Get your FREE guide to this amazing boondocking spot in Arizona! www.subdomain.happilyeverhanks.com/guide-for-boondocking-at-hot-well-dunes SUBSCRIBE!! (It’s Free) 👇🏼 urlgeni.us/youtube/channel/KVJA WATCH NEXT Massive Water Leak - ruclips.net/video/9PXHnh6wz9s/видео.html Don’t Break RV Etiquette - ruclips.net/video/r8YK_32Adrk/видео.html Best Boondocking RIGHT ON THE BEACH - ruclips.net/video/RWDAgappbc0/видео.html
Hi Hanks. I watched your videos a lot. Good job. If you ever start to run out of battery for your leveling system... just pull the truck next to it and plug the lights in since it will charge the battery while you are adjusting the leveling system.
Hubby and I just parked our RV at our very first campsite. We are officially full-time RVers as of TODAY!!! Watching you guys over the last year and and a half as we planned for this was so much fun and we learned a lot. Thanks for what you guys do!
I will be a newbie solo woman boondocking. I have my 28' Class C. Maiden voyage this weekend to the ocean to scatter my husbands ashes. He passed on Feb 8th. We were both going to be boondocking and just living in an RV. Now I need to do it on my own. 2.3 acres and home is too much for me to take care of. A 28' RV is easier for me to take care of. Thanks so much for your video's. they are awesome! (WA state here)
I’m sorry for your loss. I’m a single mom with two kids and I just bought my first RV to get back out and see the world. I believe in you. We can do this!
I'm really sorry for your loss ma'am and you should be really proud of yourself doing it alone. You are brave. I pray God's peace on you when you scatter your husband's ashes.
As an Arizonan, I can tell you that if you go faster your wheels ride mostly on top of the ridges. As you go slower, you are allowing the wheels to drop into the troughs instead of ridge riding. So yes, I pull my travel trailer faster and the ride has been smoother; it all does depend on the road condition and hence the result will be variable every trip. Remember, washboard roads are created when the road is wet from the compression of wheels pushing material forward. Each vehicle pushes just a little more and creating an exponential increase to full washboard.
Living in Florida I learned that if you go faster on a washboard road, the ride will get smoother. My first time, going slow, I thought we were going to die. The second trip, guy who owned the farm was leading and took off much faster, we speed up to keep up, and the ride got smoother.
1) position your truck so your 7 way could reach to run your Jack. 2) if you’re jacks are sunk too deep to get enough lift or you can’t get power to your jack; let air out of your truck tires just enough to get under your hitch. Then air back before raising your jack & moving.
Simply make an extension cord to reach between the truck and trailer. A plug, a socket, and 6~8 feet of 7-wire cable are inexpensive. Longer cable would allow the truck to be parked beside the trailer and still hooked up to top off the batteries.
He has the Lippert remote manual control on his phone. He can plug in, start the truck. Charge the battery. Then lift. Or use his buddy’s generator and extension cord. Bet a donut he has a 15 amp dogbone.
Here my tip. I do this all the time: Your RV battery should be wired up to charge off your truck alternator through the 7pin plug. We have a longer cord on our rig, so if you’re trying to Jack it up and the electric Jack sounds weak, you could try getting the truck close enough to plug it in and let the engine idle and pull power from the alternator and truck batteries too to help assist the electric jacks.
Spent the entire winter boon docking at Quartzsite with a 150 watt solar setup, a generator, a macerator, blue boy, 60 gallon water bag and a little pump that hooks up to our cordless drill. Never moved our camper the entire time. Still learning, but it's a great retirement plan. First Minnesota - free winter! Boon docking all the way!
Winter basically forgot to show up in MN this year😂🤦♀️ Thinking next winter I will be down south like you all since unusual weather is the norm up here we’re in for it next winter 🤦♀️😂😂
Hey Hanks, when my battery was low on the 5th wheel trailer, I just backed the truck up to the hitch and plug the trailer in and it would charge the trailer battery up for me to raise or lower it.. Then unhook from the trailer cord from the truck and then hitch up, hopefully I made sense out of this 🤣😂
One of the reasons for the washboard roads is because of those drivers that speed down them! If everyone took their time, it wouldn’t be that bad. We know that because of the 10 miles of dirt road we have to traverse at 3-5 mph MAX (!) to get to our favorite lakeside campsites. Also we are really enjoying your boondocking videos. That’s the way we camp! We have only stayed in a campground 4 times in 18+ years! Have been loving watching your trip with good friends!
We've been dry camping now since 1987, and this is still our preferred method of camping. Our first couple of RVs had only one 12 volt lead acid and no generator, which resulted in a couple of dead batteries in the morning after cold nights. Fast forward, we now have a 30 foot TT with 3 lead acid batteries, a generator (which we rarely use except in cold wet winter weather), 300 watts of solar suitcase, several LED puck lights that run on AA batteries throughout the RV, and a 1000 wh power station. We never get below 2/3 battery. This includes after cold nights or hot days where we run a very powerful swamp cooler.
Love all the fretting' and fuse'n about nuthin'. We boondock 98% of the time and still don't have an inverter or lithium bateries. I did add one solar panel (165w) to charge our two 6v golf cart batteries when we got our 5th wheel (3 travel trailers previously) because everything seems to use power in it. LOL We are planning to full time at the end of this year, and you guys have been one of our inspirations! We started taking our cat with us last year to get him road ready like Sexy Dexy! Thank you and keep it up, "no risk it no biscuit"!!
Just back truck up enough to plug in your light cord and leave truck running and it will give plenty of 12 volt power to raise your trailer to hook up, You have to remember when you’re plugged in driving down the road. Your alternator on the truck is charging your batteries on your trailer. So in that situation of not knowing if you have enough power to lift your trailer, do you like I said plug in your light cord, get close enough that you can plug it in and leave your truck running and you’re good to go, it it will be again charging your trailer batteries immediately plus give you the power to lift your trailer up in front
We have the same leveling system. It is the number 1 problem/stress in our camping trips. I call it our might work leveling system. Our solar system is great at keeping the batteries topped off. That is one of the none stressful parts of camping. Safe journeys.
