The Advantages and Disadvantages of Dry Camping

One of the meaningful advantages of RV travel is that all it takes to technically start camping is to throw the motorhome or tow means into Park. With most vehicles being highly self-sufficient – already away from the strength grid and water hookups of your average campground – any stretch of land can become an impromptu campsite for the night. A secluded identify next to a stream. An empty field or a deserted parking lot. Yes, already Aunt Ednas driveway, if youre so inclined.

Such features as an onboard generator and/or inverter, LP tank(s), fresh water supply, and holding tanks make such a reality possible. That is, assuming you know what youre doing. Surely, the temptation to dry camp or boondock, where travelers camp in one way or another away from standard campsites and hookups, appeals to the gypsy spirit in many of us at some point and time. And there are other reasons, too.

Me, Myself, and I
A sense of community is always nice, but sometimes being thrown into the mix at the local campground isnt exactly what youre looking for. Larger campgrounds may expand to thousands of campers on a busy weekend; poorly laid out parks stack RVs one right on top of each other. Where did all these people come from? While no one can deny the benefits of complete hookups, hot showers, game room, and mini-mart, frankly, established campgrounds are not for everybody. already the five-star RV resorts that do everything from back in your RV to massage your feet might sometimes miss the point. You want to get away from it all, and that method blazing your own trail. Setting up the travel trailer at the secluded fishing hole. Maneuvering the motorhome by the deepest reaches of the thick forest until you find the perfect identify. Ah, now thats more like it. No sounds of idling diesels next-door, no kids playing Frisbee by your campsite. Just you, your crew, and character. Isnt this the way it was supposed to be?

Location, Location, Location
An RV trip isnt always to popular destinations, where campsites are abundant. Some folks, who take the second-home concept seriously, choose to set up their rig for an extended stay in a place where an established campground might not be found. For example, that fold-down camper of yours might work admirably in grandmas backyard during your lengthy visit. Best of all, the grandkids are nice and close. Or perhaps its the part-time job thats got you working at the Christmas tree lot, volunteering at that State Park, or selling your wares at a regional art show that requires on-site living sans hookups? Patients families have been known to camp out at the hospital, in order to be close to a loved one during a time of crisis. Furthermore, those whose hobbies take them far off the highways – such as motor sports enthusiasts, rock climbers, or boaters – often wont find better nightly accommodations than their RVs. Different situations call for different accommodations, and your RV is ready for any of it.

Drastic Times Call for…
The associate was absolutely dumbfounded by the no vacancy signs up and down Pennsylvanias Interstate-80. They looked everywhere, by the end of the night just hoping for any campsite, anywhere. Unfortunately, it was fall vegetation season and every single place was booked. Sound familiar? Its getting late and everyones depleted? Somebody forgot to make the reservations and things are looking a little grim. Any RV maverick who heads for a chief tourist identify in-season knows complete well how quickly campgrounds can fill up, often forcing a decision of where to beach the rig for the night. Truth is, sometimes boondocking is a necessity – already if you dont particularly like the idea of bunking down in a Wal-Mart parking lot or deserted field. If youre not going to be a stickler about making reservations, its best to work out dry camping skills in improvement – before you have to use them.

Money Woes
Compared to already a moderately priced motel, most RV parks, campgrounds – already plush RV resorts – are terrific deals. A night spent at a state or national park is cheaper nevertheless, bolstered by the kinds of bedazzling views one wont find just any old place. However, there are those of the RVing sect who say hooey to the whole concept of paying to camp. After all, they already ponied up $100,000 for the motorhome, which is the premier complete-time camping machine. By their thinking, every night spent parked in the woods or at a friends house or catching zzzs at the truck stop is money in the bank. Of course, campground owners dont much like this free-wheelin philosophy, but you cant beat the price of a night of dry camping.

The Can-Do Spirit
Many RVers started as tent campers, so were used to the idea of roughin it. And just because we made the transformation from soggy sleeping bag to comfy digs doesnt average we no longer embrace – or at the minimum pine for – the pioneering spirit. Many of us nevertheless cuddle our inner explorer and we get a thunderous sense of pride from camping out where few motorhome tires have tread before. Were talking about a identify so rustic that not already the pricey satellite dish works. Generating your own strength, carrying your own water, feasting on fresh trout or a pantry complete of canned goods is a sure-fire way to restore ones swagger – in spite of if its in a $5,000 truck camper or $500,000 diesel-pusher. Free camping can be found throughout many of the million acres governed of the Bureau of Land Management and National Wildlife Refugees.

Before You Go…
However, contrary to popular belief, the world is not your oyster. One cannot simply park their means anywhere they please and throw out the welcome mat. There are laws to consider, etiquette to follow, and safety concerns to factor. Furthermore, different RVs offer different capabilities as far as boondocking is concerned. Many smaller towables without the ability to generate their own strength, lacking an onboard generator, inverter, or already solar strength applications. Smaller fresh water tanks will limit the duration of the trip – and length of shower, for that matter – of any off-roading adventure. Is your RV up to the challenge? Are you? Heres a few things to consider before camping without a net.

Safety First
The problem with camping in Parts Unknown is just that – you just dont know. Is it safe or not? While every campground isnt necessarily Fort Knox, the reputable ones are well-lit, fenced-in, and offer the safety-in-numbers reassurance you wont get bunking at the truck stop or deepest, darkest woods. For me, every break of a tree branch sends me into a thorough, paranoid panic when parked in isolation. For others, its all part of the natural experience. nevertheless, one must never compromise the safety factor. If its just a matter of spending the night before moving on in the morning, gravitate towards spots that are well-lit, fairly busy, and ideally located near the communal bond of another RV or two. Parked under a streetlight might not make for the best nights sleep youve ever had, but it does provide some assurances of safety. additionally, make sure doors and windows are locked, possession brought inside for the night, and you know where the keys are in the case of a much-needed quick getaway. That, and a Louisville Slugger in case things ever get, ahem, interesting.

