Boondocking is usually used to describe camping "off grid". While technically you are "off grid" when stopping in a rest area or Walmart or Cracker Barrel parking lot, or any non-hookups camp site (like a primitive Forest Service campground), the term normally conjures up visions of remote, unimproved campsites. Boondocking requires greater care in conserving resources than is needed when camping in developed campgrounds that offer at least some services or amenities. Many basic Forest Service campgrounds at least have toilets and community water faucets and often have a dump station nearby. When you go completely "off grid" in dispersed camping areas offered by the Forest Service and the BLM you are totally dependent on the self contained features of your RV and on the resources you have brought with you. That is truly boondocking! If you fill up your holding tanks or run out of water you're going to have to make a trip to a facility where you can dump your tanks and purchase water.
I have heard that in New Zealand they use the term "freedom camping" and I find that to be an excellent descriptive name for the activity.
If you decide to go boondocking, one of the first things you need to do is choose a place to go. There are many good open camping places on BLM and US Forest Service land in Western United States, even some along prime ocean beaches! For your first outing or so I suggest you choose a place that is either close to home or close to developed facilities in case your boondocking experience goes bad. It might also be a good idea to tag along with an associate who is familiar with local boondocking opportunities so they can help your locate a good spot and get the most out of your trip. You want a place that is accessible to your vehicle and offers the kinds of activities or experiences you are seeking.
Once you get there the major requirement for successful boondocking is conservation of resources. You will need to conserve,water, battery power, and fuel and minimize filling of holding tanks. You may also need to conserve provisions since you'll probably be some distance from anyplace you can buy additional supplies.
There are many ways to conserve water, which also helps minimize filling of holding tanks. Some common examples are reducing waste by saving the water you run while waiting for the shower to warm up and use it for other purposes, such as pre-rinsing dishes or pre-washing extra dirty hands. You might also use it for washing camping equipment as needed in camp. Another trick is to use paper towels or old newspapers to wipe dirty dishes instead of rinsing them. At home you probably leave the water running while you're scrubbing your hands, washing your body in the shower, and brushing your teeth. To save water, turn the water off except when you are actively using it. Rinse off, then turn off the shower while you're soaping or shampooing, then turn it back on to rinse off the suds. You'd be surprised how much water you'll save by simply turning it off when you're not actively using it. If there are restrooms available anywhere near your primitive campsite, take advantage of them whenever you can to reduce filling of your black water tank. Yes, I know some of the pit toilets in remote areas are really nasty, but tolerating a few minutes there can avoid long term exposure to really foul odors you will encounter in your RV if your black water tank overflows. If you are germophobic, carry some hand sanitizer to clean the toilet seat as well as your hands. Conserving water will automatically reduce filling of holding tanks. To make a little extra room in your gray water tank, drain off a bucket or two to put our your campfire each night.
Battery power will be another critical resource, especially in cold weather when you;'ll need it for your furnace. Some older furnaces don't have fans, but most modern ones rely on 12 volt power for both the computerized control boards ad well as the 12 volt fan to circulate the hot air. Match your schedule to the rising and setting of the sun to reduce your dependence on artificial light and use lanterns or flashlights after dark whenever possible to minimize battery drain. Replacing general power hungry incandescent bulbs with LEDs in as many fixtures as possible will reduce power consumption. But be aware that LEDs may not be suitable for all locations. You may need brighter light for reading and other work areas, but they are ideal for RV porch lights and general interior illumination. Bright, good quality LEDs still tend to be somewhat expensive, about $10 per bulb, but inexpensive alternatives are showing up. I recently purchased 20 LEDs made in China for about $20. Turns out they are not bright enough to replace ALL the bulbs in my RV, but even replacing half of them will make a difference in battery drain. I've seen a single 12-volt incandescent bulb completely drain an RV house battery in just an afternoon when it was inadvertently left on in a bathroom. Using the LEDs for general lighting when you don't need concentrated light on a work area will save quite a bit of battery power. Incandescent bulbs are essentially a dead short using a high resistance wire as a filament between the hot and ground sides. The reason it glows is that it gets very hot. You will use your furnace more on cool nights and unless it is a convection type furnace without a fan, the fan can run the batteries down. It is ironic that when the batteries get low the fan tends to keep running after the burner has shut off, blowing cold air.
