Boterhoming

RobMcClain

RobMcClain

Member
Hi Folks. We're laid up for several months as Mary recuperates from knee surgery and then will prepare to have her other knee done. As we consider the upcoming spring we're hoping to hit the road from time to time taking the boat to different lakes, and also into California - both Northern and Southern. We really want to head up to Portland and/or Puget Sound, but not yet sure if we'll be able to make that trip in 2013. We certainly hope to make 1 or 2 C-Brats gatherings, most likely the ones at Lake Powell and SF/Delta.

Regardless where we go we plan to be doing some trips that might take a day or 2 or 3 to get to our destination. Instead of stoping at a motel we would like to use roadside rest stops, KOA campgrounds, Walmart (if necessary), etc., and just camp in the boat using it as an RV. I have read several threads on this topic and understand there are certain protocols that should be followed such as not allowing the sink to discharge on the ground, not cleaning the boat and/or motor in the parking space, requesting permission if at a Walmart, etc. These all make complete sense to me. I have also read some novel ideas folks have posted, such as providing for safe and secure sink discharge.

Since we have never used the boat in this manner, the purpose of my post is to solicit any additional insight or advice when land camping. Anything in particular that we should know outside of what I've mentioned? Any tips or tools that you have found useful when boaterhoming? All insight is appreciated! Thanks....

Rob
 
Speaking from 3 decades of RVing, roadside rest areas are not a great place to overnight. Many states do not allow overnight "camping" (or parking) in those rest areas, and they are sometimes not safe. According to statistics reported in the RV press, there are more incidents (theft, robbery) in roadside rest areas than other overnight options. Also, since big trucks often stop there (and pull in and out all night long), it is not quiet.

Consider what your options are if you have to move from the boat back to the tow vehicle in the middle of the night (one of the vulnerability considerations when not using campgrounds).

Depending on where you are traveling, some small town city parks allow inexpensive camping. Check out this site:

http://www.freecampgrounds.com/

If you were going to do this often enough, a membership in Passport America would pay for itself in a few nights, staying in member parks. Yes, there are many restrictions on when the 50% discount can be used, but that information is in the book PA puts out or on their website. PA is our preferred method of saving while passing through; keep in mind that many of the parks are older and use the PA discount to bring in business... not an issue of you are overnighting while passing through, and not considering it a destination.

KOAs are our least favorite option while passing through an area, because they are often the most expensive campground/RV park in an area. If you aren't going to use the facilities that many of them offer (pool, playground, mini-golf, etc), there's not sense in paying extra for that.

On occasion, we have found motels and roadside convenience stores that have paid RV parking (with hookups). State and county parks, Corps of Engineer parks are other good options (but many of those will not have showers).

Because of the way our boats put water overboard (as you noted), we generally consider our boat to more like "hardshell tenting" (with our own potty) than motorhoming. Still, we much prefer to be in our own bed and have our own potty and meal prep facilities rather than stay in motels.

Have fun with the trip and hope for fast and full recuperation.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
What a great website, thank you Jim. I also appreciate your comments regarding roadside rests and their security. I had wondered about that.

Rob
 
We have traveled across several states using our 22 as an RV. It has worked out very well. We've occasionally gotten a couple of strange looks as we pull into the campground but have never been refused or hassled. Most of the time we end up in pleasant discussions about camping. We have usually stayed in county and state parks or a commercial campground. We stayed in a Walmart parking lot once and were not comfortable, too many late night noises, etc. We stayed in Cabela's parking lots twice and that was much better. I'd stay there again. If you are retired or active military there are "famcamps" at many military bases. Some are nicer than others but all are safe and quiet (except for the 7AM reville call :lol: ) You are right about grey water-don't drain it directly onto the ground. I made a setup using a rubber table leg tip, some poly hose and a small bucket that allows me to drain the water directly into the bucket. I'll take some pictures and post them soon. I do carry a short (5') stepladder that sometimes makes it easier to get into and out of the cockpit. I also made a light bar that attaches to the permatrims on the engines and is paired with the regular trailer lights. That makes me much more comfortable since it is right at eye level and makes the trailer and boat less invisible. Pictures of that coming as well .
 
