2018 RTR

[Ballenxj]

My experience is that any time you have a large crowd, it's the small percentage of unruly and boisterous ones that stand out by being loud and rude. I'm betting most are not, and they are probably shaking their heads at the idiots as well.
Then again, I'm sure a lot of them are there for the party atmosphere, so, move away from that sort.

 

[sephson]

I swear, some people just enjoy complaining.

Well, complaining is one of my favorite leisure activities! :angel:

 

[sreesekelley]

Perhaps next year a seminar on complaining ettiquette?

 

[Crave]

If this event is only about silence and isolation then where is the group of nomads at? I personally enjoy all sides of my nomadic life and try not to impose either my noise nor my silence upon anyone.

 

[Headache]

Crap! Some of you guys I've been wanting to meet especially TMG51 because I still want to talk Vermont with you!

I'm going into Ehrenberg tomorrow and I'll be back tomorrow evening. Need some supplies, laundry, etc.

As far as a bad time well I'm in the disabled section and we are cramped especially during seminars. I wasn't having a good time but that has nothing to do with the RTR except for a few people who showed me they are a special kind of stupid. I have severe depression so I'm pretty much not happy any time but Jim hooked me up with my internet hot spot, I now have interwebs and I am much happier posting to you from my craptop. I also have a good time whenever I'm in HDR's camp.

Both Bob and the BLM saw the issues with space and it has already been approved for the RTR next year to be in a different area and we won't even have to drive on the rough asphalt. Much more space, less washes and more flat ground. I'm an Eeyore type but I've already volunteered for next year and have helped out this year. It beat sitting with my thumb up my rear.

 

[VanKitten]

When I was camped on top of, I asked the lady...politely... please move off a few feet. I was told.no, this place is flat. End of story.

I moved.

Only to be camped on top of again. Again asked them to move off a few feet...told again..NO

This morning my nearest neighbor left....But..first dumped kitchen garbage within just a few feet of my rig. Sweet people. HDR was nice to bring a shovel and trash bag to dig it up and remove it. HDR, Jim, several others are decent solid folks....but...
Begs the question....who are all these rude people? As I am sure I am not unique...this same scenario is playing out everywhere here. Garbage, trash, dog poop, rig peed on, intrusive, rude people.
Don't know whose tribe this is.........

 

[Riverman]

Put up a big sign....

Please park 200' away... I think I'm getting the FLU. smile

 

[Riverman]

PS. I get it about every year and it is no fun at all.

 

[BigT]

I keep seeing the term "Tribe" thrown around in various threads, but I think people need to remember that this is a great big world we live in that extends well beyond the members of this website.

Just because someone parks their RV or van next to you in the Arizona desert, even if they're inside the RTR boundaries, doesn't mean they're members of CRVL or even knew about the RTR, or cared all that much.  They could have been there for any number of reasons.

Given the huge numbers of people attending the various gatherings, it's pretty likely there was some spillover from the other RV events in the area (have you seen how crowded it is by the big tent??).  
It's also likely that some of the RV's were owned by those with YouTube sites they make money off of, and were there simply to support their YT channel and hand out bumper stickers with their name on them.  Not "Tribe Members", possibly not forum members, just people doing business.  

Others came because they thought it was the next Burning Man; a place to party and have fun, and, even if they saw the "rules", didn't bother reading them.  
Lots of people don't.  

That area is famous for being an RV mecca this time of year.  All you need is an Internet connection and computer or smartphone to do a search and find out about what all is being offered in the area.  Heck, I'm sure word-of-mouth is responsible for many of the people who showed up.  

I think if you want to have a friendlier time and surround yourself with "Tribe Members", you need to send out a few PM's to your favorite CRVL members / friends, asking them where they plan to camp, and if they mind you parking near them.  That way you can be a little more confident that your neighbors will be friendly, respectful folks, and not just some RV'r looking for flat ground.  

That's my $0.02  

 

[becida]

Sorry to say, the 2018 RTR is as bad as I feared.  

Your experience is 100% different from what I saw, other than a lot of regular RVs rather than vans... I'm in an RV myself this time.  I went down the main road on my bike last week & saw a lot of open space, I had to go aways but it was there.

More people, more RVs but I found the same "good" vibe I'd experienced before.  

I have enjoyed myself again.  FWIW I saw zero dog shit, not a bit.

 

[Southpaw]

Volume issue aside, I spent a week in the music section and experienced only cordial  (indifferent  at worst), considerate,  folks.  ...no poop,  no trash, no friction.  Thanks, Music ave folk, had a great time!

 

[Headache]

I understand what is being complained about because I've seen it and been picking others dog crap up myself mostly around the free tarps but there's just as many inconsiderate people letting theirs dogs out early in the morning because they think no one is up, but Matt and I were picking it up pretty much every day.  

I just moved from where I was parked because an inconsiderate neighbor decided to fill my van with generator exhaust... again.  Then someone parked on top of me while I was typing this so I just moved again.   The thing is, this kind of inconsideration is going to happen during events of this size and was not nor should not be unexpected.

