Interstate-specific boondocking strategies?

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

18 days on the road in two countries, 17 overnights of which 13 were boondocks (and none of the other 4 involved actual hook-ups). Here are some of our take-aways below. I wrote this listicle-style, so it's easy toilet reading whether one is perched on a plastic Thetford or a more conventional vitreous china cabinet.





THE LONGEST JOURNEY, PART 4: LESSONS LEARNED

Read your blog - nice job! You should check with Verizon on your cell plan. We have a plan that lets us use everything in our plan including data for $2/day while in Canada. It has worked well for us - I think Verizon started this option about a year ago.


- - Mike
2013 Interstate Lounge EXT on 2012 Sprinter

[InterBlog]

I saw something to that effect in my Verizon txts... Historically there have been many strings attached that only show up in the finest of fine print. I've seen so many people burned by "unanticipated tower relays " and stuff like that, that inflate the cost wildly. If it works as represented now, I'd love to hear more.

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

I saw something to that effect in my Verizon txts... Historically there have been many strings attached that only show up in the finest of fine print. I've seen so many people burned by "unanticipated tower relays " and stuff like that, that inflate the cost wildly. If it works as represented now, I'd love to hear more.

It's call Travel Plan. I think you just add it to your current at no cost. It only activates when you leave the USA. In Canada and Mexico the rate is $2/day per device. We used it on a trip to London last year. The rate in Europe is $10/day per device. I thought it was a pretty good deal. Before that I would add Canada to our plan on a month by month basis, but that did not include data, which was very expensive. This new Travel plan is a better deal for my use.
http://www.verizonwireless.com/landi...tional-travel/


- - Mike
2013 Interstate Lounge EXT on 2012 Sprinter

[amirm]

Great read IB. THanks for doing these blog posts. We used to live in Florida and took a trip to canada and as you, were totally dismayed at how hot it was all the way up in summer time. And just as humid. Worse yet, far fewer places had air conditioning.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Boxster1971

It's call Travel Plan. ...[/url]

It looks promising and the only fine print jumping out at me at first glance is "must be on a qualifying plan". I have had an international calling plan on my contract for years, but it has never helped me with foreign data. Only voice.

I had an extended family member in the military who had to travel between the US and Canada while remaining in constant contact with the unit for which she was the CO. Senior military officers cannot give any whiff of impropriety, so on one trip, she went through this whole cellular prove-up research effort to make sure she wouldn't appear to rack up a bunch of foreign charges on the taxpayer dime. When she got back to her unit, she got the bill and it was for some outrageous amount rather than what she'd been quoted. She called up the cell provider and said what's the deal? You told me the rate, even gave it in writing. And this bears no resemblance to that. That's when they told her that her cell signal had bounced off an unanticipated tower and they didn't have any control over what the owner of that other tower was charging.

And that's when I said to hell with all of this nonsense - I'm not even going to use cellular outside the US. These companies know that, if you are caught between countries, it's very hard for you to launch a dispute. And so people get screwed over.

[Mcrid]

Nice write up IB. We stay at Toomsuba when we trek to East TN to visit family. Convenient and clean. I've read complaints about noise from the salvage yard near by, but we have never had a problem.

We used the Verion Travel plan on our Canada trip this summer and there was no surprises. $2/day for our full plan features.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Mcrider

Nice write up IB. We stay at Toomsuba when we trek to East TN to visit family. Convenient and clean. I've read complaints about noise from the salvage yard near by, but we have never had a problem.

We used the Verion Travel plan on our Canada trip this summer and there was no surprises. $2/day for our full plan features.

Good to hear about Verizon. Maybe I will take the plunge next year.

We were pleasantly surprised with Toomsuba, especially being the first KOA we ever tried. Spartan and a bit run down here and there but perfectly clean and well-run. The daily sites (water and electricity) were among the best I've seen anywhere - nestled in the woods, very private (by campground standards).

[InterBlog]

Once again, I have a comment for which there doesn't appear to be an ideal thread to put it in. But this thread is at least in the vein.

Suggestion for Interstate boondockers: Every time you come across an interesting facility that would do themselves justice by breaking out of the hook-up paradigm, consider taking 3 minutes to shoot them an email with a business development suggestion. The outcome might end up being win-win.

Case in point: Last week there were some human interest news media stories on this Texas operator who has distinguished himself by offering high-end tent camping at around $300 per night. That may sound absurd to some people, but in the rarefied environment of the Hill Country, I predict he will find success.

So what if he also offered an analogous set of limited, isolated off-grid vehicular sites for maybe $50 per night, or maybe even more? Keep the price high and the rules tough (no generators, no music, no junk trailers, etc.) to attract only the most responsible boondockers. I'd certainly pay for a service-less isolated parking spot on the Pedernales. It would be quite a special experience versus the state park of the same river's name where you are guaranteed to have literally hundreds of other people on top of you. It's a nice park but forget about experiencing nature or tranquility there.

Anyway, I emailed the guy with a pitch, describing our Interstate in the process so that he can visualize that it's a high-end option that fits with his high-end aspirations. My suggestion would result in minimal incremental development costs on his part (no utilities) in return for an expanded revenue stream and clientele.

Voicing the possibility can't hurt. As our vehicles get more and more capable, the world around us needs to hopefully keep pace with commensurately-expanded recreational options. Some wineries and farms have begun to realize the potential in this approach. We all should be spreading the word.

[InterBlog]

"It could be a trip of a lifetime or your worst nightmare: being stuck on an isolated island for weeks at a time with no running water or electricity, rustic shared accommodations and potential exposure to extreme weather."

