Today's post about boondocking comes from Bob Difley of Healthy RV Lifestyle. You may be wondering why an RV park review website would run a blog post about boondocking to begin with? That's because you can actually review boondocking sites here on RVParking.com. In fact, we have some great reviews of boondooking sites, including some BLM land, the Slabs and sites at Burning Man. Even if you are a boondocker that doesn't stay in RV parks very often, you can still review boondocking sites for us.
You’ve probably heard a lot about boondocking and wondered why anyone would want to camp where there were no water, sewage, or electrical hookups. After all, camping in an RV in an RV resort or campground is pretty comfortable, and living without those hookups would seem to make it less enjoyable.
In reality, all modern RVs have been manufactured to be not only mobile, but also independent of appendages that hook them up to land-based resources. All RVs have a holding tank for fresh water, and most of the time two holding tanks for waste, one from the toilet and one from the shower and sinks. They also have a house battery or batteries to supply 12-volt electricity to the RV and a generator to produce electricity for 120-volt systems, produce electricity directly to both the 12-volt and 120-volt systems, and to recharge the batteries.
So when using your RV’s systems rather than a campground’s, it opens up many more camping possibilities and vast natural areas for enjoying your RV lifestyle, such as in our national forests and on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands. The National Forest Service (FS) manages the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, encompassing 193 million acres.
The BLM manages approximately 253 million acres--one-eighth of the landmass of the country—most of it in the West. These massive areas, and more managed by other agencies of the Federal Government such as the Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation, are known collectively as federal public lands.
The opportunity for RVers is that camping—boondocking—is permitted on these public lands. If you only go to campgrounds, think how much of the country’s wonderful natural and scenic land you are missing, not to mention the joy of solitude when you find a boondocking campsite by a tumbling mountain stream or on a broad desert plain under the shade of a mesquite tree and there is no one else in sight.
First, though, you have to get comfortable with camping without hookups. You can start off with boondocking for just one or two nights, which won’t tax your onboard systems. But to go longer than that you need to learn some conservation techniques and alter some wasteful habits.
Conserve your fresh water supply by taking Navy showers—rinsing down, turning off water, soaping up, rinsing off. Wash your hands the same way. And while you are warming up the water, run it into a plastic tub or bucket and use it to flush the toilet or rinse dishes. Rinse dishes in the tub of water, rather than under a running faucet. When washing dishes, use a small container of soapy water to wash with. Carry extra Jerry jugs or gallon containers of water to dump in your tank in case your pump starts sucking air.
Wipe food off your dishes before washing, then dump your wash and rinse water (but only if you use biodegradable soap) on a thirsty plant several yards outside your campsite. You can also dig a hole and pour the waste water in, then fill in the hole. Filling your gray water tank is one of the more limiting factors in how long you can boondock, so prevent as much waste water from entering the tank as you can. With a little practice you will be surprised at how much water you previously wasted.
You will also want to conserve electricity so that your house batteries last as long as possible. Turn off lights, TV, radio, porch light, computers and any other electrical appliance or tool when it is not being used. Wake up with the sun and go to bed when it does so you don’t have to burn lights well into the dark of night. Use battery operated book lights for reading—and you won’t keep your mate awake by reading with the RV lights.
If you need to use a 120-volt appliance like the microwave, blender, or coffee grinder, or your battery-draining water pump, try to schedule using these in the same block of time while running the generator, which will power them directly without pulling amps out off your batteries.
Finding boondocking campsites
Stop at visitor centers and chambers of commerce for area or state maps that show recreational lands, such as with colored shading to designate the various public lands. Ask in BLM and FS offices or ranger stations for maps of dispersed camping areas, the official terminology for boondocking campsites. Most roads to these sites will be dirt but were built solidly for logging and cattle trucks and fire-fighting equipment and most should be suitable for RVs.
The previous rule for boondocking on public lands stated that you could camp on any appropriate spot off the road, as long as you did not block any roads or parts of roads. The new Forest Service Motor Vehicle Travel Management Plan, which will go into effect in some forests by the end of 2011, will specify which roads are authorized for motor vehicle use and which areas are authorized for dispersed camping (boondocking). Ask at the ranger station or check the individual forest’s website to determine which plan is currently in effect.
