We camped in Quartzsite about a half dozen times during our first few years on the road. We'd heard about "The Crowds" and wondered what everyone was talking about, because we'd never seen any. That's because we only visited in November, December, February and March. Then we went in January. If you like peace and quiet, that's a mistake, since it's a madhouse... like night and day from what we'd experienced before. Being introverted lovers of peace and quiet, we specifically avoid going back in January unless we absolutely have to be at an event related to the show. Being jammed into huge crowds and traffic is the opposite of why we started RVing. Here's the simple way we love us some Q in the shoulder season, which we try to do whenever our route of travel takes us anywhere nearby: 1) We only plan to stay for however long our tanks will last.... a week with ease, 10 days with some extra effort, and 2 weeks with extreme (for us) water saving measures. So we usually stay a week. ;-) 2) During the shoulder season we can be practically alone, right in the free 2-week areas (especially in November or March). 3) Special tip: The annual northbound Monarch butterfly migration is fantastic. We've visited in late March, and they flit all over the place like leaves! :)
Fantastic share - thank you guys! Yes, January is a madhouse but outside of that, we agree, Q can be really peaceful and lovely. Great tips, especially re the butterflies - had never heard of that! That would be amazing. Thanks for sharing great tips as always, for the benefit of others. :)
It's such ugly terrain. I don't understand the draw, not when there are a million other places to camp. Wish someone could explain the whole draw of Quartzite to me. Is it a weather thing, like escaping the cold?
What a beautiful video. I was born and raised here and I am proud to say it. What a nice video with great info... Thank you, thank you, thank you. YOU ARE AWESOMEEEE. MUCH LOVE....
Thanks for all your tips about Quartzsite. We are very new to fulltime living in an RV and bounce between two home bases. We hope to see you next year at Quartzsite.
During the tent show expect restaurants to be super full. If you eat out. go at non meal times. Better yet. Cook out and invite your neighbors. If you want quietness and privacy, you can find a place. Move out away from other people. If you find somebody away from everybody else, they want their peace. Don't move in near them. It is a massive area. You can always find your place to make a nest.
Every morning we run into the McDonald’s for the coffee. (Not exactly roughing it but what can I say?) and as it gets closer to the opening of the RV show that place gets extremely crazy. Our last morning the line was out the door and the drive through lane extended out to the street. We decided to go fire up the generator and make our own coffee back at the RV.
great video, my understanding of the big show is being able to find any and all types of rv accessories, can you find a wide range of accessories in december and february, thanks for all your informative videos
Hmm you can find a lot of gear for RVs in Q but to be honest, not sure how readily available they are in Dec and Feb as we have never stayed in Dec and our stay in Feb was short and most stores were closed, we didn't go shopping for RV stuff... Jan is your best bet for all things RV. Glad you enjoy the vids!
The 14 day permit is free. There is also a LTVA permit for $40 for 2 weeks, or $180 for 7 months. The free area and pay area are separate, but one no better than the other. The pay areas allow you to get water, dump trash, and dump sewer. Electric is your solar, or your generator.PLEASE use an inverter generator, not one of those super loud cheap ones!
I had attended Quartzsite for my maiden voyage with my 20’ toy hauler (no toys) this year. I actually DID go to the RTR! It was the only one that didn’t really require a membership. They had some awesome seminars! At last count I heard it was between 3500-4000 but who knows for sure.... There was no problems in my little neck of the event. You don’t need to go far to get away from the crowd! There was a central area for the seminars; there was a “music” section for those who wanted more excitement (which is where I parked- not for the excitement so much as I had a generator). But my “driveway” was really very quiet!!! So many AWESOME people!!! EVERY single person I met was just so nice! It’s like everyone is happy just being there!! It made my first trip with my trailer a real great experience! Thanks for a fantastic video. Quartzsite is nothing to be afraid of at all. If I, a 58 yo introverted solo traveler with 3 dogs, can do it - anyone can do it!!! Lauri
Lauri thanks SO much for sharing - that is fantastic. We hear so many people concerned about visiting Q and there are definitely ways to do it and enjoy. We did not get down to check out RTR so thank you for sharing your experience, especially as a solo traveler, newbie and among such a large group! We are glad you got to find a quiet place, despite being so near the crowds... we love the variety and awesomeness of the RV people we meet - always so interesting and love hearing the different stories. So glad your first experience was a positive one - and by you sharing here, it may help some others have the confidence to try it out too. It's worth checking out for sure! Happy Trails!
We had the same experience at rtr, we were unsure with a 40 ft class A and planned to only stay 1 or 2 nights to post some videos but the sense of community really won us over, we stayed through the entire rtr plus a couple days, no question we would do it again. Cheers! Dave & Karen
Hmmm good question, there may well be.. but not entirely sure, we never saw any.... but that doesn't mean there aren't any! Wonder if anyone else reading the comments would know!?
