TherapyBound

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Just back from 5 days at the big US travel trade convention and had to laugh as I was packing 10 outfits for the trip (convention clothing each day, plus "party" outfits for each evening, plus theme park-appropriate items). With proper folding, I used about half of a medium suitcase and had half left for all the paraphernalia we brought back from the convention. Marie Kondo would have been proud! That said, I didn't "put love" into each item as I folded it, and didn't necessarily notice any particular item that "sparked joy."

Weight may be an issue, but storage shouldn't be when it comes to a few weeks worth of clothing. I can easily get two weeks worth of clothing into a medium suitcase. Doesn't anyone else use a "smart folding" method?

This is definitely part of our thinking. We'll be 61 and 58 when we set off, and while we're still relatively fit, we do sit at a computer 12 hours a day (sometimes longer) for our work, so we're not as used to manual labor as we once were. That's going to be a learning curve, but a welcome one. Still, whatever we can do to keep it relatively easy will be good. We know it will be a MUCH more active life, and a less convenient one, than the one we have now. And we're eager for that!

Yes. I have all the basics for safety and maintenance on my list. The things I mentioned here are more the negotiables. After all these replies, I think it's possible we may have lost sight of the fact that I did say some things were NOT negotiable, including new tires and a washer/dryer, but I didn't mention everything that's non-negotiable, simply to save time. These are more the "extras" I'm squirreling away funds for here and there, not the big things I've actively saved for.

The list DOES go on and on! Figuring it all out is fun and frustrating at the same time.

Yes. In my original post I stated new tires were a given. Before any other purchases, we'll make sure the coach is fully up to date on everything it needs to run safely. Yup. My sentiments exactly. I don't mind when it's in a campground or other location with rules around generator use, but if I've found some gorgeous place along a quiet river, I don't want to hear mine or anyone else's, if possible. Isn't blissful solitude the reason you forgo the comforts of hookups in the first place? Navy showers, Army showers and Oxygenetics are all on my boondocking info list.

Thank you, 2gypsies. I appreciate that. And yes, we do plan to take more than a weeks' worth. I only mentioned it to say that even if we only had a week's worth we wouldn't need to wash every other day. Yup. That's the (tentative) plan! I do have cheaprv bookmarked, but haven't yet looked into it much. Thank you for the recommendation!

But could you boondock if you wanted to? Could you go without doing laundry for 5 or 6 days if you had to? A week? Two? People do it all the time, so I'm not sure what the issue is, though I'd quite like to know. We'd like to try several different ways of overnighting, including 55 and up campgrounds, Harvest Host, BLM, National Forests, OvernightRvParking, etc. Totally open to lost of different scenarios. It's part of the fun, I think. And we HAVE stayed in campgrounds before, when we did a big family trip with our three boys many years ago. One of the best family vacations we've had. Our needs are different now, though, and time completely unplugged is important to us. Not every day, perhaps not even every month, but certainly as often as we decide to do it once we know what works best for us, and in theory for more than a day or two at a time. Time off the grid is an important part of what we want to do. To be honest, I'm not quite sure why I'm defending that choice. Plenty of people have washer/dryer, plenty of people boondock, and plenty of people boondock even though they own a washer/dryer. I'm confident I can work that one out.

Yes. I will admit I'm surprised by your comment about having to do a load of laundry every other day, even given the tiny load size they take. I would expect to have at least a weeks worth of clothes for each of us, which means only having to do laundry every 5th or 6th day at the most. What am I missing? (Editing to add: we travel extensively for our current work, and our wardrobes consist of quick-drying, non-wrinkling, crushable fabrics, many of which can be washed in a sink in a pinch. We spent over a month in Africa 2 years ago and only had laundry service twice during that time. The rest of the time I washed by hand. Towels and linens will be the hardest items to launder.) I would anticipate running wash loads while in a campground or with water hook-up. I do realize it will take some pre-planning, but I'm okay with that. I'm not all that fussed about the dryer (and yes, I know how to dry clothes without a dryer ) so that won't be added time between loads. I have to admit, I didn't expect quite so much push-back on the washer/dryer thing. People DO full-time with washer/dryers, so I'm quite sure I'll be able to figure it out. If it's important to you, you find a way.

And that's why I have so many negotiables on my list. I know what I NEED, but I'm less sure about what I'll WANT. The replies here have helped a lot.

Hence our deep and abiding desire to boondock! We desperately need some solitude. We also want the social nature of campgrounds. I could see doing a week (maybe!) in a campground and then at least a week dry camping. I could also see a combination such as a couple of nights in a campground and 10 days dry camping. Or, two weeks in a campground (though even typing that makes me shake a bit) and then time out in the quiet. Perhaps the problem I'm having is that I'm not sure I'll like CAMPGROUNDS, and THAT'S the equation I need experience with before deciding what to do about solar. I think I'll be able to tolerate it for a short time, but it's also possible I'll love it. Thank you for challenging me on this. It's helped me to see where my mental block is. I'm not at all sure how I'll do long-term in active campgrounds.

I meant I'd ask it as a general question on a separate thread, but I won't, because I think I already know where that would go! I'm aware there are strong opinions on both sides, (yes, run it, and NO. DON'T RUN IT!!) and we just want to be aware of the sensibilities of fellow travelers. I'm guessing that would be the upper limit of how long we'd boondock, so it's good to know what's possible and what it would take to last 10 days or so without solar. Thanks!

