Steven L Fletcher & Fran Crawford full time RVing Travelog: January 2001

On Wednesday, January 23rd, we said good-by to our family in Lancaster, CA and headed toward Quartzsite Arizona. We had some wind and rain going over the Cajon pass from Victorville to San Bernardino but we had no problems with the drive.

It's a relatively short trip and we had planned to make it in one day but as we began the climb up Chiriaco pass we spotted a really black plumb of smoke ahead. As we got closer we saw that it was a motor home on fire and pulled over to see if we could help.

Steven instinctively grabbed our two small fire extinguishers but it was evident they would be no match for a fire which was out of control. All we could do was stay with the couple until their family drove up from Palm Springs.

The driver said the engine started to act up when they started the climb and backfired a few times. They decided to pull over and see if they could figure out what was wrong. When he lifted the engine cover black acrid smoke and flame filled the motor home and all they could do to get out as fast as possible.

Two years ago while at Quartzsite we saw, off in the distance, the black smoke of an RV on fire. And, we have seen the aftermath of an RV fire, but standing with the couple watching their motorhome burn in a matter of minutes was a sobering and emotional experience. We can only imagine how it felt for them.

As you can see there is very little left of the motorhome. Firefighters from Indio responded but because they had to came so far they were much too late to save it.

Because we were delayed by the motorhome fire we decided to overnight in the General Patton Museum parking lot at Chiriaco Summit which was just a few miles up the road.

The next morning we called Ramblin' Roads RV Park in Hope, Arizona and reserved a space. We arrived and were assigned a site. We had just settled in when the manager came and said he had put us in the wrong space and he was sorry but we would have to move. It wasn't that bad and we like our new site so all is well.

Bill and Shirley Randolph from Yuba City are here. Shirley likes to golf so She and Fran made plans to hit the park's desert golf course as soon as the weather cleared.

On Saturday, Jan 27, we drove into Quartzsite to take in the RV show in the big tent. Bev & Mike, our magazine publishers, had a booth there and we spent quite a while visiting with them. It's the first time we've met them but it was we like meeting old friends. We also got to meet two other writers, Bill Graves and Bernita Brown.

Bill & Carol Patterson, friends from the RV club, also had a booth and we spent some time visiting with them as well.

Later in the evening eight couples from the RV club met for a mini get together and dinner at the Palo Verde restaurant. Part of the group we had met before and it was good to renew aquaintenences. Of course it was nice to meet in person the other members we've known online. Plans we're discussed to have a real get together the week after the spring Escapade.