It is pretty reasonable most of the year from what we understand, and during our visits that are not during peak time, but during peak the towers get a bit overloaded and slow down a lot.
I agree ...just once. The tent reminds me of the state fair. cool but overcrowded. Long lines for restaurants in town etc. I enjoy the social aspect more than sitting in a traffic jam. I plan to leave during the tent show and come back after.
If anybody who goes to Quartzsite also goes towards Dome Rock.....could you go on Google Earth and put in 33 38 27.76 N 114 19 33.61 W and you will see a spiral and all these little straight lines of stones. Any idea what they might be by chance? If you zoom out from 1500' you will see more of them. They are a mixture of rocks 10" high. Art
Hi, I planned to get here 6 mos. Ago, I finally made it still learning how to organize my van, and minimize space, still to much stuff.... I left North Colorado I lived there 15 years to LONG. I love Arizona, it reminds me of Israel.. God's country, I'll never live it AGAIN.. those of you that is new to Arizona camping in the desert, DO NOT camp in the wash... it's like a little dried up creek, the desert is unpredictable... so be safe use common sense &logic
I don’t mind meeting people. I Just don’t want to meet 10,000 at one time. Don’t need to listen to the music blasting, generators running next to me, endless lines the bad attitudes the endless garage sales. Looks like the desert gave birth to a trailer park. Ugh.
IN some parts and at certain times of year, it can look like that yes... and there are also some lovely, peaceful places too, just got to seek them out :) And like you, we prefer the smaller groups not big ones. We didn't even go downtown this year. Look forward to returning outside of January for a different experience
Hi Bill. We saw tons of people that bring their own atv and other off highway vehicles. Many people even drive them around town, let alone in the BLM areas. Some areas are closed to motor vehicles, but there are many trails in the area.
Yes Yes Yes! Bring it. There are thousands of them there. Mostly Polaris Razors. Buddy up with somebody in case you break down. Research the tires for the terrain. It is very gravely there. I see groups exploring every day. I want to go with them!
I have to drive past quartsite on trips back snd forth az ca. I dont get it. Why in the middle of desert, nowhere. Swap meet. But why would anyone LIVE there? I hear they even swap wives. Ew low lifeing it
The town itself isn't very exciting, and we are not really into swap meets. But we do see the appeal as a boondocking location. It is very easy access off of highways, and is a massive, very flat, and open area capable of handling a lot of RVs. Also the dirt surface is a bit rocky that makes it less dusty/muddy and better for handling the weight of RVs. -M
I heard mostly positive comments from everybody about the RTR and the experience in general. I see no reason to avoid going there. Park in a more remote and quieter area if you want and wAlk to the events and groups. It is only Ten days and then you can return to the slower pace of your life. The chance to meet so many like minded, friendly and helpful people is a joy to experience. Friendships to last a lifetime and something to look forward to each year.
Idea: Get a new hobby. Damn, I had to shut your video off at under 2 minutes. TMI !! Learn K I S S (keep it short and simple). Take turns, the two of you at one time, Bad, just plain Bad! Seem like nice people, the Good Sam type or KOA. Fact-dirt-dust-and camping, think salt and pepper, hot day-beer. Things that go together.
We camped in Quartzsite about a half dozen times during our first few years on the road. We'd heard about "The Crowds" and wondered what everyone was talking about, because we'd never seen any. That's because we only visited in November, December, February and March. Then we went in January. If you like peace and quiet, that's a mistake, since it's a madhouse... like night and day from what we'd experienced before. Being introverted lovers of peace and quiet, we specifically avoid going back in January unless we absolutely have to be at an event related to the show. Being jammed into huge crowds and traffic is the opposite of why we started RVing. Here's the simple way we love us some Q in the shoulder season, which we try to do whenever our route of travel takes us anywhere nearby:
1) We only plan to stay for however long our tanks will last.... a week with ease, 10 days with some extra effort, and 2 weeks with extreme (for us) water saving measures. So we usually stay a week. ;-)
2) During the shoulder season we can be practically alone, right in the free 2-week areas (especially in November or March).
3) Special tip: The annual northbound Monarch butterfly migration is fantastic. We've visited in late March, and they flit all over the place like leaves! :)
Fantastic share - thank you guys! Yes, January is a madhouse but outside of that, we agree, Q can be really peaceful and lovely. Great tips, especially re the butterflies - had never heard of that! That would be amazing. Thanks for sharing great tips as always, for the benefit of others. :)
It's such ugly terrain. I don't understand the draw, not when there are a million other places to camp. Wish someone could explain the whole draw of Quartzite to me. Is it a weather thing, like escaping the cold?
Thank you for sharing.
Next question: what do you do in summer?
@@vaskylark its a social thing... freedom...
