Long Term Dry/Dispersed/Boondock Camping Arizona, California, Nevada

[FULLTIMEWANABE]

Been reading a lot of threads lately regarding folks going to Quartzite boon docking (some intending to spend the whole winter there more or less), and it got me thinking about how long typically retired folks (non-working/non volunteers/non paid positions in a CG) would typically stay in one specific location throughout the winter months?

 

Just curious how do you spend your winter months typically and why? Do those of you that Boondock for the most part typically get the 14 day passes for $40; the $180 6 month pass or just do the free 14 days or otherwise, moving on?

 

Would you spend a couple of weeks/month or the whole winter in say Imperial Dam area or Quartzite or mix it up to avoid becoming a state of feeling "stale" in one specific area?

 

Would be awesome to know what your top reasons are in preference order for boon docking as opposed to other kinds of Rving options and why you chose where you do to do so and for how long in one particular spot/location.

 

 

[pjstough]

We spend most of our winter in Arizona, and a lot of it boondocking primarily because we like the peace and quite. We seldom stay in one place for more than a couple of weeks at a time. We are currently at Imperial Dam(our first time here), but we have been to Quartzsite(stayed at a 14 day free area), but are going back next week, but will be stay in the LTVA for at least two weeks.

 

We have stayed at RV Parks, but first of all we find staying there unnecessary because with our 600 watts of solar we have no trouble going going ten days without the need to empty the tanks or refill the fresh water tank, or run the generator. Also, when we have stayed in RV parks we dont socialize much, so that aspect does not hold that much appeal for us either.

 

I hope this helps.

[sandsys]

When I was spending winters in Arizona I bought a seasonal pass for the LTVA areas at Quartzsite. I would then wander in and out of them and the free areas as various friends and groups came and went. In between I would go to my membership park near Parker where I could stay 2 weeks overlooking the Colorado River without paying anything beyond my annual fee there while having full hookups. Between those two locations I could camp free all season once I paid my annuals and never had to worry where I would dump/fill and dispose of trash. I also made occasional forays into the Phoenix area for services and to visit family and friends. Being able to stop overnight, or as many nights as I chose, in Q at any time made for a wonderful change of place. I don't think I ever stayed parked anyplace longer than 2 weeks, though.

 

Linda Sand

[Kirk W]

 

how long typically retired folks ( volunteers/non paid positions) would typically stay in one specific location throughout the winter months?.................

Rving options and why you chose where you do to do so and for how long in one particular spot/location?

We find that we need something more to prevent boredom than sitting in a boondocking site would provide to keep life interesting so we prefer to spend our time as resident volunteers. We spent 4 months at Imperial Wildlife Refuge, just a short distance from the Imperial LTV and we even went over to check it out, as well as the LTV at Quartzsite. That lifestyle is just not for us, but nothing is right for everyone. We also spent time as volunteers at Mojave NP and Boyce-Thompson Arboretum when staying on the desert. If you find something that you enjoy doing and take satisfaction from, you can enjoy several months in one location.

 

There are several reasons for our choice. We typically prefer to go to an area we have not previously been to and stay long enough to see everything for 100 miles in all directions, then never go back to that location again. We tend to do the same in the summer months, somewhere in the north but usually stay somewhat shorter periods then. Living in that way is as inexpensive and any that we know of, yet we have full hookups nearly all of the time and often other amenities that do not exist when parked off the beaten path. We don't often do campground hosting for long as that is not as remote and private as it is on most wildlife refuges or historic sites. And when you volunteer somewhere you usually get to know local folks who also volunteer at the facility and so get to know the folks who live in the communities and experience more than one would as a tourist.

[LindaH]

In the past, we've always used the free BLM areas (and other free areas) to camp. This year, we decided to spring for the $180 LTVA pass and have spent our time between Midland and Pilot Knob.

 

We like both places, which are close to grocery stores and other shopping, but since Blythe turned off the water at the city park, there's no place to get water other than paying $.35 per gallon or $1.50 for 5 gallons at the water kiosks in town. We still pay for water at Pilot Knob, but we can get 5 gallons for $.75. We passed a place yesterday that said $.15 per gallon, so we're going to check it out next time we need water.

[sandsys]

In the past, we've always used the free BLM areas (and other free areas) to camp. This year, we decided to spring for the $180 LTVA pass and have spent our time between Midland and Pilot Knob.

 

We like both places, which are close to grocery stores and other shopping, but since Blythe turned off the water at the city park, there's no place to get water other than paying $.35 per gallon or $1.50 for 5 gallons at the water kiosks in town. We still pay for water at Pilot Knob, but we can get 5 gallons for $.75. We passed a place yesterday that said $.15 per gallon, so we're going to check it out next time we need water.

