Boondocking for the first time, looking for advice and suggestions...

Jay_and_Kat

The wife and I are thinking of going to a rustic state park next summer on one of our outings with our T@B 400 Boondock.  No hookups for campers at all, no electric, no water (not that we've had water hookups,) no showers (this is going to be a minor issue for me,) and vault toilets (ick.)  The closest we've come to "boondocking," has been camping at locations with just electric, but with toilets and showers, so we've been able to minimize our water use for one, and keep the black tank from getting too full by using the toilets most of the time.  We've also kept our propane use down by using our small camp stove we've had forever, rather than using the camper stove, and the weather's been cooperative enough so we've not had to run the heat.

So, boondocking(ish), what should we look to do differently?  We'll have to run the fridge on propane, do we leave it going 24hrs, or run it, let it cool down (we've got some remote temp sensors to keep an eye on temps, then turn it off to save on propane?  Sites at the campground look like they'll be on the shady side, so I don't expect the solar to keep the batteries topped up, but we can avoid using the inverter to keep our phones charged, we've got some GoalZero battery packs and a solar panel to charge them back up (teeny, tiny thing, totally not useful for the camper.)

Now we get to my little conundrum.  I'm one of those people, if I don't get a shower in the morning, I feel grungy and don't really "wake up."  I know to take "navy showers," run the water to get wet, water off, soap up, water on, rinse off, water off.  I've done this a couple times in the camper so I know it's doable, how quick are we to fill the grey tank doing this daily?  We've got a Rhinotank, so if we do start getting too full, we can drain into it and drive to a nearby state park with a sanitation station to dump it, two actually, both about 30 minutes away, but if we could avoid that (ew, loading it in the bed of the truck and driving with it, although we did that on a trip this summer), it'd be nice.

One thing we're thinking of trying as well, to get a feel for it, is going to a regular campground and just not hooking anything up, no electric, no water, etc, to give it a try with a parachute close at hand, in case we have problems.

So for the folks who've been doing this longer, what pearls of wisdom can thou bestow upon us?

Tabaz

Some additional information would be helpful.  How many days do you plan to boondock?  What is your battery capacity in amp hours?  How many watts of solar do you have?  Is a generator an option?  I'm guessing hot water each morning for a shower (however brief) is an important consideration.

Grumpy_G

You didn't mention how long you plan on camping in that one location. That pretty much limits how many showers you can take . If it's only for 3-4 days no need to worry about the gray tank. Many less developed campgrounds have a gray water discharge station so you could drain the gray tank into a bucket or bin and carry it there. 

The fridge does use very little propane so no need to turn it on and off. The fridge is designed to have a continuous process for cooling. 

I mostly camp at locations with no hookups at all (forest service, BLM etc.) and know that my trailer will do 3 days without worrying about anything. Longer and I have to whip out the solar panel and think about conserving water. 

pthomas745

First: the trailer is designed to do this.  You don't say how long you intend to dry camp...but you certainly can handle several days with ease.  You have the big dual 6V battery setup, with 135 amp hours available. You would have to work for several days with the fan, the tv, the Alde, all the lights..to use up 135 amp hours.  The trailer is very light on power.

Your propane tank is about the same.  The fridge is pretty light on propane.  I know I have gone for a week without using too much of a tank, and other owners will confirm this. The trailer is very light on propane, too.

Search the group for "Navy showers".  Navy showers are more popular there than they were in the Navy!  But, I'm with you: I like getting fairly clean at least once a day.  However: a running tap is wasting water and tank space.  Every time a faucet is on, the water should do as much "work" as possible. So, a decent clean is possible, but just be wary of letting the water run. 

Verna gave us this great idea and it continues to be a hit.  A big pressure pump spray bottle. I fill it with warm water and use it to shower with. Or, rinse dishes with.  Or, simple clean ups.  There are several different types of these, but I have one of these.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00002N8OB/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Marceline

I don't think propane is a concern and you should feel comfortable using the stove in your camper and the fridge 24/7.

The main issues will probably be power and the gray/black water tanks. Since you have a propane fridge even power might not be too much trouble. It seems like the inverter is a power hog, so I'd turn it off. 

When I'm worried about wastewater tank capacity I've used big body wipes and rinsed with water. I use the tent camping method to wash dishes (scrape dishes, use biodegradable soap, strain gray water, dump as appropriate at the location). I have a dish tub that fits in the sink of my T@B.

I think that doing a test run at a regular hook-up campsite is a good idea.

bergger

We've boondocked for 7-8 days with our 2021 400 with no issues.  Your 2022 should be equipped the same as ours.  If you start with a full propane tank you can easily run the fridge on it's coldest setting and cook with no worries of running out for I'd say a week. 

The 12v outlet in the dinette is dedicated 12v so you can use that to charge your devices without having to use a secondary battery system.  That's what we do.  Our last boondock trip was in August for 7 days.  The campsite was heavily shaded but the roof panel did help out topping off the battery on some days.  Towards the end of the week I hooked up our solar suitcase, moving it into the sun and that helped as well.  Even with the shade and our 3.5 year old 6v batteries we never ran lower than 75% power.  This is measured with our smart shunt.  We also used the inverter each morning to brew our coffee in an 850 watt coffee pot.  It used 3-4% battery life for a pot and is the only time we use the inverter.   We do not use the tv and are conscious of using the lights.  Our dual 6v batteries do an amazing job.  I think you'll be fine.  Don't abuse your power consumption but also don be too frugal.  Enjoy yourself.  As @pthomas745 said, the trailer is designed to do this.   IMO boondocking is generally way better than busy full hookup campsites.

