Living In A TRAVATO | Lessons Learned | Boondocking Tips | Dry Camping For 7 Days In Travato

As we continue to travel south in Florida on our “No Reservations, No Problem” Adventure/Trek, we are finding it more and more difficult to, well, not have reservations. For the most part we have been very, very lucky because we are prepared with so many apps and tools and we are very, very persistent and patient.
So when we found a gap of days that were getting harder and harder to fill we decided to try our hand at dry camping at one of the little hidden gems in Florida, DuPuis Land Management area. It’s a completely free campground that will let you boondock / dry camp for a maximum of 8 consecutive days. We had very limited experience dry camping, even though we’ve been in some sort of camper/RV for 10+ years. We certainly had never tried to stay in the Travato for 7 nights without power, water or sewer. But, we felt confident that we could make that work and in this video we share with you the lessons we learned from our first dry camping experience in our Travato camper van.

[@jamesoneill8979]

Thank you very much for the video folks. We're buying a 21 Travato 59K in a few weeks so this was certainly helpful. Also I saw a video of a guy who just added a couple lithium batteries, he kept the AGM's in tact and just added the two lithium's. I think that's pretty simple solution to folks who want lithium.

[@CanadaFree.6014]

Hi guys, just looking back at this ol' video. I miss that opening theme song and Maggie talking back! Lol.

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

Wow, you have gone way back. We have tried so many things trying to make our video’s better, it’s hard to know what works for people. We appreciate you letting us know that you liked the introduction, we may look at doing that in the future.

[@CanadaFree.6014]

@@VANTREKKINGlifestyle :D

[@adamltw6512]

Thanks so.much for your video and your fun spirit. My wife and I are thinking of getting a Travato and your videos are so helpful. And you seem like a really nice couple

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

Thank you so much for you nice comment, it is appreciated.

[@hildasalazar5204]

I'm picking up my first RV a Travato just like yours, next week, so I'm really enjoying and learning from all the tips you are sharing.

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

Congratulations, I know you are going to love it. Safe travels.

[@discoveringlockenest8420]

Great info! Thanks for sharing! 🤙

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

You are very welcome and thank you for watching.

[@tgamble1000]

Here’s a suggestion bro...stay as far away from Florida as possible...head out to the Rockies...it can be 90 degrees in the day (with 17% humidity) and 45 degrees at night...Perfect...

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

Good advice. Thanks for sharing.

[@cherylesmith8335]

My understanding is you need to leave the inverted on for the solar to be able charge.

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

We leave it on all the time except when we are really watching watts at night and then we turn it off.

[@benboleyn514]

Great video! In my time in the military I have live 30 days out of the back of a hummer truck with 3 people sleeping on the ground and ended up feeling like home after 14 days

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

Sounds like you had it much harder than we did. We appreciate your comment.

[@mweber2000]

Hi Owen, enjoying your informative videos. Just got a van on a pro master chassis and looking for a bike rack. Do you remember what bike rack you had on the Travato? Thanks in advance

[@nbragtop]

We love ya'll!

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

Thank you! We appreciate the love.

[@JeffThinksDifferently]

Where did you stay for 7 days? Looks like a great place. We do a lot of dry camping as we travel the country in our ERA Sprinter van. We use a Coleman 2 burner stove (small propane canister type) to cook most of our meals outside of the van. We have 400 watts of solar panels with 525 ah worth of batteries with a 3000 watt inverter which has served us very well. We seldom use our generator. One way to save your gray water tank is use a wash basin outside to wash dishes which by the way we use a lot of paper plates and paper bowls which mean we only need to wash the utensils and any pots we might use. The wash basin also works well for washing yourself outside of the van. We have everything in the van we need including a shower etc but to extend our stay at places we do a great deal outside. On our really long extended trips we pull a small 4x6 enclosed trailer where we carry extra water, diesel fuel and gear which has been a real blessing and has only knocked of about 1.5 mpg from our normal mpg. Good video - thanks for sharing.

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

Thanks Jeff! It’s good to be connected with you here. ERA’s are awesome BTW. Congratulations on that. And thank you for the shared knowledge too. It helps a lot that everyone is some open to helping the rest of us. Great community. That 7-day stint was at Dupuis Land Management Equestrian Campground near Indian Town, FL. Let me know if you need the link and I’ll try to find it. Thanks for watching. Hope you’ll subscribe and stay connected to us. Sounds like you love this as much as we do.

