My wife and I are considering a TC for some travelling when retired. Part of the potential fun and cost saving of a TC is boondocking. The pictures we see of some boondocking sites are amazing.But....where the heck do you boondock? I'm in NC so there isn't any barren desert or anything. All I can think about is someone banging on the door at night saying private property and have to move. I don't think I can just pull off anywhere, so where /how do you discover these spots? How do I know when I turn onto a dirt road or something I won't get stuck? I have not been out west so I assume it's easier out there to find spots. But in general, I'd like some tips.I have an 2018 F350 diesel dually 4x4 (not FX4) and would get the TC reasonably equipped for a few days of boondocking at a time. We are "wanna-be" adventurers. Newbies if you will.

Here's a place to start your researchhttps://lmgtfy.com/?q=North+Carolina+BLM+National+Forest+dispersed+camping

Well you might go to Campendium.com and also get the ULTIMATE CAMPGROUNDS App.... Also try GOOGLING boondocking... Also uscampgrounds.info

My wife and I have been truck camping for 15 years and I totally understand your concerns. We live in western NY, south of Buffalo, and there's not a lot of "public land" open to overnight stays. We just drove to Alaska and back over 5 weeks, and paid to camp every night. To me I need the comfort knowing that I'm in my "legal spot" every night. I couldn't sleep if I just parked somewhere down a dirt road not knowing if I was on somebody's property and might get a knock on the door as you suggested. I just haven't figured out how to tell if it's OK to spend the night somewhere - it would be great to have a huge map of the US and Canada that said "OK to camp here, not OK to camp there", but I've not been able to find such a map. And there's also the convenience factor - wife on her Ipad, me driving, tired, 6:00 in the evening, she says: "Hey, there's a KOA in 5 miles". Me: "Sounds great"

Each state & province has different laws, so you can't assume anything. Forget boondocking in California coastal areas. Basically each city has ordinance forbidding RV overnight stay and they force Walmarts to do that as well. The practice seems to extend to Oregon, Yukon and who knows how many other places. But on our drive to Alaska only few rest areas had "no overnight stay" signs, so we could pull over at any convenient area and sleep well. Canada Information Centers have dump stations and water faucet, so that was easy. Than states like AZ allow boon-docking basically everywhere.

Michigan is anywhere there is a turnout, especially in the UP. Leave it like you found it and if there is trash, pick it up even if it's not yours.

The mother of all stupid truck camper questions....

free_radical
Explorer
Sep 28, 2019
lcseds wrote:
Thanks for the advice and the links. I imagine we will get the hang of it after trying a little bit. Just don't want to end up in someones driveway in the dark. I'm probably overthinking it.

I only traveled in Canada from west to east coast and never stayed in any campground ever,plenty o places to stop overnight and sleep.

Best are truck stops,WM or some construction sites.
Kayteg1
Explorer II
Sep 27, 2019
work2much wrote:
We are also a member of Harvest Host. For a small yearly fee you stay at businesses such as farms, wineries, museums, breweries for free. So far we have really liked HH. I'm sure we will use them heavily whenever we get to the east coast since boondocking is tougher.

Harvets Hosts

Check the map and in Nevada I see only 1 site listed and it is farm near Reno. Mustang Ranch comes to mind. ...
work2much
Explorer
Sep 27, 2019
We are also a member of Harvest Host. For a small yearly fee you stay at businesses such as farms, wineries, museums, breweries for free. So far we have really liked HH. I'm sure we will use them heavily whenever we get to the east coast since boondocking is tougher.

Harvets Hosts
jaycocreek
Explorer II
Sep 27, 2019
work2much wrote:
Boondockers Welcome

I had know idea they had anything like that,especially in Idaho..I checked a couple in area's I know pretty well...Interesting...

This would be perfect for anyone not familiar with, Idaho as an example.
work2much
Explorer
Sep 27, 2019
JD5150 wrote:
midnightsadie wrote:
some ones drive way is a good place ,just ask first. I,ve had stop overs here in louisville ohio .I live three miles out of town and have let travlers stay the night.

That's very nice of you. There is a website but I can't remember the name of it. On the website there is some if not most let you stay for one night for free in their driveway or on their land. Some have electric and water and they let you have it for free. They are just trying to help travelers out so they can get to one destination to another

Boondockers Welcome
JD5150
Explorer
Sep 27, 2019
midnightsadie wrote:
some ones drive way is a good place ,just ask first. I,ve had stop overs here in louisville ohio .I live three miles out of town and have let travlers stay the night.

That's very nice of you. There is a website but I can't remember the name of it. On the website there is some if not most let you stay for one night for free in their driveway or on their land. Some have electric and water and they let you have it for free. They are just trying to help travelers out so they can get to one destination to another
Kayteg1
Explorer II
Sep 27, 2019
lcseds wrote:
Thanks for the advice and the links. I imagine we will get the hang of it after trying a little bit. Just don't want to end up in someones driveway in the dark. I'm probably overthinking it.

Maybe you are overthinking, maybe not.
I've got woken up at 5 AM at Walmart parking lot, when tow truck driver was clubbing semi-tractors who park there.
Since I was RV, he let me go, but I had only few minutes.
Most of the time asking is all it takes.
You can always stay overnight at truck stops, but use the car parking and don't block semi spots.
Most walmarts have security, who will tell you the procedure.
I slept at Walmart with "No camping" posted, but the employee informed me that that applies to 3-day stay.
I've been stopping overnight at Home Depot and Costco. Ask cart person and most of the time they had policy not allowing overnight parking, but then "nobody will chase you".
We live next to desert, but having water drainage system, belongs to the County. Not only lot of sign informing no motor vehicles, but concrete barriers with chains between. Chains are broken, vans drive on the desert for days and then we have hundreds of trash bags flying around with next strong winds.
Nobody enforce the rules.
midnightsadie
Explorer II
Sep 27, 2019
some ones drive way is a good place ,just ask first. I,ve had stop overs here in louisville ohio .I live three miles out of town and have let travlers stay the night.
PNW_Steve
Explorer
Sep 27, 2019
Take a look at www.freecampsites.net

It's a handy tool for finding spots to dry camp.
lcseds
Explorer
Sep 27, 2019
Thanks for the advice and the links. I imagine we will get the hang of it after trying a little bit. Just don't want to end up in someones driveway in the dark. I'm probably overthinking it.