Must read book, BOON DOCKERS etc

[Heapie]

I have just finished reading BOON DOCKERS, a must read book about a journey in a class B through America By a couple from Australia.

(This information came from another class b river who led me to buying this book for free by loading Kindle. I hope he reads this and claims his right. I thank him.)

It is a good story of an outsiders view of America. The author does not pull any punches about his impressions of America to the point that people who have read this book think he was negative toward Americans. Like many people who look in from the out side, they see an America that is very much covered up by the pols and press.

The author also gives very good ideas on how to navigate the Walmart overnight parking and gives clues as to other places that are free to park over night.

I do believe, like him, that to pay 20 to 40 bucks for a place to park your rig for the night is just to expensive. Many of us could not afford it if we have to shell out hotel rates in order to spend a night in our rig. RV parks have their place in America, just not every night.

You can go to Kindle, load the app, and get this book, either free or for a few bucks.

Happy RVing,

Heapie

[NC_Hauler]

wincrasher65 wrote:
The idiotic statements by some members of this forum never fail to offer amusement. If you are so all knowing that the mere thought of reading someone's travel adventures is an offensive waste of your time, then why are you even on the forum? What ever anyone has learned about anything is obviously a complete waste of your time!

I for one, am interested in reading about someone's travel experiences. And that they have an "outsiders" perspective makes it all the more interesting.
That is the core of why we travel to new places and try to meet new and interesting people.

Thank you sir for your insight...No "idiotic statement" was made: guess your intolerance towards others is showing..."mere thought of reading"?...never said that...stated I wouldn't be interested. "waste of my time"? Don't know that I have any "waste of time" helping raise two granddaughters, work, pay bills and still try to get some camping in..


Again, thank you for the for being so nice about it.

Agree with the Mod though.. Would think there would be much more boondocking in Australia than here is in the U.S. I'm glad our country afforded them the opportunity to see it and to be able to publish a book about their travels..It certainly is the land of opportunity. I'm proud that was I was able to serve my country and live in it...Been to a lot of different countries and still feel there is no place like the United States of America.

[MrWizard]

Since the authors are Australian, and the "Outback" really is boon docking,
I'm curious how and why they chose the book title
Maybe they think all Americans think all Dry Camping is boon docking, they must have got that term from the people that met at Wal-Mart
We certainly have enough people on these forums that use that reference every day, including comments about casinos, cracker barrel Wal-Mart etc..

[wincrasher65]

The idiotic statements by some members of this forum never fail to offer amusement. If you are so all knowing that the mere thought of reading someone's travel adventures is an offensive waste of your time, then why are you even on the forum? What ever anyone has learned about anything is obviously a complete waste of your time!

I for one, am interested in reading about someone's travel experiences. And that they have an "outsiders" perspective makes it all the more interesting.
That is the core of why we travel to new places and try to meet new and interesting people.

[NC_Hauler]

stan909 wrote:
I just sold my Sportsmobile poptop van to a young Australian couple. They are going to travel the U.S. N Canada for the next 2 years.What an incredible adventure. We have such an amazing country. I feel bad for those who haven't seen it.

Amen...beautiful, "from sea to shining sea"...A lot of people in our very own country haven't been as fortunate to travel our country the way some from other countries have been able to do so...Thus the reason the wife and I take advantage of all the time we can to see it as much of it as possible...AND, in about 15 months...plan on seeing it much, much mores as a retired couple:B

[stan909]

I just sold my Sportsmobile poptop van to a young Australian couple. They are going to travel the U.S. N Canada for the next 2 years.What an incredible adventure. We have such an amazing country. I feel bad for those who haven't seen it.

[NC_Hauler]

drsolo wrote:

NC Hauler wrote:
So if you've progressed from YEARS of tent camping, then to a pop-up, to a hi-lo, to a TT and now a 5er, someone is going to "snort" at me NOW for staying in a 5th wheel???

No, the point was that there are those who point the finger both up and down the progression from tent to MH and make "claims" and I think we need to all be tolerant and not jump to any kind of conclusions about others. Even my backpacking, portaging DH has accepted the sweetness of a tear drop in the pouring rain instead of pitching his tent now that he is closing in on retirement.

Have no clue what all that means..Also did a lot of "backpacking" in my younger years, but the "backpacking" I did while in Viet Nam, no pitching a tent, wasn't my idea of a vacation, not my idea of a real good time....but I was very young at the time..I don't point fingers at anyone.don't know about MH's, never wanted one....I make no claims, only give facts based on my life experiences, nothing more, nothing less. Been married almost 45 years, raised 3 children with my dear wife, have 4 grandkids, lost two parents and know really well about the "sweetness of a teardrop", be it in the pouring rain or in combat. So we all go through different things in life that some never experience...it's all good, and no one showed "intolerance anywhere in this thread. Don't know where you got that from, but if we were all the same, it would be an extremely boring world.

Some will like the book, some will have no use for it...not intolerance at all, just different choices in life.....

[drsolo]

NC Hauler wrote:
So if you've progressed from YEARS of tent camping, then to a pop-up, to a hi-lo, to a TT and now a 5er, someone is going to "snort" at me NOW for staying in a 5th wheel???

No, the point was that there are those who point the finger both up and down the progression from tent to MH and make "claims" and I think we need to all be tolerant and not jump to any kind of conclusions about others. Even my backpacking, portaging DH has accepted the sweetness of a tear drop in the pouring rain instead of pitching his tent now that he is closing in on retirement.