Legal Matters
While Wal-Mart has made it well-known how much they just love harboring RVers for the night, many possible landlords arent so giving. Nor are some towns, which feel squatters may not be the best thing for the community – or the local businesses that profit from overnight guests. The fact is the land youre looking to camp on – be it in the back of a mall lot or next to a woodland stream – belongs to somebody. And that somebody probably isnt you. At the very least, one should always try to get the owners okay before activating the slide-out and sending up the TV antennae for the big game. Otherwise, that tapping you hear on the side of the window at 4 a.m. might just be Officer Friendly looking to point you back on the highway. As a rule of etiquette, its always nice to sustain a business that has allowed you to camp over for the night.

Is Your Rig Worthy?
The axiom is painful however true: The smaller the RV, the less stuff its got. Smaller fresh water tanks average less aqua for drinking and washing, while tiny holding tanks dictate fewer days spent in the wild before needing to purge. Keep this in mind before scheduling a two-week odyssey far away from civilization. As we mentioned, your means may or may not have method to create electricity onboard, forcing owners to invest in a portable generator or inverter to do the work. On the flip side, a smaller unit is better when it comes to maneuvering you and your crew to more reclusive places. A camper van or truck camper is a superior off-road machine, capable of squeezing by the tight passages that a 40 motorhome or 60 worth of trailer and tow means can only dream about. In short, dont write checks your RV cant cash. Know and respect your RVs limits, and plan consequently. additionally, what is the condition of the RV? Is everything working okay? Better be sure before you find yourself 20 miles away from a paved road with a flat tire or a dead battery. As you would before any trip, fully inspect the unit and stay on top of any preventative maintenance and routine service.

Ready, Set, Camp
already if you never intend to use one single, lone moment camping away from complete hookups and the predictable fun of a campground, its nevertheless a good idea to at the minimum know how what your RV is capable of – just in case. The best advice is to test your dry-camping skills in a safe ecosystem. The smartest way is to get a no-hookup campsite (or get complete hookups and dont use them the first night or two) to see how you do. Or just try things out in the driveway. Youll learn all-too-quickly you and your RVs learning curve. How fast does your family go by water? How much LP do you need for a weekend or more? How adept are you at cooking over a campfire if the LP gas runs out? How much can your generator manager at one time – or how good are you at conserving electricity? Ah, yes, conservation, the backbone of the dry camping experience. Heres some ways to get the most out of less.

Restore strength
If you run out of electricity, you run out of a lot. Fortunately, there are ways to keep that from happening, namely by the use of a generator or inverter to keep the batteries surging. Portable models arent cheap, but are obtainable to prolong your stays in the great outdoors. Otherwise, youll need to adopt a highly disciplined approach to squeeze every bit of juice out of your batteries. Turn off all unnecessary lights and appliances when not in use. A few guilty parities are the water pump, electric step, or exterior lights, which all subtly eat up the amps. Forgo the blow dryer and air conditioner, which are big electricity-users. Park in the shade, on hot days, to keep the refrigerator from overworking, but nevertheless keeping things cool onboard. Dont keep playing with the slide-outs or use the whole afternoon watching TV. Keep an eye on that monitor panel. You dont want the batteries to drain to zero. Remember: In a pinch, a decent-length excursion can slightly recharge your coach battery when readings begin to wane.

Water World
Not everyone has a 100-gallon water tank. For everyone who doesnt, its time to conserve, considering that water is basic for cooking, cleaning, and hydrating the crew. How else are you going to make Kool-Aid? Thankfully, fresh water is pretty easy to continue and re-supply if you should run out (Quick Mart, anyone?) nevertheless, shorter showers (remember the in-and-out style of the Navy shower) and minimizing hand washing (use hand sanitizers when possible) should continue water levels. Dont leave the water on when brushing teeth or washing dishes, either. If there are facilities nearby for showering and such, use them. And just think – the less water you use, the less goes into the holding tanks. Its a win-win. A final thought: Just because no one may be able to see you doesnt give you the right to dump the tanks during your boondocking adventures. Were on our best behavior, right? Fifty gallons worth of spewing gray and black water is no way to repay someone for using his or her character.

Pro-Propane
LP gas is a pretty hardy resource, meaning its tough to run out if you have any decent-size tanks. However, our conservative approach should nevertheless be employed here in addition. The best way to stretch the propane supply is to cook outdoors. A campfire is nevertheless the most fun and flavorful way to prepare a meal, a method that simply cant be replicated in the RVs oven no matter how you try. Snuffing out pilot lights when not in use will stretch your supply already further. Otherwise, go easy on the furnace and water heater.

Provisions
Overloading the RV is a bad thing. Running out of Mac N Cheese 30 miles from the nearest town isnt too good, either. Dry-campers must walk the line between loading up and overloading, which is hopefully something that comes with experience. Spare canned goods, firewood, and portable cooking devices can go a long way when roughin it – provided they dont tilt your means into the overweight condition. If boondocking plans simply call for a night here and a night there, you probably wont run out of food or supplies. However, if the campout is of the epic variety, be realistic about how much of everything you might need and how easy it will be to get more. Bring additional food and water, if need be, since a hungry group quickly falls into mutiny mode. A few other possible items to include: portable grill/cooking grate, charcoal, fishing poles and tackle box, additional blankets, alkaline batteries, cell phone, first aid kit, tool kits, hatchet/saw, manual can opener, cooking tools, and bug spray. And dont head into the woods with the fuel tank on E. Chances are your generator will munch on some of the fuel and dry camping is no time to run out of gas.