10 RV Boondocking Tips – Dry Camping Tips For Newbies to Veterans

10 RV Boondocking Tips – Dry Camping Tips For Newbies to Veterans

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00:00 Intro
00:48 Tip 1 Test Run
01:42 Tip 2 Research Areas To Camp
03:30 Tip 3 Top Off Everything
04:15 Tip 4 Bring Extras
05:30 Tip 5 Consider Road Conditions
07:17 Tip 6 Conserve Your Resources
08:11 Tip 7 Water Tips
10:13 Tip 8 Power Tips
12:16 Tip 9 Propane Tips
13:58 Tip 10 Leave No Trace
15:52 Closing

Do you like to go boondock camping? Ever wonder what are some tips or best practices for dry camping? Never been boondocking before and wondering what you should do to prepare for your first trip? Well, if you answered yes to any of these questions, this video is for you!

In this video I go over 10 RV/Camper Boondocking Tips. These tips are great for beginner campers all the way up to the seasoned veterans. 90-95% of the camping we do is boondocking or dispersed camping. So, we feel like we have learned a lot from our experiences and want to share that with you. If you have any other Boondocking/Wild Camping/Dry Camping tips, please put them in the comments below. Thanks for watching!

DISCLAIMER: This video and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission at no cost to you. This helps support the channel and allows me to continue to make videos like this. Thank you for the support!

50 Comments

  1. @alvinsaulsberry398 on February 5, 2025 at 4:38 pm

    Great tips 👌

  2. @Bob-pu7ps on February 5, 2025 at 4:39 pm

    i bought a tank for water on Amazon 30 gal ad transfer pump

  3. @kevinmoore1401 on February 5, 2025 at 4:40 pm

    Wow thank you for all of the great ideas! I’m going to be purchasing a Colman 1200rk in September and be a weekend worrier so thank you for the tips.

  4. @justinprince9507 on February 5, 2025 at 4:41 pm

    It’s so sad how poorly people care for disperse camping. Why some of the free dispersed camping is closing.

  5. @davidhenke7735 on February 5, 2025 at 4:42 pm

    Getting into boondocking with a camper. But there are some nights when hiking I decided not to come back to the camper due to bivy camping on the trail. What would you do if leave your camper for a couple of days and the temperature gets cold enough to freeze? What would be your suggestion about preventing the pipes and tanks from freezing? Should I use running water in the camper or not, or a hybrid. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks

  6. @wcarlhepker4806 on February 5, 2025 at 4:42 pm

    Even though you are out in the woods, choose a slight where you have a good view of the sky as well as a lot of trees. We learned this the hard way. We chose a spot that had lots and lots of trees. When night fall came, we took a walk up the road at night. When we came to a clearing, the night sky was breath taking!! From then on, we chose sites where we had good shade and a beautiful view of the sky!!!

  7. @Eddaytona on February 5, 2025 at 4:43 pm

    We do 2 weeks of Burning Man. The ultimate Boondocking trip. You cannot replenish anything. We found that we can make our water last the entire two weeks with this tip.
    We keep the pump off until we need water. Turn it on until the system is pressurized. Turn off pump. Usually enough water to do what you need.
    2d tip. We can get ice so we have a cooler for only drinks. When ice melts we collect in bucket. Leave it out until it’s warm. Use it to wash ourselves.
    3rd tip. No pooping in RV. Use nearby porta potty. By end of 2 weeks, we might have full grey water but only half full black water. Collect grey water and dump it in toilet.
    4th tip. Leave water heater off to save propane. Only shower in late afternoon. Warm water. Btw, a full tank of propane should last two weeks easy for us. By end of time we use water heater as a hot submarine shower is a reward for getting through the trip.
    No grey water EVER on ground. As you say, fill up everything. Take extra everything.
    Hope you find this useful.

  8. @honeybunnybunny1958 on February 5, 2025 at 4:43 pm

    Thank you so much for creating this video

  9. @genemcdaniel8514 on February 5, 2025 at 4:44 pm

    Use common sense!!

  10. @JoseOrtiz-zb7gq on February 5, 2025 at 4:44 pm

    Awesome information. Ty

  11. @heberbelles on February 5, 2025 at 4:45 pm

    when washing dishes outside catch the rinse water in a container to use to flush toilet

  12. @gears945 on February 5, 2025 at 4:45 pm

    Basically pull a camper but don’t use it haha. Jkjk. We are about to buy our first camper and we are super excited, hence why I’m here.

  13. @rorymax8233 on February 5, 2025 at 4:46 pm

    Chain saw, fast setting concrete, get a grip man; waste of time video. 👎

  14. @tracydr01 on February 5, 2025 at 4:47 pm

    I never thought to take my stabilizer bars off!

