8 Best RVs for Boondocking to Get You Off-Grid

78 shares Finding the best RV for boondocking is essential if you are into dry camping. A rig that can handle off-grid camping trips needs…

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Finding the best RV for boondocking is essential if you are into dry camping. A rig that can handle off-grid camping trips needs to be self-sufficient and able to handle anything that you might encounter on more rugged roads.

Boondocking definitely doesn’t fall under the popular category of ‘glamping’. You will need an RV with larger holding tanks, some level of off-road capability, and a host of other important boondocking features.

Let’s take a look at some of the best motorhome options for boondocking!

Best RV for Boondocking

Some people love to travel far down rugged dirt roads for their boondocking trips. Others just like to get far enough off-the-beaten-path to avoid the majority of the crowds. Whether you fall into the first or secondary category, you need the best RV for boondocking!

So we have included a few Class A, Class B, and Class C RVs, as well as camper vans, travel trailers, toy haulers, a teardrop trailer, and more!

Best RV for Boondocking: Class A

Class A RVs are less popular for boondockers because these rigs aren’t as capable of handling dirt roads as some others. With this type of rig, you’ll most likely stay close to the main road. But, you can still land some stellar boondocking spots if you do your research beforehand.

Here’s a Class A you might want to try if you’re into camping for free free out in nature.

Thor Motorcoach Axis

Thor Axis Motorcoach is one of the best boondocking class A RVs
PC Thor Motorcoach
  • Starting Price: $132,900
  • Chassis: Ford E-Series
  • Length: 25’6″
  • Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR): 12,500 pounds
  • Fresh Water Tank Size: 42 gallons
  • Grey Water Tank Size: 30 gallons
  • Black Water Tank Size: 40 gallons

The Axis class A RV from Thor Motorcoach is one of the most compact and nimble class A rigs you will find. Some standard features that make this rig great for boondocking include an Onan QG 4000 gas generator and 63.5 cubic feet of exterior storage space.

It sleeps up to five people and boasts a 30,000-BTU furnace as well as a built-in 40-pound propane tank. Optional equipment for off-grid camping includes a 100-watt solar panel with a charge controller and two storage batteries. You could also just get a solar generator for powering your smaller items when off-grid.

In terms of exterior construction, the Axis class A rig is built with a premium one-piece exterior roof and a welded tubular steel floor. Block foam insulation in the roof, walls, and floor, as well as holding tank heating pads prep this rig for cold weather dry camping.

One of Thor’s additional floor plans for this RV is their 24.3 version, which is slightly larger. Click here to check it out.

Best RV for Boondocking: Class B

Class B camper vans offer a lot of boondocking benefits. They are compact rigs and tend to offer some of the best off-grid capabilities available, which is why we have included two RVs in this section.

Winnebago Revel

The 4x4 Winnebago Revel is a great RV for off grid camping
Courtesy of Winnebago Industries, Inc. Unauthorized use not permitted.
  • Starting Price: $193,272
  • Chassis: Mercedes Benz Sprinter
  • Length: 19’7″
  • Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) 9,050 pounds
  • Fresh Water Tank Size: 21 gallons
  • Grey Water Tank Size: 21 gallons
  • Black Water Tank Size: N/A

The Winnebago Revel camper van is one of the best class B RVs for boondocking couples that want to get off-grid. It features reasonably-sized fresh and gray water tanks while also offering a cassette toilet with a maximum capacity of 5 gallons.

The Revel class B rig is built on a super reliable Sprinter chassis and can tow up to 5,000 pounds. It also gives you the ability to switch from two-wheel drive to four-wheel drive on demand. Other important driving safety features include electronic stability control and traction control.

This class B rig also offers important cab conveniences that make off-grid road tripping a whole lot more comfortable. Some of the best examples include adaptive cruise control, multiple 12-volt power points, a touchscreen infotainment center, and adjustable lumbar support in both seats.

Storyteller Overland

Woman hanging out a Storyteller Overland 4x4 van
Photo courtesy Storyteller Overland
  • Starting Price: $198,746
  • Chassis: Mercedes Benz Sprinter
  • Length: 21′
  • Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) 9,050 pounds
  • Fresh Water Tank Size: 21 gallons
  • Grey Water Tank Size: 24 gallons
  • Black Water Tank Size: 2.6 gallons

The Storyteller Overland Beast Mode camper van is equipped with a 12-kilowatt-hour energy storage system. That system is hooked up to a high-output alternator and a 3200-watt inverter to deliver safe and reliable power to your class B RVs appliances.