We agree with the recommendations posted above. We lived aboard our CD most of the time for about ten years (we had sold our house), boater-homing between our launch sites. We agree about giving Wal-Marts a miss -- we preferred state, county and federal parks, with state parks our favorites. They are generally in scenic locations, well-patrolled and maintained, and with interesting neighbors often from many different parts of the country. Catch the grey water -- Barry will post some good pictures. We used that system so nothing touched the ground. The restrooms in state parks are generally clean and well-maintained, and we used the porta-potty aboard when necessary. The most difficult part of boater-homing was climbing into and out of the boat while on the trailer. It takes care and 'heads up caution' to avoid a fall -- but it also helps keep your legs and arms strong. Folks have different adaptations for getting in and out, so perhaps others will chime in on the best entry/exit ideas.

In summary, one of the great joys for us cruising all over the continent was 'camping' between cruises in beautiful state parks -- many on wonderful lakes or rivers and often with fine launch ramps and usually safe places to leave truck and trailer.
Enjoy the boater-homing -- we found it delightful.
 
Great advice, as usual.

I once overhead a state trooper talking to an elderly couple who had asked about overnighting in a rest area. His comment, "A rest area is to human predators what a watering hole is to predators in Africa."

Enough said.

Nick
"Valkyrie"
 
We just use a small plastic tub that fits in the sink to catch any gray water.
Another place to consider are Casino parking lots. Even ones that have a real RV park may let you spend the night free in a lightly used area of their parking lot.

We have stopped several times at 7 Feathers Casino on I5 and had no problems. Casino's also usually have security (a good thing) so if you don't see other campers staying the night it is best to ask.
 
Rob and Mary,

As you begin to 'venture-out Boaterhoming, to a degree you will develop your own inclinations regarding what works for you - or Not.

Years ago I found that staying overnight in a roadside rest area or a Walmart was satisfactory (and I never had a problem). Rest areas and Walmarts are noisy, but w/o my hearing aids I'm basically deaf ... but Mary isn't. We have found that with her acute hearing both of those areas are just too bothersome, so we head for other alternatives.

Check out http://www.allstays.com/apps/ We discovered these App's recently and they are quite handy. Allstays even has an app for military FamCamps.

Best,
Casey&Mary
 
I traveled a lot last summer with Sea Wolf and my thoughts were to try out the Wal-Marts. Pass on this one I would say. I tried to do the right thing and check with the front desk before spending the night. Not one told me it was alright. They said they didn't care but the city had an ordinance against it and might ticket us.

I picked up a good RV guide book and stayed at campgrounds. Like El and Bill said it turned out to be one of the more enjoyable parts of the trips.

Good camping and boating :D
 
We've found the Good Sam campground directory invaluable when on the road. It allows us to easily choose a camping destination for the night, and to call and make a reservation early in the day. Lists and describes zillions of places, not all GS affiliated.

Having the ability to get a nice shower and keep our batteries charged is worth the modest cost.
 
Good advice on Allstays. Get the app for your phone or mobile device.

I drove across country to AZ twice last year and the app was great. It lists all campgrounds, not just those who pay to be listed in a book or a website. It was very helpful and I stayed in a number of inexpensive, funky, little, mom and pop campgrounds that I wouldn't have found otherwise.

Nick
"Valkyrie"
 
We have stayed at Walmarts from Seattle to Florida. Never had a problem ever. A little noisy sometimes at 24/7 stores. We usually travel until dark and leave at daylight or earlier. Then spend weeks at our vacation destination. If your style of traveling is 200 miles and stay 2 days like Wild Blue does, then I wouldn't recommend Walmart. We usually spend at least $20.00 at each Walmart on food or supplies, so I think a free overnight is OK.
 
