The crowds were not bad and we could have spent days hiking and enjoying the incredible views. It was absolutely amazing and so picturesque. No need to call a divorce attorney just yet! Nature’s entertainmentĪfter a restful night’s sleep, we woke up to amazing views of hoodoos and headed out to explore Bryce Canyon National Park. The main thing was not to get mad, listen to each other, breathe, and take breaks. We learned some things about ourselves that will change the way we look for boondocking spots in the future. We finally found an area that had been recommended to us as being “big rig friendly,” and after about 2 hours of maneuvering, it was time to set up camp.
I wasn’t able to completely avoid the surrounding pine trees-their long, extended branches seemed to reach out just enough to wipe off the dirt on both sides of our rig. As we drove into the forest on the dusty, heavily grooved road, I had to utilize all my driving skills. The area was beautiful, with plenty of room to spread out for all types of RVs. To prepare for this new adventure, we talked to friends, watched YouTube videos, and downloaded apps to help us find potential boondocking locations and prepare for the unexpected. Even though we were in our fourth year of full-time RVing, we had previously only tried boondocking for a few days. Our first boondocking location was near Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, in an area known as Tom’s Best Dispersed Camping. We ordered a new leveling plate, and, since we were already on the road, had it shipped to an RV park we were planning to stop at. We had no idea how it happened, but we went straight into problem-solving mode. In early June, after planning out our basic route, we hit the road-excited, anxious, and ready for our boondocking adventures.Īlmost immediately, we hit a snag: We noticed that one of the leveling plates was missing on our center jacks.
Rv boondocking how to#
We moved from our first home on wheels, a traditional fifth wheel, to a Keystone Fuzion toy hauler with two aspirations: to not overbook ourselves and to learn how to boondock (camping off the grid with no amenities or RV hookups). We planned to approach our travels differently than we had in the past, which often amounted to overbooking and having too many dates and deadlines.
Rv boondocking download#
Download the Bowlus Guide to How to Find the Best of Off-Grid Camping Locations to start planning your first Bowlus adventure.We have been RVing full-time for 4 years, and this year we were extra excited to start our summer travels. So along with being the ultimate guest you can also stay at all those cool out of the way spots that make you crave nature when you have the best RV for boondocking. Want to stay longer than a few weeks? No problem, run an extension cord to a standard household outlet, and you can charge your Bowlus in three to four hours. So when we dig into the Bowlus mantra of “traveling on your terms,” boondocking allows you to happily skip over the Benjamin Franklin idiom that “guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days” because, with a Bowlus, you will be pleasantly escounced in your luxurious home away from home with five-star bedding and well-appointed en-suite making you the perfect guest for friends and family for an extended visit. To learn more, visit the Bureau of Land Management website.
With over 245 million acres of land, you can start by browsing the Public Lands Interpretive Association’s map to discover your hidden gems of the west. Now, to be clear, we’re not talking about overnighting in a Walmart parking lot – nor would we ever recommend that since there are so many unique places to stay like the Bureau of Land Management’s dispersed camping options. So with all this going on, why should it matter that you purchase an RV with excellent boondocking capabilities?īeyond the obvious, that traditional campgrounds just don’t appeal to everyone, boondocking (the ability to camp off-grid far from services and amenities) gives you greater flexibility in how you travel. Wine tastings, private outdoor theatres, and fancy coffee bars are popping up across the country, some with more dispersed campsites as well. With an influx of capital from private equity, campgrounds are being elevated far beyond your usual expectations. They like the idea of pulling into an RV park with all the organization and, more recently, the new “jazzy” extras. Some people think about boondocking and feel it’s not for them. RV Highlight: What does Boondocking Mean & Why Do you Care?