What would be a Forest River Boondocking Ready RV

[440scout]

Originally Posted by PoppySteve

I read somewhere that Winnebago added all those upgrades to the Micro Minnie and upped the price $14,000. Makes me wonder about starting with the Micro Minnie (used maybe) and doing my own upgrades.

Thats what I would do. First, if you're happy with that floor plan and that camper is truly 4 seasons capable, its dump valves will not be outside of the enclosed underbelly. Then you have a good base to start adding solar, etc. If you are hands on, you can install your own solar on the roof and run the cables down the fridge vent or if it doesn't have that, you could run them down along side one of the vent pipes or just use a roof gland(?) and drill the holes where you want them. If you can get 400 watts of solar, you should be gold. Maybe 2-200 watt panels. Make sure your solar charge controller is lithium capable. Add your lithium batteries, prices have been coming down. If you get an inverter, make sure its "pure sign wave" NOT modified wave. I prefer an inverter that has a builtin automatic transfer switch that will power up one 120 volt circuit when on batteries and automatically switch when on shore power. Of course it can be manually turned on or off with optional remote switch. Look on Amazon. You can probably do all those upgrades for approximately $4000. And you'll have a nice system in place.

[Timrek]

Did you ever decide on an RV? We went to Laurie, MO and bought a Cherokee wolf Pup 16fq with the intentions on boondocking. I also have a 3500w Predator inverter/generator for backup and battery Charging.

[PoppySteve]

Originally Posted by bikendan

Look at the No Boundaries and Ibex lines.
Also the new Revolve line from Palomino.

There were a lot of good comments about prepping a RV for boondocking in the post which I greatly appreciate.

I may have posed my question in a poor way, but bikendan's comment seemed closest to what I was looking for.

[Chris61]

My Rockwood 2622Rk 5th wheeler came with only 190w solar and an 80ah battery, hardly enough to keep the 12v fridge going. My definition of boondocking is to not run the generator except in an emergency. 1000w of solar and 400ah of lithium batteries. The 1000w inverter only ran a few power points, however I rewired it to run the tv and the electric ceiling fan in the living area. Air conditioner doesn't get used very often at all, only on shore power. I have gone 2 weeks without firing up the generator or hooking up to power. Moving every few days to fill up with water and dump allows for fulltime boondocking if needed

[revolvedigitalnomad]

Originally Posted by bikendan

Look at the No Boundaries and Ibex lines.
Also the new Revolve line from Palomino.

I actually own the revolve (EV2) and have lived in it 24/7 for going on a year and a half. I won't say its not been without it's challenges. Solar was wired wrong, inverter seems to be glitchy at times but yes I have boondocked and learn everyday my capabilities. - Editted to add out the door price was 35,000, I added a firman 1000W inverter gen for around $500 and 2 200W solar suitcases for another grand and put about 2000 into the reno/remodel. -

I work fulltime from the rig so must have ability to run laptop and electronics and zoom regularly (I upgraded to starlink for RVs 6 months ago). I've done a few days without power but am about to embrace a week. Since the revolve has no onboard propane, all appliances run off lithium batteries the fridge is a big suck. To help me get through a week I plan to do a defrost of fridge/freezer a day or two into the week and move to a cooler.

I tend to stay in shoulder areas where heat and AC needed are minimal. Mine is a 2021 so built during COVID and yes I am familiar with the shoddy craftmanship and since I live in her full time taking it in for work or warranty was not an option. I've ripped out the dinette and jacknife sofa and replaced with lighter better storage options and I do have a blackstone and a lil buddy red that can run off the little green propane cans.

RevolveDigitralNomad
2021 Revolve EV2 being pulled by 2017 Dodge Durango Citadel V6
Travelling with Ava a ferocious 7YO german shepherd

[testersbc]

I have a flagstaff classic 832flsb. It has 2 deep cycle batteries a 1000 w inverter and a residential fridge. I would love to boondock but have a fear the battieries would not last. I am retired and on a fixed income and cannot afford the lithium batteries or a lot for solar. I do have 2 Champion 2000 watt generators with a 50 watt parrallel kit. I just have this fear of getting into doing something that i have no idea what i am doing.

