Boondocking
The term "Boondocking", as commonly referred to in RVing circles, is living in your RV without being hooked up to grid power, municipal water supplies or municipal sewer systems. That is not to suggest that you can't be "on the hook" but simply taking advantage of your RVs ability to "disconnect" and function independently. Spending the night at a truck stop or Wal-Mart parking lot really isn't boondocking as we see it.
I would surmise that the greater number of RVers on the road
today do not take advantage of this feature that is inherent in the design of
what a recreational vehicle is supposed to be. A common comparison can be made with the
boating community as the concepts are essentially the same. The RV is the
land version of a vessel at sea. It is unfortunate that so few people take
advantage of this ability when traveling in their RVs.
It appears that boondocking is progressive in nature. We have
experienced this and have progressed into the boondocking state of mind as our
experiences on the road accumulate. We have really grown to love the freedom
that boondocking brings us. And, this doesn't mean that we have to "rough
it" as some may mistakenly assume. When we started out, spending more than
one night not hooked up in an RV park was rare. We found out that RV parks don't
really want you to boondock. That would mean less money for them. They even
lobby local governments to prohibit overnight parking outside of an RV park to
force people to use their facilities. Many local municipalities also feed on the
forced revenue source in the form of an additional tax levied on the parking
fees. This isn't freedom. It's extortion. Patronizing these places only exacerbates
the problem.
The intent of the RV is to give the owner a safe and comfortable
place to call home while traveling. The range of RVs is spread from a simple
pop-up tent camper to a luxurious motor coach with all the amenities. The style ranges of RVs allows everyone to fit some type of vehicle into their budget so
choosing what is right for your individual needs is as individual as you are. It
helps to decide just what kind of traveling one wants to do before making the
investment. Your RV can change and grow with you or be traded for another type
as your needs change. Just as in boating, it helps narrow the field if one has
decided where and what type of traveling is planned. We researched for almost 2 years before settling on our particular
rig. 
Our budget was limited and our experience was very limited. We are still
growing in knowledge and experience. This helps us make wiser decisions on
growth and expenses as we continue our traveling. We first learned when we got
out west that the opportunities for boondocking were much greater. Federal
lands, that includes Bureau of Land Management, National Forests and state
lands, are open in many areas for intrepid boondockers. We since have
come to the realization that these same opportunities exist everywhere once one
knows what to look for and how to go about doing it.
Our first real boondocking venture was tested when we spent time
in the Arizona desert with other boondockers. We thought we had prepared for
this but found that we had underestimated our comfort needs and decided to
expand our boondocking abilities. We added more solar panels and batteries and
began learning that there is so much more than just spending the night in a
parking lot somewhere.
To be comfortable is relative to the individual RVer. As a family of 3 people, 3 dogs, a cat and a parakeet, it took several tries at long term boondocking to realize what our specific needs were.
Most RVs come with a "house battery", a water tank and a sewage holding tank of some type. If one wants to spend longer than a few days off the hook, then upgrading these areas will be important in insuring your comfort. You have to become your own utilities, water system and waste treatment plant.
As in sea faring vessels, we have to make our own electricity,
treat our own water 
and treat and dispose of waste. 
Each one of these can be as simple
or complex as you want. The majority of people we have met boondocking so far
have extended their original systems in order to stretch their off the hook
time. Most do not plan on being completely free of all services indefinitely. We soon learned that we wanted to add
capacity to our
battery bank, water tank and holding tanks. Again, as with a boat, there limitations
based on available space. One thing any RVer will realize very quickly is that
space is always at a premium. Trade-offs must be made at some point or a bigger
boat is in order.
So the goal is to stretch the off hook time to a time frame that
fits your needs. In order to allow us to stay parked in one spot longer, we
developed a way to re-supply 
and
carry away refuse independently of the RV.
We first obtained a water bladder. This was good but not as good as the barrels.
The water bladder is easier to handle and store but tended to get holes where as
the water barrels are quite sturdy. The obvious drawback with barrels is finding
a way to carry them. With
this method, as long as there is a water source and a place to dump, one could
stay in place year round if need be. I guess that leads back to the whole idea;
to be independent. One can stay as long as one wants or move as often as the
notion strikes.
A general rule of thumb is that the more often one wants to move the less set up and take down one wants to deal with. This is why those who are in a hurry to cover a lot of ground in a shorter period of time usually choose some type of motor-home. All they really need to do is roll up the awning put down the TV antenna and go. One can do essentially the same thing with a trailer but if you have disconnected then a re-connect is needed before taking off for obvious reasons. We liked the idea of finding a nice spot to park our RV and then leave it there while we explore in the tow vehicle. A person can also tow a second vehicle with motor-home but it is just another thing to hook up before getting on the road again. That's one of the great things about RVing. To each his own. What ever life style suites a person they can take it with them, if they want. Or, even better, change out of the old routine to a new exciting adventure. Live a lifestyle that stimulates not stagnates.