Nov 2022
Quartzsite Arizona

Quartzsite is known by many as the RV boondocking capital of the world. The town is in western Arizona on I10 just 18 miles from the California state line. An estimated 1 million plus RVers make their way to Quartzsite each year mainly in January and February due to the pleasant winter weather and two events, The Quartzsite RV Show and the nation's largest gem and mineral show. The daily temperatures during my stay ranged from the mid 40s to upper 60s and the humidity is very low. I imagine Quartzsite is not for everyone; it is a little quirky to be sure. There are a few fast food regulars in town along with a Dollar General and Family Dollar. There are also local grocery stores, specialty stores, and tent shops everywhere. Being an RV hot spot, there are many RV repair shops and Solar instillation shops. The closest Walmart is 35 miles away in Parker AZ. If you're not into boondocking, there are no shortage of full hookup RV campgrounds. Have a look at Quail Run, it's as nice as many of the better resorts you've seen around the country. If you must have local TV stations, you're out of luck. Some of the long term folks have directional antennas on tall booms and can receive a few channels. No matter what your camping style is, Quartzsite really is a destination for the RV community, at least once.

Products of the Week
Thermos, Tea Kettle, & Pour Over Coffee Maker

While boondocking, I was able to use my electric automatic drip coffee maker requiring 1500 watts for 8 minutes for 10 cups. I also used the Pour Over Coffee Maker with the Tea Kettle four mornings to give the battery bank a break. In either case, I poured my first cup and poured the remainder into the stainless Thermos which will literally keep the coffee hot for 12 hours. The full Tea Kettle heats to a boil quickly over the kitchen propane burner. The Pour Over Coffee Maker and Tea Kettle make a great backup method for your morning coffee.

La Posa LTVA - Quartzsite AZ

There is plenty of BLM land in the area allowing 14 days stays at no charge. There is also the Long Term Visitor Area (LTVA) operated by the BLM. Boondockers can stay in the LTVA for $40 up to 14 nights or pay a $180 permit fee for 7 months. I stayed in the La Posa West LTVA for 7 nights primarily because of it's proxcimity to town. If you have a problem with dust and being dusty for most of your stay then desert boondocking may not be for you. If you can handle the dust, you can boondock from September 15th to April 15th for $180. This includes LTVA locations in other areas too. In Arizona, La Posa LTVA and Imperial Dam LTVA. In California, Hot Spring LTVA, Tamarisk LTVA, Pilot Knob LTVA, Midland LTVA, and Mule Mountain LTVA. The La Posa LTVA, located in Quartzsite, has a dump station with fresh water at La Posa South and trash dumpster at each location. There are also vault toilets and water spigots scattered throughout La Posa. The check-in station at each entrance gave me some sense of security if only as a deterrence. BIG COMPLAINT! - The Water was off for the last two days and the dump station was closed. Because it was Thanksgiving Day, local dump stations were closed so I had to travel with full waste tanks!

Boondocking Meal Prep

One of my main goals for this boondocking week was to eat much the same as when I'm staying at an RV resort. This means using my Air Fryer to cook Chicken, Pork Tenderloin, and Steak. I was pleased that all of this was possible with my whole house inverter setup and my 400ah battery bank. The Air Fryer ran from 1300 to 1350 watts while cooking. Here are a couple of examples:

Chicken Salad
I Air Fry two healthy sized chicken breast for 22 minutes at 390 degrees topping the chicken with Kinder's Buttery Poultry Blend. When complete, I slice the chicken into small pieces. I hard boil 4 eggs and cut those into small pieces. I mix with a healthy dose of mayonnaise (Duke's Mayo if available) and top it off with pickle relish, salt and pepper. Mix all of this well and I 6 to 8 large keto wraps topped with spinach leaves and cheddar cheese. For me, that's lunch for a week. If I'm having a single breast with a vegetable I reduce the cook time to 20 minutes.