As far as Mr. Wells somehow being responsible for the misbehavior, no.  He repeatedly asked that people be good neighbors, pick up after their dogs, be reasonable with generators, take out your own trash, etc.  There is a reasonable assumption that people claiming to be adults will be.  Obviously that didn't always occur but for anyone who may have doubts about the kind of person Mr. Wells is let me tell you this;

During the solar generator seminar he became kind of stumped because a few people were not putting 2 and 2 together no matter how he spelled it out for them.  After the seminar ended and the line ended I walked up to let him know that I understood what he was saying.  He looked at me and asked,  "Please,  do you mind? I really need to sit for awhile. "  I could see in his eyes he wasn't joking and told him to go for it.

That he ASKED me told me a lot about his character.  That man doesn't owe me a thing and he asked.

This left Jim in the swarm but I at least know my solar generator so I thought I could help but the crowd literally squished me out.  Poor Jim rescued me from my melt down later.

Before I get accused of being caught up in celebrity guess again.  I grew up around Hollywood.

The thing is Mr. Wells doesn't owe anyone squat.  This was a free to us event that he invited us to on his permit.  There were thousands of people and we knew there would be(but not 4k!).  I didn't feel any part of a tribe and the best times I had were the few minutes hanging with the guys at HDRs camp talking smack.  My being miserable was no ones fault or responsibility but mine.  I already volunteered for next year.

I looked for the Jolly Roger flag this morning but I think you left Tx.

 

[VanKitten]

Early Saturday morning, around 2 am, I was still awake.

Right around my rig I hear someone walking around. I call out....

I get back the reply....Hey, I am walking my dog!

Around my rig? Now I have a good idea of who is responsible for the morning dog poop.
Really? Walk your dog over to a nearby rig and have him poop there..and don't pick it up? Really?

If you think I am just complaining...ask Jimindenver...he saw this happen

Before I could have words with this wonderful person...he packed and departed that very morning.

This guy was parked not very far from me all the days I was there. Yep, real nice people

No, I don't blame Bob for this. But, when you put out the call for everyone to come and get their free goodies...you are going to attract the wrong people. Just that simple.

For those who showed up and block off a large section of land to keep everyone else from parking there...you fixed the problem before you had it. For those who showed up with their own group of rigs..again, you picked your neighbors. For those of us who travel just one rig.......well, the experience has been enough to convince us to stay away from any future gatherings until this is fixed. Not just morning announcements about good camp behaviors......fixed. Not sure it is even possible when you invite the masses.

I am not a unique person here. What has been happening to me, is happening everywhere here. It defies logic to think that only those people parking next to Kat are doing this in all of the thousands that are here.

The way this is going...the masses are ruining it for all. Not just the RTR...but everywhere you look...bad behavior creating problems forcing the powers that be to ban living this way. Bet the BLM has somewhat stricter rules on the RTR next year.

How might these problems be fixed? How might the entire issue with Van living survive without the ability to control the very things which are getting us banned all across the country? It really is on us to figure this out. Officials across the country have figured it out..ban us. So, we need to figure out how to handle this as a community before we have no place left open to us.

The loud music causing police involvement, garbage dumped in the wash, trash left behind, dog poop everywhere... and these are just the things that happened here in the last 10 days. Add people dumping tanks in the parking lot at Walmart, and some even trying to live there.

We have the most to lose here...if we don't seek solutions this lifestyle will be deemed illegal everywhere.

 

[SillyLilly]

https://www.facebook.com/events/173284833401681/

A few people are volunteering clean up the trash piled up around the dumpsters at La Posa South. Apparently the snowbirds who "paid good money" to have their trash disappear automagically aren't coping well with the government shutdown.

 

[John61CT]

I don't think there is a feasible systemic solution to the problems you're talking about, and yes if "the lifestyle" continues to attract increasing numbers for all the different reasons, the authorities and mainstream S&B society will crack down more and more to prevent it.

From a personal POV if this stuff bothers you that much - and obviously it does a lot more than others - the only solution is to setup your sleeping / living rig far off in the boonies where no one else would want to be, probably post warn-off signs as well, and then travel in to the scene for specific scheduled meetings & events and to visit with friends.

 

[zhkopec]

There were countless spots in the back where you wouldn't have neighbors for hundreds of feet. At some point, regardless the rudeness of others, you have to take your life into your own hands. You can't be in the center of camp and then complain that there are too many people.

I'm curious Kat, if you can't sleep because somebody is walking near your van, where do you stay every other day of the year?

 

[ZoNiE]

Somebody walking on dirt and gravel makes a bit more noise than on pavement... It's also a bit more creepy if you are out in the desert and someone is "right there."

Those of you who can sleep soundly in a van, more power to ya. I need at least the 2" solid foam aluminum and plywood walls of my RV and the dual pane windows it came with are a Godsend...

 

[user 13531]

Out in the desert? There is an estimated 400,000 campers in Quartzsite right now, that RTR camp was anything but out in the desert, more like the Disneyland parking lot.

 

[ZoNiE]

Well, there is that.

 

[WanderLoveJosh]

We don’t travel in a group or block off our area, once more people showed up we realized we wanted to be social but not be too close to people, so we moved to the back of the music area, where people were really spread out, still within walking distance to check everything out and had a nice time. It’s possible. It’s all a mindset.