Camping, locations for free i.e. boon docking and not organized campgrounds

[Captain Obvious]

I am looking for next season, and want to mix it up for 2016, boondocking vs campgrounds. Obviously anyone and everyone can go to the recreation.gov, curious what if anything people here are using for pull up and camp type locations. National forests and BLM property.

What resources do you use to find the locations?

We currently have a off road popup, but looking to trade up to a 28ft TT due to needing more space. Nothing more than 2-3 days trips so no hook ups is doable. Just want to do some camping where neighbors aren't 15 feet apart. May also be getting a genie in the off season or look at solar options (want new camper first before that decision is made).

I did find freecampsites.net , anyone know of other options, ideas or suggestions?

[asp_125]

We didn't get the chance to try it, but there is a group called Harvest Hosts, that let RV'ers (no tents) stay overnight or a few days for free as guests at wineries and farms. Want to stomp grapes, help gather eggs? Or just hang out and watch the sunrise over the field? https://harvesthosts.com/index.html

A few more ideas http://www.gonewiththewynns.com/free-camping

[Bueller]

Tarryall Res. area. Lots of spots with good separation. Dirt bikes and quads on the weekends. If you camp during the week there is no traffic hardly at all. There is a little bit of target shooting that goes on there too.

[Clovis]

Tarryall Res. area. Lots of spots with good separation. Dirt bikes and quads on the weekends. If you camp during the week there is no traffic hardly at all. There is a little bit of target shooting that goes on there too.

+1 -- Terryall is one of our favorite spots to go camping.

What kind of pop up do you have? I was thinking about getting one this year.

[Nolan]

+1 on the Tarryall area. I liked the Four Mile area, and Fall River Reservoir (gets kinda sketchy with a stock Frontier). There's some Forest Service roads past Bailey I want to check out. I had a 4x4 trail book that was helpful as well. My best advice is calling the Ranger Station in whatever area and ask. Lookup the Motor vehicle use maps (MVUM) and download the pdf files (free). More local = more people. Once you get about 2 hours away everyone disappears. This year we will be doing more weekend warrior stuff as well.

I'm also debating a pop up. Any advice on used? What are things to look for?

[Nolan]

http://www.adlerpublishing.com/

For books

[Captain Obvious]

I was looking at the free campsites.net and saw the Tarryall area as well. I really want to drive up there and look around as it looks like a number of people like it. I am lukewarm about the shooting, I have 2 little ones and not sure how they would respond (18 month and 3 years). If it isn't too close/loud, they would likely be okay.

In general thoughts for you on buying used from anyone.......
What is your budget? If you go older than 5-7 years, you need to heavily inspect the canvas. Don't be surprised if you should account on spending some extra to repair spots, they wear out, it happens.
How much space do you need? We had 1 kid when we purchased. Now we have 2 and 2 medium dogs. its tight, just encourages more time outside. We have napping/sleeping drama, when it is time, they'd rather screw around and play vs sleep, so it is a PITA at nap time and bedtime.
After standing in ones with and without slide-outs, I could NEVER get a non slide out. it adds so much space.
Weight of camper, what are you towing with? At flat sea level, you can tow more weight. Out here, hills and elevation kill power. lighter is definitely better.
If I were buying used, I would like to see the water system pressurized to ensure no leaks. With our winters, busted water systems is a reality. and it can be a royal PITA for you to fix someone else's problems that you inherit.
Storage. always need to need more. I wish I had more secured storage on mine. I considered adding lockable boxes, but really wanted to keep the front porch open to hold motorcycles.

