The Complete Book of Boondock RVing

by Bill Moeller

  Overnight convenience camping is when an RVer pulls into the parking lot of a shopping center, restaurant, or retail store for one night, strictly for convenience’s sake, and resumes traveling the next day. Most RVers do it, at least occasionally, and we have frequently done this type of boondock camping. Sometimes an area has no nearby campgrounds or the local campgrounds are full, or we are just trying to save a bit of money. Any modern RV is usually equipped for overnight convenience camping, and if you’re careful to conserve your battery power, you’ll have no problems.

  This topic, in fact, was discussed in an article in the July/August 2006 issue of Escapees magazine, the official publication of the Escapees RV Club, which promotes boondock camping. The article, "An Economist’s Perspective," was written by Andrew Cornwall, who did a study for the government of Nova Scotia, Canada. The study investigated the economic effects on private campgrounds of a province-wide, overnight RV parking ban in business parking lots. The study’s results apply to RVers in both Canada and the United States:

  Half of all RVers boondock in such parking lots.

  RVers stay in these lots 1.5 nights per month for each month they use their RVs, plus 0.6 night for each 1,000 miles traveled.

  Convenience was the overwhelming reason given, followed by the lack of available camping sites in the area.

  The existence of a parking ban caused one third of all RVers to boycott an area and one half to have a diminished desire to visit the area.

  These results demonstrate that all RVers need to boondock occasionally, and that more and more RVers are boondocking.

  Another aspect of convenience camping is being able to visit friends and family and park your RV in their driveway or backyard. You have the privacy and peace of mind of separate living quarters, yet the convenience of being able to walk across the yard to have breakfast with your grandchildren. Or you’re in the reverse situation—you and your children are the ones visiting Mom and Dad. Since your RV is already stocked and prepared for children, your visit is that much more relaxed and organized.

  EXTENDED BOONDOCK CAMPING

  Extended camping is when an RVer plans to stay at a site for two nights or more, perhaps even a week, a month, or a full season. This type of camping requires some specialized knowledge, equipment, and techniques to do it successfully. These are primarily electrical in nature, with the most important concern being the proper charging of your battery. (We’ll cover the electrical aspects of boondocking in the latter part of the book.)

  The reasons for this type of boondock camping also vary:

  Enjoy the wilderness or the away-from-it-all experience.

  Fish the rivers and streams of a particular area.

  Provide a base camp for hunting, rock climbing, hiking, skiing, or snowmobiling.

  Many snowbirds go to the desert areas of the Southwest and stay for a month or even the entire season, camping without benefit of hookups. The most popular place for boondocking is the stretch of highway between Yuma and the popular center of all boondock camping—Quartzsite, Arizona. Quartzsite’s population increases every January, February, and March from 2,000 people to over 500,000 RVers and rockhounds for the RV and Gem Shows held during this period. Once at Quartzsite, we met a lady who told us she had lived there for seven years without any hookups of any kind. Now that is really boondocking!

  A SAMPLE BOONDOCKING TRIP

  To give you an idea of what boondocking might be like, we’ve created the following fictional, but typical, trip. We’ll follow Bob and Mary Jones as they take a two-week boondock camping trip. Their RV is a 30-foot Class A motorhome (see Chapter 3 for more on types of RVs), and they tow a vehicle (which RVers call a dinghy). As you read, please don’t let the technical talk bother you; we’ve included cross-references to direct you to the main discussions in the book.

  Many RVers camping at Quartzsite, Arizona, the mecca of boondock camping.

  First let’s look at the equipment installed in Bob and Mary’s RV:

  A converter/charger with a 45 amp output.

  A 4-kilowatt built-in generator. (Trailers can have this same convenience with a small portable generator of at least 1,000 watts.)

  A 300-watt portable inverter wired to the batteries.

  Two 100-watt solar panels with a multistage regulator featuring maximum power point tracking (MPPT).

