Category: RV

Epic Winter Camping Spots in Southern California’s Deserts

.Reading time 11 minutes.

From November through April, Southern California’s blazing hot deserts cool down and transform into pleasant, tranquil camping destinations with wide open desert views. Just last weekend I camped for three nights out in the Glamis sand dunes, and it was sunny and 70 degrees each day—and that was in January! Below are a few of my favorite RV camping destinations in Southern California’s deserts. None of these spots require a reservation, most of them are free to camp, and a couple require a permit for a small fee. Read on for more information about these remote, beautiful desert boondocking spots. Read More

Camping and Off-roading in Johnson Valley

.Reading time 7 minutes.

If you like to cruise endless desert dirt roads, crawl up rocky trails, and blast through dry lake beds, then Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle Area is a must do. Johnson Valley is located in Southern California’s high desert in Lucerne Valley off of Highway 247. Widely known as the home of King of the Hammers, an off-road Jeep race, Johnson Valley is full of dirt trails that meander amongst rocky mountains and wide open desert. I’ve camped at Johnson Valley several times to off-road and explore, and I’ve also watched Mojave Off Road Racing Enthusiasts (MORE) races zoom through the dusty trails. In fact, some of my friends used to race their class nine cars and class 1400 trucks and my husband and I would help out in the pits during their races. (And by helping, I would make racing videos; I’m not mechanically savvy!) Johnson Valley is a beautiful desert to camp and play in, so if you’re thinking about making the journey, here are a few tips and camping spots to check out.

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Dumont Dunes Camping and Off-roading

.Reading time 8 minutes.

Most people drive past Dumont Dunes on their way to Death Valley and wonder, “Are those giant sand dunes out there?” Yes, they are in fact sand dunes, and they are tall, steep, and incredibly fun to traverse in a dune buggy, side-by-side, dirt bike, or quad. Dumont Dunes Off-Highway Vehicle Area is located about 31 miles north of Baker, California and is accessible via Dumont Dunes Road. The dunes rise above the desert floor to create a towering, sandy, off-roading playground, and they are surrounded by rocky, dirt trails that jet out into the surrounding Mojave desert. I’ve camped at Dumont Dunes many, many times—my family embarks on a yearly memorial camping trip and occasionally we will head to Dumont Dunes to ring in the new year. So if it’s your first time making the trip to Dumont Dunes or your 20th time, here are my favorite camping spots and a few tips to make your trip memorable. Read More

Ocotillo Wells: Best Campsites

.Reading time 8 minutes.

I’ve been camping and off-roading in Ocotillo Wells for the past seven years, and I love it so much that I normally make the trek multiple times each season. Camping is FREE and entrance to the state park is FREE! The off-road trails are diverse and fun to explore— there are washes to blast through, technical trails to traverse, and landscapes that make you feel like you’re walking on Mars. There’s a ton of geological action at work in Ocotillo Wells, such as the active Gas Domes, the odd pumpkin-shaped formations in the Pumpkin Patch, and the oyster shells at Shell Reef. And for the Jeep enthusiasts out there, the scenic Tierra Del Sol trail is a must-do! Never been to Ocotillo Wells and unsure where to camp? Read on for my favorite camping spots. Read More

Glamis Camping 101

.Reading time 13 minutes.

Summer winding down doesn’t have to signal the end of camping season, especially if you live in Southern California. Once the extreme heat lessens and we swing into autumn, desert season officially begins. One of my favorite desert camping destinations is Glamis, officially called the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area. It’s located in the southeast corner of California and borders Mexico, and it happens to be an offroading playground with giant, smooth sand dunes that stretch for miles. Keep reading for an explanation of the different camping areas at Glamis and what you need to know before heading out there.

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RV Renovation: Jackknife Couch Before/After

.Reading time 2 minutes.

There are a few items on our fix-it list before we take the Winnebago on her maiden voyage, and one of them is to modernize the interior just a bit. The interior is in pristine condition except it’s heavy on the mauve. There’s a mauve dinette, mauve window treatments, mauve carpet, mauve captain chair, and, oh yeah, a mauve jackknife couch. Read More

Boondocking Spot Near the Tetons on Buffalo Valley Road

.Reading time 2 minutes.

It was the Fourth of July, we were on our big summer RV trip, and we had no place to camp in Wyoming. We tried boondocking near Shadow Mountain Road, but it was completely packed. With four RVs in our group, we needed a large site and it just wasn’t going to happen at Shadow Mountain Road. Unsure of where to go, we asked the ranger if there were any other dispersed camping areas that could fit our large group. She recommended Buffalo Valley Road, and it turned out to be a wonderful boondocking spot. It was remote, scenic, adjacent to Bridger-Teton National Forest, and about a 30 minute drive to the Grand Teton National Park Moran entrance. Yeah, we got lucky! Read More

Four RVs, One Big Yellowstone Road Trip Itinerary

.Reading time 10 minutes.

We finally did it—we embarked on a two-week RV road trip from Southern California to Yellowstone National Park. (AND IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE!!) There were four rigs total in our caravan, and yes, it required extensive research and planning to pull it off. Yours truly planned the trip, so I thought I’d share my road trip itinerary along with helpful links and resources for anyone else looking to plan a similar trip. Read More

New Flooring Made Our RV Feel Brand New!

.Reading time 2 minutes.

Is it possible to make a ten-year-old RV feel brand new? We believed so, and the week after we brought our 2008 Tiffin Allegro Open Road home for the first time, we decided to update the flooring. Read More

RV DIY: Installing an Inverter, Batteries, and Solar Panel System

.Reading time 2 minutes.

We prefer tranquil, remote RV camping destinations, which means we do a lot of boondocking. So no water, no paved roads, and no electricity. We have a generator that runs great, but we don’t want to run it constantly when we’re trying to enjoy our peaceful locations. Since our batteries need to be replaced now, we are going all in with an inverter and a solar panel system. That way we can install the best batteries for the new system and take on the massive wiring project all at once. And when we’re camping out in the middle of nowhere desert, our solar panels can quietly soak up the sun and charge the RV batteries all day without having to run the noisy generator. Plus, with the inverter we will be able to watch TV and use the microwave without having to turn on the generator, which will come in handy while driving. Read More