As an Alaskan and having pulled a trailer in both up and down the alcan several times, I will say good luck going to Alaska. Between Whitehorse and about 100 miles past the border, I saw a few travel trailers rip off their entire hitch assembly on the frost heaves. But it's beautiful.
Beautiful is really kind of an understatement. ❤ But, yeah, past Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, you're going to be going slow. P.S. Do not pass a gas station without topping off. Ask me how I know! 😆
Take an extra set of leaf springs for the fifth wheel . If you break one it's about a five to six hours round trip to get a set if they have one in stock.
After 35 years of marriage, I can attest that the "Hun, where's X" is normal for married couples. I'll go 1 better and say that; it depends on the subject matter if it's me asking my spouse about x or my spouse asking me about y. I knew I needed an inverter up-front and decided to get that extra battery before going boon-docking. Since we were powering an O2 concentrator all-night, we were only able to last about a day and a half before I had to break out the 30amp Generator and recharge the batteries. As long as you don't need to power AC units, you can usually last a day boondocking. Adding things like O2 and CPAP are where you really need to look at your DC capacity.
A few suggestions for Arizona deserts locations: there are mice - we use solar-powered flashing lights from Harbor Freight. The gentle flashing looks like the eyes of predators. Arizona sand is highly abrasive. New Mexico sand is often gypsum, which is much less abrasive. Don't leave closed shoes and boots outside overnight. If you forget and do, turn them over and really shake them out to remove possible scorpions. Don't like the heat? Go north of Mogollon Rim.- mountains! Try not to touch your nose in the desert - mucus dries into needles in your nose, so rubbing you nose can lead to nosebleed. It's really easy to get lost in the desert, so take precautions. Awnings are not for the Southwest - try not to use them. Dust devils come out of nowhere, and rip off awnings. If you use them, stake them, and only extend them half-way.
If you ever want to add lithium, inverter and potentially solar - I have the exact same model as you and added it to mine. If you come through Maryland you can take a look at our camper and copy (and spend a week in our driveway using all the tools I had to buy to do the battery/solar/inverter install.) We have 50 amp and water ;) Nice video - Makes me want to do some boondocking
your channel inspired me to plan my life to do RV life and do Travel Nursing as a career. I'm still a ways away from actually being able to do it but I want to do it so badly, I'm planning on saving money for the RV, looking up what kind of style of RV's I want and what kind of truck I'll need. My ultimate goal is to save money for buying me and my parents a plot of land to build them a house, and travel nursing will hopefully help achieve that. I hope in the future when I'm able to get out on the road, Y'all will still be doing RV life and we'll cross paths! Thank you for helping me find what i want to do in life and getting me out of the rut I was in.
Boon docking in those areas is amazing! Glad you guys are stepping out of the comfort zone! Coming from someone who often goes off the beaten path, it takes more time, but it’s good insurance to carry a small air compressor so you can air down the tires for the off road trek. Smooths out the ride for rig, and helps give way more traction when you hit the soft spots. 👍
Sometimes it's painful watching you guys wing-it. You're doin' it though. Keep on keepin' on. I'm glad you're with friends... There is strength in numbers. Safe travels.
Here's a bit of a story, in 1979 me and My girl friend went on a camping trip before starting college and went to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and on the way back from the North Rim to the camp ground a radiator hose blew on my 1974 Pinto, we made it to the camp ground and there was a gas station fairly close up there in the Kaibab forest but he only had part's for large V8 vehicles so we had to call a garage ànd have the part driven up to us. We were 56 Miles away from the garage location so our $6.00 part cost us a additional $56.00 for the driver to bring the part up to us since they wanted $0.50¢ per mile and in 1979 that was a pretty good chunk of change.
We do try camping a lot. We got a new trailer this year. It's got a little bit of solar, bigger water tanks and propane. We are excited to try the new trailer dry camping!
Watching this vid. brings back the ATV and sand dune days. Had to air truck and trailer tires down. Do not recall any one in our group concerned about soft sand driving, (yes 4x4 tow vehicle was essential). Except for on on-road driving days, having the bathtub stacked with cases of different brands of brews, assisted in taking the worry level down many levels. Did not even think about emergency situations or obtaining vehicle help back then. No way interested in doing that again these days. Enjoy the remote camping while still able and still want to. Wahoo‼️ 🎉
Boondocking is definitely our favorite kind of camping! You just can’t beat the views!💖 I’m surprised you all drove that far to only stay one night. 😜🤣
🙈 In our 1984 Itasca 28ft Winnebago motorhome we learned the hard way with boon-docking....... If your RV fuel tank is less than half tank of gas ⛽........ Your generator will NOT 🚫 run as a safety precaution!! Lol 😂 #davesandersstepdaughter
One thing to have with you is a portable jump pack of some type. This can be a standard battery (like ones made by Clore), or the lithium ones (like made by Noco and others). The lithium ones are much lighter. This will allow you to not only jump your truck if it is dead, but you can hook it up to your trailer to raise or lower the jacks (or slides) if necessary. Part of RV'ing is being prepared for situations. Just an idea. Good luck.
Hey~ We are full-timers too. We are volunteers here in Arizona for Bureau of Land Management. BLM really has some sweet Site Host volunteer positions here, with great amenities. You guys are too funny!! Love your videos ❤
In 1969 the Alcon Hyway in Alaska managed to break or shatter every window we had on the travel trailer by the time we were off of it , which was days of traveling. Largely ppl passing us fast throwing rock/ large gravel at our rig. My parents opened the champagne when we reached the end of it! I was 11 yrs old😀👍🏼
We always boon-dock when there’s a place within our travel miles to do so. We’re set up for it though. We have a micro Minnie FLX so 12 V fridge, solar, truma ac & water heater systems are stock on our travel trailer. We purchased a 4500 duel fuel generator before we started this adventure. It’s does cost a lot to properly set up for comfortable boon-docking especially with a lg travel trailer. Your to be commended for sticking with it. Your doing good without the tools to be comfortable. I’m spoiled and need my power. 😊
Our solar is 800watts on the roof with a 1500w inverter. I would recommend going larger, for what we have at least. (Washer/dryer, dishwasher, then molre important is the AC. I'm going to upgrade the system to around 2000 watts on the roof with a 3000-6000 watt inverter for the AC. Then the batteries... Always spend the money on the Lythium batteries. We have 4-100AH batteries and it's not enough for what we've got now, without the AC and other stuff. Holding capabilities is the problem. We need around 10 or more. We can boondock just fine on the 800/1500/4-100AH system though using the TV, internet, fridge and basics.
