Good stuff. Another great tip for re-using your same plastic dishware and cleaning them up quickly without running water - Bring a spray bottle of vinegar water (half white vinegar and half water) and just spray your dishes as soon as you are done using them and wipe them clean with a paper towel. Works great and you're not doing traditional dishes in the sink.
Recently came upon your videos. Simple, to the point and with salient information. Thanks for NOT having any mind numbing background music. We appear to have the same barber.
Shower/bathing tip from the villages in the jungles of Borneo: get a collapsible laundry tub and dipper. Fill with warmed (or cool) water. Just fill the dipper, put it over yourself, and bathe. Having a mat to stand on to keep out of the dirt helps, if not, flip flops work to keep your feet clean. No need to buy a lot of expensive solar/electric powered equipment. I did that regularly (as did the locals) for many years when I lived in Sarawak.
Nice tips! We often use a gallon container and have a decent shower with water leftover! And we have a footwash collapsible bin we put water in by the door for last minute clean feet!
Great tips! I didn't hear you mention a solar or wind up weather radio. We saw them at Bass Pro Shop.. you never know when the weather is gonna turn evil! A good first aid kit, good cooking over a fire instead of the propane.. and family wireless entertainment.. get the kiddos unplugged! Withdrawals are unpleasant, but worth it! 🛻🚌❤️
Robert here. I'm100%disable medically retired from. U.S.A.F. First time I've commented on you and your wife. I really like your program. Hopefully you will have more episodes. I know I will.
Thank you for your service! And thanks for taking the time to check out our channel and videos! We've got tons of older videos from our first few seasons and we'll be releasing new videos in upcoming weeks/months as we're working hard to document our remodeling project! Thanks again for reaching out!
You qualify for a California distinguished veterans pass. You can stay free at all state campgrounds. My son is halfway to retirement.E6 SF. There's nothing I can really do for him, But as a camp host, I can assist his brothers and sisters in any way necessary. You are family
Yes it does! SO many great games to full-time RVing... how long can you wear the same clothes, how little can you pay in camping fees each month, how long before you have to dump the tanks... Thanks for watching!
I have to admit the ‘conserving water’ thing boggled my mind. People have to think about this? I have a ‘stationary camper’ I’ve been using for over three years to save money in hopes of buying property. I’ve hauled water and had no grid power in all that time. You can shower daily, cook, take care of things with under 2 gallons per day. Good video. Probably useful to a lot of folks. It is just that a couple of things seemed unnecessarily inconvenient or - like the water- run-of-the-mill common sense. Growing up, we tent-camped everywhere we vacationed. From Florida to Nova Scotia and everywhere between. Dishpan dishwashing was the norm. There was no running water. A Coleman gasoline lantern. I’m not making fun; I was bemused. by the headlamp idea… I have 400W of solar and 450Ah of battery, 1200W true sine inverter. I have lots of 12V led light, no headlamps. I use an electric coffeemaker daily. Once my property is secured I’ll move it there. However, I’ve already started a few other minor mods that will let me tow anywhere I please without concern for hookups or electric- just like now. It’s 24’ so it’s not cramped- and completely configured for off-grid. I have no generator. Installing a new 32 gallon freshwater tank and not using the holding tanks (shower can go on the ground) I can be wherever if I want to boondock and have no constraints other than needing to be at work or maybe running out of water in 14 or 15 days.
I have to admit the ‘conserving water’ thing boggled my mind. People have to think about this? I have a ‘stationary camper’ I’ve been using for over three years to save money in hopes of buying property. I’ve hauled water and had no grid power in all that time. You can shower daily, cook, take care of things with under 2 gallons per day. Good video. Probably useful to a lot of folks. It is just that a couple of things seemed unnecessarily inconvenient or - like the water- run-of-the-mill common sense. Growing up, we tent-camped everywhere we vacationed. From Florida to Nova Scotia and everywhere between. Dishpan dishwashing was the norm. There was no running water. A Coleman gasoline lantern. I’m not making fun; I was bemused. by the headlamp idea… I have 400W of solar and 450Ah of battery, 1200W true sine inverter. I have lots of 12V led light, no headlamps. I use an electric coffeemaker daily. Once my property is secured I’ll move it there. However, I’ve already started a few other minor mods that will let me tow anywhere I please without concern for hookups or electric- just like now. It’s 24’ so it’s not cramped- and completely configured for off-grid. I have no generator. Installing a new 32 gallon freshwater tank and not using the holding tanks (shower can go on the ground) I can be wherever if I want to boondock and have no constraints other than needing to be at work or maybe running out of water in 14 or 15 days.
@@fishhuntadventure A good way to conserve water and get very clean is to use a few drops (10 or 15+ drops) of povidone iodine a.k.a Betadine (antiseptic/antimicrobial brown stuff) in about 32 - 40 ounces of water to completely wash your body. Use a bucket and washcloth to wipe down your entire body. Dip and gently wring the washcloth each time you wipe down body parts and limbs to not get sopping wet. No need to use a towel to dry off either. Half a gallon of water will clean 2 people. For a visual example, in the movie, No Country for Old Men, the evil hit man, Anton Chigurh created the mixture to pour on his thigh wound. He blew up the pharmacy in order to steal supplies to treat the wound. You'll get super clean. I will sometimes wash with the mixture whenever I don't feel like taking a shower, but need to do something to keep from smelling funky.
Great video! I have just purchased a new cargo trailer slated for custom conversion. I also will be living full time (by necessity) bouncing to and from free camping in the Deep South, when I have the trailer suitable for occupying. I am relying heavily on RUclips and people like yourself to draw from your experience and knowledge. Thanks for your generosity with your time and resources helping the rest of us enjoy the purity of freedom.
