Because I want to sell my RV, I’m working on compiling tips on my beloved boondocking lifestyle.  Basically, I want to sell my trailer, my old one, so I can buy a bigger and better one.  There’s nothing wrong with the old one…I’ve had some great experiences in it.  I just want to spend more time boondocking, and I can do that more easily with a better-equipped rig.  Still, the old one would be good for someone, and so I’m giving out tips for prospective buyers on how to best live the life.

An all-important consideration when boondocking, meaning you don’t have electrical hook-ups, is keeping the batteries charged.  You want to ensure that you’ve got adequate-sized wiring connecting the chassis and the house batteries, because trailer manufacturers frequently undersize the wires.  A six-gauge wire is necessary.

Never leave the refrigerator on gas while towing. It will stay cold for several hours.  Three-way refrigerators aren’t so great.  The best idea that I’ve found is to get an inverter of at least 1,500 watts, then run the fridge on that while you’re on the road.  A generator is a good source, but you want to be careful about the noise.  Try to get a quiet one, and be considerate of your neighbors when using it.

Solar panels can be good. They convert sunlight to DC current.  At least an eight gauge wire from the panel(s) to the battery tank is necessary.  Even when using an inverter and solar panels, though, you still need to carefully conserve your energy.

I want to sell my RV, and I feel like the best way to do that is to make sure people know about the joys of the RV lifestyle, mainly boondocking—camping for free without hook-ups for water, electricity, and sewage.

First, because I respect and appreciate the boondocking lifestyle, I want to caution prospective boondockers to be considerate of other boondockers.  We’re all looking largely for peace and quiet, so if you’re going to park in an area where others already are, be courteous and don’t ever park closer than 100 feet to another rig.

As far as fresh water goes, always get it from an approved source—never springs.  Service stations and truck stops are good places to get fresh water, but you always want to use your own hose.  You don’t know where their hose has been.  Whenever you do use a private campground and pay for hook-ups, fill your tank up while you’re there.

For your sewage, never ever dump on the ground, anywhere.  Besides being illegal in most states, it’s bad manners.  Most service stations, in the West particularly, offer disposal stations for a fee.  The Flying J is especially friendly toward RVers. They have disposal stations, propane, and newer ones have RV-specific fuel plazas.  However, these fuel plazas are often too small for bigger rigs, so if yours is bigger, you’ll still need to use the truck fueling area.

Some chains, including Petro, aren’t RV friendly, and some states are closing their dump stations.  Mostly, this can be attributed to bad manners on the part of RVers.  So always be respectful, and don’t spoil it for everyone else!