RV Boondocking Day in the Life | How We Camp Off Grid with a RV Solar System
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- Опубліковано 13 вер 2020
- RV boondocking is our favorite way to camp in our RV. If you've ever wondered what it's like to get off grid in your RV, we take you through a day in the life boondocking sharing our rv solar power system and how it allows us to dry camp and free camp in incredible BLM campgrounds like this one in Colorado. Whether you RV part time or RV full time, get a taste for why we think dry camping and boondocking is true freedom.
💻 Is RV Solar Power Worth It? Blog Post: eatseerv.com/rv-solar-power/
More on our RV Solar setup: • RV Solar
🤗 Support our channel and join the Eat See RV Community on Patreon ⬇️ / eatseerv
👉 Products We Used Or Referenced in this Video 👈🏼
100 amp-hour Lithium Iron (LiFePO4) Battery: amzn.to/3mfxmu1
AIMs 30 amp solar charge controller: amzn.to/35wlni2
AIMS 120 watt flexible solar panels: amzn.to/35rFjCY
AIMS 2000 watt pure sine wave inverter: amzn.to/36wI8Um
Motorcycle carrier 🏍 www.MotoTote.com/eatseerv (Get 12% off your own)
Beddy's Sheets: www.beddys.com
Oxygenics Showerhead Kit: amzn.to/2ZHvZI7
Shower curtain amzn.to/2ubNFlE
Motorized TV Lift amzn.to/2GTC2Ct
Custom desk and pantry build out by www.trimmedoutinc.com
MaxxFan Deluxe 7000K Roof Vent w/ 12V Fan, Thermostat, & Remote www.etrailer.com/Enclosed-Tra...
French press: amzn.to/2Sy2mrS
Nespresso Mini Espresso Maker & Frother: amzn.to/2MeZSv5
Outdoor Club Chairs: amzn.to/2BdAbsw
Outdoor mat: amzn.to/2rmI4Ue
⛰ Places We Visited or Stayed 🚐
www.campendium.com/twin-lakes...
🎶 Music Credits 🎵
All of our Music is From Epidemic Sound: Try it for free! www.epidemicsound.com/referra...
⛽️💰 Earn cash back on fuel with GetUpside app 🚐
It's totally FREE and there are gas stations nationwide offering cashback on fuel. Get an additional $0.15 back PER gallon when you sign up with code QSB5P 💥
🤖Download for Android upside.app.link/I0bkyZ39fF
🍎Download for iPhone upside.app.link/PkJ9HWaagF
⬇️ Products We ♥ for Full-Time RV Life
The Dyrt - The #1 Camping App 🏆 Plan your Route, get discounts, win prizes! Get 10% off of the Dyrt Pro app by using code: ESRV alnk.to/apKEP1T
RV Warranty & Repair 🛠 wholesalewarranties.com/accre...
National Parks Passport 🔖amzn.to/2CIXUAp
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*This channel is for entertainment purposes only. We are not RV or travel experts. We share our opinions and what works for us, but you should do your own research.
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Pack all trash and leave it better than you arrived is the most important part of this entire message. We find so many campgrounds and camp areas are riddled with trash when we arrive.
Sad but true, hopefully this message along with others will help make small improvements - Liz
You take your cats with you, that is so cool !
Great video. I’m learning a lot so when I’m ready to buy an RV I won’t have to learn the hard way. Keep them coming.
Glad you enjoyed the video and found it helpful! - Liz
Great depiction of what boon docking is like. You're living an awesome life and get to see so much of the beauty Mother Earth has to offer. ✌🌄
💞
This is so awesome!! Enjoy your freedom and life on the road. Very well done. Keep the videos coming.
Glad you enjoyed the video! Thank you for helping us boondock and camp off grid!
Man this was helpful and really great timing for us - we’re getting ready to start boondocking. We’ve watched a ton of your videos for tips! 🙂 loved what you did with the drone, very profesh 👌🏽
Thanks guys!
