It’s a lot of fun to take an RV to a campground, get hooked up and enjoy all the comforts of home in a new environment, but it’s also pretty exciting to head out on a road trip and start each day somewhere new. To pack in as much as you can during the day and keep costs down, you might decide to boondock or dry camp in your RV from time to time. With proper planning, these adventures can provide some of the most memorable experiences of your trip.

While similar, boondocking and dry camping aren’t exactly the same thing. Dry camping simply means RVing without connecting to electric, water and/or sewer hookups. On a road trip, this might mean pulling over for the night in an open parking lot or staying at a more primitive campground. Boondocking, or dispersed camping, takes dry camping a step further and involves camping in your RV for free on public lands. Fortunately, the United States boasts more than 640 million acres of parks and public lands collectively owned by its citizens, and many of them are freely open for your exploration.

The upside of RVing like this is the freedom you get from not restricting yourself to developed campgrounds. Additionally, it’s a great way to save on campground or hotel fees you might otherwise incur. However, camping off the grid requires a bit of preparation.

If you plan to use any electricity for extending your slideouts or operating lights, charge your RV’s batteries to full capacity in advance. Also, fill your freshwater tanks and empty your wastewater tanks before you head out. With all of these amenities, be mindful of your use and conserve as much as possible until you get a chance to replenish your water supply, pump your tanks and recharge your batteries. You can often find dump stations made for this purpose at gas stations, RV dealerships and wastewater treatment centers, and many RV campgrounds will allow you to refresh your vehicle for a fee even if you’re not staying the night.

If you need a shower between dry camping nights, there are a number of places where you can find these on the road. Truck stops often have showers available for a fee along with coin laundromats. If you’re a member of a gym with multiple locations, like Planet Fitness or the YMCA, you can usually use their showers even if it’s not your normal workout location. Campgrounds sometimes allow non-guests to use their showers and laundry facilities for a fee, and beach showers can work in a pinch if you just need a quick rinse.

Now that you know how to do it, where should you stay? If you just need a place to park and get a few hours of sleep, try rest areas, truck stops, Cracker Barrels, Walmarts and Cabela’s stores. All of these generally permit overnight parkers as long as you keep your RV contained and don’t pull out the awning or set up lawn chairs and a campfire. Some locations have restrictions, however, so it’s advisable to call ahead of time and verify the store’s policy or at least check for signage in the parking lot granting permission.

If you’d rather find a more natural habitat or a real destination for your trip, look up public lands along your route. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands in particular often allow dispersed camping, and websites like FreeCampsites.net and Campendium.com/free-camping highlight places where you can stay for free. GoRVing.com, the main Campendium.com site and other resources like Hipcamp.com showcase a variety of public and private sites where you can rest your head.

To start planning your road trip, get in touch with us at Williamson RV Rental LLC, to find the right RV for your adventure, and let us know your plans so we can prepare your unit accordingly. We’ll be happy to share our camping and RV experience with you to help ensure your road trip goes smoothly and creates memories you’ll cherish for a lifetime.