Dates for RTR 2015 Set

[Hereandthere]

We've never been to Quartzite and we are not big city people at all. Are there really gazillions of RVs there then? What about what the RTR will be?

 

[rvwandering]

There are gazillions of RVs but there's so much open land that you can get far away from everyone if you want to. The traffic is bad when the big tent show is up and running, before and after it's not bad. It's something you have to experience at least once. Some people love it, others hate it. :-D

 

[wagoneer]

you cannot imagine how much space is available

 

[LeeRevell]

"Cold, rainy and windy"....... sounds like some Florida winters in recent years.

 

[Hereandthere]

There are gazillions of RVs but there's so much open land that you can get far away from everyone if you want to. The traffic is bad when the big tent show is up and running, before and after it's not bad. It's something you have to experience at least once. Some people love it, others hate it. :-D

When is the big tent show up and running? WHAT is it? Thanks!

 

[akrvbob]

The Big Tent show is a very, very large RV show held under and around a huge tent. I've heard it's the biggest tent in the world but I have no proof. Under the tent are tons of vendors selling every kind of treasure and a bunch of crap!

It's definitely worth seeing! The big draw for us is that some of the biggest concessionares who run National Forest campgrounds will be there and they will be hiring (free site and paid for every hour you work). Odds are excellant you can get a job if you want one.

I plan the RTR to overlap with the Big Tent. The last weekend of the RTR is the first weekend of the Big Tent.

Quartzsite explodes with people and traffic that weekend so you can come to part of the RTR ad leave before it starts if you prefer.

I've located the RTR so the traffic has a minimal affect on us, you can get into town and to the Tent easily, minimizing hassles with traffic.

Here is a picture taken inside the tent. The first day is very crowded!!! Wait a few days and it gets much better!

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

It must be interesting to watch a tent like that get put up or taken down. I would imagine they use cranes and other power equipment.

Regards
John

 

[sephson]

It looks like a standard event tent. They don't require special equipment to set up.

I doubt they need anything more than a fork lift and a scissor lift for their setup. Just throw bodies at it.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

I understand the circus used to use their elephants to set up the Big Top. I assumed these guys wouldn't have elephants, so I just figured they used machinery.

They just throw bodies at it, huh?

That's disappointing.

Regards
John

 

[owl]

Not a standard event tent, and something to see go up. The campground jobs Bob mentioned will be there and I will be working the desk some of the time. Stop by, ask for Michael

 

[MrNoodly]

Though Quartzsite gets very crowded during the Big Tent show, it can still try your patience trying to drive through town just about anytime during the winter. Some of the snowbirds and RVers really shouldn't be driving. But RTR is a good time. Don't feel obliged to be there the whole time, though. It's all very loose and accommodating.

 

[greybeard23]

Here is a picture of the big tent on the ground before going up.

http://davidswandering.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/img_3086.jpg

And one after it is up.

http://davidswandering.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/img_3132.jpg

You can see it is raised by cables on all those poles, they no longer need elephants, though I would rather see it done that way.

 

[flailer]

Thanks! I'm very excited!
I'm a noob to the community, and had no idea such things were held, and am sure I could learn a lot!!

Question 1: will there be ride-sharing for day-trip (or two day trip) to Mexico?
Question 2: is anyone else interested in alternative building practices? (Cob for example)
Question 3: is there interest in any of the following: Rocket-mass-heaters, Alcohol-stoves, Off-grid Power Generation, Permiculture, or Hammocking?

I don't see why I can't make it for its entirety. I should be driving in from the CCC (calif central coast) area.

 

[akrvbob]

flailer, here are the answers to your questions:

Question 1: will there be ride-sharing for day-trip (or two day trip) to Mexico? There won't be anything formal. One year a group of 4 of us drove down to Mexico for dental/glasses/prescription drugs. But it was just a sponatneous thing among friends. The problem is that although we mostly live in vans, we can't carry many people--nobody has back seats! If you put it together, I'm sure people will go!

Question 2: is anyone else interested in alternative building practices? (Cob for example) I think many people are but we need a very knowledgable person or an expert to talk about it and I don't know of any of those. It really isn't on topic for vandwellers but I am more than willing to schedule a class on it if you are a qualified to lead it.

