By Debbie Gardner
dgardner@thereminder.com
Bruce Tranter, currently of Wilbraham, is a longtime RVer. He camped with his growing family in midlife and continued the tradition in retirement. He’s owned all types of RVing equipment – starting with a pop-up camper, moving to a 31-foot travel trailer and finally to his current “retirement” motorhome. You may remember him from the June or the August 2024 editions, where he answered questions about the RV lifestyle in two articles.
Prime reached out for this July vacation issue to ask Tranter to lend his expertise on three more questions about the RV lifestyle – including how to camp on the cheap and if you can turn your RV into your full-time home. Here are his answers:
Q: Are there any “free” camping areas?
“This covers two different topics. The first is totally free camping with no fees, charges, or memberships for overnight camping. The second is when a membership, permit, or annual fee is paid once, regardless of how many nights or locations you visit.
“Totally free camping can be found on private properties, retail properties, state, and federal owned properties. The largest federal organization is the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) (blm.gov/programs/recreation/camping).
“BLM offers developed campgrounds, which may charge a small fee, and “dispersed camping,” which is free. The link above explains where to find maps, rules, and recommendations. “Leave No Trace” is the rule when camping on federal or state properties – take out with you what you bring in.
“Massachusetts offers over 30 state camping locations, managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation, but none are free. For information visit mass.gov/camping-at-massachusetts-state-parks.
“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) manages over 4,300 recreational locations and 450 camping locations in 43 states. While not free, they offer family recreation at reduced cost. For information visit corpslakes.erdc.dren.mil/
“Other New England states offer free camping locations. Use Google to find them. To further explore camping on federal lands visit recreation.gov/.
“Retail properties such as Walmart, Cracker Barrel Restaurants, Cabela’s Home Depot (and others) may offer one-night, no service overnight free camping (self-contained, no tents). The you must contact the store manager and get permission prior to your arrival. If the property is posted for “no overnight parking” and you have management permission, get that in writing before the business closes. The police officer knocking on the door at 2 a.m. is not going to believe you with just a verbal consent.
“Note: Walmart has drastically reduced the number of locations allowing overnight stay, posting signs in most locations prohibiting overnight camping. Cracker Barrel Restaurants across the country offer free overnight camping, but expect to patronize the restaurant for a meal.
“There are organizations with one-time annual memberships that allow unlimited overnight camping (self-contained, no tents) at member locations for no additional charge. Each location offers one night free. Additional nights may be booked for free or additional charge. Services (electric or water) may be free or an additional charge. The most widely known of these organizations is Harvest Hosts (harvesthosts.com/) with 5,300 locations nation-wide that may include wineries, farms, museums, or private properties. Another similar membership site is Boondockers Welcome (boondockerswelcome.com/) which offers over 3,600 different types of properties as well as residential locations. RV Overnights (rvovernights.com/) is another membership organization that offers thousands of locations for free overnight stays. Check their website for further details.
“Websites that offer nation-wide free camping listings and maps include freecampsites.net/ and campendium.com/
“FreeRoam is an app you can download onto your smartphone that lists locations of campgrounds, boondocking & RV parks. It also offers helpful tools and a community for campers and boondockers for free.
FreeRoam can help you:
Q: How long can you live in your RV without connections to any services?
“The simple response is “That depends on many variables we need to consider when “boondocking” and the necessities of life on the road.
Water
“Every RV has a freshwater tank that can range from 20 to 100 gallons. When that supply runs out you will need to pack everything up, hook up the camper, and travel to refill that tank at the nearest water source.
“How many gallons per day do you consume? “That depends” on toilet flushes, showers, washing dishes, and the biggest consumer of water…kids! The secret to water preservation is to unlearn your at-home habits letting the water run. Showers must be quick, shutting off water to soap up, turning it back on to rinse. The little ones must be constantly watched as they don’t understand the water supply is limited Personally, we don’t consume the water from the RV tank as it is difficult to keep sanitized. We always bring bottled water to consume.
“The two waste water tanks in your camper that must be emptied when full – the “blackwater” from your toilet and the “graywater” from your sinks and shower. The contents of either tank must never be spilled or dumped on the ground as it is prohibited and unsanitary. There are websites that show dumping locations if you are boondocking without any connections. Plan your tank dumping on arrival as it may be several miles away from your camping spot. Never wait until the tanks are full to start looking for a dump station.
Power
“Electricity at home we take for granted, but RVs has batteries that can be depleted quickly if we aren’t careful. Some RVs have rooftop solar panels keep batteries charged. Others have a generator you can start if batteries get depleted. The generator produces 110 volts just like at home and all the duplex plugs and appliances in the camper will work. The rooftop air conditioners and microwave oven will work with the generator but will not work with 12-volt batteries unless you have a power inverter installed in your camper. Travel trailers typically have one deep cycle battery. Motorhomes may have two or more. The interior and exterior lights, the refrigerator, hot water, and heat will work on 12 volts. Modern RV’s may be “all electric” and convert 12 volts (battery) to 110-volt power using an inverter for appliances and plugs. It is important to understand what will work with 12-volt power and what requires 110, as health appliances such as CPAP machines typically require 110 volts, so you may need to ensure your camper’s plugs will be energized if not connected to power.”
Q: What are the considerations of living “full-time” in your RV?
“People that retire and plan to downsize may consider buying an RV to live in “full-time,” yet the thought of not having a stationary home as a base can be a little intimidating. But with a little planning many have successfully transitioned to life on the road. Let’s assume the couple in this segment are retired with one pet and no children.
“Medical needs are most important with planned and unplanned doctor’s visits. Is your medical insurance valid nationwide? Do you understand the difference between HMO and PPO types of health coverage? You may know that emergency room visits are completely covered anywhere in the US, but what about other services you may need? Medications can be prohibitively expensive at the corner pharmacy compared to mail-order three-month supplies. Where would you have medications sent?
“Mail forwarding services charge you for sending mail periodically to any address you provide. Some have postage and forwarding fees. Others are a fixed monthly or annual cost. The site yourbestaddress.com will send you an image of each mail piece you have received. Or you may have a relative who can accept your mail and forward to you. For Amazon or online shopping deliveries, be sure that a campground or your location will accept deliveries or mail, and how they manage it. Will they sign for a package that requires a signature? Can you get your mail or packages after hours? Is it safely stored until you retrieve it? Get the policies when you arrive at a campground. If you are moving around frequently and may be spending only a few weeks in any location, make sure you have mail forwarded appropriately.
“RV maintenance on the road can be a major problem, as your motorhome may be in the service bay for days, and you can’t live in your travel trailer where your truck is being serviced. How will you get around if your tow vehicle is tied up for days? Are you prepared for the cost of motel rooms, or can this expense be covered under your insurance? Most vehicle rental companies do not allow their vehicles to be used as tow vehicles unless specified in the rental agreement. Plan for these issues before you hit the road full-time.
“A call to your insurance agent will clarify your coverage if your motorhome or tow vehicle requires towing or service and is tied up for days or even weeks. Your insurance policy may show “towing” coverage, but do not assume it means your motorhome will be transported to the nearest repair facility 40 miles away. Does your towing coverage also state they will tow your truck but leave your RV trailer on the side of the interstate? What about a second tow truck? Recently, a friend had the pickup truck they were towing behind their motorhome catch fire and be destroyed. The motorhome was also extensively damaged. The incident required two tow trucks, motel rooms for three weeks, a rental car and other expenses. The lesson here is to expect the unexpected!”