We have chosen some unique camping options this year and have enjoyed visiting new places!

Are you struggling to find campsites this year?  RV sales have hit record sales, and there is a surge in people renting campers as well.  Campgrounds are packed this year and many RV'ers are frustrated at the scarce options.  I'll admit, that it has been frustrating for me as well.  I'm a planner, and I book well in advance of our trips.  But, you can still enjoy camping this year, and I'm sharing some of our favorite tips for enjoying your RV more this year!

No matter where we go, we are just happy to be together.

 

Tips for Booking Campsites During a Record RV Year!

You may feel let down by your RV and campsite options this year.  But, we are really loving this year and our camping experiences so far.  The availability of reservations has not stopped us.  We have actually gotten a little more creative, and I encourage you to do the same. 

Sure, you can find both private and public campsites this year.  However, you may struggle to get reservations at many spots during peak times. Regroup and rethink your typical and go-to camping experiences and start thinking outside of the box!  I have four options that you should really consider no matter how busy campgrounds are!  These new experiences might come to be your best yet!

Hip camp provides camping options in both urban and rural settings.

Hip Camp

Hip Camp offers unique experiences for people looking to get outdoors.  Use their app or site to search for tent camping, glamping, RV sites, and more.  Experiences range from people that are willing to let you pitch a tent on their rural land to full hook-up RV sites.  You can even find tree houses, tiny houses, and yurts.  

I joined Hip Camp a couple of years ago, but it came in handy this year when we were trying to book a state park for Memorial Day.  Even months in advance, we were unable to find anything near where we planned to meet up with my cousin and his family.  Hip Camp helped us to find a small RV Park on someone's land.  

Harvest Hosts pairs campers with experiences at museums, breweries, wineries, and more.

Harvest Hosts

Harvest Hosts also offers unique camping opportunities.  But, unlike Hip Camp, you pay an annual fee to join.  There is no cost associated with the locations where you stay.  However, you are encouraged to spend money with the host where you are staying.  These are typically 1 night stays.  And, these would make excellent stops on a trip as you travel across the country or from one location to the next.  

Hosts include farmers, wineries, breweries, museums, and more.  Experiences may be more urban and some more rural.  But, it is another way to get out there and have new and exciting experiences. 

Private land can provide wonderful experiences in nature and with animals too!

Private Land

If you have a friend that is willing to let you bring your RV or set up a tent on their land do it!  We have a couple of friends that have offered us this option, and we are taking them up on it this year.  We have been talking about doing this for a while and will finally pull the trigger and go for it.  

Make sure you know what you will need before camping on someone's private land.  If you are accustomed to full hookups, then you want to fill up your tanks ahead of time or make arrangements to do this when you arrive.  Have a plan for dumping your tanks when you leave.  Locate a locate RV dump station near your home.  We have one at a local gas station in our town.  It only costs $5 to use it!  We also have a sewer connection at our home that we have used as well.

Make sure that you will have a place to plug in or a generator if needed for running your appliances.  We do own a generator.  And, we are also talking about a portable solar panel kit for keeping our batteries charged to do a low-key setup!  Our RV is prepped for solar, and I would like to try this out.  Just know that if you want to run everything in your RV on solar, portable kits won't typically do that.  It is much more complex to run your entire system on solar energy, and there are limitations involved with portable kits.

Sometimes the most remote and rural can have the best views!

Boondocking

You may be wondering how boondocking is different from camping on private land.  Well, it isn't really.  But, boondocking can be in less populated areas like BLM (Bureau of Land Management) spots.  Because of their remote locations, these can be less populated.  And there are not always as many people willing to boondock.  So by the sheer numbers, you might have better luck with this option.  

Boondocking or dry camping means you need to have everything on board and prepared to go without hookups.  Some people do just fine with this, and it doesn't appeal to everyone.  Boondocking is less appealing to me because we live where it is really hot for much of the year.  We need our AC, and so there would only be certain times of the year where we would really enjoy this kind of camping.  However, it is something that we plan to try out this year.  And, since we feel a bit more seasoned at this point, we feel brave enough to try it.  Just do your homework ahead of time and know what you will need and also what you might do without since you won't have hookups to rely on.   

Campsites might be at a premium this year, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy camping.  Be creative.  Look for spots that are off the beaten path and different from the traditionally shopped spots.  With a little out-of-the-box thinking, you can really score some great locations that will have you rediscovering the great outdoors for a record year of fun!

Until next time...

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