When You Hear; "RV Boondocking"; Does It Make You Nervous?

Does the thought of being camped out in the wild and free make you quiver? Why? This ain't 1870 any more. The Souix stopped raiding the camps of rovers a long time ago.

You  may only need a little RV Boondocking confidence.

Now, I'm not telling you to stick it in gear and drag your fiver over Buffalo Pass like I did. Fact is, most boondockers, with regular sized rigs NEVER drag 'em through the sort of country where I twist and torture mine! :) and some like Mike up Wyoming way... drag his through places I won't push my boots!

The two weeks we spent camped on top of Buffalo Pass I never saw another rig bigger than a pop up or a smaller pickup camper. The rocks that really required 1st gear and four low generally stop the more reasoning individuals.

Just the same, that shouldn't stop you from enjoyin' the benefits of RV Boondocking. There's a jillion miles of road and thousands of camps to enjoy without makin' your lady or your guy grab their ears and squeal; "We're all gonna DIE!"

Fact is, you can get to 'em all pretty much with ease! Is this scene below Boondocked enough for you?

 But, you say; "We've got a big rig to fit our needs and tastes! We can't go to such places."

My reply? If you look just to the right of the picture above, you'd see...

*High Style Boondocking - Look Ma! No Resorts!*

... a tandem axle diesel pusher. Is that big enough for you? His RV Boondocking camp is costing him $12 bucks a night... unless he's 62 or an Army Gimp like me... and then it's $6.

I'm sure there's a lot of folks just getting ready to haul out and see if the road is the place for them. Here's a suggestion; If you're not an experienced sailor I'd not recommend you dive straight in to a trip around the world. Sail along the coast for a bit and get your "Sea Legs."

If you're looking into RV Boondocking 'cause the thought of living in that big rig above with five more just like it parked 15 feet away on every side in an "RV Resort" don't tickle your thistle... You're on the right track.

Just take it slow. Learn easy and don't ruin the journey 'fore you get started, by jumpin' into the deep end, when you can't swim. Gain a bit of experience and then fully equipped and with the green knocked off you can CRACK OUT!

The best opportunity I can think of is Quartzsite in the winter. It's kind of "Basic Training" for Boondockers. Everything is right there. Dump Stations, Water, Trash, fuel, repair people... and best of all... a "Few" thousand other Boondockers scattered across the desert that are happy to lend a hand to a new convert. Have a problem? Just ask and half a dozen will come on the run to give you a hand and show you the ropes.

The alternative to that is a place like this camp we're in right now; Forest Service Campgrounds. Sure we're in a "camp ground." but there's no hookups. No sewer lines. No power. just a hand pump water source and an outhouse. Boondocking in High Style.

The great thing is they give you the time and space to get your feet on the ground and work out the kinks; while you take your hikes through open high country like this, just outside your door...

Rather than the jostling, noisy, paved roads through the "Resort" at $35 bucks a night.

You've got all the systems right there, built into your rig. Why not use 'em?

Over time as you wander, without even thinking about it, you'll start to develop the second nature habit of registering water sources, dump stations, fuel stations you can get into and Back Out Of!  Even public dumpsters and trash transfers! to get rid of that stuff. You'll start to discard the packaging that you can - at the grocery store - rather than having to deal with it in camp.

Over time you'll grow all the skills, tricks and talents of a genuine Boondocker.

You may never get silly enough to drag your fifth wheel over 4X4 roads like SOME yonderers out here do... ;)

What can I say... I have an evil giggle that's heard when I get the startled big eyed looks filling their windshield when "They" come sizzlin' around a bend on the back country, one lane dirt track to be confronted by the radiator of my rumbling Dodge... followed closely by the towering silhouette of my fiver! Muhahahaha!

But... you don't have to...

You can get to plenty of Suh-Wheet RV Boondocking Country... without ever kicking your truck into four wheel drive or calling a tow truck to drag your rig out of the mud...

And as your experience grows and your confidence swells you can start to stretch your envelope a bit. You can go occupy camps you scouted with google maps and checked out with your truck or your toad and expand your horizons with glorious memories of Far Country...

All the photos of this post are a soft morning hike from the camp that big Ol' bus is parked in. Anywhere He can go... YOU can go. Don't anchor yourself in town with the idea you Can't. Come out into Shining Country and find out what you've been missing...

Just... take a minute to Think About it before you follow SOME guys too far... Especially if you hear; "Hey guys! Watch this!" :)

Staying High in the Rockies
Brian