One of the things that I feel like often gets forgotten in RV renovation is how the exterior looks. You’ve already seen our exterior paint job, but the other thing we did that made a huge impact was an RV awning replacement. Our old awning was not only hideous, but it was actually crumbling. I started to get worried that one day it was just going to crumble off the RV, so I knew that it was a priority to get it replaced.
I haven’t seen a lot of folks blogging about which awning they chose or how they accomplished the task, so I figured I’d share with you all today. If you want to see our complete RV renovation, head here. We also have an Amazon list of all of the RV renovation products we used, if you’re looking for other ideas. Because we live in our RV (and have for over two years as a fulltime RV family!), we took our renovation project seriously. It paid off, turning our 2007 toyhauler into a comfortable home for our family of five.
So let’s talk about the RV awning replacement!
RV Awning Replacement: The Awning
Okay, so the awning that we chose was a ShadePro Vinyl Awning in Burgundy that measured 20 feet.
I felt like it was affordable at around $200, and it really feels high quality when you get it. The hardest part of ordering was measuring for which size we’d need, but even that was pretty simple. ShadePro recommends that you measure from the center of one awning pole to another. My only complaint is that I wish they’d offer more colors! Burgundy is a pretty purple-ish color that I like, but it doesn’t necessarily coordinate with our paint job.
That said, our slide toppers need replacing soon, and I’ll absolutely be ordering ShadePro slide toppers for that project!
RV Awning Replacement: How to DIY
Considering how intimidating an RV awning replacement felt, it wasn’t a super tricky DIY project. The only part that was really challenging was keeping the spring tension in the awning housing stable while we replaced the fabric. The tool we jammed in to keep it from turning fell out, and then we had to guess how many turns it needed when reassembling. Not ideal, but it worked out fine.
We used this YouTube tutorial to guide us, and it was super helpful:
You’ll definitely want at least two, preferably three people for this project. It requires some extra hands. But it only took a couple of hours from start to finish!
If you’re not the DIY type, most any RV tech should be able to do this in a couple of hours.
RV Awning Replacement: How It’s Holding Up
With any RV renovation project, I always worry about how it’ll hold up and whether the materials will be worth the investment. We did this RV awning replacement almost two years ago, and the new awning is holding up absolutely beautifully. It looks as good as the day we installed it, and I think this was SUCH a big improvement for just $200 and a couple of hours of labor. I would definitely recommend ShadePro awning products.
Check out this before vs. after and let me know if you agree that it was worth the investment!
I hope this post has been helpful to you as you think about your RV awning replacement! Feel free to come find me on Instagram if you have other questions, and don’t forget to check out our complete RV renovation posts.
Disclaimer: Product links in this blog post may be Affiliate links, and I will earn a small commission for each purchase made through these links at no extra cost to you. Affiliate income helps fund our family travel and allows me to keep creating inspiring family travel content for you. I so appreciate when you use my links to make purchases you would have made anyway.
For more about how we renovated our 2007 toyhauler into a beautiful home, check out these posts:
Whether you’re a brand new RV owner, or a veteran looking to upgrade, I want to recommend the RV water hose we’ve been using and loving!
There’s a whole bunch of mandatory gear you’ll need when getting set up to RV — power cords, wheel chocks, a sewer hose, and an RV water hose are the essentials you can’t do much without. If you need recommendations to get started, I’ve got a whole list!
But today let’s dive into what we use for an RV water hose. We recently celebrated two years of living in our RV, and we’ve been very happy with the Bigfoot RV water hose we selected. I spent a long time researching water hoses when we first moved in, and I’d love to share why I selected this one with you!
Bigfoot RV Water Hose Pros:
Food grade hose with no residual taste. I drink a lot of water, and I’m pretty picky about the taste. So I appreciate that this hose doesn’t leave a lingering taste in our water whatsoever.
Anti-kink. This hose is designed to be anti-kink, which means that it’s easy to coil and uncoil without making a tangled mess. This might sound like a small thing, but when you’re packing and unpacking your hose at least once a week, it is REALLY nice that it’s not getting to be a big mess that messes with the water flow.
Lightweight. This hose is specifically designed to be 30% more lightweight than its competitors, and full-time RVers know that literally every pound counts when keeping your rig within the manufacturer’s safety specs.
Spring on one end. The spring protects from flow restriction, which is another useful feature.
Color. Admittedly, this wouldn’t have made me choose this RV water hose on its own, but it’s a fun benefit. The bright purple hose is unique and pretty cute. We get compliments on it all the time in RV parks!
Don’t mind how dirty the outside is, we’ve been boondocking!
Bigfoot RV Water Hose Cons:
Cost. Admittedly, this hose is slightly more expensive than the cheapest options. But when it comes to a water hose for your RV, I’d highly recommend that this not be the place to skimp on. Not only are you drinking/cooking/bathing from it, but you’re hooking and unhooking it frequently. Skimp elsewhere!
Length. This hose is only 25 feet long, which has been totally sufficient for us in every RV park except one. I wouldn’t want a longer one for everyday use, but just be aware that in some oddly laid out RV parks, you might want some extra length.
If you’re thinking about RV water hose options, you probably also want to be considering the other RV water accessories you’ll need. I would highly recommend you also have an RV water filter to improve water quality and taste, a 90-degree elbow to prevent strain on your RV water valve, and an RV water pressure regulator to protect from high water pressure damage.
I hope this review of our Bigfoot RV water hose was helpful! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out in the comments or on Instagram!
Disclaimer: Product links in this blog post may be Affiliate links, and I will earn a small commission for each purchase made through these links at no extra cost to you. Affiliate income helps fund our family travel and allows me to keep creating inspiring family travel content for you. I so appreciate when you use my links to make purchases you would have made anyway.
If you’re interested in more about our RV life, check out these posts:
We love the Kanab, Utah area for its adorable downtown and amazing outdoorsy adventures in every direction! Since we were stayed here for a few weeks, I thought I’d check out the Kanab RV Parks options and give you detailed reviews. I hope this helps make your decision of where to stay in Kanab with your RV easier!
If you’re new here, we’re a fulltime RV family that’s been living the nomadic lifestyle for almost four years now. If you’re just getting into RV life, feel free to take a look at our list of RV essentials that we recommend.
Now let’s chat about Kanab RV parks so you can get your stay booked!
Kanab RV Parks
Hitch-N-Post RV Park
If you’re looking for the most budget-friendly and most centrally located Kanab RV parks option, Hitch-N-Post RV Park is it. This park is small and tight (check carefully if you’ve got a big rig!), but clean and comfortable. Reviews also mention how friendly the host is, which is always a big plus. This RV park is walkable to just about anything in Kanab and the price is right for full hookups. I wouldn’t hesitate to stay here for a week or weekend of exploring in and around Kanab!