Perfect list of things to consider, especially if you’re camping more than 3 days. We dry and boondock about 3 nights and 4 days, so we have more finite energy numbers which gives us more confidence. Everything you say is true, but for the days we are out we are not as worried about water, our grey and black tanks filling up or energy. So we may take showers more often unless we are at 5he beach where we swim and may have additional rinse options. That being said, focusing on all these items is key regardless of the days out. For example, we haven’t completely dialed i. The gas use of the generator over the days we are out. So we focus on how ,any gallons of gas we bring and may bring more than needed until we dial it in. Experience is the key AFTER you’ve gotten great advice from videos like these.
We just bought a truck/camper combo last September. Tried it a couple of times before the winter. Parks were closed so we managed to find somewhere to park for the night. We have an onboard propane generator if needed. I would rather dry camp boondock than go to a park full of people unless the park had some nice scenery. We like to keep moving around. I like the sound of that harvest property overnight staying idea. Thanks for the ideas. We have lots to learn. One thing I did do was switch our incandescent bulbs for led ones. It wasn’t cheap but they use almost no power for brighter lights. We reside in Canada so we have a huge province and country to explore.
Thats awesome that you're getting into the truck camper life! Everything you said is reasons why TC are great in terms of minimal needs for camping. And yes, LED lights help too. Here's our review of Harvest Host and a link for 15% off your membership if you do join. It's amazing and there are plenty of places to stay in Canada! Enjoy your travels! calledtowander.com/harvest-hosts-review/
The 120VAC led’s are good. An improvement. I went none step further and eliminated the 120V lights altogether and use 12V led ceiling lights if I need a lot of light, and installed a bunch of milliwatt led floods for under cabinet, over stove, bathroom lights for regular use. I’ve accidentally left lights on all day before and the batteries don’t even notice. You should look into eliminating the 120V need (I say that but I use a 120V refrigerator:)…
Great information I just found your channel here and it's very helpful another suggestion that I actually use in my daily boondocking routine is having a spray bottle with soapy water and a spray bottle with just clean water and then I can just wash this by spraying some soapy water on wash them up and then rinse it with the spray bottle and you conserve water. And catching the water in a small tub that the size of the sink and using a biological friendly soap you can safely dump your dishwater in a safe spot. And save on the space in your gray tank.
Thanks for watching and reaching out with that idea! We've since adopted it from time to time depending on where and for how long we're boondocking! But great idea!
I live off grid in the high desert. 16.5 years ago I move here. Set one wind genarator as there's wind all the time till you need it. Started with a 500gal water tank. As time went on I got solar as it was 10 times higher back 16 years ago. Just a little at a time. A bucket with a cabinet over it for compost. Use wood chips when you go. I dump my bucket into a 55gal drum and let sit a year or more then bury it the compost. It's been just a little more all the time but this is for living off grid full time. I have my water haul in now as I gotten older. But now I am set up where I can run a 7.5 cube freezer and a new refrigerator as the new ones don't pull much. All led lights now. You can do the same with,a camper one step at a time. I am getting ready to get a use fifthwheel to travel with. I will take all I have learn over the last many years. But if you try you can live on very little.
Those are some pretty creative ways to stay off grid! Not sure how much translates into the RV living space, aside from the low energy use. But let us know how things go with your transition into traveling! Thanks for watching and reaching out!
Thanks for watching and taking the time to reach out! In the coming months we'll be releasing a series of videos aimed at beginning rvers so feel free to email any ideas you have for information you'd like explained. We'll do our best to work it into the videos.
Thanks for the video. We just bought a trailer and am in the process of fitting solar and batteries so we can boon dock on some friends land out west. Many of your suggestions we hadn’t thought of and will help. Thanks again
We spend less than $2,000 per month on everything except fuel. (Some months we had to spend a lot, such as to get from FL to CO and other months we stay put, such as in Baja). But the 2K includes everything from our personal and RV insurance to every other expense we incur. We're keeping a detailed public ledger for every dollar we spend, which you can find in this post. The post itself should give you an idea, but then click on any of the months to read the budget updates and you'll see notes on how we account for every dollar. Hope this helps! calledtowander.com/full-time-rv-living-cost/
We were watching your video and our dog was going nuts prancing around the room looking for something. We figured it out that it was the chipmunk noise on your video that was making him do all that. LOL. He was looking for the chipmunk. Great advice though.
You forgot the number one most important thing to have: A First Aid Kit including a tourniquet. Little accidents and BIG accidents do happen. Also a bottle of uncoated aspirin. Important to take in case of a heart attack....can save precious time while waiting for EMS
Great advice! We didn't think to differentiate between what RV items are necessities regardless of dry camping or not. Thanks for pointing that out for our other viewers!
Yep, gotta have that cute adorable puppy or two above all else! 😂🐕🐕❤️🏕️ that’s my favorite part, and my two 4 year old heelers as well … brother and sister from the same litter.
Spray bottles for dishes and washing you hands saves lots of water supply and gray water.with a tub only drops go down the drain. Good video, thank you.
Excellent video going camping or glamping for the 1st time in a rented camper this weekend. Getting the lay of the land because I’m retiring in 1 year and want to travel around the United States in either a RV camper or a converted shuttle bus. I love the truck campers especially the host camper Cascade but not sure about attaching/detaching.
Thanks for watching and reaching out! You're going to enjoy getting out and traveling by RV! Whichever way you go with your RV of choice will have its pros and cons. But since we loved our 3 years in our truck camper we lean toward that and want to help you get over any anxiety about traveling in one. We have a whole section of our website dedicated to truck camper living - but here's the post (with video) specifically about loading/unloading the camper: calledtowander.com/load-a-truck-camper/ For other truck camper living: calledtowander.com/category/truck-camper-living/
Great info and thank you so much for taking the time to share your experiences, give feedback and such; however, using wet wipes to wash up with, using paper plates and paper towels is creating more waste and single use. In a few of the below comments is the mention of vinegar to clean off dishes. Planning to eat 'finger' foods such as burgers, dogs, sammies, grilled chicken legs, etc require no plate or share a plate with your significant other. I'd rather use water to Navy shower every other day than to eat off a plate. Just my thoughts and not everyone's cup of tea. Again, thanks for sharing your stories. I have watched so many of them.