  Two 6-volt golf-cart wet-cell batteries, wired in series, with a total capacity of 220 amp-hours.

  A 30-wattTV satellite receiver (runs off the inverter).

  A 9-inch, 35-watt color TV set (runs off the inverter).

  A 17-inch, wide-screen, 75-watt laptop computer with a 120-volt AC power supply (runs off the inverter).

  A standard 12-volt DC/120-voltAC propane refrigerator.

  A cell phone.

  A SmoothTalker cell-phone amplifier.

  An engine alternator capable of delivering at least a 30 amp charge.

  A 50-gallon freshwater tank.

  Two 6-gallon jerry jugs for extra fresh water.

  Holding tanks: a 36-gallon gray-water tank and a 36-gallon black-water tank.

  Two 7-gallon propane tanks.

  Day 1

  Our couple, Bob and Mary, leave home for a two-week vacation. They spend their first day driving along the interstate highway to their first night’s destination—a convenience boondock stop in a Wal-Mart parking lot (see Chapter 2). They arrive late in the afternoon, put the refrigerator on propane, and do a little shopping.

  In the evening, they extend their slideouts (sections of an RV that extend about 2 to 4 feet beyond the normal width of the unit), and using the inverter, spend a few hours watching satellite TV They also have the option of answering their e-mail on the laptop by using a cell-phone PC card and amplifier (see Chapter 7). Bob decides to surf the Internet for awhile looking for places to go.

  With all this electricity usage, they will closely monitor their batteries’ amp-hour consumption tonight using one of the following instruments: an ammeter, an amp-hour meter (best choice), or a volt-ohm meter (VOM; see Chapter 9). They could also go low-tech and just estimate their evening’s amp-hour consumption (see Table 8-3).

  Day 2

  Our couple decides to get an early start this morning. Since they plan to drive several hundred miles today they’re confident the alternator will charge the batteries enough to replenish the previous night’s discharge (see Chapter 10). If not, they can use the solar panels in conjunction with the alternator to do the job (see Chapter 12). Another option would be to charge the batteries using the generator and the converter/charger as they travel throughout the day (see Chapter 11).

  Bob and Mary finally arrive at their destination, which is the first wilderness camping site they plan to visit. As they have previously visited the site before, they know exactly where they wish to park their RV—along a pretty mountain river. After setting up their camp, they drive to nearby Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or Forest Service offices to pick up some maps of the region and generally explore the area (see Chapter 2).

  So far today, the only electrical appliance in use is the refrigerator. (Note: We never travel with the refrigerator in the On position. This not only conserves electrical power and propane, but more important, avoids the danger of a propane explosion or fire in the event of a highway accident; see Chapter 5.) Because it’s a hot day, Bob will be sure to run the refrigerator for an hour or so when they stop for lunch. If they keep the doors closed, this should be enough time to keep the food cool until they reach their campsite. The refrigerator is the highest phantom load in the RV (see Chapter 8). It can consume up to 1 ampere per hour or 24 amp-hours per day.

  Tonight Bob and Mary discuss whether to prepare their evening meal in the galley or cook it outside over a small outdoor grill that they carry with them (see Chapter 5). Later they hope to build a fire in a clear area near their RV and invite neighbors over for a visit. Many a friendship has begun sitting around a crackling fire, telling camping stories. In
addition, they can save a lot of amp-hours of battery power while having loads of fun in the process. However, if Bob and Mary repeat the previous night’s entertainment, they will need to keep the amp-hour consumption down so they won’t have a lot of charging to do the next day.

  Day 3

  Today is the first day that Bob and Mary may have to do some serious battery charging. The solar panels will do the job for them, providing they’ve situated the RV on the site to give the panels the maximum sunlight from a southerly direction. The panels can be tilted so the sun’s rays are perpendicular to the surface of the solar panels, but most RVers don’t bother to do this except in the winter when the sun is low in the sky. Solar panels can be the best way to charge the batteries as long as their installation has been planned around the RV’s power needs. When this is done properly, charging is automatic and quiet.