I'd ask the question, "how do neighbors feel about others running their generator when they're out in the wilderness seeking solitude") but I suspect that could get heated! All of the responses have been helpful in focusing my mind about what is/isn't important, and I think when it comes to solar we'd be smart to tuck something away toward it, but really need to be out on the road and discovering what our needs really are, or are not.

Well done, Reedhoppa! Many, many happy travels!

I guess I must be reading all the wrong blogs and forum topics then, because I got the very distinct impression one of the joys of boondocking is the quiet. It's the ability to hear the nature around you. It's not having to listen to other people's generators. And I am quite sure I've read more than once (like, dozens of times) that it's just plain common courtesy to consider your neighbors when it comes to running your generator when boondocking (editing to add, I'm not talking about places like Quartzite, where there are lots of RVs and established times when generators are okay, I'm talking about truly being out in the boonies). So now I'm confused. I know you CAN run a generator to keep the batteries topped up when boondocking, but nearly everything I've read says it's considered poor form to do so when there are other motorhomes nearby (more than one forum said the sound carries for up to a mile!). It's an etiquette thing more than a requirement, and it's a choice that keeps YOU from having to hear the generator when you just want to literally unplug from it all. I'm sure we'll do enough things without realizing they're newbie mistakes; I didn't want this to be one of them. As for the washer/dryer, I know it adds weight. I know weight is limited and it won't take much to reach full weight capacity. If I weren't so firm in my reasons for making it a requirement and not a luxury, I'd be talked out of it by now! I do have an excellent reason for it being a necessity FOR ME, and that reason would stop me from going at all rather than having to go to laundromats every week or two. As I originally stated, I prefer not to go into the details. So...I'll have an RV with a washer/dryer and very happily sacrifice something else instead.

We know for certain we'll do more than spend an overnight in a parking lot, which is why we're considering solar. A week in the desert if far more our style, but without knowing how long we can go without solar, we don't really know how much solar we would need. That's our real sticking point. I've spent nearly a year scouring forums and blogs, and I have some idea of what appeals to us most, but I do think until we do it ourselves we aren't going to know for sure what we need. Perhaps my first question was premature, and I should just keep saving toward what we think we'll want, then put it toward something else if we find we were looking at the wrong upgrades.

Sorry, I should have been clearer. I know the battery bank has to keep up with the solar, and vise versa, and will require an inverter. I didn't word my comment well, as I'd already indicated in a previous reply that I was aware of the requirements for a solar set-up.

We did end up holding off. I think the flashing "Memorial Day Sale" caught his eye, but in the end we decided to think it through a bit more.

It certainly is! And I appreciate it. I think we'll save for solar, but wait until we have a much better idea of what we need, if anything.

I wish that were so. It's BECAUSE people live in the area and drink the water ever day that they're not affected by it. When you're in a new area every few days or every few weeks your body may react to the water (as mine does). Once you've been drinking it for a while, your body adjusts to the bacteria and trace amount of e-coli. I'm usually okay in the US, but can react to well water. A higher-cost system may not be worth the expense, if we'll only encounter challenging water now and then and I can just drink bottled for a few days. I just don't know how often it will be an issue. This is the balance I'm trying to strike. And it's the unknown until we actually get going and see how much boondocking we'll do, and for how long. Would you say the cost and weight of a larger battery bank outweighs the cost of a few solar panels if, say, you're boondocking for a week at a time? Bear in mind we're not "fulltimers" in that we're selling everything and have no home base. We'll be on the road "full time" (meaning, not returning to a house) for at least a year, probably two, but will still have a house so we won't be bringing everything we own with us.

I've been on several forums over the past year, mainly just reading everything that sparks my interest, and I've also been doing a fair bit of research on blogs, YouTube, in person, on RV social media groups, etc. I've asked a few questions here and there, but mainly I read topics to get an idea of the broad range of opinions and real-world advice about how to deal with challenges. I've got a massive folder on my computer with documents about everything from toilets to solar to how to cook in your RV, and so on. The focus of this post was originally "what would you prioritize money toward," but it sort of took on a life of its own, and a few more questions sprung up from there. I will certainly ask more questions as separate posts, but this was meant to be "of these things, which would YOU say would be a priority". I also know everyone's style and experience are different, and that was valuable for this question. Most of the people who replied here are "names" I've come to know through reading their previous replies to others, so I have some "feel" for how they travel. It's all been very useful, and I do like the challenge of thinking, "Okay, that isn't an answer I expected, so now I can look at the issue from another perspective." This does feel like a friendly, helpful forum, which hasn't always been the case in other places, so I've felt comfortable asking questions here. And I'm grateful for the replies.

The water issue is more mine than my husbands. I can't seem to tolerate the varieties of e-coli in different locations (there's always some; usually not enough to matter, unless you're sensitive to it). Europe and the UK are guaranteed to give me the grippers (South American is even more challenging, and Africa, forget it), but I usually do okay in the US, though not so much with well water. A high-powered water filtration system is probably one of those 'nice if you can get it' things, maybe not necessary. Still, I'd work pretty hard to avoid the...ahem..."issues" if possible.

Chad Heiser, your comments align with my understanding of the basics of solar, and I think we'll fall in the "somewhere in between" category. Would love a full compliment of 6 lithiums and 4 or 5 panels (with inverter, obviously), but realize that's not realistic, practical, or financially viable for what we have in mind. If we were going full time with the expectation of 10 years on the road, we'd be all over it. We do have time to figure it out, including time actually spent boondocking to asses our needs. I've done a huge amount of research into solar, but it's hard to get your head around it until you really know what your requirements will be. I 'get' the concept, and we know we'll have SOME form of solar, but have zero idea about how much (or little) we'll really need.