I'm old enough (74) to remember when ALL camping was boondocking! I'm glad to see more and more people are doing it again. I'll be doing it myself in a month or so.
We have a 2020 minilite and love it… been a perfect lightweight rig. A few of the biggest tips that I will give you for long-term camping like this in an RV if you want to save electricity and you’ve probably already figured some of these out but they are… Bring a cooler full of drinks, that you ice down… A good cooler that can keep stuff cold for three or four days. And keep that under the kitchen table when you’re parked, keep it in the bed of the truck when you’re moving. That way, you’re not keeping any of your water or sodas in the refrigerator for the most part which cuts down 80% on how often it gets opened. Next thing… if you’re going to keep a bunch of water bottles in the refrigerator… Freeze them before you leave home, completely solid as a rock. Then load up the refrigerator with all the food and the frozen water bottles and it will have to run a lot less. If it’s some point, you have access to electricity during the trip you can always re-freeze the water bottles in the freezer and then put them back in the refrigerator. I even do this at home just so that if I lose power I’ve always got a buffer in my freezer. Another thing that you can do so you don’t have to deal with so many bags and all that kind of stuff is go to Walmart and get you one of those blue aquatainer cubes. The whole 6 gallons of water and come with a dispenser spout that makes it very handy… They have a five year warranty and are very rugged and have a built-in handle. I’ll tell you another ingenious way to get rid of gray water if you’re staying out on BLM land in an arid environment (and I don’t mean dumping it on the ground)… go to the hardware store and get a 5 gallon bucket and a bag of sand… Put the bag of sand in the 5 gallon bucket and then use your a little bowl trick in the sink or whatever. Then you can pour that water into the bucket till it gets about three-quarter full… You’ll be very surprised with the sun shining on it all day, and the wind blowing that it will evaporate a huge amount in one day. Several gallons per day. Especially if the temps are approaching 100° or higher. All the pollutants or chemicals will stay trapped in the sand and you can take it home with you and put it in the trash to be disposed of in the landfill with your garbage. You might be able to get rid of 20 gallons a week worth of water like that. As for an inverter/converter/charger I highly recommend taking advantage of the Victron Quattro II 120. It’s specifically designed for North American units and it’s a three kVA inverter with dual inputs for sure power and the generator and dual outputs so that it knows what’s coming into it and what’s going out of it and it’s smart. It can use power from either source to either charge your batteries or run the load you have attached to it and it can use power from one source to boost the other source if the first source is not strong enough. It can also integrate with their solar hardware to form a complete system, as well as integrating with one of their DC to DC units to allow you to charge the system with your vehicle. It’s really the total package all in one box that will fit inside your pass-through storage for about $1300 and you can set it up to where it replaces the existing inverter and takes the short power feed, and also has a connection for you to plug your generator into as well. It’s smarter than I am sometimes. It can even be programmed with schedules, so it knows when solar will be available to do certain things. I also recommend when you install the Victron that you install a second battery inside your pass-through storage so that you have one battery specifically for the inverter and a second battery that you’re keeping on charge that’s isolated just for maybe the fridge and your 12 V items. The Victron can still charge both of them, you would just put an isolator, so that one battery couldn’t drain down the other. That way, no matter how much you use running other things you’re 12 V system battery would still have its full voltage to run just the refrigerator and key items.
I'm pulling small 5x8 trailer on my class c. 100 gallons water, 2 30 gallon propane tank, extra solar panels, ebike. Spare bed, supplies for camping. I'm good
The best refrigerator for boondocking is a standard AC unit just like in a house. Our 12 cubic foot frig/freezer only draws 745 watts per day which is half the draw of our Norcold.. With a standard frig you do not have to worry about fires or being level for it to operate properly. to resolve the air conditioning problem change to a split system like Mr Cool 12K. It draws 1/2 the power of the standard RV systems. .
i ran into the same issue with my 12v fridge. I went from 100w of solar to 300w and eventually to 600w. As for batteries, i went from the junk sla battery the rig came with to a 100ah lithium, then added a 2nd 100ah. This worked well as long as there was a few hours of sun every couple of days. I just ordered a 3rd 100ah battery for this season to supplement the battery bank and give me the ability to camp under shade trees for a few days. It definitely never feels like I'm finished, lol. I might be addicted.
Just found your channel, Randy/Jamie; found this video very informative. Am in the midwest and would like to do some of the boondocking like you showed; actually am considering a similar setup like you have -- RW (or F'Staff) with Andersen equalizer hitch. Am wondering if you have a video on installation, hitching, unhitching, then re-hitching procedure? Would be very interested in that, if you don't have a video online. The more I watch, the more I realize how much prep MUST be done to make it an enjoyable experience. Y'all Be Safe!
Thank you for watching and commenting, Raymond! Glad you found the video informative. Excited for you to start your RV adventures! You are absolutely right by doing a lot of research ahead of time. We have not done our hitching and unhitching video yet, but it is on our list. We’ll see if we can get to it sooner than later for you. It definitely is helpful to understand how it all works. We’re here to answer any questions you have in the meantime!
Thanks so much for watching! Starlink is life changing for remote workers! You just need to have a clear view of the sky. If there are trees all around, it’s almost impossible to use. However with clear view of the sky, it’s amazing!
For boondocking, we honestly just use an ice chest. I have considered getting a 12v ice chest style fridge and running it off my jackery and put a solar charger on it, and just running the fridge like that with nothing else on the jackery. Less convenient, sure, but less to go wrong.
We had a fridge and freezer full of groceries since we are full-timers so we needed it to stay cold. When we tent camp, a cooler is all we bring and much less stress.
We boondock we have 2400 watts of solar , 1000 amps battle born batteries, 2 victron multiplex , we paid a lot of money to boondock, great video. We live fulltime in our class A.
Wow! Your setup is our dream setup! So awesome to know you boondock in your Class A because that’s what we ultimately want. Downsized from our 40’ fifth wheel to this 20’ travel trailer to boondock in remote places for awhile then we will get our Class A. Will be following you to check out your experiences! Thank you so much for watching and commenting!
Wow. 1000 watts of battery and 2400 watts of Solar. That can take you anywhere. That alone is like the cost of a small RV. I hope you have seen a lot of great places.
Thanks for the video. Trying everything with access to regular resources is a key tip. [Trust but verify.] While boondocking, hair dryers aren't a necessity ;-) Use a backpacking propane stove rather than a microwave.
We have a propane griddle that came with our camper that we use often when boondocking. Great tip! We should have mentioned it. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Cubic "Grizzly" mini woodstove, made in Canada, (not in Xiyna) is my best mod. (Dewalt 20v 12"chainsaw.) Iceco 12v chest freezer. First thing I always do is scout the road I want to drive up before doing so, on my XT250 Yamaha. Shower outside. Lugable Loo toilet. Find local water, creek/well/etc.. for showers & dishes. No black or grey tanks. Have Doberman & Glock for security. Use real maps, not your phone. Tom & "Jed", 4 years full-time "extreme off-grid boondockers"
Thanks so much for these great tips! Sounds like you got an awesome system in place. The more experience we get, the better it will be for us as well. Cooper definitely helps with our security too, and didn't mention our own arsenal. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Having a rhino tote and macerator for if/when you want to dump your black or grey and you don't want to pull the entire rig into town. It's been a game changer!! Also, heat up water in a kettle and make you're coffee with slow drip. No electricity! Good luck y'all!
Thanks so much for watching and for these awesome suggestions! We are definitely needing that rhino tote. That will help a lot! Great idea to make your coffee too! Thanks for the tips!
Great video and great list. Seems to be the unanimous list of boon-docking tips. Those lists of concerns would be my concern as well. How much was the investment in Starlink and is there a monthly payment. Does the Hot Spot not work for you? because you are too far out in nowhere?
Thanks so much for watching and for your comment! Starlink was $700 initial investment (prices may have changed by now) and we pay $145 a month for it. The hotspot only works if you have cell coverage and the Starlink works perfectly without cell coverage. Starlink does not go off cell towers, it works from all the satellites that have been placed. It is amazing and has been worth it! I was working for Microsoft when we were boondocking and was in Teams meetings without ever losing service.
Happy to help! It is a total game changer! We love it when we’re tent camping too and just used it when we lost electricity in our RV Park! So happy with it! Thanks for watching and commenting!
Hi there, I liked your video. I’m just now getting started. I wanna buy a truck and a trailer, but I’ve been looking at the jeeps. Also I was wondering how your jeep pulled your trailer and what the weight that your jeep can tow and the weight of your trailerand how much total solar I would need to run everything
The Gladiator tows it well on flat roads but really struggled in elevation. A lot of times, we were in second head because the power just isn’t there. We have the Max Tow package which is the only way we could get the numbers to work. It’s cutting it close. A bigger truck would be much better.
I love my 2 way propane fridge and i boondock full time for 3.5 mths each winter in AZ. I have 300 watts of solar on the roof and four 6v flooded batteries. Ive never run out of power. The biggest draw on power is the propane furnace which realy suprized me. I have a 2100 watt genset but have never needed it. My best add on other than solar is a macerator pump and portable poop tank. Game changer!! I often stay at one place for over a mth and i dont have to move the trailer to dump tanks. Ps my propane fridge runs forever on propane, very efficient.