A few of my favorite boondocking locations
Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge is a sprawling former ranch near the Mexican border town of Sasabe south of Tucson, Arizona. Established as a refuge to restore the bobwhite quail to the country, it also is home to herds of pronghorn antelope and is known for its excellent birdwatching. Springs bubble out of the ground in nearby Arivaca Cienega and flow above ground as Arivaca Creek for s short ways before diving again below ground. Even if you are not a birdwatcher, it is a unique desert experience to walk along flowing water and ponds teeming with birdlife. The refuge has 100 widely dispersed campsites and camping is free.
Lake Havasu State Park is a no hook-up park between Lake Havasu City, Arizona, and the lake, which was formed by Parker Dam across the Colorado River to the south. The park’s 47 campsites are widely spaced with a considerable amount of brush and trees offering privacy and some shade. Walking distance of shopping areas and the famous London Bridge. Both to the north (Craggy Wash) and to the south (Standard Wash) are open desert boondocking areas within ten miles of town if you like fewer neighbors and more open area.
Wenatchee National Forest is a vast forested area on the eastern flanks of Washington’s volcanic Cascade range near Mt. Rainier to the northeast. Out of Yakima, US 12 and State 410 split just past Naches. US 12 follows the Tieton River to the south entrance of Mt. Rainier National Park and State 410 along the Naches River over 5,400 foot Chinook Pass to the north entrance. All along both routes, several scattered boondocking sites are located along the rivers. These are good base camps for exploring the National park and forest trails.
The Sawtooth National Recreation Area sits in the middle of the Sawtooth National Forest and is adjacent to two wilderness areas. Though several primitive campgrounds are within the NRA, free dispersed (boondocking) camping is permitted along the Salmon River south of Stanley, as well as northeast of town in the national forest. Hiking trails allow access into the Sawtooth Wilderness Area where no wheeled vehicles are allowed.
Upcoming Posts
Stay tuned for an upcoming posts from Cherie of Technomadia about iPhone apps for RVers and an "RVing with Kids" series post about Passport America parks from Courtney of Nomad Baby.
Bio
Bob Difley was formerly a general manager of a national RV rental/sales company and was a fulltime RVer for seventeen years. Bob is an avid fan of boondocking when he's on the road. You can find his past RVing related articles about his travels in MotorHome, Trailer Life, Good Sam's Guide to the Highways, Coast to Coast, Better RVing and many other popular RV publications. Bob also maintains Healthy RV Lifestyle, where you can read many of his articles and e-books.
Today's blog post comes from Tara Wagner of the Organic Sister. She provides many ways to be eco-friendly while on the road.
At first glance, eco-friendly tips for RVs may sound like greenwashing. Or at least I would have thought so a year ago.
I'm almost as crunchy as they come. So, the very first thing that came to mind when my husband proposed full-time RVing was our environmental footprint. How could driving thousands of miles across the country with 8 mpg fuel economy be eco-friendly?
Quite easily actually. After calculating our home's energy usage (for space that was hardly used, I might add) and adding our vehicle emissions from our single vehicle commute, I came to see that even an environmentally unfriendly RV still had a smaller impact than the average suburban home.
And with a few eco-friendly tips geared just for our new lifestyle we diminished that footprint even more.
Here's what you can do:
Ditch Disposables
Use cloth napkins and dish towels instead of napkins or paper towels, a stainless steel water bottle instead of plastic bottles, reusable shopping bags when you hit the store, real plates instead of paper plates, etc. It's one of those eco-friendly tips that will save you money, as well as save resources.
Precycle
Precycling is the art of consuming with waste management in mind: buying things with little to no packaging, choosing items with a longer shelf life, etc. It will help you keep down the amount of waste you produce each day.
Recycle
I'll admit, it's a tough one but it's not impossible. Keep one small trash can for recyclables in your RV and sort them into three small bags placed under your RV or in your tow vehicle. Alternately you can keep three small boxes in your shower when it's not in use, or get a three-tier storage cart to keep them sorted. As they get full do a quick Google search for recycling drop-offs in your area or ask local restaurant or grocery store managers if you can use their bins. Some schools will also take them off your hands.