Those are some general thoughts about purchasing used. When I was looking, we said, okay, what can we get for $5k cash. I was severely unimpressed with the condition of most for the $5k range and felt most everything would need 1-2K and time to get it maintained back up. So then said, okay, what about $10k cash / loan combo. That lead to like new campers and then a number of new options. So then said, well hell, why not just get off road to take bikes (or grill and tons of other gear), pay a bit extra, get a warranty and exactly what we want... so that lead us to buying our 2014 Starcraft Comet off road. http://www.rvtrader.com/listing/2014...omet-116350307

I have it listed over winter cause it can't hurt. I am not trying to dump, will negotiate and would give a CSC break. Would love for an easy sell, and stand behind its condition if you are interested. Its also priced fair per NADA because there are basically none with these specs for sale (when I checked last).

Let me know if you have other Qs on it or in general. I love camping Colorado. This state is amazing.

[kevplus2]

Taylor park. You can boondock in a single spot for 14 days and never ride the same trail twice. Plus all of the amenities are close (water, dump station, trading post). We do a week there every summer. Would be hard pressed to find better camping and riding in colorado

[Clovis]

I was looking at the free campsites.net and saw the Tarryall area as well. I really want to drive up there and look around as it looks like a number of people like it. I am lukewarm about the shooting, I have 2 little ones and not sure how they would respond (18 month and 3 years). If it isn't too close/loud, they would likely be okay.

In general thoughts for you on buying used from anyone.......
What is your budget? If you go older than 5-7 years, you need to heavily inspect the canvas. Don't be surprised if you should account on spending some extra to repair spots, they wear out, it happens.
How much space do you need? We had 1 kid when we purchased. Now we have 2 and 2 medium dogs. its tight, just encourages more time outside. We have napping/sleeping drama, when it is time, they'd rather screw around and play vs sleep, so it is a PITA at nap time and bedtime.
After standing in ones with and without slide-outs, I could NEVER get a non slide out. it adds so much space.
Weight of camper, what are you towing with? At flat sea level, you can tow more weight. Out here, hills and elevation kill power. lighter is definitely better.
If I were buying used, I would like to see the water system pressurized to ensure no leaks. With our winters, busted water systems is a reality. and it can be a royal PITA for you to fix someone else's problems that you inherit.
Storage. always need to need more. I wish I had more secured storage on mine. I considered adding lockable boxes, but really wanted to keep the front porch open to hold motorcycles.

Those are some general thoughts about purchasing used. When I was looking, we said, okay, what can we get for $5k cash. I was severely unimpressed with the condition of most for the $5k range and felt most everything would need 1-2K and time to get it maintained back up. So then said, okay, what about $10k cash / loan combo. That lead to like new campers and then a number of new options. So then said, well hell, why not just get off road to take bikes (or grill and tons of other gear), pay a bit extra, get a warranty and exactly what we want... so that lead us to buying our 2014 Starcraft Comet off road. http://www.rvtrader.com/listing/2014...omet-116350307

I have it listed over winter cause it can't hurt. I am not trying to dump, will negotiate and would give a CSC break. Would love for an easy sell, and stand behind its condition if you are interested. Its also priced fair per NADA because there are basically none with these specs for sale (when I checked last).

Let me know if you have other Qs on it or in general. I love camping Colorado. This state is amazing.

Okay - so here's where I'm at:

Tow vehicle is a new 2016 Taco Off Road with towing. Ordered a couple weeks ago, will be here in a month or so.

Tow rating is 6800lbs and tongue rating 640lbs.

I think I'm settled on a popup trailer camper. Low drag and you can see over them make them easy to tow. The question is, do I get a canvas with it's expandable interior space, or a hard side A frame with it's ease of setup, secure materials and some other nice amenities.

Basically - the hard side is the better of the two when it comes to materials, insulation, lockable doors and ease of setup - but if the extra space with an expandable canvas (like the comet) worth giving those up?

That got me to thinking - I have only ever been "tent" camping - so the idea of a camper is almost sacrilegious to Mrs. Clovis. So, with that in mind - every time I've been camping, I'm only in the tent to sleep or change clothes. Otherwise, we're outside doing whatever we came there to do.

So, wouldn't a camper be the same? Just basically a way nicer "tent" but you still spend most of your time outside... so as long as there's a bed for mom+dad and a bed for 2 kids - that's really all you "need", right?

