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Whats the truth? What % of nights spent where?

SDcampowneroper
Explorer
Explorer
We all often read posts disparaging or encouraging public, private, boony or wally docking.

Whats the truth with you? What % of nights in your rig do you use what as travelers, not long term residents in one place.
For us it is about 1/2 private, 1/4 public camps, boondock dry on federal land most of the the other 1/4, an occasional night in fair weather for a sleepover stop on a business lot.
For the purpose of this thread, leave out financial reasons for your choices , focus on what other reasons you have for your travels.
See you soon on the road,
Max
45 REPLIES 45

magnusfide
Explorer II
Explorer II
Our choices are based on the goal of the trip. When visiting the sights of an area we'll choose a cg based upon proximity and length of stay. En route/one nighters are that only.

Not sure you why want the info.
"The only time you should fear cast iron is if your wife is fixin' to hit you with it."-Kent Rollins
First law of science: don't spit into the wind.

Magnus

Ivylog
Explorer III
Explorer III
As a snowbird in SE Fla... 98% Private Resort where we own the lot.
In the summer out West 5-6 days/week boondocking and 1 day resupplying at private CG and one night Wally Word/airport/truck stop/rest area if moving more than 500 miles.
This post is my opinion (free advice). It is not intended to influence anyone's judgment nor do I advocate anyone do what I propose.
Sold 04 Dynasty to our son after 14 great years.
Upgraded with a 08 HR Navigator 45’...

skipnchar
Explorer
Explorer
50% of our camping has always been boondocking (not to be confused with camping in a parking lot as that's not camping.
0% of our time is spent in parking lots
About 30% of time is spent in public campgrounds (not to be confused with RV parks)
The last 20% is spent in RV parking lots, almost all of it either a quick overnight stop or long term for out winter snowbird trips. About half of our snowbird trips to south Texas have been spent boondocking on the beach or a select few beach front RV parks.

Prior to DWs untimely death, we spent about 8 months out of the year i the RV and since that day it's more like 30 days a year.
2011 F-150 HD Ecoboost 3.5 V6. 2550 payload, 17,100 GCVWR -
2004 F-150 HD (Traded after 80,000 towing miles)
2007 Rockwood 8314SS 34' travel trailer

US Govt survey shows three out of four people make up 75% of the total population

PawPaw_n_Gram
Explorer
Explorer
jauguston wrote:
95% State Park non-hookup sites. 90% of those the same place.


You must be like my dad.

He started us camping in 1965 at a COE park on a lake in Arkansas. It was 69 before we got a tent. Slept in lawn chairs or the boat before that. From 1965-1970 we averaged 50-60 weekend nights and one week long vacation on that lake in the same CG.

He bought a popup in 79, a TT in 84 as he retired.

His last year camping before Mom's health forced an end was 186 days in that CG in 1993 - though at a W/E site because they all were W/E by then.

Over that time - he likely spent less than 30 nights total in another CG anywhere out of what I have to estimate as near 2,000 nights camping.
Full-Time 2014 - ????

“Not all who wander are lost.”
"You were supposed to turn back at the last street."

2012 Ram 2500 Mega Cab
2014 Flagstaff 832IKBS TT

randy328
Explorer
Explorer
Since I use the TH for race weekends hauling bikes, this year I did 96% at racetracks across Texas, 2% at a local lake teaching a scuba class and 2% at a rest-stop (once, too tired to drive any further). 46 nights total.
KZ MXT2920, Ford F250 4dr long bed
Bunch of Motorcycles - Track Instruction and Race
German Shepherd "Qorkey"

vermilye
Explorer
Explorer
No parking lots or Walmarts, but a mix of city, county, state & national parks, COE, and commercial parks. I have a spreadsheet of campgrounds for a 2012 138 day trip. This year, my first snow birding experience, I'm spending more time in state parks...

4runnerguy
Explorer
Explorer
NFS, NPS, SP, BLM etc. CG's: 85%
Boondocking on NFS or BLM lands: 15%
I think we've stayed at a private CG three days in the last 25 years together, only because there were no other options in the area. Never camped in a parking lot anywhere.

