I Need MORE Advice from Experienced RVers

[JDOnTheGo]

If you boondock you have no electricity so you will have to run your generator several hours a day to keep your battery charged and even then you won't be able to use much electricity.

Using previously defined terms - Hogwash!  I dry camp/boondock for two-four weeks at a time (depending on the rules at the location) and NEVER run my generator.  It is called solar power. No, it didn't cost a fortune, about $1,200.  Using your fuel cost numbers, the solar system paid for itself in less than a year and now the power it produces is free.

...plus you would have to drive to the gas station frequently to keep the tank full. Next is water. A small RV holds maybe 30 gallons at the most. Taking very short Navy showers you might be able to make it last a week before you would have to head for the dump station.

This is sort of the point I was attempting to make with equipment/rig selection.  Some are happy to have one week of tankage. I wanted more and can make it a full month if I am in moderate conservation mode (which still includes showers and using the toilet).  There are options - you are not stuck with only one week no matter what. Obviously (or maybe not), there is a cost to this much utility - there are pros and cons to every decision.

They cost between $5 and $10 a dump.

There are many free dump sites here in the west.

...they always think that boondocking is living for free. It is not. You need utilities to get by in life.Totally unrealistic.

I agree that it is not free.  However; it can be MUCH less expensive than some make it out to be and, for people like me, MUCH more enjoyable that being packed into an RV park.  Thankfully, it is not for everyone.

Most National Parks do not allow bookdocking

Agreed.  There seems to be a disconnect here.  I was originally talking about National Forest Service (and BLM) managed land.  However; I see that I later used the NPS acronym - apologies for the confusion.  I have no experience in a National Park - only in National Forests (and BLM).

 

[SeilerBird]

Using previously defined terms - Hogwash!  I dry camp/boondock for two-four weeks at a time (depending on the rules at the location) and NEVER run my generator.  It is called solar power. No, it didn't cost a fortune, about $1,200.  Using your fuel cost numbers, the solar system paid for itself in less than a year and now the power it produces is free.

Camping for a few weeks at a time is a whole different ballgame than living full time.

There are many free dump sites here in the west.

There are not many there are a few free ones but most cost money. When you are full timing you don't want to be forced into camping near a free dump station.

I agree that it is not free.  However; it can be MUCH less expensive than some make it out to be and, for people like me, MUCH more enjoyable that being packed into an RV park.  Thankfully, it is not for everyone.

Once again there is a huge difference between boondocking for a few weeks and full timing. I am "packed" into an RV park and find it quite enjoyable. There is a convenience store on the premises and I have wonderful neighbors. I have a mail box and we have community events like pot luck dinners, two pools, and a hot tub. It is not nearly as horrible as living all by myself out in the middle of nowhere.

 

[JDOnTheGo]

Tom, I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.  Also, I think you can see from my signature that I am a full-timer so any comments about "weeks" had to do with the length of time allowed at any one spot.

Obviously, everybody is different and there is nothing wrong with that.  I attempted to say that people like ME prefer boondocking to an RV park - I was not attempting to say that EVERYONE should feel the same.  Maybe you prefer red, I prefer blue; I don't see any need to argue about which is "better".  Just the same, I feel no need to argue about whether having a hot tub or a convenient store nearby is "good" or "bad".

 

[JDOnTheGo]

Aminton,

As you can see, not even full-time RV's agree on the "correct recipe."  This is why I suggest that, if it is REALLY something you want, you get out and give it a try.  In a very short period of time you will learn a tremendous amount about what YOU want and don't want.  Some people rent a smaller class C for a month or two, I suspect that is a reasonable investment.

 

[SeilerBird]

It is pretty simple JFNM, if you don't want to argue with me then don't start an argument by telling me point by point my opinions are wrong. Simply present your side of the story without trying to make me look bad.

 

[Tom]

Folks, please take any personal beefs to email or PM. There's no need to ruin a good topic and good information.