10 Smart Ways to Find Free RV CampIng

Before we started traveling and living full time in our RV , we didn’t give much thought to how much campgrounds would cost. In our lack of experience (we had never RV’d before we started to go down this path) we assumed it wouldn’t cost that much . . . We were wrong! Campsites can be darn expensive and we quickly learned we needed to find free RV camping options!



This has led us to figure out how to camp for free as much as possible. It is helpful if you are living in your RV or if you planning an RV trip . Check it and see which one you want to try on your next trip.



Here are a few ways we have learned to RV or camp for free



Parking Lots






This is when you literally stay in a parking lot. No hookups, just free overnight RV parking. This is an amazing way to camp for free if you are driving long distances and you don’t want to pay to stay somewhere if you are just stopping for the night to the continue on your journey.



It can also be used for a way to explore an area for a day. Maybe you are driving through somewhere or are short a night at a campground you are staying at. Parking lots are a great filler. Yes, you could stay multiple days, but it gets old.



Here are a few places that allow free overnight RV parking: Walmart, Cracker Barrel, Cabelas, Lowes, Camping World, and Truck Stops. Sometimes a Target or Costco will too!



We suggest to call the place you plan on parking overnight to see if it is ok. We have even stayed in hotel parking lots overnight when we were visiting friends at the hotel. You just never know.



Here is a link with more information about Walmart overnight parking:  http://www.walmartlocator.com/rv-parking-at-walmart/



Driveways






The RV version of couch surfing. Yup, we have done it. Staying in the driveway at our parents’ houses has been a great way for us to visit our hometown and not have to pay for where we are staying. Plus, we all love being so close to the grandparents so we can spend a lot of time together while we are there.



We have done this at my parents house for weeks at a time before they sold their house and hit the road with us. We spent over 2 months in Craig’s parents’ driveway. It obviously has to be the right driveway that can fit your rig, is OK with the neighborhood, and ideally you will need some kind of plug if you plan on being there for a while. We normally just plug into a normal 15 amp outlet near the garage so we can keep the lights on and watch TV (but make sure to use a heavy duty extension cord !).



We have also done this in friends’ driveways and it is a fun time for us and the kids! Almost like a big sleep over. Normally this is just for a night or two – we don’t want to overstay our welcome, unless we are at the grandparents house :).



RV Boondocking






There is free land around the country that are great places to camp for free for up to 14 days. Again, no hookups and sometimes the sites can be hard to get to with a larger rig, but usually they are amazing and have beautiful scenery and a lot of space! A lot of it is part of BLM  – Bureau of Land Management BLM land.



Also note these normally don’t have defined camp spots so you kind of have to figure out where to set up camp – usually it is by a fire ring.



We have boondocked just a few miles from multiple National Park entrances, then used our National Park pass to get in for FREE to the parks. Talk about a budget vacation!



We usually use the following sites to find where to camp for free: www.freecampsites.net or www.campedium.com . You can also google “free camping near (city)” or “rv boondocking near (city)” or even “free camping near me” and usually someone has written a blog post about a site they stayed at if there is one available.



These free campgrounds/campsites aren’t always easy to find if you are on the east coast or by large cities. But in some cases they have them, so we always check to see. The free camping area can also sometimes be hard to get into. So depending on the type and size of your rig you are going to want to do a lot of up front research and always have a backup plan.



In our 39 foot motorhome, we are always looking for spots just off the road so we don’t have to drive long on a dirt road or get in a situation where we can get stuck. When we get to a location, we will unhook the car and I will go check it out first before we drive the rig back. With a smaller rig this would be a lot easier to do!



Boondocking Sites



Also note these normally don’t have water sources, dump stations, etc. But you can usually find water at a near by ranger station or BLM office. And in locations where there is BLM land there are normally dump stations at gas stations, ranger stations, etc.



Also note cell service can be limited in these locations. The sites mentioned above will usually have accurate information on if you can expect your cell service to work when camping at the location. Reading the reviews can answer this as well.



Staying on public lands always follows the leave no trace principles. Whatever you bring in you bring out. Nothing should be left behind.



Membership



We bought a Thousand Trails membership in the first year we were on the road. We started with a zone pass to try it out, then bought a used Thousand Trails membership from Campground Membership Outlet. The initial membership cost varies – based on what you get. Once you have the membership you continue to pay yearly dues. These dues can be broken up in very manageable monthly payments.



This allows us to stay for up to 3 weeks in a row at a park before we have to leave to go to another park – you need to be out of each park for 1 week after you were there for 3. I know confusing . . . the membership kind of is.



The membership gets us a free campsite at all of the Thousand Trails parks that are on our membership. You can check out where they are here:  www.thousandtrails.com .



I need to do a full review post on Thousand Trails, but what I will say here is that it is free rv camping with hookups, usually picnic tables, basically overall developed campgrounds – finally we can do laundry and take a shower in our rig