Two things you should know about

Matt Colie

Matt Colie

Well-known member
Aug 15, 2008
10,991
684
113
South East Michigan near DTW
There are two things out there that beat even Camp Wally. While not completely free, they are inexpensive enough and one can be free if you work it right.

First is called Boondockers Welcome. <https://www.boondockerswelcome.com>. Currently 30$/year (soon to be 50 unless you are already a member). All that is provided is a list a basic (not precise) locations.
If a member contacts a host, he will get detailed directions. All any host is expected to provide is a flat spot. I have 15A available and water. Most cannot reach my dump. One night is expected. When contacted about the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village I always offer more.
As a host, you get three months of active membership for each guest. We are set right now for a couple of years.

Next is Harvest Hosts. <https://harvesthosts.com> For the membership fee (Now 79$us/yr - it just went up) one gets access to wineries, farms and museums that will allow you to park over night. There is a bigger membership that includes golf courses. Again, it should be Camp Wally and highway rest areas except for the price.
We joined with great aspirations, but the damage to out coach came real close to ending the year in April.

Matt
 
  • Like
Reactions: Christo
hi Matt Colie, welcome to gmcmhforum.com

Im not certain but I think 'boondocking' means free camping, does it not?

but here is two things that I think would be helpful to you and the rest of us. on your first thread here, the threads title would be a bit more useful if it instead read something like "Two camping hosts you should know about" or perhaps more better: "Two camping hosts I like" or something along those lines. we can edit thread titles FWIW

also; we have an introduction sub forum here: https://www.gmcmhforum.com/forums/introduction-and-greetings.25/ for courteous entrance and perhaps to ask questions about our membership, etc.



all the best
 
GMC260,

I do appreciate your comments, and thank you.

It is not my first thread, it is just the first that I started here. One of a number of notes posted since yesterday.
When I looked in on the site about a month ago it was as cumbersome and irritating as IRV2. I did not think I would be back, but Christo said it had been fixed. So I relocated the site and corrected the information I had posted on GMCnet.

The immediate problem with a "two hosts" title is that the sites that I related two represent a little over 3000 individual hosts. All are independent and are scattered all over. Most have nothing in common except the membership in the organizing sites. All was is buy with the membership is the access to the information. I have paid that much for just a map of fire roads.

While I may agree with your definition of Boondocking, it has become diluted to mean any place you can spend a night without directly paying to do so. I do not approve of this, but there is not a lot that I can do about it. My definition of Boondocking is that the only thing provided is air and maybe starlight.
This almost fits as Boondocking in that the only thing provided is a flat place that may be more or less quiet. That is worth the fee right there.

To me, what we do in a coach is not camping. I have done camping and this is not it. Hence, as that is the closest heading, that is the heading where I left it. There is no other heading related to places one might spend a night.

If you read GMCnet, you will notice that we are an adventurous lot. I have made mention of these two there. But everything there has to go under the single header and that thread got lost in the spring some time.

As I am a known individual in the GMC community, I knew that my real name and sigfile would be recognized by many that were already here.

Again, thank you and I will consider retitling.

Matt Colie
 
Matt Colie said:
GMC260,

I do appreciate your comments, and thank you.

It is not my first thread, it is just the first that I started here. One of a number of notes posted since yesterday.
When I looked in on the site about a month ago it was as cumbersome and irritating as IRV2. I did not think I would be back, but Christo said it had been fixed. So I relocated the site and corrected the information I had posted on GMCnet.

The immediate problem with a "two hosts" title is that the sites that I related two represent a little over 3000 individual hosts. All are independent and are scattered all over. Most have nothing in common except the membership in the organizing sites. All was is buy with the membership is the access to the information. I have paid that much for just a map of fire roads.

While I may agree with your definition of Boondocking, it has become diluted to mean any place you can spend a night without directly paying to do so. I do not approve of this, but there is not a lot that I can do about it. My definition of Boondocking is that the only thing provided is air and maybe starlight.
This almost fits as Boondocking in that the only thing provided is a flat place that may be more or less quiet. That is worth the fee right there.

To me, what we do in a coach is not camping. I have done camping and this is not it. Hence, as that is the closest heading, that is the heading where I left it. There is no other heading related to places one might spend a night.

If you read GMCnet, you will notice that we are an adventurous lot. I have made mention of these two there. But everything there has to go under the single header and that thread got lost in the spring some time.

As I am a known individual in the GMC community, I knew that my real name and sigfile would be recognized by many that were already here.

Again, thank you and I will consider retitling.