That $180 pass means you can go into La Posa South at any time and fill up your water there. While it's not as close to Midland as Blythe City Park its not that far to go to get "free" water.

 

Linda Sand

[Jimalberta]

We are finding that we prefer boondocking. Our stays in the big citiies of Phoenix and Las Vegas are good for a while but we soon tire of that and find ourselves back out on the desert. Our main activities however which are RZRing and rockhounding as well as RC airplanes for me lend themselves very much to boondocking in the desert. Not to mention the horrible 60 cent dollar we are experiencing at this time.

We generally spend our time at Quartzsite and Ogilby Road in SoCal by Yuma. 14 day free sites for now but definitely not opposed to paying the fee for the LTVA areas. I get a kick out of these areas and the way people "stake out their territory".

We can easily do 10 days at a time and if we are more frugal with our water can make it to 14 days....then its time to dump and fill and maybe spend a day at the laundromat. The only drawback to boondockng in the desert is having a good wifi signal and enough data without breaking the bank. For Canadians its expensive and difficult.

[docj]

I'll answer the OP's question from a totally different perspective. We figure that winter is a lousy time of year to be driving an RV in much of the US. Sure in any given year the weather in the SW or the SE might be Ok, but there's no way to predict. Furthermore, we like our creature comforts, including a washer/dryer and our cooking appliance and have absolutely no interest sitting in the desert (or anywhere else) boondocking.

 

Therefore, we stay in south TX from the beginning of November until roughly the end of March. Since we've been in Corpus Christi for the past 5 winters we have integrated ourselves into numerous volunteer and other activities in the metro area that have nothing to do with the campground we stay at. Often our activities take us away from the RV early in the morning and sometimes we don't get back until close to dark. Our RV park has lots of snowbird activities of which we participate in only a few.

 

At the end of our winter sojourn we "hit the road." We typically put ~10,000 miles on the MH each year and have spent the 3 summers in one Canadian province or the other. Even though we sit for ~5 months in the winter, we have a very different lifestyle from those snowbirds who spend the same months here in the winter, but who then retreat to homes in the colder states during the summer. It's our opinion that summer is the time to be traveling and are glad we don't have a home to be tied to.

 

I'm not saying that what we do is better than what anyone else does, but I wanted to caution the OP (or anyone else) from making generalizations as to how "retired folks (non-working/non volunteers/non paid positions in a CG)" choose to spend their winters. There are way too many lifestyle choices available to try to pigeon-hole people into "bins".

[Lance Williams]

Summer time boon docking areas ???????

[FULLTIMEWANABE]

Sandie/Joel,

 

Really appreciate and good to hear another different way that you as other folks have commented chose to spend your time, with hookups to suite your comfort needs. Different strokes for different folks = nothing whatsoever wrong with that but ..........

 

I'm sorry but I can't see in any way shape or form in my initial OP, I was trying to "Pigeon Hole" anyone into any "bins" as you put it. It was a generic question based on thought and wondering and whilst I asked specifically regarding from those that aren't working or volunteering on the road that chose to boondock purely to get an insight from these folks, that would be in a similar position to ourselves, whether they are 20 or 100 years old. Being Canadian generally speaking we are not allowed to work in the USA or receive any kind of compensation without jumping through untold hoops, and "we" prefer boon docking than being in any campground (again, different strokes for different folks and each to their own wouldn't you agree?)..

Consequently like I said, I can't see in any way shape or form how one could have construed that anyone was trying to "pigeon hole" anyone into a "bin". I asked a simple question that came up through wondering and thought, to satisfy curiosity and I'm sure it might be of use to others in maybe a similar position.

 

Thanks to Jim, Linda, Linda and Paul for your thoughtful responses. Interesting how most so far seem to move around every couple of weeks or thereabouts.

[Kirk W]

The most important thing to remember is that the only limit to what you can do while traveling in the RV is your own imagination.

[docj]

It was a generic question based on thought and wondering.....

 

I didn't find anything wrong with your question other than the fact that it doesn't have a unique answer. There are as many ways of defining "fulltime RVing" as there are people doing it. Everyone has their own way of defining the lifestyle. To me, your question implied that you expected there would be some consistency of response. Sorry if you thought my response was too strong. I wasn't upset, I was just trying to explain that there is no reason to think that there would be any consensus among the answers.

 

We like to summer in Canada, and, like you, get caught because we can't even find volunteering opportunities there. Last summer we had to hunker down and content ourselves with ceilidhs and lobster on PEI!

 

Joel

[FULLTIMEWANABE]

Last summer we had to hunker down and content ourselves with ceilidhs (pronounced "Kay lay") and lobster on PEI!

 

Somebody has to make the sacrifice eh" . Can appreciate your challenges being of UK descent many moons ago ago.

 

Glad you enjoy our country, hopefully as much as we do yours

 

FTW