Truck Camper Adventure will be holding it’s first ever truck camper rally near Quartzsite, Arizona, February 7-9, 2020. The event will be held at the Roadrunner Wash BLM area (signs identifying the specific location will be posted onsite). Approximately 70 campers are expected at the event. The owners of both slide-in and chassis-mounted campers are welcome and only those who own a truck camper may participate in the rally (no buses, vans, fifth wheels, or Class A motorhomes allowed). Sponsors of this event include Torklift International, Hellwig Suspension Products, Froli Systems , BundutecUSA, StableCamper, Omnia, WeBoost, Expion360, and Scrubba.
Road conditions and weather permitting, a two-day road trip on the nearby Bradshaw Trail National Back Country Byway will be held immediately after the rally on February 10-11 for trail-worthy, truck camper rigs equipped with 4WD. The trail, which is located in southern California entirely on BLM land, is 77 miles long. The road trip will include an overnight camp out along the route in a yet-to-be determined location.
This will be an informal, meet and greet truck camper rally with a dessert pot luck Friday evening, February 7, and a pot luck dinner, chili cookoff, and raffle Saturday evening, February 8. No admission will be charged to attend the rally. This means you’ll need to bring your own food, drinks, paper plates, utensils, napkins, and cups. Several classes on various truck camper related topics will be held, including boondocking, off-roading, solar power, and lithium batteries. An open house (public viewings) of truck campers will also take place on Sunday afternoon for those who wish to participate. A campfire gathering will be held each night as well including a big Saturday evening raffle (raffle tickets for those interested will be available for a nominal donation). While classes and other activities will be scheduled each day, plenty of free time will be scheduled as well to allow attendees to socialize with others and shop in town.
As the Boondocking in the Desert name implies, this will be a boondocking rally held on BLM land in Quartzsite. No hookups or other amenities will be available, so empty your black and grey water holding tanks beforehand and bring plenty of food, water, and firewood plus whatever camping furniture you need to be comfortable during the rally. Known as the boondocking capital of the world, Quartzsite, Arizona has almost anything you need to make your stay enjoyable including RV repair and supply shops, solar and battery vendors, gas stations with diesel, potable water, dump stations, grocery stores, and restaurants. Cell service is slow due to the number of people and RVs in the area this time of year.
Since this is a boondocking rally and everyone will be parked close together, attendees are encouraged to use solar power. Your neighbors will thank you for being considerate since solar power is quiet and doesn’t generate noise and fumes like a generator. However, if you have to run a generator or run your alternator, you may park in the generator designated parking area that we will create for the rally. Also, if you have a portable table, please bring it. We will need several tables for the potluck gatherings to display the food.
In addition, we will need volunteers for each event. Helpers are needed for parking, registration and greeting rally attendees as they arrive, cookoff judges, and for setting up and cleaning up after the two potlucks.
The weather in early February should almost be perfect. Expect high temperatures in upper 60s/low 70s during the day, 40s during the night. The elevation of the Roadrunner Wash is 1,065 feet. Prepare for some wind and possibly rain. Bring appropriate clothes for the sunny days and cool nights. For additional information on Quartzsite, click here.
Directions to the BLM Roadrunner Wash: Take the I-10 to Quartzsite. Get off on the Highway 95 exit and head south on Highway 95. Travel approximately six miles just past mile marker 99 and turn right (west) on La Paz Valley Rd. (53rd Street N). The Roadrunner Wash BLM area will immediately be on your right (register with the camp host who will be parked on the right). Follow the orange rocks to get to the right spot. The lat long where we will be holding the rally is at 33.5911 Lat -114.2342 Long.
To sign-up for the rally, send us an email at tcadventuremag@gmail.com. State the names of those who will be attending, how many people will be attending, and which camper make and model you own. Also let us know if you plan on doing the follow on trip on the Bradshaw Trail (BT). Signing-up is important as it gives us an idea how many people and campers will be attending the rally. The cutoff is set around 70 campers for this inaugural rally (future rallies promise to be bigger). Note also that contributors to TCA are awarded an automatic spot to the rally upon request. No “game day” stragglers will be allowed.
For those who will be participating in the Bradshaw Trail two-day road trip, we recommend that all lift jacks be removed from your camper prior to arrival. Doing so will improve your rig’s breakover and departure angles. Failure to remove them can result in damage to your camper. Airing down your tires once we arrive on the trail is also recommended. As such, you will need an air compressor to air your tires back up after exploring the trail. Standard FRS hand-held radios (channel 2) will be used to coordinate activities.