Fenced in dog area, communal fire pit and games area
Really reasonable monthly rates
Clean, level, gravel sites
Street noise from both sides
Dark Sky RV Campground
If you’re after views and budget isn’t an issue, Dark Sky RV Campground is your best Kanab RV parks choice. The sites are the largest of these three parks (we saw a fifth wheel and semi truck fit in one!), plus they have cute picnic tables with shade and a fire pit at each site. The red rocks views are the reason to stay here, though. Plus the whole place has a fresh and hip vibe. This is the perfect stay for a campground where you might want to simply relax at your site for a bit and take in the gorgeous surroundings. They were even recently voted one of the top small campgrounds on Campspot!
Some other quick facts about Dark Sky RV Campground:
Guests rave about the showers, which are indoor and outdoor and have heated floors
Many reviews note that this is their favorite park they’ve ever stayed in
Zip line, tetherball, and dig pit for kids
Offers e-bikes and off-road vehicles to rent (free e-bike rentals if you stay 3 months!)
On-site dog care for an extra fee
30 amp hookups, pay attention to the cancellation policy
Kanab RV Corral
Kanab RV Corral is sort of the middle ground between the other two parks. It’s not quite as inexpensive as Hitch-N-Post or as centrally located, but it does have better spaced sites and a more homey feel. Only about half of the park is big rig friendly, so pay attention to which site you’re choosing. This is a great budget-conscious but lovely Kanab RV parks option.
This 10-page guide will assist RVers in learning the basics of boondocking, or camping off-grid! We share everything we’ve learned as a family living off-grid and boondocking in our RV.
Disclaimer: Product links in this blog post may be Affiliate links, and I will earn a small commission for each purchase made through these links at no extra cost to you. Affiliate income helps fund our family travel and allows me to keep creating inspiring family travel content for you. I so appreciate when you use my links to make purchases you would have made anyway.
For more about our RV life, check out these posts:
We just can’t get enough of Utah! As a full time travel family heading into our 5th year of travel, we rarely visit a place twice. But we’re in our third time through Utah, and I’m excited to share some of our favorite dispersed camping Utah spots with you!
In our opinion, dispersed camping is the best way to experience the outdoor adventure hotspot that is Utah. Hotels and RV parks are great, but boondocking in Utah really allows you to get closer to the amazing hiking here. If you’re interested in reading more about our take on the pros and cons of RV parks versus boondocking, I’ve written about that here!
If you’re wanting to learn how to camp off-grid for extended periods, let us teach you! We’ve lived off-grid in our RV for most of the past year, and we know how intimidating it can be to start. We answer all of your Boondocking 101 questions for just $7!
This 10-page guide will assist RVers in learning the basics of boondocking, or camping off-grid! We share everything we’ve learned as a family living off-grid and boondocking in our RV.
This spot is the perfect launchpad for Capitol Reef National Park adventures, it couldn’t be closer to the entrance to the park. Big rigs should stick to the upper road, and be aware that there is no cell reception out here. Find it as Capitol Reef East Dispersed on Campendium. This is such a great location for some of the more remote hiking in southcentral Utah.
Lone Rock Beach (near Page)
Lone Rock Beach is an iconic boondocking in Utah location, and for good reason. It’s gorgeous beach camping in the middle of the desert! This spot is near the Utah/Arizona border and is a great location for exploring all that Page has to offer and also some adventurous hiking in southern Utah. Big rigs can access this spot, but beware of deep, loose sand the further in you get. Definitely walk it on foot first! It’s $14 a night (no reservation needed), which includes toilets and a dump station.
Moab (Near Arches & Canyonlands)
We stayed in two different Moab locations, and there were benefits to each. Lone Mesa Dispersed was further from Moab, but absolutely gorgeous. It was also a great launching point for visiting Canyonlands National Park. The road in was long and pretty bumpy, and there was zero cell service. Klondike Bluffs Dispersed was easier access from the highway and therefore faster to get to Arches National Park. There was cell service, but it was less pretty. Both spots are big rig accessible if you’re used to bumpy BLM roads.
Mount Carmel Junction (Near Zion & Bryce)
This spot right between Zion National Park and Bryce National Park is a real gem. Not only is it conveniently located between two parks, but it’s also close to Kanab for supplies and there’s a dump station half a mile up the road. The most lovely part is that there are riverside spots where you can hear babbling water as you sleep. Super easy access from the highway for big rigs, just watch for deep sand in some of the pulloffs. We had full AT&T reception here.
Spanish Fork (near Provo)
Sheep Creek Dispersed is a great dispersed camping Utah spot if you’re wanting to visit the Provo area. It’s pretty and easy to access from the highway for any size rig. Be aware that you may share space with a herd of cattle! We had cell service here and enjoyed spending the week resting up after quickly heading south from Canada. Don’t miss the Fifth Water Hot Springs trail if you like a good soak!
Valley of the Gods (near Monument Valley)
Valley of the Gods is one of our all-time favorite boondocking spots (and the cover of my boondocking book!)! If your dispersed camping Utah trip goes anywhere near this part of Utah, I highly recommend stopping here. We stopped at the first pullout that was available, and there was one big dip that was a little hairy, but nothing we couldn’t handle. Views are 10/10, but come prepared with supplies because it is isolated!
We think dispersed camping Utah makes the most sense, and I promise to continue adding boondocking in Utah spots as we find them! Here are the boondocking apps we use if none of these spots work for you, and everything I’ve written about boondocking (including spots in other states!) here.
For more about our life in an RV, check out these posts:
We’ve spent a chunk of this winter in Southern California and have been loving the sunshine and bucket list sights! So today I’m sharing a few of our favorite boondocking in California spots from this winter. If you’re looking for boondocking locations in other states, I’ve got those, too!
As a fulltime RV family, we often disperse camp off-grid to save money, park in amazing places, and give our kids room to play freely. If you’re interested in learning more about the pros and cons of boondocking versus RV parks, I’ve written more about that here. And I’ve got a list of some of our favorite boondocking supplies if you’re needing some more gear to be comfortable without hookups.
If you’re new to boondocking and wanting to learn how, check out our instant download e-book with everything we’ve learned to be able to camp off-grid indefinitely for just $7! It’ll pay for itself if you skip just one night at an overpriced campground. Plus I promise you’ll see the most AMAZING sights once you get started!
This 10-page guide will assist RVers in learning the basics of boondocking, or camping off-grid! We share everything we’ve learned as a family living off-grid and boondocking in our RV.
Camping in the Alabama Hills Scenic Recreational Area is a bucket list move for any RVer. There simply is no more gorgeous place to park in my humble opinion. The downsides are that, much like Sedona boondocking, dispersed camping in Alabama Hills has recently become much more restricted. This means that there are only a handful of sites where big rigs can fit and you’re allowed to camp. So you might struggle to find a place on a weekend (consider Tuttle Creek Campground as a backup!). The place we parked was the easiest to access for our giant truck and trailer and is called Movie Flat Designated Dispersed on Campendium. There are a bunch more spots for vans and truck campers.
