RV Home Yet?

Wildfires along the AK Highway - decision point

Today we found out a startling piece of news - the Alaska Highway is closed between Fort Nelson and Watson Lake. There is a huge out-of-control wildfire raging on both sides of the highway near the Smith River. Three communities along the highway have been evacuated. The fires and closure are not even listed on the official BC highways site, so it is difficult to get information. Several news sources reported the highway closed, a couple said intermittent closures.

We are in Prince George so we could continue on to Dawson Creek as planned and take our chances. Or, we could go west and take the Cassier Highway to Watson Lake instead and bypass the fires. We had planned to return by the Cassier and stop at Stuart/Hyder and see the bears fishing for salmon. That doesn't happen until late summer/early fall so we'd miss that.

We had already planned to spend a couple of days in Dawson Creek at Milepost Zero (yesterday I said Milepost 1), probably stop in Ft. St. John and then also spend a couple of days in Ft. Nelson. By then, firefighters might have a handle on the fire. If we go that way, I hope they can keep it from Liard Hot Springs. Right now it is within 17 kilometers from the lodge. The wind shifted the fire in another direction, but could shift back.

We'll decide by tomorrow. An RVer must be flexible! Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Ease into boondocking

Boondocking is camping without hookups. You can "blacktop" boondock at a Wal-Mart parking lot. You can also boondock on public lands in gorgeous places.

To get set up for long-term boondocking, you would want to outfit your RV with solar panels, an inverter and a catalytic or ceramic heater at the very least. But, if you've never tried boondocking, or dry camping, spending money on those items may seem a risk. The best thing is to give boondocking a try.

Choose a place you feel safe

Some parks have a boondocking section, usually an overflow section. Or give it a try in a friend or relative's yard or driveway.That way you are close to a power source if you need it.

Try one day at a time

At first, boondock for one or two nights. That way you have less danger of running out of power or water. You'll get a feel for using fewer lights and appliances and conserving water. 

Go with a friend or group

A good way to try boondocking at a Wal-Mart, a casino or out on public lands is to go with a friend. That will ease any safety fears. Or, if you run your batteries down, your friend can help.(Photo- bike security at a casino)

 For desert boondocking,many RVers in our Boomer group have gotten a taste of boondocking in Quartzsite (pictured) at our annual rally. With more than 100 RVs, safety isn't a factor, but you can get good advice on boondocking and how to conserve power and water.Town isn't too far away so you can obtain more water or dump when needed.

After boondocking for years with my late husband, I went to the desert in Ajo after he passed away and parked south of town. I finally found a good spot. I worked on my computer with a light on plus had the radio playing. The lights began to surge and dim. I soon figured out my battery was dying! I turned everything off and tried to start the generator. It wouldn't start. I went outside and tried manually starting it. No luck. I didn't have enough power to do that! What to do? I didn't want to sit in the dark until morning. Then I remembered I could run the truck engine for a bit, recharge the battery enough to start the generator and get through the night until driving or the sun could recharge the battery in the morning. Whew! The truck started. I only had one house battery in the truck so it taught me I had to conserve or upgrade. And, I would have been fine for the night had I not been able to finally get the generator started.

Try boondocking and see what you think. Our RVs are self-contained and were made for this! Who knows, maybe you'll love it. You may even become an "extreme boondocker" and be able to go weeks without a hookup in a gorgeous place. Have fun with this! Remember one other thing: your house has wheels. You can always start the engine and move to another place, even one with hookups. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

For more information on boondocking, see our boondocking articles at RVLifestyleExperts.com.

One man's answer to high fuel prices

Brian Brawdy of UT has a Lance camper on a Ford 350. By going "green," he can boondock or camp "off-the-grid" and save money. He has six solar panels mounted on the Lance, 3 on the front of the cabover part and three on top. In addition he has a turbo wind generator. And, he collects, then filters rain water for drinking!

He keeps track of the electricity generated on a wireless monitor. Brian also has a weather station to check for storms when water is getting low.

You can see a picture of his Lance and watch a video of his interview on ABC Baltimore.

Having two or three solar panels gives you much more flexibility in your travels. You can blacktop boondock at a Wal-Mart or big box store or camp free on public lands if you are set up for it. If you have to have hookups each night, you limit yourself in where you can go and you must spend money on an RV site each night.

Using less energy helps the environment and saves you money. Plus you can boondock in some fabulous places. (Photo: Boondocking along the Salmon River in ID) Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

RVs for the homeless in affluent Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara has 57 spaces for RVs for the homeless. After getting a bad time for disallowing RV parking, the Santa Barbara City Council has designated spaces for RVs to park, 14 parking spaces by the city, the rest of the spaces are at churches, nonprofits and private businesses. (Read more here.)

Some Santa Barbarans worry that all the publicity will encourage the homeless to flock to the city. They aren't happy about all the publicity. So far that hasn't happened, nor have they had a flood of middle class families due to foreclosure.

The program appears to be working well. Twenty families have been moved to permanent housing.

Good for Santa Barbara for taking positive steps to help with a serious problem. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Venice aka "Muscle Beach" does not want RVers

Venice, CA is a funky town situated along the ocean. It's known for its carnival atmosphere, Muscle Beach and street performers. It is a kick to walk down the boardwalk along the beach, where all the action is.

The funniest thing I saw at Muscle Beach was a fellow sitting on the sand, playing his guitar. His case was open for donations. The sign said he was raising enough money to get home- wherever that was. And- he took donations by credit card!

Street performers trying to raise money from tourists are a draw in Venice but at least one group does not want RVers. An ordinance is under consideration by the Venice Neighborhood Council's RV Task Force which would allow any person (or persons) to sleep over-night in recreational vehicles parked anywhere in the City of Los Angeles, on public or private property, with the permission of the owner. An independent neighborhood watch group composed of "Concerned Residents and Business Owners Living and Working in the Venice Beach area of Los Angeles, Caifornia. U.S.A." is totally opposed. In their view, homeless people will live in RVs, contribute to the crime rate, trash the place and take up street parking.

It seems to me that if this ordinance fails, legitimate RV visitors to Venice residents, that is family and friends, will not be able to park in town. Perhaps a limited time period of a few days or a week would allow visits but prevent abuse.

When we visit my sister in La Canada near Pasadena, we used to be able to park in her driveway. With the addition of pillars and gates, we don't fit anymore. The nearest RV park was 40-50 miles away. RV parks in the Los Angeles area are not plentiful so prohibiting overnight RV parking when visiting family could make it almost impossible to visit.

I did post a comment that at this writing has not appeared. You might want to add yours or see if you agree. See Living in Venice: A Petition about Transient RVs.  Jaimie Hall-Bruzenak