Greetings from Quartzsite AZ

I have friends that Winter in Quartzite;) She's online all the time, but I don't know their setup. Do you mean Wifi literally, or are you hard-wired by ethernet from your router? I plug in my ethernet if wifi isn't doing the job at times.
 
First should have been 'Greetings'. Second for Denise, I have my cell for private financial communications, my laptop for social sites. I use the parks wifi, I'm 1,500 miles from my router. I could set my cell up as a hot spot, but with only 3 GB of data I didn't want to go over my limit, too costly. Here's what I tried to post.

My van dwelling/travel trailer journey to Quartzsite

I started with a used-high mileage fleet cargo van from a local electrical firm. Their fleet was their life blood so they kept them mechanically sound & serviced. Paid $1,000. Had a reputable mechanic thoroughly go through it, change the belts, hoses & fluids ($1,000+). Installed high mileage heavy duty tires ($500). Installed tow package/brake control ($600). Still could use a new windshield. Into it for $3,100 not counting all the unnecessary conversions to it. I didn't listen to the experts, it was too short to stand up in, being old with a bad back wasn't good. Next step found a suitable 19' self contained '98 travel trailer ($1,800) came with a sway control hitch. Now more than $5,000, had an ugly van pulling an older travel trailer (every door/window handle has an issue but found that $4 vise grips solve those problems). Small repairs & new mattress for the trailer set me back another $300 - total invested $5,300.

I pulled it to Utah to get a little training from my trailer-pulling son. Drove it down I-15 to Las Vegas then down 95 to Quartzsite arriving the 30th of October '17. Stayed at the first RV park I had found on the web. Low rent district, but most amenities. Crappy internet, non-drinkable water, dirt parking, dusty, hot (Oct is still summer in AZ). Upgraded to a better (a little) for $20 less than I was paying. Better wifi (a little), cable, still couldn't drink the water, everyone around me has a monstrous rig & a 1 ton dually 4x4 or is pushing a home on wheels. Price & convenience were my goal. Everyone has a little scooter/ATV to run around in. Watched yesterday as my neighbor took a bad exit from his ATV onto the ground, ya that worked! Also, question why seniors whom can't walk a straight line insist on having a big dog to pull them around?

Why not the $180 (annual) BLM land you ask, well it was my first travel trailer experience in more than 20 years wanted to learn the ropes. So for now I'm sitting in my trailer having my morning coffee, the temp is cool almost cold go figure in the Arizona desert plotting & planning for next year.

Lessons learned:

I have figured out most of my workings of my small trailer.
I've learned to shower much like they do in the rest of the world. Use less than 2 gals.
I use paper plates & paper towels either burnable for now, disposable.
I've learned what a 'sewer slinky' is & how to use it.
I purchased a RhinoFlex sewer line for drainage, best according to sources.
I purchased 2 10' hoses (with water filter between them) that are designed for potable water sources, no rubbery taste, can't drink it anyway.
I've also learned what 'potable' means. I still get my drinking water from the many machines that dot Quartzsite. But hope to use my new tank.
I'm a drug store expert on the propane setup & where to get the best prices, have 2 spares.
Learned that solar power with converter is most efficient running my fridge, only use propane as an emergency. 2 battery system.
Learned how my furnace works & how to change the thermo-coupler & light the pilot light on my 5 gal water heater.
Making my bed was a pain, decided to get a sleeping bag, use my blankets under me, then use the sleeping bag as a comforter.
Keep what dish ware I've used washed immediately after use.
I use the laundry services here, close, cheaper & more convenient.
Learned to wear my clothes multiple days rather than change daily.
Learning all about solar panels & their varied uses.
Learned to open my black water drainage first then flush with the gray water drainage. Keep both lines closed, drain every other day.
Keep the trailer as orderly as possible, space is precious everything needs to be in it's place.
Overheard storage can be a head bumper, learned to close the doors when not in use.
Learned the easiest way to make coffee - French Press.
I've been practicing backing & parking my trailer, a monumental task for me.
Utilizing my sway bars for maximum safety while pulling my trailer.
How to prepare my trailer for safety & proper load for non sway action.
Learned that Parker is closer than at first thought, 35 miles with a Walmart & quite decent cafe (the Crossroads). Make a weekly trip up for supplies.

That all being said, I'm sure there are many other things I will learn as time marches on.