I'm leaning towards one with the ATV/Cargo area so we can take a couple of dirt bikes and go on these camping/trail riding trips as a family. Between that area and the bed (Double cab, short bed - so it's 5') we can probably fit 2 adult + a youth dirt bike or two.

Worse case we already have a dual bike trailer so we could always take 2 vehicles if we had to. But the whole dirt bike thing is a ways out, our kiddo will be 2 next month.

I'm sure you had a similar decision - what about the canvas sold you over a hard side? Is extra space worth it?

[Captain Obvious]

I would think for any popup type, your Taco is enough, but you won't be screaming down the road. Stupid mtns are steep.

Hard vs Canvas.....
Heat retention is a bit better for hard side. Propane goes fast to heat, electrical is better, but you need the juice to run heaters.
Hard side will usually be a bit heavier but not signifigantly
There are some campgrounds that only allow hard sides, but that list is small.
While I like to be outside when we camp, we spend more time inside these days. And even more now that 2-3 hours is consumed with naps, early bed, all the extra baby junk you have to bring (also storage). I find the baby anchor keeps us in the campground more as well. With a canvas, you open it all up and it is like you are outside. The slides make a huge difference in space. If you can go stand in them back to back, you will see. When you have 25 sq feet, an additional 10 feels huge! It is also the walls of the hard side, they just make it seem like you are in a closet to me.

PU vs SUV vs storage on camper. I had suburbans most recently so needed the storage to take motorcycles since I had no PU bed. Part of why I went with the model that has storage out front. You don't want to have to drive multiple vehicles IMO. Its just a PITA so some form of a toy hauler was a must have. I also found it made throwing my grill on the "patio" VERY easy and we used a lot

[Sport_Toorer]

Check out "dispersed camping" in nearby forests. Maps also available on US Forest websites.

[Clovis]

That's true about the naps. Nap time is our favorite time on the weekends!

Now you have me rethinking the expandable version.

One of the appeal of this Taco in particular is the 16 has a lot of nice off road electronic aids and a little off roading is something we can do with the kiddo in her seat

At least, that's the theory. Good point about throwing the grill on the front storage!

I would think for any popup type, your Taco is enough, but you won't be screaming down the road. Stupid mtns are steep.

Hard vs Canvas.....
Heat retention is a bit better for hard side. Propane goes fast to heat, electrical is better, but you need the juice to run heaters.
Hard side will usually be a bit heavier but not signifigantly
There are some campgrounds that only allow hard sides, but that list is small.
While I like to be outside when we camp, we spend more time inside these days. And even more now that 2-3 hours is consumed with naps, early bed, all the extra baby junk you have to bring (also storage). I find the baby anchor keeps us in the campground more as well. With a canvas, you open it all up and it is like you are outside. The slides make a huge difference in space. If you can go stand in them back to back, you will see. When you have 25 sq feet, an additional 10 feels huge! It is also the walls of the hard side, they just make it seem like you are in a closet to me.

PU vs SUV vs storage on camper. I had suburbans most recently so needed the storage to take motorcycles since I had no PU bed. Part of why I went with the model that has storage out front. You don't want to have to drive multiple vehicles IMO. Its just a PITA so some form of a toy hauler was a must have. I also found it made throwing my grill on the "patio" VERY easy and we used a lot

[kevplus2]

Okay - so here's where I'm at:


I'm leaning towards one with the ATV/Cargo area so we can take a couple of dirt bikes and go on these camping/trail riding trips as a family. Between that area and the bed (Double cab, short bed - so it's 5') we can probably fit 2 adult + a youth dirt bike or two.