Love spending Thursday with the Hanks. You guys are doing it right figuring out what you need before spending big bucks, we’ve all been there. I’ve got the lithium batteries, zamp solar suitcase and 2200 watt inverter generator for power. The game changer was my 2 100 amp hour batteries from Battle Born. At the time Battle Born was the only game in town, now you have lots of choices. Your killing it on one battery, nice job. When having trouble getting enough juice to run the levelers hook it up to the truck!
We were out there last year inJanuary with our 1970 Holiday Rambler and did nothing but boondock for weeks at a time with 2 lead acid batteries and a generator because we needed it. We realized the need for solar to stay longer stays. We added solar this past Summer and ir really made a big difference.
The one thing I get concerned about being in nowhere ville like you are now is the lack of medical emergency. Maybe not lack, maybe proximity to emergency medical services concerns me. As former paramedic/ER nurse you guys have much of those concerns handled. Either way we I am looking forward to RV days.
From all I've read and watched, Lithium batterys are much better then the lead acid. True they cost more but weight like half of a lead acid battery, can be discharged to around 10% without harm to the battery, where lead acid your not suppose to discharge under 50%, So by switching to even one Lithium battery you can almost double what you have now. And it open alot of possibilities...solor more battery, and less worries when out boondocking. Safe Travels 🙂
Looking forward to watching your mod videos for upgrading batteries, solar and inverter. I recommend watching Chad's (changing lanes)videos about doing those mods. For batteries, Wil Prowse.
Just FYI if your ever boondocking like that again just back the truck as close as you can connect the 7way pin and you wont have any issues raising the RV up due to battery. we've had to do that several times before :)
Jumper cables from your running truck will recharge your house battery or operate you leveling system when your in a jam. LEARN THE CORRECT WAY TO JUMP BATTERYS. No tow truck needed
Totally awesome video Kyle and Rene! Loved every minute of it and felt like I was right there with you. Now it's a whole week till Thanks Hanks Thursday again. You're the best!
One thing we have done if you need to slightly lower/raise the front of your trailer without unhitching it to put leveling blocks under the front or rear wheels of the tow vehicle. We can normally get it pretty level if we just need an inch or two.
Really one of your best videos yet, shows your cool experiences! We are doing research to boondock here in NZ. We have a lot of Freedom Camps from the national conservation service here. No water, no hookups. Just stunning views. Looks like you guys are having fun out in Arizona! You are slowly convincing me to buy the Denali.
Same model rig as you, 2020 with residential fridge. We went a year with two 100ah lithium batteries and no solar. Overnight, whether boondock or Harvest Host, was a breeze and didn't have to worry about low batteries. I did have a Harbor Freight Predator generator in the bed of my truck "just in case", but seldom needed it. Now we have six 100ah lithium and 1,320 watts of solar and 3,000 inverter all installed by The Dry Campers and we almost never need hookups.
Boondocking ROCKS. We do it A LOT. We have a couple 6V batteries connected in series, a 3000W invertor , a pretty good 400W portable solar system and a 3500W generator (just in case). Works AWESOME for us. You guys always seem pretty worried about different things........you just need to take a chill pill.....it's all good :) Keep havin fun
As someone that grew up camping in the southern California desert, you kids did a swell job! Quick tip for soft sand, air down those tires for a larger footprint, and a softer ride!! Enjoy The Thing, it's a definite roadside attraction must stop.
I didn't realize it was considered camping if you were plugged in? jk lol 😂 I guess we have always boondocked, we have solar. Love and support everyone, as long as the pack it in, pack it out!👍
Almost to our neck of the woods down in Sierra Vista! You'll love it there...Bisbee, Tombstone, Ramsey and Carr Canyons, the Coronado Monument...Fort Huachuca... The best way to deal with washboard is going faster...way smoother.
Just FYI - Boondocking and dry camping can have different meanings. While boondocking universally means camping off grid, without any connections, dry camping can add an additional meaning - that of utilizing water from containers only (cubies, water bottles, etc.), and not having any water in your tank or water heater. This is common in early and late seasons in cooler climates.
Wish i would have found your channel sooner, my wife and i have 46 acres in Bowie behind Dwayne's Jerky/Mountain View RV park. You actually drove right by our property when you went past the pistachio orchard. Its nice to see our corner of the world on YT. We call Bowie "Radiator Springs" like the one from the animated movie Cars because it really is the town that time forgot when the big highway was put in that bypassed the town.
When raising and lowering the the landing gear when your boondocking or when the power is out with the necessity to reserve power attach your rig to the truck while idling, this way you have paralleled with the truck and have more power to work with
You're related to one of the most famous people ever and you judge yourself in font of the camera. Well don't, you are so amazingly funny! Love ya both❤❤
Don't forget you have a battery in the truck. You can hook up jumper cables (with the truck running) to the trailer battery to run your jacks up in an emergency.
Well always remember you can steal some juice off of your truck if you're in a situation like this before- just use the 7-pin. The leveling systems love a higher voltage, which when batteries get low, the voltage isn't high enough.
Little note for next time your battery gets down while boondocking. You could have connected your truck to your camper and it would charge your battery. Might take a few but it will. Also if you get stuck in sand you can take your floor mats out of your truck put them under your tires and it will get you out. Then put them back in the truck. I lived in Florida as a teen and we did this quite a few times. Thanks for the video.
Just an FYI, if your DC voltage drops too low you can always use jumper cables to supply additional power. Additionally you can install a DC to DC charger between your truck and RV.