- Olivia and Nathan
Oh wow thank you! That's awesome to hear this and other videos have been helpful for you! Wishing you luck on your journey! Thanks on the drone -- it's new for us still so we're loving flying it. - Liz
Great video! I love the gentle reminder of caring for our public lands at the end👍
So important! 🧡- Liz
Your outdoor carpet is a fantastic idea I can’t believe I haven’t thought of it
Great video to introduce new folk to boondocking and solar. We have been FT for 3 1/2 years and found we enjoy boondocking a lot. In fact, for the last year and a half we have been living in our 36' Class A motorhome entirely off grid. We have 620 watts of solar mounted on the side of our MH that we lift to face the sun. But just have standard FLA golf cart batteries. We will be upgrading to lithium this year as the price has fallen quite a bit. One advantage we have in our bigger MH is larger tanks - 95 gallons of fresh water and 50 gallons each of gray and black. Our gray always fills first, so we transfer some gray water to the black tank to last the full 14-day camping limit that is typical on BLM and FS land. We have a little 600-watt PSW inverter that we use to run our 55" UHD TV, DVD player, sound system and desktop computer all at once. If we need more power, say to run an air conditioner or microwave, we have a 5,500w generator as a back-up. We have learned that elevation is your friend. We boondocked all summer last year in the mountains of Colorado and never needed to run our air conditioner even once, as the weather was so mild. We really enjoy the lifestyle of being free range humans.
Too short! That video was way too short! I need more! 🥰😊🥰
Haha! Glad you enjoyed it. Short and to the point. necessary sometimes!
It's just an ad.
Not really. It does show you how our off grid system works and what we can and can't do as we boondock. The fact that we show you the brand and product doesn't mean it's just a sales ad.
@@EatSeeRV You are right. My comment was overblown cynicism. To tell you the truth - I regretted it the moment I started to browse rest of you channel. Shouldn't left this low effort comment. My apologies. Btw, thanks for a replay, didn't expect that. Have a good week!
Great little video explaining boondocking guys. Great information for all us newbies. Cheers!!!
Thank you :) Hope you're doing well up there!
Wow. This is a great video. Thank you for sharing :)
Thank you so much! 🤩
We're Glad you enjoyed it! - Dennis ✌️
real real nice edit on the video. You guys are getting better and better. Great info on the boondocking
Thank you :)
Awesome video! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching :) - Liz
Great, concise info. loved the aerial views. I'm trying to figure out if living off grid for a few days at a time with my wife is realistic. Thanks for posting this.
Great video. I love that you have 2 cats ❤
They're fun 😺
Very concise, thanks for the wonderful tips
Glad you enjoyed it! - Dennis ✌️
Great video! Watching this makes me want to go back to Twin Lakes! It’s so pretty!
You should! As long as we're there :) haha! We're so thankful we met ya'll there! - Liz
Thanks for the relatively short video.
I agree with one of the comments below.....great video but we all want more of Dennis and Liz!
Fantastic footage and music as always.
Dennis.....keep giving us more of the those EPIC mountain view shots from the drone. They are awesome. You are becoming a real pro with that thing.
Yes, this was short for us. But it was made to be more informative than just us chit chatting. Haha, more to come soon. So glad you're enjoying to drone footage! - Liz
Great video, guys. Enjoy yourselves out there. It’s finally cooling off a little down here in Tampa Bay. 🌧 🙋🏻♂️🙋🏻♀️
Wohoo! So happy it's cooling off a bit finally - Liz
Getting full use from the drone I see. Really cool footage.
Haha you know it! Also doesn't hurt to have incredible views like this. It just begs for the drone to come out!
One of you better information videos. Thanks
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching - liz
Wow so interesting! Thanks for showing us how its done guys. Saw that UCF tumbler, we are also from Central Florida GO KNIGHTS!
