With campgrounds booked up and ever-increasing nightly fees, RVers are turning to Boondockers Welcome more than ever before… and getting hooked! Here’s why.
Jennifer and I are longtime members and BIG fans of Boondockers Welcome. It’s a hosting service where private landowners offer a spot on their property for self-contained RVs to stay the night.
As primarily boondockers ourselves, we’ve loved how easy this service is to use to find private, unique places to stay on our road trips. Not to mention all of the amazing hosts we’ve met along the way.
These days, Boondockers Welcome is really saving the day for people who can’t get a campground reservation a few months from now, let alone a few days.
Oh, and did I mention the overnight stays are free?! Yep, you get to stay on someone’s property safely, legally, and for free.
As if that’s not enough, there are more benefits, too! I’m going to tell you all about them and give you a link to get 15% off.
If you buy something through our links, we may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps keep our lights on so we can continue to provide helpful resources for RVers. Read our full affiliate disclosure here.
What Is Boondockers Welcome?
Boondockers Welcome is a website and app that connects RVers with over 3,000 host locations worldwide. Locals invite travelers to spend the night, share their stories, and save their money for the real adventure.
Members of Boondockers Welcome pay an annual subscription and get unlimited stays with their hosts.
The service is designed for self-contained RVers (a.k.a. boondockers) who do not need hookups to stay overnight. Although, 75% of hosts do offer electric and/or water hookups for fair compensation.
7 Reasons Boondockers Welcome is Well Worth the Cost
RV Lifestyle has been a long-time partner of Boondockers Welcome because it’s truly a great resource we use ourselves and always recommend to others. Plus, by being a partner, we get to offer our followers a great discount.
Here are several reasons why Boondockers Welcome is well worth the small annual membership fee.
1. It Pays for Itself in 1 Stay
I’m sure the question you’re asking is “How much does Boondockers Welcome Cost?” The answer is that you get an annual membership for the average cost of 1 night stay in a campground.
Boondockers Welcome costs an annual membership fee of $79 per year. Considering you get unlimited stays for that year, it’s a steal of a deal.
You can get 15% off your Boondockers Welcome annual membership using the discount code: RVLIFESTYLE15
2. Free Overnight Parking
This whole platform is based on free overnight RV parking. So, hosts are not permitted to charge for parking. It’s not intended to be an income source for hosts.
Why do hosts do it, then, you may ask? Well, many hosts do it because they like to meet people from all over. And many are considering the RV lifestyle themselves, so it’s an excellent way to learn about the different RVs, traveling styles, and more.
3. Last-Minute Reservations
Ever since the pandemic, it’s been very difficult to get any campground reservation, let alone last-minute reservations. Boondockers Welcome provides you with another option for finding a great place to stay that’s actually available.
With new hosts and sites becoming available every day, it’s an excellent resource for making plans now and for the future.
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Unique Locales
These free overnight RV spots can range from someone’s driveway to an expansive property with a great view. Just like boondockers sometimes park in Walmart parking lots or the like, a driveway can certainly suffice for the night.
But, many of the host locations are unique and beautiful. From the country to the city, the beach to the mountains, and in every direction, there’s a wide variety of places to choose from.
Gain Local Insight
As we explained, Boondockers Welcome hosts don’t do it for the money (free overnight parking, remember?). Many do it to simply offer a weary traveler a place to rest.
And all can be a great resource to gain local insight. Whether it’s the best restaurant or family history of the property, you can learn things you’d never learn from a travel guide.
Many people also host because they like to travel vicariously through their guests, hearing their stories and learning about where they're from. Quite a few either enjoy or are considering the RV lifestyle, as well.
And, let’s be honest, we all love talking about our RVs and our travels. Many times, you get to share your insight and your stories with eager listeners who can benefit from your experience.
Make New Friends
As you can guess, people who offer RVers a place to stay for free tend to be very nice and gracious people. It’s a wonderful way to make new friends all over North America.
On some stays, you might not interact with the hosts much. But some stays, you will. And you never know the friendships you can form!
Get Our Partner Discount
RV Lifestyle became partners of Boondockers Welcome years ago because we know first-hand how beneficial their hosting platform is. We wanted to share it with our followers and give them the added bonus of a discount.
Even at full price, Boondockers Welcome is a steal of a deal (remember, it pays for itself in 1 night!). But why not save even more and use that savings for your travels.
You can get 15% off your Boondockers Welcome annual membership using the discount code: RVLIFESTYLE15
You might have heard…
You might have heard that Harvest Hosts acquired Boondockers Welcome a while ago. And we get asked this question all the time – What's the difference between them?
Maybe this image can help sort that out for you.
Want to Learn More About Boondocking?
Jennifer and I love the boondocking RV Lifestyle. It offers more freedom and saves money. If you’d like to learn more, you should check out our Beginner’s Guide to Boondocking. Here’s more information…
Want to learn how to boondock?
We created a PRINT version of our most popular guide to help you with the most common boondocking problems. We get a ton of questions from our subscribers about how to get started boondocking that range from where to go and wild animals to water conservation to what equipment to use and more.
Throw off the shackles of traditional RV Parks and campgrounds, stop paying high fees every night that you spend in your RV, and experience the boundless amounts of nature while boondocking!
You’re done with the noisy RV parks, the 3.5 feet of room you have squished in between two other RVs, and other people’s kids running through your campsite?
You’ve ditched the hookups, the concrete blocks and have replaced them with self-leveling and Navy showers?
9 Responses to “7 Reasons Boondockers Welcome is Worth It”
Comments are closed.
March 18, 2024at5:19 pm, cnvrtool cnvrtool said:
Is there a package deal for membership in both BW and HH?
March 19, 2024at1:39 pm, Team RV Lifestyle said:
That would be something to ask the company – excellent question – Team RV Lifestyle
April 25, 2022at12:05 pm, Linda Mumphrey said:
Can the generator be run at night?
April 26, 2022at9:39 am, Team RV Lifestyle said:
That would be a question for each stop. There isn’t a blanket rule that we are aware of. Team RV Lifestyle
April 25, 2022at8:34 am, Ella Menendez said:
Is there a package deal for membership in both BW and HH? Thanks, Ella
April 26, 2022at9:38 am, Team RV Lifestyle said:
That would be a question for the company. Mike and Jen do have a discount for their followers arranged, but don’t work BW or HH, so would have to refer you to them. Team RV Lifestyle
October 11, 2022at9:32 am, Paul Martinez said:
We just joined both earlier this year and got a special offer for BW as we were joining HH, so yes there was a discount when we did both. I believe it was an additional $29
April 25, 2022at8:31 am, Kathleen Wildrick said:
We love the HH/BW experience and have been members of both since we started RVing in 2018. Since they’ve merged, we’ve encountered (and reported) BW hosts who are charging to stay on their property, whether or not you use their hookups. And they are filling up months in advance, as are HH spots. We’re going to the Escapade in Tennessee in June, and most HH and BW along our way are already full—so different from a few years ago! A couple of HH have strongly stated that we had to buy at least $20 of their products. Both these situations are disheartening and violate the spirit of hospitality. Have you encountered this?
Longing for the good ole days,
Kathy Wildrick
April 26, 2022at9:37 am, Team RV Lifestyle said:
Mike and Jen have not encountered this but appreciate you telling them about it. That is disheartening – Thanks for sharing, Team RV Lifestyle