrasive. Don't leave closed shoes and boots outside overnight. If you forget and do, turn them over and really shake them out to remove possible scorpions. Don't like the heat? Go north of Mogollon Rim.- mountains! Try not to touch your nose in the desert - mucus dries into needles in your nose, so rubbing you nose can lead to nosebleed. It's really easy to get lost in the desert, so take precautions. Awnings are not for the Southwest - try not to use them. Dust devils come out of nowhere, and rip off awnings. If you use them, stake them, and only extend them half-way.
Actually, by going that slow on washboard, you're not doing your RV any favors'. The vibrations will cause it and your truck to disassemble themselves. Increase your speed until the vibration stops, faster is better!
If you have an air compressor, next time you find yourself in this condition, try letting some of the air out of the rear tires
Well it might seem a little trivial to some people. But we do not boondock without a generator. Some people might not call that boondocking but I do LOl
YES the Arizona episode, I’ve been waiting for it. I’m sure you guys are long gone by now but definitely check out northern AZ if you come back. Will definitely keep this BLM spot in mind for a winter spot.
Ugh, I liked the beach but no to dusty, sandy desert. I know I'm in the minority, but unless I had to live free on BLM land, I'd stick to greener areas near water. But I enjoy seeing your experience!
Boondocking is definitely our favorite kind of camping! You just can’t beat the views!💖
I’m surprised you all drove that far to only stay one night. 😜🤣
one big uestion WHY DONT YOU HAVE A GAS OR DIESEL GENERATOR, IT A MUST FOR BOONDOCKING, also i you are going to buy batteries the 6 volt set up is far better then 1- 12volt, i know you have to buy 2- 6volts to equal the 1- 12v. but the 6 volt can drain down to 1.5 volts and recover better then a 12v . once you drop below 10.8 volts the 12v is toast. on my trailer there is 6 -6volts lead acid batteries, 2- 1000 watt solar panels, and 5000 watt convertor generator is a onan cummins diesel 7.5 kw runs both a/c and everything else. this why i told you to purchase a transfer tank in the back of your truck, . i know its more weight , but you can boondock longer?
Jumper cables from your running truck will recharge your house battery or operate you leveling system when your in a jam. LEARN THE CORRECT WAY TO JUMP BATTERYS. No tow truck needed
We were out there last year inJanuary with our 1970 Holiday Rambler and did nothing but boondock for weeks at a time with 2 lead acid batteries and a generator because we needed it. We realized the need for solar to stay longer stays. We added solar this past Summer and ir really made a big difference.
🙈 In our 1984 Itasca 28ft Winnebago motorhome we learned the hard way with boon-docking....... If your RV fuel tank is less than half tank of gas ⛽........ Your generator will NOT 🚫 run as a safety precaution!! Lol 😂 #davesandersstepdaughter
The one thing I get concerned about being in nowhere ville like you are now is the lack of medical emergency. Maybe not lack, maybe proximity to emergency medical services concerns me. As former paramedic/ER nurse you guys have much of those concerns handled. Either way we I am looking forward to RV days.
One thing we have done if you need to slightly lower/raise the front of your trailer without unhitching it to put leveling blocks under the front or rear wheels of the tow vehicle. We can normally get it pretty level if we just need an inch or two.
Just FYI if your ever boondocking like that again just back the truck as close as you can connect the 7way pin and you wont have any issues raising the RV up due to battery. we've had to do that several times before :)
They make trailer plug extension cords so you can recharge your trailer from 12 feet away. They are handy to have
Or, instead of photo. Just put your lic plate numbers in Evernote. And all your other misc notes and stuff and journals. Then you easily search it in second. Bomb.
That's mostly all I do Boondocking
Born and raised in the southwest desert Boy Scout camped my youth by cacti and mesquite campfires.
Has it’s charm but the forest and streams are my idea of “the great outdoors “ (sucks teeth and spits a muddy blob😂)
Couldn’t you have backed up and hooked your power to your truck to raise the 5th wheel before hitching?
Same model rig as you, 2020 with residential fridge. We went a year with two 100ah lithium batteries and no solar. Overnight, whether boondock or Harvest Host, was a breeze and didn't have to worry about low batteries. I did have a Harbor Freight Predator generator in the bed of my truck "just in case", but seldom needed it.
Now we have six 100ah lithium and 1,320 watts of solar and 3,000 inverter all installed by The Dry Campers and we almost never need hookups.
A question totally unrelated to the video. Do y'all still work as nurses? If so, do you plan your travels accordingly? How long do y'all stay at one place and work? Thanks. I can't wait till Thrusdays for the new video. Keep the sunny side up and the greasy side down.
I’m here to tell you the Denali highway I’m Alaska is WAY WORSE!!!! Looking forward to you coming to see Alaska!
One of the reasons for the washboard roads is because of those drivers that speed down them! If everyone took their time, it wouldn’t be that bad. We know that because of the 10 miles of dirt road we have to traverse at 3-5 mph MAX (!) to get to our favorite lakeside campsites.
Also we are really enjoying your boondocking videos. That’s the way we camp! We have only stayed in a campground 4 times in 18+ years! Have been loving watching your trip with good friends!
Looks like a cool place to go it’s a long way from Miami Florida good thing D has 4 wheel drive I have a Z71 as well good luck you guys
Almost to our neck of the woods down in Sierra Vista! You'll love it there...Bisbee, Tombstone, Ramsey and Carr Canyons, the Coronado Monument...Fort Huachuca...
The best way to deal with washboard is going faster...way smoother.
I have the dually version of your truck and you can switch to 4 hi while moving. Love the videos!
