Boondocking
What is RV boondocking?
By Russ and Tina DeMaris
Nov 6, 2009, 07:02

Folks unfamiliar with the RV lifestyle are often puzzled by some of the terms: "Fifth wheel, dumping tanks, hitch itch, boondocking?" In reality, RVs were originally created for boondocking, because boondocking means RVing away from utility hookups. Back in the very early days of RVing, there were no RV resorts with electricity and (perish the thought) wifi hookups. OK, so we're laying it on a bit thick, but you get the picture.

Boondocking to some means a night spent on a pavement parking lot, while traveling to a favorite RV park. But for serious boondockers, boondocking means spending days, weeks, even months away from an electrical hookup or dump station. "Why on earth," some wonder, "would anyone want to do such a thing?"

photo courtesy, theslowlane on flickr.com

The answer is one best experienced more than explained. Nevertheless, if you've done any sort of RVing, you probably know what it's like to wake up in the morning while your RV is parked in an RV park. Roll over, open the blinds, and peer out your bedroom window. Sure enough, there's George, next door, looking out his window, trying to figure out whether he should wear shorts today, or resort to long pants. Later in the day, as you "relax" under your awning, you shoo kids away who try riding their bikes through your camp site, and listen the to reassuring sound of deafening stereos as "muscle cars" parade past the RV park on the thoroughfare out front. For all this, you have the privilege of paying $45 a night?

Boondocking, Kaibab National Forest, R & T DeMaris photo

On the other hand, you could try boondocking in any one of the thousands of pristine areas around the country (or in Canada, Mexico, or even farther afield). As you roll open the blinds and peer out at the morning, you see a herd of elk (or wild pigs, coyotes, a covey of quail, etc.) roaming past your "site." Later in the day, as you relax after a little hiking and photography through some amazingly beautiful landscape, you marvel at just how loud silence can be. Nobody comes by asking for your daily rental fees--where you're boondocking, there is no charge for camping.

That, in a nutshell, is a huge reason why so many RVers say there's nothing like boondocking.

But how can you manage to get along without the electricity, the water, the sewage dump hookups? We'll talk about those in our next chat.

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