I do recommend getting a smart shunt for your system.  It is an easy install and lets you know exactly how much power you have and how much power each electrical draw uses.  It is super helpful.  Like I now know that the bathroom ceiling light uses way less power than the bathroom accent lights.  Same in the kitchen. The accent lights use way more power than the kitchen overhead lights.  The shunt helps you manage your power consumption and gives you confidence that you can actually use more electrical and be more comfortable than you would think. 

As for the shower question I may not be the best to comment on that subject.  I'm the guy who through hiked the 500 mile Colorado trail two years ago so I think showers are overrated!   I took 4 or 5 showers in a month!  But you can easily take several navy showers and not fill up the tank too fast.  Or take a shower every other day and on the other days use an XL Epic Wipe to clean off.  They are actually great and we use them frequently when we camp.  Also we have very clean gray water.  We wipe our kitchen ware off prior to washing as we like to keep as much food product out of our gray tank as we can.  All our soap is safe for the wild.  I often will drain gray water from our tank and use it to put out our campfires at night.  A good way to both lower you tank and ensure your fire is completely out.  It is easy to drain gray into a 5 gallon bucket without making any mess.  Just don't pull the black lever! 

Enjoy your trip and where are you going?

Maxcamp

Showers...
With the camper winterized I have taken a sitz bath in the bathroom several times on a long trip.
  Heat water on a camp stove, partly fill a rubbermaid rectangular washbasin which we also use for dishes.
Stand or sit/stand in basin in camper bathroom and repeatedly sponge yourself down.   One to two gallons max. This is how we used to bathe when working for the USFS and we had to backpack water in or had minimal stream sources.
Dump basin outside to minimize tank fill.

Binghi

Don’t use the inverter. Orient the trailer to catch the most sun you can for your rooftop solar panel. Find alternate uses for your gray water, as @bergger suggested. Use the vault toilets and pretend you’re backpacking when it comes to daily hygiene. Bring along one or two 7-gal containers of water.

Jay_and_Kat

So as to not leave everyone hanging, most likely we'd be doing a "long weekend" trip, so 3-5 days most likely.  Which, it sounds like, we ought to be fine without having to get overly miserly with water use or propane.  Electric might be a bit more of an issue, but as I said, what little we actually plug in is our phones to charge (which we can do from camping battery packs,) and occasionally a laptop (which could be left home)

All of the suggestions have been quite helpful, thank you everyone!

Jay_and_Kat

bergger said:

Enjoy your trip and where are you going?

We're looking at giving Fisherman's Island State Park a try:
https://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?id=447&type=SPRK

Someone suggested it to the wife a weekend or two back.

lkc001

My extended family and myself all have our own rigs.  I have a Tab 320S and once or twice a year my elderly mother comes with me.  We have PLENTY of propane for 4-5 days boondocking--I have never come close to running out of propane on a 5 day trip.  Have sufficient water as I bring bottled water for drinking and cooking/coffee using water wisely.  Have external portable solar panels if needed to keep the battery topped off.  We do not put TP in the tank (use trash can) for #1.  Also can take extra 5-7 gallons jugs of water if you think you might need them and get a battery operated pump to transfer water to the trailer tank or pour it with a funnel.  I use this because I cannot lift and pour the 7 gallons jugs.  https://www.amazon.com/L-Winyer-Transfer-Transfers-Min，39-3in-Thickened/dp/B0BVHNDJRQ/ref=psdc_15707731_t1_B01HOXQ680

lkc001

I also take a Jackery solar generator that will run my small electric coffee pot and charge all electronics.

StepheninDen

I mostly do long weekend boondocking trips. I’ve got an older 320 CS-S, so much smaller capacity on everything all around. When I started out I worried a lot about running out of stuff or filling up my tanks. Once you do it a few times (and make some mistakes), you realize that with reasonable moderation that you can do all the things you want for several days without running into problems. My mistakes taught me that, except for a few important safety considerations (like running out of water once), that it wasn’t that big of a deal if I did run low or fill up a tank. For peace of mind I now bring 5 gallons of extra drinking water, camping water filter, cooler with lots of ice, backup stove and extra sleeping bag. Worst case scenario, I know that I’m as prepared as if I was tent camping but in a rig that is WAY more comfortable than a tent.

Once I was prepared for the worst, I started to focus on enjoying my T@b and not worrying as much, while practicing common sense moderation. I now have a very good sense of what I can and can’t do depending on length of trip and conditions, and when I need to plan to dump my tanks or break out the solar panel.

So my suggestion for you for these first few trips is to be prepared for the worst but don’t start off using any of those supplies. Experiment with using your 400 the way you would ideally like to be able to for a weekend. Take a navy shower every morning, run your fridge the whole time, charge your phones, etc… I think with the 400 you’ll find that you’re well within your limits in 3-5 days. If you do start to max something out, it will be valuable learning to help adjust your practices. (Disclaimer: It worked for me, your results may vary 😂)