[Aussieguy]

Originally Posted by testersbc

I have a flagstaff classic 832flsb. It has 2 deep cycle batteries a 1000 w inverter and a residential fridge. I would love to boondock but have a fear the battieries would not last. I am retired and on a fixed income and cannot afford the lithium batteries or a lot for solar. I do have 2 Champion 2000 watt generators with a 50 watt parrallel kit. I just have this fear of getting into doing something that i have no idea what i am doing.

are there any free camping areas near the places you want to stay at?
work out how much you can save by not having to pay for hookups


Test the water ....... unplug the shorepower cord and just use your batteries over night. (if it gets too low.... you can always plug back in)

once you get use to unplugging and power managing ... find a camping spot and see if you actually like boondocking using your generators during the day.
Plus are there people around you.. noisy etc

BUT remember.... a lot of un-powered sites don't offer water or sewerage
will that be a problem?

check your batteries how how old and if in good condition.
work out a good battery power strategy

keep fridge closed as much a as possible will be manageable.
Entertainment... I watch most of my TV via Ipad
cooking on gas or on a BBQ
Power management is the key ... but not every one wants to live that way!

I worked out if I camped 12 nights a month off grid ($25.00 per night)
that would pay for around $3-4000 a year in savings


you can plan any upgrade in stages.


Lithium have come down in price and are now competitive with lead acid.

[BD Nomad]

I have a 2020 Microlite 21ds. I originally posted the below information last year regarding another inquiry into "what makes a boondocking capable trailer". My wife and I spend 98% of our trips boondocking in remote locations away from people. Although the following information is about what I've done to modify my trailer for boondocking, you may find it useful while shopping for a new travel trailer.

As others have written, every trailer is capable of boondocking. The trick is, making it boondock the way you want it to. In other words, make it work off-grid and be totally self-sufficient. Mods I've done include:

1. Adding a Renogy 200 watt solar suitcase for battery recharging

2. Replacing dealer installed batteries with two Interstate 6 volt golf cart batteries

3. Installed a Victron Smart Shunt to monitor battery usage (amps, volts, time remaining)

4. Installed a 12v power socket and USB ports on my wife's side of the bed to run her CPAP machine and charge her electronics. (for some reason, our trailer came with these things on one side only).

5. Installed a 600 watt power inverter so that we can watch TV or movies and shows on our media hub in addition to powering a fan while on battery power.

6. Modified the fittings on my Weber bbq and propane fire pit to work on the low pressure propane port on the trailer (eliminates the need to carry separate canisters).

7. Got two 38lb 2000 watt Champion invertor generators for running the A/C (when needed), and for running the microwave- Although, I only need one geny for this. Why two instead of one? It's a lot easier for me to load and unload two light generators than one heavy.

So, how well does my setup work? One night I got down to 25°. Our furnace was set to 60° and kicked on and off all night in addition to my wife running her CPAP machine. In the morning, I still had 82% of my battery life left.

Keep in mind that we have a propane refrigerator. I do not know how my setup would work with a 12 volt refrigerator. Typically, we can go 6 to 7 days before needing to refill freshwater and pump tanks.

Again, it's the kind of camping we like to do. I hope you find this information useful.

Take care

[fanrgs]

Originally Posted by mnoland30

Joeuncool has it right, unless you have a 12 volt fridge. It seems that is what the industry is going to. You'll need more panels then. . . .

Most places it iis not a problem to dump your gray water on the ground, as long as you're not too close to a lake or stream. The nutrients in the water are fertilizer, which can cause an algae bloom in lakes. We camped for a week with 6 people without overflowing our black tank.

Those "most places" do not include Colorado! I am a former CO Div. of Water Resources engineer and dumping any waste water on the ground is illegal in Colorado. If you want to know why, read the Intro section of my CO RV mountain camping blog HERE.

We had a travel trailer and a fifth wheel with propane fridges and upgraded batteries. Our MH has a 12v fridge, solar panels (rooftop and portable), lithium batteries, and a 2000w inverter. We also have a 3600w propane generator that we have used twice in two years of camping because we seldom need the AC. However, before the generator police crack down on me, I do exercise the genny monthly!

We LOVE our 12v fridge for boondocking and dry camping and will never go back to a propane fridge that can't keep ice cream frozen! We have run the 12v fridge for 6 days just from solar--no hookups or generator.

I replaced the MH bedroom TV with a 12v TV that I had added in the bedroom of the fifth wheel and removed before we sold it. It plugs into a 12v outlet above the head of my wife's bed (we have the twin bed model). Works great when dry camping at the Home Depot in Gallup or the Flying J in Albuquerque, not so much boondocking just outside an OR wilderness area or inside the North Cascades NP in WA.

[Bob K4TAX]

Originally Posted by PoppySteve

What do you think the closest to boondocking ready RV Forest River has available? I am totally unfamiliar with anything FR makes except for the Class C we have.

I really don't think ANY RV is "ready for boondocking". That depends on many factors. Such as one's living efficiency. Tankage, batteries, recharge capability, and other factors related to "where" is one planning to boondock. Arizona is one environment while Northern Canada is a totally different environment. Thus the RV requirements for boondocking, in my thinking, are vastly different.

