Quartzsite, AZ for our first Full Timing adventure?

TxCowboy

Well-known member
DW and I were chatting with some friends in our RV park this past weekend when we had a brief conversation about the RV rallies held in Quartzsite, AZ each January.

We're looking to retire and start full timing in January 2018 and think we might travel from our South Texas home to Quartzsite for the two week (or so) event they hold out there.

We'd LOVE to hear your experiences and lessons learned about this huge rally. Anything you contribute would help us immensely so please chime in.

If it helps, we'll be towing our Landmark and will have generator power. We've never really boondocked before so we're wondering if there is a water delivery service or a service where you can buy potable water. Genny fuel, food, etc., will need to be restocked while we're there so any insight on this topic would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for any assistance! :)
 
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MCTalley

Well-known member
We stayed a couple nights in a campground in Quartzsite. Right across the street from where we were camped was a place to buy potable water in bulk. It stayed pretty busy. Quartzsite has gas stations and grocery stores, so gas and food are no problem either.

I can't say for sure, but I would bet with it being a boondocker's mecca that there are probably water delivery services around there as well as sewer pump out services.
 

Doublegranch

Mountain Region Director-Retired
Quartzsite has everything available that you would want and lots you don't need. We had a AZ Chapter Rally there last Jan but at an RV Park. I have not dry camped there and with the thousands that do so, they appear to keep coming back. Check out the Quartzsite web page and it will give you complete details. Enjoy your stay in AZ and send me a PM if you need anything.
 

wdk450

Well-known member
I have stayed with the National LOW's (Loners on Wheels singles group) a couple of times out on Palamosa Road during the Quartzsite RV get together. I never saw any mobile honeywagons or fresh water, though. If you are staying 2 weeks or less, do not do laundry in your rig, and are on strict water conservation You can probably make it 2 weeks. I remember 2 places for fresh water/dump in town that got moderate sized lines of RV's during the event weeks. You may just have to "bite the bullet" and temporarily pull up stakes to go into town and get this done. There are a LOT of RV spaces in such a small town, but they were all full, and I suspect booked up in advance. BTW, you are limited to 2 weeks for free on BLM lands in the area, and must move 25 miles or more away for a week(?) before coming back for another stay. Read "Dispersed Recreational Camping" on this website:
http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/recreation/camping.html

Here is 1 of the Water/dump commercial places: http://rvpitstopaz.com/services

You might want to check the Heartland Rallies on the portal page, as there is usually a rally in nearby Brenda during the Quartzsite event. On edit, I checked the rallies listings, and there is no Heartland Quartzsite area get together for 2016 listed.

On edit: Most of the good sized RVing groups like Good Sams, Escapees, Etc. have group get togethers at BLM sites in the Quartzsite area the end of January. If you are going fulltime, it might be VERY worthwhile to you to join these one or more of these groups BEFORE going fulltime. Most have regional/state chapters with their own schedule of campouts, and non-camping meetings. Escapees has its own system of RV parks in the U.S. Escapees/Good Sam even have special interest groups like Ham Radio Operators, bird watchers, etc. that have THEIR own get togethers. A lot of these subgroups have their own campout circles near Quartzsite.
 
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JohnD

Moved on to the next thing...
Enjoy your stay in AZ and send me a PM if you need anything.

PM to Garry . . .

Please send me a winning Powerball ticket so we can retire and spend all our remaining years with our Heartland friends down in AZ!

I'll even buy all the beer and Fireball!

Thanks in advance . . . JohnD
:cool:
 

kakampers

Past Heartland Ambassador
If you stay at Laposa South they have fresh water and a dump station, but they do charge a small entrance fee...can't remember how much. Make sure not to go too far back...the dust gets really bad. After two weeks in Quartzsite, I spent two days in CA trying to clean out all the fine dirt...but we did have a really great time there!
 

wdk450

Well-known member
If you stay at Laposa South they have fresh water and a dump station, but they do charge a small entrance fee...can't remember how much. Make sure not to go too far back...the dust gets really bad. After two weeks in Quartzsite, I spent two days in CA trying to clean out all the fine dirt...but we did have a really great time there!

Also something for us to worry about out in the dusty areas of Arizona (remarkably ESPECIALLY right after some rain) is catching Valley Fever from spores in the ground there. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coccidioidomycosis This happened to 1 Heartlander that I know.
 

Doublegranch

Mountain Region Director-Retired
PM to Garry . . .