There’s a parking lot at the corner of Movie Road and Whitney Portal road where you can unhitch and scout if you’re nervous about finding a spot. Be sure to take Lubken Canyon Road to access the area with anything larger than a truck. Whitney Portal Road is washed out and closed as of Spring 2024. Tuttle Creek Road was windy even with just our truck alone.
Be aware that, unlike many dispersed camping areas, Alabama Hills has a 7 day stay limit and 14 day a year maximum. We saw several rangers during our stay and they are enforcing the rules. You might also want to pay attention to the wind forecast and face your rig accordingly. It was very windy every single day the entire week we were there.
That said, this spot is absolutely breathtaking and worth the trouble. Take a sunrise hike from your front door. Thank me later.
Joshua Tree South Dispersed
This is a fabulous spot if you’re visiting Joshua Tree National Park or Palm Springs (looking for Palm Springs ideas?). It’s pretty with nice sunsets, although not the most beautiful spot we’ve ever seen. Its best perks are the national park you can walk into, the large amount of space so everyone can spread out, and the super easy access from a major highway without being noisy. The downside is that it’s on the southern end of the national park so the major highlights are a bit of a drive. But the boondocking on the other side of the park is a bit sketch, so families especially seem to prefer this side.
Plus there’s a nearby dump and fill in the national park campground. This is a great boondocking in California spot for those who are newer to dispersed camping and looking to get their feet wet. Our friends came to camp with us here and shortly afterwards added more solar to their roof so they can boondock more often!
Trona Pinnacles
Trona Pinnacles is another bucket list boondocking in California spot. There’s tons of space for rigs of any size, and the views are absolutely incredible. Especially of nighttime stars and springtime flowers (blooming the first week of April in 2024!). There’s a main parking lot with a maintained pit toilet where we parked because we didn’t want to risk driving further back. But you can simply park here and scout further back; we did see a few larger spots back there for the brave.
Be aware that the road in is very bad. Like one of the worst we’ve done, including mud, sharp rocks, ditches, deep sand, and a big hill. Don’t come for several days after rain and leave if rain is forecasted. We saw a lot of wham I’m deeming “cautionary tale” mud tracks on the way in from vehicles who came when it was too wet and got stuck.
Reviews note that it’s busy on weekends with ATVs, but we had a really peaceful and beautiful mid-week stay. The sunsets are incredible, and there’s no shortage of Mars-like views in every direction.
Other Boondocking in California Spots
These are some other boondocking in California spots you might consider. I researched them for us, but didn’t end up using them (except O’Neill):
Corvina Beach Campground on the Salton Sea (be aware that the Salton is toxic)
Hot Springs near Mammoth Lake (there are a bunch of spots out there on iOverlander)
Casinos near Palm Springs like Spotlight 29 & Morongo
O’Neill Regional Park (dry camping near LA, the road in is very curvy!)
I hope this list has given you some amazing boondocking in California ideas! If you have any amazing spots in Northern California where we haven’t boondocked yet, please email them to kateophalen@gmail.com so I can share. And if you’re looking for boondocking gear recs, I’ve got a list of some of our favorite stuff.
For more about our fulltime RV life and RV adventures, check out these posts:
While we find RV travel to be a relatively affordable option as a full time RV family, it’s true that RV park stays can add up! We’re not independently wealthy, so we work hard to find ways to travel on a budget. I asked in a big facebook group of full time families for suggestions on RV Parks under $500 a month, and they had a lot of suggestions! I added those and parks I found by doing my research to create this massive list. This is a great list of budget campgrounds to start with, and I’ll continue to add more as people suggest them (have more suggestions? Email them to me at kateophalen@gmail.com!)
Full disclaimer that we have not stayed at all of these parks, and so we can’t consider their inclusion on this list to be an an endorsement. Please do your research and read reviews before staying there!I’ve included a handful of county parks without hookups that were suggested because you may be willing to forgo hookups for an affordable stay. So make sure you verify the amenities offered, as well.
By the way, if you’re moving into an RV for the first time and need suggestions for RV essentials and RV organizing ideas, head here! I know there’s a lot to learn and buy when you’re first getting started RVing. It’s my hope that I can help simplify some of it for you. We’ve been traveling full time for almost four years and living in our renovated RV for two years, so we’ve got some stuff figured out by now!
Can I Buy You a Coffee For Putting This All Together?
Yes, please! This list took many hours to compile, and it is my absolute pleasure to share it with you. But if you want to buy me a coffee for my efforts, it would be appreciated! It helps my family afford these RV parks 🙂
I hope this list has helped you with some ideas for affordable RV parks. I know there aren’t affordable places to RV camp listed for every state, so if you have more ideas please feel free to email them to me at kateophalen@gmail.com. I’d love to continue expanding this resource for us all! But it is simply true that some states are just less affordable than others, even for RV parks.
It’s not always possible for us to stay under $500 a month on campgrounds, but we enjoy using Campspot to book our parks. Campspot calculates the monthly discount right on the website, so you don’t even have to call for a price quote! As a millennial, you know I love avoiding phone calls whenever possible hahaha.
And if you’re really, really looking to save money, you honestly can’t beat boondocking. What is Boondocking? How do you learn to camp off-grid? I’ve got a guide for that!
This 10-page guide will assist RVers in learning the basics of boondocking, or camping off-grid! We share everything we’ve learned as a family living off-grid and boondocking in our RV.
Thanks for visiting our corner of the internet today! I hope you’ve found something helpful in your journey.
Disclaimer: Product links in this blog post may be Affiliate links, and I will earn a small commission for each purchase made through these links at no extra cost to you. Affiliate income helps fund our family travel and allows me to keep creating inspiring family travel content for you. I so appreciate when you use my links to make purchases you would have made anyway.
For more on our fulltime RV life, check out these posts:
We’ve had a lot of conversations lately about the pros and cons of staying in an RV park or campground versus Boondocking or dispersed RV camping. You’d think that RVing would be pretty similar no matter what, but after a year of doing parks and a year of mostly boondocking, we’ve been shocked at what radically different experiences they can be. So let’s talk about it!
Before we get into it: if the idea of boondocking or dispersed RV camping feels totally overwhelming to you, I’ve got you! I wrote a Boondocking 101 guide that will teach you everything we’ve learned about living off-grid as a family of five:
This 10-page guide will assist RVers in learning the basics of boondocking, or camping off-grid! We share everything we’ve learned as a family living off-grid and boondocking in our RV.
We think there’s a time and a place for camping in an RV park, and for us personally, there’s even more time and place for dispersed RV camping. So let’s chat about why!
The Benefits of RV Park Camping:
Electric hookup
The perks of being plugged into basically unlimited electricity are real. We can use almost whatever we want in here when we’re plugged in, from our printer to all the lights to space heaters to a blow dryer to a fancy toaster oven. We use it all, and we use it with abandon! Which means we don’t have to think about what we’re using or if the sun is shining haha.