Thanks for the tips. We are also at a point in life where we are not trying to be extreme in how we handle life on the road. We shower when we want to shower and if that means heading back to town sooner than later, so be it. And we collect our trash and store it outside so whenever we fill up, we head into town. Some people take dry camping to the extreme. We balance it with comfort. Thanks for watching and offering extra tips!
I just got my 05 Lance 845! I am trying to understand more about the heater for hot water and if it self ignites or needs to be lit from outside? This camper is identical to yours and very clean! A brief video on the water heat system/ propane in general would be great . I’m in Fort Myers I see you guys are from FL as well.
Thanks and hope you enjoy the adventure! Unfortunately we sold the TC over 2 years ago and can't put out that video suggestion. But someone has to have something on YT to help you
Thanks for what I think is great and extremely necessary information. I've looked at dozens and dozens of set ups and how to build. But what happens when you actually get out there is very seldom discussed. One person didn't have a fridge, but is a survivalist and knows where to purchase foods that don't have to be refrigerated, another person carried jerkey and meal bars, while someone else used powdered products like eggs and milk and yet another relies on her Jackery and no solar. When you're really "roughing it," you've got to know what to do. I've not gone camping in a long, long time and we definitely didn't have all of this new technology ... but we survived. I would loved to go camping again, and learned how I can without purchasing or renting a vehicle or camper, but using my trusty little RAV 4. Thanks again. 5 thumbs up.
Thanks! We try to be authentic in everything we do. Those are the things we have and the processes we have used over 3 years of living in our tiny truck camper! Glad it was helpful!
Saving water is the first priority. When I need to wash my hands, I'll take in a mouthful of water (in colder weather, I'll hold it for a minute or two) and then dribble it directly on my hands as needed while scrubbing. Usually, one or two mouthfuls does the job. Uses about 4-5 ounces of water. For showers, I use a 2 gallon garden pump sprayer with very warm water. This can be mounted at a regular shower head height. Usually, 1 gallon does it. Being bald helps. Now, the getting serious part of water conservation: Have a 5 gallon pail with a toilet seat that fits to the top with brackets. Put a quality 5-gallon wastebasket plastic bag into the bucket. Do your business, then place the bag into a separate 5-gallon bucket (Outdoors, it smells, so hold your breath) and "securely" snap down the lid. When full, duct tape it closed. Always have another spare bucket to replace the discarded one. This set-up works for 2 people for about a week. The bucket can be thrown away in a distant dumpster (carefully). It is not illegal to dispose of human waste in this manner. But, you absolutely have to be discrete. Place the bucket inside a regular garbage bag with other light garbage. This may seem extreme, but it saves a LOT of water, and keeps the black tank empty. Understandably not everyone will want to do this, as it is an extreme tactic in extreme conditions. But, it works if you run low on options.
Please do NOT dispose of urine or feces in dumpsters, etc.! Urine, feces, & vomit are all categorized as bodily fluids and are considered biohazards due to the presence of bacteria, viruses, and toxins. Coming into contact with human waste can cause serious health risks such as norovirus, dehydration, and parasitic infections. There are dump stations, port-a-potties, rest stops, etc. that are equipped to handle your black water! When one camper is irresponsible and looks bad, we ALL like bad!
I use LED lights on my solar panels at night and get the batteries charged while using less power.. I have amorphous panels they produce energy off Any light.... 25 watts used. 500 lumens produced get 90+ watt return to Batts....
@@truckcampertraveler7369 We did some great boondocking up against the red rocks just outside of Sedona back in the day. Our first boondocking experience... ahh the memories! Enjoy the trip! Stay safe!
@@truckcampertraveler7369 Check out Loy Butte Road to the southwest of Sedona. There are TONS of spots on iOverlander. We went to the furthest one along we could find, pretty much right up against a big red rock face. Tons of tracks to take your sidebyside. Far enough away from Sedona to feel out there but close enough to go in and enjoy a slice of pizza and a beer (that's all we did). GPS: 34.86817, -111.90397
We used the WeBoost cell extender. It definitely helped us out a few times when we needed the extra cell service and it is incredibly valuable for us to be able to work on the road. Check out the different RV options here: weboost.referralrock.com/l/1CHRISTOPHE50/
Hey sorry we sold the truck camper a few months back. But the ladder racks mount easily with 2 ratchet straps. Then the rack itself has two rubber bands that you slide over the bike frame and clip into place. We used a lock to lock our 2 bikes together to the ladder. And then the bikes still moved around a bit so we used a 3rd ratcheting strap to secure the bikes to the ladder directly... as for the kayaks, we have an inflatable kayak and inflatable SUP so we never had kayak racks. But depending on whether you want to put a rack on the roof or have a rear, bumper-mount you may be able to secure kayaks that way. Hope this helps!
We've yet to find any advertisements saying "Feel free to dump your grey water while you camp!" However, there is an unspoken camping policy that supports your point that grey water tends to be less harmful (bacteria) than black water. But it can be full of equally bad bacteria and can stink as bad (but differently) and NOBODY wants to roll up on a campsite where someone just leaked out their grey tank and pulled out before you roll up. The best we've heard is that people have valves to drip grey water on the interstate as they drive, one drop every 88 feet at 60 mph is likely not going to do any damage to anyone. But note, even this is not something we promote.
I have some concerns about dumping any water on the ground. In certain areas that are sparsely used and have certain soils, maybe. In heavily used areas and/or wet soils, I urge no dumping of water on the ground.