At 3:25, Is that the tent at the Magic Circle?
The tent at 3:25 was from an Escapee group that year. -M
What a beautiful video. I was born and raised here and I am proud to say it. What a nice video with great info... Thank you, thank you, thank you. YOU ARE AWESOMEEEE. MUCH LOVE....
Thank you. So glad to see that you loved the video so much as a local. Thank you for your kind comments.-M
Mom and Dad went just about every year back in the 70's. Never have been, but got to check it out soon!
Yes it's a place you have got to see! Eye opening for sure :)
Thanks for all your tips about Quartzsite. We are very new to fulltime living in an RV and bounce between two home bases. We hope to see you next year at Quartzsite.
You're welcome.
We RV'd in Brenda, Az at Brenda RV resort best deal here was get a space for one year pay twice a year @$130. a month
Wow. That is very affordable. -M
During the tent show expect restaurants to be super full. If you eat out. go at non meal times. Better yet. Cook out and invite your neighbors. If you want quietness and privacy, you can find a place. Move out away from other people. If you find somebody away from everybody else, they want their peace. Don't move in near them. It is a massive area. You can always find your place to make a nest.
We totally agree with your additions. Thank you for sharing and contributing
Great info!!!
Glad you think so!
Sounds like January in the Q is Sturgis for RVers.
In a way... yes. Fun analogy
I would love to attend sometime, but I don't have a rig now. So...if you've got room for one more, I'm a blast to hang out with. Lol..
LOL
We are heading west next winter, Great info. Thank you for sharing
You're welcome! You will love the west!
Every morning we run into the McDonald’s for the coffee. (Not exactly roughing it but what can I say?) and as it gets closer to the opening of the RV show that place gets extremely crazy. Our last morning the line was out the door and the drive through lane extended out to the street. We decided to go fire up the generator and make our own coffee back at the RV.
LOL :)
great video, my understanding of the big show is being able to find any and all types of rv accessories, can you find a wide range of accessories in december and february, thanks for all your informative videos
Hmm you can find a lot of gear for RVs in Q but to be honest, not sure how readily available they are in Dec and Feb as we have never stayed in Dec and our stay in Feb was short and most stores were closed, we didn't go shopping for RV stuff... Jan is your best bet for all things RV. Glad you enjoy the vids!
Thanks for the info and interviews. Good insight!
Welcome!
do you have to have a permit to boondock? if so, where do you go to pick one up? I kept hearing something about permits from Bob Wells.
Yes there are BLM Camp Hosts located all around the area - you see them by the signs and need to get a 14 day permit
The 14 day permit is free. There is also a LTVA permit for $40 for 2 weeks, or $180 for 7 months. The free area and pay area are separate, but one no better than the other. The pay areas allow you to get water, dump trash, and dump sewer. Electric is your solar, or your generator.PLEASE use an inverter generator, not one of those super loud cheap ones!
@@joeo7257 can you camp long term with a van and set up a tent?
Thanks for the tips!!!
You are welcome. Glad to have been able to share some insights -M
I had attended Quartzsite for my maiden voyage with my 20’ toy hauler (no toys) this year. I actually DID go to the RTR! It was the only one that didn’t really require a membership. They had some awesome seminars! At last count I heard it was between 3500-4000 but who knows for sure....
There was no problems in my little neck of the event. You don’t need to go far to get away from the crowd! There was a central area for the seminars; there was a “music” section for those who wanted more excitement (which is where I parked- not for the excitement so much as I had a generator). But my “driveway” was really very quiet!!!
So many AWESOME people!!! EVERY single person I met was just so nice! It’s like everyone is happy just being there!! It made my first trip with my trailer a real great experience!
Thanks for a fantastic video. Quartzsite is nothing to be afraid of at all. If I, a 58 yo introverted solo traveler with 3 dogs, can do it - anyone can do it!!!
Lauri
Lauri thanks SO much for sharing - that is fantastic. We hear so many people concerned about visiting Q and there are definitely ways to do it and enjoy. We did not get down to check out RTR so thank you for sharing your experience, especially as a solo traveler, newbie and among such a large group! We are glad you got to find a quiet place, despite being so near the crowds... we love the variety and awesomeness of the RV people we meet - always so interesting and love hearing the different stories. So glad your first experience was a positive one - and by you sharing here, it may help some others have the confidence to try it out too. It's worth checking out for sure! Happy Trails!
We had the same experience at rtr, we were unsure with a 40 ft class A and planned to only stay 1 or 2 nights to post some videos but the sense of community really won us over, we stayed through the entire rtr plus a couple days, no question we would do it again.
Cheers! Dave & Karen
Thank God I avoid RTR at all costs and go boon docking with a couple of like minded people in a quiet forest away from all the RTR crazies.