Unlimited water
The other thing that makes life really easy is having unlimited water and sewer. When we’re plugged into a city water connection with a sewer drain, our RV feels very similar to apartment living. Hot showers, laundry right in the rig, washing dishes with as much water as we want…it’s a real luxury!
Kids to play
Our kids’ favorite part of being in a campground is that it’s more likely that we’ll come across other families to play with. They love when we’re parked near other kids and can make new friends just by stepping out the front door. It’s not a guarantee that every campground has kids, but most do! Especially on weekends or holidays.
Easier road access
There’s absolutely no argument against the fact that it’s way easier to drive into a paved campground that’s designed for big rigs than it is to access most dispersed RV camping. This is a plus, especially at the end of a long travel day.
Amenities
We don’t typically stay in fancy “resort style” campgrounds, but when we do, those amenities sure are nice. Things like heated pools, rec center activities for the kids, mini golf, etc. are all super fun. Even in the less fancy RV parks, there are amenities we appreciate like playgrounds and the ability to send packages to a package room.
We love a good pool
Closer to town
Most RV parks aren’t *super* centrally located, buuuut they are usually much closer to town than the good dispersed camping. This can make a big difference if you’re looking to do a lot of city errands or sightseeing.
Less rig wear
Because you can typically reach RV parks pretty quickly from a main highway, it’s ideal driving conditions for keeping rig wear down to a minimum. Rough, washboard roads to get to boondocking spots will definitely put more wear on your suspension, tires, frame, and everything else than a smooth interstate will.
Less gear needed
RV park camping feels like the easiest access point to me when learning how to RV. You need a whole lot less gear (check out what we recommend for boondocking gear!), and there are lots of experienced RV folks just twenty feet away from you. If you’re new to RVing or nervous about it, campgrounds are a great place to start for this reason.
The Benefits of Dispersed RV Camping (Boondocking):
Free or cheap
One of the biggest benefits of dispersed RV camping or boondocking is that it’s either free or extremely cheap. Most of the places we’ve stayed have been BLM land (totally free in most places!) or state land (some states have small annual fees to camp there). Considering we were spending an average of $800-1,000 a month on RV parks last year, this is a massive savings in our life.
Better views
This is the other major benefit to boondocking. Simply put…it’s gorgeous. I have had the most amazing views from my couch and been privilege to the most amazing sunsets from my front yard. Truly, words can’t express how amazing the places we’ve parked our house have been since we got comfortable with dispersed RV camping. It’s the views we all see on Instagram with rigs parked in AMAZING places. I’m so grateful for the beauty we’ve witnessed this way.
More space
There’s also just so much more space when boondocking. RV park sites can range from sort of spacious to REALLY tight, but none of them compare to dispersed RV camping. There can be miles between you and the next camp, although I’d say we typically have more like a few hundred feet. Our kids can go outside and play freely without us worrying that they’re bothering the neighbors, which is another true gift from our boondocking time.
Flexible plans
Okay, I’m a planner for sure, but I’ve been surprised at how nice it is to have some flexibility in our travels! If we get sick, we just leave later (sick travel days are the worst!). If we like a place more than we expected, we stay longer. If we’re all tired that morning, we take our time not worrying about making an RV park checkout time. I have a general plan for the year, but our plans never really have to firm up.
Quiet
It’s quiet. So beautifully quiet. Some parks can have a lot of music or parties a little late for my taste, especially on holidays. Boondocking (if you read the reviews first!) is generally so peaceful. Avoid places where there’s a lot of off-roading if this is also a perk for you 😉
Closer to trails
While RV park locations may win for city conveniences, dispersed RV camping usually wins for trail proximity! If you do a lot of hiking, biking, trail running, or riding, this may be a benefit that you also enjoy. I love that we get to camp nearer to amazing trails!
No weird park rules
Every campground is different, and that’s kind of the point. There are ever-changing, sometimes very weird rules to follow in each RV park. It can be a lot to keep track of, and sometimes parks aren’t exactly nice about it. There are very few rules while dispersed RV camping, and that can be kind of refreshing. Especially when our kids are outside being rowdy or digging dirt holes. We love that we’re not breaking any rules doing it.
I hope this post has been helpful as you learn more about the different ways you can stay with your RV (including dispersed RV camping!). If you’re interested in learning more about Boondocking, don’t forget to check out my Boondocking 101 post and my Boondocking Gear List!
Disclaimer: Product links in this blog post may be Affiliate links, and I will earn a small commission for each purchase made through these links at no extra cost to you. Affiliate income helps fund our family travel and allows me to keep creating inspiring family travel content for you. I so appreciate when you use my links to make purchases you would have made anyway.
For more about our RV life, check out these posts:
As you may have seen from our main RV renovation post, we gut renovated a 2007 Keystone Raptor 3612 and turned it into a beautiful home for our family of five. Here’s the original floorplan for our 2007 Keystone Raptor for anyone curious:
The aesthetics were obviously important, but we made some crucial upgrades for comfort and safety, as well. These are some things we may not have found as important if we were just weekending, but they were so key to making this rig feel like a home to us. As a full time RV family, these are the upgrades we found essential for full timing it in our 2007 Keystone Raptor!
2007 Keystone Raptor Full Time RV Upgrades:
Keyless Lock
This was one of the first (and easiest!) upgrades we made. I hate keys, especially house keys. My clothes never have pockets and I don’t carry a purse, so I’m always losing keys. Plus, did you know that many RV front door keys are universal?? That sketched me out for sure. A keyless lock was a no-brainer.
Residential Mattresses
RV stock mattresses are SO uncomfortable on brand new rigs, and when you’re buying used? You definitely want to replace. We brought our residential mattress from our apartment, and the kids got foam mattresses in their bunks.
Washer & Dryer
We lived in NYC without an in-home washer and dryer for many years, and I knew that I wanted to prioritize having one in our tiny home! This washer hooks up directly to a sink, or I removed our bathroom sink to make room for ours. We have this dryer in a closet (unvented), and as long as we have the dehumidifier running and ventilation, it’s been fine.
Blackout Shades & Curtains
We made sure it’s possible to completely block out light and nosy neighbors on every window. I’ve written more about what we used on each individual window in the room-by-room posts, but it was suuuuch a good call to invest in quality window treatments. Not only did it serve us well during 24 hour sunlight on our Alaska trip, but we have had situations where our slides are almost touching the neighbors’ slides. In those instances, I’m SO glad we can completely block out the neighbors.
Warm Lighting
We replaced every light in the whole RV, and that had a massive impact on how cozy it is in here. We love our star light with these lightbulbs (just be aware that you’ll have to add a switch!). We replaced our dome lights with these and these for LED energy efficiency. This is really useful when boondocking because they use almost no power! I didn’t like how cool white they were, so I added an orange gel (theatre kid trick for warm lighting!).
