What is boondocking and dry camping?

[Mello_Mike]

This subject is often brought up so I thought we'd put our collective heads together for the sake of newbies and others who are curious what these terms mean. This will be posted as a permanent thread at the top of this forum.

Dry Camping: Means no utility hook ups such as water, electricity, sewer, cable TV or telephone and may or may not require a fee. Can either be in a city, state, or federal campground, a sporting venue or a parking lot.

Overnighting: Stopping at a Rest Stop, Flying J's or WALMART overnight to catch a few winks.

Boondocking: Means wilderness or primitive camping out in the "boondocks." Natural beauty with little or no (noisy) neighbors. This type of camping (usually in Public Lands like State, BLM, and National Forests) is usually FREE. Just find a place and park.

Finally, you always dry camp when you boondock, but you don't always boondock when you dry camp.

[rob-bill]

You should always ask the store Manager before spending the night at Wal-Mart or
Flying J or at any other store's parking lot & don't put down levelers or put out slid-outs most stores will have a certain area of the parking lot that they want overnighters to park. Our routine @ Wal-Mart is to park our Rv go into the store find the Night Manager ask if we can park for the night He of She will tell us where they want us to park its always better to ask & to buy supplys while in the store. If the store has McD's we will eat breakfast there the next morning & remember not to leave a mess & no getting out the BBQ or lawn chairs

[rob-bill]

mdsd77 wrote:
now this is an interesting and informing topic, bein g a newbie still, are you saying that Wmart and fy J you can just pull in and get some shuteye, with no problem from the security people?

and this is ok by them??

also while traveling from say Mt rushmore to yellowstone, we could just pull of the hwy and stop and sleep ( as long as we are off road?)

thanks for your input...MD
27 ft itasca class A

[rob-bill]

mdsd77 wrote:
now this is an interesting and informing topic, bein g a newbie still, are you saying that Wmart and fy J you can just pull in and get some shuteye, with no problem from the security people?

and this is ok by them??

also while traveling from say Mt rushmore to yellowstone, we could just pull of the hwy and stop and sleep ( as long as we are off road?)

thanks for your input...MD
27 ft itasca class A

[B_W_M]

Why when some says somthing about somthing that there is always some one that has to make a sonty remarks?

[Off_Pavement]

chuckster11 wrote:

If you want to take your half million dollar house down a wash board road, knowing full well that these things shake loose before they fail completely, have fun. There are no motorhomes that are suitable for dry/boondocking a long way off the pavement in my opinion and there probably aren't many newer TTs or fivers that won't suffer consequences from the hard knocks.
The minute the pavement ends you probably need to rethink camping in a modern rv with sophisticated electrical, hydraulic, or water systems.

Chuckster11 has got an excellent point. For those wishing to get away, you are asking for trouble mechanically, and physically. We got our 36' DP buried in sand near Moab Utah once, but dang... it didn't cure me. Broken spring mounts, flat tires, constant tightening of nuts, bolts, and screws... everywhere, but ya know what? To us, it was worth it. The solitude and unbelieveable camping locations we got to few RVers will get to stay. To us, our RV was a truck first, and if the truck would make it, we'd fix the house as needed. If you do go our route, from personal experience I recommend you don't believe it when your copilot says... "go faster, we're getting stuck"!

[chuckster11]

ground pounder navy wrote:
Greetigs, what type of a motorhome would be good for a dry/boondocking situation considering no finished roads or other refinements. The tag axle units and larger bus units might have problems in rural areas we would want to seek out.
I travelled with a pickup camper south to north and back in June of 66 and had a ball but things have changed but there are still places to go and see. What about a 45 footer diesel pusher with tag axle are they go to go on a limited off road situation? comments please. regards Paul

If you want to take your half million dollar house down a wash board road, knowing full well that these things shake loose before they fail completely, have fun. There are no motorhomes that are suitable for dry/boondocking a long way off the pavement in my opinion and there probably aren't many newer TTs or fivers that won't suffer consequences from the hard knocks.
The minute the pavement ends you probably need to rethink camping in a modern rv with sophisticated electrical, hydraulic, or water systems.

[BCTrucker]

Walmart parking areas = Lot Lounging??

[mkenyon2]

So, how do we know if an area is legal to boondock? (You can obviously dry camp in a campground.)

Any nice boondocking areas in PA?

[mkenyon2]

Mandolin Guy wrote:
Further defining is required: If your wife kicks you out of the house and you're forced to stay in the MH in the driveway, is it dry camping or boondocking?

I'm not married but I was just wondering.

Hmm... she may let you hook up. But I know if I was kicked out, I wouldn't be dry... I'd be swimming in my sorrows.

Thankfully it hasn't happened so far. 🙂

[ground_pounder_]

Mandolin Guy,
The best way to answer you is what a friend of mine did when his wife kicked him out of the house and he went out to the motorhome started it up and drove off. She is still looking for him after 15 years.
Seems the best part of his wife and home was when he saw it in his rear view mirror.
Regards,
Paul

[ground_pounder_]

Greetigs, what type of a motorhome would be good for a dry/boondocking situation considering no finished roads or other refinements. The tag axle units and larger bus units might have problems in rural areas we would want to seek out.
I travelled with a pickup camper south to north and back in June of 66 and had a ball but things have changed but there are still places to go and see. What about a 45 footer diesel pusher with tag axle are they go to go on a limited off road situation? comments please. regards Paul

[Adam_H]

454COR wrote:

Mandolin Guy wrote:
Further defining is required: If your wife kicks you out of the house and you're forced to stay in the MH in the driveway, is it dry camping or boondocking?

I'm not married but I was just wondering.

Maybe extremely dry doghousing;)

Depends if she lets you hook up to the house or not.:B
BTW I am married

Adam

[Dirtclods]

Heres the deal even if it is posted (No over night parking) Not unless they have roving security you can park in most parking lot without any trouble.

[454COR]

Mandolin Guy wrote:
Further defining is required: If your wife kicks you out of the house and you're forced to stay in the MH in the driveway, is it dry camping or boondocking?

I'm not married but I was just wondering.

Maybe extremely dry doghousing;)

[Mandolin_Guy]

Further defining is required: If your wife kicks you out of the house and you're forced to stay in the MH in the driveway, is it dry camping or boondocking?

I'm not married but I was just wondering.