What We Learned While Boondocking Full-Time in the Desert

When we sold everything, bought a travel trailer, and started traveling full-time, we knew there would be surprises along the way.

We just never imagined one of those surprises would be having most of the country suddenly shut down around us.

When the COVID-19 lockdown began in 2020, we were already camped on BLM land in the Southwest desert. Instead of moving from campground to campground as we normally would, we found ourselves staying put and figuring out what full-time RV living looked like when traveling wasn’t really an option.

Looking back, it was certainly a strange chapter of our travels. But it also taught us quite a bit about boondocking, conserving resources, being flexible, and making the most of wherever we happen to be.

We Were Lucky to Be on BLM Land

Of all the places we could have been when everything started closing, we were incredibly fortunate to be boondocking.

We weren’t squeezed into a crowded RV park. We had wide-open desert around us and plenty of room to walk General without being close to other people.

Meanwhile, we were hearing about campgrounds closing and RVers suddenly wondering where they were going to stay.

Our little patch of desert started looking pretty good.

Of course, boondocking doesn’t come with hookups.

That meant staying there required some work.

Hauling Our Own Water

Without a water hookup at our campsite, we had to fetch our own water.

We would take the truck, fill our water tank, bring it back to the trailer, and pump the water into our RV’s fresh water tank.

It wasn’t particularly glamorous, but it worked.

And it made us much more aware of how much water we were actually using.

When you’re connected to a campground spigot, it’s easy to forget about water consumption. When you’ve personally hauled every gallon back to your trailer, you tend to become considerably more conservative!

Dealing With Waste While Boondocking

The other side of conserving water is dealing with the waste tanks.

We used a portable waste tank—often called a Blue Boy—to transport waste from the trailer to the dump station.

That allowed us to remain in our campsite instead of packing up the entire trailer every time our tanks needed emptying.

For longer boondocking stays, that little piece of equipment can make a tremendous difference.

Propane Became Another Resource to Watch

Water wasn’t our only concern.

We had three propane tanks, which generally gave us around ten days before we needed to make another trip into town.

Under normal circumstances, that wouldn’t have seemed like a big deal.

But suddenly every trip into town was something we wanted to minimize.

It made us start thinking differently about how much propane we were using and how long our supplies would last.

Then There Was the Great Toilet Paper Shortage

Yes, we got caught by that one too.

We didn’t realize there was a toilet paper shortage until we went into town to buy some.

Oops.

Fortunately, we eventually managed to score two four-packs, which suddenly felt like we’d won the lottery.

Living through it wasn’t particularly funny at the time, but looking back, it has become one of those strange little memories from 2020.

Stocking Food in a Travel Trailer

People living in houses were stocking their pantries.

We didn’t exactly have a pantry to stock.

That’s one of the challenges of preparing for an extended stay when you live in a travel trailer: where do you put everything?

We managed to gather about two weeks’ worth of food, despite shortages at the stores, and then tucked it into every available space we could find.

RV storage suddenly became a giant game of Tetris.

We were still better equipped than some of our neighbors, though. There were people boondocking nearby with little more than an SUV and tent.

Our Travel Plans Went Out the Window

Before everything changed, we already had a tentative route planned for spring.

Suddenly, planning our next destination required much more than checking the weather and finding a campground.

We were watching campground and BLM closures and trying to determine what would still be accessible.

National parks were closing visitor centers and museums, too.

And to us, those places are a big part of the experience.

We weren’t traveling just to say we’d been somewhere. We wanted to see it, learn about it, and experience it.

So we began questioning whether it made sense to travel at all.

The Desert Heat Was Coming

There was another problem that had nothing to do with campground closures.

Summer was coming.

We’d been fortunate to have unusually cool weather, but temperatures were beginning to climb.

Running the air conditioner while boondocking wasn’t cheap. At the time, we estimated it could cost us around $10 per day in fuel—roughly $300 a month.

That wasn’t in our budget.

If temperatures became too hot, we’d have to do what RVers have been doing forever:

Go north, go higher, or both.

The Hardest Part Was Mental

One of the most interesting things we discovered was that our daily routine really hadn’t changed all that much.

We were already sitting in the desert.

We already had chores.

We already spent time reading, sewing, working on projects, walking General, and enjoying the outdoors.

But suddenly someone was telling us we couldn’t leave.

And that changed how it felt.

What had previously felt peaceful could suddenly feel confining.

Our social life changed too. Meeting other campers, chatting with neighbors, and exchanging travel stories had always been part of RV life. Now we’d see someone in the distance and wave instead.

That was about it.

Keeping Busy Helped

We eventually realized that one of the best things we could do was keep ourselves occupied.

We walked.

We read.

Sandy worked on sewing projects.

We found things around the RV that needed doing.

And we tried to maintain some kind of routine without allowing every day to become exactly the same.

That lesson has stuck with us.

Sometimes you can’t control where you are or what is happening around you.

But you can usually find something useful, interesting, or enjoyable to do with the day you’ve been given.

What the Experience Taught Us About RV Life

Boondocking through those uncertain weeks reinforced several things we’d already begun learning as full-time RVers.

You don’t need nearly as much as you think you do.

Water and electricity become more valuable when you have to produce or haul them yourself.

Extra storage is wonderful—but you can make do with surprisingly little.

Plans change.

Weather changes.

Campgrounds close.

Things break.

Sometimes the road ahead isn’t available at all.

The ability to adapt may be one of the most useful things you can carry with you when you live on the road.

Over The Hills.

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