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"Boondockers Welcome"

ernie1
Explorer
Explorer
Anyone familiar with this company that appears to be affiliated with "Harvest Host". Wondering if anyone have experience with this outfit and what they thought? Membership fee is $50/year and going up. There's also a certain amount of pressure/requirement for one to become a host to join.
6 REPLIES 6

ernie1
Explorer
Explorer
Thanks everyone for your input. I have now joined Boondocks Welcome and am also a member of Harvest Host.

willald
Explorer II
Explorer II
We've heard of such, and seriously considering joining. We like boondocking, prefer being more secluded rather than campgrounds jam packed in with everyone. Really like the idea of being able to book boondocking sites at so many different places.

I just booked a stay via the other one, hipcamp, for an upcoming trip to Maryland. Like that hipcamp has no annual fees, but of course, you pay for it anyway via booking fees when you do book stays with them.

I did not realize that Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome recently merged. That explains some things, and makes sense. One of these days will probably join.
Will and Cheryl
2021 Newmar Baystar 3014 on F53 (7.3 V8) Chassis ("Brook")
2018 Jeep Wrangler JK ("Wilbur")

Matt_Colie
Explorer
Explorer
BurbMan wrote:
There's another one now called HipCamp, same principle.


Big Difference ! !

As I read Hipcamp (and have been considering same), they are wide open to all kinds of camping. This is to include ground tents with zero support. But it can also include cottages, and RVs with no sanitary capability. Boondockers Welcome was named so because guests are supposed to be completely self-contained. There is only a membership fee per year and no booking fee at all. If the guest needs electric in cold weather, I don't even ask for a contribution.

Matt - 4 year host
Matt & Mary Colie
A sailor, his bride and their black dogs (one dear dog is waiting for us at the bridge) going to see some dry places that have Geocaches in a coach made the year we married.

MRC54
Explorer
Explorer
My experience with BW has been very positive. Always terrific friendly hosts. Most are RVers themselves. We have stayed at farms, hobby farms, houses with room for our 42' 5th wheel. Many have electric from 110 to 50amp and water, and some even have sewer. Most allow multiple night stays from 2-5 nights. There is usually a $5-$10 charge for hookups.

We have stayed at a few Harvest Hosts, but you are limited to one night, without hookups.

HH purchased BW but they are operated as separate entities, although they combined the apps into one, showing BW with different icons.

At renewal we chose to only renew BW. It works better for our needs.

Even though all of our BW stays have been memorable, two stand out. We stayed at a hobby farm in northwest Wisconsin with all kinds of animals. One of his specialties was rescuing pot belly pigs. I guess after the cuteness wears off, people with pot belly pigs might become less interested.

In Pensacola, FL. we stayed an private residence with a large backyard with full hookups. They were Christmas light people. The kind that you'd drive to just for the show. We were there for the Blue Angels homecoming in early November 2021, and the homeowner was just starting to put up the lights for his 'show'. Choreographed music, Santas everywhere, roof lights, lawn lights, etc. It was fun to watch the process.

We have talked about taking a cross country trip just staying in BW sites for 2-5 nights at each stop. Mostly small town America with great people.

Not sure about any pressure to become a host. We have done wverything through the web site. No pressure at all.
2021 Keystone Alpine 3712KB
2009 Sierra 3500 DRW

Full timing starting May 1

BurbMan
Explorer II
Explorer II
There's another one now called HipCamp, same principle.

JaxDad
Explorer III
Explorer III
Iโ€™ve been both a member and host since the very early days of Boondockers Welcome. It was started by two great gals near Toronto here a few years back. It was different than Harvest Host in that it was often just a place to park at a members house.

Last year the owners of Harvest Host bought the Boondockers Welcome network and merged it with their own.

Iโ€™ve met some really great folks over the years because of this network, some of whom I still stay in touch with.