We've been considering adding one of those solar-tube showers to our Arctic Fox 865 however, not quite sure where I can mount it where it's accessible on my TC. Being disabled, it's not always easy for me to be able to access the top of my camper. We've tried using a solar shower bag, that we used a command hook on the side of my ladder. We really liked it, but the capacity wasn't very useful for two people. This is why we've been considering installing a solar tube, giving us a greater capacity of water. May I ask, do you know anyone who has used one of these solar-tubes? And have you heard any honest bad/good feedback about using them? I was just curious. As usual guys, great video, lots of helpful information, thanks. 👍👍😁
We thought about adding one to our camper roof and realized the same incredible difficulty/inconvenience of using it (plus it would make us even more top heavy). So I (Chris) settled for the 1-gal container method for outdoor shower. And when Lindsay showers outside I crank on the hot water heater and give her the outdoor shower (she always gets the best!). As for our experience with the tubes, we've only really seen them in vans and the people who had them use them very efficiently (painted black, sometimes with a pump to help pressurize). But vans roofs are significantly lower and more accessible. I've also been in the middle ground between the gallon and the tube by using one of the scepter 5-gal containers and a hose. Lots of ways to be creative!
Now with our class C we have 640W of Renogy panels. 4 x 160W. We connected 2 sets of panels in series and then tied them together in parallel before bringing them into our Renogy 40 amp MPPT controller which feeds our 420 ah AGM batteries. In this truck camper we used to have we have 300W solar only in parallel to the same 40 amp controller tied to 200 ah AGM batteries. All Renogy. If you go Renogy reach out via email and we'll send you a 10% off discount code!
@@CalledToWander alllll the boondockers that don’t disturb the peace or pollute disagree. If generator people would all stay together -away from the dry campers/ solar/battery sufficient peeps, then yeah, go for it!
Not entirely. If you ever smell grey water that sits in a tank with rotting food there is a distinct smell that will certainly ruin the next camper's experience. Its tough to navigate the grey water use/disposal but there is certainly a difference when biodegradable soap (or no soap rinse) seeps in the ground vs. a weeks worth of rotten grey water.
Good stuff. Another great tip for re-using your same plastic dishware and cleaning them up quickly without running water - Bring a spray bottle of vinegar water (half white vinegar and half water) and just spray your dishes as soon as you are done using them and wipe them clean with a paper towel. Works great and you're not doing traditional dishes in the sink.
That's a great idea! We've used a soap and water spray before but haven't thought of the vinegar. Will add it to our repertoire!
@@CalledToWander Awesome. Of course, the key is to not let your dishes sit after use. Clean them immediately and its easy peasy.
Recently came upon your videos. Simple, to the point and with salient information. Thanks for NOT having any mind numbing background music. We appear to have the same barber.
Glad to help and thanks for the feedback! Thanks for watching and reaching out!
I second this.
Shower/bathing tip from the villages in the jungles of Borneo: get a collapsible laundry tub and dipper. Fill with warmed (or cool) water. Just fill the dipper, put it over yourself, and bathe. Having a mat to stand on to keep out of the dirt helps, if not, flip flops work to keep your feet clean. No need to buy a lot of expensive solar/electric powered equipment. I did that regularly (as did the locals) for many years when I lived in Sarawak.
Nice tips! We often use a gallon container and have a decent shower with water leftover! And we have a footwash collapsible bin we put water in by the door for last minute clean feet!
Great tips! I didn't hear you mention a solar or wind up weather radio. We saw them at Bass Pro Shop.. you never know when the weather is gonna turn evil! A good first aid kit, good cooking over a fire instead of the propane.. and family wireless entertainment.. get the kiddos unplugged! Withdrawals are unpleasant, but worth it! 🛻🚌❤️
Good tips to keep in mind! Though we must say we know nothing of these "kiddos" you reference! =)
Robert here. I'm100%disable medically retired from. U.S.A.F. First time I've commented on you and your wife. I really like your program. Hopefully you will have more episodes. I know I will.
Thank you for your service! And thanks for taking the time to check out our channel and videos! We've got tons of older videos from our first few seasons and we'll be releasing new videos in upcoming weeks/months as we're working hard to document our remodeling project! Thanks again for reaching out!
You qualify for a California distinguished veterans pass.
You can stay free at all state campgrounds.
My son is halfway to retirement.E6 SF.
There's nothing I can really do for him,
But as a camp host, I can assist his brothers and sisters in any way necessary. You are family
Thanks Good video. 95% of my camping is dry camping Don't really care for campgrounds just have a little teardrop trailer .
Right on! Thanks for watching!
Thought that was a snake at the end 15:08😦Great helpful video!
Thanks for the tips my journey will start June 2025 PEACE ☮️
Enjoy!
Great boondocking tips! Conserving water takes practice but it almost becomes a game!
Yes it does! SO many great games to full-time RVing... how long can you wear the same clothes, how little can you pay in camping fees each month, how long before you have to dump the tanks... Thanks for watching!
@@CalledToWander Indeed! 😁
I have to admit the ‘conserving water’ thing boggled my mind. People have to think about this? I have a ‘stationary camper’ I’ve been using for over three years to save money in hopes of buying property. I’ve hauled water and had no grid power in all that time. You can shower daily, cook, take care of things with under 2 gallons per day.
Good video. Probably useful to a lot of folks. It is just that a couple of things seemed unnecessarily inconvenient or - like the water- run-of-the-mill common sense.
Growing up, we tent-camped everywhere we vacationed. From Florida to Nova Scotia and everywhere between. Dishpan dishwashing was the norm. There was no running water. A Coleman gasoline lantern.
I’m not making fun; I was bemused. by the headlamp idea… I have 400W of solar and 450Ah of battery, 1200W true sine inverter. I have lots of 12V led light, no headlamps. I use an electric coffeemaker daily.
Once my property is secured I’ll move it there. However, I’ve already started a few other minor mods that will let me tow anywhere I please without concern for hookups or electric- just like now. It’s 24’ so it’s not cramped- and completely configured for off-grid. I have no generator.
Installing a new 32 gallon freshwater tank and not using the holding tanks (shower can go on the ground) I can be wherever if I want to boondock and have no constraints other than needing to be at work or maybe running out of water in 14 or 15 days.
