The second Bus Conversion Road Travelers’ rally has come and gone. For twenty-plus years the former group had the luxury of staying at the Mar-ket Place in Quartzsite, Arizona, within walking distance to the Big Tent. With the Market Place closing, we had to scramble to find a new venue.
Rex Holcomb found Crawford’s RV Park on Main Street and reserved 15 sites. We soon discovered this was not enough space, as after the newsletter was sent out, it filled up very fast. We were not able to secure any more spaces so we scheduled a post-rally on BLM land to accommodate more Bus Nuts. Unfortunately, Rex passed away a week before the rally.
Crawford’s was very accommodating; we had access to the clubhouse, which was very nice for the catered dinner, especially when it rained for a few hours. The high cost and small size of camp-sites were the biggest complaints; therefore, we will not hold future rallies at this location.
We give a big thanks to Bus Nuts Debra & Da-vid from Mellie’s Mini Donuts for their donated mini-donuts and coffee cake as they joined us for the morning coffee hour. Please visit them next year at their Donut trailer at Tyson Well’s tent side of the street.
All in all, everyone had a great time and we gained seven new chartered members and are looking forward to more rallies being hosted by our members.
The post-rally was held at the Plomosa Road BLM area, thanks to Harley who directed us three miles (west) and three-quarters of a mile north to a nice quiet, flat, and large secluded area only 9.5 miles from Quartzsite making it easy to get to town to visit the Big Tent. A total of five rigs joined us as we circled the coaches with a great campfire in the middle.
Coffee was served each morning and one potluck worked well. We learned a lot and most feel that next year will hold the rally on the Plomosa Road BLM land for the entire rally.
By holding future Quartzsite rallies on vast BLM land in the desert, it will open this rally up for all members to attend, at very little cost. One of the concerns of being in the desert is loud generators. We are still working on this, but if you use a “contractor type generator” or have just a plain noisy one, please plan on parking away from the main group as silence is golden in the desert.
Ed has booked Camp Verde, a full hookup campground, again for the next Road Travelers’ Rally for September 2022, the same RV Park as last year but in a nicer, more shaded location. All of the information for the upcoming rally is listed on the Events page in this issue of BCM. Sign up soon to get a site near the group.
To join Bus Conversion Road Travelers’, please e-mail Robert Pimentel at Silversport61@yahoo. com. The cost to join the group is $25.00, plus a $15 initiation fee and yearly dues are $10.00. All buses are welcome at our rallies. Also, if you have a nice rally destination near you in mind, please send me the information and I will work with you to put on a great rally.
A few More Buses at Crawford’s RV Park.
Small gathering after the rally, in the desert off of Plomosa Road.
Buses at Crawford’s RV Park in close quarters.
More Buses at Crawford’s RV Park.
Pot luck dinner in the clubhouse at Crawford’s RV Park.
Pot luck dinner in the clubhouse at Crawford’s RV Park.
Sitting around the campfire in the desert.
Sunrise in the desert.
Sunset in the desert.
Robert Pimentel is third-generation in the food service industry. He retired in 2016 after 40 years of running his catering company. In 1998 he decided to upgrade from a Class-C to a bus conversion, having had a 1957 Chevy school bus in the 70s his choice was a GM-4106.
The first one was a 1961, a few years later numbers two, a 1963, a few years after that number three a 1962. Finally, six years ago number four 1962 with a raise roof and a whole lot of bells and whistles. He has done the remodeling and most the repair work himself.
Even though the coach will never be “finished” for the last two years he has been traveling the western US, enjoying life with his wife Marie.
Robert can be contacted via email:
SilverSport61@yahoo.com