OFF The ROAD Airstream Off Grid Tips

[Ray Eklund]

The 23 foot 2006 Safari went everywhere we tent camped in the past. The 2007 camping season was our Education on what an Airstream could do... with the help of a second pair of eyes and two shovels. One for Nancy to use... and the spare shovel, if she broke the one being used. Not really... She was posing for the photo.

Most Off the Grid roads are passable that are well used. Even the two ruts if you stop... walk it to an area that is a potential camp site. The next day we walk to explore and may find 'better off the grid' camping we want to set up.

You fill in a rut with dirt.
You can add flat rocks to drive upon for a crossing.
You can use Leveling Blocks (we carry 20 leveling blocks)
You can BACK OVER a dip in the road, or just turn around and leave.

These photographs are the FIRST OTG Boondocking year for our new 2006.

Detaching the trailer at your 'comfort zone' is best when getting experience. It is the safest and most practical option.

As you become familiar with how YOUR length of Airstream handles dips in the road, high centering on two ruts, and just length BUMPER DRAG avoidance... you will find more options for private campsites. Most will not venture off the paved road or a RV Park.

Note that in ALL CASES... one is watching the trailer and one is listening behind the steering wheel. Team work. It is automatic and you learn hand signals and watch the person following trailer as it gets over obstacles. Team Work!

Sometimes the driver gets out for a second opinion. Sometimes a third...

The most dangerous of all... low hanging tree branches in the forest... and in a small town hanging over the curbs. Oh yes... Lander, Wyoming on the curb side parking on the south side of the road... look for those branches. Many RV Owners... have nice scrapes to admire. Not us...

Branches are HARD SCRAPES. Leaves and green branches are more forgiving. Just avoid all... and short brush that can tear off brake wiring... seriously.

You now have ALL Options available. The LAST photograph are gasoline prices at Tonopah, Nevada May 13, 2008.

The photographs were taken in Utah, Nevada, Wyoming and Colorado.

Believe it or Not. Our 27 Front Bed Axle placement makes it very easy to travel like our 23 foot OTG. Adding the 3 inch lift kit and 16 inch wheels make it the BEST OTG Airstream we have towed. Sometimes a Neanderthal learns what is possible and learn to back up if necessary... You can too!

[Dingo Girl]

Ray I always enjoy your posts.

[pteck]

Enjoyed your post Ray. I'm sure you have a wealth of experiences and camping stories to share.

One tool that's come into popularity in the last few years for the off-road/overlanding crowd is traction boards. Fits in great for travel trailer boondocking as well. I carry a set with me that's come in handy a number of times. If not for myself but others. Great for bridging depressions or to make more clearance against obstacles, leveling, and self recovery from mud or even simple wet grass.

Stream on!

[Ray Eklund]

Other trailer owners ask "How do you find these places?"

Well... it sure is not from reading a RV Campsite list. You find an area that looks interesting off the road, find a turn off and snoop around. Once you make the turn... stop. Log the odometer where you are starting. I reset to 0. Nancy makes notes of the road name, if any and if we turn off the road, the mileage and direction is written on paper.

Not written in my thick skull and brain tissue... it is not always accurate.

As you can tell from some photographs... the road does not determine what you will discover unless you travel upon it. Road quality does not determine if what you will find is nice or not.

Often, in the Western USA, the open areas with barb wire fence is private property. Once you get into the National Forest... you will know by the cattle guards (those government employees who check your ID before entering the National Forest) begin to show up. Some areas will say "Entering National Forest". Also, "Leaving National Forest" is also a clue. "Entering Private Property" is a polite warning to... keep moving along.

I like DeLorme Atlases... but you chose what you like and discover later that you will prefer what I use... a paper Map. High Tech travelers use the GPS locations of campsites that are on the Web and everyone is there... and you are in their way.

The roads are often maintained. Maybe last done in 1956... but you would not know the difference after a good rain and a Winter with six feet of snow to melt off the road.

These are places where we camp and collect nice agates and browse around, maybe try fishing if I have a Fishing License. If no license... it is cheaper to buy your fish at a store. Game and Fish in Wyoming, Montana and Colorado will explain how things work out in those States. Bring cash... checks may not be accepted.

This Spring... try being unique. Any fool can camp at a RV Park... I know... I did the first couple weeks towing. Learned my lesson, faster than most.