I have to admit the ‘conserving water’ thing boggled my mind. People have to think about this? I have a ‘stationary camper’ I’ve been using for over three years to save money in hopes of buying property. I’ve hauled water and had no grid power in all that time. You can shower daily, cook, take care of things with under 2 gallons per day.
Good video. Probably useful to a lot of folks. It is just that a couple of things seemed unnecessarily inconvenient or - like the water- run-of-the-mill common sense.
Growing up, we tent-camped everywhere we vacationed. From Florida to Nova Scotia and everywhere between. Dishpan dishwashing was the norm. There was no running water. A Coleman gasoline lantern.
I’m not making fun; I was bemused. by the headlamp idea… I have 400W of solar and 450Ah of battery, 1200W true sine inverter. I have lots of 12V led light, no headlamps. I use an electric coffeemaker daily.
Once my property is secured I’ll move it there. However, I’ve already started a few other minor mods that will let me tow anywhere I please without concern for hookups or electric- just like now. It’s 24’ so it’s not cramped- and completely configured for off-grid. I have no generator.
Installing a new 32 gallon freshwater tank and not using the holding tanks (shower can go on the ground) I can be wherever if I want to boondock and have no constraints other than needing to be at work or maybe running out of water in 14 or 15 days.
@@fishhuntadventure A good way to conserve water and get very clean is to use a few drops (10 or 15+ drops) of povidone iodine a.k.a Betadine (antiseptic/antimicrobial brown stuff) in about 32 - 40 ounces of water to completely wash your body.
Use a bucket and washcloth to wipe down your entire body. Dip and gently wring the washcloth each time you wipe down body parts and limbs to not get sopping wet. No need to use a towel to dry off either. Half a gallon of water will clean 2 people.
For a visual example, in the movie, No Country for Old Men, the evil hit man, Anton Chigurh created the mixture to pour on his thigh wound. He blew up the pharmacy in order to steal supplies to treat the wound.
You'll get super clean. I will sometimes wash with the mixture whenever I don't feel like taking a shower, but need to do something to keep from smelling funky.
Great video! I have just purchased a new cargo trailer slated for custom conversion. I also will be living full time (by necessity) bouncing to and from free camping in the Deep South, when I have the trailer suitable for occupying. I am relying heavily on RUclips and people like yourself to draw from your experience and knowledge. Thanks for your generosity with your time and resources helping the rest of us enjoy the purity of freedom.
Sounds great!
Good practical tips. Would like to see more on 12 volt or solar system next video.
You got it!
Perfect list of things to consider, especially if you’re camping more than 3 days. We dry and boondock about 3 nights and 4 days, so we have more finite energy numbers which gives us more confidence. Everything you say is true, but for the days we are out we are not as worried about water, our grey and black tanks filling up or energy. So we may take showers more often unless we are at 5he beach where we swim and may have additional rinse options. That being said, focusing on all these items is key regardless of the days out. For example, we haven’t completely dialed i. The gas use of the generator over the days we are out. So we focus on how ,any gallons of gas we bring and may bring more than needed until we dial it in. Experience is the key AFTER you’ve gotten great advice from videos like these.
Great ideas and thanks for sharing! We're constantly learning from others and trying to share what we learn!
Spray bottle with vinegar and water works great for dishes. Spray bottle with plain water works great for after a bath.😄✌️
Great idea!!
We just bought a truck/camper combo last September. Tried it a couple of times before the winter. Parks were closed so we managed to find somewhere to park for the night. We have an onboard propane generator if needed. I would rather dry camp boondock than go to a park full of people unless the park had some nice scenery. We like to keep moving around. I like the sound of that harvest property overnight staying idea. Thanks for the ideas. We have lots to learn. One thing I did do was switch our incandescent bulbs for led ones. It wasn’t cheap but they use almost no power for brighter lights. We reside in Canada so we have a huge province and country to explore.
Thats awesome that you're getting into the truck camper life! Everything you said is reasons why TC are great in terms of minimal needs for camping. And yes, LED lights help too. Here's our review of Harvest Host and a link for 15% off your membership if you do join. It's amazing and there are plenty of places to stay in Canada! Enjoy your travels! calledtowander.com/harvest-hosts-review/
The 120VAC led’s are good. An improvement.
I went none step further and eliminated the 120V lights altogether and use 12V led ceiling lights if I need a lot of light, and installed a bunch of milliwatt led floods for under cabinet, over stove, bathroom lights for regular use. I’ve accidentally left lights on all day before and the batteries don’t even notice.
You should look into eliminating the 120V need (I say that but I use a 120V refrigerator:)…
Great information I just found your channel here and it's very helpful another suggestion that I actually use in my daily boondocking routine is having a spray bottle with soapy water and a spray bottle with just clean water and then I can just wash this by spraying some soapy water on wash them up and then rinse it with the spray bottle and you conserve water. And catching the water in a small tub that the size of the sink and using a biological friendly soap you can safely dump your dishwater in a safe spot. And save on the space in your gray tank.
Thanks for watching and reaching out with that idea! We've since adopted it from time to time depending on where and for how long we're boondocking! But great idea!
I live off grid in the high desert. 16.5 years ago I move here. Set one wind genarator as there's wind all the time till you need it. Started with a 500gal water tank. As time went on I got solar as it was 10 times higher back 16 years ago. Just a little at a time. A bucket with a cabinet over it for compost. Use wood chips when you go. I dump my bucket into a 55gal drum and let sit a year or more then bury it the compost. It's been just a little more all the time but this is for living off grid full time. I have my water haul in now as I gotten older. But now I am set up where I can run a 7.5 cube freezer and a new refrigerator as the new ones don't pull much. All led lights now. You can do the same with,a camper one step at a time. I am getting ready to get a use fifthwheel to travel with. I will take all I have learn over the last many years. But if you try you can live on very little.
Those are some pretty creative ways to stay off grid! Not sure how much translates into the RV living space, aside from the low energy use. But let us know how things go with your transition into traveling! Thanks for watching and reaching out!