We'd boondock more, but it's getting harder to find good places to do so. So many of our favorite boondocking spots are now know by too many people and there's little privacy. And in some places, like Moab, they've closed huge areas to boondocking. Not that I don't understand their decisions. In the deserts around Utah, the wind blows the sand and uncovers "evidence" from someone else's "visit".
Ken & Allison
2 Camping Cats (1 diabetic)
1996 4Runner, TRD Supercharger, Edelbrock headers
2007 Fleetwood Arcadia, Honda EU2000i
4 mountain bikes, 1 canoe, 4 tents, 8 sleeping bags, 2 backpacks
(You get the idea!)

wbwood
Explorer
Explorer
Easy for us. We stay in places with some sort of hookups. At least w/e. We dry camped on the blue ridge parkway one weekend.
Brian
2013 Thor Chateau 31L

Atlee
Explorer II
Explorer II
I have no clue, but up until now, we've spent more time staying in Wally Worlds &/or Pilot or Flying J's or boondocking in open fields for football weekends.

Beginning in a couple of months, weather permitting, we will be spending a lot of nights in private camp grounds.

We're going across the country. During those times when we are driving between destinations we'll stay in Wally Worlds or similar. When we're at our destinations we'll stay at private camp grounds.
Erroll, Mary
2021 Coachmen Freedom Express 20SE
2014 F150 Supercab 4x4 w/ 8' box, Ecoboost & HD Pkg
Equal-i-zer Hitch

doxiemom11
Explorer II
Explorer II
75% at a workamper FHU site
5% at a relatives
20% private park, COE or forestry park

In almost 3 years - 1 night at a Walmart parking lot when the shutdown occurred and all parks we planned on staying in were closed.

jamarynn1
Explorer
Explorer
FHU for us. My idea of boondocking is to stay somewhere there is no sewer hookup.

fatmanobx
Explorer
Explorer
99% boondock
1% state, fed, coe
2011 Lance 855
3.5# Minpin named Darcy RIP
Ford F250 Super Duty

jauguston
Explorer
Explorer
95% State Park non-hookup sites. 90% of those the same place.
2005 Coachman Sportscoach Elite 402 40'
350hp Cat C-7 w/MP-8
7500w Onan quiet diesel generator
6-Kyocera 130w solar panels SB3024i MPPT controller
Pressure Pro TPMS
1987 Suzuki Samurai tintop Toad w/VW 1.6 turbo diesel power

Matt_Colie
Explorer II
Explorer II
We are going to throw your sample way off.....
But, we are travelers, not campers.

50% Flatspoting at Cabela's, Walmart or someplace along the way.
44% Was at rallies or special events
6% Was in paid-for regular campgrounds with WE or FHU.

Our coach is compact and very self-contained. We only need to locate a dump and potable water about every fourth or fifth day. And that is not all that difficult. We carry wire with us and it is usually better than any CGWifi.

Of 66 overnights in the coach last year, there were only four nights in a paid-for campground. We did buy three nights, one because DW wanted a long shower to wash here hair and the other two were in bicycle range of a major attractions that we wanted to spend some time enjoying. Other than that, there was one free night at a 0HU on the Natchez Trace, and any other overnight was either at at rally, an event or at a flatspot that we located often that same day (most of the time).

I went back though my logs and corrected just a little and decided to add the top paragraph in % format for the Max.

Matt
Matt & Mary Colie
A sailor, his bride and their black dogs (one dear dog is waiting for us at the bridge) going to see some dry places that have Geocaches in a coach made the year we married.

punomatic
Explorer
Explorer
michigansandzilla wrote:
Roughly 50% private and 50% state park/county parks.

We've never dry camped or boon docked anywhere.

X2 We once boondocked on an RV dealer's lot for one night when the brakes went out on our MH as we were passing the dealership. Next day the rig was towed to a repair shop, where we boondocked another night on their lot. The third night we went to a motel.
DW and Me
2016 Riverside White Water Retro 195
2014 Nissan Titan SL Crew Cab
Formerly, I used to work for the department of redundancy department.


Life in Black and Blue