My goal is to get out on the BLM land with my 2 solar panels, 325 gal potable water tank, 2 extra propane bottles,,,etc for dry boon docking.
I learned that you can filter your gray water through 14 inches of sand in a self draining 5 gal bucket & have acceptable waste water to dump, no bleach.
The $40 commode I bought, not use the tiny porta potty in my cramped TT. it will be my black water waste using plastic bags, pet bedding, lime for proper disposal.
Burn all my paper products. Dump my non-burnable waste in a dumpster along the way. If I can solve this I will start boon docking in Oregon, Idaho (on my 8 acres), Nevada & Arizona full time.
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Thanks Nancy
 
Ha! - My 20 year old travel trailer is now considered 'VINTAGE' or retro, if I ever do decide to sell it I can get top dollar for that classification. Who would have thought, 'What goes around, comes around'. I believe that the van is not considered Vintage/Antique/Classic until it reaches 25 years, it's 23 now. I wish I had saved all the comic books I had back in the late 40's early 50's along with the original 'Star War' toys I never bought but was told to accumulate. I did have a 'Hopalong Cassidy' lunch box that would have paid off all my debt. Not to mention the Fess Parker 'Davy Crockett' collectibles & large pile of 501 Levi's my mother tossed/donated when I joined the service. Woulda, shoulda, coulda!
 
Roadwarrior said:
Ha! - My 20 year old travel trailer is now considered 'VINTAGE' or retro, if I ever do decide to sell it I can get top dollar for that classification. Who would have thought, 'What goes around, comes around'. I believe that the van is not considered Vintage/Antique/Classic until it reaches 25 years, it's 23 now. I wish I had saved all the comic books I had back in the late 40's early 50's along with the original 'Star War' toys I never bought but was told to accumulate. I did have a 'Hopalong Cassidy' lunch box that would have paid off all my debt. Not to mention the Fess Parker 'Davy Crockett' collectibles & large pile of 501 Levi's my mother tossed/donated when I joined the service. Woulda, shoulda, coulda!
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Oh there's some threads around here you'd love, like "Days Gone By" RW;)
 
Since my wifi is questionable at best, I have to jump in when it's available. Today the 26th has seen an influx of motor homes, trailers, 5th wheels & the varied & sundry makeshift vehicles is enormous. I think I've seen just about every conversion possible then lo n behold here comes another DIY camper. I'm actually getting more exercise than I thought I might. I find I have more energy & feel so much butter. My 'senior' bruises have all cleared up. My glucose counts are low, low had to cut back on the insulin. I'm walking about 2 miles a day through the dust & cactus. Bunnie abound as do the coyotes, I haven't seen a scorpion or rattler, but been warned. I was talking to a guy who is from my home state, said he left his wife of 32 years 3 years ago. She didn't want to come. He couldn't stand the rain & gloom that we deal with in the NW. He says his eyesight has even cleared up, he can run faster & jump higher, sounds like the ad for Keds.
 
Roadwarrior said:
Since my wifi is questionable at best, I have to jump in when it's available. Today the 26th has seen an influx of motor homes, trailers, 5th wheels & the varied & sundry makeshift vehicles is enormous. I think I've seen just about every conversion possible then lo n behold here comes another DIY camper. I'm actually getting more exercise than I thought I might. I find I have more energy & feel so much butter. My 'senior' bruises have all cleared up. My glucose counts are low, low had to cut back on the insulin. I'm walking about 2 miles a day through the dust & cactus. Bunnie abound as do the coyotes, I haven't seen a scorpion or rattler, but been warned. I was talking to a guy who is from my home state, said he left his wife of 32 years 3 years ago. She didn't want to come. He couldn't stand the rain & gloom that we deal with in the NW. He says his eyesight has even cleared up, he can run faster & jump higher, sounds like the ad for Keds.
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We were staying in a rather low-rent RV park in New Mexico a few years ago that had what I'm pretty sure is the largest collection of home made RV's in the state, if not the country. One was a 2-level flat-bed trailer that had a pickup slide-in camper sitting on the lower level, lashed on with rope, old fire hoses, etc. and on the upper level was a pick up bed topper that was their "guest suite". There were also a few old vans with the engine compartment hacked off, plywood sealing off the front and a hitch welded on somehow. Rent was $200 a month, which included electricity and water. Lots of really interesting (and I don't necessarily mean "bad" interesting....) people living there, getting by quite nicely on small SS checks.

Good ol' American ingenuity never fails to amaze me.
 