Additional details including the itinerary and exact lat and long of the rally site and changes to the rally will be issued here. Check back here often for updates, including an itinerary. Important updates or announcements will appear in bold typeface.
Truck Camper Adventure Rally Itinerary (Subject to Change)
Friday, February 7
- 12-4pm: Arrive Roadrunner Wash BLM Quartzsite (rally parking to be assigned upon arrival)
- 6pm: Rally Welcome and Announcements – Mello Mike
- 6:30-7:30pm Dessert Potluck
- 7:30-10pm: Campfire Social
Saturday, February 8
- 9-10am: StableCamper Demonstration – Jared and Candice Sund
- 10-11am: Boondocking Essentials Including Solar Power – Mello Mike
- 11-12pm: The Benefits of Lithium Batteries – Mello Mike
- 12-1pm: Lunch
- 1-2pm: Omnia Cooktop Demo and Cooking – Karen Smith
- 2-3pm: Off-Road Essentials Including Wheels and Tires – Jeff Reynolds
- 3-5pm: Free Time
- 5pm: Rally Potluck Dinner and Chili Cook Off
- 6:30pm: Raffle (sponsored by Torklift International, Hellwig Suspension Products, StableCamper, Bundutec, Froli Systems, Omnia, WeBoost, Expion360, and Scrubba).
- 7:30-10pm: Campfire Social
Sunday, February 9
- 9-12pm: Free Time
- 12-2pm: Truck Camper Open House (for attendees who want to participate, leave door to your camper open)
- 2-4pm: Campsite Cleanup
- 4pm: End Rally and Break Camp (except for those who will be driving the Bradshaw Trail on Feb 10)
- 5pm: Bradshaw Trail Pre-Brief
- Schedule
- Prep (jacks, tires, air compressors, stowage)
- Radio Comms (FRS CH-2)
- 6pm: Dump Waste Tanks and Refill Fresh Water Holding Tanks
- 7:30-9pm: Campfire Social
Monday, February 10
- 8am: Depart Roadrunner Wash BLM for Quartzsite to dump tanks, take on fresh water, and take on supplies.
- 9:15am: Convoy: Depart Quartzsite at pre-determined point for the Bradshaw Trail east entrance off of Wiley’s Well Road.
- 10:30am: Arrive Bradshaw Trail and air down tires.
- 4pm: Stop for overnight boondock on the Bradshaw Trail (BLM location TBD).
Tuesday, February 11
- TBD: Complete Bradshaw Trail at Highway 111.
Enrollees
Name/Number Participating/Truck Camper Make and Model/Bradshaw Trail (BT) Participant?
- Mello Mike (2), Northstar Laredo SC, BT
- Blasingame (2), Lance 815, BT
- MacAfee (2), Bundutec Odyssey, BT
- Nyholm (2), Host Mammoth
- Price (2), Outfitter Apex 8.5, BT
- Patrick (2), Host Mammoth
- Freisch (2), FWC Fleet
- Catlin (2), Northstar Laredo SC
- Geer (2), Lance Squire 5000
- Reynolds (2), Northstar Laredo SC, BT
- Wyant (2), Host Mammoth
- Dunn (2), Eagle Cap 1165
- Eckert (2), Lance 825, BT
- Rivera (2), Northern Lite 8-11 SE
- Clark (2), Arctic Fox 811
- K. Dunn (1), Arctic Fox 811
- Petroff (2), Eagle Cap 811
- Caroll (2), Lance 855
- Pack (2), Alpenlite 990
- Grepling (2), Hallmark Everest, BT
- Klinger (2), Arctic Fox 1140
- Foster (2), Arctic Fox 1150
- Cooper (2), Lance 845
- Berquam (2), Arctic Fox 1140
- Luoma (1), Arctic Fox 811, BT
- Meyers (2), Alaskan 10, BT
- Miller (2), Hallmark Ute, BT
- Nelson (1), Arctic Fox 990
- Kuzma (1), Isuzu Custom Camper
- Tahtinen (2), Northstar 650, BT
- Helmer (2), Palomino SS-500, BT
- Freedman (2), Northern Lite 8-11 LE, BT
- Baker (1), Lance 850
- Nguyen (2), Northstar Laredo SC, BT
- Lindahl (2), Hallmark Cuchara, BT
- David (2), Northstar STC
- Allen (1), Travelaire 7.6, BT
- Simpson (1), Lance 825, BT
- Silver (2), Lance 825
- Beyatte (1), Lance 825
- Bliss (1), S&S 9.5
- Satterfield (1), Six Pac D650
- MacPherson (2), Adventurer 80RB
- Johns (2), Arctic Fox 990
- Myers (1), Citation
- Squire (2), Bigfoot 1500
- Gerdes (2), Arctic Fox 865
- Patino (1), Lance 815
- Gracia (2), Arctic Fox 990
- Harris (1), Arctic Fox 811
- Neil (1), Tiger 4×4 RV
- Pogue (2), Northstar Arrow U
- Van Note (2), Camplite TC11
- Anderson (2), Alaskan 8.5
- Burdette (2), Alpenlite Cheyenne 950
- Elkind (2), Lance 650