New Awning
The original awning that came with our 2007 Keystone Raptor was in sad shape. It literally crumbled in our hands. We replaced it with a new one for just a few hours of work (three people working together was pretty necessary, though!) and $200. Considering how much we use our awning, this was money well spent. It helps the front yard feel like an extension of our home!
Floor Vent Covers
If you live in an RV for any length of time (especially with kids!), you will learn how quickly your RV floor vents will get absolutely NASTY! So many toys and so much debris falls right down in there. These magnetic screen vent covers are SO useful for preventing most of that.
A Good Couch
The furniture that most RVs come with is pretty uncomfortable. I can’t recommend a good replacement couch myself because we brought our sectional from home. But I can highly recommend replacing your couch with a residential one. Just keep in mind that you need something lightweight! Consider weighing what you take out so you know how much weight you can add back in.
Organization & Storage Everywhere
Living tiny requires being extra organized to avoid a massive mess! We invested a few hundred dollars into various storage items so that our cabinets and closets stay organized, and I’m so glad we did. I even wrote a whole post just about RV storage ideas!
Shoe Storage in Stairs
Speaking of storage, I ripped apart our stairs to add some inside! I love that our stairs hide extra shoe storage, and you can see them in action in this reel.
Torklift Exterior Stairs
Our exterior stairs were hideous, rusty, and awfully wobbly. We got by with them our first year of RVing by simply spray painting them for improved aesthetics. But it didn’t solve how hard it was to collapse them or how much it rocked the entire RV for someone to step on them. Torklift stairs to the rescue! These were a major upgrade in function and looks. You can see the transformation in this reel!
X-chocks & Kingpin Stand
You might start to notice a theme, which is that I’m not a big fan of the camper rocking. Two pieces of gear that I’d highly recommend to help with that are x-chocks between the tires and a kingpin stand if you have a fifth wheel. These two things combined make a noticeable difference when used together, and I miss them when we skip setting them up!
Outdoor String Lights
These aren’t so much a “renovation” upgrade as an easy gear purchase, but they are an essential for cozy RV living, in my opinion! We love these solar outdoor lights for how beautiful they are and how they run on their own tiny solar panel when we’re boondocking!
Updated Smoke & Propane Detectors
One of the most essential safety upgrades we made to the interior was immediately updating the smoke and propane detectors. We also made sure that there’s a smoke detector in every room! Especially when you buy a used RV, this is an important update because these detectors do expire.
Wifi Doorbell Camera
This is an update that allows for recording what happens at your front door, just like many folks have in their sticks and bricks homes these days. The Google Nest doorbell will work in your RV, as long as you have reliable wifi! Many people feel more secure leaving their RV while boondocking with a way to see what’s happening at their front door.
New Tires
Truthfully, anyone buying a 2007 Keystone Raptor should immediately replace the tires (unless the previous owner has just done so!). Regardless of whether you’re a weekend RVer or full timing it, this is a crucial safety upgrade. But it’s even more important if you’re full time RVing and driving more frequently. It’s expensive (it costs us in the neighborhood of $1,000 each time!), but so essential.
Solar Panels & Upgraded Batteries
If you’re planning on boondocking for any length of time, solar panels and upgraded batteries are CLUTCH. Here’s a look at similar to what we’ve installed, and if you’re curious what that runs on our 2007 Keystone Raptor, check out my boondocking guide for more information:
This 10-page guide will assist RVers in learning the basics of boondocking, or camping off-grid! We share everything we’ve learned as a family living off-grid and boondocking in our RV.
I hope this list of the upgrades we made to our 2007 Keystone Raptor for full time RV living was useful! If you’re interested in everything we used in our gut renovation, you can check out the full list here.
Disclaimer: Product links in this blog post may be Affiliate links, and I will earn a small commission for each purchase made through these links at no extra cost to you. Affiliate income helps fund our family travel and allows me to keep creating inspiring family travel content for you. I so appreciate when you use my links to make purchases you would have made anyway.
For the rest of our RV renovation ideas, head to our main renovation post. For more about RV life, check out these posts:
We’ve been full time travelers for almost four years now, and we’ve traveled in several different ways. We’ve lived in Airbnbs, we’ve parked our toy hauler RV exclusively in campgrounds, and now we’ve mastered camping off grid. So I feel really qualified to answer the question: what is boondocking? And even more qualified to tell you why we love it and help you learn how to do it, too.
If you’re considering RV life, or if you’re a seasoned RVer who’s intimidated to learn how to boondock indefinitely, this is the post for you! I was really overwhelmed by learning how to boondock successfully (with three small children!). But we’ve lived off-grid for most of the past year now. If you want someone to make it SUPER simple and SUPER easy to learn how to boondock, I’m your gal!
What is Boondocking and Why Is It Different?
So seriously, what is boondocking? It’s a funny word that just means camping anywhere that’s not a campground and that doesn’t have power, water, or sewer hookups. It’s both logistically more complicated than RVing in a campground and also SUPER cool to do! All of those amazing out-your-front-door views you see van life or RV people posting on social media? They’re probably boondocking.
I’ve created a guide that’s just SEVEN dollars that will walk you through everything you need to know to get started boondocking, from how to find boondocking sites to how much solar we have to tips for water conservation to rules for being a good boondocking neighbor.
Get the INSTANT download right now, with all of my best boondocking tips and tricks so you can start enjoying these fantastic views, too:
This 10-page guide will assist RVers in learning the basics of boondocking, or camping off-grid! We share everything we’ve learned as a family living off-grid and boondocking in our RV.
This guide is packed full of ten pages of everything I share with RV friends around the campfire about how we’ve enjoyed the MOST amazing boondocking sites and saved THOUSANDS of dollars on campgrounds this past year. I wrote the guide I wish I’d had when we were first learning!
What is Boondocking: Pros & Cons of Camping Off-Grid
Okay, so you want to know more about WHY boondocking is worth it. And also why sometimes it sucks. I’m here to tell you! We’ve done both — lived full time in RV parks and also lived full time off-grid.
Here are the boondocking pros:
Seriously, have I mentioned the views? SO MUCH PRETTIER than staring at your neighbor’s slide.
You can often camp closer to hiking, kayaking, and other outdoor adventures
It’s free or extremely cheap, while RV parks can cost anywhere from $500-$2000ish a month (we averaged about $1,000 a month)
There’s so much room for our kids to play without silly campground rules or cranky park neighbors
Dark night skies for things like stargazing (and northern lights!)
You don’t have to have months of an itinerary planned at a time
It’s easy to change plans and stay longer if you love a place or there’s an emergency
Sunsets, sunsets, sunsets
Okay, so what are the boondocking cons:
You have to pay close attention to your power and water consumption (but I’ll teach you some tricks in the guide!)