Worse case we already have a dual bike trailer so we could always take 2 vehicles if we had to. But the whole dirt bike thing is a ways out, our kiddo will be 2 next month.

you are going to struggle to find one with the atv platform that comes in under your max tongue weight once an atv or 2 motorcycles are loaded. it seems the manufacturers all put the platform up front, which really adds to the tongue weight. real world you are looking at about 400 lbs of tongue weight. doesnt leave much for toys.

my first toyhauler was a fleetwood scorpion s1, which is basically a high-side popup with a long platform in the back for toys. we really liked it and would have kept it if there had been more room inside. the popup was already small inside, cant see sacrificing room to have the hard sided version...especially with a young kid. the way it was, we couldn't have put a pack n play in it for the kid to sleep in since it was basically a hallway between 2 beds with all the amenities on either side of the hallway. i guess you could block off a bed to keep the youngster from rolling out of bed.

we never had any issues with it retaining heat (the canvas does a surprisingly good job) and it never leaked on us. even woke up to snow in the morning a couple times, but stayed plenty warm and didn't use much propane. since the popup was mounted sideways the rear platform turned into a large party deck once the toys were unloaded. was great being up off the ground when things got wet. for the grill ours had a bracket that clipped on the side and the grill slid on the bracket. not sure if many companies still offer the setup, but you can buy it from camping world and mount it wherever you want.

the one thing i have heard people comment on with canvas popups is the fact we camp in bear country. same risk as you would face in a tent, although you would be better off in a popup in my opinion. common sense like keeping your area clean and your trash secured away from the camper and you shouldn't ever have a problem, but some peeps are paranoid

you will want to upgrade by the time you are ready to take the toys so i would get one with either no platform or the small platform for now. after using it for a couple seasons you will want different features, or maybe a whole different type of camper and the prices on popups arent outrageous, so you wont be losing a ton if you dont get alot in resale. going used for your first camper is the best approach. let someone else take the hit on resale and work out the bugs while you figure out what you really need through experience.

[Clovis]

Thanks for the advice! I'm re-evaluating the canvas popup.

I'm really digging the Somerset Evolution E3 w/ deck and off road.

The fact that it has two king beds is really nice - you could fit 3 kids on those things.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4uD9WUbGgI

[Nolan]

We are going to the RV show this weekend to make a list. A pop up for us would be more of a settling until we find a smaller toy hauler. Just have to justify the fun factors for the money......

[Captain Obvious]

We are going to the RV show this weekend to make a list. A pop up for us would be more of a settling until we find a smaller toy hauler. Just have to justify the fun factors for the money......

I really want to go but not sure if my schedule allows, I have my little ones solo. I went a couple years ago and it makes it VERY easy to do some side by side comparisons. Was hoping to look at the different bunkhouse models.

[kevplus2]

that somerset line looks really nice. i like the use of all of the aluminum, but then...i own a livin lite, so i am partial to the use of all aluminum.

speaking of livin lite, you may want to check out their popups. i dont have any experience with their popus, and even though they sold out to thor, they are all still all aluminum construction. great for weight concerns. you can find out more info and opinions on the owners forum (http://livinlite-owners.com/)

[Captain Obvious]

I went to the RV show yesterday. Found a ton more models than my previous search uncovered in the class that I am looking in (TT, @30ft, bunkhouse style). It was good from that standpoint alone.

I also did see some other pop up off / road options that I hadn't seen before as well. Clovis, you might want to consider going up there just to look. I wasn't looking for popups specifically, but did notice some models. It felt like they had a much larger % of the non-popups, but some were definitely represented.

They had some dealers and some manufacturers. We purchased our 12RT off road from Kettleson, they were there with a ton of models. I am most likely to purchase my next one through them as well.

[Nolan]

Headed there tomorrow with the family. I figure if they (the kids) break it we won't want it.....

[Captain Obvious]

BTW, I did think of another place I am aware of, Alta Lake near Telluride.

[Nolan]

Found a couple haulers that we'll have to look for used or at a huge discount. Apparently next month is the sportsman expo so there could be a much different selection along with the other stuff. Did find a dealer that does reasonable rentals of pop ups as well. Will probably use them later in the year. ~$55 a night.