That’s such great information! Thanks so much for sharing. We definitely need to do some mods to make this work better for us. Really appreciate your input.
Excellent video and very valid points got my Lithium batteries, Solar Panels, Inverter and SoftStart but never tested it before I hit the road and Yep I had problems. It’s all good now but had I just tested my setup before I hit the road I would not of had a temper tantrum 😢. I have a 3 way refrigerator so when boondocking I use propane for my refrigerator.
Thank you so much for watching and commenting! So sorry you didn’t test either. We were kicking ourselves. It would have solved so many issues and would have saved us a lot of money. If we just tested and figured out what we needed, we could have boondocked longer and avoided the costs of the RV Parks. We’ll be smarter next time! You’re so lucky to have a 3 way fridge! Now we wish we did.
@@dennisw.truman3325 It's really difficult to answer that. How big are your lithium batteries? Also, you will need to know the running watts of all of the items you want to run, then know how big your inverter is in order to run them. It's so confusing and definitely takes some research and TESTING to find out. If you learn one thing from us, it's to TEST it before you need it!! Learn from our mistakes!!
Thanks so much for watching and commenting! We felt it was very safe to leave the RV and did so every day while we went exploring. There were other scattered RVs around and no one bothered anyone but seemed friendly and would look out for each other. Seems like that is the typical boondocking atmosphere.
We have an Everchill 12v compressor fridge. I would never go back to an absorption fridge. Absorption is worthless in triple digit temps. Even with the careful “chimney effect” work done behind the fridge and fans it’s marginal at best. I’ve installed 600 watts of solar (with room for another 200 watts) and two 200 AH lifepo 4 batteries.
Just saw your channel. Very cool. We run a Rubicon Gladiator Eco diesel and pull a 2108 micro mini. Thank you for sharing your journey. Enjoying the video
We replaced one 12v with two large 6V batteries, doubled the solar panels. Also doubled the propane. The fridge is electric and we love it, it can stay on when moving. I carry a Yamaha 2KW gas but it rarely sees use, the solR panels do the job. My main issue is waste water. The sensors are not reliable, the tanks read full too fast. I replaced the tires with one class up for use on bad roads and also changed out the leaf springs. We have had no issues just wastewater limits for long stays.
Hi you 2 are adorable ❤ My boyfriend and I just bought an RV.We're getting a truck and we are coming out West, so we are total newbies.I've been watching a lot of channels and just stumbled across yours. Thank you for all your helpful tips.What are the best apps for RV'ing ? Where's the best boondocking?There's apps for everything
WOW You have the same setup as I do. t I have the Jeep Rubicon Gldiator and 2022 Forstriver 2109s. We have not boondock in yet. We have stayed at some state parks here in Texas.I did very wall. I have tested my 3000w dual fuel Champion Generator. I ran the generator propane the trailer did just fine. I did not see how long the generator would run. That my next test.
That is so cool! We are basically twins! Haha! Sounds like you have prepared a lot more than we have. We definitely wish we would have bought the 3000w generator instead of now having 2 2500s to lug around. Let us know how you do when you try boondocking and if you have any tips for us! Hope you love your set up like we do!
Just switched out our older propane/electric frig and replaced with residential. Old 8 cf frig used 300-400 watts and often only maintained 50 degrees, amazed that our new frig only uses 70-80 watts and only runs periodically so overall usage is even lower. Suggestion- place a thermometer in your frig- we were surprised. Also, 2 way frig was 40 lbs heavier.
Thanks so much for watching and for the suggestion! We do have a thermometer in our fridge and freezer. They stay pretty consistent, but helps us know what is going on in there. So cool that you were able to replace your fridge for a much lighter and more efficient one!
If your propane fridge was only 50 at times, I can almost be sure it was installed incorrectly. Ours was that way until I started researching it. The back of the fridge is a chimney. It has to be built and installed correctly in order to draft properly and remove the heat. The air must move upward through the coils. If it doesn't it won't work, usually there is too much space on the sides of the fridge and the air moves freely in the unobstructed area, leaving the coils hot and not working properly. Add some sheet metal baffles to force the air to move through the coils, and add a thermostatically controlled vent fan on the top under the roof cover. Make sure the top of the fridge is not open which causes turbulence and destroys the chimney draw that is essential to a absorption refer. We did this and went to 37-39 in the fridge and 5-10 below zero in the freezer even in 100 degree heat. Cost me some time and work and about 100 dollars for the fan and materials, but it was so worth it. It always bothers me to hear people switching out to 120V residential type fridges. Its unnecessary and expensive and you lose the ability to use propane when truly boondocking on extended cloudy days.
I honestly dont get the whole run to the 12 volt fridge thing when a fridge can run off propane for 45 years on a good size canister and saves wasted electricity. Also, you can save a lot of money buying a couple smaller solar gen batteries instead of the ridiculous prices bigger ones. Also good to have power in separate spaces. The chinese made ones sell in the $100's of dollars and work just as well. Try NexPow.
Thank you for watching and for this comment. We had heard all the rage about the 12 volt fridges being bigger and cooling way faster. We also loved that you can safely run it as you are towing unlike propane fridges. We didn't realize though how much battery consumption it uses. There is so much debate out there between 12 volt vs propane. We think we would like a propane fridge next time. In our last RV, it was a residential fridge that ran off the inverter as we traveled. We never boondocked with it. We really love our solar generator though. You are right that it's good to have power in separate spaces. We just need more solar and I think it would be a much better experience for us.
I guess given how popular boondocking has become, the 12V fridge is better if you have a good solar system. The 12V fridge is 25% bigger or more capacity for the same real estate of a common RV fridge because it can be deeper inside due the lack of need of a compressor and the other stuff a regular RV fridge has. Additionally, the 12V fridge cools 4X times faster than a regular fridge. Unfortunately, the RV manufacturers may provide a very basic solar package that it is only good for the lighting and the TV at best. Investing in an adequate solar system may cost you much more than $5K and most salespeople will not tell you about it.
I boondock and actually love my 12V fridge. It really does a better job of cooling without freezing all things I only want refrigerating. I lost SO MUCH food with my 3way RV fridge, which was a real bummer after driving to the middle of nowhere. I’ve also replaced my toilet with a self-made diverting compost toilet. This saves tons of water and allows me to double my grey tank capacity, for more infrequent dumping. The way each of us accomplish boondocking is so variable. I think you point about conservation is truly the key skill that’s required to boondock in comfort. This was a great video and list of things to consider.
You have to hall that propane too. This will easily exceed may payload rating not to mention at some point if you are hauling too many gallons you need a commercial driver license with hazmat endorsement. Also some of us don't want the government be able to stop us. They can take away gas but not the sun. Take a look on how much you use with the furnace. It's not pretty
I put a 12-volt refrigerator in my travel trailer because I wanted more room in there, and I go to the river a lot on the parker strip in Arizona, and it's 120 degrees out there sometimes. The propane refrigerator will not keep it cold enough in that heat👍🇺🇲
Very good ideas and advice I would also add always have a backup backup I mean it if you rely on something to cook with or to start your vehicle should your battery go dead for some reason in the middle of nowhere carry an extra starter battery carry an extra cooktop whatever it is you use and need on a daily basis have a backup. Also I learned on my first journey that my refrigerator was not efficient and it ran down my lead acid battery Bank overnight so I upgraded to a 54 quart refrigerator that ran on 12 volt or 120 and I run it on 12 volt and have one battery just for that I got a 100 amp hour battleborn and it just sips energy it never ever run slow running 24/7. So I guess my house battery is what I use to run the refrigerator and I have a renergy 200 watt solar suitcase to keep that battery and others charged. I also have a 400 w solar panels on the roof that charge another $200 amp hour Bank with a-40 amp mppt charge controller. So I have separate systems to run separate things.
Thank you for watching and sharing your great ideas! Wow! You have given us so much to think about! Having a separate battery and solar just for the fridge is a fantastic idea. Having separate batteries for separate things makes so much sense. Also having backups to what you need most is definitely important! Thanks again for these great tips!
@@RoamInYourHome A. Which model Rockwood is that? I'm actually eyeballing the 2104s or the 21DS from Flagstaff. B. I was thinking about getting this 3500 inverter generator from Harbor Freight but wanted to know is a soft start necessary? C. Does the Go Power Charge controller automatically charge the lith ion batt you switched to? D. Your thoughts about the power pkg that is now available for the RockStaffs or FlagWoods Micro/Mini Lite line up. that looks like an awesome place to boondock.. boondocking is on my list of things to do. Please advise.
@@Bronco2Cj Thank you so much for watching and asking these great questions! A. We have the 2104s and LOVE it! Such a great layout in such a small floor plan. B. We have heard that a SoftStart was not necessary when using a 3500 inverter generator. If we could do it all again, we would definitely get the 3500. C. Yes, the GoPower charge controller charges the lithium ion battery, but you need to change the setting from lead acid to lithium. D. We think the new Power Package is awesome and would have definitely wanted that if it was available for us in 2021. Bottom line is the more battery, solar, and inverter you have, the better chances you can stay off grid for longer and less headaches. Wishing you the best! Happy to help in any way we can, if you have further questions.
