If you have been following us for any length of time you know we keep bumping into Bob and Pearl of The Next Exit on YouTube. This time it was a planned Meetup, where we would spend some time together boondocking in the Arizona desert.
Along with Bob and Pearl were three other couples who also follow the Next Exit YouTube channel. I believe it was the first time boondocking for anything more than a night or two for all of us.
If you are not familiar with the term "boondocking" , it is camping in an RV with no hook-ups or utilities - surviving solely on the capabilities of your RV. This means no electric so you have to use batteries or generator. No water except what you brought in your tank. And you have to be able to hold all of your used black and grey water in your holding tanks.💩🚿
This is easy for a night or two. But we were staying for almost three weeks! That changes everything.
To run lights and fans and refrigerators you have to keep your batteries charged. That implies either run your generator or use solar.
I had just completed installing solar on our RV, so this was a great test. In fact we stayed in Quartszite for 16 days total and never ran our generator at all. We also made it 9 days on our holding tanks before we had to dump. Success!
One couple, Jeff and Laurie, were in a large class A motorhome. They were well equipped for boondocking with a large solar array and lithium battery bank. They still had to run their generator ocassionally to use their convection oven, but that's the only time. Without the oven, they could do very well on their batteries and solar.
Another couple, Pat and Christine, were RVing in an íncredibly cool custom built overland vehicle. It is built on a heavy duty IH truck chassis and could literally drive over most regular cars. We had a chance to tour it and I have to say it was amazing. There was not an inch of wasted space, and everything was very functional.
The experience they had with the group helped convince them that they like boondocking. They are currently in Florida getting a huge solar array installed.
The third couple, Charles and Abby had almost no boondocking experience at all. In fact they honestly were pretty sure they wouldn't enjoy it. But the time spent with the group changed their minds a bit. I believe they really had a good time. They said they are still on the fence as to how deeply they will get into boondocking, but they now know just how far and how long they can go. It was eye opening for us all.
Believe it or not, Bob and Pearl were also newbies at this. But they did incredibly well and really liked the idea. I suspect there will be a lot more boondocking in their future. Although whether solar plays a part in that is yet to be determined.
Each day we gathered for breakfast, pot luck style. We did the same for dinners. Needless to say we ate very well.
Between meals we took care of projects, took walks and explored the area. Bob and Pearl replaced their Microwave Convection Oven, Charles and Abby installed some fire protection on their fridge, and Jeff and Lorie worked to tweak in their solar performance. Pat and Christine just helped everyone else with their projects. Considering we were in the desert with no hook-ups, it was still a very productive time.
We closed out each day with a roaring fire and a glass or two of wine. Most nights we had something sweet one of the couples had màde. Let me just say that Pearl's bourbon balls are now famous (or should that be infamous 😁) We talked, joked, sang songs and shared stories from each of our travels. We got to know one another very well.
This was a super experience and one we will never forget. I feel as though we have some life long friends, each living a similar lifestyle, and each out to see all this great country has to offer. I expect we will ocassionally cross paths in our travels and that will certainly be a joyous reunion. In fact we hope this might be just the first of what could become an annual January tradition.
I want to thank Bob and Pearl for organizing this and allowing us to be a part of it. If you want to see actual video of the time we had together, and meet the whole gang, there are a couple of links to Bob and Pearl's channel on YouTube below. Perhaps when you see what good, honest, caring (and funny) people they are, you might be led to just subscribe and follow their journey. And if you happen to bump into them someplace, be sure to tell them hi from us.
That's it for this one. Next up is our second boondocking stay in Quartszite as part of the Winnebago View and Navion rally. We'll include our time at the Big Tent show and the surrounding area.
Thanks is for reading! Feel free to share.
Cindy and Terry
Suggested Next Exit Videos
Watch "How we Boondock in the Arizona Desert and our tips to extend our stay in comfort." on YouTube
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