The idea of the Vanlife or RV-life dream most people picture when imagining freedom, adventure, and the open road probably doesn’t include concrete RV pads, an electrical box, and a 60-foot-by-20-foot plot sandwiched between two other rigs. But if you’re not boondocking, that's likely the experience you’re in for a lot of the time. 

If your RV or van isn’t geared up to be self-contained and go off-grid, you’ll be stuck on a short leash — tied to the nearest electric and water hookups, parked in a campground or on a friend or family member's driveway (read: moochdocking). 

No shade to RV parks and state park campgrounds. These places can be a lot of fun, but they’re not the best places to find wilderness, solitude, or immaculate starry skies, if that’s what you’re into. 

For those things, you’re going to want to try boondocking.

What Is Boondocking?

What is boondocking? Sounds funny… and maybe a little scandalous?

 

Get your mind out of the gutter! Boondocking, in the context of camping, is a term used to describe staying in an RV (or van) somewhere with no access to electric hookups, water spigots or hookups, sewer systems, etc., and where camping is free (no fee). 

Boondocking originally refers to being out in the “boonies” in a self-contained RV or van. It’s usually done on public lands like National Forest or Bureau of Land Management land; however, camping out in a Sam's Club or Walmart parking lot could also be considered boondocking. Especially if you’re in Kansas.

What Is Dry Camping?

Dry camping is another term used in the RV world. Dry camping refers to camping in a rig without using any hookups, even though hookups may be available. For instance, this could be camping at a designated campsite that has an RV pad, fire ring, and picnic table, but no electric or water hookups. 

Dry camping can also mean camping somewhere with access to hookups, but not using said hookups. Instead, maybe you bring your own by filling the tanks and running a generator.

If you’re preparing to boondock beyond services for the first time, you can take a test run by dry camping in a campground with access to facilities in case you happen to need them.

What Is Dispersed Camping?

Dispersed camping refers to free camping, with no permit or fee required, in primitive or undeveloped campsites on federally managed public lands, such as National Forests and Grasslands, managed by the United States Forest Service (USFS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, or Wildlife Management Areas (WMA). 

There might be an indication someone has camped there before, such as a stone fire ring or tamped dirt where tents have been pitched, or vehicles have parked. Beyond that, there should be no trace of campers passed, no developed campsites, and when you leave, all traces of your stay should leave with you as well (learn about Leave No Trace - LNT). 

If you want to learn more about dispersed camping, we have an entire blog on the topic. 

We would say that boondocking on public lands is always dispersed camping, but dispersed camping is not always boondocking. For instance, dispersed camping in a tent isn’t boondocking.

Now that we’ve got you thinking about the philosophical semantics of sleeping in the dirt (or in a vehicle parked in it), let’s talk about how you can get your RV ready for an adventure beyond hookups. 

Preparing Your RV To Go Off-Grid

There’s a lot to think about before going off-grid in an RV or van. Besides packing basic camping supplies, food, clothing, and toiletries, you’ll want to make sure your rig is ready for the adventure. 

Most public lands allow camping in one spot for up to 14 days. However, most self-contained RVs don’t last that long.

The major factors that determine how long and how comfortably you can boondock for are

• Gas. Not just for getting there, but for the generator.

• The size of the freshwater tank.

• The black tank, the gray tank, and how fast you fill them.  

• Propane use.

• GVWR or gross vehicle weight rating.

Gas up before you go

It goes without saying, but we’ll say it anyway.  As much as we all love a cool respite with the air conditioner blowing on a hot day in the desert, don’t forget what runs the generator (hint: it’s the same gas you need to get back to civilization). 

It never hurts to haul some extra fuel just in case. 

Get to know your tank capacities before boondocking

If you’ve never boondocked in an RV, or if you’re in a new rig you’ve never used before, it’s a good idea to plan a dry run to get a feel for how fast you run through potable water and fill the tanks.

It’s often surprising how fast black and gray tanks fill up when the whole fam is traveling together. Few things send a rig back to town as reliably as a too-full blackwater tank or running out of clean water because Grandma showered for too long. 

Remember, it’s illegal in most states to dump gray water on public land. Even though the legalities are muddier in some states than others, it’s not ethical from a Leave No Trace perspective to dump gray water in a natural setting. Chemicals and contaminants from dish soap, shampoo, toothpaste, etc., can leach into the soil, disrupt the natural balance, and harm wildlife. 

Dumping black water anywhere besides an approved waste dump station or sewer hookup at a home or campground is always illegal. 

Pack a portable propane tank

RVs use onboard propane for varying purposes. Most often it’s used to run the refrigerator, furnace, and stove/oven — although the fridge can alternatively run off electricity in most circumstances (refer to the “pack extra gasoline” reminder). 

Purchasing an Extend-A-Stay or Sturgi-Stay kit can help you stay out longer. These kits enable your RV to hook up to an auxiliary propane cylinder so you don’t risk suddenly finding yourself without use of the furnace or range, and no backup.

Alternatively, we carry an RV Quick Connect Hose in case you don’t want to haul a portable propane tank. The quick connect hose lets you hook a LavaBox Portable Campfire up to your RV’s onboard propane tank. 

Weigh your RV and know its limits

Know your RV’s gross vehicle weight rating, which is its maximum safe operating weight, including passengers, everything onboard, and the vehicle weight itself. Stop by a weigh station before hitting the road with all passengers present, and leave some wiggle room. Waste water weighs a lot! 

Heavier rigs bear more burden on washboard, dirt, and unmaintained roads like the ones you’re bound to hit out in the boonies. 

How To Find Campsites for Boondocking in an RV

Finding a spot to boondock is similar to finding somewhere to go dispersed camping. The main difference being that a Subaru or Jeep has an easier time getting to locations with tight access, rough or rocky roads, or low-lying overhead tree branches.

• Online and app-based resources like The Dyrt, Campendium, and AllStays can be cross-referenced to find dispersed camping areas. Read the comments to see how others have fared in similar rigs.

• onX Offroad’s map layering capabilities are helpful for identifying land boundaries between public and private land. It’s also a good app to use for verifying that a trail is accessible for your rig and in general during a given season. 

• The USFS and BLM  offer interactive maps of the land they manage.

• We dive into how to find dispersed camping in our previous Guide to Dispersed Camping blog post.

If possible, play it safe by using a smaller vehicle, ebike, dirtbike, ATV, etc. to scout for campsites down unfamiliar roads and trails or even check them out on foot. You don’t want to get into a sticky situation where you can’t turn around in a big rig that isn’t necessarily designed for off-road use. 

Wherever you wander, plan to arrive before the sun goes down and set aside more time than you think necessary to find a good spot to throw down the leveling blocks and set up camp. 

Share your best tips for boondocking in an RV in the comments

What’d we miss? Drop your pro boondocking tips in the comments to help out the community. 

If you don’t already have a LavaBox and Quick Connect Hose, grab them here. It’s our favorite tip for leveling up your RV camping experience, whether you prefer a campground with amenities or wide open spaces.