I view the majority of RV owners are expecting a lot of convenience items, unlike those who boondocker who generally are minimalists. I believe manufacturers build and equip for the masses. Thus they use improved campgrounds. Have girls that take long showers every day. Prefer comfortable sleeping accommodations such as air conditioning, hot showers, hair dryers and etc.

I think one needs to carefully examine each and every model for consideration and then add the necessary equipment to facilitate their boondocking needs.

Bob

[mnoland30]

BD Nomad has it figured out. Very similar to what I have, except I don't use a generator. I don't generally camp where I need A/C. The two time I did, I used a site with electric.

As for dumping gray water, it really isn't a big issue as long as you're not right next to a stream or lake. Of course there are those who choose to err on the side of caution. Dish soap is a fertilizer, and food is organic. Even dumping a black tank in an isolated forest spot away from water wouldn't be a huge problem most of the time. Imagine if all the deer and elk pooped and peed in the forest. What would our water supply be like? Oh, they do, and our water is just fine. Sunlight sanitizes, and bacteria eats organics, even the ones from your black tank. That is how it is treated at the sewage treatment plant. We used lagoons at some of our Forest Service sites, which is just a small pond that hold the water and waste. Natural processes treat the water.

[revolvedigitalnomad]

Originally Posted by Bob K4TAX

I really don't think ANY RV is "ready for boondocking". That depends on many factors. Such as one's living efficiency. Tankage, batteries, recharge capability, and other factors related to "where" is one planning to boondock. Arizona is one environment while Northern Canada is a totally different environment. Thus the RV requirements for boondocking, in my thinking, are vastly different.
Bob

I would beg to disagree. my Revolve EV2 was built ready to boondock though maybe not built exceptionally well. I did recently see another company out of Tennessee I believe building something similiar but their cost was over 4X what mine was. As mine was built could I feasibly boondock, yes for a few days in temperate climate but I don't just want to boondock out in nature, this is my home which means as I work in IT I need strong internet, quite a bit of power to run laptop, smart phone and at times a laser printer. The real head to head is that mine came equipped with about 10-12k in solar equipment a large inverter, 4 100ah lithium batteries, charge controller and battery controller, and additional portable solar port. To be able to last a week boondocking I added about $1500 in additional panels, backup inverter gen, lil buddy red, small blackstone griddle. I have 800w in panels currently and plan to add another 400w and add a decent power station with a panel to charge it. Once that is done I should be able to almost self maintain indefinitely if I can avoid AC.

What I have learned is that the equipment is tempermental have contingencies and contingencies on those contingencies if you are full time. If I was not working out of it and I woke up and something was glitching I could make it work and troubleshoot the issue. That is not an option for me I wake up and need to be ready to go and often on camera on a call. Hence my backup inverter gen and planned power station. I can last up to 4 weeks on my black tank and fresh water tank if I have drinking water but then I don't shower in my rig I'm 6'1" and my shower is only 5'10".

Al that said I believe my rig was ready to boondock, yes I've added a few things but they are basically just things I have to plug in to the equipment I already have. What I am still learning to do 22 months in is how to troubleshoot and repair my system and gain some minor electrical skills. I don't need level ground because I don't have propane on board and I chose not to get the model with the slide because I did get the off road edition so I could go places to boondock and didn't want the slide upkeep or worries if I was off road I might tweak something.

I managed to get the attached overview PDF out of the manufacturer after realizing they had initially wired my charge controller backwards and I needed to fix it. I think it's an amazing guide for integrated solar in a travel trailer.

revolvedigitalnomad

[Bob K4TAX]

Originally Posted by revolvedigitalnomad

I would beg to disagree. my Revolve EV2 was built ready to boondock though maybe not built exceptionally well. I did recently see another company out of Tennessee I believe building something similiar but their cost was over 4X what mine was. As mine was built could I feasibly boondock, yes for a few days in temperate climate but I don't just want to boondock out in nature, this is my home which means as I work in IT I need strong internet, quite a bit of power to run laptop, smart phone and at times a laser printer. The real head to head is that mine came equipped with about 10-12k in solar equipment a large inverter, 4 100ah lithium batteries, charge controller and battery controller, and additional portable solar port. To be able to last a week boondocking I added about $1500 in additional panels, backup inverter gen, lil buddy red, small blackstone griddle. I have 800w in panels currently and plan to add another 400w and add a decent power station with a panel to charge it. Once that is done I should be able to almost self maintain indefinitely if I can avoid AC.

