Quartzite 2011

[McShank]

We are wondering if there will be another Toyota rally in Quartzite this January. I think Tika organized it last year and we had a decent showing despite the storm and heavy rains the week before. We will make the trip anyway but would love to gather with other Toyota Motorhome owners. The RV week show is awesome. This year we will look for led lighting, stove tops, new galley sink and brouse through the hundreds of RV related exhibits.

Seamus McShank

'88 Sunrader 21'

[dayoff53]

We are wondering if there will be another Toyota rally in Quartzite this January.

I'm too new to this forum, so I'm not sure where "Quartzite" is... Google maps shows me a "Quartzite" in the middle of Kansas and a "Quartzsite" in southwestern Arizona. Is either of those the place?

[McShank]

I'm too new to this forum, so I'm not sure where "Quartzite" is... Google maps shows me a "Quartzite" in the middle of Kansas and a "Quartzsite" in southwestern Arizona. Is either of those the place?

David in Idaho,

This is the Arizona Quartzite. In mid winter there are many thousands of motorhomes and campers who come to Quartzite. It is known as a rock & mineral show but there is one week that the ehxibits are mostly about motorhomes and camping. Another week is dedicated to arts & crafts and then the rock & mineral show. The year round population is probably about 4,000 but swells to (I'm guessing) over 100,000 with many snowbirds camping on federal lands and enjoying the Arizona winter. Check it out on line.

Seamus McShank

[dogre]

McShank,

My wife and I will probably be in the Quartzsite area around the Jan.22 to 30th week. We will boondock south of town on BLM land and come in for the show. Perhaps we will see you there.

For those of you who are not familiar with this RV show take a look at http://www.quartzsitervshow.com/rvshow.htm

Dave Oglevie

Chelan, WA

[McShank]

Yesterday I saw a posting on the toyota campers site from Tika about this years' Quartzite rally. $7 pernight camping fee and a one time registration free of $8. Pot luck dinners, cruising around all the rv exhibits, gathering around the campfire, all sounds like a good time. I hope lots of Toys can get there.

Seamus McShank

[dogre]

I'll be there but will camp out on BLM land for free and not pay the $7/day and the unexplained $8 registration fee that I paid last year. The hostess didn't show up until the last day of the show. I figured that to be lost money and I won't do it again. I'm Scottish. I'm not cheap, I'm frugal.

[Tika]

Here follows is the info about the upcoming Rally in Quartzsite, AZ, Janauary 21-24.

Last year's rally had a terribly unfortunate outcome because of the record rainstorms. They were so bad for those several days that it was too dangerous to attempt to travel from California. Just about everyone from California (12+ rigs) had to abort the trip, including me, until I could finally leave to come on Saturday.

This year we hope for mild weather and a real rally, with the 20'-20' party tent and all the trimmings. I was disappointed that we couldn't pull off the rally as I had planned it last year. For anyone who registered last year who would like to come again, the registration fee can be waived. (It certainly don't want it to be an issue for anyone, but it does help to cover the cost and effort of putting the rally together.)

The location chosen for the rally is a compromise between the full hook-up sites ($20 - $25 per night that some folks prefer), and the BLM land that is free but too far away to walk to the RV Show and swap meets. Where we are you don't have to break camp every night to get into town to the local events.

It is not easy during RV show week to reserve a location where we can be sure we will enough room for 2 dozen Toyota motorhomes all together in one place, but still close enough to be in walking distance. Thus the compromise. For folks who don't want to partake of the comraderie of camping together, you can still stop by the rally location and see who is there. We just try to please most of the people most of the time.

Now here is the info on the rally. We hope you will join us.

Tika

- - - - - - - - -

Hey, folks,

The next Toyota RV Rally is coming up in January in Quartzsite,

Arizona. The town is located on Interstate 10, 20 miles east of

the Colorado River (border with California). Reservations are

now being taken.

The dates are Friday, January 21st to Monday, January 24th.

This is during the first weekend of the huge RV show which is

held there every year. Some folks in our group will be arriving

as early as Thursday the 20th, and staying for the entire 10-day

show.

The RV show is a really fun event with free admission. A giant

tent is erected with hundreds of vendors that cater to RVers. In

addition pretty much the whole town turns into one giant swap meet.

There are specific sections for antiques, gems & minerals, and new

merchandise. Plus multiple other vendors in every possible corner

and location. If you like to shop for bargains, bring lots of

spending money.

We will be dry camping together at an RV park relatively close to

the show grounds. We're going to be close enough to walk to it.

That way we don't have to break camp each day to go to the show.

In fact, RVers coming to it from outlying areas have to park even

farther away than where this RV Park is. (The distance is only

.2 miles.)

We're expecting about 2 dozen Toyota RVs again this year. The

park's proprietors seem very amiable and happy to help us save

enough space for all our rigs. The fee for a 24-hour parking/

camping spot is only $7 per day. (One could easily spend a good

percentage of that on gas each day just driving around to

alternately find a parking spot and then a camping site.) In

addition there is a one-time reservation fee of $8 to participate

and to have us save you a spot with the group.