  Next the couple either checks the amp-hour meter or calculates last night’s battery discharge (see Chapter 8). This will give them an idea of how long it will take to restore the batteries to full power. They turn on the solar panels when they get up to catch the early morning rays. If the day is sunny they should see a small charge almost immediately and by nine o’clock, 1 to 2 amps or more. Checking to make sure that all electrical items are turned off, except the fridge, Mary and Bob leave to explore a primitive mountain road that looked interesting on the map. As they drive, the road eventually peters out, so they hike up the trace for a mile or so with their cameras, seeing several deer and a bull elk on the way.

  When Bob and Mary return to the RV, the batteries are fully charged. After supper, they watch a DVD movie on their wide-screen computer. Other amp-hour usage will be the refrigerator and room lights (12-volt lights) for a total of about 12 amp-hours for the evening.

  Day 4

  The morning dawns with a heavy cloud cover, so the solar panels are hardly charging at all. Happily, the meters (or calculations) show that the batteries are only slightly discharged, perhaps to a level of around 36 amp-hours (see Chapter 9). Bob and Mary decide to "leave it up to the sun" for the charging. This morning they plan to check out the fish in the river. After several hours of fishing, they’ve caught two nice trout, big enough for supper. By early afternoon, the sun has burned off the clouds so the panels have kicked in and are now charging the batteries.

  Now that they’ve reached their fourth day, Bob and Mary must start to consider the amount of water in the freshwater tank and the levels of the gray- and black-water holding tanks (see Chapter 4). They can easily extend their freshwater supply by filling up their 6-gallon jerry jugs. The holding tanks, however, are a different matter. Once they are full, the couple will have to break camp to empty them. (Many longtime boondockers carry an auxiliary tank for emptying their holding tank; however, Bob and Mary have always viewed that option as being a lot of extra work for little gain.)

  Our couple spends the evening watching the news and doing a little computer work.

  Day 5

  Bob decides that since they have no neighbors to disturb, he’s going to try out his generator for charging the batteries (see Chapter 11). As he has a good converter/charger with a 45 amp rating, he wants to see how long it will take to get the job done. Mary’s plan is to finish the book she has been reading, then maybe start another. So she takes a folding camp chair down to the stream, along with a cup of coffee and her book.

  Only a little more than 2 hours later, Bob is surprised and pleased to find the batteries are already fully charged according to the amp-hour meter.

  After lunch, Bob and Mary drive to a small town nearby for groceries, including two fine steaks to cook on the grill for dinner that night. After dinner, they play a little gin rummy, with Mary winning twice. Bob warns he will win at hearts the next time they play. Because they played cards, their only battery consumption tonight is a single 12-volt lamp and the ever-present refrigerator. This is a good way to boondock occasionally to conserve battery power.

  Day 6

  Today will be another travel day. Since the batteries were not severely discharged during the past evening’s activities, Bob figures the alternator should be able to charge them while they travel. But if necessary, they can also use the solar panels or the built-in generator while traveling. Mary reminds Bob that the holding tanks are getting full, and they need to fill the freshwater tank. They come to the conclusion that they should stay at a private campground that night so they can fully charge the batteries, empty the holding tanks (and not have to carry the hundreds of pounds of extra weight), and top off the freshwater tank. After arriving at the campground, they invite some nearby relatives to visit and see their new RV. This evening they won’t have worry about power consumption because the converter/charger will keep the batteries fully charged as well as provide all the current they’ll need for the refrigerator and lights.

  Day 7

  Today is another moving day, so our RVers hitch up their tow vehicle and drive several hundred miles to a nice state park, which has dry camping in a lovely canyon campground beneath a pretty waterfall. Here they plan to rendezvous with two other RVing friends, Joe and Vicki, who have a 29-foot fifth-wheel trailer. Our friends set up camp in a site that will let the sun reach the solar panels, but where they also can enjoy the camaraderie of their fellow RVers.

