Your Quartsite Questions

[wagoneer]

Don't like driving over 600 miles in one day and start at daybreak and look for a place around 3 PM KOA is pricey but a shower and hook-up is nice or rest area, picnic table ,truck stop. Sit close to a family away from the vending machines. Just from my experience. At 60 mph .

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Lifey has some good advice. I'd head straight south and across the southern tier of states. Winter conditions can come up fast in the mid west and be quite brutal.
I'd want to get on the road as soon as possible since snow is NOT my friend.. Sticking to the interstates might be best for now.
Don't push yourself too far each day. I like to eat light when traveling, don't get sleepy as easy.
Stop often for pets, especially ones not used to long trips. Share some lovin'.
By all means, use a leash when walking pets....I don't care how well you think they're trained. Not only is it law in most places, its safer, as well as common courtesy. (our little gimp, Bindi, has been hurt a couple times by big "well behaved" dogs who's owners refused to leash. one knocked Margie over when she was picking up Bindi).

Wish I could be more help concerning an actual route, but I haven't traveled beyond the western states in quite a while.

Good luck and be safe.

 

[Lifemagician]

I just got the book "The Next Exit", so that should be good.

Sunny, a great publication which should be very helpful. However, be aware that whereas it will tell you where truck stops are, it does not mention which ones make RVs (sleeping in a van/car/etc.) welcome. That specific information is in the Truckers / RVers Friend.

Don't like driving over 600 miles in one day and start at daybreak and look for a place around 3 PM.....

As a matter of interest, professional drivers are limited to 600 miles per day, by law, for safety reasons. Only ever go further if you know you are better than a professional. Most of us aren't. For me, somewhere between 400 and 500 is comfortable. As to whether you make an early start and stop, or like me, you get on the road around 10am and stop no later than 6pm, is very much a personal choice. Some are early birds, others are nightowls.

... but a shower and hook-up is nice ...

Showers at truck stops are around $10 - $12. I have rarely found one with which I was not happy.

Read more winter roadtripping information.

Lifey

 

[wagoneer]

once a week I must do this, rigging up a shower system as we speak, the ladies like a clean smelling man. can't blame em'

 

[WheelEstate USA]

We have a shower in our moho, but use the solar bag outdoors whenever we can. Saves on propane and bathing outdoors is very refreshing.
Back when I had a van I'd put the solar bag on top and hang a curtain between the open back doors if I needed privacy. I used BLM a lot then (still do), and I know that wouldn't work too well for city vandwellers.
Bathing can be a real chore for some, but we all appreciate the effort.

 

[SunnyR]

wagoneer, Lifemagician, bindi&us....Thank you for all that great information. I wish I could have started out earlier. I am all ready now, last thing is new brakes tomorrow.

Just have to finally clear out this apartment. I have a storage unit but gosh, trying to fit what I think I need in a class B with 2 cats and a small dog and their stuff, plus my working supplies, yikes, cooking stuff, tools, etc. This is certainly an interesting task.

Ordering RVers Friend now. Thanks for that tip, too. Hopefully I will be on the road 1-2 weeks at the latest.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Glad you're about to wind up things there.
Traveling in a smaller rig is going to be a trick with 3 pets. Our small doggie is enough in our class A...our opinion.
I guess if I got rid of the pudgy girl I could have another dog, but that ain't happenin

Down the road you'll find things you don't need and things you need to get to make mobile life suit you. We don't have a storage unit, so all we have is are things that work for our lifestyle.

You've put a lot of thought into this and I think you'll be just fine. You'll be a seasoned Rubber Tramp before you know it

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Hey, if anyone has DVDs they'd like to trade we'd like to get together sometime. We don't have a bunch, but most are pretty good movies. No horror, mostly action and comedy.

 

[wagoneer]

On this subject watching TV I prefer live antenna stuff is it worth it in Q? stopped buying DVD's quite some time ago
figured out watching raiders of the arc every two years was about as much as i could handle. CD's are a bit different. I'm sure you will get some action.

 

[cyndi]

Sunny, I just drove I-20 and I-10 after leaving the Northeast on I-84. An easy ride with the exception of Texas (due to freak weather, ice the length of TX). There are however plenty of stops along the way. If you have a smart phone the all-stays app is a great tool!

I prefer I-40 because it's close to Route 66 and there's still a lot of fun to be had and seen there. But the storm kept me moving further south. It took me 6 days from MA to Quartzsite instead of the planned 4.5.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Cyndi, glad you made it safely and, hopefully, no worse for wear.
Welcome to Q.

a couple days ago a 5th wheel pulled into the park. The fellow reported hitting snow in Bowie, Az (se near Lordsburg) and being delayed 2 days.

This is the time of year one really needs a good weather app if they have a smartphone.

Be safe in your travels out there everyone.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

We met a very nice lady today who goes by Blueberry on this site.
It was a pleasure meeting this new vandweller and we hope for a long lasting friendship.
We hope she finds happiness on her new lifestyle and much joy in all the new places to see and the people to meet in her travels.

Good luck Blueberry :heart:

 

[wagoneer]

she needs a hookup and or basic solar. we take care of our own.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

We fixed her up with a loaner panel and a mini inverter to use with her single house battery she scored. Its enough for basic use and to give her a feel of how solar works. She has a simple meter to watch the levels.
Shortly, she's going to shop for her own set-up.
Folks out at RTR camp have been helpful and have already offered assistance when she gets ready to install her own.

I can imagine her down the road helping a newbie with their solar.

 

[SunnyR]

Sunny, I just drove I-20 and I-10 after leaving the Northeast on I-84. An easy ride with the exception of Texas (due to freak weather, ice the length of TX). There are however plenty of stops along the way. If you have a smart phone the all-stays app is a great tool!

I prefer I-40 because it's close to Route 66 and there's still a lot of fun to be had and seen there. But the storm kept me moving further south. It took me 6 days from MA to Quartzsite instead of the planned 4.5.

Thank you for that update, Cyndi. I have my camper van parked out front and have started moving things into it. I will check out all-stays.

This is plenty exciting. I have no idea, really, what I am doing except driving to what seems to be the best new life I can imagine. Even with limited $, I think I can make it work. Reading posts here gives me the courage to follow my dreams and trust I will have help when I need it. Then once I know, I can pay that forward.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Don't forget to have some lively road music handy as you wave bye bye in your rear view mirror. Smile and wish the old town well.

Crank it up and sing

 

[Pikachu711]

Are any of you who are going to Q amateur (ham) radio operators? If yes, what VHF/UHF radio frequencies will be used to contact one another?

I'll do a little research on ham radio repeaters in the Q area if this subject hasn't been discussed in the past so far & post call in frequencies and/or ham radio repeaters in the area.

 

[owl]

Pic, south of Hwy 10, running east and west is e. kuehn st. Next to the rv store on the south side of the st is a shop selling led lights and stuff like that. The owners name is Lynn. He is a ham and his shop is the local hangout for hams. Across the st from him is bad boys cafe. A bunch of hams go there for lunch every day at noon. Tell them Michael from last year says hello and I will see them soon.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

LED lights....you got my attention there. One of the improvements I have planned for this season is upgrading our lighting. Also changing inverter to true sine wave.

Not a ham, but will remember you to the guys over that way.

 

[owl]

Lynn has the best prices in town but if you know what you want the internet is the way to go. Don't tell him I said that. For anyone, led is the way to go, pulls so much less juice from your batteries.