Boondocking is a term used for RVing with no hookups. Dry camping is another term people use for this method of RVing. Boondocking allows you to access locations that are more remote and inexpensive but don’t have utility hookups. Boondocking provides opportunities to get closer to beautiful scenery such as lakes, rivers and mountains that don’t have any infrastructure nearby.
When boondocking in these settings, it is desirable to not be limited in any way by an empty fresh water tank, a full gray/black water tank, propane shortage or loss of electricity.
The best way to extend boondocking time is to expand your utility capacity and storage. Increasing your supply of power, water and propane as well as supplementing your black and grey tank capacity, will prolong your stay many days. By minimizing your usage of power, water, propane and sewer, you can lengthen your time boondocking even more. Strategically planning your food storage and meals will ensure you don’t run out of food before you are ready to leave.
Expand Your RV Power, Water and Propane Supply
Power
Expand your power supply by using solar panels. Solar panels on the roof of your RV will harness an endless supply of free energy from the sun. A system with several panels will provide plenty of electricity for the average RV. If you don’t already have solar panels, installing them will equip you well for boondocking. If you already have panels, consider adding one or two more to increase the amount of power available to you when you are boondocking.
If you have older panels, consider replacing them with the newer ones as part of your strategy for increasing your power supply. Newer solar panels have a higher wattage rating, which gives more power amps than older panels that are of the same size.
If you don’t have any more space on the roof of your RV and you want to expand your solar power capabilities, you can purchase panels that can be setup on the ground with either an OEM or DIY stands. This solution requires additional work as the panels must be setup and torn down (unlike roof panels) but the more power generation you have, the faster you can top off your batteries; especially with large banks. After all, there’s only so much sunlight during the day.
Solar panels directly charge your RV batteries, so it is important to have a battery system that can accommodate the full amount of power being received from the panels. The storage capacity of a battery system is measured in amp hours. The more amp hours you store during the daytime, when the sun is shining on the solar panels, the more amp hours you’ll have available at night.
One way to expand the storage capacity of your battery system is to replace traditional lead acid batteries with lithium iron phosphate batteries. Lead acid batteries are designed such that they are damaged if their charge drops below 50% capacity.
For example, a 100 amp hour lead acid battery can only supply 50 amp hours of power (50%) before it must be charged again. Taking the charge lower than 50% can permanently damage the battery. Lithium batteries, on the other hand, can safely be depleted down to almost 0% with no issues.
Other benefits of lithium batteries include faster charging, no need for venting, the ability to orient them in any direction, and a lighter weight.
You might ask ‘Why doesn’t everyone just use Lithium batteries?’ The answer is pretty simple, Lithium batteries are expensive. However, if you plan on using your RV often and will be boondocking, I highly recommend spending the additional money to upgrade to Lithium. The benefits of Lithium far outweigh the cost if you are living in your RV full time.
Want to make sure you’re getting the best bang for your buck? Mortons on the Move put together a fantastic video with scientific testing and concrete numbers. It turns out, battery manufacturers are probably lying to you.
Another way to increase storage capacity is to add more batteries to your battery system. By adding batteries in parallel, you have that many more amp hours available to use.
I started RVing with a 100 amp hour Battle Born lithium battery. Since then, I have added two more Battle Born lithium batteries, for a total of 300 amp hours capacity. The additional batteries I added to my system allow me to boondock twice as long as I did before the upgrade.
For cloudy days, when solar is not able to charge the batteries, use a small, quiet generator like a Honda 2000 watt inverter generator to quickly charge your batteries.
Water
Increasing the amount of fresh water on board will allow you to extend your time boondocking without you running out of water.
Drinking water is vital to your survival. Of all of your finite resources, water is most important.
Here are several ways to increase your water supply:
- Fill a Berkey filter and bring it with you
- Purchase several 3 to 5 gallon water jugs such as this one. They are inexpensive and easy to refill.
- Use potable Water bladders
- Use a 75 gallon truck holding tank and combine it with a pump
- Collect water at a river or collect rain water (this may be illegal in some locations). Filter and use this water for showering or bathing. Use a collapsible rain water barrel to store rain water.