Question 3: is there interest in any of the following: Rocket-mass-heaters, Alcohol-stoves, Off-grid Power Generation, Permiculture, or Hammocking? We have a solar class scheduled and there are many very knowledgeable people there about solar. One year a friend came with a wind generator and he demonstrated setting it up, I think he is coming again but I'm not sure. We have a class on different ways to cook for vandwellers where people do a show-and-tell on cooking. You would be welcome to bring your alcohol stove and demonstrate it. If you mean Rocket stoves that would be a very good item for the cooking class also. I enjoy the cooking class most of all! It's amazing how ingenius people are in their methods of cooking in a van!.

The bottom line is we can have a class on nearly any topic but there has to be someone who is very knowledgeable and experienced on the topic. If you want to lead one, just let me know!
Bob

 

[SoulRaven]

I see the date for the solar seminar, will there be reputable solar vendors there? And installers. I am sure there will be someone who knows how to separate the junk from the quality stuff.

I plan on being there before the Big Tent, be nice to put face with folks from here.

 

[akrvbob]

There are several top-notch solar dealers in Quartzsite, both will do installs

See you there.
Bob

 

[peacetara]

Bobs, flailer, I think it's important to note that the RTR is a skill-share, by peers. It's not formal classes like you would have at a college or a university or anything. For instance, I'm a van dweller, and I'm teaching a class, on ASL, American Sign Language, I'm teaching this class because I happen to know a little bit about the language. Not because I'm a certified teacher, or even certified in anyway about the language, but because I happen to know some about the topic. This is the same for all the other classes, and bob is very open and encouraging of other people teaching a class about other topics, so you are invited to teach a class about something you have knowledge in, if you wish! ,y first year at the RTR I didn't teach anything. I think the biggest thing about the Rtr isn't really the classes, but being able to meet and have conversations with people that have been doing this a while, and to share our experiences and have that community feeling, that you don't have to BE alone out here, even if we may be alone most of the year, you have connections to others that also do this, and that's worth a lot!

With love,
Tara

 

[Seraphim]

I think the hesitation is around getting the right set up. See, your post is a good example...2 ppl in a van is pretty tight, huh? (I definitely have the van fantasy). I guess the hope is that talking to folks, maybe seeing their set up, will clarify some things like that. We are considering renting one of those little class-C RV's and see what that is like, but sheesh, I haven't priced that little experiment yet.

The forum and facebook have been such a boon...At least know that if I got a van, what I would do to it, and it doesn't overwhelm me like it did. I looked all summer, but what, maybe stock turns over in fall? Anyway, there are finally local used vehicles around, which gets me itchy.

I am in New Mexico, so I really don't want to be in a tent in the desert in January....might blow away!

PJ

Two in a van gets cramped and can cause friction - and ours had a high top. Went to a truck camper, which has two distinct sections - the bed and the living area - and a privacy curtain between. Even after 40 some years, there is still the need for a bit of separation on occasion.

 

[anm]

Even I-10 can be frozen in January. I took that route in 1984 in the Navy, driving out to and from a Navy tech school in Mare Island, Cal. Nice weather in Florida, the frostline dropped down to Mexico in west Texas and Aridzona, then I was in a t-shirt driving in SoCal! Weird. My '75 Firebird wanted to slip&slide on the ice if I got over 15MPH. Longest drive of my life, and all night long! Sheesh.... :-(

I10 passes right through El Paso, which is on the Mexican border, and we had a little snow last year. It's not that difficult to drive in, just that most native El Pasoans do not have a clue about driving in the pretty white stuff...

 

[anm]

I'm going to be there, not sure when I'll leave El Paso though. According to Google maps it's about 560 miles from El Paso to Quartzsite (under 8 hours so it'll probably take me 9 or so), looks like a piece of cake! I make a right onto I10 and then a right into Quartzsite, two turns on the entire journey! If anyone's passing through El Paso let me know, maybe we can meet up...

---

I'm going to be there, not sure when I'll leave El Paso though. According to Google maps it's about 560 miles from El Paso to Quartzsite (under 8 hours so it'll probably take me 9 or so), looks like a piece of cake! I make a right onto I10 and then a right into Quartzsite, two turns on the entire journey! If anyone's passing through El Paso let me know, maybe we can meet up...

P.S. If anyone plans this sort of thing, there is a rest-stop in Anthony NM that allows over-nighting, it's about 10 miles west of El Paso on I10...