Are you having trouble getting your spouse to enjoy boondocking? I’ve always enjoyed the challenge of being self-sustainable in beautiful remote locations, but it took my wife many years to get on board with the whole boondocking idea.
We used to primarily go to RV parks, but now we enjoy the freedom and independence of camping almost anywhere without the need for electrical power hookups. BUT, this did not happen overnight though. In fact our early dry camping experiences were not fun for everyone.
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Our First Boondocking Experiences Were Not Fun
Our first dry camping experience was a trip to the beach in our new RV where we could camp for free and watch the fireworks. The caveat? We would have no power, water or sewer hookups for a few days.
This and other early attempts at dry camping (camping without hookups aka “boondocking”) were stressful for our entire family.
My constant hovering and nagging turned the experience of boondocking into one of sacrifice. Everyone would say “Why can’t we use the water, the toilet, the shower, the TV?” I would respond with “go play on the beach. Isn’t that why we’re here?”
In the video (below) you’ll see what Melissa really thought of boondocking at the time. I was always worried about running out of power and water and this would drive my family crazy.
Boondocking Had Too Many Limitations
My family had become accustomed to the amenities of a full-hookup RV park and were simply frustrated with all of the limitations of dry-camping.
Water and Waste Restrictions
Surviving four to five days without dumping or refill our tanks was difficult, especially with four to six people in the RV. Our 40 gallon black tank and 35 gallon gray water tank would be close to full after the third day. So I would pack up the RV and head to the nearest dump station for a Dump-and-Fill.
Insufficient Battery Power
Each morning and evening we needed to run our generator for an hour or so to recharge our batteries. This was also back in the day of lead-acid batteries. At that time we didn’t know that running our generator for an hour with a very basic converter/charger was not doing very much for us.
We were not alone though. Our traveling companions also relied on generators for power. Their generator would fire up each morning. This prompted me to also get up and start my generator and start a new day.
Somehow we got through it without killing each other. As summer approached we again looked forward to returning for a few days of dry-camping year after year. It became our “thing” — the thing we would do as a family on the fourth of July.
Addressing the Power Problem with Battery and Solar Upgrades
Eventually, I doubled my battery capacity and started learning how to use solar on my RV to charge batteries. I installed 120 watts of flexible solar panels and then doubled it to around 250 watts. I even installed an MPPT solar charge controller and pure-sine power inverter which allowed us to watch movies, power our computers and keep all of our electronics fully charged.
Incandescent lights were replaced with LEDs which consumed 1/10th the power. This meant we could keep our lights on as long as we wanted.
This setup really made us feel much more self-sufficient and greatly improved our boondocking experience for several years. Here is a full list of off-grid upgrades we made to our Class C motorhome.
In the years that followed, we continued to put our boondocking skills to the test. We were able to binge watch our favorite Netflix series, use our laptop computers, and even use an electric coffee pot through our power inverter. We were so close. Yet we still needed to run our generator periodically for certain things like using a hair dryer or running the microwave.
With these upgrades, we transitioned away from the full-hookup RV park style of RVing and stopped making RV park reservations. We would just take off with no specific destination in mind. That was a very liberating feeling.
Boondocking Today
After selling our Class C in 2021, we purchased an older 2003 Winnebago Class A motorhome and retrofitted it with all of the off-grid upgrades.
Fully Powered With Solar and Lithium Batteries
Our current motorhome has 1700 watts of solar, 800 amp hours of lithium batteries, and Victron Power Inverter to power everything.
Efficient Heating and Cooling
We installed 12 volt air conditioners for efficient cooling and a high-efficiency gasoline powered heater to stay warm through the night.
Hauling Water from Public Sources
When in remote areas, we get potable water from public sources and transfer the water into our RV tank. Drinking water is double filtered and purified through which allows us to get water from almost anywhere — even pumped from the back of a pickup truck in Mexico.
Managing Waste
The Class-A motorhome also gave us much larger water, waste, LP and fuel tanks. We replaced the toilet with a composting toilet. This eliminates the need for a black tank and doubles our gray tank capacity. Our Class A motorhome can also store 90 gallons of fresh water which has been a game changer. We can now stay out for many weeks without visiting a dump-station.
After implementing all of these changes, it honestly feels no different than being on shore power.
Final Thoughts
RVing for us now, is a completely different experience that it was when we first started. We rarely ever stay at RV parks and have complete freedom to travel without reservations. As for my wife Melissa, she is totally on board now and enjoys boondocking as much as I do.
In 2022 we traveled for several months through Northern Canada and Alaska and Baja Mexico completely off-grid with only a couple stays at an RV parks.
So that’s our boondocking story. I hope it inspires you to become self-sufficient in your own RV and enjoy the freedom it provides.
Our Essential Equipment for Boondocking in an RV
Shop for Boondocking Gear on my Amazon Store
There are several things here that will help you become more self-reliant and comfortable while camping without hookups.