Is boondocking more for the part or full-timer

Bus Hunter · 10-26-2012, 11:28 PM

If full-timing? Do you prefer to stay at campgrounds or boondock somewhere?

Bus Hunter

The Newell · 10-27-2012, 01:44 AM

I much preferred to Boon dock (we call it Wild Camping) than to book on to a Campground. Not to save money, but to choose my neighbors.

NEWELLWIZARD · 10-27-2012, 02:33 AM

It's for both! If you fulltime you may want to take advantage of boondocking. I have friends who only take their coach out for vacation trips and they ALWAYS boondock! They brag about how they have never paid to stay anywhere.

David Carrol · 10-27-2012, 06:09 PM

You must understand that there are as many ways to live in an RV as there are to live in a house. There far more than the two choices that you list. Like most full timers, I have done some of both choices that you list, but spend most of our time doing neither of them.

We also dry camp at times when we travel, parking either in the drive way of friends we know from our travels, or in the parking lot of Wal Mart or some other RV friendly facility. These can hardly be called boondocking since they are usually right in town, but dry camping is a better term since they do not have external facilities. We very rarely do that for more than a day or two.

Yet another choice is the use of "Stoppin Spots" supplied by Escapees. These are facilities that are owned by members of the RV club who enjoy the visiting of other members and often provide water and electricity and occasionally even sewer connections. These spots are free or for a very small donation for the services. We often repay by taking the hosts out for dinner or such.

There are also those who work-camp for pay in commercial parks, others who own a site that has connections for the RV, still others who are members of co-op RV parks where they have long term sites and still others that have commercial memberships to places like Coast to Coast that supply sites. I am sure that there are still other choices that I failed to mention, but this should give you some idea of the diversity of life style among the fulltime RV community. If you are interested in our way of living and considering joining the fulltime RV community, do not limit yourself to the choices that others have made before you! The beauty of RV living is the freedom to live and to travel in any manner that suits you.

David Carrol

speedingsport · 10-27-2012, 10:47 PM

If you don't mind not having hookups then boondocking is for you!

prairieschooner · 10-28-2012, 12:15 AM

We are not fulltiming and do not have any want to, we lived on our sailboat for 13 years.
When traveling we do like the luxury of electricity, sewer, and swimming pools. Now sometimes Boon Docking is necessary to visit some areas. We can Dry-Camp or Boon Dock for 2 weeks no problem then we need to get water and dump.
It is an advantage to be able to Boon Dock but when I get some time off I want Hook Ups!

Neweller · 10-28-2012, 12:52 AM

I'm with you Steve. Done the fulltiming and don't have the urge to do it again. It was fine while trapped in it, and now after being out of it, don't plan on doing it again. I will always be ready to boondock if need be. I don't know if I like the idea of spending $40-100.00 every night to camp, especially just to arrive late and leave early. I'll boondock wherever and when I find the place I like and want to stay for a couple of nights or longer, roost at a nice park or resort. If I'm paying the piper, then roll out the luxuries. I will still consider dry camping or wild camping in the great outdoors for a week, just to hide out once in a while away from the ruckus.

MrE · 10-28-2012, 03:08 AM

I don't full time, but I do prefer boon docking (dry camping) while going from point A to point B for the same reasons that Ken lists. Idaho has a lot of great areas to park that don't have hook-ups, and like Joseph states, it's nice to be able to pick your neighbors (or lack thereof).