[@melindadagrosa3660]

Great video again. I have three USB fans for my 2019 G. You can easily charge them, not much battery draw. I heard a great acronym on another KZbin site, A.B.C. Always Be Charging. Whenever you start the engine or generator always make sure you have all of you rechargeables plugged in. Journey on, it looks like you are having a great time and still liking each other.

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

Thank you Melinda! We used your acronym today as we were rolling... ABC. :-). Lynn went back and plugged iPads and phones up to charge as we were driving. We have a little USB fan that we used on this trip. Having another one would help a lot. Thanks for the great suggestions.

[@TinyLiving]

I noticed when you turned off the ceiling vent fan that the lid closed. Since hot air rises, it would be smart to open the vent and keep that air flowing.

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

Thank you. I did that s few times on this leg but should have done it every time. So much to remember. :-)

[@TinyLiving]

@@VANTREKKINGlifestyle Notebook! We have a "Prepare for Departure" list, (both the Leaving the Campsite version and the Pit Stop version), a "Dump Station" list & a "Too Hot/Too Cold" list. It IS too much to remember. Great videos. Thanks.

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

Thank you. We have the depart and arrive lists in an app, AnyList, on our phones. But on this trip we’ve packed and unpacked so many times we’ve abandoned the list, which is dangerous for sure. I have added your suggestion to our boondocking checklist along with turning the LP switch off and the hot water and making sure the awning light is not on even though the awning is closed. That last one drained the battery faster than we thought it should and it wasn’t until it rained and we put the awning out that we noticed it had been on. You guys who watch us here teach us so much and it amazes us that you’re so connected to our journey. Thanks for the kind comment and for suggestions. Both are much appreciated.

[@mtl9036]

It was so nice to meet you and Maggie today...You guys are my heroes!

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

You sweet lady are our hero. Camping alone... dragging your kayak to the ocean... paddling with dolphins! You Go! Your invitation to dinner was super sweet too. Maybe next time we hope. Stay in touch with us and if we’re back in the Miami area we’ll make sure we see you. Promise!

[@maureentweedly]

Good info....yup think I like lots of solar and battery power, also big inverter.

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

Big tanks... big batteries and 3,000 watt inverter. Magic numbers. But it can be done with the small, nimbleness of the Travato 59K. Thanks.

[@dmrdmr5885]

@@VANTREKKINGlifestyle We are thinking of the 59KL and wondered if the added expense was worth it.

[@sccphilly]

Great video, thank you! Could you sleep inside with the onan generator running to run roof ac while boondocking, not plugged in? Is it loud from the inside with that generator running? Because I’m getting a travato without lithium. Thanks for your video!

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

It is loud but we had slept well with both running. The last time I remember doing that was in Fairbanks since there was so much smoke we couldn't have the windows open. If you get a 2020 try to get the quieter AC unit. Much more quiet.

[@sccphilly]

I mean the onan generator is right beneath the two beds , it’s vibrating, so you can still fall asleep with generator running and roof ac on and it’s 90 degrees outside? Can you run the generator and roof ac all night? My concern is that I will never be plugged in and always boon docking in hot weather withnodohs! Does it have a thermostat, set it and forget it for both heat and cooling? I’m getting one in the next three weeks so I need to know this stuff! Thanks bro!

[@Sabbathissaturday]

sccphilly - this is exactly what I want to know!! Did you find out?

[@kjlcycler]

Take a look at a Hot Logic Mini to cook/ heat with. Only draws 45 watts so you can use it with a 100 watt cigarette lighter socket inverter. Works like a crock pot. Much smaller.

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

Lynn added that to our later list. Thank you!

[@johnniebloom6708]

Thank you. whats was your modifications??

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

Several small ones on the roof to rearrange booster and boards etc. And, we added a storage shelf over the entry door... love that one.

[@marthamanigross]

Yeah, I can’t do the heat+humidity thing at all. I don’t know how you’re doing that. You couldn’t run your generator - at least during the day? Tony would HATE being somewhere the men’s room was filthy. He always uses the public restroom so yeah, that wouldn’t work for him. We only have 100 watts of solar on our 2018 roof. So it would run out even faster. Plus, we have to practice NOT eating big meals - you guys did GREAT! Where were you that it was free dry camping with facilities? You could always PM me on FB if you don’t want to say here. I think you guys are SO cute. I do hope we can meet up one day. You’re absolutely right - you DO have to LIKE each other to go through what you’re doing! LOL.

