RVing Quartzsite

Quartzsite is an ATVers dream-come-true. Lots of open spaces, hills to climb, and beauty everywhere. But every year, some ATV visitors have run-ins with law enforcement, usually over something they didn’t know about. Here’s the run-down on local and state law as it applies to ATV use.

ATV Operational Law:

ATVs used on public roads (streets and highways) must be registered and insured. The latter can be a major headache for some, as not everybody’s insurance company will provide coverage. What constitutes streets and highways? Some BLM and Forest Service roads constitute a public road. A rule of thumb is, if a passenger car can run on it, your ATV should be registered and insured to be there, and you should have a valid operator’s license.

Drivers must obey all traffic laws.

Those with Arizona driver licenses must have an “M” endorsement to operate a 3-wheeler, and for four-wheelers, a simple “D” or regular driver license is required. However, to obtain a “D” license, you’ll have to 18-years or older. Out of state license holders need a motorcycle endorsement to operate a three-wheeler.

Anyone under 18 must where a helmet while on an ATV; EVERYONE on an ATV must where eye protection.

Passengers can be carried on an ATV ONLY if the rig is manufacturer-designed for passengers.

Operating an ATV while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is illegal ANYWHERE in Arizona. You can be cited/arrested even on a back country trail for violation of the law.

Each agency that manages public land has its own rules, regulations and laws to enforce. Rules and laws change. Before using public lands, you’re wise to check with the local land management agency office about rules and requirements. Keep current about changes in OHV regulations.

Most areas restrict OHV use to established roads and trails. Some areas have seasonal closures because of wet roads or wildlife breeding or nesting areas.

Getting an ATV registered in Arizona requires this equipment:

A minimum or one hand or foot operated brake.

A brake light.

A minimum of two headlights which must shine at least 500 feet forward.

At least one tail light visible a minimum of 500 feet to the rear.

A rear mounted license plate, which must be illuminated.

A horn audible to a minimum of 200 feet.

A continuously operating muffler in good working order. Cutouts and bypasses are illegal.

A rear view mirror.

Seat and footrests for the operator.

A cap on the fuel tank.

Be aware: The “Off-Road” plate on your ATV is only an indication that the ATV has been titled in the State of Arizona. It is NOT a registration plate and does not allow you to ride on roads that require your vehicle to be registered.

Want to Learn More?

The ATV RiderCourse
Developed by the ATV Safety Institute, the ATV RiderCourse provides hands-on training in the basic techniques for riding an all-terrain vehicle. The course also covers protective gear, local laws, finding places to ride, and environmental concerns. If you bought your ATV after December 30,1986, you may be eligible for free training. Those not eligible for the free training may take the course for a small fee. The ATV RiderCourse is available nationwide. To sign up call: 1-800-887-2887

Off-Highway Motorcycle Training
T.E.A.M. Arizona (480) 998-9888
T.E.A.M. Arizona conducts basic rider training for dirt bikes.

Four-Wheel Drive
Arizona State Association of Four-Wheel Drive Clubs (602)-258-4BY4
The ASA4WDC sponsors safety clinics that teach the basics of 4WD.

photo: alfonso beneyas on flickr.com

In their blog The RV Travels of Earl and Linda, the couple reported on Dec. 27 that, “the last price we paid for diesel (in Quartzsite) when we filled up early in the month was $2.099; however, we’ve noticed as we’ve driven around town that it’s been as low as $1.919!” Meanwhile, GasBuddy.com shows that the best price for regular unleaded gasoline is at the Chevron station, where it is $1.59 a gallon.

In the days of the early American Army, whatever goods and services the Army couldn’t provide its troops–shady or legitimate–were supplied by an almost-as-large army of entreprenuers. Called Camp Followers, these provided everything from warm food and clean clothes to delights behind darkened curtains. Similar roving bands of merchants followed in the steps of gold miners wherever the fever would take them.

In Quartzsite, loaded with RVers of every description, a similar army of “Camp Followers,” rolls into town every year. Some of these suppliers have a settled–albeit seasonal–sticks and bricks existence. Take ‘The Gambler’ in Rice Ranch. Do you need a new RV toilet? Stove or refrigerator? Leveling Jacks? They probably have it in their steel building. Other “suppliers” are of more itinerant nature. A “mat and patio carpet’ retailer may set up shop under a shade tree; an RV awning replacement firm works out of a semi-trailer, sending

The owner of the Q Laundromat, Chen Wenchen, died suddenly Dec. 21 according the website Desert Messenger.

The website wrote: “Chen was famous for seeking ways to improve the town. He was always coming up with fresh, and sometimes wild, ideas to make Quartzsite a prosperous and welcoming place for visitors and locals. Chen supported this town in many ways, some quietly and some very boisterous. From helping the kids with their fundraisers, to handing out free coffee to customers because the town officials hadn’t approved his permit to sell espresso yet, to having clean showers available for folks, to providing turkeys for his potlucks for holidays, to lending support for local parades. The Q became the local gathering place…because of Chen.”

If you’ve been cruising Quartzsite in the last month or two, you’ve probably noticed the sudden uptick in the number of police cruisers, quietly watching traffic along the main drags. Or are they? A closer inspection of these “patrol cars” reveals a conspicuous absence of a lawman–and they aren’t down at the bakery grabbing a cup of QZ Java.

Looks as though it’s all part of the concerted “crackdown on crime,” in the form of those with lead feet. Yep, Quartzsite’s PD is interested in your health and safety, and they want you to slow down to accomplish it. There’s a particular emphasis on nailing folks under the influence of drugs or drink–and obviously the “decoy cars” parked along the B-10 won’t probably do much good for that, but the sight of a cruiser just on the other side of the city sidewalk makes even the most law-abiding folk among us do a double-take on our speedometer.

Chief Gilbert probably needn’t worry about keeping the phony speedo-cars out after the first of the month. If history holds true, when the snowbirds hit town for the big month of shows, you couldn’t get up to the speed limit with the amount of traffic on the streets, even if you wanted to.

This all reminds us of the little ditty going around: The traffic cop spots a driver weaving back and forth, crossing the line and hitting the rumble strips. After pulling the errant motorist over, the officer asks, “You know, your eyes are a little glassy, Sir. Have you been drinking?”

The driver looks the cop dead in the eye, and with a slurred voice asks in return, “Ossifer, you know, your eyes are a little glazed. Have you been eating a doughnut?”

photo: Jonas B on flickr.com

A few years ago, National Geographic magazine ran a feature story on Quartzsite. It was big news in the area, and local collectors must have dozens of copies of the magazine squirreled away in their overheated attics. Now comes more national attention, but with a narrow focus: For those who fell asleep beside the desert and woke up to raucous engine noise, you don’t need to be told, Quartzsite is a popular 4-wheel drive destination.

4-Wheel Drive & Sport Utility Magazine is the latest outfit to encourage still more throngs to roar into this little corner of the Sonora. “Not just for the “Snowbirds”, Quartzsite is a pleasurable destination for four-wheel-drive enthusiasts in the cooler months from Fall through Spring,” touts the story, accompanied with dozens of color photos of areas that most winter visitors have probably never laid eyes on.

Writer Bob Norton makes several recommendations for trails to be checked out by those with big tires and rigs that require step ladders to gain access to the cab. Making it easier, he includes GPS coordinates and detailed directions on how to get here from there. Norton tosses in a bit of history, and a few questionable statistics, but that’s probably in keeping with Quartzsite. Depending on your view of 4-wheeling, you’ll either love the story or despise it. You can view it on the web at 4wdandsportutility.com.

photo courtesy 4-Wheel Drive & Sport Utility Magazine