That's awesome! I'm not the biggest sports fan but definitely will root for them since their my college team! - Liz
That is an Andersen stabilizer bucket. I bought one this summer to try out and I love it. It seems so much more stable than using the orange blocks. It allows me to not have to put the tongue down so far and creates a more solid base. I would have been much more nervous with those ruts if we still had the 400.
I’ve been to that lake. When I was a kid. It’s more beautiful than I remember. 😍
It's gorgeous!
Hey Guys. Nice setup. Loved the location and that rice dish made me hungry. Curry?
Haha! Thanks :) Yes lentil curry! - Liz
Lovely place and at 2:45 even better right there ,,,, enjoy you life
It is such a beautiful spot!
This was a great video! I am a Colorado native and Leadville is my favorite mountain town. Love your work =)
Thank you!
Beautiful young couple living such a beautiful life! Love!!
Thank you!
@@EatSeeRV Seeing your cats just confirmed it!
So spot on. It’s all compromise.
It is indeed. One, for us, we're willing to make! - Liz
i have always wanted to live the rv travel life. i feel so encouraged to start saving up! i def want solar panels and im totally ok with pooping in nature. did it in the ccc so now i know i can do it anytime lol.
Nicely done ✅
Thank you!
We are set up with two solar panels on the roof of our Rpod trailer, two portable panels we can move from sunny spot to sunny spot and a composting head so have a similar set up. I had someone comment on one of my videos that we were roughing it, but we don’t feel that we are at all! Plus, hey - we lived on a boat for 28+ years so know how to conserve water & power anyway! Nice video 👍
Roughing it to one person is luxury to another. It's all in perspective. Sounds like you have a wonderful set up and all that really matters is you enjoy it and it allows you to live or camp how you want! Thanks for watching - Liz
Ha! It's almost like you are answering our questions from the other day in Ouray. Looks like our inverter problem is from overheating. Will probably need to relocate it. Can't wait to reach master boondocking status like y'all.
Haha! I wouldn't say we're master. We have ups and downs and are always trying to get better at it. But we're getting there. Great meeting ya'll. Hope the inverter stuff gets worked out. - Liz
What a Epic Location, love that Colorado
Colorado is amazing! - Liz
Thanq for your video, looks a nice life, not for me tho I'm bad on my feet.
Stay safe on your travels tho.
I looveee your cats😍😍😍😍😍
Love and Hugs from Sapulpa Oklahoma
Thank you for watching Gwen! Wishing you well :)
Short,but sweet....without doubt y'll leave better than you found it ♥️ Great end ♥️
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching :)
I love twin lakes. It’s a beautiful area
It really is - Liz
Very nice! Where you are you camping in this video, it looks beautiful. I see you have cats, how cute!
Thank you for watching. This was in Twin Lakes CO 🙂
Nice video, great editing. Tell me about your coffee pot...love the look of it. I travel with my frother too. ☕️
The frother is everything!! haha French press: amzn.to/2Sy2mrS
Nespresso Mini Espresso Maker & Frother: amzn.to/2MeZSv5
What a great location, can you share where that is? So gorgeous! Your solar setup seems awesome, thanks for another great video!
Thank you, It's Twin Lakes, CO! - Dennis ✌️
I'm in Colorado as well, do you know of any places not too far from the Denver,Littleton, or Lakewood area? Starring RV life tomorrow and trying to get a list of places.
Thanks for your honesty concerning what solar can and can't do. I watch one channel and they often say "we can run anything we want on (about) 500 watts of solar... then I ask "so why do you carry a generator?"
A larger rig can 100% power most or all of their things for a long time, just depends on the solar set up and rig. Our is too small for that. It allows a lot of freedoms but isn't perfect. We're super happy with it though! - Liz
Amazing video guys... do feel the class c limits your boon docking locations?
No, we feel it's broaden them. - Dennis ✌️
Absolutely beautiful video-omg!!! Breathe taking!! I seen that you were at twin lakes, co- what is the name of the campground please? I se so many in the twin Lake area. Thank you!
