TL;DR: Dry camping in an RV requires water, grey, and black tank management, power generation, and trash disposal planning. Follow these steps for a smooth experience.
What Is Dry Camping?
Before diving into dry camping tips, it's important you know exactly what dry camping means.
Dry camping refers to camping without hookups for electricity, water, and sewer.
Unlike staying at a campsite with full hookups, dry camping requires RVers to rely on onboard resources such as batteries, freshwater tanks, propane, and holding tanks.
Many RVers choose dry camping because it offers:
More flexibility
Access to scenic locations
Lower camping costs
A quieter, more immersive outdoor experience
Dry camping is often used interchangeably with boondocking, although some RVers use "boondocking" specifically to describe off-grid camping on public lands.
Why RVers Love Dry Camping
Dry camping has become increasingly popular among RV travelers because it provides a level of freedom that traditional campgrounds often can't match. Some of the biggest benefits include:
More Scenic Locations
Many of the best dry camping locations are far from crowded campgrounds. Examples include:
National forests
BLM land
Desert landscapes
Mountain overlooks
Farms and wineries
Greater Flexibility
Without needing hookups every night, RVers can:
Travel spontaneously
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This flexibility is one reason many Harvest Hosts Members enjoy incorporating dry camping into their travel style.
Lower Travel Costs
Campground fees can add up quickly. Dry camping often allows travelers to:
Reduce overnight costs
Extend longer trips
Allocate more budget toward experiences
If you are not used to RVing without hookups, dry camping may seem like quite a daunting task. However, with a few considerations and some planning ahead, you can become a dry camping pro in no time. Follow these basic steps for a successful and seamless experience.
1. Conserve Water
This may seem like a basic concept, but it’s one of the most important considerations for dry camping. Without immediate access to fresh water to refill, you will need to self-manage your tanks to ensure you do not run out of water.
Start by determining your tank capacity. This may be written on your tank, or it can be found in your specs list, outlined in your RV user manual. Once you know your tank capacity, you will have a better idea of how much water you have to work with.
Be sure to arrive at a dry camping destination with a full fresh water tank. Plan ahead and never assume that your camping location or Harvest Hosts location has somewhere for you to fill your water.
Next, you will need to conserve water for the duration of your dry camping stint. You may need to be more or less conservative, depending on the size of your freshwater tank and the length of time you plan to spend dry camping. Keep showers short and consider turning off the water in between steps to save water. Wash and rinse dishes in a trickle of water, and do not leave the water running while brushing your teeth. These basic tips will help make your tank last longer.
In addition, keep an eye on your tank meters. These will tell you when your tank is three-fourths full, half full, one-fourth full, and empty. Adjust your water usage based on how much water you have used and how much more time you plan to camp before refilling water.
2. Conserve Grey Tank Capacity
Grey water is wastewater from your sinks and shower. The more water you use for showers, brushing teeth, hand washing, and dishes, the faster your gray water tank will fill. Conserving your gray tank capacity is just as important as freshwater conservation. You can find your grey tank capacity information in your RV manual as well. Keep in mind that your grey water tank is typically smaller than your fresh water tank.
Be sure to arrive at a dry camping destination with your grey tank empty. You can empty it at many gas stations and travel centers, state parks, national parks, or private campgrounds (for a small fee).
The Sanidumps app will help you find places to dump your tanks before camping. Likewise, you’ll have to find somewhere to dump your tanks before returning home or to your next destination.
Watch your tank meters to monitor your grey tank fill levels. It is never okay to dump grey water, so be sure not to overfill your tanks while dry camping. If the tanks are filling quicker than you expected, cut back on water usage to ensure you have plenty of tank capacity left for the duration of your stay.
3. Manage Black Tank Capacity.
Managing your black tank is similar to managing your grey tank. This tank is filled solely from toilet usage and is typically the smallest of the RV tanks. You can use the same dump stations for both black and grey tanks. Be sure to arrive at a dry camping destination with an empty black tank, and keep an eye on tank capacity throughout your stay. Don’t forget to dump your tanks before returning home or storing your RV.
