Dry camping doesn’t have to mean giving up comfort. From awnings to solar panels, these smart products make RV boondocking easier and more enjoyable.
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When most people picture camping, they might envision tents, sleeping bags, and coolers. But RV owners picture it differently. Camping in an RV, whether a motorhome or trailer, offers all kinds of luxuries that tent campers skip entirely. An RV, after all, can house everything from a king-size bed to a full bathroom, smart TV, full kitchen, and more.
But what if you have a hankering for the comforts of home but also want to spend time in the middle of nowhere, indulging in nature and some quiet time? Though most major RV brands have hookups for electricity and water, even a self-contained model — with water storage, a bathroom, and cooking facilities — requires utility connections. There’s also the fact that RVs are very different from campers when it comes to equipment and amenities.
Either way, if you decide to leave the confines of a campground or RV park, you’ll be doing what’s known as dry camping or boondocking. Dry camping still uses a trailer or motorhome, but it also means leaving some creature comforts behind — unless you prepare ahead of time. Even the best travel trailer brands don’t come equipped for dry camping, but a handful of products can make boondocking an enjoyable activity.Awnings
Depending on the type of RV you have, it might come with an awning. If it didn’t, or even if it did, consider that boondocking is a bit of a different experience from parking on a concrete pad in a fancy RV park. Whether you’re used to roughing it or not, having protection from the elements (rain or sun) will go a long way toward making dry camping more comfortable.
Consider the fact that when you dry camp, you might be parking in an area not designed for camping. That likely means no built-in shade structure, no picnic tables, and plenty of forest, beach, or other debris underfoot. Pop-up structures or awnings that attach to your RV can help you create an outdoor space to hang out in.
Coupled with an outdoor rug or picnic blanket and some netting, an awning or pop-up expands your living area while providing a barrier against sun, wind, rain, and bugs. For easier setup and protection from pesky insects, consider a pop-up option like East Oak’s 10-by-10 screen structure on Amazon — it folds down for easy storage and transport, too.Rope lights
Lighting might not be something you consider when camping at a campground or RV park.
