HOW TO PLAN A BOONDOCKING TRIP FOR DIRT BIKING

Pack gas, gas cans and oil for your gear and store it safely. When you’re in more remote areas, having extra gas for your bikes can make all the difference between a lackluster trip and an awesome trip. We keep extra gas cans in our RV for this reason. Some people are nervous about driving with reserves of gas on board. One thing we like to do is travel most of the way with empty gas cans, then stop at a gas station when we’re getting close to our destination to fill them up. You’ll have plenty of extra fuel for your dirt biking trip while cutting down on anything unexpected happening. When you’re packing up to leave, use the gas cans to top off the fuel levels in your RV or towing vehicle, and you’ve got empty cans again. 

For your bike, there are also specialty containers that hold small to moderate amounts of fuel so you don’t run out when you’re in the middle of nowhere. We also like to have some extra oil on hand in case the bikes need topping off, but if you followed our earlier tip, you should be good. 

Strap down your dirt bikes and gear for driving. On a paved road, a pothole, quick braking or need to swerve can jostle dirt bikes and knock them down. And if you’re headed to a location with unpaved roads, well...a few steps are in order for keeping your bikes upright and safe. Wheel chocks, mount rings and tie down racks can help. Wheel chocks keep bikes from rolling forward when they’re stored upright and are usually just simple pieces of wood that slide under the tires. Mount rings and tie down racks both provide stable and permanent solutions. With mount rings, you can use the tension from straps or ropes to keep your bikes standing upright. Some RVs come with mount rings already installed, but if yours doesn’t, they’re cheap and easy to install on the floor or walls of your RV with a power drill. Tie down racks often have bumpers to help hold bikes upright, and can be installed on an RV wall or even the back of a pickup truck bed. These racks usually also have a couple mount rings to assist the bumpers in keeping bikes secure. No matter what, strap your bikes down so that they don’t move while your vehicle is in motion--that’s the most important takeaway. Everyone does this part a little differently, so whatever works for you is good. 

Bring the right gear and store it safely. Dirt biking is a sport that requires a good amount of gear. You’ll need a full face helmet, as well as special protective boots, pants and a shirt to protect your body from the dirt and rocks that may fly up from under your wheels. Goggles are important to protect your eyes and, of course, you’ll want gloves to help keep your hands from getting ripped to shreds by sand. Multiply all this gear by the amount of people you’re traveling with and it can easily get messy. We recommend having everyone keep a separate bag for their gear and packing boots and helmets on the bottom of the bag. Or, if your bags aren’t big enough, tie down helmets or boots in the back with the bikes and secure them so they don’t fly around.