4. Generate Power/Electricity
Power is the trickiest utility to manage while dry camping. Your house batteries store power for your RV, and they can be charged through a variety of methods. Plugging into shore power and driving both charge your house batteries. If you are only planning to dry camp for one night, you may have enough power stored to last until you move onto your next destination. If you need to recharge your batteries while dry camping, there are a variety of methods.
Many motorhomes and toy haulers come equipped with an on-board, gasoline-powered generator. Running this will allow you to charge your devices and batteries. If your RV does not come with a generator, you can purchase one and hook it up to your batteries. Remember to be considerate with generator usage, since they are typically very loud while running. Ask permission from your host, and only run your generator during reasonable hours to avoid disturbing your neighbors.
If you plan to do lots of dry camping, it may be wise to invest in a solar power kit. These can be installed by professionals or self-installed if you have electrical experience. There is typically a large up-front investment, but you will save money over time if you dry camp often.
5. Manage Trash Disposal
The last utility to keep in mind is garbage. Since you will not have access to a campground dumpster while dry camping, you will need to find another way to dispose of your waste. Many gas stations allow customers to throw away their garbage if they are filling up. Likewise, some grocery stores do not mind if you throw away a bag of trash when you are buying groceries. Be sure to practice consideration and ask permission when disposing of your trash.
6. Practice With Shorter Trips, Extend Gradually.
Dry camping has a bit of a learning curve. If you are new to this, it is best to start by practicing with short trips. A one-night stay at a Walmart or a Harvest Host location may be the best way to start out. You can gradually extend your trips to two or three nights, all while practicing conservation of water, grey/black tank capacity, and power.
The more you practice, the easier it will become. Many “professional” dry campers are able to last 10-14 days without refilling water or needing to dump their tanks. This may be longer than you ever plan to dry camp, but with practice, most could easily last three or four nights.
How Harvest Hosts Makes Dry Camping Easier
Many Harvest Hosts locations provide an excellent introduction to dry camping. For one, plenty of Harvest Hosts offer electric and/or water hookups. If you’re used to having full-hookups, it may be easiest to try partial hookup camping first before fully diving into dry camping.
The Harvest Hosts map allows you to filter to find locations that offer hookups, and even shows nearby dump stations, making the dry camping experience at Harvest Hosts locations as easy as possible.
Other benefits include:
Unlimited overnight stays with no camping fees at farms, wineries, breweries, and other unique locations
Opportunities to support local businesses
Convenient stops between larger destinations
For many RVers, Harvest Hosts serves as the perfect bridge between traditional campgrounds and more independent dry camping adventures. Because most Harvest Hosts stays are self-contained overnight experiences, they naturally encourage RVers to become comfortable with dry camping practices.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dry Camping
What is dry camping in an RV?
Dry camping is camping without hookups for electricity, water, or sewer. RVers rely on their onboard systems and resources while staying at the campsite.
Is dry camping the same as boondocking?
Not always. Dry camping simply means camping without hookups. Boondocking is a type of dry camping that typically occurs on public lands or in more remote locations.
How long can you dry camp in an RV?
The length of time depends on your battery capacity, freshwater supply, waste tank capacity, and propane levels. Many RVers can comfortably dry camp for several days, while advanced setups with solar power can stay off-grid for weeks.
Do you need solar panels for dry camping?
No, but solar panels can significantly extend your ability to dry camp by helping recharge your batteries each day.
How do you conserve water while dry camping?
Some of the best water-saving strategies include: Taking shorter showers, using campground or attraction facilities when available, washing dishes efficiently, and fixing leaks promptly.
Dry camping may seem overwhelming and difficult if you have never tried it before. However, most find it very rewarding to forgo hookups for the opportunity to spend the night at beautiful Harvest Host locations, gorgeous dispersed camping areas, and the occasional, convenient Walmart lot.
Harvest Hosts is a unique RV camping membership that offers self-contained RVers unlimited overnight stays at 9,700+ unique locations across North America with no camping fees. Stay at farms, wineries, breweries, museums, golf courses, attractions, and other one-of-a-kind destinations while enjoying memorable travel experiences and the peace of mind that comes with knowing a safe place to stay is always nearby.