@@RoamInYourHome Thats awesome! I'm actually looking at the 2023 2104s, 21DS from Flagstaff which is the same exact trailer as well as others.. would installing the soft start and going with a lower watt generator void the warranty on the trailer? I looked at the cost for the power pkg and its just too much as of right now so I'm going the generator route for now.
@@Bronco2Cj I would do some research to find out whether it will void your warranty. I honestly do not know. The EasyStart is another reputable brand and I found this article when researching. www.micro-air.com/kb-easystart/article_presales/easystart_Will_installing_an_EasyStart_void_a_factory_warranty.cfm#:~:text=EasyStart%20Knowledge%20Bank-,Will%20installing%20an%20EasyStart%20void%20a%20factory%20warranty%3F,Legally%2C%20it%20shouldn%C2%B4t.
Thanks so much for watching and bringing to our attention the link for the water miser wasn’t in the description. The website is www.showermiser.com/. It was factory installed on our Mini Lite and it’s a huge help for conservation when boondocking. Thanks again!
Solar "generators" are the most expensive way to add capacity. A controller for your suitcase can be $25. You might even be able to add it to your existing controller.
We tent camp as well so we love our solar generator to be able to have power when we don’t have our RV. We definitely need to get a solar controller for our solar suitcase. That would be very helpful and one of the things next on our list. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Thank you so much for watching and for this feedback. Our audio is such a struggle for us. We have it up as high as it will go inside our video editor. We know it's way too low. We have to turn it way up to hear it on our TV as well, then the next video is so crazy loud. It is our top priority to improve our audio and are working to even change our video editor as we speak. Sorry for the inconvenience. We are thankful for your comment.
Wanted to let you know that I just updated this boondocking video with improved audio! Finally! Here's the link: ruclips.net/video/whazeR1E8UU/видео.html
We have the Sport S with max tow package. It tows awesome on flat land, but definitely feel the lack of power on the mountain inclines. Definitely need to switch over to manual when towing. Often we were in second gear going 35 mph as we would climb the highways in Colorado. Thankfully there was a passing lane so no one was too upset. When we are in Florida or other flat states, it’s awesome. We are just used to having a V8 dually so this is obviously quite different.
@@RoamInYourHome the things we are willing to put up with. I just can't part with my Jeep. Ohh the places to go. Getting our trailer 18th. Thanks again and look forward to more vids.
@@RandomExitsJT This is our first Jeep and we are hooked! Our plan is to get a motorhome and tow the Jeep, but we wanted to have some fun and go places we couldn't go in our big fifth wheel and won't be able to go in the motorhome. We are loving it! Have fun with your new RV!
Which version of OnX do you recommend? I believe there is one for hunters and one called backcountry. Are there important differences? Which do you use?
Double your battery bank and triple your solar modules and you can pretty much leave the generator home. You cannot effectively run AC on battery/solar even with a very large battery bank and solar array. Its just too energy hungry. If possible, don't mount solar panels next to the the AC or other tall items on the roof. Any shading kills the production and I can see its doing bad things for you. You can't afford to lose anything if possible. Add a DC to DC charger to your towing rig and you can charge your battery bank really effectively with your towing vehicle alternator. I added a 60A DC to DC charger to my Ram and run my refer on 120v when traveling and propane when not towing. We always have 100% charge battery bank when we arrive. Recommend a Victron smart shunt on your battery bank. Super accurate and you can monitor it on your phone with the free Victron app.
Thank you so much for watching and for leaving these awesome suggestions! We recently heard about the DC to DC charger and it's definitely on our list. We have heard good things about the Victron smart shunt and are leaning toward that one. We definitely need to add to our solar soon and will eventually add to our battery and get a bigger inverter. Thanks for the comment!
@@RoamInYourHome The Victron is worth the extra money. The only downside I have experienced is the Bluetooth is weak and doesn't have a lot of range. It works anywhere inside the trailer (22 ft), but Its not strong enough to be picked up in the towing vehicle which would be very handy. Not sure why the BT is so weak because other Victron products have excellent BT range. I use a Renogy 60A DC to DC charger and have been very happy with it for 2 years now. There are a number of good ones out there, but theirs is much more reasonably priced and works very well. Make sure you size your cable properly. That is where the expense is in the DC DC charger overall project. Use Anderson connectors with weatherproof covers. The extra cost is well worth the money invested.
I think everyone worries about fire with the absorbsion refrigerator, and they don't want to run the absorbsion refrigerator while going down the road . However they use hardly any propane.
Nice video... Iv camped there before, fun spot! I also only boondock in good weather. So no need to use the AC. Our new rig has a 12v fridge. Very nice tips. It’s always a fun learning experience. IOverlander is also a nice app to have to find free water. We have starlink but need a better way to run power to it, need to get a power generator like you mentioned. Love your setup btw...
Thanks so much for watching! So cool that you camped in this area! Such a beautiful place! Thanks for recommending iOverlander. We definitely need to check it out. Let us know how you like your 12volt fridge. The fridge itself it awesome. Cools super quick and has lots of room. Just the battery consumption was surprising. Definitely a fun learning experience that we hope to get good at one day!
Thank you so much for watching and commenting! We are on Facebook and Instagram @roaminyourhome. Would love to connect there and happy to help answer any of your questions! Look forward to connecting!
We mentioned it didn’t have a controller, but definitely could have went in more detail. Yours must have a solar controller since you use it without issue. Ours was made to charge our EcoFlow and we just assumed we could plug it into our side inlet, then learned it’s not how it works.
We were coming from Austin, TX and only drove through the northeast corner of NM. Stopped in Raton, NM for a night before heading to CO. Looks like that is close to 5 hours from Ruodiso. Never heard of that town, but thanks for letting us know about it. Will have to check it out next time we are in NM. We always love exploring new areas. Thanks for watching and for commenting!
1. What model of Minilite you have?? Since I mostly look at the 2500 series, the GWR for those are usually around 5500 lbs and the tonge weight over 550 lbs. I assume that is to heavy for a gladiator. My favorite Minilites are the 2507S and the 2513S because of the big outside kitchens.. 2. When boondocking, do you have a general rule on how far from the main road? Like at least 2-5 miles from the BLM entrance or town?
1. We love the 2507s too! That is our favorite model, however we had to go with the 2104s to be within specs of the Gladiator. We wanted the Gladiator most of all for doing a Bucket List adventure which included Jeep trails. We will eventually be getting a motorhome and tow the Jeep. We did a ton of research to find out the biggest small RV that the Gladiator can safely tow, including GVWR, tongue weight, payload. We had to get the max tow option on the Gladiator and go with the smallest Mini Lite and now we are within all legal limits including all our cargo and us and our dog. We always recommend going with a truck bigger than you need and you'll never be disappointed. We just sold our 40' fifth wheel and Ram 3500 dually. It was more truck than we needed and it towed it awesome. However, we didn't listen to our own advice so we could do this Bucket List adventure. The Gladiator was capable, but definitely not as powerful as we would have liked, especially when towing up the mountains. You will love the 2507s, but definitely do your research when looking at all the numbers of the truck you will be towing with. Are you part of the Rockwood/Flagstaff Mini/Micro Facebook group? Best group on the internet, full of super helpful people. If you are interested, I can get you the full name of the group so you are sure you have the right one. 2. We don't have a rule about distance from the main road when boondocking. We look more for a good site with easy access in and out. If we have to struggle to get there, we are turning around. We would love to be driving distance from a town for convenience, but as long as we have what we need, we don't worry about that. Great questions! Thanks so much for watching and commenting. Happy to help any way we can!
@@RoamInYourHome Thanks for your response. At this moment I'm just fantasizing about the Minilite and Ember. I just bought a property and it will take me two years to be in a good place financially to get an RV. Yes please. Let me know the FB Mini Lite group you are talking about.
@@outdoorsman2b918 You are doing all the right things by researching and getting prepared financially. You will love this Rockwood Mini Lite group. You can search on Facebook for it. The group name is "Rockwood Mini Lite-Flagstaff Micro Lite Fan Club" by Stressless Camping. There are 10.1 members. It is filled with super helpful people that answer your questions right away. I am in there under Jamie Davis Williams. You can search my name and look at all my posts, if you're interested. Happy to help answer any questions you have. Wish you the best!
So many questions since we are about to start down the boondocking rabbit hole. I noticed your battery is in an external box. Most folks are installing inside because of temperature restrictions on the lithium batteries, have you had any issues with that? With the 200 am hour battery is that giving you enough to get through the night with the 12v fridge? We have a 12v fridge as well. Lastly did you have to swap out any other electronics equipment to go to lithium? Great video! Full of valuable information. Thanks for posting this.
Thanks so much for watching and commenting! Happy to help you any way we can! 1. We did not have room to put our battery inside, so we swapped our battery box when we changed to lithium ion. So far, no problem with the battery. We are actually in northeast Ohio right now and getting snow so we shall soon see if there is an issue. 2. The 200ah battery is enough to run our 12v fridge, but we didn't have enough solar to keep the battery charged. Our 190 watt solar panel isn't enough. We had to run the generator to charge the battery for at least an hour or so each day. 3. We did not make any other changes when we swapped out our battery, except we had to change a setting on our GoPower controller from lead to lithium. We need a much better controller though. That is definitely not ideal and doesn't tell us enough. We really appreciate your feedback and are here if you have any additional questions as you get ready to boondock!