Composting
Composting your fruit and veggie scraps in an RV might seem impossible, but really it just takes some creative eco-friendly tips and a committed spirit. Do you have a dog? Dogs naturally eat raw veggies (avoid grapes and raisins!) and there are even health benefits to not feeding dog food. You can also ask local friends if you can save them your scraps. Some scraps (like onions peels, carrot tops, etc) can be used to make veggie stock. And don't forget to ask RV park owners if they offer compost for their plants or gardens; you may just inspire them. If you’re truly committed, grab a shovel and bury them at minimum of 6-12 inches below the surface.
Alternative Transit
Most RV parks are within walking or biking distance to the best sites. With a little extra time and energy you may find you don’t need your tow vehicle often at all. And don’t forget city transit or carpooling with your temporary neighbors as a viable alternative to starting the car.
Refrigerator Use
Propane and DC energy are much more efficient than AC energy. Whenever possible avoid using the AC settings on your fridge. Also be sure to check the seal: place a small piece of paper or dollar bill between the fridge and the door; if you can pull that paper out your seals need to be replaced. And be sure not to overfill it OR under-fill it. Overfilling it prevents proper air circulation, but a near empty fridge loses more cold air.
Insulation
One of the biggest drawbacks of an RV is the small amounts of insulation, especially in older models, causing loss of heat or cool air. Do what you can to offset this by checking for drafts and checking the seals around doors and windows. You can also use heavier curtains and park in sunnier spots in the winter, and avoid full sun in the summer whenever possible. Also invest in things like a windshield shade, and an insulating reflective vent cover.
Tank Sanitation
Stick to enzyme-based tank cleaners or deodorizers and avoid anything with formaldehyde, which has been linked to several types of cancers. You can also pour an entire box of baking soda and an entire bottle of vinegar into an empty tank, then fill it with clean water and allow it sit or slosh as you drive. A large bag of ice added to the tank may also help dislodge particles from the tank.
Water Conservation
There are plenty of ways to save water. Check out Jim and Rene's post on water conservation on the road. To add to their eco-friendly tips, you can also throw water from your sink on an outdoor plant. And since greywater is completely safe some local ordinances may allow greywater dumping on trees. Never dump your blackwater tank outside though!
Redecorating
If your RV is in need of new paint or flooring, opt for eco-friendly materials with zero-VOCs and renewable resources like bamboo. Other eco-friendly materials include organic cotton, hemp or wool. Buying secondhand or handmade items from small businesses is also a good idea.
Buy Local Food
Find farmers markets, local farms and natural food stores on websites such as LocalHarvest.org or GreenPeople.org. Shop small stores, flea markets, thrift stores and locally-owned RV stores. Avoid the Big Box chains whenever you can and try to support the local economy in each place you visit.
Solar Power
Adding solar panels to our RV has kept us from using our generator. The number of panels and size of your inverter will vary depending on your needs, but even a small array will power most of your needs for most of the year. It's certainly an investment on a home, but for an RV that uses much less energy, it's really is one of the more affordable eco-friendly tips and can save you money down the road.
Diesel Conversions
If you have a diesel engine, you might want to consider converting it to run on waste veggie oil found for free at restaurants around the country. In 7 months and 8,000 miles we spent $200 on fuel and fuel-related expenses and created 75% less emissions than regular diesel. And we used something that could have otherwise gone to waste!
There are dozens more ideas for green living that can easily be applied to RV travel. Check out Sustainable Baby Steps for more eco-friendly tips or share a few of your own in the comments below!
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Tara Wagner is a mama, writer and photographer. She blogs at TheOrganicSister.com and operates a new site dedicated to eco-friendly tips and sustainable living, SustainableBabySteps.com.
Today's guest blog post comes from our contest winners, Rene Agredano and Jim Nelson. In this post, the first in our series on green RVing, they share some unique ideas about how to save water while on the road. Did you know that eating more barbecue can help save water? Read on for that and more eco friendly RVing tips.
