Dry RV camping means living without any hookups (water, electricity, sewer). I have dry-camped many times, usually for a max of 3-4 days. That is fairly easy using a solar panel to keep my RV batteries charged. Afterward, as I did recently in St. George, UT, I can pull over at a Motel, get a nice hot shower, and regroup.

This winter, I will be dry camping quite often. I have been testing everything and working out the kinks while dry camping for short stays in Great Basin National Park and my other stops. Now I will be dry-camping for weeks at a time, starting with my trip to Death Valley. One goal for this winter is to meet up with other single nomads, and they hang out at various dry camping places. Hotspots include a campground in Death Valley and Quartzsite, AZ, a major destination for RVing snowbirds. For a small fee, you can dry camp on BLM land all winter, although I will be there a week or two. Another goal is to attend many of the desert Bluegrass Festivals that take place in the winter. They offer only dry camping.

Some people who read this know what dry camping entails, but most do not. So, I offer an overview of what this means in terms of my living condition.

What I don’t have when dry camping:

• No electricty, which means no microwave, TV, satelite radio, computer, Instant Pot, heater, fan, or AC. I can charge my phone and Kindle using the 12-volt plug in the RV
• No water hookup, wihch means I have to rely on my 60-gallon freshwater tank for water. I drink bottled water and use the tank water for sponge baths. I wash pots and pans at a campground water spigot. I hate to admit it, but when dry camping I use paper plates and plastic silverware so I don’t have to waste my time and water on washing dishes.
• No sewer hookup, which means that even if I had a water hookup, my gray water tank is only 40 gallons. No showers! Thankfully my black water tank, also 40 gallons, is large enought to last me one month before emptying. Much bigger rigs sometimes have less storage capactiy than my little camper. This is a great feature for me. I didn’t know this when I bought the RV and am quite happy now that I know a thing or two.

What I do have when dry camping:

• I have two large propane tanks, and my refrigerator and hot water heater will run on either propane or electricity. That is a great feature too. I have cold food, drinks, and ice.
• I can cook on my propane stove. Sometimes I conserve propane and leave the hot water heater off. I then heat up water on the propane stove for sponge baths.
• Flush toilet, using water from freshwater tank
• I have two batteries for the RV, and they power several overhead lights in the RV. The frig, water pump, and hot water heater need a bit of battery power even when running on propane so I have to keep the batteries charged. That is where the solar panel comes in. It hooks up directly to the RV batteries. Some nomads have elaborate solar systems that power up their 110 outlets. Mine only keeps my house batteries charged.
• A small, battery-operated radio for football games when I can find them.
• A large shaded screen house so I can sit outside during hot afternoons. By then the RV is roasting hot and it is cooler outside.

Below, my nice solar setup makes keeping batteries charged quite easy

2019 additions to my dry camping set-up:

I decided that if I am going to be dry camping for weeks at a time, as I will several times this winter while traveling the snowbird circuit, I really needed a way to charge my computer and maybe run a fan to the screen house. I might also want to set up an outdoor kitchen with my Instant Pot, which needs electricity. So, I bought a small (2000 watt) inverter generator. It is compact and has a short run time so I won’t waste gas, which is needed to operate the generator.

Finding wood for fires is tricky in the desert. After admiring friends propane firepits, I finally bought one, along with a small propane tank. Since I am trying to keep my carbon footprint at a sane level, I don’t use this every day. Besides wanting to save gas, it’s warm down here! Still, sometimes a fire and a glass of wine are a must-have.

I also purchased a small propane BBQ that runs on the small Coleman propane canisters. Again, I use this sparingly because of the propane but one canister lasts forever. This allows me to cook dinner outside while the RV is still toasty inside.

If you focus on what I don’t have it seems extreme. However, I am used to sponge baths and washing my hair in the sink when dry camping. It becomes routine. I can easily live without TV. No AC on hot days is challenging, which is one reason I have been waiting in Pahrump while temps cool down in Death Valley. I have figured out how to get my must-haves, like a fully charged computer.

If you focus on what I DO have, it is quite luxurious compared to tent camping, which I did for 4 months in 2018. Running water, stove/oven, refrigerator, a nice bed, and a roof over my head! Woo hoo. In that context, life is luxurious when dry camping!

I am ready for this new adventure, dry camping for weeks at a time. However, in Death Valley I am only going to prepay my camping fees ($7/night) for 4 or 5 days at a time. I worry, “what if it is too hot for me or Tango” or “what if I hate dry camping for so long?” I am fairly certain I will love it since I will be with other people and having a great time, but who knows?

A few things I do now before setting out to dry camp:

• Buy two large coffees at McDonald’s ($1 each), which I keep in the refrig. Instant coffee gets old. I tried a coffee press but it is a nightmare to clean and dispose of grounds when dry camping.
• Microwave one large white potato and one sweet potato. These are good as a side for two dinners each. Or, I can fry up the potato with eggs. Ymmmm. Baking potatoes in the oven wastes too much propane. Microwaves, which I used to hate are my new friend since they are so energy efficient
• Wash, wash, wash my hair, soaping up at least twice.
• Stock up on non-perishable foods, like powdered milk, fruit, and refried beans.