The biggest problem with boondocking is . . . .

[profdant139]

that it spoils you for any other kind of RV camping. And unforunately, boondocking is not always (or even often) available.

We just spent several days at a very nice campground (Palomar Mountain State Park), east of Oceanside, Calif. We were the only people in the whole area for three nights -- absolutely silent. (The fourth night was a Friday, and the campground was half-full and not silent.) The camping was very pleasant -- about 5000 feet in elevation, cool days, cold nights, plenty of shade, nice hiking, good stars at night, etc.

But it was not boondocking. There was pavement underneath the trailer. There was a bathroom and water and trash cans. Although the trip was very relaxing, it did not satisfy that deep urge to get into the back-country, far from everything. So beware -- once you start boondocking, everything else seems a little tame. (My guess is that a wilderness backpacker would find that RV camping in a national forest is also "too tame," but backpacking would be too rugged for me.)

[jamway]

WishWeWereCamping wrote:
For us it's the people who park right next to you and run their generators to make a cup of coffee early in the morning, or late at night to warm something up in the microwave. And then there are the domestic disputes with people screaming at each other at 1 AM. When you boondock, you shouldn't have to use a generator. That's what propane or a fire is for. We never camp anywhere hot, so no A/C is needed.

I'm not completely anti-generator, we have two of them and use them when our power goes out at home to keep the refrigerator and freezer cold. I hate listening to them even when they're outside the house. Even the Honda genny gets on my nerves.

I don't feel like we are boondocking if we can hear another camper's generator.

[WishWeWereCampi]

For us it's the people who park right next to you and run their generators to make a cup of coffee early in the morning, or late at night to warm something up in the microwave. And then there are the domestic disputes with people screaming at each other at 1 AM. When you boondock, you shouldn't have to use a generator. That's what propane or a fire is for. We never camp anywhere hot, so no A/C is needed.

I'm not completely anti-generator, we have two of them and use them when our power goes out at home to keep the refrigerator and freezer cold. I hate listening to them even when they're outside the house. Even the Honda genny gets on my nerves.

[_DJ_1]

NinerBikes wrote:

~DJ~ wrote:
I agree with many here. To be Boondocking you must be in the Boondocks i.e. rough, remote or isolated country. Anything else is just dry camping.

I camp solo most of the time and most of the time it is in the Boondocks. I did stay in an RV Park recently. It was in Lone Pine CA on my way home from Death Valley. I needed a place with full hookups to re-winterize my TC before heading back to the frozen North.

I pulled in and saw that it was full of monster MH's and 5'ers. No way are they going to let my ugly duckling in here!!! But they did, no problem. The problem was coughing up THIRTY SIX DOLLARS for ONE night!!! But I did use my electric heater and their electricity for heat vs my propane so I felt a LITTLE better!!

If this was the only style of "camping" then I would give it up. I wouldn't call it tame. I would call it lame!! :B

Next time, do a search west of 395 and find where the western movies were all made, on BLM land.

Yeah, I drove through Alabama Hills. I swore I saw the rocks Audie Murphy and John Wayne shot the bad guys from!! :C

But like I said, I needed full hookups to re-winterize my camper before going home.

[Gjac]

JiminDenver wrote:
100/50/50 would be wonderful.

It sure would. I have not been able to find one yet in a short Class A. All the 40 ft DP's do and even some old 35 ft Bounders that I have seen. But to me a small A or a truck Camper is better for getting into more remote areas but the truck campers have even smaller tanks.

[NinerBikes]

~DJ~ wrote:
I agree with many here. To be Boondocking you must be in the Boondocks i.e. rough, remote or isolated country. Anything else is just dry camping.

I camp solo most of the time and most of the time it is in the Boondocks. I did stay in an RV Park recently. It was in Lone Pine CA on my way home from Death Valley. I needed a place with full hookups to re-winterize my TC before heading back to the frozen North.

