Quartzsite 2020

Group Description

What has become the annual Lazy Daze Quartzsite Campout will be January 2020, This will be the 10th year. If you have been with us before, it will be in the same spot, off the Old Yuma Road, and BLM road 532. (providing no one beats us to it) This is an informal group. It is not a LD Caravan Club event.  There are no specific activities. It is dry camping with access to water and a dump station. We do happy hour, pot lucks, and camp fires pretty much spontaneously. We have had as few as 10 rigs and as many as 30 in the past. Newbies are welcome and if you don’t have any dry camping experience this is a great place to get your feet wet. (pun). You can contact me direct at LazydazeQ@rogernickey.com. Should be someone on the “Q” site by Jan 4, 2020. There are no assigned spaces; just pick a spot and set up. Very large open area, maybe 5+ acres. We are in walking distance to the “Big Tent” RV show January 18-26/2020. There are also acres/miles of flea market style shopping for months before and after. Easy to find. South of I-10 on Hwy 95 that goes to Yuma. Something less than a mile is the La Posa West LTVA Kiosk. Pay your camping fee of $40 (cash or check only) for two weeks. Go straight in on the paved road and curve to the left. This is the Old Yuma Road and it turns in to gravel and dirt. About .8 in on the left is the road sign for BLM Road 532 and hopefully the "Roger's Half Acre Sign". People at the Kiosk can usually help you find us a well. If you look to the East at the 532 marker, about 100 yards, you should see us. Come on in! If you are going to be with us for more than a couple of days, a $10 donation to the campfire wood fund is appreciated.

Quartzsite 2020 RV Show Link

This is the road sign at Road 532

Hangin' out

Looks like sweets only

Setting up.  Yep, that's the Traeger Barbecue.  Most of my toys have to do with food.

A couple of years ago, there were a couple of  Sun Ovens  being used.  I got a little curious and decided to try one myself.  Amazon link to Sun Oven package  They have great functions beyond cooking.  If you have one, bring it.  If you are interested, we will have a discussion group and maybe a demo and/or competition.  As well as baking, you can dehydrate, make jerky and purify water.



You can even do your laundry while cooking in Sun Oven

Either the end of the day or the beginning of the day, they both look the same.

Climb Q Mountain

At the top

Quartzsite, ("Q") Day 6

Last couple of days, weather has been perfect here.  Mostly clear skies and 70's in the daytime and low 40's, high 30's at night.  Had some great campfires.   Last night, I smoked a turkey meatloaf and it disappeared so fast, I didn't get a picture of it.  (see earlier blog for recipe and pictures).  Almost no wind.  Same conditions forecast for the rest of the week.  "Big Tent RV Show" starts this weekend, (Jan 18)

Road 532 Entrance Off Old Yuma Road.

Sign says "Roger's 1/2 Acre"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dry Camping "Q" Style

 

Camping "Boots" Style

 

Visit the "Q" Yahoo Board:

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/LazyDazeQuartzsite/

 



 

 





Headed for "Q" (LDspeak for Quartzsite) With Bootsthekitty And Sometimes Elizabeth

Heading out this morning (Jan 2, '14) from Sacramento Park to San Diego to drop off Elizabeth and then BTK and I will join up with John and Linda in Indio for the run to Q.  We should be established on January 4 and I will report.  Elizabeth has PROMISED to join us for the last week of January as she moves from San Diego to (hopefully) our new house in Auburn Lake Trails, (near Auburn, CA)  I will still be traveling but maybe not so much.  I am still trying to convince her to give up working for good and travel more.  Work in progress.  More on "Q" later.

Visit the Quartzsite Board:

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/LazyDazeQuartzsite/

This '70's (?) era Lazy Daze has been parked just outside Cal Expo RV Park on and off for several days:

Maybe a "stealth camper"?

Keep White Wine Chilled With An Ice Ball Mold

Tovolo Ice Ball Mold

These are great for keeping white wine, etc. chilled with a minimum of dilution.  These work great and will freeze overnight in LD fridge.  They last a long time.   BTW, they fit my RV Wine Glasses perfectly.  Thanks to Tristan.  (son)   Sorry for short post but New Years Eve Festivities are starting early.

Surviving COLD Weather Camping WITH Bootsthekitty

Presently parked in front of my daughter's house in San Jose, (temps in the 70's) with assorted kids, grandkids, former spouse, wife, etc.  reflecting on the freezing in Fernley/Amazon experience so I thought I would pass on some things I learned about sub freezing RV camping.

First have a rig that will that has some decent insulation and hopefully plumbing that is not exposed.  A Wave III catalytic heater and an electric heater are also helpful.  Hint:  Run a separate short, heavy duty extension cord for your electric heater and plug it into a separate outlet on the RV park hook-up.  This keeps the heater load away from the RV system. 

Electricity

Don't try it for more than a day or two without electricity.  Supplemental inside electric heat and the various water supply and waste water heat are a must or you will be without one or the other in a short time.