Next time if you have longer jumper cables you can pull the truck next to the RV and attach the jumper cables to the RV battery to leverage the truck's battery and alternator at full Amps. I'm sure others have already said this, but your stock RV battery meter is based on voltage and any draws on the battery skew the result. Also for lead acid 50% is the recommended depth of discharge to maximize battery life. You can always get a second/third lead acid cheap at most auto stores or Wally worlds and it's best to put batteries in service together since they degrade over time. Just don't by them from camp stores. I highly recommend the Victron BMV-712 Smart Battery Monitor ~$210 and we use Dr Prepare 100AH LiFePO4 ~$280 each. Before I installed our rooftop solar we used portable "suitcase" panels from Rich Solar.
LOL! We camped for a week in our new camper, in the non-electric area. Our "brand new" battery did not hold up. We were close to home so both worked during the day. Barely used the battery. It was Oct and on Saturday, I was alone, Rod was at work. We lost all power. No moving the awing, no lights. We just needed a new battery and learned from that experience. Great video. Know your rig.
Born and raised in the southwest desert Boy Scout camped my youth by cacti and mesquite campfires. Has it’s charm but the forest and streams are my idea of “the great outdoors “ (sucks teeth and spits a muddy blob😂)
Being from az and boondocking the majored of my 53 years solar and inverter was the best thing I've done it keeps the wife happy and as we married men happy wife happy life
Well it might seem a little trivial to some people. But we do not boondock without a generator. Some people might not call that boondocking but I do LOl
When the coach is low on power, back close enough to charge from the running truck through the 7 way plug. However, the gauge of the wiring will restrict the amount of charge. In an emergency (no power for jacks) use jumper cables from the running truck to the coach battery. Electrical theory dictates that when voltage goes up, amps go down …..and it’s amperage draw that trips breakers and pops fuses. Always have the running truck plug connected in some way when operating jacks.
We thought the same thing, but when we asked the camp host they said we were all good for that area- as long as it wasn't in the parking lot of the springs! (as if we would fit in the parking lot haha)
We LOVE YOU guys! You make me laugh all the time which is so needed. We are retiring in a few years and will be travelling fulltime-half year in States and half overseas. Trying to decide on RV trailer life vs Airbnbing it when in the states and wanted your thoughts. Things that scare me about RVing it is the expense, storage when we anre overseas, and the constant repairs-we are not at all mechanically inclined. Your thoughts?
All you have to do is get your truck close enough to plug your RV into and you have all the 12 volt power needed. As long as you have fuel you alternator will power and charge your RV. Been there done that.
6-8ft extension for your trailer cord is a life saver. Without a generator you can hook up and charge batteries without being hitched up. Or jumper cables.
We've been stuck with whiny whimpy power to get the trailer rehooked ...and the nerve factor is real!!! I hate the pressure! So get a generator for me!!
Coming from boondocking with a 5th wheel on super soft white sand beaches on long Island. AIR DOWN ALL tires! Yes including trailer. I have almost the same set up. 22 gmc 2500 at4 and a 2016 32' Montana. Air down to 18lbs, 4wd low! You'll be amazed, so easy!
If the battery dies or gets too low to lift your rig, just plug the trailer into the truck and start the engine. You'll have plenty of power to raise the trailer
So driving faster will allow the suspension to absorb more of the washboard road. (Don't do while towing, lowers control) Pictures and other documents can be added to a Note on Iphones so you have it all in one spot. Have a note for Health coverage cards, driving documents, other items you need when in a pinch and want quick access.
It depends on WHERE in Alaska. The more rural, the more likely you'll be on rough roads. I drove to Alaska from NC about a decade ago; Yukon Territory roads can be rough, and there's a lot of road work in the warm months. For the first few dozen miles back in the U.S. (i.e. Eastern Alaska) the roads were golden. But, yeah, four, or so, hours north of Fairbanks and I was changing a flat tire after a rock sliced it open. But, ultimately, it was just like any other flat tire anywhere else, only there was no one to call. But, a fellow traveler stopped and helped. Y'all just go, live, and have fun. The worst road I ever traveled was in Montana, second worst was in Alabama -- they can be anywhere.
YES the Arizona episode, I’ve been waiting for it. I’m sure you guys are long gone by now but definitely check out northern AZ if you come back. Will definitely keep this BLM spot in mind for a winter spot.
Or, instead of photo. Just put your lic plate numbers in Evernote. And all your other misc notes and stuff and journals. Then you easily search it in second. Bomb.
You might think of getting a simple portable 100-200W solar panel for the days you are boondocking. They take up a bit of storage room but they are pretty economical and easy to use. Keep up the good videos.
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Hi Hanks. I watched your videos a lot. Good job.
If you ever start to run out of battery for your leveling system... just pull the truck next to it and plug the lights in since it will charge the battery while you are adjusting the leveling system.
Hubby and I just parked our RV at our very first campsite. We are officially full-time RVers as of TODAY!!! Watching you guys over the last year and and a half as we planned for this was so much fun and we learned a lot. Thanks for what you guys do!
Congrats!! We’re about to be by next month.
Congratulations and enjoy 💚💚
I started my full time journey yesterday afternoon and last night was my first cold night but it’s gonna get better………hopefully, lol
@@1982MCI Congrats! I’m sure it will get warmer. Well, I guess that depends on where you are 😉.
Congrats 🎉🎉 Time to enjoy life, just stay out of cities 😂😂😂
I will be a newbie solo woman boondocking. I have my 28' Class C. Maiden voyage this weekend to the ocean to scatter my husbands ashes. He passed on Feb 8th. We were both going to be boondocking and just living in an RV. Now I need to do it on my own. 2.3 acres and home is too much for me to take care of. A 28' RV is easier for me to take care of. Thanks so much for your video's. they are awesome! (WA state here)
You can do it!!!! 🤜🤛
Sorry for your loss
I’m sorry for your loss. I’m a single mom with two kids and I just bought my first RV to get back out and see the world. I believe in you. We can do this!
I'm really sorry for your loss ma'am and you should be really proud of yourself doing it alone. You are brave. I pray God's peace on you when you scatter your husband's ashes.
So sorry for your loss!
As an Arizonan, I can tell you that if you go faster your wheels ride mostly on top of the ridges. As you go slower, you are allowing the wheels to drop into the troughs instead of ridge riding. So yes, I pull my travel trailer faster and the ride has been smoother; it all does depend on the road condition and hence the result will be variable every trip. Remember, washboard roads are created when the road is wet from the compression of wheels pushing material forward. Each vehicle pushes just a little more and creating an exponential increase to full washboard.