Thank you!! Yes, Twin Lakes. The exact spot is in the description of the video :)
Hi Dennis enjoyed your Videos, Iam looking for your video install on the Inverters and battery. Was it an easy install for a DIY or I need a pro? Thanks.
We didn't make a step by step of our install. We did seek the help of a pro, my brother is a stellar marine electrician!
If you want to see an install that is very similar to our setup check out the "I'm Not Lost I'm RV'ing" channel. Thomas did a very in depth series on off grid power installs and component break downs. At the very least it will help you decide if you want to attempt it yourself. - Dennis ✌️
Nice! Were you still in CO when the early snow storm hit?
Yes! Although we didn't get a ton of snow where we were. Bummer! lol - Liz
How do I find these types of spots ?
Nice Mercedes AMG V-12.
You made a cool video have you ever visit Georgia ?
Thanks! We have a couple of times. We have friends in ATL and Blue ridge areas. Are from Georgia? - Dennis
2 kitties cool
😺
Great video. Where did you get your foot stool?
Amazon my sister got it for us actually as a gift when we started RVing amzn.to/2GDNB3C
Hell yes
Great spot huh? - Liz
Good video. What brand are those camp chairs? Travel safe.
They're in the description of the video, but here you go Outdoor Club Chairs: amzn.to/2BdAbsw
Hey Liz--
Remember me from Perkins and Jhop? So envious of your lifestyle! I just bought my first travel trailer and looking for some scenic boondocking sites in Ocala National Forest. Any hidden gems you know of? Or suggestions for better research? Thanks and good luck and safe travels
Hey Jeff! Of course I remember you. Hope all is well 😁 We love the Dyrt, Campendium, and iOverlander to help us find spots. But we have a whole blog post on finding boondocking in FL that better shows you how to find spots in FL. eatseerv.com/free-camping-in-florida/
P.S. Be careful in the Ocala forest. Lots of people live in there in tents and trailers and they get weird with new visitors. - Liz
What did you cook for dinner? That looked good!
That was a lentil curry with mushrooms, peppers, onions, and coconut milk! :) - Liz
Do you think that a class c offers any technical advantages for boondocking over a travel trailer?
Travel trailer has WAY more storage capacities normally, it depends on the rig though. In our case we lost 90 gallons of fresh water and a ton of roof space, so our boondocking capabilities in this are less. BUT we can go to more places in this RV than we could in the last. It's all a give and take. - Liz
If you had watched a lightning storm at the end of the day, this would have been a perfect knockoff of Gone with the Wynn's, "A Day in the Life - Boondocking with Solar." Same general story line and very similar commentary.
Yes we were inspired for the style by that video. It's a great way to present information in an engaging and concise format. - Liz
Could I inquire what the refrigerator fan was for? Thank you
There are 2 fan units installed for the fridge. The fan unit inside the refrigerator is to push the warmer air through the evaporator coils and keep the refrigerator at a more consistent temp throughout.
The other fan is outside underneath the roof vent. It evacuates the hot air out from behind the cooling system helping it operate much more efficiently.
Hope this helps, thanks for watching! - Dennis ✌️
Great video thanks for sharing. A suggestion don’t use the knife blade to scrape your cutting board it dulls the knife quickly. Just flip the knife over and use the spine of the knife.
Dennis is very good about this, me not so much! I try to be conscious of it but he reminds me all the time.
What brand year and model is your RV?
Hey Greg, it's a 2010 Fleetwood Pulse 24s.
Here's the links to our first walk through and renovation reveal videos 👇 - Dennis
Walk through - ua-cam.com/video/9o5wMO9KSRQ/v-deo.html
Reno reveal - ua-cam.com/video/fK4xSzD_RZA/v-deo.html
When the cat gets out I see a huge crack in the sidewall of your tire?...or just a dirt rub?
