RV Full Hookup vs Boondocking: Why I Always Book Full Hookup
I’ve camped enough seasons in an RV to have a strong opinion on this topic, and it isn’t the popular one. A lot of RV content online romanticizes boondocking, camping with no hookups at all. My own experience pushed me in the opposite direction. I’ll walk through why in this post, along with what each option actually involves.
What RV Full Hookup vs Boondocking Actually Means
Before I get into my own experience, it helps to define the terms clearly, since campgrounds don’t always use them consistently.
A full hookup site gives you electricity, a water connection, and a sewer connection, all at your own site. You plug in, connect a hose, and connect a sewer line, and you’re set for the length of your stay. A partial hookup site usually gives you electricity and water, but no sewer connection, which means you’ll need a dump station when your tanks fill up. Boondocking, also called dry camping, means none of the above. No electricity, no water hookup, no sewer. You run entirely on your RV’s own battery, fresh water tank, and holding tanks.
💡 Tip: Some campgrounds advertise “full hookup” but actually mean a scheduled honey wagon service instead of an in-ground sewer connection. Confirm exactly what’s included before you book, not after you arrive.
Why the Difference Matters More Than It Sounds
On paper, this feels like a minor logistics detail. In practice, it changes almost everything about how a trip feels. Water and power aren’t small conveniences in an RV. They’re the thing standing between a comfortable trip and a stressful one.
My Own Experience: Why I Recommend Full Hookup
I’ve done boondocking-style trips a few times over the years, sites without power or water hookups included. Every time, the same problems showed up. Water ran low faster than I expected, especially with more than one person showering or doing dishes. The battery drained quicker than I planned for, particularly if we ran the furnace overnight or used much of anything electric. Managing all of it added a layer of stress that took away from actually enjoying the trip.
That experience taught me something simple. For my family’s kind of camping, comfortable, relaxed, focused on the people rather than the logistics, full hookup sites make the whole trip easier. Water is available anytime. Power runs everything without a second thought. I don’t spend the trip mentally tracking tank levels instead of paying attention to my kids.
⚠️ Heads up: Without hookups, water and battery management become a constant background task. If that kind of monitoring adds stress rather than satisfaction for you, boondocking may not suit your camping style, even if it suits someone else’s.
It’s Not About Being “Less Adventurous”
I want to be clear about something. Choosing full hookup doesn’t mean giving up on real camping. It means matching your setup to what actually makes your trip enjoyable. Plenty of experienced RVers love the independence of boondocking, and I respect that. My own trips just work better with the tap running and the lights staying on without me thinking about it.
What Boondocking Actually Requires
Even though it’s not my preference, it’s worth explaining properly, since a lot of people ask about it.
Power Management
Without a hookup, your RV’s battery handles everything. Lights, water pump, furnace fan, any small appliances. A basic RV battery might last a few days under light use, less in cold weather when the furnace runs more. Serious boondockers usually add a generator, solar panels, or both to extend how long they can stay off-grid comfortably.
Water and Waste Management
Your fresh water tank has to cover drinking, cooking, and washing for your entire stay. That means rationing showers, doing dishes in a small basin instead of running the tap, and generally treating water as a limited resource rather than an unlimited one. Grey and black tanks fill up the same way they would anywhere else, but without a sewer hookup, you’re tracking capacity carefully and planning a trip to a dump station before either tank fills completely.
Finding a Boondocking Site
Boondockers in Canada often rely on Crown land, where camping is free in most provinces for residents, or on membership networks that connect RVers with private landowners willing to host overnight stays. Either way, there’s more research involved than simply booking a site online.
A Side-by-Side Comparison
| Factor | Full Hookup | Partial Hookup | Boondocking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | Unlimited, connected | Unlimited, connected | Limited to tank capacity |
| Power | Unlimited, plugged in | Usually included | Battery, generator, or solar only |
| Sewer | Connected on-site | Dump station required | Dump station required after trip |
| Cost | Highest | Moderate | Free to low cost |
| Best for | Families, longer stays, comfort-focused trips | Budget-conscious campers okay with a dump station run | Experienced RVers, solo or minimal setups |
| Planning required | Low | Moderate | High |
When I’d Actually Consider Boondocking
I’m not against it entirely. If I were traveling solo, or with just one other adult, and didn’t mind the extra planning, the appeal makes sense to me. Fewer neighbours. More flexibility on where to stop. No booking competition months in advance. It’s a genuinely different kind of trip, closer to the backcountry camping mindset than the car camping mindset.
But with kids in tow, water and power stop being minor inconveniences the moment they run short. A tank running low at 6pm with a family expecting dinner and showers is a different problem than the same situation with just one adult managing it. That’s the real dividing line for me, not adventure versus comfort, but how much margin the trip needs given who’s coming along.
What I’d Tell a First-Time RVer
If you’re new to RVing and trying to decide where to start, my honest advice is to book full hookup for your first several trips, regardless of how adventurous boondocking sounds. Learn how your RV’s systems work with the safety net of unlimited water and power first. Once you understand how quickly your specific setup drains a battery or fills a grey tank under normal use, you’ll have a much better sense of whether boondocking is something you’d actually enjoy, rather than something that sounds appealing in theory.
According to a detailed breakdown of RV hookup types and boondocking basics, even experienced boondockers recommend keeping tanks full and holding tanks empty before heading off-grid, along with carrying backup water and a way to charge your battery independently. That’s a lot of extra preparation compared to simply plugging in at a full hookup site.
Final Thoughts
Years of RV camping taught me something I didn’t expect going in. The romantic version of camping isn’t always the version that actually works for your life. Boondocking has real appeal, and I understand why so many RVers love it. For my family’s trips, full hookup sites remove a layer of stress I’d rather not manage, and that trade-off has made every trip since more enjoyable, not less.
If you’re getting your towing setup sorted before your first trip, our guide to matching trailer weight to your vehicle is worth reading first. Our summer gear checklist covers what to pack regardless of hookup type, and if you’re traveling with a dog, our pet-friendly guide to Saskatchewan is worth a look too.
Whichever way you camp, the goal stays the same. Pick the setup that actually lets you enjoy the trip, not the one that sounds best on paper.