I came to the comments to say the same thing. You've gotta find the sweetspot for the height of the ridges. Somewhere between 30-45mph.
Im from Nebraska and i 100% agree. Need to pick up the pace a bit on those washboard roads.
It's called smoothing out the road here in Idaho
Ridge riding omfg
Absolutely agree! From western Kansas. This is what ALL of our dirt roads look like. :)
Living in Florida I learned that if you go faster on a washboard road, the ride will get smoother. My first time, going slow, I thought we were going to die. The second trip, guy who owned the farm was leading and took off much faster, we speed up to keep up, and the ride got smoother.
1) position your truck so your 7 way could reach to run your Jack.
2) if you’re jacks are sunk too deep to get enough lift or you can’t get power to your jack; let air out of your truck tires just enough to get under your hitch. Then air back before raising your jack & moving.
Simply make an extension cord to reach between the truck and trailer. A plug, a socket, and 6~8 feet of 7-wire cable are inexpensive. Longer cable would allow the truck to be parked beside the trailer and still hooked up to top off the batteries.
What they said.. most 5th wheel cords are long enough so you can back close enough to plug in and raise it.
He has the Lippert remote manual control on his phone. He can plug in, start the truck. Charge the battery. Then lift. Or use his buddy’s generator and extension cord. Bet a donut he has a 15 amp dogbone.
@@stephensteinhauer3346 or park perpendicular
Here my tip. I do this all the time:
Your RV battery should be wired up to charge off your truck alternator through the 7pin plug. We have a longer cord on our rig, so if you’re trying to Jack it up and the electric Jack sounds weak, you could try getting the truck close enough to plug it in and let the engine idle and pull power from the alternator and truck batteries too to help assist the electric jacks.
Was going to say the same - some newer trucks don’t charge, but if it does this makes the most sense!
Spent the entire winter boon docking at Quartzsite with a 150 watt solar setup, a generator, a macerator, blue boy, 60 gallon water bag and a little pump that hooks up to our cordless drill. Never moved our camper the entire time. Still learning, but it's a great retirement plan. First Minnesota - free winter! Boon docking all the way!
Winter basically forgot to show up in MN this year😂🤦♀️
Thinking next winter I will be down south like you all since unusual weather is the norm up here we’re in for it next winter 🤦♀️😂😂
Pro tip, send your car/tow vehicle ahead to scout the road conditions
Hey Hanks, when my battery was low on the 5th wheel trailer, I just backed the truck up to the hitch and plug the trailer in and it would charge the trailer battery up for me to raise or lower it.. Then unhook from the trailer cord from the truck and then hitch up, hopefully I made sense out of this 🤣😂
100% I was going to post exact same comment. Just keep truck running and let er rip!
Y’all will be fine in Alaska. The roads aren’t that bad. Portions of the ALCAN have large frost heaves but just pay attention and you’ll be fine. 🤙🏼
One of the reasons for the washboard roads is because of those drivers that speed down them! If everyone took their time, it wouldn’t be that bad. We know that because of the 10 miles of dirt road we have to traverse at 3-5 mph MAX (!) to get to our favorite lakeside campsites.
Also we are really enjoying your boondocking videos. That’s the way we camp! We have only stayed in a campground 4 times in 18+ years! Have been loving watching your trip with good friends!
We've been dry camping now since 1987, and this is still our preferred method of camping.
Our first couple of RVs had only one 12 volt lead acid and no generator, which resulted in a couple of dead batteries in the morning after cold nights.
Fast forward, we now have a 30 foot TT with 3 lead acid batteries, a generator (which we rarely use except in cold wet winter weather), 300 watts of solar suitcase, several LED puck lights that run on AA batteries throughout the RV, and a 1000 wh power station.
We never get below 2/3 battery. This includes after cold nights or hot days where we run a very powerful swamp cooler.
Love all the fretting' and fuse'n about nuthin'. We boondock 98% of the time and still don't have an inverter or lithium bateries. I did add one solar panel (165w) to charge our two 6v golf cart batteries when we got our 5th wheel (3 travel trailers previously) because everything seems to use power in it. LOL We are planning to full time at the end of this year, and you guys have been one of our inspirations! We started taking our cat with us last year to get him road ready like Sexy Dexy! Thank you and keep it up, "no risk it no biscuit"!!
Just back truck up enough to plug in your light cord and leave truck running and it will give plenty of 12 volt power to raise your trailer to hook up,
You have to remember when you’re plugged in driving down the road. Your alternator on the truck is charging your batteries on your trailer. So in that situation of not knowing if you have enough power to lift your trailer, do you like I said plug in your light cord, get close enough that you can plug it in and leave your truck running and you’re good to go, it it will be again charging your trailer batteries immediately plus give you the power to lift your trailer up in front
We have the same leveling system. It is the number 1 problem/stress in our camping trips. I call it our might work leveling system. Our solar system is great at keeping the batteries topped off. That is one of the none stressful parts of camping. Safe journeys.
As an Alaskan and having pulled a trailer in both up and down the alcan several times, I will say good luck going to Alaska. Between Whitehorse and about 100 miles past the border, I saw a few travel trailers rip off their entire hitch assembly on the frost heaves. But it's beautiful.
Beautiful is really kind of an understatement. ❤
But, yeah, past Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, you're going to be going slow.
P.S. Do not pass a gas station without topping off. Ask me how I know! 😆
Then get to Tok. The road is really full frost heaves.
Take an extra set of leaf springs for the fifth wheel . If you break one it's about a five to six hours round trip to get a set if they have one in stock.
After 35 years of marriage, I can attest that the "Hun, where's X" is normal for married couples. I'll go 1 better and say that; it depends on the subject matter if it's me asking my spouse about x or my spouse asking me about y.
I knew I needed an inverter up-front and decided to get that extra battery before going boon-docking. Since we were powering an O2 concentrator all-night, we were only able to last about a day and a half before I had to break out the 30amp Generator and recharge the batteries.