Propane
To make sure you have a sufficient amount of propane for extended boondocking, consider using larger propane tanks or adding an extra tank to your propane system. If adding an extra tank, do not store it in any indoor location where people are present, as this becomes a safety hazard.
While boondocking in the Alaskan wilderness during the cold season, I added an additional 20 pound tank which I stored in the bed of my truck.
Expand Your Grey and Black Tank Capacity
Your time boondocking will eventually come to an end when your grey water tank (sinks and shower) and/or your black water tank (toilet) are full. Fortunately, there are a few ways to expand your sewer capacity.
One option is to dump your waste into a portable tote tank or bladder. We recommend the following tote tanks.
Barker 4-Wheeler Tote Tank – 42 Gallon Capacity
Camco (39006) Rhino Heavy Duty 36 Gallon Tote Tank
If you are towing your RV with a truck, another option is to place an agricultural bladder in your truck bed and dump your grey and/or black water tank into it using a macerator pump.
For an example of the agricultural bladder setup, skip to 7:30 in this video:
If you plan to expand your grey and black water capacity with an external container, make sure you have the ability to transport and store it safely.
Minimize Your Usage of Power, Water, Propane and Sewer
Rationing all of your utilities will help extend your boondocking time by several days.
Power
If your batteries have a lower charge and solar is not available (it’s cloudy or night time), reduce your power usage. Turn off lights when not in use. Reduce the amount of time watching television or listening to the stereo. Limit your use of vent or circulation fans.
Water
Take quick (sailor) showers. Wash dishes all at once with minimal rinsing. Plan meals that don’t require a lot of water. You shouldn’t ration your drinking water as dehydration can cause significant health issues. If you run out of drinking water, it’s time to go.
Propane
By altering your lifestyle to use your furnace, water heater and propane stove less often, your propane will last longer. For more details on how to save propane, read this article How To Save Propane When RVing. It will give you helpful tips on reducing your propane usage.
Sewer – Grey and Black Water Tanks
You can eliminate the use of your black tank by replacing your flush toilet with a composting toilet that does not use water and does not dump into the black tank. We recommend the Nature’s Head composting toilet.
When you install a composting toilet, you have the option to modify the black tank to use it as an extension of the grey tank, thus doubling your grey water capacity.
To mitigate grey tank limitations, take showers and wash dishes outside using environmentally friendly soap. Check local guidelines before using environmentally friendly soap outside.
Strategically Plan Your Food Storage and Meals
Strategically planning your food storage and meals will allow you to boondock for an extended period of time without running out of food. After determining how many days you intend to boondock, arrange your menus to use the fresh food first and then non-perishable food later on.
Use non-perishable replacements whenever possible. For example, use milk substitutes that don’t need to be refrigerated. For some of your last meals, use freeze dried meals.
Use a thicker cooler, such as a Yeti, to expand your refrigeration or freezer space. These coolers are able to keep food cold for five days or more. If using a tow vehicle, use an electric cooler that can be plugged into the cigarette lighter or power inverter of the vehicle.
If power and space allow, add a small deep freezer to your RV. A deep freezer will greatly increase your boondocking longevity.
Conclusion
Boondocking in my RV is one of my favorite ways to experience the beauty of nature. Expanding the supply and capacity of utilities such as power, water and propane has allowed me to boondock in more remote locations for longer periods of time. Hopefully this article gave you some good ideas to extend your time boondocking at your favorite locations.
Related Questions
Can I Boondock in National Parks or National Forests?
Some national parks allow overnight camping, but it’s generally restricted to established campgrounds. In national forests, boondocking is permitted with a few restrictions. You can find national forest boondocking sites through popular apps like Campendium, All Stays or RV Trip Wizard.
How Can I Do Laundry While Boondocking?
Because water is so precious while boondocking, I recommend not doing laundry while boondocking. Instead, bring enough clothes to last the entire trip. If you must wash a few items, such as underwear, consider hand washing in a bucket to conserve water. Alternatively, if you are able to collect rain water or have another water source such as a river, you can wash your clothing using those water sources. You may need to filter or boil the water before using those sources.