Hoot N Annie said:
Roadwarrior - Have you made it to Hi Jolly's Tomb yet?
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Haven't made it sightseeing, didn't drive 1,500 to find shade or socialize being somewhat of a loner. I do have a library card (books/wifi & videos), drive to Parker every 10 days or so for lunch at the 'Crossroads', stop @ the only in network CU for my ATM, shop at Walmart for necessities, hit the casino there but no crap table.

Took a trip to 'Dateland' (150 miles from Quartzsite) to check out the RV park there ($150 per month) a lady trucker (I met at the low-rent park) with a huge, huge, huge 5th wheel & 4 bull dogs asked me to come down. Desolate, with one truck stop, all the amenities a nice park about 1/4 full.

I just donated 25 videos to our park club house (their had a sorry collection), but mostly stay to myself, reading, cooking, walking (sans my imaginary dog) & meandering through the 'flea' market stalls lining the roads.
 
We’ve driven through Quartsite 4-5 times on I-10 and have a question, is there an actual town? There’s a McDonalds we’ve stopped at and a couple of other things, but that’s about it. The McDonalds was interesting, a few of the ‘locals’ were in having their coffee klatch for the day and they were quite the characters. Where are all the snowbirds we hear about?
 
debbie in seattle said:
We’ve driven through Quartsite 4-5 times on I-10 and have a question, is there an actual town? There’s a McDonalds we’ve stopped at and a couple of other things, but that’s about it. The McDonalds was interesting, a few of the ‘locals’ were in having their coffee klatch for the day and they were quite the characters. Where are all the snowbirds we hear about?
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Did you come through between Nov 1 through April? Jan & Feb, more snowbirds than any other month, if those were the times then you probably only seen a few of the 1000+ permanent residents. But during the above mentioned months, there can be as many as 500,000 'snowbirds' that have come & gone, They may be in the many RV parks that line Main & Central, they may be out on the BLM land north or south on US95 claiming their spot on the desert landscape.


Starting on the 11th of Jan the van dwellers/car dwellers will be hosting & attending what they call the RTR, I think it stands for Rubber Tire Roundup. It lasts for 10 days, they have fire pits, drumming circles, meditation groups, rock hound meet ups, gold mining seminars, craft groups, there are several hosts showing the ends & outs of boon docking on the cheap.


The temps are mild during the winters here, days in the 70's nights can get down to the 20's & 30's, The temps in the summer can reach in the 130's so I can't imagine that many tourists make this a destination. I haven't had a day without full sun light, I've been here since the 1st of Nov.


I am amazed at the variety of states that are represented here, mostly from the NW (Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho) but many others from almost every state in the union. There are the Canadians from Alberta, British Columbia, Sask, even Alaska,,,etc. My neighbors are from Iowa & Nebraska. Behind me they are Idaho & Montana across the road Okla, Florida, Idaho & Texas. Dirt, dust & sand blow constantly, everything you own has a layer of silt covering it. There are rabbits, coyotes, unseen rattlesnakes & scorpions, we even had a camel & handler come through our park today.


Every business targets the snowbirds, they can't get workers to stay much more than a few months so they are screaming for help. Grocery, convenience stores, a small police force, they even have a few schools, but since it's mostly retirees you don't see many children. There is only one Red Box but every store has a propane bottle rack & most have a Glacier water dispenser. The dollar stores are the busiest with usually only one clerk. Long lines of white haired customers standing in line.


One post office - one clerk & one postal box location. Mail is a crap shoot, you better plan for on line activity rather than snail mail. Many boarded up & vacant businesses that have gone bust. Laundromats/showers & a few restaurants remain. It's a tent city bonanza during the winter but nothing more than a dusty, dry desert in the spring/summer/fall. There's not one hotel/motel or any buildings more than 2 stories. But OMG for the RV lots that have sprung up since my arrival.


It's my first year, I came for the sun & warmer climate, had to get out of the overcast, rainy Pacific coast. I brought my laptop with a grundle of movies loaded to entertain myself. No movie houses, the town pretty well buttons up after 6, most seniors are hunkered down in their massive RV’s watching satellite TV or a few brave souls are sitting outside by their fire pits, something we can't have inside our RV park. It's quite a study in human endeavors to see the many different DIY rigs coming into the area every day.


Driving is dangerous, what with every senior thinking they are long haul drivers with their oversized motorhome or 1 ton dually & 3 city block long 5[SUP]th[/SUP] wheelers, most with very little experience or reaction skills trying to navigate the parking lots, roads & driveways. The curbs take the worst beatings much of the time. Then there are the rainbow people, (we called them hippies in my day) ambling along, carrying their worldly goods in a backpack, looking alike but thinking they are unique.