- Lock (2), Northstar 850 SC, BT
- Sund (2), Eagle Cap 1165
- Torrey (2), Lance 1010
- Brown (2), Northstar 850 SC
- Hericks (2), Lance 1130
- Pederson (2), Arctic Fox 865
- Evans (2), Northstar Laredo SC
- Hales (2), Northstar Laredo SC
- Garrett (2), Lance 1172
- Lapierre (2), Northstar Igloo 9.5
- Kramer (2), Lance 1062
Sorry I missed it this year, but am absoultely interested in upcoming trips. Is there a mailing list I can get on?
Thanks,
FRH
Again, great turn out! You and Karen and others did a really good job…I wouldn’t have thought it was the first annual. See you next year ??.
The Torrey’s
Redlands. CA
I’m out. Attending KOH now thru Sat.. Ya’ll be safe!
I’m out. Attending KOH right now thru Sat…ya’ll be safe !
We will probably arrive on Thursday. We have a 100 watt Renogy solar suitcase, which might or might not be sufficient. We also have a Honda 1000i generator, which is almost whisper quiet. I trust generator use is not absolutely prohibited. We can run our fridge on propane, and we will, but we also have a little 12 volt freezer, so we may need to run the generator a few hours a day. At Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, they have posted generator hours: “Generator hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., and from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.” We only ran our Honda 1000i during the morning hours, and had solar charging the rest of the day. Would that program work for this rally?
Sure, no problem. Generators are fine.
Mike,
Might I suggest we take over the site they use for Quartzfest as it is near the entrance roads, and has a nice fire ring. Quartzfest is a ham radioi group and their meet ends on 1-25
Not sure where they will be but, Grand Design RV held a rally of 220 RVs at the Roadrunner Wash a few weeks ago. We liked the spot they chose, which is in the back, and will try to get that spot as well.
If anyone was also too late for registration, we are still going to camp as close to the camper group as possible. Hope others will also be doing the same.
Well, we’ll be there no matter what….if not to at least be at Silly Al’s!!
MelloMan Gonna take a pass, Not 100% I will have my TC by then, which all hinges on do I have my 450 truck from Ford (due here at my dealer 27 Jan, it was 28 Dec!?!?), but I will be out that way in Phoneix, Tom’s Camperland where my Host Mammoth TC is sitting waiting on my arrival.
Would love to me up with up for a coffee break while in Phoenix if outside the Rally zone…
Sounds good.
Sent a couple of emails, but don’t see my name on the list??? Maybe they went in your junk folder??
We got you down.
So only campers with solar are encouraged to attend ?
Solar power use is encouraged since we’ll be in proximity to each other. Under these circumstances, running a generator for extended lengths of time is strongly discourged.
We would have liked to attend but we don’t have solar panels.
Come on out, Neil. We have a few openings. You don’t have to have solar power to attend. It isn’t a requirement.
I had asked that question back in October (see above) but never got a response so I just figured it was solar rigs only. Unfortunately, it’s a bit too late now. We are planning to spend the spring in New Mexico and then attending a special event at Indy in August so our budget is also set at max at the moment.
Mike, do we actually have a reserved area for the meet, or will there be other RV-er’s intertwined with us, as in your pic of the site?
jefe
Hi, Jeff. No. This is an open boondocking area, so we can’t make any reservations there. We are planning on getting there a few days early to carve out a spot just for us. The area is pretty large and we shouldn’t have an issue staking a claim there. Such gatherings are pretty common in Quartzsite and most people are pretty accommodating.