The portable toilet and outdoor shower are great for warm weather boondocking and save you from having to rely on questionable campground facilities. You will also enjoy a diesel-fired heating system and 13,500-BTU air conditioner to help keep your camper van comfortable throughout the year.

For more rugged boondocking the Beast Mode 4×4 camper van boasts high-performance LED headlamps and an off-road lighting package courtesy of KC Highlights. It also comes with a full-sized spare tire mounted to the rear door and an Agile ride improvement system that provides smoother navigating on rough terrain.

Airstream Interstate 19

couple sitting outside an Airstream Interstate while camping
PC Airstream
  • Starting Price: $171,803
  • Chassis: Mercedes Benz Sprinter 2500
  • Length: 19’5″
  • Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR): 9,050 pounds
  • Fresh Water Tank Size: 21 gallons
  • Grey Water Tank Size: 16 gallons
  • Black Water Tank Size: 9 gallons

Airstream makes more than just some of the best travel trailers that hold their value ridiculously well. They have also entered the world of camper vans and their Interstate 19 class B camper van is arguably the best camper for long-distance boondockers because it averages more than 18 miles per gallon on the highway.

In addition to best-in-class fuel economy, this class B rig includes a lot of great features for off-grid camping. It has 12-volt heating pads on the water tanks and the interior is equipped with a furnace, air conditioning unit, microwave, propane cooktop, and a host of other full-time living amenities.

It also boasts a 250-watt solar power system and comes with two lithium-ion deep-cycle batteries that provide the rig with 200 milliamp-hours of total battery power storage capacity. When you do want to pull into an RV park for a couple of days, this class B RV is also pre-wired for 30-amp power service.

Best RV for Boondocking: Class C

Small class C RVs offer some of the highest sleeping capacities around. Class C rigs also tend to provide larger holding tanks and bigger batteries than smaller travel trailers. If you like to boondock with your extended family, here is a class C RV for off-grid camping:

Winnebago Ekko

Winnebago Ekko rv for boondocking parked in a campground
Courtesy of Winnebago Industries, Inc. Unauthorized use not permitted
  • Starting Price: $171,845
  • Chassis: Ford AWD Transit
  • Length: 23′
  • Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR): 11,000 pounds
  • Fresh Water Tank Size: 50 gallons
  • Gray Water Tank Size: 51 gallons
  • Black Water Tank Size: N/A

You may do a double-take the first time you lay eyes on the Winnebago Ekko class C RV. It looks a little different than most class C RVs, but it is a boondocker’s dream. It offers a four-person sleeping capacity and can also tow a secondary vehicle weight of up to 5,000 pounds.

The electrical system in the Winnebago Ekko class C RV includes a 320-amp-hour lithium-ion battery, two 170-watt solar panels, and an additional 115-watt solar panel with a battery charger. Another standard power component is a Cummins Onan QG 2800i gas generator, which can be removed if you want to add a third battery.

In terms of the exterior of this Class C RV, you will love the heated gear garage for your recreation equipment. You can even upgrade the Ekko class C camper to include a pop-top sleeping area or a 270-degree Batwing awning.

Best Small Travel Trailer for Boondocking

Lightweight travel trailers offer more living space than teardrops while still being easy to tow without having a massive truck. Here is a standard travel trailer that offers several other features that are nice for off-grid camping:

Jayco Jay Feather Micro 12SRK

Jayco Jay Feather travel trailer
PC Jayco
  • Starting Price: $16,838
  • Chassis:
  • Length: 13’4″
  • Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR): 2,795 pounds
  • Fresh Water Tank Size: 25.5 gallons
  • Grey Water Tank Size: N/A
  • Black Water Tank Size: N/A

The Jayco Jay Feather Micro travel trailer is actually available in five different floor plans. The 12SRK is one of the most compact and lightweight travel trailers in its class, which allows it to be towed by a smaller truck or even a well-equipped SUV.

One downside of this travel trailer is the lack of a bathroom facility. You will need to research the best cassette toilets if you opt for this option, but you can also look at the larger floor plans that Jayco offers if that element is essential for you.

In terms of boondocking trailers, the Jayco Jay Feather excels in the area of off-grid upgrades. The Customer Value Package that Jayco offers, for example, includes 15-inch Goodyear tires with self-adjusting brakes, a 12-volt DC (120-volt AC) Dometic cooler, roof-mount solar prep, and a rubber torsion axle that makes it one of the best trailers in its class to tow off-road.

