Preparing for Off-Road Boondocking in the Winnebago Micro Minnie FLX

Preparing for Off-Road Boondocking in the Winnebago Micro Minnie FLX 
Tips for going off the beaten path and what towable RV owners should know.

By: Becca & Brian Roy

Over the past few years, we’ve been to all different types of campgrounds in our Winnebago Micro Minnie FLX; from amenity-laden resorts to bare bones county-run parks and everything in between. Having previously been provided with the year-round camping opportunities that Florida had to offer, we were looking for both new opportunities and a way to extend the limited camping season now that we’ve relocated to New Hampshire. One of the things we quickly realized was the area we are in has an abundance of Class 6 roads – and with that, some great boondocking opportunities! 

What is a Class 6 Road in New Hampshire? A Class 6 road classification in New Hampshire refers to roads that are no longer maintained for travel and usually impassable in the winter. Access is often limited to the capabilities of your vehicle, but they are generally open to the public. They can also be used for activities such as hiking, biking, and off-roading depending on local regulations. 

Preparing for an Off-Road Boondocking Trip

Some boondocking spots require more preparation than others. The more off-road and off-grid you get, the more research and planning you will likely need to do–especially when still new to boondocking. Since this was our first time camping off of one of New Hampshire’s unmaintained Class 6 roads, we did some additional research to make sure we would have a positive experience.

1. Research the Camping Area

The area we had decided upon for our boondocking excursion was found down a mile of unmaintained logging road. The road passed through plots of commercial, private, and conservation land. When planning this type of adventure, it’s important to ensure you are not trespassing on someone’s private land and to get the necessary permissions beforehand when it comes to fishing, hiking, or camping. We made use of public records found on the local government website to scope out the area, determine who owned the land and what the rules were to ensure our trip wouldn’t go against any local regulations.

2. Make Sure Your RV Can Get There Safely

Once we had selected an area that checked all the boxes, the next step was making sure we could get our rig down there safely. Knowing the height, width, and ground clearance of your camper is of the utmost importance in this situation. You don’t want to catch your waste pipe on an errant stump in the middle of your path or lose your air conditioner to a low-hanging branch. We went down the path on foot and by truck multiple times leading up to our trip so we could identify any obstructions on our path and either move them or plan a way around them. 

It is also important to note that not all motorhomes and travel trailers are equppied for going off-road, especially on a rougher, unmaintained road. Know the limitations of yourself and your RV before considering this kind of trip.

3. (Travel Trailer Owners) Make Sure You Have the Right Tow Vehicle

If you are in a towable RV, the most important part of preparing for this type of trip is ensuring your tow vehicle has the off-road capability to traverse the trails. With 775 lb-ft of torque and 580 horses, along with AWD (with locking differential ability), our F-150 Lightning was more than up to the task. Having recently invested in some heavy-duty A/T tires, we were ready for our adventure.

4. Prepare Your Travel Trailer or Motorhome

Now that the path was clear and our tow vehicle was ready for the journey, it was time to prepare the camper. We began by battening down the hatches, so to speak. We have had a cabinet or two open up over the years going over a bump in the road on the way to a local campground, so we knew it was likely this would be exacerbated significantly when off-road. We picked up some adhesive-backed, cabinet locks off of Amazon for the fridge, freezer, and various cabinets throughout the camper. This ensured that our food and items stayed put and our cabinets and drawers wouldn’t get damaged by opening up during our travels. 

(Note: Many new Winnebago RVs have heavy-duty locking mechanisms already installed for cabinets, but the option we found is a good alternative if yours does not, or if you want additional peace of mind.)

Getting to Our Off-Road Camping Spot (Safely!)

Our trek down the uneven terrain was careful and meticulous–slow and steady wins the race! Or in this case, it gets you to your location in one piece. While we were confident we had sufficiently prepared, we were still very cautious and kept an eye out for potential hazards like stumps, low-hanging branches, large rocks, or unexpectedly deep ruts on our path. We relied heavily on the on-board capabilities of our tow vehicle, using the array of cameras to check all our angles as we passed through the wooded area. (See a video of our drive!)

Once we made it to our spot, we spent some time leveling off the camper and setting up. Knowing the area is rife with wildlife–foxes, racoons, and bears–we knew we’d need to store the trash in a secure spot out of reach of interested paws. The truck bed with the solar-powered Tonneau cover was our best bet. Otherwise, set up was relatively second nature. Soon enough, we were ready to relax and enjoy!

With the temperatures dipping into the 20s in the night, we stayed cozy in the well-insulated Winnebago Micro Minnie FLX. We ensured our tank heaters were on, and opened the cabinets under the sink to ensure the warm air from the heater kept any pipes from unexpectedly freezing. Our FLX’s onboard systems performed flawlessly, allowing us to use the Lithionics batteries to power through our weekend getaway. 

When it was time to leave, we made sure we left zero trace behind, packing out what we packed in and headed to the local dump station to prepare the camper for our next adventure. Learn more about backcountry best practices here.

While this was a slightly more difficult journey than heading to your local campground due to the additional preparation, the rewards of zero light pollution, the quiet of the forest, and the sounds of nature were more than enough of a reward to begin planning our next off-the-beaten-path adventure. 

Do you enjoy this kind of off-road, nature-focused camping? Please share your stories and tips in the comments