Even if you are the type of RVer that is not interested in living off grid, but prefers the comforts of having a pitch you still need to be ready to boondock. If there is one rule to being successful at RVing it is understanding that you need to always expect the unexpected.
You may plan to only stay at RV resorts or campgrounds, but the reality is that there will always be events that have you needing to boondock and use your RV off grid or not hooked up to services.
As an RVer it is up to you to know how to deal with those moments. In this article, I will go over several of the ways that you can keep your RV prepared for boondocking.
Keep the battery charged
Not having electricity can really cause your RV trip to be a lot less than you hoped for. One of the reasons you have an RV is so that you don’t have to rough it. Otherwise you could have saved a lot of money and just bought a tent.
Every time you have the opportunity to charge the battery then take advantage. Even if it means taking a little more time at a site than you had planned. The issue is that you may find yourself further away from the next campsite than you had expected. So, having a way to charge the battery on the fly is essential. If you don’t know how to charge an RV battery with a generator then check out the guide.
To make sure that you don’t have this problem frequently, you’ll need to understand exactly how much energy you need for your normal daily routine. A couple of days before setting out, unplug from the electric supply and see how much of the battery is used in a 24 hour period. Now you know how much time you will have while boondocking before you have to charge up again.
Be smart with your water
Another limited resource is your water. You’ll have to know exactly how much water that you need to get by on a daily basis. You should do exactly the same procedure as in the last section regarding your battery. In this case, you will unplug from the water supply and see how much of your tank is used. You may be shocked to see exactly how much water is used. It’s important to find ways to stretch your water supply when you are boondocking so have a system in place.
For starters, you should just use less to begin with. This means taking shorter showers and shutting the water off while you lather up. Also, instead of throwing out the grey water from doing dishes, save it to use to pour down the toilet to flush it.
When washing dishes, you can also rinse the plates in a bucket of water and then dump it outside so you don’t use space in your wastewater tank.
Featured image: Damon On Road/Unsplash
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