Best Fifth Wheel Toy Hauler for Boondocking

Fifth-wheel toy haulers can’t reach the kinds of remote destinations that other boondocking trailers can, but they are great for setting up a base camp and then exploring from there. Here is a fifth wheel toy hauler that is built for boondock camping:

Forest River XLR Nitro 28DK5

Forest River XLR Nitro interior
PC Forest River
  • Starting Price: $76,999
  • Chassis: Dexter E-Z Lube Axles with MORryde CRE3000 Suspension Enhancement
  • Length: 35′
  • Unloaded Vehicle Weight (UVW): 10,724 pounds
  • Fresh Water Tank Size: 102 gallons
  • Grey Water Tank Size: 60 gallons
  • Black Water Tank Size: 30 gallons

The Forest River XLR Nitro is easily the best fifth-wheel travel trailer for family camping. The 28DK5 floor plan sleeps up to 8 people and its 102-gallon freshwater tank capacity gives you the chance to carry more water for longer dry camping trips.

At the rear, this fifth-wheel toy hauler features a spring-assisted ramp door for accessing the garage. The garage includes 5,000-pound cargo tie-downs, a fully-insulated floor, a power-retractable panoramic screen, and a 30-gallon fuel station.

While you will need a larger truck to tow this travel trailer, that will allow you to enjoy more luxury amenities when you set up your base camp. It also offers more storage space for UTVs and other recreation equipment than most other motorhome and trailer models, which ultimately means more time for fun once you set this rig up.

Forest River makes the XLR Nitro in a number of different floor plans. Check them all out here.

Best Teardrop Trailer for Boondocking

Teardrop trailers are essentially smaller tents on wheels, but they provide more weather protection than even the best tents out there. These trailers require off-road upgrades for boondocking, but here’s a brand worth checking out.

NuCamp TAB 400

TAB 400 parked at a boondocking site, one of the best RVs for boondocking
PC NuCamp
  • Starting Price: $48,195
  • Chassis:
  • Length: 18’3″
  • Total Gross Vehicle Weight (Dry): 2,840 pounds
  • Fresh Water Tank Size: 22 gallons
  • Grey Water Tank Size: 18 gallons
  • Black Water Tank Size: 12 gallons

NuCamp’s TAB 400 teardrop travel trailer is great for boondocking because you can set up camp and retain the maneuverability of your vehicle. It will also have the ability to fit in smaller camp areas than most longer travel trailers.

Another benefit of the TAB 400 travel trailer is fuel economy. With heavier travel trailers, you won’t want to organize long-distance camping trips if you are working on a tight gas budget. This trailer can go further while keeping more money in your pocket so you can keep gas in your truck.

The convenience package for the TAB 400 trailer rig comes with a power roof fan, Alde central heat and hot water system, solar roof package, and two six-volt batteries. The standard two-way refrigerator works on either 12-volt DC or 120-volt AC power, but you can also upgrade to the three-way fridge if you want to be able to run your fridge on propane when you are off-grid.

NuCamp also offers several other teardrop trailers models. Click here to see all of them.

Best Truck Camper for Boondocking

Truck campers are also a good option for boondocking. With a pop-up truck camper, you don’t need to tow anything, which means you can take it anywhere your truck can go. Plus, you won’t have to deal with navigating a large motorhome into a small dispersed camp spot.

Four Wheel Campers Slide-in Truck Campers

a pop up truck camper parked in a field
Photo: @adamglick

Four Wheel Campers is one of the best pop-up truck camper brands out there because they make lightweight campers that are highly customizable. You can design your pop-up truck camper based on your truck model.

You will also have the ability to choose many features and add-ons when you are building your pop-up truck camper. This includes things like a furnace, stovetop, exterior gear tracks, thermal insulation, and so much more.

The pop-up truck camper builds you can create with Four Wheel Campers do come with extended build times because of their construction quality and popularity. This just means you will have to plan in advance so that you can camp in your new truck camper next season.

If you are intrigued by the idea of a truck camper, the best place to start is to check out their truck selector to explore truck camper models that are compatible with the make and model of your truck.

Tips For Picking the Best RV for Boondocking

Many of the candidates for the best RV for boondocking offer a variety of floor plans. These campers give you the option of where you want your kitchen, how many solar panels you need on the roof, and so much more.

Let’s cover some tips that all boondockers can use to sort through their motorhome choices.

The Capacity of Holding Tanks

man checking holding tank in the Winnebago Revel
Courtesy of Winnebago Industries, Inc. Unauthorized use not permitted

The size of the holding tanks in an RV dictates how long you can camp off-grid. Larger holding tanks will take longer to fill up (or be emptied). Even if you do everything you can to conserve water, larger tanks will allow you to go longer between black water cleaning trips and finding a source to refill your freshwater tank.

