By Bob Difley We’re well on the way to winter. Depending on how weird the warming planet skews the weather, you may be spending more days in the northern climes as days stay hotter longer before winding down to shorter days and a chillier autumn climate. Then again, old man weather may decide he’s tortured us with enough consecutive hot…
Read MoreCategory: Boondocking
Crashing in the Walmart parking lot
Dear RV Shrink: We are rather new at RVing. I know many people stay overnight in Walmart parking lots but it makes my husband nervous to spend a night in Walmart or any parking area. It’s not crime or security issues with him, it’s runaway shopping carts. We spent a truckload of money on our new home on wheels and…
Read MoreFill your free time with an interesting hobby
Here’s a question from a reader of RVtravel.com about RV living. Hi Bob, My husband and I have been full-timing for several months. When we first started we rushed to see as much of the country as we could cram into our days. But we’ve settled down now and find ourselves with an abundance of free time. It occurred to…
Read MoreLosing water from fresh tank vent on steep grades?
Here’s a question from a reader of RVtravel.com about boondocking. Hello Bob, You gave me some great advice a few months ago when I asked about boondocking during our trip from FL to CA. We had a GREAT time! Now, here is a question for a situation that came up during that trip. We have a 30-gallon fresh water holding…
Read MoreCart makes easy work of lugging your RV stuff
By Bob Difley One of the things I like about boondocking in undesignated campsites or in some forest service campgrounds is that the picnic-table-outside-recreation-hub isn’t placed just outside my entry door. I like it to be a distance away, maybe in the trees, in the sun, or on a view knoll – not under my neighbor’s window. The problem was…
Read MoreHotel Walmart: Living in a parking lot
This is a fascinating look at the homeless who live in a car, van or RV in a Walmart parking lot. It profiles RVers as well as car campers who stay not just overnight but for years at a single Walmart. It focuses mostly on the down-and-out rather than more affluent overnighters, most of them in RVs, who stop a…
Read MoreDrive the dirt trail without fear of getting stuck
By Bob Difley There’s boondocking and then there’s boondocking. If boondocking to you is staying the night in a Walmart parking lot, this may not be for you. But if you visualize yourself as somewhat of a desert rat or mud junkie – even if you actually haven’t driven your rig onto the open desert or down a muddy forest…
Read MoreWhat’s the deal with composting toilets?
Here’s a question from a reader of RVtravel.com about boondocking. Hi Bob, What are your thoughts about using a composting toilet and then combining both the gray and black tanks as a gray tank? I have read that you can dump gray tanks when boondocking onto the local vegetation. Is that true? So, with an ample solar power system, a…
Read MoreBoondockers: Think tote tanks – Don’t leave home without one
By Bob Difley With snowbird season just around the bend, RVers are starting to think about boondocking and tote tanks. Tote tanks? Not usually a popular topic discussed around a potluck campfire. But RVers will be RVers and tote tanks are an important addition to any serious boondocker’s arsenal of tools that will help extend his boondocking days and relieve stress.…
Read MoreIs filling water tank from mountain stream safe?
Here’s a question from a reader of RVtravel.com about boondocking. Hi Bob — I enjoy your articles and appreciate the insights. You spoke to Dan about conserving water but the truck camper picture prompted yet another question. We are considering using a solar-powered 12-volt DC water pump with an inlet strainer and an inline whole house water filter to refill our fresh water…
Read MoreLeaf peeping – and camping – in Connecticut
By Bob Difley The New England states are famous for their spectacular fall colors, and Connecticut is not lacking when it comes to vibrant autumn foliage. Like the tourism promotion folks say, “When it comes to autumn, Connecticut is much more than seemingly limitless shades of reds, oranges and yellows waving in the trees and wafting to the ground –…
Read MoreOK to boondock on unmarked government property?
Here’s a question from a reader of RVtravel.com about boondocking. Hi Bob, Several times while traveling I’ve noticed areas of land that appear to be government property (no development), some without signage and others stating they are a National Wildlife Refuge or State Forest, or some other designation other than a National Forest or BLM land. Can I boondock for…
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