Please send me a winning Powerball ticket so we can retire and spend all our remaining years with our Heartland friends down in AZ!

I'll even buy all the beer and Fireball!

Thanks in advance . . . JohnD
:cool:

[JohnD: You are a hoot! Yes I will send it out once the numbers are revealed to me....Enjoy your stay in AZ]
 

TxCowboy

Well-known member
Wow, lot's of good info in this thread.

Reading through the numerous links you all provided and a few others linked from the various websites is a real eye-opener. I can imagine that with 500,000+ RVs in the area that whatever services are provided will be stretched thin.

Looks like there will be good and bad with this trip but isn't that part of the adventure?

As for Valley Fever, I had that when I living there in the late-70s and I think Laurie has already had it from our numerous trips to Mesa to visit family.

Trace, good info and thanks for the PM!

JohnD, we all get a split of the winning lottery ticket. Or a least a free beer and shot of Fireball! :)
 

wdk450

Well-known member
Wow, lot's of good info in this thread.

Reading through the numerous links you all provided and a few others linked from the various websites is a real eye-opener. I can imagine that with 500,000+ RVs in the area that whatever services are provided will be stretched thin.

Looks like there will be good and bad with this trip but isn't that part of the adventure?

As for Valley Fever, I had that when I living there in the late-70s and I think Laurie has already had it from our numerous trips to Mesa to visit family.

Trace, good info and thanks for the PM!

JohnD, we all get a split of the winning lottery ticket. Or a least a free beer and shot of Fireball! :)

That 500,000 RV's number sounds pretty high. I have heard other people say around 10,000.
I suggest you Google search "Quartzsite, Arizona" and then click on the "Images" option (upper right) to see a lot of aerial photos of all of the RV's. The biggest concentration of vehicles you will see is directly around the 3 city block long by 2 city block wide main RV tent.
 

JohnD

Moved on to the next thing...
That 500,000 RV's number sounds pretty high. I have heard other people say around 10,000.
I suggest you Google search "Quartzsite, Arizona" and then click on the "Images" option (upper right) to see a lot of aerial photos of all of the RV's. The biggest concentration of vehicles you will see is directly around the 3 city block long by 2 city block wide main RV tent.

When we were down there last January for the 2014 AZ HOC Rally, there were thousands upon thousands of campers parked all along the highway on both sides for miles as far as the eyes can see (of course my eyes are kinda blurry these dayz - too much Fireball maybe :confused: ) out in middle of nowhere with quad runners and dirt bikes galore!

- - - Updated - - -

Wow, lot's of good info in this thread.

JohnD, we all get a split of the winning lottery ticket. Or a least a free beer and shot of Fireball! :)

Heck . . . with that winning lottery ticket, I'll pay everyone's site fee for a month . . . and buy ALL of the Fireball!
 

Doublegranch

Mountain Region Director-Retired
To let you know how bad JohnD eyes are, He made a wrong turn and didn't show up until 2 days after the Rally started!
Then put the blame on RV troubles.
 

JohnD

Moved on to the next thing...
To let you know how bad JohnD eyes are, He made a wrong turn and didn't show up until 2 days after the Rally started!

Then put the blame on RV troubles.

I'z gotz the reseeptz to proove it! :(

And here is a photo of us leaving Sun City RV in Phoenix a couple of hours before we arrived at the rally . . .

SunCityRV-IMG_20150122_173556536.jpg

Problem was I didn't bring as much beer with me since I drank half of it while waiting for the trailer to be fixed . . . :cool:
 

TxCowboy

Well-known member
That 500,000 RV's number sounds pretty high. I have heard other people say around 10,000.
I suggest you Google search "Quartzsite, Arizona" and then click on the "Images" option (upper right) to see a lot of aerial photos of all of the RV's. The biggest concentration of vehicles you will see is directly around the 3 city block long by 2 city block wide main RV tent.

Here's the source for the numbers. Lower left hand portion of the page.

http://www.quartzsitervshow.com/

Here's the quote from that page: "Every January something happens that is hard to believe, unless you have seen it! According to the Arizona Highway Department, as many as 750,000 to 1,000,000 people, mostly in RV’s, converge on this sleepy little desert town, located just 20 miles east of the California border on Interstate 10, for the rock, gem and mineral shows, plus numerous flea markets and the Quartzsite Sports, Vacation & RV Show."
 
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