Sometimes campgrounds are more centrally located to towns
It can be nice for adults and kids to have campground neighbor friends
You don’t have campground amenities like pools, laundromats, or activities
Roads to access boondocking sites are often bumpy
It’s more difficult to keep your rig and your possessions clean
What is Boondocking: Tell Me More About How You Do It
We’ve spent almost a year living primarily off-grid now, and our routine looks about the same except for when we’re traveling to get somewhere quickly. We generally boondock in a spot for two weeks, then dump and fill our tanks on the way to another spot where we’ll spend two weeks. Every month or two, we’ll mix in a short stay at an RV park to deep clean everything (including ourselves!).
I share our top four favorite boondocking sites of the past year in the Boondocking 101 guide! But I also plan to share many more sites that we discover right here on the blog.
Here are all of the boondocking spots I’ve blogged about so far:
I hope this post has been helpful as you consider whether you too might like to jump into boondocking. If you want to take a look at our boondocking gear list on Amazon, check it out! At the very least, I think we’ve definitively answered the question: what is boondocking? 🙂
Disclaimer: Product links in this blog post may be Affiliate links, and I will earn a small commission for each purchase made through these links at no extra cost to you. Affiliate income helps fund our family travel and allows me to keep creating inspiring family travel content for you. I so appreciate when you use my links to make purchases you would have made anyway.
For more posts about our full time travel life, check out these posts:
Boondocking in Arizona is a special experience. All together, we’ve spent almost five months living in Arizona as a full time travel family. While this is absolutely not an exhaustive list of all of the amazing places you can boondock in Arizona, it’s a good list of our favorite spots so far. I promise to come back and add more spots when we return and find more!
This 10-page guide will assist RVers in learning the basics of boondocking, or camping off-grid! We share everything we’ve learned as a family living off-grid and boondocking in our RV.
Okay, let’s get into these boondocking in Arizona spots now that I’ve convinced you!
Boondocking in Arizona: Sedona Area
Sedona BoondockingForest Road 525
I’m going to be candid and say that the glory days of Sedona boondocking are over. You used to be able to camp all along Forest Road 525, but recent restrictions mean that there are now only a few crowded spots. We felt that Surprise Dispersed at N 34°49’24.54″, W 111°54’22.44″ was the best option for big rigs, but it’s just a parking lot and quite crowded even in December. But if you’re visiting beautiful Sedona, this is (now) the spot for big rigs. Check out our ideas for Sedona with kids.
Boondocking in Arizona: Phoenix Area
Lake Pleasant Boondocking
There is a ton of state trust land northwest of Phoenix near Lake Pleasant. State trust land requires a $20 annual permit you can get online. This area at N 33°48’2.76″, W 112°14’18.72″ has cell service and lots of room for rigs of any size.
Peralta Road Dispersed Camping
Peralta Road dispersed camping is on the opposite side of Phoenix near Apache Junction. It’s also on state trust land and offers many big rig accessible pullouts along the road at N 33°20’57.78″, W 111°24’48.90″ and further in. We loved this spot because it’s both gorgeous and also right outside a shopping center for easy conveniences. Great cell service and sunsets. Don’t miss hiking a trail at the end of the road! The Peralta Road dispersed camping (boondocking) spot was one of our faves in the whole state!
Bonus: Lost Dutchman State Park Dry Camping
Lost Dutchman State Park isn’t technically boondocking of course, but we did dry camp there so I decided to include it on this list. This is a STUNNING place to camp, and Siphon Draw trail starts directly in the campground. Don’t miss it!
Boondocking in Arizona: Tucson Area
Pump Station Wash Boondocking
We loved Pump Station Wash outside of Tucson for the enormous sites and epic mountain sunsets. This spot at N 32°26’40.86″, W 111°22’19.44″ was perfect for big rigs and had great cell. Downside is that it’s far from everything except a dollar store and requires two-ish miles of very bumpy washboard roads to access. Worth it! Don’t take Silverbell Road to get there with a trailer, as there is a low weight limit bridge.
Boondocking in Arizona: Miscellaneous Areas
Black Canyon City Boondocking
This was a big BLM trailhead where we camped for over a week at N 34°3’8.64″, W 112°9’2.94″. The sunsets were gorgeous on the trail, and there was an amazing bonus for boondocking — a bathroom with running water! There’s not much nearby, but it was a good resting place.
Crown King Boondocking
There are unbelievable mountain range views on Crown King BLM land, including this spot at N 34°17’27.06″, W 112°10’32.64″. The downside is a long, bumpy road to access it, so it’s not a great base for sightseeing. But if you’re looking for solitude and views, wowza! Cell service was decent.
I hope you try out one of these amazing boondocking in Arizona locations! Come back and let me know if you do.
Disclaimer: Product links in this blog post may be Affiliate links, and I will earn a small commission for each purchase made through these links at no extra cost to you. Affiliate income helps fund our family travel and allows me to keep creating inspiring family travel content for you. I so appreciate when you use my links to make purchases you would have made anyway.
For more boondocking locations and tips, check out these posts:
Like all millennials, I rely on apps to organize my life, and boondocking is no exception! I’ve talked a lot about how we added solar panels to our RV’s roof last year so that we can spend more time off-grid. In 2023, we spent over 100 nights boondocking with our toy hauler, and I anticipate that number will be even higher in 2024. So obviously we now have strong feelings about the best boondocking apps.
My favorite reasons for boondocking are:
Absolutely unbelievable views right from my couch
Tons of room for our three kids to roam and act like kids without RV park rules limiting their play
Saving tons of money by paying $0 in rent
If you’re interested in learning how to boondock and want to download everything I know about it just like we were friends sitting around a campfire together, I’ve got you:
This 10-page guide will assist RVers in learning the basics of boondocking, or camping off-grid! We share everything we’ve learned as a family living off-grid and boondocking in our RV.
Okay, so maybe I’ve convinced you that you should try boondocking. But you may be wondering how we find places to park our RV? Well, there’s an app for that! A few, actually. Here are our picks for the best boondocking apps.
Best Boondocking Apps
iOverlander
iOverlander is the absolute best boondocking app in my opinion. It’s definitely the one we use the most. iOverlander wins for me because of the sheer number of boondocking locations that the app lists. It’s definitely the most comprehensive database of free parking spots that I’ve found. It also tops my list of best boondocking apps because it lists other crucial services that boondockers need. We use iOverlander to find hot showers, laundromats, propane refills, dump stations, potable water fills, and more.
The only thing to note is that a lot of the spots are catered towards van life dwellers or stealth campers. We are not fitting in tiny spots or flying under the rader with our 37′ fifth wheel. The app does have a checkbox to note if a spot is viable for big rig RVs like ours, but there isn’t a way to filter by that feature. It’s worth it, but that’s my only complaint.