Please make your reservation by phone, rather than email. When

you call to confirm you are coming, you will get the specific

location of where exactly to find us among the tens of thousands

of RVers that will be there. We did say it will be a HUGE event,

right?

Friday night, and Saturday night, and Sunday night we will have a

community potluck dinner. We eat whatever food shows up. Folks

who aren't camping with us are welcome to come for just the dinner.

Besides some food to share, please also bring lots of firewood for

the campfires we'll have every evening.

Where we will be camping there will be no hook-ups or restrooms.

(This is because none of the RV parks with hook-ups will take large

group reservations that weekend.) Therefore it is best to arrive

with your tanks full of water and propane. Portable generators are

allowed. Fresh water, showers, propane, and a dump station are

available nearby for a fee.

Bikes and/or scooters are great to have to get around in this town.

Pets are welcome, but not allowed in the show tent. The weather

will be moderate during the day (60s) and cool at night (40s), and

possibly windy. We hope we won't get any nasty rains like we had

last year.

WiFi internet service is available in the RV park for a daily or

weekly fee. Broadcast TV reception is practically non-existant,

but cell phone service is terrific!

To reserve a parking/camping spot with our group in the RV Park,

please call (rather than email) and let us know which nights you

will be coming, and how many folks and pets will be coming with you.

You can send the $8 reservation fee via paypal or check. Upon

receipt, you will get a phone call with a confirmation number, and

the specific directions for how to find us. Upon arrival, don't be

surprised to find that the RV Park is full of bus-sized RVs which

is why, in this first-come/first-served park, it takes some effort

to "defend our turf." The moderate $8 participation fee is for us

to save a spot for you and to help cover the costs of putting on the

rally. The daily camping fee of $7 is to be paid to the proprietors

of the RV Park for each night you stay. (Honor System, please.)

To encourage folks to reserve soon, this Early-Bird price is for

reservations paid before January 7th. If you wait until the last

2 weeks, the reservation fee will be $10.

If you have never attended a Rally before, don't be shy — we always

have several first-time folks.

PLEASE NOTE: In order to participate in the Rally with the group,

and park inside the fenced area where we will be, YOU MUST RESERVE

A SPOT IN ADVANCE. There is no limit on the number of rigs we

can have, but we are only going to rope off enough space and hold

spots for those that have called ahead of time. Call us at

626-798-4510 to put your name on the list. Leave a message if you

get the voicemail for our business, Altius Health Center. Call

any day 11a - 9p Pacific time.

Yes, it's gonna be fun!

Tika in Southern California

'86 E-Z Ryder

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Now for the links section:

Here are the links to this group's photo albums of previous rallies:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/toyota-campers/photos/album/1527375223/pic/list

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/toyota-campers/photos/album/18308625/pic/list

Now, here's a link to a National Geographic article that will give you a

perspective on the amazing transformation of Quartzsite each winter:

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0101/feature6/index.html

Here's a link for more info about the RV show:

http://www.quartzsitervshow.com/rvshow.htm

Here's a link to the Tyson Wells Sell-a-rama Swap Meet, one of several

in town.

http://www.tysonwells.com/sellarama.html

Also check the links on this page for lots and lots of additional fun

photos and other helpful information:

http://www.quartzsitervshow.com/qzinfo.htm

Hope to see you there soon!

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

P.S. If responding to this post, please do not repeat the whole post

in your reply. Thanks.

I'll be there but will camp out on BLM land for free and not pay the $7/day and the unexplained $8 registration fee that I paid last year. The hostess didn't show up until the last day of the show. I figured that to be lost money and I won't do it again. I'm Scottish. I'm not cheap, I'm frugal.

[SteveJ]

My wife and I just bought our 1990 Dolphin loast month, we are thrilled that there is a rally so close to Mesa AZ. We are looking forward to attending this event, and maybe picking up a few things for our new toy. We both think that this will be a great event to meet some new friends with common interests. Hope to meet you there, SteveJ.

[darrel]

Happy new year to everyone. My wife and I will be at the quartsite toyin. Looking forward to another road trip. It snowed, maybe a 1/2 ", here for the new year fireworks and champane sipping, southern Oregon. Darrel & Gun

[Tika]

My wife and I just bought our 1990 Dolphin last month, we are thrilled that there is a rally so close to Mesa AZ. We are looking forward to attending this event, and maybe picking up a few things for our new toy. We both think that this will be a great event to meet some new friends with common interests. Hope to meet you there, SteveJ.

Hey, SteveJ, glad to hear you are planning to attend the Rally in Quartzsite. You are right that it is a great way to meet other owners and see what they have done to personalize their rigs. However, we don't have you registered yet. Please call to be put on the list. 626-798-4510, leave a message if you get our business voicemail. Just so you know, we will only be saving enough camping spots in the location where we are having the Rally for those folks that call in advance to reserve one. When you call, we will tell you exactly where to find us amid the hundreds of RVs that will be camping in the same area.

Looking forward to meeting you.

Tika