Recent Blog Articles

Getting Water While Camping Off Grid

Ashley Longnecker / February 04, 2018

We are getting asked more and more questions these days so it’s time I start addressing some of them! Some of the most common questions we get asked have to do with water.

• Where do we get it?
• Do we filter it?
• Is it safe to drink from your tank?

Well, I hope this gives you a better idea of how we get water to our rig while living off grid.

Where do we get water?

Since we are primarily boondocking (camping without hookups or off the grid) we have to really search out where to get water. Luckily, we have great resources like Campendium that include reviews where people share places they filled up their water tanks or dumped their black/gray tanks. That is super helpful information for those of us who enjoy spending time in nature and not in RV parks.

When we find a place we want to visit, our next step is to search out water. If it wasn’t mentioned in a review or if we’re somewhere not many people know about, we try calling a few gas stations to see if they have potable water or nearby RV parks to see if we can fill up there. Most RV Parks will let you fill up your tanks for a fee. Typically for our 40 gallons, we are charged anywhere between $3-$10.

First, it is very important that you invest in a good hose. You want one that is plenty long because there will be situations where you will not be super close to the water source. We didn't want one of those bulky hard hoses because they take up a lot of room and are a pain to coil up.

Patagonia, AZ

Ashley Longnecker / January 31, 2018

Seeing that we’re a family of introverts, it was time to find a secluded place where we could recharge, and enjoy some outdoor hiking. We were in need of warm weather and sunshine so we packed up and headed south to Patagonia.

We found a nice little spot off of a quiet road to call home for the week. 

Christmas With Friends In Phoenix

Ashley Longnecker / January 30, 2018

We have made some pretty great friends while on the road. Sometimes it can feel a little lonely out here, especially around big holidays. This year we were getting a little down about not being close to home for Christmas, but our friends invited us to celebrate with them and what a treat that was. 

And you know you're having a blast when you don't take time to take many pictures. 

We made our way back to Phoenix after a lovely week at Catalina State Park. We tagged along to Michelle and Juan’s church for a beautiful Christmas Eve Service and later that night we had the best Mexican feast with their extended family. Of course their family is just as sweet as they are and they welcomed us with open arms and the best bean burritos I've ever had! The kids had a blast playing outside in the leaves and we all went home with happy hearts.

The next morning we made our way into our friend’s home and had our very first sticky buns experience! Oh, and bacon.

Sidenote: I need more sticky buns in my life! 

We exchanged a few small gifts and had an epic Nerf Gun war! But, like mom always said, it’s all fun and games until someone gets shot in the eye…

While the Trujillo's went to do Christmas with their families, we stayed in the house to catch up on laundry and enjoy having a house to spread out in. Although, we never spread out very far...

Catalina State Park

Ashley Longnecker / January 28, 2018

After getting our truck all fixed up with the new accessories in Phoenix, we were ready to get back on the road. We didn’t want to go far since we had been invited to spend Christmas with our friends, Michelle and Juan Trujillo! We’ve been seeing a lot of them this year, and were really looking forward to spending Christmas with their family.

We were able to find a spot at one of our favorite state parks in Arizona: Catalina State Park. It’s such a weird place because as you’re coming down the 77 you’re passing by every big shop you could possibly need and then you turn right at the entrance to the state park and you’re instantly transported into a desert wonderland. 

Accessories For Our 2017 Ford F250 FX4

Ashley Longnecker / January 22, 2018

Now that we have a new truck that starts (praise the Lord), we had to get it road worthy. Since our tow vehicle doubles as our garage, we needed a way to keep our stuff secured and protect the bed and body. Also, this new truck is taller than our old one which meant we had to figure out a different hitch situation. That boils down to:

• New Bedliner
• New Locking Bed Cover
• New Mud Flaps
• New All-Weather Interior Mats
• New Drop Hitch

So many things to get done so we can get back on the road!

Luckily, we have some great friends in Phoenix that were willing to let us get shipments there so we could get it all set up.

We ordered all the things, and once we knew the shipping schedule we made the necessary appointments and started planning. 

Also, fair warning! Lots of these photos show a very dirty brand new truck. Because we basically live in the desert off unpaved roads. It'll be ok, I promise :).