As long as you don't need to power AC units, you can usually last a day boondocking. Adding things like O2 and CPAP are where you really need to look at your DC capacity.
A few suggestions for Arizona deserts locations: there are mice - we use solar-powered flashing lights from Harbor Freight. The gentle flashing looks like the eyes of predators. Arizona sand is highly abrasive. New Mexico sand is often gypsum, which is much less abrasive. Don't leave closed shoes and boots outside overnight. If you forget and do, turn them over and really shake them out to remove possible scorpions. Don't like the heat? Go north of Mogollon Rim.- mountains! Try not to touch your nose in the desert - mucus dries into needles in your nose, so rubbing you nose can lead to nosebleed. It's really easy to get lost in the desert, so take precautions. Awnings are not for the Southwest - try not to use them. Dust devils come out of nowhere, and rip off awnings. If you use them, stake them, and only extend them half-way.
If you ever want to add lithium, inverter and potentially solar - I have the exact same model as you and added it to mine. If you come through Maryland you can take a look at our camper and copy (and spend a week in our driveway using all the tools I had to buy to do the battery/solar/inverter install.)
We have 50 amp and water ;)
Nice video -
Makes me want to do some boondocking
Can you email yr address to them pls
your channel inspired me to plan my life to do RV life and do Travel Nursing as a career. I'm still a ways away from actually being able to do it but I want to do it so badly, I'm planning on saving money for the RV, looking up what kind of style of RV's I want and what kind of truck I'll need. My ultimate goal is to save money for buying me and my parents a plot of land to build them a house, and travel nursing will hopefully help achieve that. I hope in the future when I'm able to get out on the road, Y'all will still be doing RV life and we'll cross paths! Thank you for helping me find what i want to do in life and getting me out of the rut I was in.
Boon docking in those areas is amazing! Glad you guys are stepping out of the comfort zone! Coming from someone who often goes off the beaten path, it takes more time, but it’s good insurance to carry a small air compressor so you can air down the tires for the off road trek. Smooths out the ride for rig, and helps give way more traction when you hit the soft spots. 👍
Sometimes it's painful watching you guys wing-it. You're doin' it though. Keep on keepin' on. I'm glad you're with friends... There is strength in numbers. Safe travels.
Here's a bit of a story, in 1979 me and My girl friend went on a camping trip before starting college and went to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and on the way back from the North Rim to the camp ground a radiator hose blew on my 1974 Pinto, we made it to the camp ground and there was a gas station fairly close up there in the Kaibab forest but he only had part's for large V8 vehicles so we had to call a garage ànd have the part driven up to us. We were 56 Miles away from the garage location so our $6.00 part cost us a additional $56.00 for the driver to bring the part up to us since they wanted $0.50¢ per mile and in 1979 that was a pretty good chunk of change.
We do try camping a lot. We got a new trailer this year. It's got a little bit of solar, bigger water tanks and propane. We are excited to try the new trailer dry camping!
Good Morning from Michigan 🦋 my hubby enjoys your videos 😂😂
If you have an air compressor, next time you find yourself in this condition, try letting some of the air out of the rear tires
Watching this vid. brings back the ATV and sand dune days. Had to air truck and trailer tires down. Do not recall any one in our group concerned about soft sand driving, (yes 4x4 tow vehicle was essential). Except for on on-road driving days, having the bathtub stacked with cases of different brands of brews, assisted in taking the worry level down many levels. Did not even think about emergency situations or obtaining vehicle help back then. No way interested in doing that again these days. Enjoy the remote camping while still able and still want to. Wahoo‼️ 🎉
Boondocking is definitely our favorite kind of camping! You just can’t beat the views!💖
I’m surprised you all drove that far to only stay one night. 😜🤣
Glad everyone was able to get out without getting stuck. Looks like an incredible place to camp.
🙈 In our 1984 Itasca 28ft Winnebago motorhome we learned the hard way with boon-docking....... If your RV fuel tank is less than half tank of gas ⛽........ Your generator will NOT 🚫 run as a safety precaution!! Lol 😂 #davesandersstepdaughter
One thing to have with you is a portable jump pack of some type. This can be a standard battery (like ones made by Clore), or the lithium ones (like made by Noco and others). The lithium ones are much lighter. This will allow you to not only jump your truck if it is dead, but you can hook it up to your trailer to raise or lower the jacks (or slides) if necessary. Part of RV'ing is being prepared for situations. Just an idea. Good luck.
Hey~ We are full-timers too. We are volunteers here in Arizona for Bureau of Land Management. BLM really has some sweet Site Host volunteer positions here, with great amenities.
You guys are too funny!!
Love your videos ❤
In 1969 the Alcon Hyway in Alaska managed to break or shatter every window we had on the travel trailer by the time we were off of it , which was days of traveling. Largely ppl passing us fast throwing rock/ large gravel at our rig.
My parents opened the champagne when we reached the end of it! I was 11 yrs old😀👍🏼
We always boon-dock when there’s a place within our travel miles to do so. We’re set up for it though. We have a micro Minnie FLX so 12 V fridge, solar, truma ac & water heater systems are stock on our travel trailer. We purchased a 4500 duel fuel generator before we started this adventure. It’s does cost a lot to properly set up for comfortable boon-docking especially with a lg travel trailer. Your to be commended for sticking with it. Your doing good without the tools to be comfortable. I’m spoiled and need my power. 😊
Our solar is 800watts on the roof with a 1500w inverter.
I would recommend going larger, for what we have at least. (Washer/dryer, dishwasher, then molre important is the AC. I'm going to upgrade the system to around 2000 watts on the roof with a 3000-6000 watt inverter for the AC. Then the batteries... Always spend the money on the Lythium batteries. We have 4-100AH batteries and it's not enough for what we've got now, without the AC and other stuff. Holding capabilities is the problem. We need around 10 or more.
We can boondock just fine on the 800/1500/4-100AH system though using the TV, internet, fridge and basics.
Love spending Thursday with the Hanks. You guys are doing it right figuring out what you need before spending big bucks, we’ve all been there. I’ve got the lithium batteries, zamp solar suitcase and 2200 watt inverter generator for power. The game changer was my 2 100 amp hour batteries from Battle Born. At the time Battle Born was the only game in town, now you have lots of choices. Your killing it on one battery, nice job. When having trouble getting enough juice to run the levelers hook it up to the truck!