I think it was dirt, tires are all good!
for warmer climates, being from florida like me, there are not too many places you cannot contend with. what about winter?
What do you mean? - Liz
Nice ad ... zero objectivity. Congrats. Nice use of a drone. Thanks.
I'm a fan of Aims Power too. Not getting any free stuff though.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it and felt it was objective - Liz
It's cause they are a good company. They've been in this business a long time - Liz
Do you ever regret not having a 4wheel drive vehicle? Seems like it would limit your options not having it.
4 wheel drive would be great but is pretty hard to come by unless you buy your own van and self convert or go super expensive like the revel. You'd be amazed at where Maggie can take us though without 4 wheel drive. - Liz
Nice! Is there a video of your solar build?
Not a step by step but we do go into each component and give an overview of how we installed our solar ttps://ua-cam.com/play/PLZIxkaC3dXrexmSg0ck9A4E2rhiciYP4S.html
@@EatSeeRV Very helpful! Thanks.
Np!
Way inadequate water supply and very small solar electrical system in this Class C RV, unless your using it for part time for camping during the year, but this RV is inadequate for full time living and Boondocking?
We'd love more water supply that's our weak link. We can go 5 days on 29 galloons if we're smart about it but then re-up. The solar is sufficient. One extra battery would go a long way. But you make do with the space given. We also have an alternator charger which is a game changer. We didn't have it when we filmed this video. The point is you don't need a huge set up to camp off grid. We stayed off grid for 2 solid months that summer.
Do you have wifi?
We have connection to hot spot from our phones or use our unlimited data hotspot. 😁
Hello,
Welcome to MI!
Watching a few of your videos was interesting. Yet, your overview of off grid boondock camping inspired me to do something I have never done. I subscribed to your YT channel.
I live in southeast MI. I would like to invite you to meet up, and allow us to show you the best of our area in this Great Lakes water wonderland. If you reply, we can set up a time & place.
Best regards,
Robert
So glad you tried something new from our video! We're glad to have you here. Unfortunately we're out of the southern part of Michigan at this point, but we appreciate the offer! - Liz
I want to buy an inexpensive RV and just boondock full time without having to pay a mortgage! Is that possible?
Possible but difficult. Most public lands limit stays to 2 weeks. So you'll have to be on the move and likely stay out west where there's more boondocking.
@@EatSeeRV I’ve heard of people just setting up camp in Walmart parking lots
Many Walmarts don't let you stay overnight anymore for that reason. Lots of resources on here about free camping sounds like you should explore them to learn more.
If you are still in the CO high-country ... we like to buy you a beer at The Bakers' Brewery in Silverthorne, CO.
We're close to Silverthorn but missing it this go around ☹️
Silverthorne is in Summit County. Silverton is miles to tfe SW. Dang.
What do you do for money?
Lots of things - I write about investing, we actively invest in real estate, and we have our UA-cam business
So simple, even a guy with a bun can do it.
Don't hate on the bun!! Haha :) - Liz
Eat See RV just kidding. LOL
Fabulous set up and great coverage for those wanting to follow in your footsteps. Just a question: Where does the word/naam 'Boondocking' come from? Enjoyed the video as per always. 👍🎥❤️🌷🙋♀️
It means like wild camping in the boonies and doesn't just apply to RVs so I think it's been a term for a while, not sure it's exact orgins. - Liz
Eat See RV I felt lazy asking. So looked it up. This is what I found online:
“ The word boondocking got it's origin from a Tagalog word, bundog, meaning mountain. Soldiers in World War II, stationed in the Phillipines, used it to describe a remote, rural or bushy area and when they came home it worked its way into American slang as 'the boonies'.” 😉
would you guys allow a single mom to cross the Mexican border when you do and follow for a short day just to get me over the nerves I feel crossing the border .. I know once I'm in Mexico I will be fine.
No I'm sorry we don't take people across with us. But if your nervous there are Facebook groups to join and sometimes people do that or caravan together.
