I just posted this in another forum where the OP was asking the difference between a 5th wheel and motorhome for boondocking.
You're asking about 'campgrounds' rather than RV parks, I believe. 'Campgrounds' as in state parks? If so, you would easily be able to take a motorhome to state parks, Corp of Engineers parks, most national parks and out West, a lot of forest service campgrounds. Absolutely no problem if you do you research on the campground. We've done a lot in the eastern and western states at 'campgrounds'.
Someone here just posted that you need a pop up to boondock. This is absolute.y not true. You can easily take a motorhome boondocking and here's our take on it:
From our experience, yes you can boondock in gorgeous places with a motorhome. We do it all the time with our 40' motorhome. We've never tried real boondocking (staying at WalMarts is not boondocking) east of the Mississippi because we now love the West. We've done a lot in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Montana, Idaho and really, just about all the western states - even California.
We start off by consulting the Benchmark gazeteers for planning. They are available online and sometimes in major book stores, national parks and other places. They are published for only the western states and one book for each state. Therefore, the maps are large and easy to read. Public lands are marked clearly on them as are good, wide gravel roads. We have found that most of the roads printed on the maps are good gravel roads as opposed to using a forest service map which includes narrow two-tracks.
A real plus with a motorhome vs a 5th wheel is that if we haven't been on those roads previously and are unsure, we'll drive to the area, disconnect the Jeep and scout out before driving the motorhome onto the road. (We also do this for national forest campgrounds, national parks, etc. We scout first.) Naturally, we wouldn't take the motorhome on a high clearance road or on a narrow twisty road but good gravel roads are just fine.
In the West you'll have lots of choices without getting into thick forests. We love open views and find great places overlooking a small lake or stream. We've done the Quartzsite, AZ thing often but only to meet up with friends. To us, that's not boondocking. That's parking with thousands of others.
We've stayed at national wildlife refuges, fisherman's access sites, in national forests, on BLM land and in regular campgrounds including most of the major national parks. The only thing I cannot stress enough is to do your research. We have honestly never been turned away from a place because we couldn't fit.
We haven't received any damage to our motorhome by boondocking and haven't gotten into 'tough spots'. The only damage we've ever had was received the first year we bought the motorhome and it was in a private RV park with boulders edging the site including at the edge of the site/road where we had to make our turn. We learned our lesson on that one. Seventeen years later and plenty of 'off-roading' with the motorhome and no more damage. It can be done!
Full-Timed for 16 Years
.... Back in S&B Again
Traveled 8 yr in a 40' 2004 Newmar Dutch Star Motorhome
& 8 yr in a 33' Travel Supreme 5th Wheel