I pulled in and saw that it was full of monster MH's and 5'ers. No way are they going to let my ugly duckling in here!!! But they did, no problem. The problem was coughing up THIRTY SIX DOLLARS for ONE night!!! But I did use my electric heater and their electricity for heat vs my propane so I felt a LITTLE better!!

If this was the only style of "camping" then I would give it up. I wouldn't call it tame. I would call it lame!! :B

Next time, do a search west of 395 and find where the western movies were all made, on BLM land.

[wbwood]

You guys out west have it made with the BLM. So much more places to be able to boondock. Around here, "boondocking" includes a site number, just no hookups....lol

[Unyalli]

I must agree fresh water is the biggest problem with "true" boondocking also black tank capacity. If your boondocking, really boondocking generator noise is not an issue or grey water.

Let's say I was boondocking tent style. What would I do with the pan of soapy water I just washed my dishes in or shaved with? Toss it. :E

-Jeff

[BoonHauler]

I'm using gray water to flush the toilet. I went after the biggest tanks I could fit in!

[JiminDenver]

100/50/50 would be wonderful.

[Gjac]

The biggest problem for me is water. I would like to find a small Class A with a 100 gal FW tank which I can't. I am OK if I camp near lakes or streams for two weeks but at the beach or in the desert areas for more than a week or two 100 gals would be nice.

[SRT]

donandmax wrote:

Tiger4x4RV wrote:
If I could find a level paved spot in the wilderness, that would be great! And a campground almost to myself, also great. It's the campgrounds with people behaving badly (walking thru my site when only a few out of 50 sites are occupied, noise, campfire smoke blowing my way, etc.) that make me want to leave.

X 2 on that campfire smoke...WOW...

X3 on that campfire smoke. A number of years ago we were at the COE Federal Dam in Minnesota. That evening there were so many smokey campfires the lower areas were "socked in."

[donandmax]

Tiger4x4RV wrote:
If I could find a level paved spot in the wilderness, that would be great! And a campground almost to myself, also great. It's the campgrounds with people behaving badly (walking thru my site when only a few out of 50 sites are occupied, noise, campfire smoke blowing my way, etc.) that make me want to leave.

X 2 on that campfire smoke...WOW...

[JiminDenver]

There is something bad about boondocking?

It can get boring out in the middle of no where at times but that's trivial compared to compared to being squeezed into a CG spot, listen to generators, dogs, kids and drunks. Unless it is so hot we need electric for the AC all day long, a campground has nothing to offer that we need. The time limit in the areas we camp in is two weeks and we are set up to go three if needed. AC is rarely needed so poof goes the campgrounds advantage.

So I'd have to say the only downside to boondocking is waking every morning wishing I was having coffee in my lawn chair deep in the woods or on a ridge over looking several mountain ranges and listening to the morning song birds that at times get so loud I am amazed people can sleep though it.

Now that's heaven.

[pnichols]

Dan (the OP),

Back to your original question:

We boondock camp (...drycamping far enough away from civilization so we can run our generator anytime we want w/o bothering anyone) in a small Class C motorhome with rear duallies. Our biggest fear is getting a rear tire flat out in the middle of nowhere and having to change the tire ourselves because either we can't get out with our cell phones or we can get out but ERS won't come out there. We have all the equipment along to do it, but hope we never have to.

[Lowsuv]

We probably don't really boondock camp .
We camp for free in " dispersed camping " areas with friends and family .
We never camp by ourselves any more .
Our adult kids and many friends live in the more populated part of the state on the west side of the mighty Cascade Mountain Range .
We converge in the Cascades mostly but the Ochoco National Forest is a favorite spot .
We hate crowds except the crowd of old friends that meet together around the campfire .
Oregon has some of the best State campgrounds in the nation .
We only use them in the winter . Low traffic and a reduced rate .
The majority on this forum are trying to trade up in length .
The joy of camping for us is the time spent outside .
The trailer is a container to get our junk to the campsite and a place to retreat to when the "Survivor " type foul weather comes .
Our favorite camping is definitely "Boondock Style " .