The western faction of the Montana Owners Club (an informal online forum dedicated to owners or wanna be owners of Montanas, Mountaineers, and Big Sky 5th wheel RVs) have been having the "Circling of the Montanas" in Quartzsite Arizona for 6 years. It started out with a handful, give or take, of units and has grown each and every year. This year there were so many interested that we could not all fit into the circle. As far as I know, we are the only group out here in Q BLM land that do our circle like this. I have seen several other circles, wagon train style, front to back, front to back. Our circle is more like the spokes on a wheel.
Here is the simplified version of how they manage this unique gathering/parking.
They drive a stake in the middle of the circle, attach a very very long rope. When a unit arrives, they take the rope, stretch it from the middle of the circle to the outside of the circle. They line up the rope with where the middle of your unit should be. That is the middle as in side to side. It has been pre-determined where all the units should be, measured and measured again. From a few scratches in the desert surface the parking crew know where the middle (side to side) and the back of your unit should be, and they direct you so that is exactly where you end up. There are no do-overs required, they get you lined up perfect the very first time.
Above, friends Nita and Al lining up, they are about mid circle at this point, see the yellow rope, straddle, drive forward, easy peasy.
Yep, got it centered, inch er in.
Perfect, back end of the rig is lined up on the inside of the circle. Every rig perfectly lined up first time!
CLAP CLAP CLAP to the parking crew! Well done!
And, here is what a full circle of Montanas looks like. Believe there are 47 units, 1 is a Raptor toy hauler, 4 are motor homes and the rest of us are Montanas, Montaineers and Big Skys. When this photo was taken there was room for 1 or 2 more units. There are 2 entrance/exits left open, one at top right, and one at the middle left. Find that middle left entrance, count 10 counterclockwise and there is Tana and Big Butt. We are almost in the center of the photo at the bottom. (I made this photo larger than I normally do, so try clicking on it for larger view. The same photo is also at the very bottom of this blog, nice 'n large!)
Below center rig: Tana, Big Butt and a girl chat at the "Q". To the left are friends Nita and Al with his solar paneled roof, to the right are friends Mina and Bob with their flag pole! Yes, I was one of the gals chatting away.
And, that dear friends is how you make a 420 foot circle of Montanas (and 1 Raptor and 4 Motorhomes).
*In future posts I will have some other photos of the Circling of the Montanas at Quartzsite, come on back and visit soon.
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7 comments:
My husband and I would both like to say that this is one of the coolest things we've ever seen. Hope you're having a great time! How did you take the aerial shot? Cheers, Jennifer & Matthew.
I'm trying to get my mind around traffic jams in the desert. Wonderful orchestration - some military minds at work there.
My concern with the circle would be FIRE, there was a rig that burnt to the frame the other day in Quartzsite and it damaged both vehicles on either side of it because they weer parked so close.
IrishEyes, a ultra light took the photos.
Nolichucky, yes, there are traffic jams in Q for a few weeks around the RV show.
PalmsRV, yes, we know about the fire, it was very close to us, and I do have some poor quality photos of the explosions and fire as it was after dark. The unit was an older one, a new purchase for the lady that owned it. A sad situation for sure. Being too close is a concern. We see a good number of units forming "U" shaped parking situations and a lot of circles that are back to front, almost touching unit to unit.
I guess we decided go for it, and truthfully, we have been parked closer than this in commercial parks.
Life is full of choices, chances and good and bad luck. Eh???
First, thanks for explaining how your circle was done. Second, I'm jealous, as your temperature thingie (your word) says it is 73 degrees! I'll take a circle in those temps anytime.
Wow, that is one of the most awesomest things I've ever seen! Sounds like you are having waaay too much fun.
I wondered how you all made that circle. Thanks for explaining it. So simple!
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