Campendium
{Update May 2024: Campendium is being rolled into the paid Roadtrippers app, which I haven’t tested yet. I’ll keep you updated on whether it’s worth trying, but this is disappointing regardless}
Campendium is another one of the best boondocking apps that we use frequently. I like it because it’s RV-centric, so I feel confident that we’ll fit in most of the spots I find there. I also use it to cross-reference spots I find on iOverlander for that reason. It also shines because it names each spot with a unique name, making it easy for RV folks to share locations like “Lone Mesa Dispersed,” unlike iOverlander, which allows users to set the location name (sometimes randomly). Finally, I really appreciate that Campendium prompts users to review the cell service at each location by carrier. That information is really useful for those of us who are full time RVers working remotely. This is a free app, although it has a paid version we’ve yet to use.
Harvest Hosts
Harvest Hosts is the best boondocking app for stays that are also an experience. I’ve written a whole Harvest Hosts review, but the short version is that this is a subscription service that offers one night stays at gorgeous locations like farms, vineyards, and breweries. Harvest Hosts shines as an overnight stay as you’re traveling somewhere else (not sitting down in one location for an extended time period). It also allows us to experience fun excursions like farm or vineyard tours right where we’re camped.
Boondockers Welcome
Boondockers Welcome is another paid subscription that rounds out this list of the best boondocking apps. Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome are partner programs, but they differ slightly in what they offer. Boondockers Welcome hosts are regular folks who offer up places to park in places like driveways and big parking lots. Unlike Harvest Hosts, there’s no “experience” offered and many hosts offer stays of one to five nights. And 75% of hosts offer some form of hookups, unlike Harvest Hosts where hookups are rare.
Disclaimer: Product links in this blog post may be Affiliate links, and I will earn a small commission for each purchase made through these links at no extra cost to you. Affiliate income helps fund our family travel and allows me to keep creating inspiring family travel content for you. I so appreciate when you use my links to make purchases you would have made anyway.
For more off-grid tips and tricks, check out these posts:
We’ve always been one of those thrifty full time RV families. But a hard financial year has had us getting even more creative with our money-saving strategies for RV life!
Here are some of the ways we keep expenses low while still traveling the continent:
How We Travel: Frugal Full Time RV Families
First up: how we travel. Where you stay and how much gas you use are some of the biggest expenses for full time RV families. So here are a few of our budget-saving hacks.
Monthly RV Park Stays
Daily RV park rates can be exhorbitant, and they probably make sense for weekend trips or the occasional week-long vacation. But for full time RV families, those nightly rates can really add up. Most RV parks offer monthly rates that are so much cheaper! Sometimes it’s even cheaper to stay for a month than for just two weeks, which is wild. We love using Campspot to book RV parks because the monthly discount often calculates right there for you as you book! But if a campground isn’t on Campspot, don’t hesitate to call the park to ask someone directly about the monthly rate. Pay attention to whether they make monthly guests pay for electric on top of their site! I’ve got a blog post with some affordable RV parks, too.
Travel Slower
It’s tempting to try to see it all in a short amount of time. But those of us who have been on the road for awhile have learned how much you miss when you only stay places for a few days at a time. Moving slower means a way more immersive experience in every place. Bonus points: saving on gas. This is not to say we don’t have seasons where we travel quickly (see: our Alaska trip!), but we try to balance it out with seasons where we slowly explore a region for a whole season.
Learn to Boondock
Our first year RVing, we never were off-grid for more than two days in a row. Part of that was not having the right set up, and part of it was being totally intimidated by learning how to conserve water. And yes, solar is an upfront cost. We spent $4,000 on outfitting our rig with the bare minimum in solar, but being off-grid pays for itself SO quickly. We’ve spent almost six months combined not paying for RV parks, and we have saved way more than we spent on the solar install. This is what we installed, if you’re curious.
If you’re boondocking curious, but overwhelmed with everything you need to know to get started, I’ve got you:
This 10-page guide will assist RVers in learning the basics of boondocking, or camping off-grid! We share everything we’ve learned as a family living off-grid and boondocking in our RV.
We held off on purchasing a Thousand Trails membership for a long time because we didn’t want to spend thousands of dollars on a membership we weren’t sure we’d use. I also didn’t want to plan our travels only around Thousand Trails locations. BUT we finally purchased a basic camping pass for the Southwest region this year, and it paid for itself within two weeks. The basic camping pass is around $500 for a year, which is a great deal if you are spending more than a few weeks near a Thousand Trails location. Use this link and get $100 off joining. Bonus: lots of full time RV families go in and out of TT locations, and you will very likely make some friends!
Harvest Hosts
Harvest Hosts is another camping membership we use and love. I wrote a whole review of the program. You do have to spend money at each stop to support the location, so it’s not a totally free stay like Thousand Trails. But I often stay places where we can spend money on something like local dairy products that we would have needed to eat anyways.
Visit Places Off Season
Finally, another money-saving hack for full time RV families with flexibility is to visit popular destinations outside of peak season. RV parks and other outings are often significantly cheaper, and I personally enjoy shoulder seasons in many destinations even more. Bonus: crowded destinations are often much less crowded!
What We Do: Frugal Full Time RV Families
Another big expenditure for adventurous traveling families is activities and excursions. Here are some of the ways we cut costs on the amazing things we do and see.
Hike More
Hiking is gorgeous and (mostly) free. It’s a unique way to see a place, and other than some light gear and the occasional trailhead fee, it costs nothing. We really increased the amount of hiking we did this year for all of these reasons. No regrets. If you need help learning how to get kids hiking, I’ve got you!
Free or Cheap Museums
Museum visits can get pricey for a family fast. But there are lots of ways to nab free or cheap museum tickets (don’t miss our favorite museums for kids!). First, consider a museum membership with reciprocity through a program like ASTC, ACM, or AZA. Second, check museum websites for free or discounted community days. Most major museums have a day or half day a month that’s free admission. Third, check out what museum passes the local library offers. Many libraries have a limited number of free museum passes to hand out each month through a culture pass type program. If you need a local library card as you travel, check out my post with 200+ non-resident library card policies.
Library Classes
Speaking of libraries, they often offer a whole host of classes you can take for free! Check the library event calendar; we’ve taken some pretty sweet library classes with local artists this way. And seriously, don’t miss my library card post.
Homeschooler Discounts
Depending on where you are, many institutions and organizations will offer homeschoolers a discount. Generally, these will be listed as “teacher discounts,” and you’ll have to inquire about whether homeschool teachers count. But they often do! Museums can be up to 50% off, and even places like Goodwill have given me a homeschool teacher discount. It’s worth asking!
America the Beautiful Pass
The National Park Service offers an annual card that gets you into all 63 National Parks and 400+ National Park Sites for free. It’s called the America the Beautiful pass, and it’s only $80 for the year. Considering driving into many of the parks costs $30, this is a steal if you travel. Plus, families with 4th graders get a free pass!
Hobbies That Keep On Giving
This year, we really leaned into more hobbies that are either free or require an upfront purchase and then are free. For us, this looked like kayaking and drone videography, but there are all kinds of other options that offer unique ways to experience a place. These might include geocaching, fishing, mountain biking, and more.