The first photo is the Missouri River east of Butte, Montana. It was 102F that day. We opened our lawn chairs in a small creek with the two Blue Heelers and cooled off. Ahhhh.... maybe yes. Maybe no. Who knows? It was Montana. It is the Missouri River... there are BIG Fish in it if you get on a bluff and look along the shoreline.... remember the Game Warden?

Get prepared. Montana, Nevada, Wyoming, Idaho and New York City....

[Ray Eklund]

Previous posting... not Butte, Montana.

This is what we do every year... hunt for treasure. It is the hunt that is fun. Finding something, is a pure accident, but we have found some really nice things in nowhere.

OK... East of Helena, Montana July 15, 2007 to July 17, 2007. Since I blew it on Butte... I scanned how we marked the first year Boondocking. We now Number the campsite within a circle. Then on the borders of the map, have the number and coordinates, describe if we liked it or not and WHY we were there in the first place. Often... just getting late in the day, so need to find a place for the evening.

The parking area was empty and no fisherman. A sign said no overnight camping... so if you do not want to camp with a dry restroom provided... we camped just east off a road next to that small creek. All to ourselves... and two Blue Heelers.

Sapphires centered around Phillipsburg, Montana. Then get directions. It has been 14 years ago for us.

That year we were panning Montana blue and green Sapphires. Found them, but small and Gem Quality. Many rock shops selling beautiful sapphire rings made at their shop. These sapphires are found in gravels you pan like gold. They are heavier for their size and no larger than an 1/4 inch. Most found are like blue sand. Gold prospectors found Sapphires in the 1860's while panning along the Missouri River.

There is another Sapphire area called Yogo Gulch. If you own a home near it, you get to mine any time you want. Look it up... maybe someone will let you... dig.

Today, these gravel pits may no longer be open for camping and pay to pan. I have a lot of Sapphires... non big enough to work with... but are hardness of 9. Diamond is a 10 on Mohs scale.

We found this area just by looking at the roads and map. Now you know where it is exactly... but not at this campsite.

We have some maps so full of campsites that the border is full of locations. On pages 56 and 57 we have three locations. No Sapphires.

Yogo Sapphires... give it a try. Get wet and dirty, but leave in time to find that special camp site before sunset. Downtown Phllipsburg and to the west you will find this sign. It goes to, Hamilton, Montana a gold placer area... but we had clean finger nails and toe nails... and no sense making a mess of things.

Want to find Sapphires? Lots of information now on the Internet. Also books and no doubt Rock Shops. One town in Montana in the area you can pay for a bucket of gravel and Pan it on their property. You will find Sapphires. Bring a magnifying glass...

[Kevinshortnh]

Love your posts!

I'd love to hear about your Off The Road and Boondocking experiences in your 2019 27' International - with modern electrical device demands and such.

[Saluda372]

You do get out there !

[Ray Eklund]

Originally Posted by Kevinshortnh

Love your posts!

I'd love to hear about your Off The Road and Boondocking experiences in your 2019 27' International - with modern electrical device demands and such.

******
We are 100% 12 volt power, AGM Interstate batteries, 2 - 80 watt Solar Panels on the Roof and always bring a Costco purchased 100watt ($100 cost) Solar Panel with Control to cut solar off when batteries are 100% attached directly to the two batteries. I have the + on one battery and the - on the other. Seems to work well.

Having Solar... being in the shade is... well, not to your benefit. We do not spend all day in the trailer. We are out exploring during the day and in and out. The Radio really sucks... as Off The Grid... I like AM Radio and nothing until sunset to listen to. Barely... Tinkering with the tiny antenna for extra signal.

We are 100% Propane Refer, Cooking and Heating, which heating includes Two Blue Heelers, wife, myself, extra covers when evenings are below 32F and sunrise is 65F in one hour at high elevations and thin air. Cold in the shade... and Hot in the sun. So you park the trailer side to Sun when you want heat... or front into the Sun to keep the trailer Cool... in the hot elevations.

Maybe if it gets below freezing we fire up the Furnace, or now our Little Buddy propane unit for ten minutes... and wear heavy clothing in the mornings.

Carry six gallons of fresh water in the pickup in addition to the Fresh Water tank. If near a lake or river... dogs drink a lot of water. We do not toss out clean water, but put it into the dog's water bowl.

