I haven’t decided yet, what to make of a Nomad culture that thrives out of sight, in plain sight. This rendezvous started 8 or 9 years ago but the Rubber Tramps have been connected for a long time. Technology has made it easy for them to network and it is for sure a sub culture of its own. The man who started it all, (the rendezvous) has been living either out of his van or a 6x10 cargo trailer for 30 years. There were 40 people the first year and it has grown since. Last night there were over 600 registered with the ranger’s office in town. I’m not registered and I suspect many others aren’t either so the total could be much higher.
We are camped on public lands about 3 miles out of Quartzite, AZ, several hundred feet up, elevation wise. No services, no fees; you have to take care of all your own needs. At night the lights in town make it look like a big city but most of that comes from campgrounds and street lights. The posted population is just under 2000. Someone said that over a million snowbirds spend time in Quartzite from November to March. We are just doing it dry, up in the desert. It’s all dust covered rock with small palo verde trees growing in the washes and scrub dotting the desert.
People are truly funny. No need to go to the zoo? In the beginning, campers were all rubber tramps but over a few years, others began showing up in their monster motorhomes and 5th wheels. They were coming to see what it was all about but had brick and shingles homes to go back to. They want to see and learn, maybe dabble in the gypsy life style but the ones invested, actually living off the grid, off the radar are all about networking, learning new technology and strategies for camping in warm, safe places without camping fees. No rent; that’s the principle, be self sufficient at a minimal cost.
There is a YouTube channel and website the Rubber Tramps use to communicate, demonstrate tricks, gadgets and new ideas. Here, these two weeks, we have two work shop, seminar, lectures per day. Some folks don’t like the noise, (any noise) while others can’t wait to party. The organizer indicated that it has gotten out of control, too many people with different agendas and he may not do it again. Uninvited party crashers don’t realize that’s what they are. RTR’s are mature, serious people whose life style circumvents traditional jobs, traditional homes with a hybrid sense of identity.
I met a woman, (I’d guess in her 60’s) who has been living in her ’05 Toyota van for 7 years. She follows the climate; wherever it will be in the 60’s & 70’s, that’s where she goes. She is collecting Social Security and I don’t know what else but she manages everything down to the penny. We both sleep with CPAP machines and her solar system isn’t quite up to meeting that need. I had learned and shared with her, the heater/humidifier on the CPAP burns about 50% of the energy it uses. If you turn it off or down significantly, your stored energy goes farther. Also, if you are running it through an inverter at 110 Volts, you can get an adapter to run it on 12 Volts, directly off the battery. That eliminates another 10% bleed off from the charge. I’m learning
This culture is predicated on safe, no fee places to park/camp. They use public restrooms when they can and dump their porta potties as needed. Sometimes they camp together in small groups, keeping in touch and help each other, sort of a tribal/fraternity thing. The rest of us either can’t or don’t want to change our life style to get that kind of off-the-grid independence. For many of them it’s the only way they can be independent. I’m lucky enough. My income allows me to go home now and then, work on the house, mow the grass, fix breakfast in the kitchen and eat in the dining room. Some RTR’s do have nice, big rigs and more amenities. They treat each other as equals and accept almost everyone but you would have trouble passing for one of them if you haven’t paid your dues. Again, I get to be the fly on the wall. A woman from CNN is here filming a documentary on the culture. If you see it and look real close you might see me in the crowd.
Wal Mart allows free camping in their parking lots; in late and out early is their policy. Folks in transit know about it and it works out for everyone. Wallyworld almost always get business from the campers. But you can’t spend days or weeks in a parking lot. You can camp for free in National Forests and on other public lands, that is the best scenario for these roadies. When they can meet up with someone they know, it’s a win. The group always knows more than the individual. I’m not ready to reinvent myself and I’ll wait and see about coming back next year but the people are worth the meeting and it’s warm here.
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