I’m here to tell you the Denali highway I’m Alaska is WAY WORSE!!!! Looking forward to you coming to see Alaska!
We were out there last year inJanuary with our 1970 Holiday Rambler and did nothing but boondock for weeks at a time with 2 lead acid batteries and a generator because we needed it. We realized the need for solar to stay longer stays. We added solar this past Summer and ir really made a big difference.
Having others to camp with makes rv life 10 times more fun for me also!
The one thing I get concerned about being in nowhere ville like you are now is the lack of medical emergency. Maybe not lack, maybe proximity to emergency medical services concerns me. As former paramedic/ER nurse you guys have much of those concerns handled. Either way we I am looking forward to RV days.
From all I've read and watched, Lithium batterys are much better then the lead acid. True they cost more but weight like half of a lead acid battery, can be discharged to around 10% without harm to the battery, where lead acid your not suppose to discharge under 50%, So by switching to even one Lithium battery you can almost double what you have now. And it open alot of possibilities...solor more battery, and less worries when out boondocking. Safe Travels 🙂
Looking forward to watching your mod videos for upgrading batteries, solar and inverter. I recommend watching Chad's (changing lanes)videos about doing those mods. For batteries, Wil Prowse.
On my way! I can’t wait til I don’t know todays date.
Just FYI if your ever boondocking like that again just back the truck as close as you can connect the 7way pin and you wont have any issues raising the RV up due to battery. we've had to do that several times before :)
They make trailer plug extension cords so you can recharge your trailer from 12 feet away. They are handy to have
Jumper cables from your running truck will recharge your house battery or operate you leveling system when your in a jam. LEARN THE CORRECT WAY TO JUMP BATTERYS. No tow truck needed
Love boon docking! We spend most every weekend doing just that. Glad you guys are trying it out. It can be addictive 😊
You all are awesome! Glad everything worked out. Thanks!
Totally awesome video Kyle and Rene! Loved every minute of it and felt like I was right there with you. Now it's a whole week till Thanks Hanks Thursday again. You're the best!
One thing we have done if you need to slightly lower/raise the front of your trailer without unhitching it to put leveling blocks under the front or rear wheels of the tow vehicle. We can normally get it pretty level if we just need an inch or two.
Really one of your best videos yet, shows your cool experiences! We are doing research to boondock here in NZ. We have a lot of Freedom Camps from the national conservation service here. No water, no hookups. Just stunning views. Looks like you guys are having fun out in Arizona! You are slowly convincing me to buy the Denali.
Same model rig as you, 2020 with residential fridge. We went a year with two 100ah lithium batteries and no solar. Overnight, whether boondock or Harvest Host, was a breeze and didn't have to worry about low batteries. I did have a Harbor Freight Predator generator in the bed of my truck "just in case", but seldom needed it.
Now we have six 100ah lithium and 1,320 watts of solar and 3,000 inverter all installed by The Dry Campers and we almost never need hookups.
Boondocking ROCKS. We do it A LOT. We have a couple 6V batteries connected in series, a 3000W invertor , a pretty good 400W portable solar system and a 3500W generator (just in case). Works AWESOME for us. You guys always seem pretty worried about different things........you just need to take a chill pill.....it's all good :) Keep havin fun
It’s crazy not to have the solar and battery set up in your full time home. Especially in case of storms, power outages ect. Just seems necessary
As someone that grew up camping in the southern California desert, you kids did a swell job! Quick tip for soft sand, air down those tires for a larger footprint, and a softer ride!! Enjoy The Thing, it's a definite roadside attraction must stop.
I was kind of having a rough day, but on my drive home I realized it was Thursday and then all was well again. Thanks for all you do.
I didn't realize it was considered camping if you were plugged in? jk lol 😂
I guess we have always boondocked, we have solar. Love and support everyone, as long as the pack it in, pack it out!👍
Almost to our neck of the woods down in Sierra Vista! You'll love it there...Bisbee, Tombstone, Ramsey and Carr Canyons, the Coronado Monument...Fort Huachuca...
The best way to deal with washboard is going faster...way smoother.
So many ways to get power to your rig in that situation. Hook up your tow rig, start the generator, hook up junper cables, hook up a jump pack
Just FYI - Boondocking and dry camping can have different meanings. While boondocking universally means camping off grid, without any connections, dry camping can add an additional meaning - that of utilizing water from containers only (cubies, water bottles, etc.), and not having any water in your tank or water heater. This is common in early and late seasons in cooler climates.
Wish i would have found your channel sooner, my wife and i have 46 acres in Bowie behind Dwayne's Jerky/Mountain View RV park. You actually drove right by our property when you went past the pistachio orchard. Its nice to see our corner of the world on YT. We call Bowie "Radiator Springs" like the one from the animated movie Cars because it really is the town that time forgot when the big highway was put in that bypassed the town.
How cool! Thank you for sharing!
When raising and lowering the the landing gear when your boondocking or when the power is out with the necessity to reserve power attach your rig to the truck while idling, this way you have paralleled with the truck and have more power to work with
You're related to one of the most famous people ever and you judge yourself in font of the camera. Well don't, you are so amazingly funny! Love ya both❤❤
There tends to be a speed on dirt roads where you skim over the bumps. I find that 25-30 tends to be much smoother than 10 MPH.
That's interesting you say this! We have heard similar things from other people as well. Thank you so much for sharing! - Kyle and Renee
Plug the camper in to the truck when running the jacks it will add power to your battery’s
Hey Arizona my home state. Lol. Gotta love wash boards roads
I’m trying it a little more lately free is great. It offsets the ridicules grocery store prices
Don't forget you have a battery in the truck. You can hook up jumper cables (with the truck running) to the trailer battery to run your jacks up in an emergency.
So cool to be able to caravan with a few "like minded" friends. Looked like an awesome spot! Safe travels!
It really has been fantastic, very thankful! Safe travels to you and yours!