Matt Colie
Click to expand...

you're welcome, this is a new GMC community, I did read and participate at GMCnet mirror forum, my experience at the old one was far from a pleasant one and I hope the same S.O.P. does not take root here to be completely honest. that 'we' attitude was a big part of that.

as a courtesy, I hope you and others from there decide to formally introduce yourself anew here https://www.gmcmhforum.com/forums/introduction-and-greetings.25/ as individual GMC enthusiasts as each of us really are with out the 'we' motives. one should only speak and write for themselves for the most part.

there is also a photo thread here for members to show their coaches https://www.gmcmhforum.com/threads/favorite-photo-of-your-gmc-motorhome.360/

feel free to post a photo of your GMC there and anywhere else here and perhaps make a build thread or a feature thread just for your coach(s). would love to see it, everyone likes photos here, its a big part of how this forum came to be IMO
 
Last edited:
Matt Colie said:
There are two things out there that beat even Camp Wally. While not completely free, they are inexpensive enough and one can be free if you work it right.

First is called Boondockers Welcome. <https://www.boondockerswelcome.com>. Currently 30$/year (soon to be 50 unless you are already a member). All that is provided is a list a basic (not precise) locations.
If a member contacts a host, he will get detailed directions. All any host is expected to provide is a flat spot. I have 15A available and water. Most cannot reach my dump. One night is expected. When contacted about the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village I always offer more.
As a host, you get three months of active membership for each guest. We are set right now for a couple of years.

Next is Harvest Hosts. <https://harvesthosts.com> For the membership fee (Now 79$us/yr - it just went up) one gets access to wineries, farms and museums that will allow you to park over night. There is a bigger membership that includes golf courses. Again, it should be Camp Wally and highway rest areas except for the price.
We joined with great aspirations, but the damage to out coach came real close to ending the year in April.

Matt
Click to expand...
Just joined BW as a host -- looks like a great resource. Thanks for the tip!
 
  • Like
Reactions: jjdebarros
I joined Harvest Hosts prior to my family's trip from the East to the West 2 years ago. Here are my observations on HH. We loved the idea of it but it never worked for us. We were always coming in later in the day or even night, when everyone is closed. And we rolled out early in the morning, when everyone is still closed.

The idea is that the camper, in return for a camping spot, will visit the farm stand, winery, etc as thanks for the camping spot. We were never able to do that b/c these types of places close around 6pm and open around noon

We were members 2 years and never used it once.

So for us and the way we traveled it didn't work.

My favorite spots to boondock while traveling are the welcome centers around state lines on major highways. There are nice facilities, usually some sort of terrible but 24 hour coffee vending machine, free maps and brochures of places to visit, and often times there is a dedicated staff person to help make suggestions for exploring their state. ~1/3 the time there's a free dump station too.

On our way to visit DC with the kids, we found no place to stop to rest all the way through MD and I was looking hard. They actually close their rest areas with a traffic arm across the entrance at closing time! We ended up pulling into a DOT inspection lot, full of truckers sleeping, after the inspection station was closed. Got a good sleep and rolled out before the inspection station opened and went on to visit all the monuments in DC. I would now add DOT inspection stations as another option for resting. We dislike Walmart camping, too busy, loud and light.

But the way we travel is not for everyone, we like to visit and sightsee along the way as things come up, at least one stop like that per day to break up the drive. Then drive some more until we find a place to rest, then repeat, until we get to a planned/ reserved place where we camp for a few/several days. Those are cornerstones of our trip, everything between the cornerstones is flexible and unplanned. You just never know what you're going to see along the way!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tom Katzenberger and Christo
Tom,

Thanks for the heads up about MD rest areas. We had a similar (now permanent issue with rest areas some years back. North bound on I-75 in TN, It had been a long day and I though I missed a rest stop. So, I was really careful as I approached the next (most of an hour later) and there were no signs and I did get to see where the entrance road had been plowed in.....
 
Matt Colie said:
Tom,
We have ONPed at more than a few casinos, but they are usually not our favorite places.
That sounds interesting, what casino and where??
Matt
Click to expand...

I haven't tried it yet, only casino I ever stayed at was in Vegas at Circus Circus, never boondocking though, we paid for a spot which we thought was just to park it, it was so cheap, then we got a room and stayed in the hotel. Had I known it was a full hookup spot we would have just stayed in the RV.

The LoLoHo couple says they will use casinos across the country for free boondocking and a cheap meal, they don't mention which one. I think cheap food at casinos is pretty standard though.
 
Sirum GMC 8637631121
Applied GMC

Share this page

Share this page
Top Bottom
Back