We now have ONE boondocking night under our belts. Technically, according to some we may have just stealth parked (we did have permission as we checked with the manager first). Just depends on your philosophy I guess but the fact is we parked overnight sans hookups/paying so it was good for us for the circumstances we were in.
It was an experience and hopefully we will get better at it as we attempt it again. There are lots of sites out there dedicated to this style of "camping" so I will defer to them as the experts since, as I said, we have done it ONCE! But we do plan to try it again sometime, someplace!
One guy's take and a little history on boondocking is here!
For us it was stopping over in a Sam's Club parking lot after the interstate rest stop just seemed too noisy/busy. It was right next to the highway so it was still a bit on the noisy side and it was hot. Since you are without "hookups" (no electric/water/sewer) you have no A/C so windows were open but the breeze was not flowin'. Did I mention it was HOT. Yeah, it was hot! Thankfully, the next day we were only going a few hours to our next location so it wasn't too bad. I would not have wanted a full travel day after that warm noisy night! Next time we will plan better. Other potential places to boondock include Wal-Mart, Casino's and Interstate rest stops. Make sure overnight parking is permitted. You must always check first, not all Wally World's/Sam's allow it, always ask!We were just asked to park over to the side not near the front doors, easy peasy!
This particular site I stumbled upon recently lets you search specific areas for individuals who offer up their driveway, yard or land for parking. Pretty neat! Maybe we will try that one day! I follow another blog and they do boondockingto the extreme, you can check them and their boondocking out here. We are not ready to be quite this extreme but definitely will keep the option in mind! What about you?
Boondocking is not for everyone, be careful, you must plan ahead; you will want to have water in your tank and enough fuel in your tank to run the generator for at least a little while if needed. You will also need to ask permission but it can be fun and cheap (free) I like that! We are always up for saving some cash. Life on military retirement pay is good but it's always great to stretch our dollars!
Day # info is here if you are wondering...
My husband and I were full time RVer's for two years (we would still be 'on the road' but family issues put us back in sticks and bricks). We had a 38 foot Keystone Montana 5th wheel that we pulled with our F350 dually. We have done boondocking - most of it on our way home from Alaska when we had to make good time. Depending on the time of the year and the part of the country helps determine the level of comfort without A/C. Of course, how tired you are also determines how well you sleep. We had a sign in our 5th wheel which said: "If your heart is in your dreams no request is too extreme. Jimney Crickett" Live your dream while you can.
ReplyDeleteLove the quote...you might see it on a future Wednesday Words! I will link back at you if I do! Maybe you will hit the road again someday, we are certainly enjoying this opportunity. Would like to see Alaska just not sure I want to do it in Sunny. It sounds awesome but I am so not a risk taker that I am not sure how I would make it!!
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