  15. @CharlieArtner on February 5, 2025 at 4:56 pm

    Before you do the test run on the side of your house check your local ordinance. Many municipalities do allow storage of your camper on the side of your house, but they do not allow anybody living in the camper while it is stored at your house.

  16. @butchkelin3762 on February 5, 2025 at 4:56 pm

    A lot of parks do not allow dumping of grey water on the ground, so using your grey

  17. @davidarmstrong2503 on February 5, 2025 at 4:57 pm

    Thank Youso much.

  18. @RT-tn4ry on February 5, 2025 at 4:59 pm

    Sounds like a huge pain in the ass just to hang out in the brush.

  19. @theflatlandfanatic1158 on February 5, 2025 at 4:59 pm

    Wow….RVers definitely don’t camp the way I do. 3-5 gallons of water per day? That’s nearly a week’s worth of water for me. I guess if you have the ability to carry that much, it’s a great idea to do so.

  20. @edgarserna5042 on February 5, 2025 at 5:02 pm

    I backpacked and slept in my car or on the grass near my car. I got a little trailer now but still not plugged in just parked here. I don’t even have a truck so I can’t move it. Not an adventure just unfortunate

  21. @briancc2100 on February 5, 2025 at 5:02 pm

    What is blm land, black lives matter? What does blm stand for

  22. @acefire4050 on February 5, 2025 at 5:02 pm

    You also want to make sure you don’t have any propane tanks and just to let your generator to run everything and get rid anything that runs off of propane and put everything in that runs off from electricas so when you’re stranded on the middle of nowhere you don’t have to worry about what am I going to cook use to cook food how am I going to keep the fridgerator and freezer cold and this way you only have to rebook to a guy enough power to run the 850 watt split air conditioner heat instabeauty run all those toys I want to be able to watch like the TV and my phone and everything I don’t even use propane for grill I use burkes in little pieces wood and I save thousands that way. And I even grow some of my own food. Yes bring extra fuel called solar panels just in case your solar panels and enough make sure you have a few extra solar panels to help charge your electric generator charge your batteries for your inverter and make sure when you go out camping just kiss you out of there for a couple years have no food for that even if you’re only going up there for a couple weeks or a couple months because you know things can pop up some things can go wrong but if you have electric generators electric converters and batteries you should be just fine with everything else. It’s called being smart about things.

  23. @HelloWorldRobnLisa on February 5, 2025 at 5:03 pm

    Just found your channel, great video!!! Well put together, really solid information. Definitely learned a few things watching. Will use the grey water idea for putting out campfires going forward.

  24. @jjime1175 on February 5, 2025 at 5:03 pm

    Need to cover that battery. The heat and sunlight will deteriorate it fast

  25. @perrymahnke886 on February 5, 2025 at 5:04 pm

    Great video and thank you for sharing some awesome tips. I have purchased a truck camper for boondocking and look forward to using all your tips.

  26. @davemullner7170 on February 5, 2025 at 5:11 pm

    I think I will do mostly boondocking camping when I get my trailer. This offered some great info! Thank you!

  27. @bsfatboy on February 5, 2025 at 5:12 pm

    I have that exact red power inverts.

  28. @ima4tubing on February 5, 2025 at 5:14 pm

    Create a "written" checklist and use it. Everything that is important goes on it like the 10 "tips" in this video that have been translated to "todo". Just like pilots have and use. Checklists can then evolve over time and relate to your specific rig. If "check battery" is on your list, I recommend adding notes to remind you what you do to "check battery". Before a trip I checked my battery by pushing a button on a panel that displayed "13.6" and I was happy. After getting to camp site I realized that I really needed to have removed "shore power" or have thrown the AC breakers off before reading the panel so I read real battery charge and not the output of the battery charger. Another item to have on real checklist is my last one which is "Check under vehicle (towing and towed)" at time of departure. Here a note might state "Get on hands and knees" as this check is not just a "walk around" view. Maybe there is a rock you carefully drove over that you want to remind yourself to avoid when you are starting up; not just that one of your jacks is still down which can be seen by "walk around". On your belly will discover one of your kids’s balls that rolled to the center of the underside that you won’t catch unless you are on your belly. Top 10 items are great start and having it in writing and with you helps ensure things are checked the way you want things checked/done. I would bet that almost everyone has a "mental" checklist and almost no one has it written, available and used including myself. Thanks for the video.

  29. @acefire4050 on February 5, 2025 at 5:15 pm

    35 gallons a day I got these 5-gallon jugs that you got your 5-gallon jugs having three for those per person that’s 20 a person.

