Question on boondocking

[Bobjsept53]

Is there a maximum length on campers to boondock in most places? Newtimer Bob

[plasma800]

not really... this is usually done on just open public land...if you can get there, you can camp there

unless you are talking about parking lots... still no hard and fast rules, just stay out of the way. -- unless you're in California or Arizona, where it's prohibited except for public lands.

[SoonToBeFT]

We rarely ever stay in a CG, preferring to Boondock and Dry Camp for many reason. Our last trip out of over 7 weeks, we drycamped/boondocked all but 4 nights.

Generally speaking on public lands where permitted and it states must be 'x' distance away from any established CG, a common time seems to be 14 days max. Some folks will then go 25 miles or whatever is the stated distance and camp there for a further allowable period and so on and so forth. Private properties unless City ordinance states otherwise, usually at discretion of owners. LTVA like AZ, CA pay $180 up to 6 months I believe or $40 for 14 nights.

There's no hard and fast rule that fits all situations, and there are different types of lands as well, ie; Trust lands, not just BLM, NFS, NWR, etc. Also in higher density areas zoning will dictate.

As a rough guide that's been our experience over several years on many extended trips.

STB.

[twogypsies]

Originally Posted by plasma800

unless you are talking about parking lots... still no hard and fast rules, just stay out of the way. -- unless you're in California or Arizona, where it's prohibited except for public lands.

Not so in Arizona. I'm driving by Arizona parking lot folks all the time. It would be an individual owner or city ordinance that would prohibit staying OVERNIGHT on a parking lot. It's not state-wide. The key is 'overnight' and moving on - not homesteading.

Parking lot stays isn't considered boondocking anyway. Boondocking is staying in the boonies.

[Mike and Cha]

Originally Posted by plasma800

not really... this is usually done on just open public land...if you can get there, you can camp there

unless you are talking about parking lots... still no hard and fast rules, just stay out of the way. -- unless you're in California or Arizona, where it's prohibited except for public lands.

Not Prohibited in California either, it is also dependent on local ordinances. I'm not sure where you get the info, but that is not true.

[tmm2good]

Are you talking length of stay? or length of your RV?

[Bobjsept53]

Originally Posted by tmm2good

Are you talking length of stay? or length of your RV?

I was talking rv

[Bobjsept53]

When dry camping or boondocking are you using generator for electric & what about emptying tanks?

[mel s]

Originally Posted by Bobjsept53

Is there a maximum length on campers to boondock in most places? Newtimer Bob

Bobjsept53
Methinks your rig can be as long as you want it to be...(however your rig might not be allowed to stay as long as you want it to).

[1bigmess]

Originally Posted by Bobjsept53

When dry camping or boondocking are you using generator for electric & what about emptying tanks?

I have solar for the low energy stuff, generators for the high demand stuff and AC.

I try to catch the dishwater in a basin and pour it outside where allowed. I do the same with daily washing and shaving water. Showering is done in a manner that not only conserves water, but gray tank volume. Black tank gets a treatment for odors and to break down solids, and when it is full I go dump it. If I am careful, I can go a month between dumps.

I bring water back to camp in three five gallon water carriers and refill the fresh tank.

[mel s]

Originally Posted by Bobjsept53

When dry camping or boondocking are you using generator for electric & what about emptying tanks?

Bobjsept53
This will answer most of the questions you have about boondocking, (and some questions you don't know you have): Boondocking 101: The Secrets to Success

To find even more information about boondocking Google "boondocking 101".

Mel
'96 Safari

[OLYLEN]

A lot depends on the topography of the land. In the desert almost any size any where outside of the major cities and really not far out. In the forested areas small roads and trees with over grown parking spots and how far you wish to drive on gravel roads. Each area is a bit different and many different government controls, some very lax(you can camp anywhere there is room) and some very constrictive in cost and how close or far from main roads. We never had a problem and we were 63' from AZ to Alaska. But now that we are 31' the sky is open.

LEN

[Possum]

Last winter we ended up doing a fair amount of boondocking in Arizona. The RV sites we were going to go to were all full or had no room for a 30 footer. At an RV site we did manage to book we were told we could only stay 4 days but a week later they had an opening for a further week. I asked where we could go in the mean time and she told us to head down the highway to East Thousand trails Road and find a spot to park in and to come back the following Saturday morning. We did that and when we couldn't find accommodations after that second we went back to the Forestry lands and stayed until our booking at Dead Horse Ranch State Park was open. While we were there a man came into the area where we were booked and explained to us we had on 14 days to stay there and then we had to leave to another jurisdiction and stay there for their 14 day maximum and the go to another jurisdiction for a further 14 days. So we used Coconino National Forest, Prescott NF and Sedona NF when we couldn't find RV sites open.

[TateLMcD]

My wife and I have been on the road fulltime since February. We have driven from coast to coast. We have yet to pay to stay for a single night anywhere. National forests are our bread and butter but blm and local lands are used too.

We camp until the black tank is full then move on, we dump and refill while at it.

Solar meets almost all our energy needs. We run the gen to vacuum and make coffee. We have stayed in places where we don't need ac. Sometimes we've used a small propane heater when it gets really cold as the big furnace burns a lot of propane.

We have documented our trip in videos including how we find good campsites. Look us up on YouTube Sundowner Sails Again.