What I have learned is that the equipment is tempermental have contingencies and contingencies on those contingencies if you are full time. If I was not working out of it and I woke up and something was glitching I could make it work and troubleshoot the issue. That is not an option for me I wake up and need to be ready to go and often on camera on a call. Hence my backup inverter gen and planned power station. I can last up to 4 weeks on my black tank and fresh water tank if I have drinking water but then I don't shower in my rig I'm 6'1" and my shower is only 5'10".

Al that said I believe my rig was ready to boondock, yes I've added a few things but they are basically just things I have to plug in to the equipment I already have. What I am still learning to do 22 months in is how to troubleshoot and repair my system and gain some minor electrical skills. I don't need level ground because I don't have propane on board and I chose not to get the model with the slide because I did get the off road edition so I could go places to boondock and didn't want the slide upkeep or worries if I was off road I might tweak something.

I managed to get the attached overview PDF out of the manufacturer after realizing they had initially wired my charge controller backwards and I needed to fix it. I think it's an amazing guide for integrated solar in a travel trailer.

revolvedigitalnomad

While you may beg to disagree, I appreciate you listing the things which support my statement that off of the production line, RVs are not really equipped to boondock.

Bob

[revolvedigitalnomad]

Originally Posted by Bob K4TAX

While you may beg to disagree, I appreciate you listing the things which support my statement that off of the production line, RVs are not really equipped to boondock.

Bob

I never purchase anything in life expecting it to be exactly what I need in all circumstances. On the west coast you need chains in the winter when it snows, in Michigan you may swap out to snow tires in the winter. My Durango has towing capacity but didn't come with the ball insert to tow so I had to get one then pins and locks, etc.

Further my trailer was not set up to work out of full time, I needed to figure out a desk, outlet strips and cords, internet and seating to work. Eventually I tore out my dinetter and jacknife sofa and rebuilt most of my interior. And while my rig came with induction burners and a microwave I couldn't cook on the burners until I got pots that work on induction burners.

Perhaps we just have differing opinions of what the word ready 's definition is. This is similar to the solo women rv'er group I am a part of. For them solar is an adjunct to their RVs or used to run a rice cooker or charge a phone. For me solar is the entire system that powers my rig when I am not on shore power.

YMMV
revolvedigitalnomad

[PoppySteve]

Thanks BD Nomad. I am still doing some thinking and planning and your post is very helpful.

[fanrgs]

Steve and Barbara,
If I had been looking for an FR boondocking RV as long as you have, I would have given up by now. I would suggest taking a look at Tony and Peggy Barthel's website at Stresslesscamping.com. Tony used to do daily RV reviews for the RVTravel newsletter. Now he does them on the website. They recently bought an FR Rockwood Mini Lite travel trailer. It has a very sophisticated solar-lithium-inverter system, a 12v fridge, N-S 60x80" queen bed, torsion axle suspension (no Model T-vintage leaf springs), and many other great features. You can also find nearly identical Rockwood/Flagstaff GeoPro-ePro floor plans if you don't mind E-W queen beds. But Tony and Peggy boondock most of the time in the new trailer without a problem.

FR makes a 21' version of the Mini Lite/Micro Lite, also with a real queen bed (we had one, but it was a much older model without all the new features). The torsion axles will perform just fine for all boondocking unless you plan to take it on jeep roads in the San Juans. We took ours on a 3-month trip to Alaska and had no problem on any of the rutted, washboard, gravel roads we encountered.

[PhilSR5]

As already posted, boondocking is first and foremost a state of mind; what do you really need for camping?
As in a tent: a bed , a cooking set, some water, some flash lights
Your RV has already all of it; OK seriously, here's what I chose first;

1. GENMAX Portable Inverter Generator，3300W, wherever you stop you can always use everything, AC, Microwave, Hair dryer...
2. OGO Composting Toilet, black tank now combined with the gray one, 70 gallons of used water instead of 35 originally; waste water is what conditions your stay; no more dirty job!
3. 200 Watt 12 Volt Renogy Solar RV Kit to keep the battery charged and a 300W inverter
4. Some water jugs in the truck bed

*Solar system is certainly the post I will upgrade, 400 or 600w with a 2000W inverter and a decent battery bank.

Cheers
Phil

[DJ252]

Interesting thread.

Especially how so many of the respondents didn't really answer the question. But like so many things, the answer is, it depends.

What does one mean by boondocking?

How rough of terrain do you want to traverse?

For how long?

How far away from resources?

Serial boondocking, or parking for a couple months?

How big? Trailer and tow vehicle.

We had a class B that we had a lot of fun in. 3 or 4 days at a time, was perfect. Longer than that, it got pretty small, pretty fast, even with good weather.

We plan to go for a month or so at a time but not necessarily to stay in any one place that long. More like a week or so.

We chose based on floor plan and size. The things that can't easily be changed. I can modify everything else, to suit us.