None of this was posted to offend anyone.
 
Roadwarrior,,
Very interesting to read about your set up & options about camp ground & its residents.

Thank you for all you have posted as am in snowy northwest PA.

We camp in an 18 year old motor home , when we travel.
As we tow ATVs ,,have lot of tales about boon docking in it.

First trip "out West".. One flat tire,, then trying to find a camp spot,, slide into a ditch,, stayed in ditch as no way to haul RV out of it.
Finally had ranger take hubby up where he could get cell service & called wrecker.

Expecting a huge wrecker & little one ton truck came to pull us out.
Got RV started but it would not move!!
Turned out the transmission leaked out its fluid.

Wrecker man went to nearest ranch & got some ATF fluid,, enough to get us under way.
Followed wrecker to a town,, bought more fluid.
Ordered a tire,,,, $600!

Caught up with rest of our party at a camp ground.
They had taken the time to find us a camp site.
Off we went with RV on dirt road to an ATV trail,, Ok,, that why we have an old RV.
Found a lovely spot by our selves,, ground squirrels & blue jays out neighbors.

We rode trails,, enjoyed ourselves.
Found a stream to pump water into a cooler to fill water tank for showers,, dish washing.
Guys carry electric pump for pumping.

With your old camper ,, check its roof.
Roof needs painted with special paint.
And makes sure the roof seams are sealed. Any units on the roof with seams also need sealed,, then apply roof coating.

Will check back in to see if you have any questions about boon docking.
 
My plan is to leave for OR at the end of March, it was 60 this morning at 7AM. I remember back in '55 on a trip to Calif with my parents. On our way back we stopped at a Safeway in Yuma. It was well over 90 in the shade, this was in April prior to Easter. Experienced snowbirds said it can get pretty hot in April. I don't want to be here when it does. My current plan is to camp around OR this summer & fall either in improved USFS camp gounds or out on BLM near Prineville, a friend from Eugene has moved back there with his ailing brother & has invited me to come camp, his nephew patrols that area for the BLM. Then if all goes well maybe summer '19 I'll start parking on my Idaho land.
 
From all reports things have turned a little ugly across I-10 at the RTR, Flu & colds are occuring more frequently than expected, I guess you get that anytime there is a large accumulation of people sharing food & space. I look at being a loner as a positive thing now.

It that have become clearer now. I had adopted a minimalistic approach to my camping. I had purchased older used equipment rather than going with new. Most things have worked out but there are a few drawbacks that have made me rethink some of my purchases. I tried the economy brand paper towels (Sparkle). Yes you get what you pay for. I tried to shop exclusively at the discount or dollar stores, having to rethink my decisions. Paper plates, utensils & other non-edible items are questionable. I bought a small roll of kitchen garbage bags at the grocery tent here, horrible, ripped easy & were paper thin. I threw away the remaining few after a couple of tries. Bought the more expensive ones & haven't been sorry.

I was purchasing pecans & walnuts at the tent also, after 4-6 bags of bland tasteless nuts I open one that had a funky smell. I tested them, didn't like them & worried I was eating moldy nuts, tossed another open bag in the garbage vowing to buy un-expired ones from Walmart. Toilet paper is okay for the cheap ones since I use a moist paper towels (Bounty) to clean up. I still use the economy brand to dab my hands dry & use them to wipe down the surfaces. They hold up long enough for that. Coffee is something I try not to squelch on. Coffee loses it's flavor after a few weeks on the stores shelves. I'm sure the coffee at the tent has sat for months on the retail shelves then passed onto the tent sales for disposal. I refuse to even think about purchasing that. I'm now making a decision whether to continue shopping there for anything that I might want the eat.

My income is adequate to the point I can buy fresh, non-outdated & hopefully healthy food choices in the future. Meats, vegetables & dairy products must have a good expiration date stamped on them. I like fresh eggs also. I know that most items sold at Walmart have been produced on a meager budget at the manufactures, corners have been cut to meet the price demands that Walmart sets. They have to make them with the least possible ingredients & raw materials. Quality is tabled over mass produced inventories so the manufactures can make a small profit for quantity shipments. They have cut all the possible waste & quality from the product for the bottom line. So it goes with anything you buy now days. Demand sets the standards. I'm not a brand snob but do know that you get different quality from the same manufacture depending on where you shop.
 


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