Boondocking with other people around

To the O.P.: If you are going to get off pavement in the southwest it would be a good idea to have 4WD. I could not find that in your original post. Why? Sand. Lots of sand of different consistencies; packed to blow. More and more people are living the winter in the Southwest, steering south away from the cold, so you will have a lot of campers in view with help no matter where you get stuck. I don't know how hard core you are, but having a Safety Seal tire repair kit and a high bucks 12v air compressor and the ability to air down the entire rig will get you through a lot of the soft stuff and will give you the ability to repair a puncture, usually without removing the wheel from the truck or 5th.; unless it's a massive, tire shredding blow out then things get dicey.
jefe