What It’s Like to Live Off-Grid in an RV

When you think of camping in an RV, you may picture luxury: electric-powered lights and television, running water, and a flushable toilet. At campgrounds that offer full hookups, those things are realities. Boondocking, or dry camping, however, means sacrificing those luxuries. Or does it?

Without shore power electricity, you can camp as if tent camping, reading and participating in outdoor activities rather than watching TV or using a laptop, and relying on solar-powered lamps after the sun goes down. But those aren’t your only options.

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to live off-grid in an RV, we’re happy to share about our experiences doing so.


Powering Up and Topping Off

Thanks to the 10 solar panels on our fifth wheel roof (six 160-watt and four 100-watt), we typically get enough energy to keep our three 170-amp-hour batteries charged to power everything we want to operate. That includes my work laptop, dual monitors, office light, Bob’s computer, our TV, digital picture frame, and Google Home — and even charge our phones. 

We rely on propane to run our refrigerator, water heater, space heater, stove, and oven. Our rig has designated holding spaces for three 7-gallon/30-pound propane tanks, which provides plenty of fuel for a week or two off-grid. We limit microwave use, instead opting to heat water, coffee, soup, and leftovers on the stove.

For water to make coffee and meals, clean dishes, brush our teeth, flush the toilet, shower, and drink, we have to find a potable source to fill our 75-gallon freshwater tank. We prefer to do this near our camping destination at a gas station, campground, or dump station rather than hauling the liquid long distances, which can affect fuel efficiency and put unnecessary strain on Gulliver and Tagalong.

We tend to stock up on groceries, prescriptions, and other supplies before going boondocking. That way, we can stay longer, which saves on fuel. 


Finding Warmth on Cold Mornings

On cold workday mornings, I get out of bed and, clad in a fluffy robe and slippers, descend our three steps to turn on our portable propane heater in the living room. The portable heater is more energy-efficient than our onboard propane heater, which uses electricity to start the motor.

After that, I open my office door to try to get some warmth in there and then roll up window shades. Most of our windows include two shades: privacy and blackout. We pull down both after the sun sets to help keep cold air out. Opening the shades in the mornings lets sunshine in for natural heat. 

Then I check our VictronConnect phone app to get a read on our batteries’ state of charge. If it registers 75% to 80% and the weather forecast calls for a sunny day, I know I can run my little electric room heater in my office without too much dent on our battery life.

If, however, the reading is closer to 50%, I need to conserve as much energy as possible. That means starting my workday in the warmth of bed or in the living room near the heater using my laptop disconnected from a power source and from my wall-mounted dual monitors. 

When my tummy starts rumbling, I heat water on the stove to brew coffee in our 50-ounce French press and make a bowl of oatmeal. “What about Bob?” you may be wondering. He stays in bed reading the news and then has a light breakfast on his own. 

On rare occasions of multiple cloudy days, Bob starts one of our two propane-powered generators to charge our batteries up to 100%.


Dealing with Waste

With no garbage pickup off-grid, we have to remember to take our trash with us to deposit in a public wastecan anytime we venture into town. 

We also have to be mindful of the liquid that goes down our sink and shower drains. Our fifth wheel has a capacity of 85 gallons of this gray water, which tends to add up fast — even with turning off the faucet between lathering and rinsing when taking a shower. Wastewater also comes in the form of black water, or toilet water. Our rig has a 50-gallon capacity for this. 

Our gray and black water tanks usually last for a couple of weeks before we need to empty them. If we plan to boondock longer than that and don’t want to hook up the truck and trailer to haul to a dump station, we have to find a way to dispose of their contents. Some RVers carry a macerator and portable wastewater tank for this purpose. 

We don’t have either of those, so we try to take advantage of public restrooms when away from our RV and be vigilant and sparing when using water from our faucets. 


Enjoying Nature

By camping off-grid, we’re able to get our rig into scenic areas we otherwise wouldn’t, such as in the shadow of a towering mountain, atop a butte overlooking a city, or near a rushing river or expansive lake. 

We like to take daily walks in nature to get exercise and admire wildflowers, desert flora, and varying terrain — and creatures big and small in their natural habitat when we happen upon them. Getting out of our rig also allows us to meet other RVers and exchange stories. 

Being in nature isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be, however. It often comes with windy conditions, the price we pay for the beautiful surroundings. We’ve learned to accept that as part of the experience. Despite that aspect, we’ll continue to take advantage of the boondocking opportunities that come our way.

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