Conservation of fuel is another consideration. Topping the list is propane, used for heating and cooking. Minimize your needs by designing menus that require little cooking or cook on your campfire as much as you can. Reduce heat loss to keep furnace consumption as low as possible by eliminating drafts in your RV, keeping doors and windows closed as much as you can, and using insulating bubble foil on all the windows. Your furnace may blow cold air if you run out of propane or if your batteries get low. Be sure to check both propane and battery gauges so you can identify the problem and take appropriate action. Either motor fuel or propane may be used to power your on board generator, depending on the configuration. Those that use motor fuel usually tap into to fuel tank higher than the engine fuel pump port to prevent you from using up ALL your gas running the generator. You may be able to increase your propane supply by using an "Extend-a-stay" kit that allows you to attach an external tank to your motorhome. Note: Extend-a-stay kits will provide vaporize propane for appliances but NOT liquid propane for a propane powered generator. Since most travel trailers already have removable tanks, they only need bring along extra tanks to swap out. Many travel trailers and some diesel powered motorhomes use propane powered generators. In any case you'll want to minimize generator usage. That doesn't mean avoiding it altogether because you will need it to run the A/C in hot weather and to recharge batteries in any weather. But don't leave the generator running when it isn't needed. And make sure to keep it properly tuned and adjusted. A clogged air filter or worn spark plugs can significantly affect both performance and fuel economy. And, of course, make sure you have enough fuel in or for your vehicle to get back to civilization. Top off your tanks as close to your destination as is practical. If there is any chance you won't have enough fuel to get back, bring along an extra 5 gallon can or two of fuel. If you are riding OHVs you may be able to commandeer fuel you brought for them to get you safely home. On one occasion I even dumped a few gallons of pre-mix into the gas tank of my pickup truck when it ran out of gas before we reached a gas station on the way home from the Mojave Desert one trip.
An often misunderstood requirement for successful boondocking is choosing a good location. Certainly you CAN just drive out into the forest or desert but choosing an appropriate location will make your trip more comfortable and more fun. Location can affect many aspects of camping. For example, a shaded campsite can reduce A/C needs in hot weather and a sheltered location can reduce heating costs in cold weather. Even more important is whether the campsite meets your camping and other recreational needs. We developed a list of several good staging areas for our dirt bike outings in the Mojave Desert. Each one was conveniently located to give access to a number of possible trails while providing sufficient space for our Desert Rat group, an unofficial organization of family oriented, recreational riders. You will also want to consider environmental factors such as proximity to land fills or feed lots that could contribute unpleasant odors or being downwind of agricultural fields, gravel pits, or construction sites that may yield blowing dust. If anyone in your party has specific allergies you may want to avoid locations where plants or chemicals that might trigger their symptoms are plentiful. Access to the location is sometimes assumed or overlooked -- until you find yourself stuck or trapped and it is too late. So seek locations that are easy to get in and out of. You may encounter height, length,and weight restrictions on some roads or in some campgrounds so check things out before you find yourself someplace you can't get out of. While there is a certain appeal to boondocking in pristine areas, using campsites that have been previously used often yields several advantages. One is that they most likely have good access if they are often used. You may also be able to easily find the most level spot by observing where previous visitors have parked. Another benefit is that they often have existing fire pits, which reduces your level of effort in building a safe campfire and minimizes environmental impact on pristine natural resources.
While I've recently seen several claims in RV magazines that the majority of RVers (somwhere around 3/4 as a matter of fact) usually stay in developed, often full hookup campgrounds, I personally find boondocking to be a more authentic form of camping. Camping on a paved parking area with water, electricity, and sewer connections is convenient but, at least to me, it somehow lacks the adventure of camping in the open desert or remote forest. Of course, our affinity for dirt biking also pushes us toward dispersed camping areas since there are very few full hookup campgrounds with direct access to OHV trails.
Boondock, not boondoggle!
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