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

Well, Lynn, Maggie and I know we LIKE you for sure. You’ve been so positive and supportive of our crazy adventures from the very start and we just love hearing from you. We were at DuPuis Land Management area near Lake Okeechobee.

[@marthamanigross]

VAN TREKKING lifestyle 😁❤️

[@madogblue]

Why not simply run the generator as needed?

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

We could have and we did some. But one of the things we were trying to do is see If we could manage without it. Plus our generator is quite loud and we were also trying to be considerate of those around us. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@theShamrockShepherdWagon]

Great video, guys! Helps because I'm weighing the Lithium option.

[@CanadaFree.6014]

QUESTION: How often do you need to dump your tanks and refill your water tank with the two of you? Do you drink the tank water or drink bottled water? Thanks! :)

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

This leg of the trip we were very careful with using black tank... only at night. All the tanks lasted 7 days But this was a “see how long we can make it if we scrimp” experiment. Normal use the two of us can make it 3 days easily without dumping black or grey tanks, sometimes 4. We do not drink the fresh water from the tank. We bought a 3-gallon Primo container with a big lid on top and a spigot on the side. We use that for water and coffee. We take it in with us to Walmart and others who provide filtered water and refill. If we can’t find that we use gallon water jugs from store to refill it. We usually make a grocery run about every 3 days and this will last us close to that. You may drink more fresh water than us. We may put a better filter system in when this trip is over so we can not have to have that big water bottle to deal with. Or a Travel Berkey. But what we are doing is working for us.

[@CanadaFree.6014]

@@VANTREKKINGlifestyle Thanks for the information! My hubby and I are from Canada and anticipating getting a new van this year. He hopes to retire within the next year. From watching you both, your travel lifestyle would probably closest to what ours would be.

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

Lots like us out there in the roads. Hope we get to meet you two out there. It’s an interesting lifestyle for sure :-)

[@CanadaFree.6014]

@@VANTREKKINGlifestyle Me too! :D. Take care!

[@colormedubious4747]

I'm confused. Why would you fire up the engine to recharge instead of using the genny to recharge AND power the coach's A/C for a while before going to bed? Don't all non-lithium Travatos include a standard 2,800W generator?

[@colormedubious4747]

NVM, I see you addressed this elsewhere.

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

I did. The main reason is Lynn hates how loud both the a/c and the generator is. We only use them when needed. Now that simmer has arrived in Florida we are using both more. The engine dues a good job at cooling and topping off the batteries though. Thanks for watching.

[@robtheodore8085]

I noticed in one of the shots the LP switch was on. On the Facebook group someone posted the power that pulls is more than you would imagine so we started turning ours off except when we needed it. it made a difference when we were Boondocking

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

As we speak it’s now off and we are very, very impressed with your attention to detail. Talk about making a suggestion that I could implement that would make a difference. Now that you mention it I remember reading about that but it never occurred to me while we were dry camping. From now on we’ll keep it off unless we need hot water and then turn it back off. Thank You! Much love!

[@kjlcycler]

No generator?

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

Answered above.

[@garyvarner6351]

I have a lithium pack that generates enough to recharge laptop and devices, run USB fans/lights, etc., and I use that as much as i can when off shore power. But truth is, as you pointed out, you can simply start the Travato and run it for 15 min. or so , which doesn't burn up much gas, and help recharge the batteries.

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

Hey new, good friend. Hope you’re staying warm and connected. You know what? It just occurred to me that I have a huge lithium rechargeable battery for my Bixby motor that also has a 12v aux plug. I could do the same thing with that. Need to order the part though. Glad your booster is working out for you.

[@robwatt7001]

Where is your generator?

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

Travato K and G generators are just behind the rear axle under the van.

[@bettebuchheit5776]

We prefer boondocking/dry camping as opposed to “developed” campgrounds. However, we tend to move every 3-4 days so there’s always an opportunity to dump our holding tanks. Our favorite camping spots are usually in National Parks/Forests or Free BLM areas. We’ve camped months at a time without staying at full service campgrounds and we don’t have solar. I was surprised to see you didn’t use your generator to run the A/C during the hottest part of the day.......we hate to use ours but 88 inside the RV would have my husband cranking it up for a while. We’re in the Southwest now and it’s cold here! There was a freeze warning yesterday in southern AZ! No mosquitoes or no-see-ums though! Enjoy your warm weather! Happy travels.