Id like to see a rv manufacturer make a STANDARD model with 600w on the roof, 400Ah of LiFePO4, 3000W sine inverter, charge controler, 100 gal fresh, 2 40 gal lp tanks, heated and sealed underbelly, independant and raised suspension with e rated tires, 3400w inverter generator (not that you would need it, insurance policy), double pane thermal windows...
Am i asking for too much?
Nah I don't think so. But they might be of they actually pack all that into a unit! LOL
That rig from the factory would be sweet, but I don't think you will ever see something like that on anything other than an overlander, cause everyone's off grid needs are different. We are FTers who boondock a lot, (We are doing so now.) so have added a 620 watt solar array on the side of our RV, so we can angle it toward the sun based on latitude and season for 20-25% greater output, and easier cleaning compared to flat, roof mounted panels. We have 90 gallons of fresh water in our Class A MH (with another 15 gallons in our toad.)
However 80 gallons of propane is huge and I believe excessive. Out 24 gallon (100 lb) tank is sufficient for a month or more of off grid use. Maybe you're thinking of 80 lbs of propane rather than gallons. Yes, our 36' National Tropical came with a heated underbelly and dual pane windows, which I consider essential. We also use Reflectix on the inside of our windshield and a 5,500 w generator to run our 2 roof ACs, microwave, and for supplementary battery charging when needed. We find our 600w PSW inverter to be sufficient to run our 55" UHD TV, sound bar and blu ray player along with a desktop computer (with a powerful, but power miser AMD RYZEN laptop processor), speakers and monitor, all at the same time.
A 3000w inverter is more than you really need, or can utilize with a 400w battery bank. Next year we will be adding over 3,000 watts of solar on our roof and a 14.4kwh 48v battery bank to run a 48v DC mini-split heat pump. We will then add a 3,000w inverter, but without a large battery bank and massive solar array, a 3000 watt inverter will empty a 400Ah battery bank in about an hour and a half running it at capacity. The most cost effective battery bank now can be made with 280 AH prismatic cells. You can build a 16 cell 280 AH 48v bank (or a 1,120 ah 12v bank) for under $2k including the BMS - about the cost of only 2 Battleborns but with10 times the capacity making them only 20% of the cost of the BB batteries per KWH.
O
This is the same video Gone with the Wynns did almost verbatim
We definitely used it as inspiration but wrote our own script and showed our own features since we have a different rig and set up. Theirs was a great video that was perfect to explain solar set ups and joys of boondocking!
aims power commercial...
how to boondock with solar power.........use propane.
I really think you guys should upgrade to a class A, maybe 30ft. A lot more space and worthy of traveling. I think your small little thing sucks!
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Great video! Keep up the great work. If you have a moment you could take a look at my account 😊 ✌️
Thank you!
Cat on a leash? Lol just get a dog. Better companionship and loyalty.
We don't want a dog, but thanks. Super engaging and helpful comment...🙄 - Liz
@@EatSeeRV you put a leash on both your cats....enough said.
"Enough said" I agree, this dog vs cat babble is getting us nowhere fast. - Dennis ✌️
@@EatSeeRV thanks. No harsh feelings mate just personal preference is all. Cheers and enjoy. Smiles all around.
You lost me at man bun.
Ok, bye. - Dennis
I don't appreciate watching your video only find out it's one big advertisement for a solar ompany when you did not note that at the start of the video. Is there any reason why you didn't post why ads were your video?
you live under rock?
@@joegorfinkle8677 see you on the road
I’m sorry but this doesn’t look fun at all. It looks the exact opposite of fun. This is like living with your girlfriend in the basement of your parents house. Nothing but rules and restrictions. This is everything but freedom.
To each their own! For us, it's very freeing and fun but this lifestyle definitely isn't for everyone. - Liz
@@EatSeeRV Fortunate that this is not for everyone or we would never find these kind of places. Boondocking is what we love.