Estimates range from 20 to 40 gallons per day when it comes to how much water the average RVer goes through. You will be limited to quick showers and selective trips to the restroom if you don’t choose a boondocking trailer with large enough gray, black, and freshwater tanks.

Length

Woman standing next to Winnebago Revel boondocking in the desert
Courtesy of Winnebago Industries, Inc. Unauthorized use not permitted

Longer campers will offer more living space when you reach your camping destination. Shorter motorhomes are more maneuverable and will make site accessibility easier. In other words, a shorter camper fits in a larger number of sites.

If you are boondocking with multiple family members, living space will probably be a higher priority. But for couples or solo individuals who like to boondock, site accessibility is usually a higher priority than living space.

Solar Power

Solar panels on top of an RV which is dry camping
Courtesy of Winnebago Industries, Inc. Unauthorized use not permitted

Most remote camping locations don’t come with the typical amenities you will find at RV parks. That means no dump stations and no place to plug your motorhome into shore power. Investing in the best boondocking RV with solar power will extend your off-grid camping trips.

Evaluating an RVs solar power capabilities require understanding the size of its solar panels and its battery storage capacity. Y

Propane Tank Size

Propane tanks on the back of an old RV
Photo by Isaac Moore via Unsplash

You should also look at how much propane your camper can hold before you boondock. The amount of propane you will use on a daily basis is highly variable. It will depend on the following factors:

  • Appliance BTU ratings
  • Usage rate
  • Outside air temperature

You will burn through propane faster when it is colder outside, you are using them more, and your appliances are larger. Just keep in mind that an RV with larger propane tanks can handle longer boondocking vacations.

Vehicle Ground Clearance

Winnebago Ekko boondocking RV driving down a dirt road
Courtesy of Winnebago Industries, Inc. Unauthorized use not permitted

The amount of space underneath your off-grid camping trailer will impact how far you can make it down rougher roads. Ground clearance is defined as “the minimum distance between the ground and the bottom of the vehicle body.”

While not all RVs are equipped with four-wheel drive, those with limited clearance aren’t great for boondocking. As a general rule, more ground clearance will allow you to access more remote camping destinations.

Refrigerator/Freezer Storage Capacity

A refrigerator open inside an RV while boondocking
Courtesy of Winnebago Industries, Inc. Unauthorized use not permitted

The amount of storage space your RV or travel trailer boasts should also be considered. You will need enough storage for perishables when camping so that you can prepare quality meals instead of relying on the kinds of freeze-dried meals that so many resort to when camping off-grid.

In our experience, a minimum of 3-5 cubic feet of refrigerator storage space is a good place to start for boondocking. Keep in mind that you can always supplement your refrigerator space with a quality cooler to have more perishable food storage.

Generator Quality

A generator on the ground, an essential item for boondocking while RVing
Photo by jrnevintage via Flickr

Having a generator can be overlooked with you are choosing one of the best boondocking RVs, but you can be extremely limited in the way of power without one. If you don’t have a generator you will have to rely on the DC power your RV batteries can provide.

If your rig is equipped with solar panels, your batteries will at least recharge throughout the day. But certain larger appliances (A/C units are the best example) will require a quality gas generator to run for any length of time.

When it comes to generator brands, look no further than Onan. While they may cost a little more than others, they are highly reliable and they have been the gold standard in RV generators for years.

Cost

There is a lot to consider here, but cost should also play a role in your final decision. If you already have a truck with a good towing capacity, campers vans and class C RVs will cost more money than you probably need to spend.

That being said, travel trailers and teardrop trailers can be limited in terms of interior living space and other amenities. So you will have to weigh the cost with the other important features in order to make the best decision possible when you are choosing the best RV for boondocking.

Conclusion

Boondocking has become so much more popular in recent years. That could be due to a healthy economy, a greater variety of motorhomes available, and so many other factors. But you should remain concerned about what you can control, which is finding the best RV for boondocking that fits your personal preferences.

We hope that the motorhomes we have reviewed above have given you a few new boondocking campers to choose from. As always, we wish all boondockers the best of adventures and we would love to hear what you love about your personal RV for dry camping!

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One Comment

  1. Every article I read on boondocking mentions ground clearance, which is kind of obvious. NONE specify ground clearance when giving the critical stats for the various RVs. What good do large tanks do if the trailer has 12” tires?

    Construction materials should be a factor. Wood and fiberglass fatigue, delaminate and swell/shrink with humidity. Since the RV has to stand up to more abuse than normal, construction should wear well.

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