I don't like heat so I am nervous about NOT having air conditioning. I can do without a lot, but I cannot sleep in heat and no sleep makes a very grumpy human.
Plug the camper in to the truck when running the jacks it will add power to your battery’s
I read, on an Alaskan channel, to go 40 mph on washboard roads. Supposedly, it won't be as hard on you or your rig? If there is a heave, that doesn't apply! My husband and I will find out in a couple weeks. We leave for Alaska May 10th, from Indiana.
I kept yelling at you to just hook your power cord and turn your truck on and your truck battery will give you enough juice to move your jacks.
Here's a bit of a story, in 1979 me and My girl friend went on a camping trip before starting college and went to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and on the way back from the North Rim to the camp ground a radiator hose blew on my 1974 Pinto, we made it to the camp ground and there was a gas station fairly close up there in the Kaibab forest but he only had part's for large V8 vehicles so we had to call a garage ànd have the part driven up to us. We were 56 Miles away from the garage location so our $6.00 part cost us a additional $56.00 for the driver to bring the part up to us since they wanted $0.50¢ per mile and in 1979 that was a pretty good chunk of change.
It depends on WHERE in Alaska. The more rural, the more likely you'll be on rough roads. I drove to Alaska from NC about a decade ago; Yukon Territory roads can be rough, and there's a lot of road work in the warm months. For the first few dozen miles back in the U.S. (i.e. Eastern Alaska) the roads were golden. But, yeah, four, or so, hours north of Fairbanks and I was changing a flat tire after a rock sliced it open. But, ultimately, it was just like any other flat tire anywhere else, only there was no one to call. But, a fellow traveler stopped and helped. Y'all just go, live, and have fun. The worst road I ever traveled was in Montana, second worst was in Alabama -- they can be anywhere.
Plug the ole truck in while you jack, you can get close enough...thatll give you some juice.
Hey Arizona my home state. Lol. Gotta love wash boards roads
Hey Y'all, looks like you're having fun, good job avoiding the soft sand. I liked and subscribed, but need my money for our own camping adventures. We converted a shuttle bus, and you know about diesel prices. We average about 12 mpg...
As someone that grew up camping in the southern California desert, you kids did a swell job! Quick tip for soft sand, air down those tires for a larger footprint, and a softer ride!! Enjoy The Thing, it's a definite roadside attraction must stop.
In 1969 the Alcon Hyway in Alaska managed to break or shatter every window we had on the travel trailer by the time we were off of it , which was days of traveling. Largely ppl passing us fast throwing rock/ large gravel at our rig.
My parents opened the champagne when we reached the end of it! I was 11 yrs old😀👍🏼
Question, why don't you back your truck very close to your camper so you can hookup your trailer cable. Once you've done that (with truck running) power for your jacks won't be an issue. I did that with our fifth wheel and TT many times.
Good Morning from Michigan 🦋 my hubby enjoys your videos 😂😂
Great video…beautiful country to boondock. I think if I were to boondock I would definitely prefer to do it in a group….thanks for this invaluable advice….. Lisa ( The Wingman’s wife)😊
Love your episodes and enjoy your experiences!! Happy travels!!❤
When raising and lowering the the landing gear when your boondocking or when the power is out with the necessity to reserve power attach your rig to the truck while idling, this way you have paralleled with the truck and have more power to work with
Spent the entire winter boon docking at Quartzsite with a 150 watt solar setup, a generator, a macerator, blue boy, 60 gallon water bag and a little pump that hooks up to our cordless drill. Never moved our camper the entire time. Still learning, but it's a great retirement plan. First Minnesota - free winter! Boon docking all the way!
Winter basically forgot to show up in MN this year😂🤦♀️
Thinking next winter I will be down south like you all since unusual weather is the norm up here we’re in for it next winter 🤦♀️😂😂
I’m trying it a little more lately free is great. It offsets the ridicules grocery store prices
Hey~ We are full-timers too. We are volunteers here in Arizona for Bureau of Land Management. BLM really has some sweet Site Host volunteer positions here, with great amenities.
You guys are too funny!!
Love your videos ❤
I'm surprised you guys dont place a sheet of plywood under the orange level pieces. I have those same orange level blocks. I was thinking putting a sheet of plywood under it just to hold those blocks from digging down in the ground.
This is my dream I’m on a fixed income but I’m going to do this one day!!
We are new, but looking forward to some boondocking
Wish i would have found your channel sooner, my wife and i have 46 acres in Bowie behind Dwayne's Jerky/Mountain View RV park. You actually drove right by our property when you went past the pistachio orchard. Its nice to see our corner of the world on YT. We call Bowie "Radiator Springs" like the one from the animated movie Cars because it really is the town that time forgot when the big highway was put in that bypassed the town.
How cool! Thank you for sharing!
We love you guys... we can't wait to be full time RVing like y'all. 😁
Take spare tires with you going to Alaska!!
You might think of getting a simple portable 100-200W solar panel for the days you are boondocking. They take up a bit of storage room but they are pretty economical and easy to use. Keep up the good videos.
Yes I want to boondocks but I use a fan during the night… can i do it without solar or battleborn batteries
stayed hooked, block the trailer tires....
There tends to be a speed on dirt roads where you skim over the bumps. I find that 25-30 tends to be much smoother than 10 MPH.
That's interesting you say this! We have heard similar things from other people as well. Thank you so much for sharing! - Kyle and Renee
Back up to the trailer, and plug in your pigtail
On my way! I can’t wait til I don’t know todays date.
Dry camping is hard at first it gets easier