@@RoamInYourHome Thanks for the answers, I'm curious to see how that battery holds up in the cold weather. Your battery box look like it has thick sidewalls, is it insulated? On the controller front, I'll need to do the same thing with my controller to switch it over to lithium, I believe it is an auto detecting controller, but there still is a process that you need to go through to get it to auto-detect. I have 165w of solar on my rig so I may wind up in the same spot as you when trying to fill the 200ah battery. So many things to consider I guess. Thank you so much for the offer to share knowledge. Let me reciprocate with this. I've been in the video production business for 20+ years so that's where my knowledge base is. If you have any questions about production, lighting, cameras, editing, audio etc... feel free to send them my way, I'd be happy to help out.
@@ourrvsunsets That is so generous of you! We are so new to all the video editing and learning most of it the hard way. We are using Adobe Premiere Elements and having issues with the audio. It's up all the way in the editor, but way too low when playing the final video on RUclips. So frustrating. What video editor do you recommend? We may switch to Premiere Pro. Curious what you thought about it.
@@RoamInYourHome So I'm a Mac person and edit on Final Cut Pro. If you have the ability to do that I would highly recommend it as it is a much more intuitive editing platform than Premiere. It's also a pay for it once and keep using it application. Premiere Pro is a subscription based payment mode. However that is not to say that Premiere can't do what you need it to, it absolutely can, especially the Pro version. But on to your audio issue. The solution is going to be using EQ and Compression effects to solve the volume issues. I put together the following linked video (this is on my personal channel) to explain how to do this in Final Cut. You can do the same thing in Premier Pro with similar EQ and Compression effects. For the EQ you would use the "Parametric Equalizer" and for the compression you can use either the single or multi-band compressor. I am assuming there are the same effects in Premiere Elements, but I'm not super familiar with that application. Either way this video will give you some fundamentals on sweetening dialogue audio. Start here and then ping me with any follow up questions. ruclips.net/video/1PHjczPdUpI/видео.html
We stayed at BLM Sacred Shell White Mountain just down the road from Great Sand Dunes National Park. Lots of great free camping spots. BLM Sacred White Shell Mountain maps.app.goo.gl/3qsVKpfpeqsZeZq59?g_st=ic
Thank you so much for watching and for this feedback. Audio is such a struggle for us. Our top priority is trying to improve it. It sounds great in our video editor, but lowers significantly when we import to RUclips. We just got a new video editor to see if that fixes it. It is a huge frustration for us. Thanks again. Hopefully we fix this issue soon.
We love it and so do a lot of RVers we know. It’s been a total game changer for us. We dealt with the frustrations of bad internet for years and now we finally have high speed internet wherever we go.
We work remotely using our Starlink. When we aren't working, we are hiking or riding Jeep trails. Love being outdoors in these beautiful places. Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
Crime is everywhere even out of the city. When boondocking you are farther away from help so you need to establish eye contact w your neighbors, kind of like establishing a pride of lions always look for something out of place.😅
Crazy... you spent over $6500 in accessories just to boondock. Seems counterproductive LOL We are using out Travel trailer like a tent because we've been tent campers for years and really haven't spent any extra money other than an extra battery and a solar trickle. $200
Whatever it is that we spent, we didn’t buy it all just to boondock one week. We have more than paid ourselves back with the money we’ve saved and we are more comfortable than when we tent camp. That is important for us to work remotely. The best part of RVing is that everyone can do it however they want. Glad you found what makes sense to you.
Thanks so much for watching and for this feedback. Our audio is such a struggle for us. Improving it is our top priority. It sounds great in our video editor then sounds way too low when we import into RUclips. It's up all the way in our video editor, so we just switched to a new one. Hopefully that will fix it. So frustrating, because it sounds perfect inside the editor and on our laptop.
@@RoamInYourHome when you live with no A/C and only refrigerator is an ice chest and your toilet is a 5 gallon bucket from Home Depot, you guys look rich! It’s all relative!
Thanks for the comment! We had audio issues but fixed them so I re-released this video with improved audio shortly afterwards. Here is a link if you are interested in watching. ruclips.net/video/whazeR1E8UU/видео.htmlsi=0VvppxSSJML4DqzZ
We have the max tow package with our Jeep Gladiator. It has 7650 towing capacity, 1560 payload capacity. We did our research and bought a small camper that the Gladiator can safely and legally tow. Thanks for asking.
Thanks for the feedback. We are working to improve our audio. It's up as loud as possible inside our video editor and sounds great. Something is happening when we import it into RUclips. Working on fixing this problem. Thanks again for the taking the time to let us know.
It’s totally worth it for the most beautiful views and all the privacy for free. I think a good mix of boondocking and RV Parks makes you appreciate each one. Our favorite is moochdocking on our friend’s 10 acres. We have all the privacy and peace & quiet with full hookups!
Overlanding, really? I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. That rig never left the gravel road. You dont need most of what you took. Rich peoples prioritys
Who said anything about overlanding? This video was about boondocking. Two totally different subjects. Boondocking is RVing without hookups and we did need everything we brought. When we go overlanding, it is just our truck and tent. Thanks for the comment though! Glad we could make you laugh!
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
For anyone having audio issues with this video, we redid this video with improved audio here:
m.ruclips.net/video/whazeR1E8UU/видео.html
I'm old enough (74) to remember when ALL camping was boondocking! I'm glad to see more and more people are doing it again. I'll be doing it myself in a month or so.
Awesome! Have a wonderful time!
We have a 2020 minilite and love it… been a perfect lightweight rig.
A few of the biggest tips that I will give you for long-term camping like this in an RV if you want to save electricity and you’ve probably already figured some of these out but they are…
Bring a cooler full of drinks, that you ice down… A good cooler that can keep stuff cold for three or four days. And keep that under the kitchen table when you’re parked, keep it in the bed of the truck when you’re moving. That way, you’re not keeping any of your water or sodas in the refrigerator for the most part which cuts down 80% on how often it gets opened.
Next thing… if you’re going to keep a bunch of water bottles in the refrigerator… Freeze them before you leave home, completely solid as a rock. Then load up the refrigerator with all the food and the frozen water bottles and it will have to run a lot less. If it’s some point, you have access to electricity during the trip you can always re-freeze the water bottles in the freezer and then put them back in the refrigerator. I even do this at home just so that if I lose power I’ve always got a buffer in my freezer.
Another thing that you can do so you don’t have to deal with so many bags and all that kind of stuff is go to Walmart and get you one of those blue aquatainer cubes. The whole 6 gallons of water and come with a dispenser spout that makes it very handy… They have a five year warranty and are very rugged and have a built-in handle.
I’ll tell you another ingenious way to get rid of gray water if you’re staying out on BLM land in an arid environment (and I don’t mean dumping it on the ground)… go to the hardware store and get a 5 gallon bucket and a bag of sand… Put the bag of sand in the 5 gallon bucket and then use your a little bowl trick in the sink or whatever. Then you can pour that water into the bucket till it gets about three-quarter full… You’ll be very surprised with the sun shining on it all day, and the wind blowing that it will evaporate a huge amount in one day. Several gallons per day. Especially if the temps are approaching 100° or higher. All the pollutants or chemicals will stay trapped in the sand and you can take it home with you and put it in the trash to be disposed of in the landfill with your garbage. You might be able to get rid of 20 gallons a week worth of water like that.
As for an inverter/converter/charger I highly recommend taking advantage of the Victron Quattro II 120. It’s specifically designed for North American units and it’s a three kVA inverter with dual inputs for sure power and the generator and dual outputs so that it knows what’s coming into it and what’s going out of it and it’s smart. It can use power from either source to either charge your batteries or run the load you have attached to it and it can use power from one source to boost the other source if the first source is not strong enough. It can also integrate with their solar hardware to form a complete system, as well as integrating with one of their DC to DC units to allow you to charge the system with your vehicle.
It’s really the total package all in one box that will fit inside your pass-through storage for about $1300 and you can set it up to where it replaces the existing inverter and takes the short power feed, and also has a connection for you to plug your generator into as well.
It’s smarter than I am sometimes. It can even be programmed with schedules, so it knows when solar will be available to do certain things.
I also recommend when you install the Victron that you install a second battery inside your pass-through storage so that you have one battery specifically for the inverter and a second battery that you’re keeping on charge that’s isolated just for maybe the fridge and your 12 V items. The Victron can still charge both of them, you would just put an isolator, so that one battery couldn’t drain down the other. That way, no matter how much you use running other things you’re 12 V system battery would still have its full voltage to run just the refrigerator and key items.
Wow!! Thank you so much for all the awesome tips! We sure appreciate you taking the time to do that!
I'm pulling small 5x8 trailer on my class c. 100 gallons water, 2 30 gallon propane tank, extra solar panels, ebike. Spare bed, supplies for camping. I'm good
Sounds like you have a great setup for sure! Thanks for watching and for commenting! We appreciate it!