Black water in trailer is urine only. I can then bucket the urine/water into a fire pit that someone did not toss water onto... or water a tree along a hillside. We use 'cat holes' and leave no toilet paper, as it goes into the trash. (Cattle urinate a gallon or two as an example of adding nitrogen into the ground. Urine is sterile. Feces for those who are not infected is compose.)

I actually will go out at night and water whatever I feel is needy. Our 'bathroom routine' changes in a RV Camp or NFS campsite with restrooms. We aren't idiots... although someone will say we are doing something to infect the world... somehow.

Many have never spent time at a Ranch. Cow Patty is no cleaner that your 'best'... Oh well... a favorite topic of mine. Cowboys working cattle do not have restrooms or a water fountain near them, either.

Grey water is minimal, if any. We use a Wash Basin outside. Wash Dishes and I toss the water onto deprived bushes of my choosing.

Trash is never burned. We do not use a campfire, but that is our choice. Some like a campfire... we like to get to bed an hour or so after Sunset and get up just around Sunrise. Two Blue Heelers are able to walk into and out of trailer when in the Boondocks with no neighbors on warmer days.

This is learned behavior. I lived my youth in a Cabin without running water, one light bulb, one outlet, wood burning stove, no refer but a cellar... and an outhouse near Flathead Lake in Montana an NW Montana as my dad worked for the Forest Service.

Those who find this 'odd', are RV with power, water and black water hookups. Go ahead and clog your Black Tank. It just does not work... as we discovered in 2006. One time... we figured out the toilet is optional in the deep forest.

Our 2019 is Propane and Solar 12 volt. Never a complaint. Never ran out of water, food, power or comfort. The first trip in 2006 I was an Airstream Helpless Male ASHM. A learning curve that was straight up like a tree... and then the side branches as options.

We tent camped for decades and that was easy. We became soft... and saw trailers and people looking comfortable and no aching backs from sleeping on the ground with two Blue Heelers taking more room than... necessary.

An Airstream... a Manhattan Apartment on wheels. You add some hardware and better screws into the interior so the cabinets do not pile up onto the floor, or come loose and hanging. Fix it after you buy the 'second' Airstream. Ours is ready right now to go... but waiting till Spring.

Double Axles from the 23, 25 to 28 are go anywhere Airstreams. Once over 28 feet... the rear end needs to be watched for dragging. The 25 is the BEST. We managed it and the 27/28 foot... AHHHHHHHH.... Our last and best! Now we earned the extra room.

[Vlamgat]

The spirit of Wally Byam at work here.

[Ray Eklund]

Confidence is all you need and after one vacation without Plans, Reservations or even know where you end up... makes you the Wizard of Oz.

When Off the Grid traveling... you have to watch Up, Down, Both Sides, dragging the Rear End of your trailer, High Centering due to deep ruts (rarely see those roads, but turnouts can have them). Your head is moving constantly as you will recognize obstacles.

The Shot Gun passenger when setting up among trees... is out watching. If you do not hear you are clear... you get out... and look.

We carry long handled Trimming Loppers. Cut back brush encroaching the one lane to a campsite. Toss the branches away from the road.

Always, one person out and the other towing watching both side mirrors, looking ahead for top clearances and high centering and boulders that could be in your way. Sometimes you stop, park... and walk the route to where you want to go. This when you are at a Campsite and getting orientated the way you want. Rarely need one to walk the road in front of you... but often the Blue Heelers like to get out and... help.

It becomes second nature... that is... you can SEE what you are getting into. One season.. you can glance... and it is Yes or a No Go. The passenger walks up front and looks back at your side to side clearance.

As you gain experience... it is all routine. We would call it the 'pucker factor'. You stop at that point... walk it out and see what you need to do. Rarely do we have to back out as you can see trouble way ahead. By then, you are looking for a way to turn around and retreat.

The photo where I am looking at the side is staged at the time. There was a tree cut out of the way that had fallen into the road. I was checking something, but not sure what. We have pulled fallen trees out of our way... in New Mexico. If they are under three hundred pounds... you pull and the rotate enough for you to get by.

Sometimes the trailer does not look level in the photo... we call it an illusion. It is the angle of the camera to trailer. I can take a photo because it looks rather... a terrible spot to camp... but wonderful if you are in the trailer and level.

The photos are the 23 foot with 14 inch Marathons all in 2007! Get a map. Decide a general area to visit... and GO. No reservations, no plans and AAAHHHHHH.