Propane

Get and Extend-A-Stay or something like it so you don't have to move every time you need propane.  Our park had propane available and would pick up your portable tanks, fill them and bring them back or loan you a large tank to use but they would not fill your RV mounted tank.  

Extend-A-Stay:  http://www.amazon.com/Marshall-Gas-Controls-536-00-Extend-A-Stay/dp/B002UC4T6C/ref=sr_1_sc_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1387508825&sr=8-3-spell&keywords=etend+a+stay

Water Hose

The first thing that freezes is usually your city water hose.  This heated hose was used by many and worked very well.  You have to insulate the connections on both ends as they will freeze as they are not heated.

Heated city water hose: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008VM889E/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

These plumbing heat strips can also be used where needed, especially thawing out dump valves. 

Heat strip heaters:   http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Heat-AHB-019-Weather-Heating/dp/B00002N6MB/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1387508945&sr=8-2&keywords=heating+strips

Holding Tanks

Most class C motorhomes, and the LazyDaze is no exception, have exposed holding tanks.  I have a heat kit ordered for my black tank and will install it at Quartzsite for next year.  The larger rigs and fifth wheels had most of their waste plumbing enclosed and heated from warm air from the furnace.  Problem with that was, most everyone was using electric heaters so the furnaces would not come on and they froze anyway.

Tank Heaters

Here is the Web Store link for tank heaters:     http://www.annodindustries.com/shop/

This is the tank Heater I am getting for my Mid Bath black tank:
http://www.annodindustries.com/shop/tank-heaters/am-model-4200-tank-heater

Windows

Lazy Daze has LARGE windows.  The newer model have double pane glass, but the '02 and older, (which includes my "02) do not, so I cut panels out of Relectix for added insulation.  Makes the rear area kind of cave-like but it does help keep it warmer.  You can also make a stick-on panel to cover the tank heater and waste plumbing to help keep the heat in and the cold out.  I think strips to wrap exposed water connections would also be useful. 

Reflectix:  http://www.amazon.com/Reflectix-BP24025-24-Inch-25-Feet-Insulation/dp/B0022NH3E4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1387509091&sr=8-1&keywords=reflectix

If you haven't got one of these Rhino waste water hose sets, even if you don't camp in cold weather, they are the best.  I threw away most of my old hoses and connections.  Watch the demo video on their website.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002OUMVWY/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have a 25' length of this heat tape that is enough to coil around the waste hose with enough left to wrap the dump valve.

Waste Hose Heating:   http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002OUMVWY/ref=oh_details_o06_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Fridge temps

Since it was usually colder outside than optimal inside fridge temps.  My fridge had problems staying above 32F inside the box.  I finally started turning it off for periods to keep it under control.  (my "new improved" model does not have the controls that the original had)  Some of the older models actually had a setting that left the inside light on to help control temps under these conditions.

BTW if you like my blog, please spread the word!

 

 Rogersramblings41.blogspot.com

 

You can email me: Roger@rogernickey.com

Frozen In Fernley, NV

Just a short note to say that it is COLD in Fernley NV.  Temp dipped to +4 one morning.  Finally getting things sorted out.  Gray water drain was frozen at the shower drain so no sink, wash basin or shower.  Finally got it thawed out with the help of a 100W trouble light hung under rig where drain pipe that runs from the system to the tank emerges from inside.  I now keep trouble light on 24-7 and a cup of RV antifreeze in the shower drain.  Black water is frozen solid but only 50% as of this morning so it can wait until I get to warmer temps.  Looking at tank heaters and more on that later.  City water inlet is either frozen or broke so I have been using internal water system and it works fine.  In the Mid Bath, the water tank, pump and a lot of the piping is in the same cabinet with the stove so I leave oven on 170F while I am home.  Electric heater and Wave 3 keep me comfortable inside and furnace rarely comes on as a back up.  I had to move Boots's water, food and litter box from the cab area as it was freezing his water dish.  I keep it closed off with a drape as it is COLD up there.  Dropped my  camera  so now it doesn't work, so I am awaiting a new one.  Amazon is releasing my group on Dec. 20 so, unless it snows, I will be on the road West on the 21st.  Going over Donner Pass so I hope road stays clear.  There are 5 of us LD'rs here in Desert Rose RV Park.  We are the LD Polar Bear Club.  Should be a lot to discuss at Quartzsite about cold weather camping come January.

BTW if you like my blog, please spread the word!
 

 Rogersramblings41.blogspot.com

You can email me: Roger@rogernickey.com



What do I DO With All Of The Turkey Leftovers?? Roger's Turkey Shepherds Pie

Just a short note on leftover Roger's turkey dinner shepherds pie.  Make a bed of dressing in the bottom of one of the baking pans.  Put your carcass pickings (small pieces of turkey meat) over the top until about 2/3 full.  Pour gravy over the top.  Make mashed potato patties and arrange over the top to cover.  Put this in the oven at 350F for about an hour or until it bubbles.  This is always a crowd pleaser.  BTW, you can freeze this, and bake it later if you don't want turkey several days in a row.