THE BEST video I've seen to date with actual examples of tried solutions to the problems. Very interesting. 😊
What an awesome compliment!! Thank you so much for that and thank you so much for watching! ❤️🙌🏻
The best refrigerator for boondocking is a standard AC unit just like in a house. Our 12 cubic foot frig/freezer only draws 745 watts per day which is half the draw of our Norcold.. With a standard frig you do not have to worry about fires or being level for it to operate properly. to resolve the air conditioning problem change to a split system like Mr Cool 12K. It draws 1/2 the power of the standard RV systems. .
Great information! Thanks so much for sharing! Will definitely look into both the fridge & AC.
i ran into the same issue with my 12v fridge. I went from 100w of solar to 300w and eventually to 600w. As for batteries, i went from the junk sla battery the rig came with to a 100ah lithium, then added a 2nd 100ah. This worked well as long as there was a few hours of sun every couple of days. I just ordered a 3rd 100ah battery for this season to supplement the battery bank and give me the ability to camp under shade trees for a few days. It definitely never feels like I'm finished, lol. I might be addicted.
Sounds like you have an awesome setup now! We’d love to get more solar for sure.
Just found your channel, Randy/Jamie; found this video very informative. Am in the midwest and would like to do some of the boondocking like you showed; actually am considering a similar setup like you have -- RW (or F'Staff) with Andersen equalizer hitch. Am wondering if you have a video on installation, hitching, unhitching, then re-hitching procedure? Would be very interested in that, if you don't have a video online.
The more I watch, the more I realize how much prep MUST be done to make it an enjoyable experience.
Y'all Be Safe!
Thank you for watching and commenting, Raymond! Glad you found the video informative. Excited for you to start your RV adventures! You are absolutely right by doing a lot of research ahead of time. We have not done our hitching and unhitching video yet, but it is on our list. We’ll see if we can get to it sooner than later for you. It definitely is helpful to understand how it all works. We’re here to answer any questions you have in the meantime!
Good to know that starlink works well for remote workers. I almost bought a hotspot, which is probably not ideal out west.
Thanks so much for watching! Starlink is life changing for remote workers! You just need to have a clear view of the sky. If there are trees all around, it’s almost impossible to use. However with clear view of the sky, it’s amazing!
For boondocking, we honestly just use an ice chest.
I have considered getting a 12v ice chest style fridge and running it off my jackery and put a solar charger on it, and just running the fridge like that with nothing else on the jackery. Less convenient, sure, but less to go wrong.
We had a fridge and freezer full of groceries since we are full-timers so we needed it to stay cold. When we tent camp, a cooler is all we bring and much less stress.
We boondock we have 2400 watts of solar , 1000 amps battle born batteries, 2 victron multiplex , we paid a lot of money to boondock, great video. We live fulltime in our class A.
Wow! Your setup is our dream setup! So awesome to know you boondock in your Class A because that’s what we ultimately want. Downsized from our 40’ fifth wheel to this 20’ travel trailer to boondock in remote places for awhile then we will get our Class A. Will be following you to check out your experiences! Thank you so much for watching and commenting!
Wow. 1000 watts of battery and 2400 watts of Solar. That can take you anywhere. That alone is like the cost of a small RV. I hope you have seen a lot of great places.
Thanks for the video. Trying everything with access to regular resources is a key tip. [Trust but verify.] While boondocking, hair dryers aren't a necessity ;-) Use a backpacking propane stove rather than a microwave.
We have a propane griddle that came with our camper that we use often when boondocking. Great tip! We should have mentioned it. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Thanks so much for watching!
Cubic "Grizzly" mini woodstove, made in Canada, (not in Xiyna) is my best mod. (Dewalt 20v 12"chainsaw.) Iceco 12v chest freezer. First thing I always do is scout the road I want to drive up before doing so, on my XT250 Yamaha. Shower outside. Lugable Loo toilet. Find local water, creek/well/etc.. for showers & dishes. No black or grey tanks. Have Doberman & Glock for security. Use real maps, not your phone. Tom & "Jed", 4 years full-time "extreme off-grid boondockers"
Thanks so much for these great tips! Sounds like you got an awesome system in place. The more experience we get, the better it will be for us as well. Cooper definitely helps with our security too, and didn't mention our own arsenal. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Love the list. Doberman and Glock! Yep! Camping while roughing it, is a good way to conserve.
Having a rhino tote and macerator for if/when you want to dump your black or grey and you don't want to pull the entire rig into town. It's been a game changer!! Also, heat up water in a kettle and make you're coffee with slow drip. No electricity! Good luck y'all!
Thanks so much for watching and for these awesome suggestions! We are definitely needing that rhino tote. That will help a lot! Great idea to make your coffee too! Thanks for the tips!
Great video and great list. Seems to be the unanimous list of boon-docking tips. Those lists of concerns would be my concern as well. How much was the investment in Starlink and is there a monthly payment. Does the Hot Spot not work for you? because you are too far out in nowhere?
Thanks so much for watching and for your comment! Starlink was $700 initial investment (prices may have changed by now) and we pay $145 a month for it. The hotspot only works if you have cell coverage and the Starlink works perfectly without cell coverage. Starlink does not go off cell towers, it works from all the satellites that have been placed. It is amazing and has been worth it! I was working for Microsoft when we were boondocking and was in Teams meetings without ever losing service.
Soooo appreciate the solar generator info !!! Will be looking at the EcoFlow.
Happy to help! It is a total game changer! We love it when we’re tent camping too and just used it when we lost electricity in our RV Park! So happy with it! Thanks for watching and commenting!
Hi there, I liked your video. I’m just now getting started. I wanna buy a truck and a trailer, but I’ve been looking at the jeeps. Also I was wondering how your jeep pulled your trailer and what the weight that your jeep can tow and the weight of your trailerand how much total solar I would need to run everything
The Gladiator tows it well on flat roads but really struggled in elevation. A lot of times, we were in second head because the power just isn’t there. We have the Max Tow package which is the only way we could get the numbers to work. It’s cutting it close. A bigger truck would be much better.
I love my 2 way propane fridge and i boondock full time for 3.5 mths each winter in AZ. I have 300 watts of solar on the roof and four 6v flooded batteries. Ive never run out of power. The biggest draw on power is the propane furnace which realy suprized me. I have a 2100 watt genset but have never needed it. My best add on other than solar is a macerator pump and portable poop tank. Game changer!! I often stay at one place for over a mth and i dont have to move the trailer to dump tanks. Ps my propane fridge runs forever on propane, very efficient.
That’s such great information! Thanks so much for sharing. We definitely need to do some mods to make this work better for us. Really appreciate your input.
Excellent video and very valid points got my Lithium batteries, Solar Panels, Inverter and SoftStart but never tested it before I hit the road and Yep I had problems. It’s all good now but had I just tested my setup before I hit the road I would not of had a temper tantrum 😢. I have a 3 way refrigerator so when boondocking I use propane for my refrigerator.
Thank you so much for watching and commenting! So sorry you didn’t test either. We were kicking ourselves. It would have solved so many issues and would have saved us a lot of money. If we just tested and figured out what we needed, we could have boondocked longer and avoided the costs of the RV Parks. We’ll be smarter next time! You’re so lucky to have a 3 way fridge! Now we wish we did.
Are two lithium batteries and 200 watts of solar power enough for a teardrop camper that has a microwave, ac, heater and our
C-pap Machines?
@@dennisw.truman3325 It's really difficult to answer that. How big are your lithium batteries? Also, you will need to know the running watts of all of the items you want to run, then know how big your inverter is in order to run them. It's so confusing and definitely takes some research and TESTING to find out. If you learn one thing from us, it's to TEST it before you need it!! Learn from our mistakes!!
That is a beautiful day camp location. Is it safe to leave your rv there when you go sightseeing near by?
Thanks so much for watching and commenting! We felt it was very safe to leave the RV and did so every day while we went exploring. There were other scattered RVs around and no one bothered anyone but seemed friendly and would look out for each other. Seems like that is the typical boondocking atmosphere.
We have an Everchill 12v compressor fridge. I would never go back to an absorption fridge. Absorption is worthless in triple digit temps. Even with the careful “chimney effect” work done behind the fridge and fans it’s marginal at best. I’ve installed 600 watts of solar (with room for another 200 watts) and two 200 AH lifepo 4 batteries.
Thanks so much for watching and for providing this information! Sounds like you have what we eventually want to have for solar and batteries. Awesome!
Just saw your channel. Very cool. We run a Rubicon Gladiator Eco diesel and pull a 2108 micro mini. Thank you for sharing your journey. Enjoying the video
Thanks so much for watching and commenting! Your setup sounds perfect! Safe travels!
We replaced one 12v with two large 6V batteries, doubled the solar panels. Also doubled the propane. The fridge is electric and we love it, it can stay on when moving. I carry a Yamaha 2KW gas but it rarely sees use, the solR panels do the job. My main issue is waste water. The sensors are not reliable, the tanks read full too fast. I replaced the tires with one class up for use on bad roads and also changed out the leaf springs. We have had no issues just wastewater limits for long stays.