Great tips, as I will soon start my own adventure of living in a truck camper
Best of luck!
Thank you for all your advice. I just bought a camper and new at it. I watch these videos to learn more. And i learned alot from you. Thank you
Thanks for watching and taking the time to reach out! In the coming months we'll be releasing a series of videos aimed at beginning rvers so feel free to email any ideas you have for information you'd like explained. We'll do our best to work it into the videos.
Thanks for the video. We just bought a trailer and am in the process of fitting solar and batteries so we can boon dock on some friends land out west. Many of your suggestions we hadn’t thought of and will help. Thanks again
That is awesome! Glad we could help!
thank you very much. Very helpful information.
Really like your straight to the point information. Not any fluff. Yes a pup is great to have!
Thanks! Hope you're able to enjoy being off grid!
I live in my stocked van. :0) When I get low in stuff, I go to the nearest town to replenish.
We avoid towns like the plague and would rather stay set up camping in the wild. But agree when the time comes. Thanks for watching and reaching out!
Great presentation. Stayed on the topic with a life story and very good information. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Good info.. I’m new to camping. Ty very much.
Glad it was helpful!
Excellent info! Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Sage advice. Thank you
Glad it was helpful!
Oh how cool. I'm close to go and really needed this video
Glad you found it helpful!
.... with a name like Allgood, you got friends in PA?
Love to hear a cost break down per month, just an average. Considering doing this with my family.
We spend less than $2,000 per month on everything except fuel. (Some months we had to spend a lot, such as to get from FL to CO and other months we stay put, such as in Baja). But the 2K includes everything from our personal and RV insurance to every other expense we incur. We're keeping a detailed public ledger for every dollar we spend, which you can find in this post. The post itself should give you an idea, but then click on any of the months to read the budget updates and you'll see notes on how we account for every dollar. Hope this helps! calledtowander.com/full-time-rv-living-cost/
Great advice, thanks 🙏🏻
You’re welcome!
We were watching your video and our dog was going nuts prancing around the room looking for something. We figured it out that it was the chipmunk noise on your video that was making him do all that. LOL. He was looking for the chipmunk.
Great advice though.
That is awesome! Our pups loved chasing the chipmunks at that campsite in the NY Finger Lakes region!
You forgot the number one most important thing to have: A First Aid Kit including a tourniquet. Little accidents and BIG accidents do happen. Also a bottle of uncoated aspirin. Important to take in case of a heart attack....can save precious time while waiting for EMS
Great advice! We didn't think to differentiate between what RV items are necessities regardless of dry camping or not. Thanks for pointing that out for our other viewers!
Well done, thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching!
awesome tips! We have been boondocking for a year now and use the majority of these :)
That is awesome!
Yep, gotta have that cute adorable puppy or two above all else! 😂🐕🐕❤️🏕️ that’s my favorite part, and my two 4 year old heelers as well … brother and sister from the same litter.
The best!
Spray bottles for dishes and washing you hands saves lots of water supply and gray water.with a tub only drops go down the drain. Good video, thank you.
True
Yes! I’ll be watching!
Thanks so much!
Always interesting thanks for sharing stay safe cheers from Australia 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺
Thank you! Cheers!
Great tips and tricks thank you
Thanks for taking the time to watch and learn!
Simple and practical. Thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
Nicely done....thanks for the tips!
Glad it was helpful!
Beautiful Blessing Darling. ⚘🎚🍑⭐
Thanks so much!
Great information, thank you
🙋🏼
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
Hey thanks very good tips for us to use! Appreciated
You’re welcome! Glad it’s helpful!
Glad to find your channel!
Thanks for subbing! Glad to have you along on our journey!
Excellent video going camping or glamping for the 1st time in a rented camper this weekend. Getting the lay of the land because I’m retiring in 1 year and want to travel around the United States in either a RV camper or a converted shuttle bus. I love the truck campers especially the host camper Cascade but not sure about attaching/detaching.
Thanks for watching and reaching out! You're going to enjoy getting out and traveling by RV! Whichever way you go with your RV of choice will have its pros and cons. But since we loved our 3 years in our truck camper we lean toward that and want to help you get over any anxiety about traveling in one. We have a whole section of our website dedicated to truck camper living - but here's the post (with video) specifically about loading/unloading the camper: calledtowander.com/load-a-truck-camper/ For other truck camper living: calledtowander.com/category/truck-camper-living/
I think a hot sponge bath is a nice non-garbage-creating way to wash.
Seems decent enough
Great info and thank you so much for taking the time to share your experiences, give feedback and such; however, using wet wipes to wash up with, using paper plates and paper towels is creating more waste and single use. In a few of the below comments is the mention of vinegar to clean off dishes. Planning to eat 'finger' foods such as burgers, dogs, sammies, grilled chicken legs, etc require no plate or share a plate with your significant other. I'd rather use water to Navy shower every other day than to eat off a plate. Just my thoughts and not everyone's cup of tea. Again, thanks for sharing your stories. I have watched so many of them.
Thanks for the tips. We are also at a point in life where we are not trying to be extreme in how we handle life on the road. We shower when we want to shower and if that means heading back to town sooner than later, so be it. And we collect our trash and store it outside so whenever we fill up, we head into town. Some people take dry camping to the extreme. We balance it with comfort. Thanks for watching and offering extra tips!
Using paper plates and paper towels conserves water, and they can be used as a fire starter for your evening campfire.
Good info.
Glad it was helpful!
I will have a homebuilt VAWT to use where there is ample wind, and it is usually windy in high elevations.
Nice
Great I informative video!! Love you two! Stay safe!!
Thank you! You too!
Aldis shoppers! Yay
Everywhere we can find them!
Great info! You forgot to block out your plate at closing 👍😊
Sold the truck and turned in the plate to the state of Florida. Got lazy in the edit! ;) thanks for watching and pointing it out!
That's an epidemic track!!!