  30. @fredmauck6934 on February 5, 2025 at 5:15 pm

    Thanks for the great tips. Your tip about disconnecting the weight-distribution springs, probably cannot be over emphasized. Especially when YT is loaded with tales of RVers breaking their frames on Travel Trailers.

  31. @daphnelhunt on February 5, 2025 at 5:15 pm

    Great video!

    The provincial parks do not allow you to bring firewood from outside the area because it can introduce non native species of insects or plant diseases. You are also expected not to take firewood from live trees. How do you apply a similar "no trace" practice to boondocking?

  32. @billgroden1452 on February 5, 2025 at 5:17 pm

    Can you dig a waste leeching field while boon docking

  33. @TheOliveBoyzz on February 5, 2025 at 5:18 pm

    Food is a big one as well bring along some M.R.E works great look them up if ur new and don’t know but it’s food in a bag that military uses hope I explained that right. Anyways I’m new to boondocking. Hey great channel. I’m trying to build mine. Have a great day

  34. @michelle_nolan on February 5, 2025 at 5:21 pm

    Seeing the same drone shot going by a camper and then a tree gets annoying. Other than that I really appreciate the information!

  35. @rogerspalding5673 on February 5, 2025 at 5:22 pm

    One should not travel long distance on the highway with a full freshwater tank. When I was taught how to tow a 5thW, it was emphasized strongly to wait until you’re close to your final destination until you fill up the freshwater. A full freshwater tank can upset a trailer’s center of gravity to such a degree that it will roll on while taking a corner at 65 mph. I always check where I can get water before I leave home. It’s not that tough.

  36. @glenndavis4452 on February 5, 2025 at 5:23 pm

    Driving semi I have used hand sanitizer to clean dishes and silverware. Followed by a wet cloth rinse. Clean, of course.
    Might save a lot of water.

  37. @Maddie-Girl on February 5, 2025 at 5:24 pm

    Just sold my sailboat yrs of sailing just bought a Rv getting ready for a trip from west coast to east coast ,,glad I found your channel extremely helpful cheers mste

  38. @RVingwithLuck on February 5, 2025 at 5:26 pm

    I use an “extend a stay” on my Class C. It allows me to first use portable propane tanks, before hooking into the RV LP.

  39. @aliceinchainz3003 on February 5, 2025 at 5:27 pm

    yes your a good man..
    a smart man
    nice to meetcha and we will sub you !!
    so with us we only boondock thats it !!
    so anything that can make our lives easier im all about it
    so we hate citi livin
    thats why we put 1k watts of solar on our jayco eagle 332 travel trailer
    with lithium batteries
    as long as we got sun we got tons of power which runs everything in the rv
    overcast we switch to generator wich we run all night then back to solar all day
    our storage has about 25 casses of bottled water for drinkin
    just pop 10 bottles in the fridge thats that .
    about 22 bottles of propane for cookin outside for that coleman grill
    that buddy heater yep got those too.
    alot of my ideas i got from u.
    i can stay off grid for almost 7 months at a time
    before i need to hit a store or a dump station.

  40. @davidhillman3410 on February 5, 2025 at 5:27 pm

    Good idea on the grey water!

  41. @poodleprofessor on February 5, 2025 at 5:30 pm

    I camp solo with my 2 standard poodles, and have only stayed at state parks or Recreation areas. What about safety? I carry, but I’m still kind of scared to go off on BLM land alone.

  42. @fb-gu2er on February 5, 2025 at 5:31 pm

    If I’m gonna not have electricity and water, I’d rather use my tents. Makes no sense to me taking an RV that far out to live priming

  43. @daisybrown7644 on February 5, 2025 at 5:32 pm

    I can’t find any links that you were talking about you were going to put down here

  44. @kpd3308 on February 5, 2025 at 5:32 pm

    The black water tank should not be empty when you set out. It should have at least 5 gal of water in it.
    Maybe bring swimming suit for outdoor showering.

  45. @mistiblu246 on February 5, 2025 at 5:33 pm

    Love the detergent bottle idea, saving my bottle 🙌🏻 great video

  46. @RunningMountains on February 5, 2025 at 5:33 pm

    This was one of the more informative videos I’ve watched- thank you!

  47. @hammer48ful on February 5, 2025 at 5:35 pm

    We use spray bottles to wash our dishes. One diluted soap, one rinse. We also use minnie string lights inside the camper to give us enough light to get around the camper at night.

  48. @pureblood2020 on February 5, 2025 at 5:35 pm

    Microwave = Glamping..🤣

  49. @pennyvance5633 on February 5, 2025 at 5:36 pm

    Check battery levels before leaving. Made this mistake once. Thanks for all the other tips.

  50. @MikesToolShed on February 5, 2025 at 5:37 pm

    6:33 can you do a tutorial video about this, lol

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