Tips for Off Grid RVing or Boondocking

Must have tips for RV boondocking. We discovered these necessities on our first boondocking adventure.

What is Boondocking?

Boondocking is a type of primitive RVing. When you off grid RV, you have no connections to electricity, water, or sewage. Don’t be fooled it is no where near tent camping. With the proper equipment free camping doesn’t mean roughing it.

We recently did a weekend boondocking on the beach at Port Aransas, TX. If you have a Beach Parking Pass you can park your rig on the beach for free. The parking pass was $12 per vehicle. When you put down your stabilizing gear make sure you are 25 feet from the roadway and 50 feet from the water.

RV Boondocking Essentials

Water

RV’s and travel trailers come equipped with black water tank for potty water, grey water tank for showers and sink water, and a fresh water tank to carry fresh water for boondocking. You’ll want to start your trip with empty grey and black water and full fresh water. We have a large family so we plan for a nearby RV parks that will allow you to dump the grey and black water and also refill your fresh water. It’ll cost around $10…not too bad. Our last boondocking there were 2 different RV parks within 15 miles to dump and reload. We plan to buy a few 5 gallon water containers for extra water storage.

Propane

Make sure your propane tanks are full because you will use propane for cooking and heating. If for some reason you have a generator emergency, the propane can keep the refrigerator running.

Generator

If you are boondocking in Texas you need a generator. The generator is specifically for running the air conditioner. You want a generator that is capable of running all of your electric stuff. Just in case of a generator failure the on board batteries can run the lights, slide outs, and water pump. But let’s not play around here the climate control is pretty important. Don’t forget extra gasoline to run the generator.

Showering While Boondocking

Showering while RVing off grid can be tricky. So you may want to forego showering until the last day of the vay-cay. You will want to consider the amount of fresh water you have available and the amount of grey water tank space you have left when you shower. A conservative way to shower is to wet your body and turn off the water. Soap and lather then turn the water back on for a quick rinse. This not going to be your relaxing hot shower but, hey, your clean.

Washing Dishes

A dish pan works best. This is my favorite collapsible dish pan and drying rack. Soap up several lightly dirty dishes and rinse them over the dish pan. This will fill the dish pan with some soapy water to soak the heavily soiled dishes. When the dish pan get full of water you can dump it outside instead of filling your grey water tank.

Fun Boondocking Meals

Cooking can be fun and so easy. No special provisions needed. I made breakfast tacos with homemade tortillas one morning and some sheet pan pancakes the next morning. Sourdough pizza was also an easy option for dinner, I just used a sheet pan because there is no way my pizza stone will fit in the oven! Don’t forget the campfire essentials, hot dogs, sausage, smores! Click here for a few RV friendly recipes.

Off grid RVing is so exciting and different from parking at an RV park. Welcome the new adventure and get a closer look at nature right at your door step.