During our many snowbird winters, we have found ourselves exploring the US SouthWest desert area. We’ve discovered there are many beautiful and free or very cheap places to dry camp (AKA Boondock). We love the awesome scenery, wide-open spaces, and have each year embraced boondocking more and more.
Here is an archive of all my boondocking related articles with many containing video clips. Some are howtos, tips and tricks, and reviews. Others are detailing the many gorgeous camp spots we have enjoyed.
USA-Made Lithium Battery Review – SFK 300 Amp Hours
In this part one video, my first look and a quick test of an interesting 12V 300Ah lithium battery from a company called SFK (SunFunKits). Don’t let the funny name…
TOPDON 30000 Lithium/LA Battery Charger Review
The Tornado 30000 charger charges 6/12/24 volt led acid and lithium batteries. It also includes 12V and 24V constant power supply modes. It’s an intelligent charger with nine stages and…
RV Macerator Pump Leak Repair – Service Kit Installation
In this video, I repair a crucial piece of boondocking equipment, my Flojet macerator pump. After a routine cleaning, I noticed a drip from the motor end developed the next…
Bluetti Charger 1 Review – Vehicle to Power Station Charging up to 560 Watts
In this video, I hook up and test the new Charger 1 from Bluetti. The Charger 1 device transfers up to 560 watts of charging power from your vehicle’s battery/alternator…
Free RV Camping at Trona Pinnacles in Southern California
Experience the beauty of free RV desert camping at Trona Pinnacles National Natural Landmark in Southern California. This stunning location is perfect for a peaceful and unique camping experience. The…
Li Time 80 AMP LiFePO4 Battery Charger Review
This video reviews the 80 amp Li Time charger for 12V Lithium (LIFePO4) type batteries. I’ve done several charger reviews in the past, but this one has a much higher…
ICECO Portable AC-DC Fridge/Freezer Review
I’ve augmented our RV and boat refrigerator for five years with a second portable AC/DC unit. The portable unit can be a fridge or a deep freezer, which allows for…
Bluetti AC240 – Outdoor! Portable Power Station (IP65 Rated)
Introduction Over the past few years, I have had the opportunity to use and review several of the Bluetti portable lithium power stations: the AC200P, AC200 MAX, AC300, and AC70….
Yuma CIGS 200W Flexible Solar Panel Install and Review
A look at a new CIGS (Copper Indium Gallium Selenide) 360-degree flexible thin-filmed solar panel from BougeRV. The panel features new technology that allows it to be rolled up! Being…
Power Queen 40A Lithium Charger & Battery Monitor Review
In this video, I examine two products from Power Queen. Power Queen is a seller of lithium batteries. Rather than review a battery, though, I wanted to check out a…
Renogy 400W Lightweight Solar Suitcase – Demo & Power Tests
Over the last ten years, we have embraced camping off-grid, using mainly solar power to recharge our RV/Boat batteries. During that time, I purchased and installed seven 100-watt Renogy solar…
Fresh Cab Rodent Repellant Pouches Review
In this video, I’m taking a look at a rodent repellent I’ve been testing in our trailer called Fresh Cab. So far, it’s been good after four months of use…
Beautiful Camping Spot in the Virgin River Gorge, Arizona
In this video, we look around and provide information on a sweet, low-cost BLM (Bureau of Land Management) campground in the northwest corner of Arizona. It is just off Interstate…
SRNE Complete Off Grid RV Power System Demos
Over the last few years, I have tested and reviewed several SRNE chargers with good results. I’ve used a couple of their 40 amp MPPT solar controllers and the 50…
SOK 280Ah Lithium Battery – Self Heated for Low Temp Use
Recently, the folks at SOK Battery offered to send me one of their newest models to review. I jumped at the chance, impressed with a past SOK 100Ah battery I…
Love Your RV! Off Grid Power System – Current State of Things, Jan 2024
Our off-grid power system has constantly grown and evolved over the last 13 years of RVing with our Keystone Cougar fifth-wheel trailer. Each snowbird season, I tinker with and improve…
Bluetti AC70 – Fast Charging, Compact Off-Grid Power Station
Over the years, I’ve reviewed several lithium power stations from a company called Bluetti. These power stations have worked quite well but have the drawback of being heavy and bulky…
Eco-Dynamic RV Solar Awning – First Look Quartzsite RV Show 2024
This video shows footage from the Eco-Dynamic booth in the big tent at the 2024 Quartzsite RV show. They were displaying a new solar awning product for RVs. New thin…
RV Digest-It Holding Tank Treatment Review
In this video, I review a holding tank treatment called RV Digest-It from Unique Camping & Marine. I used up a 32-ounce bottle in my three holding tanks over the…
Nilight 180W Curved LED Light Bar Installation & Demo
Recently, I installed an LED light bar onto my 2018 Ram 3500 pickup truck. Sadly, the OEM headlight’s performance is lacking, especially when we go off the grid. Finding the…
Xantrex RV Inverter/Charger Review – Freedom XC Pro 3000
In this video, I give you a look at the Xantrex Freedom XC Pro 3000 inverter/charger installed in the front storage compartment of my Keystone Cougar fifth-wheel trailer. I reviewed…
Clearsource Ultra Mini Water Filter Review
Over the years, I’ve used and reviewed a couple of water filtration systems from Clearsource. First, a 2-stage model and then a 3-stage model. Both were extremely well-built and worked…
Xantrex 240Ah Lithium Battery Review
Charge/Discharge/Capacity Tests + Build Quality In this video, I first perform a max discharge amperage test on the Xantrex 240Ah lithium battery. Then, I recharge it fully and do a…
Aviation to XT90 Plug for the Bluetti 12VDC 30A Outlet
In this video, I make a custom plug for my Bluetti AC300 portable lithium power station. The AC300 doesn’t come with a plug for the 30A 12VDC port. It’s an…
Sneak Peek – Xantrex 240Ah Lithium Batteries
Here is a quick look at the start of my installation of 2 new Xantrex 240 amp hour lithium batteries. They will become the new heart of our Keystone Cougar…
Long-Term Update – Lion Energy Safari UT1300 Lithium Battery
I’ve used the Safari UT1300 lithium batteries from Lion Energy in Utah, USA, as the core power storage solution on our fifth-wheel trailer off-grid system for over four years. In…
Xantrex Freedom XC Pro Marine 2000W Inverter/Charger Review
In this video, I review the Xantrex Freedom XC Pro inverter I purchased and installed in July of this year. I’ve been using it for two solid months of boating,…
Our Boat’s Off Grid Power System as of Sept 2023 – Complete Look
When we bought our CHB trawler “Vestri” in June 2023, its off-grid power system was relatively limited. It consisted of two 100W solar panels, a 15 amp solar charger, and…
Inverter/Charger Installation – Xantrex FREEDOM XC PRO 2000W
I install a new 2000W Xantrex inverter/charger in this video into our 1976 CHB trawler boat. The new inverter replaces a 13-year-old 1800W Xantrex that has seen better days. It…
Aolithium Power Kit – First Look, Tests and Review
In this video, I look at an upcoming product from Aolithium. The Aolithum Power Kit is an inverter/charger box that can hook up to 8 Aolithium 12V batteries. It can…