We are transitioning to year-round RV living and are doing it on a budget. When I was looking for free places to stay, I came across the word Moochdocking and I didn’t know what it meant. So I did some research, and this is what I found.
Moochdocking is living in your RV at a friend’s or family member’s place. It is mooching off someone you know instead of paying for an RV spot.
Because your host’s place may not be set up like an RV park, we have included some tips you should know if you plan to do it…
What Is Moochdocking
Your friend or family member asks you to stay with them for a while. They know you live in your RV and suggest that you can park it on their land. Or maybe, it is you who suggests the arrangement.
Either way, if you end up with your RV parked on their land, you are moochdocking. And the friend or family member, whose land you are parking on, is your host.
But your hosts may not know what they’re getting themselves in for. And if you haven’t done it before, you don’t either.
There are benefits to moochdocking, but there are some pitfalls too.
Benefits of Moochdocking
Benefits of moochdocking include saving money, spending time with your people, not having to have your fresh water tank before you arrive, and being able to shower at your host’s place.
You save money because you don’t have to pay to park your RV. Compared to a full-service RV park you are saving between $30 and $60 a night, or even more. That is a significant benefit.
Spending time with your hosts works two ways. You benefit by spending time with your friends and family and your friends and family benefit by spending time with you.
If you were boondocking to save money, you would need to fill your fresh water tank before you arrive. You don’t have to do that when you are moochdocking, you can use your host’s water instead. Travelling with your tanks empty reduces weight and saves money on fuel.
If you are limiting your showers to conserve fresh water, you will enjoy showering in your host’s house. No matter what, you will enjoy not being limited by a six or eight-gallon hot water tank.
Pitfalls of Moochdocking
Spending time with your friends and family is a benefit until it isn’t. You don’t want to overstay your welcome.
Tips for Moochdocking
If you are going to moochdock, you want to enjoy the benefits and avoid the pitfalls. Tips for being successful include following moochdocking etiquette, having some moochdocking essentials and using propane for everything you can.
What Is the Etiquette for Moochdocking
Agree on arrangements in advance. You should agree on:
- How long you will stay?
- How much time you will spend together?
- Will you do laundry in the house?
- Will you use the washroom in the house?
- Will you shower in the house?
- Will you cook and eat together (all of the time)?
- Is water available for your unit?
- Is there a place where you can dump gray water?
- Will you use your generator?
- Are there restrictions on when you can run your generator?
- How will you or your host let the other know if you are dissatisfied?
In a moochdocking situation, it is almost never acceptable to dump your black water tanks. When they get full, plan to leave or dump them at an approved dump station.
Essentials for Moochdocking
If you’re going to be moochdocking, there are some things that you might want to consider acquiring.
Grey Water Hose
A gray water hose is something that you would normally use when you’re RVing because you would use the regular sewer hoses and a dump station or an RV parking spot.
If you’re moochdocking, and there’s a place where you could dump gray water you might consider getting a special hose to drain your gray water.
Fresh Water Hose
Depending on where you’re parking relative to where there is water accessible, you might need to acquire a longer freshwater hose.
Power Adapters
Usually, your hosts won’t have a 30 amp or a 50 amp RV plug-in available.
Power adapters will let you use some of your appliances in the RV using whatever power is available.
There are adapters that will allow you to plug your
- 50 amp connector to one or two 30 amp connectors.
- 30 amp connector to a 15 amp plugin.
Using these converters you can connect a 50 amp connection from your RV to two 30 amp connectors and each 30 amp connection to a 15 amp extension cord. That is the extension cord that plugs into your host’s house or garage.
If you plug in two extension cords this way and they are on separate house circuits, you can use up to 15 amps to each of your 50 amp circuits in your RV.
To do this, you need to be very aware of what devices are on each circuit in your RV and how much current they draw. But how do you know?
Electrical Protection
You may have heard that you should use surge protectors to protect your RV electrical system and appliances from surges.
But there are two products that protect your electrical systems from more things than just surges. They are Progressive Industries Electrical Management System (EMS) and Surge Guard Total Protection.
By turning devices on and off and watching the display, you can figure out how many amps of power each of your devices draws. You can also see that some devices draw more when they are starting but draw less once they are running.
You can use this information to decide which devices you can use, and maybe in what order to start them. For example, it might make sense to start your air conditioner fan first and start it cooling after the fan motor is running smoothly. Know that in this case, doing it wrong will mean blowing breakers in your host’s house or garage, not in your RV.
WiFi Range Extender
If your hosts have a good Wi-Fi service, a Wi-Fi range extender might help you take advantage of their Wi-Fi.
Use Your RVs Propane
If you are going to moochdock, you need to conserve power. If an appliance can work on propane or by power, you can conserve power by setting it to work on propane.
In an RV, your fridge and hot water heater usually work on electricity or propane. Set them to work on propane (gas).
Moochdocking Summary
Moochdocking is staying in your RV on a friend’s or family member’s land. There are benefits and pitfalls, but by following the tips outlined here you can avoid the pitfalls and enjoy the benefits.