Yup!
Thanks for the info ! Don's forget to use your puppy poop bags .. Happy Holidays ~peace~
Always!
....or let your dogs pre-wash your dishes! lol
My doggies do a great job!!
We have Chris for that. Dogs don't stand a chance against him at crumbs or leftover sauce. We're cheap. We can't afford to waste crumbs and sauce. ;)
Muchas gracias. This video has great advice for us. We’ll try out your tips this thanksgiving
De nada! Thanks for watching and reaching out! Let us know how the camping goes!
All great tips thank you
Thanks for taking the time to watch and reach out!
Happy New Year guys I look forward to another year of interesting videos and awesome photography.
Happy new year! Thanks for continuing to watch and for reaching out!
Thank you.
You're welcome!
Good advises, thank`s ! Best Regards, Alfred
Thank you! Cheers!
Really helpful video for someone like me with little experience just getting started. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful! Let us know anything else we can share that will help you on the road! Thanks for reaching out!
Good tips!
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you!!
You're welcome!
I just got my 05 Lance 845! I am trying to understand more about the heater for hot water and if it self ignites or needs to be lit from outside? This camper is identical to yours and very clean! A brief video on the water heat system/ propane in general would be great . I’m in Fort Myers I see you guys are from FL as well.
Thanks and hope you enjoy the adventure! Unfortunately we sold the TC over 2 years ago and can't put out that video suggestion. But someone has to have something on YT to help you
Very useful tips. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
Some great ideas. Thanks!
Glad you like them! Thanks for watching and reaching out!
@@CalledToWander We've purchased a new truck camper and can't wait for the snow to melt and get boondocking. Thanks again. 🇨🇦
you can dry camp or boondock on state lands completely free for certain period time
Mostly for free, in most places for mostly certain time periods - yes! Thanks for adding that!
Yea I have the battery monitor it’s the round one and is cheap with 2 Battleborn 100 amp apiese they can run my AC all nite .
Nice
Thanks for what I think is great and extremely necessary information. I've looked at dozens and dozens of set ups and how to build. But what happens when you actually get out there is very seldom discussed. One person didn't have a fridge, but is a survivalist and knows where to purchase foods that don't have to be refrigerated, another person carried jerkey and meal bars, while someone else used powdered products like eggs and milk and yet another relies on her Jackery and no solar. When you're really "roughing it," you've got to know what to do. I've not gone camping in a long, long time and we definitely didn't have all of this new technology ... but we survived. I would loved to go camping again, and learned how I can without purchasing or renting a vehicle or camper, but using my trusty little RAV 4. Thanks again. 5 thumbs up.
Thanks! We try to be authentic in everything we do. Those are the things we have and the processes we have used over 3 years of living in our tiny truck camper! Glad it was helpful!
Great video ! Thanks.
Glad you liked it!
great tips!...thanks so much for the video :)
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching and reaching out!
@@CalledToWander Very welcome and fingers crossed that you'll reach 5000 subscribers...woohoo!! 😉👍
@@ppineault 19 more to go! Thanks for your positivity!
@@CalledToWander lol....HOORAY! 🤗
Thank you
Welcome!
Saving water is the first priority. When I need to wash my hands, I'll take in a mouthful of water (in colder weather, I'll hold it for a minute or two) and then dribble it directly on my hands as needed while scrubbing. Usually, one or two mouthfuls does the job. Uses about 4-5 ounces of water. For showers, I use a 2 gallon garden pump sprayer with very warm water. This can be mounted at a regular shower head height. Usually, 1 gallon does it. Being bald helps. Now, the getting serious part of water conservation: Have a 5 gallon pail with a toilet seat that fits to the top with brackets.
Put a quality 5-gallon wastebasket plastic bag into the bucket. Do your business, then place the bag into a separate 5-gallon bucket (Outdoors, it smells, so hold your breath) and "securely" snap down the lid. When full, duct tape it closed. Always have another spare bucket to replace the discarded one.
This set-up works for 2 people for about a week. The bucket can be thrown away in a distant dumpster (carefully). It is not illegal to dispose of human waste in this manner. But, you absolutely have to be discrete. Place the bucket inside a regular garbage bag with other light garbage. This may seem extreme, but it saves a LOT of water, and keeps the black tank empty. Understandably not everyone will want to do this, as it is an extreme tactic in extreme conditions. But, it works if you run low on options.
Very creative!
@@CalledToWander Necessity is a mother.
Please do NOT dispose of urine or feces in dumpsters, etc.! Urine, feces, & vomit are all categorized as bodily fluids and are considered biohazards due to the presence of bacteria, viruses, and toxins. Coming into contact with human waste can cause serious health risks such as norovirus, dehydration, and parasitic infections. There are dump stations, port-a-potties, rest stops, etc. that are equipped to handle your black water! When one camper is irresponsible and looks bad, we ALL like bad!
thanx!!
No worries!
6:22. A holding tank is for black or grey sewer… I hope your outdoor shower is actually fed from a freshwater tank not a holding tank.
Slip of the tongue. Hope the rest of the info helps you out
I use LED lights on my solar panels at night and get the batteries charged while using less power.. I have amorphous panels they produce energy off Any light.... 25 watts used. 500 lumens produced get 90+ watt return to Batts....
Thats a pretty nifty system! Thanks for sharing!
For water, get a portawell.
Not a bad idea if you are in a spot where you have access to water that you can filter
well done!
Thanks!
@@CalledToWander im gonna hitbthe road for a mo next week leaving san diego to sedona in my lance 835 truck camper :)
@@truckcampertraveler7369 We did some great boondocking up against the red rocks just outside of Sedona back in the day. Our first boondocking experience... ahh the memories! Enjoy the trip! Stay safe!