[NC_Hauler]

drsolo wrote:

KathyPaz wrote:
You had me until you said Walmart!!! BoonDocking and Walmart, it's just wrong...:h

It may not be my idea or your idea of where to "park it" while on the road between point A and point B, but boondocking is just another term for dry camping. Many people think of boondocking as camping in the wild, but tent campers may snort at the person with an entirely self contained RV or MH and say that isnt camping either.

There is no one way to leave home, travel and see new things. And none of them are wrong. The one thing we all should have in common is tolerance.

So if you've progressed from YEARS of tent camping, then to a pop-up, to a hi-lo, to a TT and now a 5er, someone is going to "snort" at me NOW for staying in a 5th wheel??? When they know zip, nil nada about me or my life experiences in camping over the last 50+ years??...The tent camper, which I was for years and years, that's what I and my very young family did at first....then, as the wife and I got older, we wanted to be able to take it a little easier...So I really don't care what a tent camper thinks, unless they know "MY" story. Been a "camper" for about as long as I can remember and I'll be 65 in July..

So, a book written by someone who spent a short time travling the country and telling us about it doesn't do much for me when I can use my own personal experiences over the last 50 yrs.plus, will work for me...

You talk about "tolerance" and you came down on someone that disagreed, just like me, about the book...maybe your definition of "tolerance" is different than others:h

The one thing we ALL should have in common and use is the Golden Rule: DO unto others as YOU would have others do unto YOU....not used much, if at all now a day's...and one wouldn't have to preach about tolerance..

[NC_Hauler]

Heapie wrote:
I have just finished reading BOON DOCKERS, a must read book about a journey in a class B through America By a couple from Australia.

(This information came from another class b river who led me to buying this book for free by loading Kindle. I hope he reads this and claims his right. I thank him.)

It is a good story of an outsiders view of America. The author does not pull any punches about his impressions of America to the point that people who have read this book think he was negative toward Americans. Like many people who look in from the out side, they see an America that is very much covered up by the pols and press.

The author also gives very good ideas on how to navigate the Walmart overnight parking and gives clues as to other places that are free to park over night.

I do believe, like him, that to pay 20 to 40 bucks for a place to park your rig for the night is just to expensive. Many of us could not afford it if we have to shell out hotel rates in order to spend a night in our rig. RV parks have their place in America, just not every night.

You can go to Kindle, load the app, and get this book, either free or for a few bucks.

Happy RVing,

Heapie

Boondocking, in my book, is "out in the woods"....away from civilization...not staying over night in a Wally World parking lot. to save a buck....:R


For those of us who have camped in the United States for our entire life's, I don't really know what the Author(s) could tell me that I don't already know..Guess I could write a book on that, maybe it would sell, maybe it wouldn't......Just sounds like another way to make money off something that most, maybe not all, but most who have been camping for a while would already know from their own personal experiences .

I really don't care what "outsiders" think of the United States..at almost 65 years of age, served in the military and in combat, I've found that most of the world doesn't think much of our country, though it alway's seems to be that we are the first to come to the aid of others...so if they "didn't pull punches"....and they have some "bad things" to say , and they were just here for a short time on a camping trip...nah, don't care to read it...

[Heapie]

Hi Folks,

The person who passed on the idea of reading BOON DOCKERS is Overlook. The write up and directions on getting the book from Kindle, maybe free , can be found in topic New Class B.

Heapie

[My_Roadtrek]

Walmarts can look very safe in the day time, but many are built in dangerous neighborhoods. Always good to know the area where you plan to stop for the night. Also, what was once a legal place to spend the night may no longer be, because city officials tend to change the laws after elections.

[drsolo]

KathyPaz wrote:
It's a personal opinion. I don't even go to Walmart to grocery shop for several reasons. With enough forethought I can always find a place to "park it" for the night if need be.

I agree with you about shopping at Walmart. But at minimum there is some security at these places. As a woman and an older one at that I need the security of an RV/campground and other people around. I once O/N at a hunting/fishing campground in February in Illinois and there didnt seem to be any people there, just the trailers and a drop box for the camp fee. It made me very nervous.

[More_To_See]

I'll check it out. I'd love to get the perspective of others about how we do things in this country. I have my own opinion and will leave at that. #+*&#@+*%:#*

[KathyPaz]

drsolo wrote:

KathyPaz wrote:
You had me until you said Walmart!!! BoonDocking and Walmart, it's just wrong...:h

It may not be my idea or your idea of where to "park it" while on the road between point A and point B, but boondocking is just another term for dry camping. Many people think of boondocking as camping in the wild, but tent campers may snort at the person with an entirely self contained RV or MH and say that isnt camping either.

There is no one way to leave home, travel and see new things. And none of them are wrong. The one thing we all should have in common is tolerance.

It's a personal opinion. I don't even go to Walmart to grocery shop for several reasons. I'm sure you've heard all the reasons why...mom and pop etc. Like I said its personal opinion, it has nothing to do with tolerance.
With enough forethought I can always find a place to "park it" for the night if need be. No need to reply, like you said there's no right or wrong way.

[Davydd]

I'll have to read it. I just spent a lot of time in January, February, and March driving in the north and Midwest. Simply put that time of year campgrounds are not open and you have to be a bit flexible. I overnighted in Walmarts, Cracker Barrels, Camping World, on the streets, driveways, BLM dispersed lands and in private parking lots. I tried for a Cabelas but opportunity never presented itself. It didn't bother me as I have a B now quite capable of traveling that way, well insulated, sound dampened, light blocking and no dependence on needing to plug into shore power.