  Later in the day, Bob and Mary hike into the mountains and come back in time for a big frankfurter cookout and potluck dinner at the site next to their friends, who have just arrived. Tonight everyone sits around the fire and talks for hours. All this outdoor activity helps keep the batteries charged because no high-amperage items are used except for a few cabin lights and the refrigerator.

  Day 8

  This morning is beautiful, so Bob, Mary, Joe, and Vicki decide to head out for a hike. Their campground is located at the end of a small mountain range that runs for 25 or 30 miles back into the wilderness. The trail they’ll be following will take them up to a beautiful lake at an elevation of around 9,000 feet. They plan to hike up to the lake where they’ll have lunch, then hike back down again to the campground. Mary and Vicki have a good time picking wildflowers, while Bob and Joe enjoy a trip up a side canyon where they see many deer.

  They arrive back at their RVs, have a cold meal for supper, and retire early—it was a long hike.

  Day 9

  The day dawns dark and windy. The ladies decide they want to make it an easy day and do nothing more than sit around reading: Mary with her new book and Vicki with a good mystery she’s just started.

  Joe is having a problem charging his batteries with the solar panels, so Bob rigs a long extension cord from his AC onboard generator to Joe’s AC converter/charger. With this setup, they can charge Joe’s battery bank with Bob’s generator. After a few hours, Joe’s battery bank is charged, so Bob charges his own batteries. Next they take a look at Joe’s solar panels and discover that the problem is nothing more than a loose wire. After a tasty sandwich lunch, and since the sun has now come out, both couples decide to climb to the top of the waterfall and take some pictures. That night they enjoy a large campfire, with some of their neighbors joining in.

  Day 10

  This morning Bob and Mary say good-bye to Joe and Vicki as the friends part, each going their own way. Bob and Mary want to go over to the coast and stay at a park above the beach. They have stayed at this park before, and it has electric and water services available. Although they don’t need the water service, the electrical hookup will be nice for a change.

  After setting up camp, Bob and Mary head out to a small, nearby city that has an "Old Town" with many interesting shops and several nice restaurants. They do some souvenir hunting, and later enjoy an excellent halibut dinner and a glass of wine. Having the luxury of electrical service, they make full use of the TV by watching Monday Night Football, during which Bob’s team loses and Mary’s team wins.

  Day 11

  Our RVers continue farther up the coast today to an excellent boondocking state park, where t
hey plan to stay overnight. The park has a few sites on the bluffs overlooking the ocean, and Bob and Mary want to get there early. With great views and wonderful breezes, these sites fill up fast and are on a first-come, first-serve basis.

  They arrive in time to find a nice site and set up camp. The day is spent doing small chores, followed by a short walk. Bob has recently acquired a wind generator, and since they are in an area with good winds, he wants to try it out (see Chapter 12). He sets up the unit on a pole fastened to a picnic table, and using Gator Clamps, he connects the charge cord to the batteries.

  Immediately the generator starts charging at 6 amps as the wind is blowing between 10 and 15 miles per hour. Not bad for a charging device that will work night and day. (All these charging devices are a trade-off: you must have wind for the wind generator to work and sunlight for the solar panels.)

  For dinner Mary whips up a good meal from the RV’s pantry of canned goods and a few vegetables. For entertainment tonight, they find they can reach a cell-phone tower with their SmoothTalker antenna (see Chapter 7). This allows them to call the family, followed by a few hours of surfing the Web on the computer.

  Day 12

  Bob’s first task today is to check the batteries, and he finds they are fully charged. The wind generator worked great. Next the couple prepares to get underway. One of the big pluses of boondock camping is that you have only a minimal amount of preparation to get underway in the morning. Today the couple needs to drive several hundred miles to get them closer to home. They plan to stay at a casino that is on the way (see Chapter 2).