"Permanent" boondocking

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denmarc

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Aug 8, 2009
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2,502
Location
Grand Rapids, Michigan
I have read threads on this site until I could not see straight anymore!  Haven't run across what I am looking for yet...
I was just wondering if there are those out there that have a TT/camper/5ver parked out in the wilderness somewhere?
Like me, a 37' TT, out in God's woods next to a river with no power or clean water.  Others that just want to get out of town for the weekend maybe?
If so, how about some ideas and thoughts that may help some of us?
 
There are 2 major problems that I see.  1.  Hauling in clean water for drinking etc....  2. Getting rid of the waste  (gray and black tanks).  These issues have to be addressed. Otherwise, I personally would be happy living on a river where I could fish and hopefully hunt. I can and have done without electricity so it is possible.
 
I guess you can haul in enough water to drink and meet basic hygiene needs, but you have to dispose of that waste water too and that's a more burdensome problem. That idyllic spot by the river won't stay that way long if you start dumping waste water on/near the site.

For power you can use generator and solar to charge batteries and use an inverter so you don't have to run the genset whenever you need a bit of power.
 
We do not have an RV permanently parked in the Back Country. But we still have a Cow Camp ( in the mountains for cattle summer grazing) on the Summer Range just like we always had in our earlier days. I suspect the permanent parked RV could be the same.

Since our Summer Cow Camp is miles from a road and there are no modern facilities, we still use an Outhouse over a pit for sanitation. We get our water from a natural spring on the mountainside above the cabin. We boil the water making coffee and use the water "as is", heated on the single stove for washing. Our stove burns wood that we cut on the scene. We haul in our supplies including the horse feed and our own. In the winter we use the camp with horses until the snow is too deep. Then we use Snowmobiles to and from the camp. In the summer the camp is used while cattle on the range and in the Fall we use it as a hunting camp.

I believe a permanently parked RV would work just as well.
 
They make a portable tank that you can use to drain the black water tanks into and take it home to dump. You can buy 50 gallon water tanks at farm and ranch stores to haul potable water back and forth.
 
That idyllic spot by the river won't stay that way long if you start dumping waste water on/near the site.

Not to mention that if you're near a river or other body of water, there are laws (for example, the Clean Water Act) that specify no sewage or septic drain fields in certain areas.  Make sure you check all the legal aspects before doing anything like that.

ArdraF
 
Gary hit it closest.  And many posted concerns about waste.  I respect Mother Earth way too much to just dump waste anywhere. 
I had built myself a miniature septic tank out of a plastic 55 gallon drum and PVC piping.  Along with a small leach field.  Using only yeast to maintain the septic system and it's worked out great for years.  I do have a rustic style outhouse when I ate too much chili and the wife insist I go out there.  I'm not sure why.  Non-burnable refuse goes home with me. 

I also have a food grade 55 gallon drum in a cradle I had built that fits nicely in the back of my pick-up truck for fresh water.  I use a RV fresh water pump to transfer the water to the TT.  A large TV antenna on a rotor keeps me in touch with the world and also local in case the weather turns nasty.  Terrestrial DTV works great for me.

Power supplied by Honda 3000is and a battery bank maintained by solar.  An inverter supplies the TV, rotor, and DTV converter so the genny doesn't need to be used.

ArdraF also brings up a good point concerning the protection of lakes, streams, rivers, etc. 
My place is actually about 100 yards back from the river and about 100-150 feet higher in elevation above it.  The water table is about 113 feet down.  I did my research before doing what I did and all is well.  Though my set-up is not to code, I was assured that due to being on such a small scale that there would be no problems.

That's my story.  I really enjoy sitting at the campfire listening to the owls and watching the deer near the river.  The quiet in the evening is just what the doctor ordered when it comes to getting my head screwed on straight again after a work week.

To Rancher Will:
I envy you, my friend.  No mountains in Michigan and I realize that I have most of the conveniences of home at my TT.  My wife is happier this way.  But it sounds like we both enjoy the same idea of the great outdoors.
 
I don't know about permanent but our situation sounds the same. I own 18 acres in the Adirondacks with a river running through the backend of the property. Just picked up our trailer on Friday and it will be spending a considerable amount of time there boondocking.

I plan on picking up 3 essential things. A generator, a Barker portable to remove waste at a nearby campground for a small fee, and a collapsable bladder to bring in fresh water also from the nearby campground for no charge.

Regards,
Chris
 
StarDust:
One piece of advice.  Don't take any shortcuts on the genny.  Believe me, you will be sorry if you do.  Do the research and make darn sure you get a genny with more than enough wattage to handle your needs/wants.  I have owned several generators over the years and have settled on the Honda.  It just works out the best for me.  The newer Eu3000is is fantastic!  Quiet, economical, and long running.  I have it in a 10' X 10' well ventilated shed about 20 feet away from the TT and I can hardly hear it at night.  Cost a few bucks more but well worth it.  Safe for electronics and the Eco-Throttle will let me run it at night for over 21 hours for charging the batteries if needed.
No Honda plug intended.  Just the advice to do all the research before you hand over the cash when buying the genny.
Enjoy.

 
I am in the process of boondocking a 31 foot TT in WTX, in the desert (Terlingua Ranch).  We are 15 miles off pavement, rough road, takes about an hour to get back to our site.  Alpine, the nearest town with supplies, is a 2 hour drive so the process of getting up and running has been a labor of love.  But, it is fun.  The kind of work that we know will pay off with long stays in pure solitude with a perfect dark sky at night.  Not many places that you can roam 225,000 acres on 1200 miles of unimproved roads and not see a soul. 

My issue is water.  Building a steel shelter 25 x 40 and installing 2 x 1600 gallon tanks to harvest rainwater for showers/sink/head.  Potable water is another issue...we just plan on bringing it in as needed.  Also installed a septic with leach lines.  I too am leaning on purchasing a pair on Honda 2000's that can be linked for backup power.  Probably add a solar panel in the future to limit gen useage.  I just want the gen for backup and when I need to run A/C.  The gens are portable enough that I will transport to/from permanent residence where I can also use as home backup.  I must admit, after buying the property, I was like, "What have I done?"  Logistics were a major hurdle.  The first being getting the TT back to our site.  I hired it out to a few locals that had a small CAT and 1 ton P/U.  We managed to get her on site in just over 3 hours and all intact....only one flat.  I felt a huge load lifted off my shoulders as this was my main concern.  Hopefully, the shelter will be finished by the end of the month and I will have the TT under cover.  Then the mantra is "please rain, please rain."  The sky has been holding back since last sept.  Until tanks are full I will be hauling via my P/U non-potable from the Ranch Headquarters. 

Interesting place for some snowbirders....I have met a host of folks from the northern latitudes that spend winter in the area.  Not for everyone...the desert is unique and for some reason attracts the same.  Big Bend NP HQ is about an hour drive away.  Check it out....

Where rainbows wait for rain.....
http://www.terlinguaranch.com/index.html

 

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