The RTR

Last year when traveling in Arizona I realized I was really close to this event called the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous, (RTR).  Bob Wells, a blogger and vlogger put this gathering together. He did so in the spirit of the bi-annual mountain-man gatherings of old. The event is at Quartzite, AZ. It is on BLM land which is inexpensive or free to stay on depending on where you choose to set up.

Content, content, content

Bob has a lot of videos he has developed. And he is a great resource for anything involving living out of a car, van or RV.

Bob’s website entry for the RTR

Bob’s YouTube channel

My First Official Video

Was this one, last year, and it was about the RTR. I thought I would try to put together a YouTube channel. I thought if I could get some traction, I might be able to wring some value out of it for you.  Here is a link to my Rolling Hobo web site and YouTube channel.

Starting New

When I showed up at the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous, I really did not know what to expect.  I had not connected with anybody who was going and felt very much the outsider.  I pulled in and chatted with a fella who filled me in on the rules, (be civil). We ended up talking for quite some time.  I quickly found a place to park. Then I proceeded to be blown away by the hospitality and generosity of all of the, “strangers”, who had congregated in this place.

Come On In!

From the very first day I found that I needed to leave my prejudice back on the I5.  The RTR was a welcoming and friendly environment. And it truly embodies the ideal of a rendevouz.

Bob stages workshops on everything from solar power to working on the road.  He chooses the presenters from the hundreds of participants who combined have a tremendous store of knowledge.  In the few days I was there, I saw a presentations on Astronomy, a workshop on prospecting, participated in a round table event on clever ideas for living on the road, and a gadgets seminar.

The spectrum of participants was equally diverse. It ranged from the willing homeless to the very comfortably retired. There seemed to be this continual open house by many of the participants.  They would gladly open up their dwellings and proudly show you their way of life. This was not true of everybody, some folks were more reserved than others.  And that was the beauty of it, no pressure, do it your own way, whatever that might be.

A New Road

My participation last year really changed my perspective on the road life.  It changed the way I wanted to create content and it changed what I thought was important to share.  I am planning to attend again this year. I suspect the gathering will be bigger, and if so maybe harder to manage for Bob and his friends.  But I am really looking forward to it. And I hope I will meet some of the folks I met last year, and I know I will learn more.

Wanderlust

If you are thinking about travel, or are traveling I encourage you to go to Quartzite and check out the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous.  There is a lot going on in Quartzite this time of year. So if you want more than just a gathering of like minded souls, you can check out gem shows, the hiring tent for National Parks, BLM and Forest Service campground hosts.  You can also see the big RV vendors who travel to Quartzite every year and shop all things travel.

If you can’t make it, there will be a lot of content posted by Bob, his friends.

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Quartzsite, AZ 85346, USA