Go fast on the dirt! Plus the euh euh euh as you go on the dirt roads in AZ is part of our speech development growing up 😂
Well always remember you can steal some juice off of your truck if you're in a situation like this before- just use the 7-pin. The leveling systems love a higher voltage, which when batteries get low, the voltage isn't high enough.
We are new, but looking forward to some boondocking
Welcome to Arizona!
We Love boondocking! We have solar, a dump tote, and a water bladder. We can stay for a while. This year we spent 4 months in the desert.
Little note for next time your battery gets down while boondocking. You could have connected your truck to your camper and it would charge your battery. Might take a few but it will. Also if you get stuck in sand you can take your floor mats out of your truck put them under your tires and it will get you out. Then put them back in the truck. I lived in Florida as a teen and we did this quite a few times. Thanks for the video.
Just an FYI, if your DC voltage drops too low you can always use jumper cables to supply additional power. Additionally you can install a DC to DC charger between your truck and RV.
Next time if you have longer jumper cables you can pull the truck next to the RV and attach the jumper cables to the RV battery to leverage the truck's battery and alternator at full Amps. I'm sure others have already said this, but your stock RV battery meter is based on voltage and any draws on the battery skew the result. Also for lead acid 50% is the recommended depth of discharge to maximize battery life. You can always get a second/third lead acid cheap at most auto stores or Wally worlds and it's best to put batteries in service together since they degrade over time. Just don't by them from camp stores. I highly recommend the Victron BMV-712 Smart Battery Monitor ~$210 and we use Dr Prepare 100AH LiFePO4 ~$280 each. Before I installed our rooftop solar we used portable "suitcase" panels from Rich Solar.
LOL! We camped for a week in our new camper, in the non-electric area. Our "brand new" battery did not hold up. We were close to home so both worked during the day. Barely used the battery. It was Oct and on Saturday, I was alone, Rod was at work. We lost all power. No moving the awing, no lights. We just needed a new battery and learned from that experience. Great video. Know your rig.
Born and raised in the southwest desert Boy Scout camped my youth by cacti and mesquite campfires.
Has it’s charm but the forest and streams are my idea of “the great outdoors “ (sucks teeth and spits a muddy blob😂)
I have the dually version of your truck and you can switch to 4 hi while moving. Love the videos!
Being from az and boondocking the majored of my 53 years solar and inverter was the best thing I've done it keeps the wife happy and as we married men happy wife happy life
The Hanks hanging out of the Sunroof! Way to go Kyle. Neyney needs to do that!
Well it might seem a little trivial to some people. But we do not boondock without a generator. Some people might not call that boondocking but I do LOl
Ive done camping in Pinon Arizona in the desert for 10 days, and I LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT! I would do it again!
When the coach is low on power, back close enough to charge from the running truck through the 7 way plug. However, the gauge of the wiring will restrict the amount of charge. In an emergency (no power for jacks) use jumper cables from the running truck to the coach battery. Electrical theory dictates that when voltage goes up, amps go down …..and it’s amperage draw that trips breakers and pops fuses. Always have the running truck plug connected in some way when operating jacks.
LOL. Camped right at the hot springs after saying they shouldn't camp at the hot springs.
We thought the same thing, but when we asked the camp host they said we were all good for that area- as long as it wasn't in the parking lot of the springs! (as if we would fit in the parking lot haha)
We LOVE YOU guys! You make me laugh all the time which is so needed. We are retiring in a few years and will be travelling fulltime-half year in States and half overseas. Trying to decide on RV trailer life vs Airbnbing it when in the states and wanted your thoughts. Things that scare me about RVing it is the expense, storage when we anre overseas, and the constant repairs-we are not at all mechanically inclined. Your thoughts?
Airbnb
@@007nadineL thank you!
All you have to do is get your truck close enough to plug your RV into and you have all the 12 volt power needed. As long as you have fuel you alternator will power and charge your RV. Been there done that.
You’re overthinking it Carl!!! 😂 You can always get the truck close enough to plug in the umbilical…. 😉
6-8ft extension for your trailer cord is a life saver. Without a generator you can hook up and charge batteries without being hitched up. Or jumper cables.
We've been stuck with whiny whimpy power to get the trailer rehooked ...and the nerve factor is real!!! I hate the pressure! So get a generator for me!!
Coming from boondocking with a 5th wheel on super soft white sand beaches on long Island. AIR DOWN ALL tires! Yes including trailer. I have almost the same set up. 22 gmc 2500 at4 and a 2016 32' Montana. Air down to 18lbs, 4wd low! You'll be amazed, so easy!
If the battery dies or gets too low to lift your rig, just plug the trailer into the truck and start the engine. You'll have plenty of power to raise the trailer
So driving faster will allow the suspension to absorb more of the washboard road. (Don't do while towing, lowers control) Pictures and other documents can be added to a Note on Iphones so you have it all in one spot. Have a note for Health coverage cards, driving documents, other items you need when in a pinch and want quick access.
It depends on WHERE in Alaska. The more rural, the more likely you'll be on rough roads. I drove to Alaska from NC about a decade ago; Yukon Territory roads can be rough, and there's a lot of road work in the warm months. For the first few dozen miles back in the U.S. (i.e. Eastern Alaska) the roads were golden. But, yeah, four, or so, hours north of Fairbanks and I was changing a flat tire after a rock sliced it open. But, ultimately, it was just like any other flat tire anywhere else, only there was no one to call. But, a fellow traveler stopped and helped. Y'all just go, live, and have fun. The worst road I ever traveled was in Montana, second worst was in Alabama -- they can be anywhere.
YES the Arizona episode, I’ve been waiting for it. I’m sure you guys are long gone by now but definitely check out northern AZ if you come back. Will definitely keep this BLM spot in mind for a winter spot.
Or, instead of photo. Just put your lic plate numbers in Evernote. And all your other misc notes and stuff and journals. Then you easily search it in second. Bomb.
You might think of getting a simple portable 100-200W solar panel for the days you are boondocking. They take up a bit of storage room but they are pretty economical and easy to use. Keep up the good videos.
Easiest way for solar is to get a solar generator and some panels. No installation needed. We’ve done this in Wyoming dry camping for years.