When we first entertained the thought of purchasing an RV to travel around the country, I was mortified by the thought of us moving around some of North America's most beautiful places in a gas-guzzling house on wheels. Until we actually started fulltime RVing, we were avid backpackers who assumed that RVs were terrible for the planet, and that the people who drove them were selfish souls who cared little about the environment.
How wrong I was!
While they're typically not the most fuel efficient vehicles, RVs are actually one of the most environmentally friendly ways to travel and live. Even if you're just on a weekend getaway, when you travel by RV, you can practice environmentally-friendly ways that can help put less stress on the planet than flying from one destination to another. And if you're lucky enough to live in one fulltime, your tiny house can be more eco-friendly than a standard sticks-and-bricks home in suburbia. RVs use less water and energy, and we can go where the resources are, instead of trying to bring them to us.
Conserving water is one of the greatest things you can do to ease your carbon footprint while RVing. Some tips and tricks we've discovered during our time on the road include:
Water Catchment
When you're dry camping without hookups, saving water is critical. But for those times you're hooked up to utilities in an RV park, it's still not very eco-friendly to let clean water go to waste. For example, when you run water to take a shower, instead of letting fresh water go down the drain while you get the temperature just right, grab a large container to catch that burst of cool water. Keep it in the sink for washing dishes, or put it in your dog's water bowl.
Use Skoy Cloths
Paper towels kill trees, plain and simple. And while sometimes you can't avoid using them, Skoy Cloths (http://skoycloth.com/) are one way you can reduce your dependency on paper products for simple clean up jobs. These mighty little towels act a cross between a paper towel and a rag. Using a SKOY cloth is equivalent to using 15 rolls of paper towels in an average home. They have an absorption factor of 15 times their own weight, and can be used many times before getting so skanky the need to be tossed. Even after going into the trash, Skoy Cloths will completely biodegrade within five weeks of being tossed.
Sure, they're not as eco-groovy as a rag that can be re-used hundreds of times, but unlike a rag, Skoy Cloths dry within minutes after use, and they don't get stinky or mildewy, which tends to happen when you attempt to dry rags in a small space like an RV.
Waterless Cleaning
Just as you take a quickie “shower” with pre-moistened body wipes, you can clean your rig inside and out with waterless cleaners. My favorite is Dri-Wash (http://www.dri-wash.com/), a waterless, biodegradeable cleaner that can be used for everything from washing a rig, to cleaning your greasy stovetop, to removing tough laundry stains. I wouldn't have believed that a waterless cleaner could work so well on so many surfaces, until we parked our rig in a place that didn't allow vehicle washing. The Dri-Wash not only cleaned the rig better than any RV cleaner, it took out the black streaks and stubborn marks that had been on our rig for three years, which I assumed we'd just have to live with.
Dri-Wash comes in a concentrated form that you just add water to, and although it's not cheap, it also lasts forever. So far we've washed our rig once, our truck twice, and cleaned the interiors of both, all on one bottle of concentrate, with more to spare.
Eat More Barbecue
Some may find it hard to believe that eating barbecued food can reduce your water consumption, but it's true. Think about it; unless you're one of those obsessive compulsive types, you don't clean your grill every time you use it, right? Well, barbecues can make an entire meal without a pot, and all you're left with is cleaning up the dining ware. Supplement your carnivore appetite with a side of grilled veggies, and you've done the planet a favor!
Re-use Your Gray Water
Doesn't it seem like a huge waste when you flush your toilet with drinking water? Don't let that resource go to waste; re-use it first! Many RVers have designed grey water systems with an inexpensive simple pump and filer that cycle grey water from the tank and back up through the toilet, so that none of that precious clean water gets wasted. Just Google a phrase like “RV recycle gray water systems” to see what these inventive RVers have done.
Drink More Beer and Take Fewer Showers
Be a water-conservation warrior; drink more beer, take fewer showers and save the planet! Ok, I'm kidding . . . sort of.
These are just a few of the real-life RVing conservation tips we've discovered during our years of living on the road. Share your own experiences, and follow along with us as we embark on more adventures across North America, by visiting us at LiveWorkDream.com.