This is interesting topic. I have done a lot of camping over the years but it was mostly in state and fed camp grounds or on the back of a lake. When younger friends and I would take road trips and sleep in the car or in a sleeping bag near it at just about any wide spot in the road. Slept on many dirt roads off the main road just by pulling in. Only once were we awaken by a house owner trying to get out his drive way for work. He was not mad at all, thought is was funny as hell. Now I don't think I would do it today with the boat and that's why i find this thread interesting. I would not know where to camp today if going cross country. I should down load the app just in case.
 
I think some think I have something against staying at Walmarts... not the case, as we have done it, when the circumstances are right. Of course, not every Wal-Mart allows overnight stays, depending on the local laws and that particular store's manager's choice.

just for fun, I'll relate our first stay at a Wal-Mart: we were taking a motorcoach to the factory for repairs. Trying to make miles, we drove until dark, with the plan to roll again at first light... "Let's try staying at a Wal-Mart!"

As recommended by various RV associations, we checked with the service desk and were told that they allowed overnight parking and told us what side of the parking lot to use. That was empty, so it looked like a quiet place. We unhooked the tow car, and I drove to a nearby Italian restaurant to pick up supper. When I got back, there were a few cars on "our side" of the parking lot, obviously kids hanging out.

The crowd grew as the evening progressed... to the point that there were over 100 teenagers, complete with stereos blasting. Other than the noise, they weren't a bother. We turned up the TV and went to bed. Around 11:30, we heard the first of the squealing tires. I sat up, expecting the coach to rock with the impact of an out-of-control car. Nope - they were just doing a little drag racing! Turns out, we were near their finish line, and they had to apply the brakes hard to keep from careening into the grass. Fun. A short time later, the police arrived... to a scattering of kids and cars.

"Well, maybe now we'll get some sleep." Au contraire - when the police disappeared, the kids and cars reappeared. The music was even louder and the races were on! More police, more scattering. We considered moving, but at 1:00 in the morning, it's not a great time to find a place to park a motorcoach. We thought we'd make the best of the rest of the night.

Around 1:15 am, the street sweeper showed up. As near as I could tell, they used our coach as the staging area, radiating out and back from there. That went on until after 2:30, with constant passes close by the side of our coach.

Finally, some peace and quiet. It lasted almost a half hour, when the tree trimming crew showed up. No, I am not kidding! You would have thought they were cutting down giant redwoods with all the noise they made... apparently, there is an art-form to using a chainsaw to remove a single leaf at a time. :roll: That went on for over an hour.

We left at first light. It was a long time before we stayed at a Wal-Mart again. :mrgreen: And just for conversation sake, we were towing our Corsair sailing trimaran behind another coach, and had difficulty finding an RV park that could handle our length without unhooking. Wal-Marts were easy (well, the ones who didn't design their lots to make sure you can't maneuver a big vehicle in there). The coach was equipped with lots of batteries, two inverters that would run everything but the air conditioners and washer/dryer, and huge holding tanks. We could go a long time without hookups.

Brent has some big solar panels on his TomCat, helping to replenish the batteries. I made a cable to run from the truck to the boat batteries to keep them juiced while going down the road, but we often like to use a/c or electric heat at night, depending on the weather... so a plug-in is nice for our usage. If I pull into an RV park, I know there will be no loud distractions during the night... no drag racing, no booming stereos. No one will be trimming trees at 3:00 in the morning. So, we spend $12 - $15 bucks a night for electricity, a safe place to park, showers, and peace and quiet.

We have had good nights in Wal-Mart lots and we have had other uncomfortable situations. I would not try to dissuade anyone from the "Camp Wal-Mart" option, just suggest that you play by the "guidelines" set forth by many RV associations and understand that not all Wal-Marts allow overnight parking.

There are lots of options... ya do what works best for you.

Have fun out there!
 
JamesTXSD":30o2u2r6 said:
Around 1:15 am, the street sweeper showed up. As near as I could tell, they used our coach as the staging area, radiating out and back from there. That went on until after 2:30, with constant passes close by the side of our coach.
Click to expand...

