Scrapper's Tale a Parable for Boondockers

April Hull spent a lot of time in her Class-C motorhome. April and her friend, Mario Norman, supplemented April's meager public assistance checks by "scrapping"--picking up metal scrap, salvaging it, and selling it for what they could. But last spring, it all went up in smoke--literally. Scrapping in the California desert near Barstow, April located a small white cylinder that had a couple of wires coming out of it. Thinking it might contain an electric motor--a real cache of copper wire--April took a screwdriver to it. There was a flash and a bang--and April doesn't remember much after that.

But neighbors surely remember the woman who ran to them, clothes blown off, covered with burns, begging to be shot. Quick thinking on their part probably saved April Hull's life. April had stumbled onto an old piece of military ordnance, a tank gunfire simulator device. Her friend Mario found another one just a few days later while April was still in the hospital recuperating from her close call.

Every parable has a moral. For us boondockers this one should be clear: Much of the government land that's "free to camp on" at one time was used by the military for training purposes. That's certainly true for some of the more favorite Arizona RV haunts. In your wanderings, be careful. If it doesn't look like it belongs to the natural landscape, it probably doesn't. Don't touch it. Call for help. It could mean your life. To read more about April Hull's experience, check out the Barstow, California Desert Dispatch.

Uncle Sam Loves Boondockers--Get a Tax Credit

Thinking about putting up some solar panels on your RV for boondocking? It could help you out come tax-time: The Internal Revenue Service provides a credit for solar installation of up to $2,000. Mind you this is a tax credit as opposed to a deduction, so it could really help your bottom line.

How can RVers get this credit? Well, it appears to be largely a matter of language. Just as interest paid on an RV may be a deduction (since the RV becomes a "second home,") this tax credit can also to RVs. And here's the big disclaimer: Always consult your tax professional for advice. Meantime, an interesting discussion this matter has surfaced on a forum appearing on the Escapees' club website. Check out the whole thread, as the information gets clearer as you go along.

Tilt Your Solar Panels?

Tilt your solar panels? If you're a "summer only" boondocker, leaving your solar panels flat on the roof makes good sense. But for those who 'dock in the winter, tilting your solar panels can really make a difference. Why? Solar panels are most efficient when the sun falls on them at a 90 degree angle. Since the sun's relative position in the sky drops in winter, getting full output requires compensating the angle of the panel.

Here's a chart that helps you figure out the tilt angle for your panel. You'll note that major cities on opposite sides of the country are listed, showing an approximate latitude for them. Find your location on a parallel between these cities, then use the associated angle to set your tilt.

Solar Panel Tilt by Latitude

City________________________Latitude_____Tilt Angle

Brownsville, TX-Key West, FL___25______________25
Corpus Christi, TX-Tampa, FL___28______________31
Austin, TX-St. Augustine, FL___30______________35
Tucson, AZ-Savannah, GA________32______________39
Los Angeles, CA-Wilmington, NC_34______________43
Las Vegas, NV-Raleigh,NC_______36______________47
San Francisco, CA-Richmond,VA__38______________51
Redding, CA-Philadelphia, PA___40______________55
Medford, OR-Providence, RI_____42______________59
Eugene, OR-Portland, ME________44______________63
Portland, OR-Duluth, MN________46______________66
Everett, WA-Grand Forks, MN____48______________68

Planning on wintering farther north than these latitudes? Skip the tilt chart, consult the yellow pages under the heading, "psychoanalysts."

Photo: Copyright R & T DeMaris, no use without written permission.

Boondocking Military Reservations

Uncle Sam has a neat offer for its active duty personnel and retirees: Most of you already know that there's plenty of land--and a lot of it beautiful--tied up in military reservations. Some pretty nice campgrounds have been set aside for military folks, and that's a whole 'nother story.

But in some places, even civilians can take advantage of some of Sam's bounty. Take, for example, Eglin Air Force Base on the Florida panhandle. About 4o miles out of Pensacola, this huge (over 700 square mile) military reservation welcomes civilian RVers. For a $7 permit fee, you'll get a map showing you where you can--and can't--park your rig and recreate. Recreatin' includes fishing and seasonal hunting. Check out a story geared principally to military types, but that touches on civilian access to the base.

Is it safe to camp on a military reservation? You can be assured Uncle Sam doesn't want bad guys getting into things they shouldn't, so don't be surprised to see more security forces than you would when haunting BLM land. In the case of Eglin, the concern is more for you accidentally bumping into unexploded ordinance--read that very much oversized firecrackers. At Eglin you'll be required to watch a 10-minute video on identifying (and staying away from) those unexploded fireworks.

While civilians can't partake of military reservation "developed" campgrounds, in some locales they can take to the boonies. Tracking these opportunities down can be a bit frustrating. You might try giving a call to the base information line and making inquiries. It could pay off with a spot you'd never thought existed. Now all you need is the right rig . . .

Photo: Hadeez Razers RV--concept only