Conserving the gray water is definitely a struggle.
Hi you 2 are adorable ❤ My boyfriend and I just bought an RV.We're getting a truck and we are coming out West, so we are total newbies.I've been watching a lot of channels and just stumbled across yours. Thank you for all your helpful tips.What are the best apps for RV'ing ? Where's the best boondocking?There's apps for everything
If you Google “best boondocking apps” there are tons of great ones. Good luck and have fun!
Thank you very much for this type of video. Planning on buying an RV soon. Trying to get as much as information as possible.
Thanks so much for watching! Glad you found it helpful! Good luck!
WOW You have the same setup as I do. t I have the Jeep Rubicon Gldiator and 2022 Forstriver 2109s. We have not boondock in yet. We have stayed at some state parks here in Texas.I did very wall. I have tested my 3000w dual fuel Champion Generator. I ran the generator propane the trailer did just fine. I did not see how long the generator would run. That my next test.
That is so cool! We are basically twins! Haha! Sounds like you have prepared a lot more than we have. We definitely wish we would have bought the 3000w generator instead of now having 2 2500s to lug around. Let us know how you do when you try boondocking and if you have any tips for us! Hope you love your set up like we do!
Wow- 10, 30 and 50 in the same year. I didn’t realize that! ❤️❤️❤️
Yes! Big year for us for sure!
just subscribed because of the views and camera work, very nice.
Thank you so much for watching, commenting, and subscribing! We greatly appreciate it!
Just switched out our older propane/electric frig and replaced with residential. Old 8 cf frig used 300-400 watts and often only maintained 50 degrees, amazed that our new frig only uses 70-80 watts and only runs periodically so overall usage is even lower. Suggestion- place a thermometer in your frig- we were surprised. Also, 2 way frig was 40 lbs heavier.
Thanks so much for watching and for the suggestion! We do have a thermometer in our fridge and freezer. They stay pretty consistent, but helps us know what is going on in there. So cool that you were able to replace your fridge for a much lighter and more efficient one!
If your propane fridge was only 50 at times, I can almost be sure it was installed incorrectly. Ours was that way until I started researching it. The back of the fridge is a chimney. It has to be built and installed correctly in order to draft properly and remove the heat. The air must move upward through the coils. If it doesn't it won't work, usually there is too much space on the sides of the fridge and the air moves freely in the unobstructed area, leaving the coils hot and not working properly. Add some sheet metal baffles to force the air to move through the coils, and add a thermostatically controlled vent fan on the top under the roof cover. Make sure the top of the fridge is not open which causes turbulence and destroys the chimney draw that is essential to a absorption refer. We did this and went to 37-39 in the fridge and 5-10 below zero in the freezer even in 100 degree heat. Cost me some time and work and about 100 dollars for the fan and materials, but it was so worth it. It always bothers me to hear people switching out to 120V residential type fridges. Its unnecessary and expensive and you lose the ability to use propane when truly boondocking on extended cloudy days.
Good tips. Thanks!
Thanks so much for watching!
You may want to look into a composting toilet with separator. No water use(no black tank dumping). No stinky slinky.
We have been researching and this would be perfect! Definitely would allow us to stay out much longer! Thank you for the suggestion!
I honestly dont get the whole run to the 12 volt fridge thing when a fridge can run off propane for 45 years on a good size canister and saves wasted electricity. Also, you can save a lot of money buying a couple smaller solar gen batteries instead of the ridiculous prices bigger ones. Also good to have power in separate spaces. The chinese made ones sell in the $100's of dollars and work just as well. Try NexPow.
Thank you for watching and for this comment. We had heard all the rage about the 12 volt fridges being bigger and cooling way faster. We also loved that you can safely run it as you are towing unlike propane fridges. We didn't realize though how much battery consumption it uses. There is so much debate out there between 12 volt vs propane. We think we would like a propane fridge next time. In our last RV, it was a residential fridge that ran off the inverter as we traveled. We never boondocked with it. We really love our solar generator though. You are right that it's good to have power in separate spaces. We just need more solar and I think it would be a much better experience for us.
I guess given how popular boondocking has become, the 12V fridge is better if you have a good solar system. The 12V fridge is 25% bigger or more capacity for the same real estate of a common RV fridge because it can be deeper inside due the lack of need of a compressor and the other stuff a regular RV fridge has. Additionally, the 12V fridge cools 4X times faster than a regular fridge. Unfortunately, the RV manufacturers may provide a very basic solar package that it is only good for the lighting and the TV at best. Investing in an adequate solar system may cost you much more than $5K and most salespeople will not tell you about it.
I boondock and actually love my 12V fridge. It really does a better job of cooling without freezing all things I only want refrigerating. I lost SO MUCH food with my 3way RV fridge, which was a real bummer after driving to the middle of nowhere. I’ve also replaced my toilet with a self-made diverting compost toilet. This saves tons of water and allows me to double my grey tank capacity, for more infrequent dumping. The way each of us accomplish boondocking is so variable. I think you point about conservation is truly the key skill that’s required to boondock in comfort. This was a great video and list of things to consider.
You have to hall that propane too. This will easily exceed may payload rating not to mention at some point if you are hauling too many gallons you need a commercial driver license with hazmat endorsement. Also some of us don't want the government be able to stop us. They can take away gas but not the sun. Take a look on how much you use with the furnace. It's not pretty
I put a 12-volt refrigerator in my travel trailer because I wanted more room in there, and I go to the river a lot on the parker strip in Arizona, and it's 120 degrees out there sometimes. The propane refrigerator will not keep it cold enough in that heat👍🇺🇲
Very good ideas and advice I would also add always have a backup backup I mean it if you rely on something to cook with or to start your vehicle should your battery go dead for some reason in the middle of nowhere carry an extra starter battery carry an extra cooktop whatever it is you use and need on a daily basis have a backup. Also I learned on my first journey that my refrigerator was not efficient and it ran down my lead acid battery Bank overnight so I upgraded to a 54 quart refrigerator that ran on 12 volt or 120 and I run it on 12 volt and have one battery just for that I got a 100 amp hour battleborn and it just sips energy it never ever run slow running 24/7. So I guess my house battery is what I use to run the refrigerator and I have a renergy 200 watt solar suitcase to keep that battery and others charged. I also have a 400 w solar panels on the roof that charge another $200 amp hour Bank with a-40 amp mppt charge controller. So I have separate systems to run separate things.
Thank you for watching and sharing your great ideas! Wow! You have given us so much to think about! Having a separate battery and solar just for the fridge is a fantastic idea. Having separate batteries for separate things makes so much sense. Also having backups to what you need most is definitely important! Thanks again for these great tips!
@@RoamInYourHome A. Which model Rockwood is that? I'm actually eyeballing the 2104s or the 21DS from Flagstaff.
B. I was thinking about getting this 3500 inverter generator from Harbor Freight but wanted to know is a soft start necessary?
C. Does the Go Power Charge controller automatically charge the lith ion batt you switched to?
D. Your thoughts about the power pkg that is now available for the RockStaffs or FlagWoods Micro/Mini Lite line up.
that looks like an awesome place to boondock.. boondocking is on my list of things to do. Please advise.
@@Bronco2Cj Thank you so much for watching and asking these great questions!
A. We have the 2104s and LOVE it! Such a great layout in such a small floor plan.
B. We have heard that a SoftStart was not necessary when using a 3500 inverter generator. If we could do it all again, we would definitely get the 3500.
C. Yes, the GoPower charge controller charges the lithium ion battery, but you need to change the setting from lead acid to lithium.
D. We think the new Power Package is awesome and would have definitely wanted that if it was available for us in 2021. Bottom line is the more battery, solar, and inverter you have, the better chances you can stay off grid for longer and less headaches.
Wishing you the best! Happy to help in any way we can, if you have further questions.
@@RoamInYourHome Thats awesome! I'm actually looking at the 2023 2104s, 21DS from Flagstaff which is the same exact trailer as well as others.. would installing the soft start and going with a lower watt generator void the warranty on the trailer?
I looked at the cost for the power pkg and its just too much as of right now so I'm going the generator route for now.
@@Bronco2Cj I would do some research to find out whether it will void your warranty. I honestly do not know. The EasyStart is another reputable brand and I found this article when researching. www.micro-air.com/kb-easystart/article_presales/easystart_Will_installing_an_EasyStart_void_a_factory_warranty.cfm#:~:text=EasyStart%20Knowledge%20Bank-,Will%20installing%20an%20EasyStart%20void%20a%20factory%20warranty%3F,Legally%2C%20it%20shouldn%C2%B4t.
Great advice on saving water into grey and using that water in toilet.
Thank you so much for watching and commenting! Glad you found this tip useful! It definitely helps conserve water away from the grey.
What is the WaterMizer you mention? The one that will recycle water back into the tank. I can't find it anywhere.
Thanks so much for watching and bringing to our attention the link for the water miser wasn’t in the description. The website is www.showermiser.com/. It was factory installed on our Mini Lite and it’s a huge help for conservation when boondocking. Thanks again!
Solar "generators" are the most expensive way to add capacity. A controller for your suitcase can be $25. You might even be able to add it to your existing controller.