@@CalledToWander I might check that out thanks im looking for a place to ride my side by side while I boondock
@@truckcampertraveler7369 Check out Loy Butte Road to the southwest of Sedona. There are TONS of spots on iOverlander. We went to the furthest one along we could find, pretty much right up against a big red rock face. Tons of tracks to take your sidebyside. Far enough away from Sedona to feel out there but close enough to go in and enjoy a slice of pizza and a beer (that's all we did). GPS: 34.86817, -111.90397
You forgot Lucci lights they are great.
Will look into those!
.... Nice channel... ✨
Thanks for visiting!
Thoughts on these gas prices... $45 to drive a hundred miles with a big camper on back is cramping my style!
No kidding! Travel slower, stay longer...
more info on cell booster please
We used the WeBoost cell extender. It definitely helped us out a few times when we needed the extra cell service and it is incredibly valuable for us to be able to work on the road. Check out the different RV options here: weboost.referralrock.com/l/1CHRISTOPHE50/
Solar panels in the shade!😅
We camped here for the beauty of the fall colors in the FInger Lakes not the video.
can you show us how you mounted the bikes on the ladder? or tips on how to mount 2 kayaks?
Hey sorry we sold the truck camper a few months back. But the ladder racks mount easily with 2 ratchet straps. Then the rack itself has two rubber bands that you slide over the bike frame and clip into place. We used a lock to lock our 2 bikes together to the ladder. And then the bikes still moved around a bit so we used a 3rd ratcheting strap to secure the bikes to the ladder directly... as for the kayaks, we have an inflatable kayak and inflatable SUP so we never had kayak racks. But depending on whether you want to put a rack on the roof or have a rear, bumper-mount you may be able to secure kayaks that way. Hope this helps!
some places are ok with dumping your grey water. just crack the valve and let it leak out
We've yet to find any advertisements saying "Feel free to dump your grey water while you camp!" However, there is an unspoken camping policy that supports your point that grey water tends to be less harmful (bacteria) than black water. But it can be full of equally bad bacteria and can stink as bad (but differently) and NOBODY wants to roll up on a campsite where someone just leaked out their grey tank and pulled out before you roll up. The best we've heard is that people have valves to drip grey water on the interstate as they drive, one drop every 88 feet at 60 mph is likely not going to do any damage to anyone. But note, even this is not something we promote.
I have some concerns about dumping any water on the ground. In certain areas that are sparsely used and have certain soils, maybe. In heavily used areas and/or wet soils, I urge no dumping of water on the ground.
Good ideas but even BLM has guidelines for properly disposing of grey water.
We've been considering adding one of those solar-tube showers to our Arctic Fox 865 however, not quite sure where I can mount it where it's accessible on my TC.
Being disabled, it's not always easy for me to be able to access the top of my camper. We've tried using a solar shower bag, that we used a command hook on the side of my ladder. We really liked it, but the capacity wasn't very useful for two people. This is why we've been considering installing a solar tube, giving us a greater capacity of water. May I ask, do you know anyone who has used one of these solar-tubes? And have you heard any honest bad/good feedback about using them? I was just curious.
As usual guys, great video, lots of helpful information, thanks. 👍👍😁
We thought about adding one to our camper roof and realized the same incredible difficulty/inconvenience of using it (plus it would make us even more top heavy). So I (Chris) settled for the 1-gal container method for outdoor shower. And when Lindsay showers outside I crank on the hot water heater and give her the outdoor shower (she always gets the best!). As for our experience with the tubes, we've only really seen them in vans and the people who had them use them very efficiently (painted black, sometimes with a pump to help pressurize). But vans roofs are significantly lower and more accessible. I've also been in the middle ground between the gallon and the tube by using one of the scepter 5-gal containers and a hose. Lots of ways to be creative!
Good tips! Tho you are RVing not camping. You are sleeping in a building
Cool
You forgot to blur out your license plate at 15:05
Thanks! We long since sold the truck and turned in the tags!
Did you guys replace rhe truck camper with another type of rv?
Yep! Here's the tour of our new home, a 31' Class C motorhome we completely remodeled. ruclips.net/video/ytq0q5xeQ0I/видео.html
Thank you
How much solar do you have ?
Now with our class C we have 640W of Renogy panels. 4 x 160W. We connected 2 sets of panels in series and then tied them together in parallel before bringing them into our Renogy 40 amp MPPT controller which feeds our 420 ah AGM batteries. In this truck camper we used to have we have 300W solar only in parallel to the same 40 amp controller tied to 200 ah AGM batteries. All Renogy. If you go Renogy reach out via email and we'll send you a 10% off discount code!
I grill every day I don't cook in my camper stock up on charcoal
Thats a lot of charcoal! Thanks for sharing.
13:14 your tags aren't blurred
Thanks! An overlook but we have long since sold the truck and camper and sent the tags back to the DMV. Thanks for looking out for us!
A composting toilet will eliminate most of your water use.
We actually built one into our new RV just for that purpose!
the end of your video your lic plate was exposed if wanted to know
Thanks! We’ve long since given the plate back to the DMV but yes, definitely saw that too late!
where is that scene with the lake in the desert , anybody knows?
Lone rock, Utah
I’m sorry but i could never sacrifice my daily hot showers. Coming from a guy that’s active physically, i certainly wouldn’t pass for a wipe down.
Cool
Just no generators!!!!
Generators are fine to use and part of dry camping/boondocking as long as you know how to be respectful in using it/not camping on top of other people
@@CalledToWander alllll the boondockers that don’t disturb the peace or pollute disagree. If generator people would all stay together -away from the dry campers/ solar/battery sufficient peeps, then yeah, go for it!
12:43. Look at your vehicle. Notice something?
No, what?
Taking an outside shower and dumping your dishwash pan outside is exactly the same as dumping your gray tank. Just saying
Not entirely. If you ever smell grey water that sits in a tank with rotting food there is a distinct smell that will certainly ruin the next camper's experience. Its tough to navigate the grey water use/disposal but there is certainly a difference when biodegradable soap (or no soap rinse) seeps in the ground vs. a weeks worth of rotten grey water.
that bird is angry
Quite angry!