Well if someone could flat-barge your off-grid Interstate onto said island, it wouldn't be bad at all, would it?? Just ramp 'er right there onto the beach. I'd say it would be ideal.

Flight of forum fancy: imagine an Interstate in a scenario like this. By the time I get to retirement age, such opportunities might actually be attainable.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-s...land-1.4731228

[TayaraTravel]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

"It could be a trip of a lifetime or your worst nightmare: being stuck on an isolated island for weeks at a time with no running water or electricity, rustic shared accommodations and potential exposure to extreme weather."

Somebody has been reading

[rowiebowie]

Originally Posted by TayaraTravel

Somebody has been reading

Or it may describe RVing at times.

[InterBlog]

Dropping this info here in case I need to search it out later.

The 2019 summer planning has begun; threads are popping up about traveling in eastern Canada, including Nova Scotia.

I knew that the Province was declining to enforce its well-known categorical exclusion (i.e., total ban) on "RV overnight parking" (boondocking) but it wasn't until today that I found a reference formalizing the policy that I had observed to be enacted.

It boils down to a talking-out-of-both-sides-of-the-mouth "you're not allowed to do it, but you're not committing an offence if you do it" (Commonwealth spelling). Anyway, a handy reference:

http://www.acornwall.ca/rv_ban_update.html

[Mansderm161]

Just found this thread and read whole thing. Had to smile. I grew up in the Texas hill country. I have found no one anywhere understands driving distances like IB's blog mentioned from Texas to Canada except Texans. I drove back and forth every 2 months from Ohio to South Carolina (720) miles with 1 pit stop in a mini-van from 2009 until July 2017 when I moved to SC full time. As a physician, my biggest fear was DVT so I would tank up on Aspirin about 3 days before I made the trip. I never recommended that anyone travel like that! Now that I am retired with the interstate, I will never travel like that again. But I've learned quickly that its not always easy to find a place to stop when I prefer to stop, which is about 300-350 miles. I now have cracker barrel, harvest host, passport America, KOA, etc.to reference. I had no idea it had gotten so difficult to find spots in Texas. Growing up, we went to Garner park on whims and camped with no reservations. My parents have property in the hill country and installed a 30 amp hook up for me. An RV park just went up about 5 miles from their property and I thought "who would want to stay there?", but there were campers there, not full last May, but it was brand new....I'll check it out again this year. So now I will discuss with my brother converting my parents property to an RV park when they pass because I had no idea it was such a high demand. Good info, thanks again.

[InterBlog]

So much has changed in the 3 years since I hatched this thread - both in our lives, and in the industry.

From my post #14 in this thread: "Hubster and I had our solar system epiphany two weeks ago when I had to rearrange a work junket because I couldn't get a commercial reservation for the Interstate [a hook-up reservation was needed because the van had zero off-grid capability at that time]. .....We realized at that point that we just had to push through and get the solar finished."

We did, indeed, push through and get the solar finished. AND the entire rest of the electrical system too, including a lithium conversion. AND then developed an off-grid property in Canada for our rig (put in a private road and parking pad).

And along the way, boondocked in some of the worst-conceivable places, and some of the best-conceivable places. Here's one of the latter. This pic is one of my favorites in part because the 125-year-old lighthouse's top stripe is the same garnet color as the stripe on our van.

[bugsbunny]

I love that picture and the freedom it represents!!!!!

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by bugsbunny

I love that picture and the freedom it represents!!!!!

BUGBUNNY +1 btw, is it just me or does that lighthouse make my AS look small?

[Mansderm161]

It's just awesome!

[InterBlog]

I'm in my mid-50's. Neither lighthouse nor anything else will make my AS look small.

[emoji5]

This forum looks prettier on an iPad. NASA upped its security protocols and my husband stopped using his, so I commandeered it. I have long considered iPad an instrument of Satan. It's designed primarily for content consumption, not creation. As if, in our slothful society, we need yet another device that prioritizes the wrong one over the other. I must admit though... all the pictures look better than on a phone.

[3bcamper]

I will let you all in on our secret; our most frequent destination is bike trails. We have been boondocked at many a bike trailhead without an issue. We usually get a drive-by during the night by local law-enforcement, but never got a knock on the door. I guess the rack of bikes on the back tells them we’re there on business. Most of these bike trail destinations are in small towns. Quiet.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by 3bcamper

I will let you all in on our secret; our most frequent destination is bike trails. We have been boondocked at many a bike trailhead without an issue. We usually get a drive-by during the night by local law-enforcement, but never got a knock on the door. I guess the rack of bikes on the back tells them we’re there on business. Most of these bike trail destinations are in small towns. Quiet.

3BCAMPER - Uh-oh, I wish you had not given away our cyclist secret (Just kidding) Yes, it definitely helps to have the right equipment (empty bike rack and loaded one). A lot of the trails in our neck of the woods are open round-the-clock. It is not unusual to have multi-day racers/riders be out on the trail at weird hours training. So an empty bike rack means they're still out on the trails night riding. A fully loaded rack means they're taking a breather, if they are out of state plates, usually means they are out to hit the trails 1st thing in the morning. It would be a lot different if the vehicle was a sports car without a bike rack. In fact when we go to bike events & races, we do that all the time and never had issues with our regular van or the AI provided we are close by to where the race is happening the next day.

Pic of our support van we would use for race day below (bike rack not installed on this pic). This van never got a knock parked in any trailhead day or night, empty or occupied