The RTR group is pretty large, and we heard it can get pretty crazy. We have not experienced it first hand, and probably won't. -M
This is really helpful. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you
How big was the Escapers/Escapees group?
The Xscapers Group was about 400 people, not sure about Escapees as they had multiple groups and chapters
Does it ever quit raining here?
Definitely a pretty dry area.-M
Quickie Question. Is there a service that delivers water and pumps tanks
Hmmm good question, there may well be.. but not entirely sure, we never saw any.... but that doesn't mean there aren't any! Wonder if anyone else reading the comments would know!?
What’s the Wi-Fi like out there?
It is pretty reasonable most of the year from what we understand, and during our visits that are not during peak time, but during peak the towers get a bit overloaded and slow down a lot.
Great info...thanks!
You're welcome!
Fantastic tips. Thanks!
You are welcome!
I have never been there during the big event maybe next year.
Buckle up! Worth seeing (once) LOL
I agree ...just once. The tent reminds me of the state fair. cool but overcrowded. Long lines for restaurants in town etc. I enjoy the social aspect more than sitting in a traffic jam. I plan to leave during the tent show and come back after.
If anybody who goes to Quartzsite also goes towards Dome Rock.....could
you go on Google Earth and put in 33 38 27.76 N 114 19 33.61 W
and you will see a spiral and all these
little straight lines of stones. Any idea what they might be by
chance? If you zoom out from 1500' you will see more of them. They are
a mixture of rocks 10" high. Art
We have stayed at Dome Rock a long time ago. Sorry, no insight on what those might be. Hopefully somebody else reading comments will have insight. -M
Can I live in my van there year long?
It would be too hot in the summer. You would need to find somewhere cooler. (north or higher elevation) -M
I understand but would they allow full time camping? Thank you.
Uth oooh... I’m getting ready to buy a dog stroller...Hahaa...oh well, I promise not to hit people’s heels...cool video, thanks🚍
Haha funny!
Hi, I planned to get here 6 mos. Ago, I finally made it still learning how to organize my van, and minimize space, still to much stuff.... I left North Colorado I lived there 15 years to LONG. I love Arizona, it reminds me of Israel.. God's country, I'll never live it AGAIN.. those of you that is new to Arizona camping in the desert, DO NOT camp in the wash... it's like a little dried up creek, the desert is unpredictable... so be safe use common sense &logic
I don’t mind meeting people. I Just don’t want to meet 10,000 at one time. Don’t need to listen to the music blasting, generators running next to me, endless lines the bad attitudes the endless garage sales. Looks like the desert gave birth to a trailer park. Ugh.
IN some parts and at certain times of year, it can look like that yes... and there are also some lovely, peaceful places too, just got to seek them out :) And like you, we prefer the smaller groups not big ones. We didn't even go downtown this year. Look forward to returning outside of January for a different experience
Can you bring your own atv?,,, we have a Kawasaki Mule side by side. Just wondering what the rules are in the BLM area.
Hi Bill. We saw tons of people that bring their own atv and other off highway vehicles. Many people even drive them around town, let alone in the BLM areas. Some areas are closed to motor vehicles, but there are many trails in the area.
Yes Yes Yes! Bring it. There are thousands of them there. Mostly Polaris Razors. Buddy up with somebody in case you break down. Research the tires for the terrain. It is very gravely there. I see groups exploring every day. I want to go with them!
you need to define "honey bucket"................................lol.
Haha - portable poo tank!
I have to drive past quartsite on trips back snd forth az ca. I dont get it. Why in the middle of desert, nowhere. Swap meet. But why would anyone LIVE there? I hear they even swap wives. Ew low lifeing it
The town itself isn't very exciting, and we are not really into swap meets. But we do see the appeal as a boondocking location. It is very easy access off of highways, and is a massive, very flat, and open area capable of handling a lot of RVs. Also the dirt surface is a bit rocky that makes it less dusty/muddy and better for handling the weight of RVs. -M
Nah, it's not easy to dump your tanks.
Confirms all the reasons Not to go to that mass trailer park gaggle.
Yup, we didn't go over there either!
I heard mostly positive comments from everybody about the RTR and the experience in general. I see no reason to avoid going there. Park in a more remote and quieter area if you want and wAlk to the events and groups. It is only Ten days and then you can return to the slower pace of your life. The chance to meet so many like minded, friendly and helpful people is a joy to experience. Friendships to last a lifetime and something to look forward to each year.
Idea: Get a new hobby. Damn, I had to shut your video off at under 2 minutes. TMI !! Learn K I S S (keep it short and simple). Take turns, the two of you at one time, Bad, just plain Bad! Seem like nice people, the Good Sam type or KOA. Fact-dirt-dust-and camping, think salt and pepper, hot day-beer. Things that go together.
Good advice. Thanks for doing this video.
You're welcome!