Setting up is the same handful of steps every time, and the owners who never have an expensive surprise are the ones who do them in the same order every time — even when they're sure they already checked.

Arriving: the order that saves redoing work

1. Check side-to-side level before you unhitch. Fixing it afterward means hitching back up.
2. Blocks under the low-side tires, then deal with front-to-back.
3. Chock the wheels — before unhitching, every time.
4. Unhitch, then stabilizers down. Stabilizers stop wobble; they are not made to lift or level the rig. Pads stop them sinking into soft ground.

Step-by-step leveling, including tricky sites: how to level an RV on uneven ground.

Hookup order

1. Power first, through your surge protector or EMS — you find a bad pedestal before committing to the site.
2. Water second, through a pressure regulator and filter.
3. Sewer last.

Details: power & electrical and water & waste.

Boondocking: camping without hookups

Much public land in the U.S. — a lot of it Bureau of Land Management land and national forests — allows free "dispersed" camping. Stay limits are commonly 14 days, after which you move a set distance, but the rules vary by district and change: check the local office or its website before you go, and always look for posted closures and fire restrictions.

How long you can actually stay

Whatever runs out first sets the length of your stay, and it is usually water or the gray tank, not the battery.

• Water: careful use is roughly 2–4 gallons per person per day (quick showers, wipe dishes before washing).
• Gray tank: fills before black, mostly from showers.
• Power: your charging has to keep up with your nightly use (see sizing a battery bank).

A typical rig with a 40-gallon fresh tank and two careful people often gets four to seven days. Arrive full of water, with empty tanks and charged batteries.

Staying welcome

• Camp only on spots that are already used; never make a new pull-off.
• Never dump tanks on the ground — not even gray water.
• Pack out everything, including micro-trash.
• Keep generators to reasonable hours and give neighbors space.
• Check fire restrictions the day you arrive.

First time off-grid? Pick a spot with cell signal near a town, and try a few nights in the driveway first to learn your real water and power numbers.

General information from RV owners' experience, not professional advice. Follow your RV and equipment makers' manuals, posted signs and local rules, and ask a qualified technician about your own rig.