We tent camp as well so we love our solar generator to be able to have power when we don’t have our RV. We definitely need to get a solar controller for our solar suitcase. That would be very helpful and one of the things next on our list. Thanks for watching and commenting!
awesome video folks
Thank you so much for watching and for leaving such a nice compliment!
Great advice. Is there any way you can increase the volume? With my laptop turned to max I could. barely hear parts of the video.
Thank you so much for watching and for this feedback. Our audio is such a struggle for us. We have it up as high as it will go inside our video editor. We know it's way too low. We have to turn it way up to hear it on our TV as well, then the next video is so crazy loud. It is our top priority to improve our audio and are working to even change our video editor as we speak. Sorry for the inconvenience. We are thankful for your comment.
@@RoamInYourHome thank you for your reply. I just didn't want to miss anything you were saying. I will be following your adventures.
@@flynnsylvest257 Thanks a million! So glad to have you here!
Same hear 🙉
Wanted to let you know that I just updated this boondocking video with improved audio! Finally! Here's the link: ruclips.net/video/whazeR1E8UU/видео.html
Good video.
Thank you so much for watching and for commenting! We appreciate it!
Thank you.
Thank you so much for watching and leaving a comment!
I'm just starting out. 2020 JTR. We'll be pulling a 22 foot 4600 lb trailer. How does yours tow? Looks like you have the overland.
We have the Sport S with max tow package. It tows awesome on flat land, but definitely feel the lack of power on the mountain inclines. Definitely need to switch over to manual when towing. Often we were in second gear going 35 mph as we would climb the highways in Colorado. Thankfully there was a passing lane so no one was too upset. When we are in Florida or other flat states, it’s awesome. We are just used to having a V8 dually so this is obviously quite different.
@@RoamInYourHome the things we are willing to put up with. I just can't part with my Jeep. Ohh the places to go. Getting our trailer 18th. Thanks again and look forward to more vids.
@@RandomExitsJT This is our first Jeep and we are hooked! Our plan is to get a motorhome and tow the Jeep, but we wanted to have some fun and go places we couldn't go in our big fifth wheel and won't be able to go in the motorhome. We are loving it! Have fun with your new RV!
Which version of OnX do you recommend? I believe there is one for hunters and one called backcountry. Are there important differences? Which do you use?
Great question! We use OnX off-road. Thank you for watching and commenting!
Double your battery bank and triple your solar modules and you can pretty much leave the generator home. You cannot effectively run AC on battery/solar even with a very large battery bank and solar array. Its just too energy hungry. If possible, don't mount solar panels next to the the AC or other tall items on the roof. Any shading kills the production and I can see its doing bad things for you. You can't afford to lose anything if possible. Add a DC to DC charger to your towing rig and you can charge your battery bank really effectively with your towing vehicle alternator. I added a 60A DC to DC charger to my Ram and run my refer on 120v when traveling and propane when not towing. We always have 100% charge battery bank when we arrive. Recommend a Victron smart shunt on your battery bank. Super accurate and you can monitor it on your phone with the free Victron app.
Thank you so much for watching and for leaving these awesome suggestions! We recently heard about the DC to DC charger and it's definitely on our list. We have heard good things about the Victron smart shunt and are leaning toward that one. We definitely need to add to our solar soon and will eventually add to our battery and get a bigger inverter. Thanks for the comment!
@@RoamInYourHome The Victron is worth the extra money. The only downside I have experienced is the Bluetooth is weak and doesn't have a lot of range. It works anywhere inside the trailer (22 ft), but Its not strong enough to be picked up in the towing vehicle which would be very handy. Not sure why the BT is so weak because other Victron products have excellent BT range. I use a Renogy 60A DC to DC charger and have been very happy with it for 2 years now. There are a number of good ones out there, but theirs is much more reasonably priced and works very well. Make sure you size your cable properly. That is where the expense is in the DC DC charger overall project. Use Anderson connectors with weatherproof covers. The extra cost is well worth the money invested.
I'd say add the solar panels first and see how that goes. The cost effectiveness is greater. Much cheaper to add PV's than batteries.
@@michaeldoherty2289 This is excellent information! Thanks so much for taking the time to share this. Super helpful!
There is a thing called DC TO DC charger might want to check that out for your refrigerator
Thank you so much for the suggestion! We recently found out about the DC to DC charger and it’s definitely on our list. That will be so helpful!
I think everyone worries about fire with the absorbsion refrigerator, and they don't want to run the absorbsion refrigerator while going down the road . However they use hardly any propane.
That is definitely the big concern with them. Thanks for watching and for your comment!
Nice video...
Iv camped there before, fun spot!
I also only boondock in good weather. So no need to use the AC. Our new rig has a 12v fridge.
Very nice tips. It’s always a fun learning experience.
IOverlander is also a nice app to have to find free water.
We have starlink but need a better way to run power to it, need to get a power generator like you mentioned.
Love your setup btw...
Thanks so much for watching! So cool that you camped in this area! Such a beautiful place! Thanks for recommending iOverlander. We definitely need to check it out. Let us know how you like your 12volt fridge. The fridge itself it awesome. Cools super quick and has lots of room. Just the battery consumption was surprising. Definitely a fun learning experience that we hope to get good at one day!
Hi! Loved and saved this great video! Are you guys on any Facebook group? Would love to follow and be able to discuss questions and all....thanks!
Thank you so much for watching and commenting! We are on Facebook and Instagram @roaminyourhome. Would love to connect there and happy to help answer any of your questions! Look forward to connecting!
You should ve explained why you were not able to use the suitcase solar. I have done this with no issue
We mentioned it didn’t have a controller, but definitely could have went in more detail. Yours must have a solar controller since you use it without issue. Ours was made to charge our EcoFlow and we just assumed we could plug it into our side inlet, then learned it’s not how it works.
Hello I wanted to buy some things from ur list but your Las 4 links don't work pls fix
Thanks so much for watching and for letting us know about the links. Greatly appreciate it! All fixed now!
Was that on your way to Ruodiso NM? If it was I hope you checked out Ruidoso it’s an amazing little town
We were coming from Austin, TX and only drove through the northeast corner of NM. Stopped in Raton, NM for a night before heading to CO. Looks like that is close to 5 hours from Ruodiso. Never heard of that town, but thanks for letting us know about it. Will have to check it out next time we are in NM. We always love exploring new areas. Thanks for watching and for commenting!
1. What model of Minilite you have?? Since I mostly look at the 2500 series, the GWR for those are usually around 5500 lbs and the tonge weight over 550 lbs. I assume that is to heavy for a gladiator. My favorite Minilites are the 2507S and the 2513S because of the big outside kitchens..
2. When boondocking, do you have a general rule on how far from the main road? Like at least 2-5 miles from the BLM entrance or town?
1. We love the 2507s too! That is our favorite model, however we had to go with the 2104s to be within specs of the Gladiator. We wanted the Gladiator most of all for doing a Bucket List adventure which included Jeep trails. We will eventually be getting a motorhome and tow the Jeep. We did a ton of research to find out the biggest small RV that the Gladiator can safely tow, including GVWR, tongue weight, payload. We had to get the max tow option on the Gladiator and go with the smallest Mini Lite and now we are within all legal limits including all our cargo and us and our dog. We always recommend going with a truck bigger than you need and you'll never be disappointed. We just sold our 40' fifth wheel and Ram 3500 dually. It was more truck than we needed and it towed it awesome. However, we didn't listen to our own advice so we could do this Bucket List adventure. The Gladiator was capable, but definitely not as powerful as we would have liked, especially when towing up the mountains. You will love the 2507s, but definitely do your research when looking at all the numbers of the truck you will be towing with. Are you part of the Rockwood/Flagstaff Mini/Micro Facebook group? Best group on the internet, full of super helpful people. If you are interested, I can get you the full name of the group so you are sure you have the right one.
2. We don't have a rule about distance from the main road when boondocking. We look more for a good site with easy access in and out. If we have to struggle to get there, we are turning around. We would love to be driving distance from a town for convenience, but as long as we have what we need, we don't worry about that.
Great questions! Thanks so much for watching and commenting. Happy to help any way we can!
@@RoamInYourHome Thanks for your response. At this moment I'm just fantasizing about the Minilite and Ember. I just bought a property and it will take me two years to be in a good place financially to get an RV.
Yes please. Let me know the FB Mini Lite group you are talking about.
@@outdoorsman2b918 You are doing all the right things by researching and getting prepared financially. You will love this Rockwood Mini Lite group. You can search on Facebook for it. The group name is "Rockwood Mini Lite-Flagstaff Micro Lite Fan Club" by Stressless Camping. There are 10.1 members. It is filled with super helpful people that answer your questions right away. I am in there under Jamie Davis Williams. You can search my name and look at all my posts, if you're interested. Happy to help answer any questions you have. Wish you the best!
You need to come boondocking with us!! We could teach you a few tricks.
We definitely have a ton to learn!