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

Hi Bette! Good to hear from you again this week. Sounds like you’re lucky about being more out west. Wish we were too most of the time. The opportunities for free camping are so much more abundant. We would love to follow in your footsteps and be out there really out there. The Travato’s generator is so loud we tend to use it when we’re outside or on walks but not while we’re in it. And the place we were at was pretty cramped so I just didn’t have the heart to blast out of nice neighbors next to us in their Road Trek. I’ve tried to convince Lynn to head west even next week but she’s a finish what you start girl and by golly we said we were going to see all of Florida so sweat on we must. Thanks for always being part of the crew here!

[@bettebuchheit5776]

VAN TREKKING lifestyle We hate to run our generator too.....it has to get really warm before we crank it up. Lynn is a smart lady......stay in Florida.......it’s cold in the Southwest! We’ve done the SW two years in a row and we’re thinking about heading back to Florida next year! I’ve really been interested in how you cope with no reservations.....looks like it’s been a bit of a challenge. I love the SW but I think I’ll love it more now that temperatures are starting to warm up a bit. It snowed in southern AZ yesterday! Going to be in AZ for another month or so and then wandering home to KY. Happy camping, you two!

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

Thank you Bette. Lynn is really smart about a lot of things for sure. Glad it’s warming up for you in the SW. we will share a video later about the ease or difficulties we have had getting reservations as we need them. It hasn’t been without its challenges for sure.

[@pamw8102]

We prefer to dry camp, although not in that much heat! So, my favorite “saving” device is the Oxygenics shower head. It really saves water and somehow makes it seem like a lot more water than you are actually using. We also catch cold shower water (instead of wasting it) and use it to flush later. Happy Trails!

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

As you heard, Lynn didn’t like the heat either. We have the Oxygenics shower head on our 5th wheel. It is crazy but we haven’t used a drop of water in the shower in 9 months. We must smell. :-)

[@robwatt7001]

Unit is supposed to have a gen set.

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

It does. We used it once in the 7 days. It would be so easy to just keep it on but that kind of defeats the purpose of seeing if we could rough it. Others may think differently but the alternator seems to top off the batteries a little quicker than the generator. And have you heard the generator in the Travato? We hate running it if we’re around others and we were always pretty close to others at DuPuis. If it were quieter we would use it more I’m sure but once you crank up the generator and then crank up the noisy air conditioner you may as well forget about editing videos or hearing the TV. It kind of defeats the purpose in a lot of ways. So we just top off with the engine and use the generator as an emergency device.

[@dustylaredo]

well, the best van modification, by far, is a good sense of humor; somethin’ y’all installed on day one... lovin’ this trek, y’all....

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

Well, when I was born I had 2 big ears and jaundice so my grandfather said I looked like a taxi cab going by with both doors open... guess I was born with a good sense of humor. I was just lucky that Lynn has a great one too. You know you have to be able to laugh at yourselves and smile about your flaws and your mistakes. Glad you are noticing the smiles. We both really appreciate that you are connected to us and always so supportive. Much love from sunny, hot, humid Florida. :-)

[@dustylaredo]

well, it’s a treat to tag along with y’all, bubba...

[@garyausher]

I need to make a point of visiting DuPuis just to test my limits. Seems like a Travato review somewhere (Fit RV?) said the Pure3 version had even less tank space than yours. Enjoy your stay in Fla & safe travels!

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

Thank you! Let us know how your visit there goes. We loved it... bugs, heat and all. :-)

[@patanderson7136]

What's the difference between a 59G and 59K?

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

K has 2 “twin” beds and a rear bath. G has double bed that folds down and has storage below. Many other differences but those are the ones you’ll notice at first glance.

[@patanderson7136]

Any chance of having a bed lift in the back so there's storage underneath?

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

K does not. G does... kind of.

[@kimhenry9683]

Thanks for the video! I don't think I could do 7 days in heat and humidity without AC. I'm really impressed that you guys survived it and you're still smiling! 🙂 I would love to see the mods you did sometime!