Gifting Expensive Experiences
For the holidays this year, we leaned into special experiences as gifts instead of more “things.” Our kids got money for expensive outings they wanted to do like Lizard Camp and Legoland. If you’re looking for more RV gift ideas, I have lists for both kids and adults.
Regular Expenses: Frugal Full Time RV Families
Cook More
As tempting as it is to eat out all of the time, that cost adds up fast. We cook at home instead of eating out 99% of the time, saving restaurant experiences for places that are really unique.
Cheap(ish) Groceries
These days, even groceries aren’t cheap. So we do our best to plan ahead by shopping at Aldi when we can and stocking up. I also look ahead on our itinerary and shop in bulk before visiting a tiny town. Those rural grocery stores will leave your food budget for dead.
Washer & Dryer
When we have full hookups, we take full advantage of our washer and dryer. I debated the expense of putting them in when we were renovating, but they cost less than $500 together. Laundry is $20-30 a week, so those babies paid for themselves quickly. The ones we have are on my renovation list.
Secondhand Gear
Because we were city people without a yard, we had absolutely no outdoor gear unlike some other full time RV families. Let’s just say that we had a lot of stuff to buy to become outdoorsy people. We’ve tried to buy the gear we need secondhand when possible! Facebook marketplace, Craigslist, thrift stores, and Buy Nothing groups have all been great for this.
Downsize Storage
When we first left Brooklyn, we thought we were leaving for just the summer. I know, hilarious in retrospect. But it meant that we kept most of our belongings in a massive NYC storage unit, intending to come back quickly. When we bought the RV and decided this was a medium to long term thing, we went back home and gave away almost everything that was in storage. We now have the smallest unit you can get with just some sentimental items. Downsizing and moving our things to a lower cost of living area saved us over $100 a month in storage fees. Maybe you have someone your items could stay with to save you even more. Just saying, the less money you can give to the storage unit gods, the better.
I hope these money-saving tips for full time RV families have been helpful! If you have more hacks, please leave them in the comments!
Disclaimer: Product links in this blog post may be Affiliate links, and I will earn a small commission for each purchase made through these links at no extra cost to you. Affiliate income helps fund our family travel and allows me to keep creating inspiring family travel content for you. I so appreciate when you use my links to make purchases you would have made anyway.
For more on how us full time RV families live, check out these posts:
We’ve stayed at so many Harvest Hosts all over the United States (and Canada!), and we have had such special experiences at many of them. So I thought it was time for me to share my honest thoughts in Harvest Hosts reviews! This is our perspective on Harvest Hosts after almost two years as a fulltime RV family.
What is Harvest Hosts?
According to their website, Harvest Hosts is “an RV membership program that allows self-contained travelers to overnight at unique locations around the country including farms, wineries, museums, breweries, and more! With 5475+ of host locations inside of our ever-expanding network, there’s an amazing experience waiting for everyone.”
In my words, it’s a network of farms, wineries, museums, and more across the U.S. and Canada that allow RVers to park overnight (mostly no hookups!). You buy an annual membership, and then there’s no true charge to park at each stop. You are, however, expected to spend money at the host’s establishment ($25-30 at least). This might look like buying a bottle of wine, grabbing some homemade baked goods, taking a distillery tour, or even donating some cash to pay for farm animals’ upkeep.
Do you love Harvest Hosts?
The short answer is: yes. I would never write a review of the service if I didn’t think it was wonderful. Whether it’s the perfect service for your needs is another question, and I’m going to get into those details now!
Full disclosure: we enjoyed our stays at Harvest Hosts so much that I became a Harvest Hosts affiliate! That means that if you use my links to join, I will receive a small percentage. I promise to never let that skew any review I write! I would only recommend things that we absolutely use and love.
Our backyard for the night was a Kentucky bourbon distillery
When is a Harvest Hosts membership most useful?
Harvest Hosts stops generally only allow guests to stay for one night (although some may allow more, sometimes for a fee!). Because of this, Harvest Hosts is perfect for an overnight stay when you’ve got a series of travel days to get somewhere far away. It’s also perfect if you can line up a few nearby hosts to travel in a loop for a long weekend trip.
Why is this better than parking at a rest stop or Walmart?
There’s nothing wrong with a practical Walmart stay now and then, but it’s noisy, crowded, and forgettable (at best haha).
Harvest Hosts locations, on the other hand, are usually absolutely gorgeous. They’re pastoral farms, rolling vineyards, and swanky breweries. It is SO beautiful looking out over these locations as the sun rises in the morning.
But a Harvest Hosts stay isn’t just a pretty parking spot. They’re often memorable experiences in their own right! You can really level up a long and boring travel day by ending it at a unique Harvest Hosts destination. One of the grownups’ favorite experiences was taking a distillery tour in Kentucky just steps from our couch. The kids are big fans of the farm stays, where they often pet animals in their PJs last thing at night and first thing in the morning.
These Harvest Hosts reviews sounds awesome, how do I join?
Click here for our personalized Harvest Hosts join link:
Any tips for an amazing Harvest Hosts stay?
I have a few tips for anyone planning their Harvest Hosts stays:
Pick hosts with unique offerings or products you would be purchasing anyways (like dairy products!)
Read reviews to note any difficult turns or small spaces, especially if you have a big rig
Pay attention to how far hosts are off the main road; if you’re making a quick stop this is especially important
Try to arrive before dark to any unfamiliar location!
Take advantage of urban locations for saving money on pricey RV parks while sightseeing in cities
Do you have any favorite Harvest Hosts locations to recommend?
Benton Family Farm in Walton, KY had the most adorable baby goats and let us pay a tiny bit for 30 amp electrical hookup. We also loved the donkeys and baked goods at Grain Bin Commodities in Sweetwater, TN. Our most memorable stay was Boundary Oak Distillery in Radcliff, KY, and they graciously let us stay a second night free so we could do more Louisville sightseeing. Big Sky Deli and Bakery in Vaughn, MT was a super convenient location with an amazing kid playground.
Thanks for reading my Harvest Hosts reviews! I hope it was helpful. Let me know if you have any other questions before joining in the comments!
Disclaimer: Product links in this blog post may be Affiliate links, and I will earn a small commission for each purchase made through these links at no extra cost to you. Affiliate income helps fund our family travel and allows me to keep creating inspiring family travel content for you. I so appreciate when you use my links to make purchases you would have made anyway.
For more about our fulltime RV life, check these posts out:
It can be tricky to figure out what to buy an RV family, especially if they’re downsizing and moving into their RV or have been living in it for awhile. Because space is limited, you probably want to ask before making any major purchase. But these are all gifts we’ve received in the past or would like to receive in the future!
Here are dozens of RV camping gift ideas for the outdoor adventure types in your life:
Disclaimer: Product links in this blog post may be Affiliate links, and I will earn a small commission for each purchase made through these links at no extra cost to you. Affiliate income helps fund our family travel and allows me to keep creating inspiring family travel content for you. I so appreciate when you use my links to make purchases you would have made anyway.
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