We were ready. Yes we were. Everything had been done to prepare for the test of our boondocking limits. All the meals were prepped. The last leisurely showers were taken…and I had resigned myself to living without smooth legs for the duration 😬. We were doing okay out there. The test to see how long we could go without being connected to utilities was underway. And then…
The generator died.
Now, in our younger days, Ken and I did our share of primitive camping, but we aren’t really into that level of outdoorsiness these days. And besides, we love our electronics (and the new InstantPot). The only option was to pack it all up, go back to Vegas to the local Cummins dealership, and get the generator repaired. Which we did.
Attempt Number Two
It’s now day six in the captain’s log for attempt number two. Water supplies are holding and we continue to enjoy sunny days, which are keeping our batteries charged. The generator is running smoothly, after it’s little hiccup, and all systems are functional
It’s working
I am kind of amazed we are spending this much time un-tethered, and it’s fairly easy. How much more can we do? We really don’t know. How many sailor showers can we stand? The gauges supposedly tell you how much of this and that we have, like water and propane, but (hearty laugh) we’ve learned not to trust those.
Since this is a test, the location we have chosen does have a dump station and fresh water fill-up nearby. It will only be a matter of putting away the awning, cranking up the RV, and driving a short distance.
We are taking baby steps. We are still finding our way in the RV world, learning still more about ourselves, and what trade-offs we are willing to make. The beauty is that there are options with this lifestyle.
Better camp locations
We adore our location on Lake Mead. It’s peaceful, beautiful, and a huge surprise that it is so close to Las Vegas. But if we get a noisy neighbor, we can move, if sailor showers get old, there’s an RV park only thirty miles away.
Saving money
What is important from a financial standpoint is that this form of camping is only costing us ten dollars a night here at Callville Bay. We are in a National Recreation Area and are using a senior pass that cuts our camping charges in half. To be positioned in an RV park with all it’s utilities and amenities would be about thirty to fifty dollars a night – and sometimes even more. You can see that boondocking is a considerable savings. In addition, you have options to be more remote than we are now, which would cost us nothing – but we are not quite ready to go there yet.
Everyone has their ideas about what they will and won’t deal with. This was a test of our boondocking limits but so far, we’re good. That extra twenty dollars a night is staying in our pockets and will allow us more in the dining and entertainment fund. I’ll remind myself of that when I take my next two-gallon shower.
Always grateful. 👫