Month: July 2018

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Camp Hacks

After living in my RV full time for a couple of years, and traveling around the US with it, I’ve gathered together some tricks that should be useful. I will update this with more when I can.

Boondocking (free) sites

  • Search Google maps for
    • Walmart Supercenters
      • Use satellite maps to find white lined parking spaces, or other RV’s and trucks
    • Cabellas (possibly Bass Pro and other Sporting stores)
    • Casinos
    • Rest Areas
    • Truck Stops – literally search for “truck stops”
      • Flying J
      • Loves
      • Pilot
      • Buckys
      • etc. 
    • Most of these places are easily accessible with any RV, but you can always look at the satellite maps in advance to plan an easier entrance/exit.
  • BLM, LTVA
    • Bureau of Land Management
    • Long Term Visitor Area
      • Arizona and California have multiple areas
      • These are mostly found in the South West US, but are well worth looking for.
      • Many are either free, or require a very inexpensive permit
    • The best part is that you can un-hitch the trailer and stay a while!
  • Some websites to check for free overnight parking
  • Mobile Apps (At least Android)
  • I am working on this personal collection – Camp Map

Camping discounts

  • Clubs
    • Passport America Offers half price discounts at select campgrounds around the US
      • Use Referring Member number C-702863 for referral discounts
      • Many sites have restrictions based on season, or max # of nights.
    • Good Sam parks usually offer around a 10% discount on nightly rates
    • Thousand Trails – I have no experience with this, but may be worth a look
  • Use Google Maps to locate RV parks, check the park website for weekly, monthly, and seasonal rates

Precautions

  • For your first times, be sure to land at the site during daylight. It makes parking and setup much easier. This is also helpful as many camp offices close early.
    • This doesn’t apply to boondocking
  • Be mindful of the wind when towing