RVing Off the Grid - Camping Cheap in Quartzsite

There are many styles of RVing, from living in a luxury motor home at an RV resort to RVing in wilderness areas. Like pioneers in their covered wagons, thousands of RVers head to Quartzsite Arizona to spend their winter RVing off the grid. While they may live in more luxury than their predecessors, RVers who stake out a little temporary home in the desert around Quartzsite are still pioneers in their own way.

They come to the Arizona desert to set up camp in dispersed camping areas managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and often live off the grid (known as boondocking) without hookups to utilities, water or sewer for three to six months.

Camping on Arizona BLM land is one of the best bargains around. The 14 day areas are free while the long term camping areas offer an unbelievably low seasonal rate of $180 for six months. Compared to camping in one of the many private campgrounds that’s an incredible bargain.

Thousands of RV snowbirds come to Quartzsite prepared to live without water, electric or sewer hookups. For a first time off-the-grid RVers, this might look like a daunting undertaking. If you’re not now wondering why the heck anybody would want to do this, then you probably have lots of questions about how it’s done.

Livng off the grid for three to six months is a very long time to go without electricity or modern conveniences. How do they do it? Well, most RVers have figured out some way to have their cake and eat it too.

They come prepared with solar panels, windmills, generators, propane heaters and battery operated electronics. They’ve also learned to conserve energy, using their backup electrical systems only when necessary.

The best things in life are free! And free sunshine is plentiful in southern Arizona. RVers living off the grid often use the solar panels to generate electricity they need for some of the modern conveniences like lights, TV and powering their battery operated electronics. Recently, more solar powered gadgets are available that just need to be set out in the sun to work for several hours at a time. Solar powered lanterns, weather radios and battery chargers for cell phones and small electronics are well suited to this lifestyle.

Diehard boondockers, the RVers who love to camp in the wide open spaces of the desert or other natural areas, seek out public lands where they can live off the grid and save their money on fascinating pastimes and exciting explorations rather than expensive campgrounds. Some of their solar set-ups are complex and expensive, while others manage with a simple configuration and one or two panels.

The answer to this is complicated because needs and expectations are different for different people. Someone in a 40 ft. motor home will need/want more than the couple in a 25 foot rig. Those who want to run their microwave and TV will require more power than people who just want lights at night.

The good thing is that you can start with one or two panels and add more later. We purchased two used 80 watt solar panels two years ago along with an inverter and a controller/booster. We use four 6 volt golf cart batteries to store the electricity. This set-up will run the lights in the motor home all evening, charge up one or both of our computers if we do it right and usually run our TV for a couple of hours, but we do have to pace our usage through the day.

If you are thinking of buying solar panels, go to a reputable dealer and get someone who knows what they're talking about to help you figure out what you need. Or, talk to some of the old hands who have been camping around Quartzsie for years– some of these guys know more than the “experts” who sell the stuff!

Like the sunshine, wind is free. Although not as popular as solar panels, portable windmills are also a common sight on the BLM campgrounds around Quartzsite. Some people hedge their bets with both solar and wind power. If the sun doesn’t shine, it’s likely that the wind will blow anyway! Again, it’s a good idea to have someone experienced help you get started if you’re considering a wind mill for generating electricity.

RVers often choose solar power over wind power for these reasons: a) Solar panels will generate power in minimal sunlight while windmills need a certain amount of wind, not too weak and not too strong, in order to work properly, and b) Solar panels are easier to put up and down and often they will store right on the roof. Windmills, especially the larger ones, need a good anchor and guide wires to keep them stable.

There are many who live off the grid without either solar or wind power. They usually bring generators to power their microwaves and lights, and sometimes TVs and other appliances. The drawback to generators is that they are noisy, and they cost money to operate. The high price of gas is making people think twice about using their generators.

But purists might tell you that you don’t need any of that stuff. You can see by the light of the lantern, you can sit around the campfire at night rather than watch TV. Get an extra blanket or sleeping bag for warmth! You don’t need any of those fancy electronics when you have the sun in the morning and the moon at night!

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Copyright ©2011 Stephanie Henkel