This invariably happens to me if I stay at a Wal-Mart! :cry I have tried to figure out which day they do it at which store - or any sort of pattern, but so far it's been futile. That said, about 1 out of 6 times there is no sweeper, so I occasionally go back in Pavlovian fashion :crook

Sunbeam
 
These are great responses, and very entertaining to read. Lots of excellent points and lessons learned, and some great entertaining stories too. I truly want to thank everyone for their input!! I intend to get a Camping World / Good Sam campground guide, and will also make use of the FreeCampgrounds and AllStays websites. This should give us more than enough flexibility most of the time. You guys are wonderful!

Rob :xlol
 
This is my 50th year of both owning an RV and owing "ocean going" boats.
We rarely stay at Walmarts, but when we do, we ask the manager, and have never had a bad experience. There is a web site, and a book on which Wal Marts allow overnight parking. We often check with the police about the WalMart--and they have always said--"we'll watch out for you, thanks for telling us." There are some towns, where there are RV parks and they don't want Wal Marts stealing their business. In that case we stay in the RV park.
In Maries' home town there is no RV park nearby, so we always stop at the Wal mart. There is an area well away from the trash bins, and several 18 wheelers stop there each night also. We park right at the very edge of the parking lot, so no one can get on the out side of us. Usually leaving one parking space behind us, just in case someone were to park right in front.

We have spent nights at truck stops (diesel type)--and on some occasions in the rest stops. (But we are armed, for what it is worth) Generally we only stop at the rest stops which have security guards, and only if it is in desperation.

A lot time ago we spent most nights like Tom--just pulled off the side of the road. Occasionally we still do that, but usually in the low crime states-Like Montana, Wyoming, Idaho etc...

Getting in the boat--we use an Aluminum ladder by Casco--I believe we purchased it at Lowes. It is extremely light (maybe 10 lbs), and sturdy--not a usual step ladder.

For the gray water in the sink--we used to use a basin to catch the water, but found a better way. We un hook the hose from the drain, and attach a shorter piece of hose which goes directly into a 2.5 gallon gas can. We dump the can into the RV site drain in the AM.

This year we spent over 40 nights "boater camping" in RV parks.
 
Here are the promised photos of our lightbar and grey water drain.

The lightbar uses led lights and has separate wiring up to the truck to trailer connection. I use a 7 to 4-5pin adapter that has both 4 and 5 pin plug-ins on the back, that way I can have the trailer lights (5pin) and the lightbar (4pin) connected through the truck 7pin connector. For the grey water system I bought a small (1/2") table leg cap, drilled an appropriate size hole through the end, ran some clear tubing through that, glued them together, and taped a spring clamp on the other end to hold the tubing in the small bucket. Note the two small cutouts on the plug. My drain hole has two small pins sticking out in it. I have no idea what they are for but I had to make the cutout before the plug would wedge into the hole.

http://www.c-brats.com/albums/C-Cakes/DSCN0002.jpg
http://www.c-brats.com/albums/C-Cakes/DSCN0004.jpg
http://www.c-brats.com/albums/C-Cakes/DSCN0005.jpg
 
colobear":34cwd9mn said:
Here are the promised photos of our lightbar and grey water drain.
Click to expand...

Nice! I especially like that light bar - was thinking of making something like that myself, so I appreciate your photo/ideas.

colobear":34cwd9mn said:
My drain hole has two small pins sticking out in it. I have no idea what they are for but I had to make the cutout before the plug would wedge into the hole.
Click to expand...

Those "pins," or little tabs on the inside of the outside of the through-hull are used as "grippers" to hold on to the through hull and keep it from spinning when tightening the nut on the inside during installation. I have seen some that don't have the pins but have a hex surface on the inside, but the reason most don't have that is that a "real" seacock will need to screw right down flush, and anything on the inside would prevent that (however you don't need "real" seacocks on through hulls that are above the dynamic waterline).

Thanks again for the pics,
Sunbeam
 
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