So many questions since we are about to start down the boondocking rabbit hole. I noticed your battery is in an external box. Most folks are installing inside because of temperature restrictions on the lithium batteries, have you had any issues with that? With the 200 am hour battery is that giving you enough to get through the night with the 12v fridge? We have a 12v fridge as well. Lastly did you have to swap out any other electronics equipment to go to lithium? Great video! Full of valuable information. Thanks for posting this.
Thanks so much for watching and commenting! Happy to help you any way we can! 1. We did not have room to put our battery inside, so we swapped our battery box when we changed to lithium ion. So far, no problem with the battery. We are actually in northeast Ohio right now and getting snow so we shall soon see if there is an issue. 2. The 200ah battery is enough to run our 12v fridge, but we didn't have enough solar to keep the battery charged. Our 190 watt solar panel isn't enough. We had to run the generator to charge the battery for at least an hour or so each day. 3. We did not make any other changes when we swapped out our battery, except we had to change a setting on our GoPower controller from lead to lithium. We need a much better controller though. That is definitely not ideal and doesn't tell us enough. We really appreciate your feedback and are here if you have any additional questions as you get ready to boondock!
@@RoamInYourHome Thanks for the answers, I'm curious to see how that battery holds up in the cold weather. Your battery box look like it has thick sidewalls, is it insulated? On the controller front, I'll need to do the same thing with my controller to switch it over to lithium, I believe it is an auto detecting controller, but there still is a process that you need to go through to get it to auto-detect. I have 165w of solar on my rig so I may wind up in the same spot as you when trying to fill the 200ah battery. So many things to consider I guess.
Thank you so much for the offer to share knowledge. Let me reciprocate with this. I've been in the video production business for 20+ years so that's where my knowledge base is. If you have any questions about production, lighting, cameras, editing, audio etc... feel free to send them my way, I'd be happy to help out.
@@ourrvsunsets That is so generous of you! We are so new to all the video editing and learning most of it the hard way. We are using Adobe Premiere Elements and having issues with the audio. It's up all the way in the editor, but way too low when playing the final video on RUclips. So frustrating. What video editor do you recommend? We may switch to Premiere Pro. Curious what you thought about it.
@@RoamInYourHome So I'm a Mac person and edit on Final Cut Pro. If you have the ability to do that I would highly recommend it as it is a much more intuitive editing platform than Premiere. It's also a pay for it once and keep using it application. Premiere Pro is a subscription based payment mode. However that is not to say that Premiere can't do what you need it to, it absolutely can, especially the Pro version.
But on to your audio issue. The solution is going to be using EQ and Compression effects to solve the volume issues. I put together the following linked video (this is on my personal channel) to explain how to do this in Final Cut. You can do the same thing in Premier Pro with similar EQ and Compression effects. For the EQ you would use the "Parametric Equalizer" and for the compression you can use either the single or multi-band compressor. I am assuming there are the same effects in Premiere Elements, but I'm not super familiar with that application. Either way this video will give you some fundamentals on sweetening dialogue audio. Start here and then ping me with any follow up questions. ruclips.net/video/1PHjczPdUpI/видео.html
@@ourrvsunsets You are awesome! Thanks a million for this!
You should have bought a predator 5000 watt dual fuel generator. It’s quiet and will run your unit very easily.
We wish we would have.
Jeep Gladiator, RV, overland truck bed tenting, and a Notre Dame fan? Are you my twin brother??
Haha!! That's so cool! Go Irish!
Where are you in this video?
We stayed at BLM Sacred Shell White Mountain just down the road from Great Sand Dunes National Park. Lots of great free camping spots. BLM Sacred White Shell Mountain
maps.app.goo.gl/3qsVKpfpeqsZeZq59?g_st=ic
Important to have is your video sound volume. I have to max in order to hear you.
Thank you so much for watching and for this feedback. Audio is such a struggle for us. Our top priority is trying to improve it. It sounds great in our video editor, but lowers significantly when we import to RUclips. We just got a new video editor to see if that fixes it. It is a huge frustration for us. Thanks again. Hopefully we fix this issue soon.
I have updated this video with improved audio! Finally! Here's the link: ruclips.net/video/whazeR1E8UU/видео.html Thanks for your comment!
They address that issue in one of their first Replies/check back 👍 I am watching on my phone, & was ready to 🤯🙀😹so much information ❗❕❗❕❗🌚🏜️🐈⬛☑️♾️
Startlink is $1,800 a year. Price to and isn't really going 'off-grid'.
We love it and so do a lot of RVers we know. It’s been a total game changer for us. We dealt with the frustrations of bad internet for years and now we finally have high speed internet wherever we go.
What do you do all day?
We work remotely using our Starlink. When we aren't working, we are hiking or riding Jeep trails. Love being outdoors in these beautiful places. Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
Don't forget us tent campers
We love tent camping too!
Crime is everywhere even out of the city. When boondocking you are farther away from help so you need to establish eye contact w your neighbors, kind of like establishing a pride of lions always look for something out of place.😅
We like to boondock where you can’t see your neighbors eyes to make eye contact. 🤣
@@RoamInYourHome
Even better!!
Crazy... you spent over $6500 in accessories just to boondock. Seems counterproductive LOL We are using out Travel trailer like a tent because we've been tent campers for years and really haven't spent any extra money other than an extra battery and a solar trickle. $200
Whatever it is that we spent, we didn’t buy it all just to boondock one week. We have more than paid ourselves back with the money we’ve saved and we are more comfortable than when we tent camp. That is important for us to work remotely. The best part of RVing is that everyone can do it however they want. Glad you found what makes sense to you.
There is a sound problem. I thnk you need microphones
Thanks so much for watching and for this feedback. Our audio is such a struggle for us. Improving it is our top priority. It sounds great in our video editor then sounds way too low when we import into RUclips. It's up all the way in our video editor, so we just switched to a new one. Hopefully that will fix it. So frustrating, because it sounds perfect inside the editor and on our laptop.
I updated this video with improved audio! Here's the link: ruclips.net/video/whazeR1E8UU/видео.html Thanks for your comment!
Nobody NEEDS a residential size fridge or A/C! It’s easier to go boondocking if your not rich and spoiled first!
Definitely not rich! We live in a 20’ travel trailer! Haha! Trying to boondock to save money. Thanks for watching!
@@RoamInYourHome when you live with no A/C and only refrigerator is an ice chest and your toilet is a 5 gallon bucket from Home Depot, you guys look rich! It’s all relative!
Fix your volume.
Thank you so much for this feedback. We were having audio issues during the first few videos, but fixed it and now the audio is improved.
I updated this video with improved audio! Here's the link: ruclips.net/video/whazeR1E8UU/видео.html Thanks for your comment!
Adjust your volume!! Cannot hear you!!!
We were having technical difficulties but re-recorded it here with improved audio.
ruclips.net/video/whazeR1E8UU/видео.htmlsi=7THFXmgKKFYUNjS5
I'm sorry I don't want to be rude but your sound quality in this video is so bad I didn't make it past a 1:53 seconds
Thanks for the comment! We had audio issues but fixed them so I re-released this video with improved audio shortly afterwards. Here is a link if you are interested in watching. ruclips.net/video/whazeR1E8UU/видео.htmlsi=0VvppxSSJML4DqzZ
Can't hear it very well
Thanks for letting us know. We are working to improve our audio. You should be able to just increase your volume and hear it well.
I updated this video with improved audio! Here's the link: ruclips.net/video/whazeR1E8UU/видео.html Thanks for your comment!
Wow who tows an almost real camper with a jeep
We have the max tow package with our Jeep Gladiator. It has 7650 towing capacity, 1560 payload capacity. We did our research and bought a small camper that the Gladiator can safely and legally tow. Thanks for asking.
I want to have a min of 600 Aph with a 3000 watt inverter. That should be able to run everything for 18 hours with no ☀️
Sounds like an awesome plan!
You guys need Mike's. I.possible to hear.
Thanks for the feedback. We are working to improve our audio. It's up as loud as possible inside our video editor and sounds great. Something is happening when we import it into RUclips. Working on fixing this problem. Thanks again for the taking the time to let us know.
I updated this video with improved audio! Here's the link: ruclips.net/video/whazeR1E8UU/видео.html Thanks for your comment!
Y’all need to learn how to live like it’s 1876…. People still doing that in covered wagons
We aren’t interested in roughing it that much! Haha!
Conserve…conserve…watch out for this, watch out for that…lol….I believe you end up not really enjoying anything to it’s full potential.
It’s totally worth it for the most beautiful views and all the privacy for free. I think a good mix of boondocking and RV Parks makes you appreciate each one. Our favorite is moochdocking on our friend’s 10 acres. We have all the privacy and peace & quiet with full hookups!
Overlanding, really? I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. That rig never left the gravel road.
You dont need most of what you took. Rich peoples prioritys
Who said anything about overlanding? This video was about boondocking. Two totally different subjects. Boondocking is RVing without hookups and we did need everything we brought. When we go overlanding, it is just our truck and tent. Thanks for the comment though! Glad we could make you laugh!
Different Priorities/&it is a Learning Experience 👍♾️🌚🏜️🐈⬛☑️
Sounds like living in a 3rd world country.
It’s the challenge and thrill of survival. Sure makes you appreciate when you come back to society and stay in an RV Park with full hookups! Haha!