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

Hi Kim. Thank you! We’ll do a quick shot of them in an upcoming video. But as I’ve told others, I’m not the guy to model your mods after... I more resemble Tim the handy man. :-)

[@davidzimmer2694]

Another great video. It's all a learning process and y'all doing well to adjust. I'm not sure we could put up with the heat tho. I think scheduling would help us with avoiding weather that don't agree with us....lol

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

Thanks again for nice comments David. I was telling Lynn the same thing today. We were hunting for 70 degrees and we seemed to have overshot it to the mid-80s now. If we were not so stubborn about finishing this Florida journey we’d turn north and high tail it to cooler weather. I’m all for that but Lynn is always for finishing anything we start so we sweat on. :-)

[@gerrynightingale9045]

*The answer to 'Boondocking' is the 'Quick-Volt' system* *EVERYTHING ELSE is now a 'relic of the past'* ( *Personally, I have no intentions of EVER paying outrageous fees at any 'RV Park' ever again* ) *I want to 'go where I will' within the limits of the Vans' capabilities, and want nothing to do with other people if I can possibly avoid it because I have nothing to offer them, nor they for me*

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

Thanks for the comment. We appreciate you watching.

[@herdfan697278]

Please show us how you did each of you improvements please.

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

OK. Will put it on the list... but trust me, I’m not the guy you should model your mods after. :-)

[@johnchambers3185]

Where did you get that large Screen Room thing you were in outside? How much was it? Thank you!

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

Hi John. That screen has served us well. It’s pretty old but I guess that’s a good thing. It is still available on Amazon. Here’s the link info: Coleman Instant Screenhouse www.amazon.com/dp/B00339C3G4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_ejyOCbQ8MAS4D. The 10x10, which is what we have, is $69.

[@tomgerth414]

first time watching you guys, very enjoyable! tell me, did you stay the entire 7 days at this campground? Can you mention the name of it, again? xxx Land Management? Thanks, look forward to more!

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

Tom, sorry. Your question got buried in the comments. It is Dupuis Land Management. Sorry it took so long to answer you.

[@lifeisshort-makeitsweet869]

Is it considered boondocking if there is a comfort station? I am really asking. Thank you.

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

We consider boondocking to be dry camping. No electric, water or sewer. And free. Free is the key thing. Sometimes boondocking spots will have a pit toilet and that’s a plus. That’s how we look at it. How about you?

[@bchalker]

How is it boondock if you're just using the comfort station?

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

Guess it is officially Dry Camping.

[@StealthGTI]

When you use your shower, does the curtain sufficiently protect the rear doors? At first glance, it looks like shower splatter or run-off could pool between the rear doors and the bathroom "pan," perhaps seeping under that floor. What am I missing that photos do not show well? Thanks! -Scott

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

The curtain does sufficiently protect the back door. We will try to do a video that shows that better. We have never had any problems with anything getting wet behind the curtain. It works very well. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@Myyt6908]

does "Gary's mods" have a youtube channel?

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

I’m thinking he’s close to publishing one. Gary?

[@kjlcycler]

Need portable solar panels- new Renogy 200 watt

[@thoughtsinpassing2968]

Creating airflow is key to believing you are cooler and with that thought you might look for battery run clip on fans for night time use. Also, parking in the shade in hot temps and using a portable solar panel to keep your refrig topped out. Speaking of refrigerator, setting a small fan inside the refrig will help keep cool air circulating, as well as placing the artificial cold blocks between the foods inside the frig helps too. One person went outside and opened the back access panel of the refrig and installed a larger fan to help circulate the airflow better. There is a remote digital thermostat that has an ap to show on your phone what the temp is inside your refrig. Florida's humidity is a killer along with their state bird, the mosquito ! You have shared you are brave souls to test you and your RV's limits under these conditions. Thank you for sharing.

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

Such wise advice! Thanks for taking the time to share it with us. We copied it to our notes but didn't officially say thanks... so THANKS!

[@jackbrown8052]

I've found that a portable 100 watt solar panel that can be placed in the sun and moved as the sun moves is great for when you want to park your RV in the shade. The portable solar panel can be plugged into your RV and charge your batteries while the RV itself is in the shade. Helps keep the RV cool on hot days.

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

Thanks Jack. Makes he most sense to me too.

[@milesfong3901]

If there's bathrooms, do the dishes there. We use a dish pan with biodegradable soap and then throw the water outside. Love to see what mods you did.

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

Lynn would freak out washing dishing in someone’s bathroom. Germ freak for sure :-). Will show mods soon. Thanks

[@winesipper9073]

Get a Composting Toilet..

[@vegnurse8173]

Came close to buying Travato today. Glad I didn’t after hearing you know.

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

Not sure I understand??? You know?? Did we somehow encourage you to not buy one?