2025 Rubber Tramp Rendezvous | |
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The 2025 Rubber Tramp Rendezvous (RTR) was a vibrant gathering of nomads and mobile lifestyle enthusiasts held in Quartzsite, Arizona, from January 8th - 16th. The event, hosted by Homes on Wheels Alliance (HOWA), successfully brought together individuals living in vehicles such as cars, vans, RVs, and buses, providing a unique opportunity for community building and resource sharing. The RTR featured two distinct segments: the Women's Rubber Tramp Rendezvous (WRTR) from January 8-10, followed by the all-gender RTR from January 11-16.
The event offered a rich array of activities and opportunities for attendees, including educational presentations, live music, games, arts and crafts, and a chance to meet like-minded nomads. Participants could attend seminars, engage in community discussions, and benefit from the event's supportive atmosphere. Bob Wells, the founder of the RTR, was available to meet attendees, and the gathering maintained its core mission of creating a sense of community and providing resources and education for those living a mobile lifestyle. The free event continued to demonstrate its popularity and importance in the nomad community, offering a welcoming space for individuals to connect, learn, and share experiences.
The success of the 2025 RTR would not have been possible without the incredible dedication, passion, and support of our participants, staff, and volunteers. Everyone who attended shared their knowledge, helped set up and break down, participated in workshops, or simply offered a kind word to a fellow nomad, contributing to the warmth and spirit of our community. Special gratitude goes to the tireless volunteers who coordinated events, managed logistics, cleaned up, and ensured that every attendee felt welcomed and supported. From the workshop presenters who generously shared their expertise to the newcomers who brought fresh energy and perspectives, every person played a crucial role in making this year's RTR a memorable and transformative experience. Your commitment to creating a supportive, inclusive, and resourceful community of mobile living enthusiasts continues to inspire and strengthen the nomadic lifestyle movement. Special gratitude also goes to the RTR event chair and founder of the WRTR, Suanne Carlson, who, as a volunteer, provided the leadership needed to make the event a success.
If you attended the 2025 RTR, we are asking that you please take a moment to complete a short survey to help us make the event successful in the future, and if you have any event questions or suggestions, please contact us at rtr@howa.org. We are already planning for the 2026 RTR, and some exciting changes are expected. Stay tuned for updates throughout the year.
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Thank you to the Sponsors of the RTR | |
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While the RTR is primarily a community gathering and educational experience that HOWA is firmly committed to making free for the nomad (and nomad-curious) community, it is not an inexpensive endeavor to plan and implement. The event is not considered a traditional fundraiser, but as a nonprofit, HOWA would be remiss not to take advantage of seeking financial support from the nomad community to support both the event and the other organizational programs such as our in-person caravans, virtual caravans, and bulletin board. In addition to the individual donations made during the event by participants such as yourself and donations from the HOWA merchandise table, the following sponsors supported HOWA with financial and in-kind donations.
City of Quartzsite, AZ—Quartzsite, or Q as it is affectionately known, is a vibrant desert town that transforms from a quiet community to a bustling winter destination. It attracts over 1.5 million visitors annually with its unique blend of nomad gatherings such as the RTR, historical attractions, and desert marketplace excitement.
RV Life – Travel dreams made simple. Benefit from the insights and experiences of those who have traveled ahead of you. RV LIFE is a community of like-minded RVers providing you with a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips. Explore their site to discover all of their exciting opportunities, subscribe to their newsletter, and never miss an update.
Escapees RV Club and Harvest Hosts – Escapees and Harvest Hosts recently joined forces to provide community, convenience, and peace of mind and unlimited overnight stays at 9,400+ farms, wineries, breweries, golf courses, community hosts & more. If you are a member of Escapees and attending the Escapade event, please look out for the HOWA table and check the agenda for our presentation. Stop by and say hello.
Friends of the Quartzsite Food Bank - Alleviating hunger while improving the quality of a healthy lifestyle in and around the Quartzsite community, where many live under the poverty level, is accomplished with the distribution of food, clothing, and toiletries. Friends of the Food Bank is a community-based nonprofit supported by local organizations, businesses, churches, private grants, special events, and individual donations.
Mail, Messages, and More (MMM) - Serving full-time and Part-time Travelers since 1978 in income-tax-free Nevada with mail forwarding, mini storage, and much more. MMM will mail your mail anywhere, anytime at your convenience, and your home away from home.
Cheap RV Living (CRVL) - For more than 15 years, Bob Wells has been an authority that has inspired and educated thousands of nomads to live their best lives. CRVL provides all the nomadic information you need to find your best life and the friendly, caring community you desire! In addition to sponsoring the event, Bob Wells was also a speaker at the event, and you can see his discussion titled Travel Alaska -- 2025 RTR -- with Bob & Lindra on the HOWA YouTube channel. Make sure you subscribe to the channel to be notified of additional videos from the RTR that will be posted soon.
Columbia Sportswear – Keeping you outdoors since 1938. From a local hat company to a global leader in the outdoor industry, Columbia has been busy helping adventurers take on whatever Mother Nature throws your way for more than 85 years.
Van Camping Lifestyle and Oupes – Peter with Van Camping Lifestyle was a huge source of volunteer support for the RTR and presented the solar speaking session. Peter also represented Oupes Solar Generators, which is committed to providing affordable and reliable solar power to households, adventurers who value preparedness, and as many people in need as possible.
The 2025 event raised a record total of $41,371, a 36% increase from 2024, was attended by over 5,000 people, showcased 135 vehicles during the rig display, and 270 volunteers generated 5,600 hours of volunteer time for an estimated value of $178,000. Thank you all for your support!
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The HOWA financial year ended on December 31, and during 2024, the organization raised $269,609.51 to support organizational priorities and programs, a 15% increase over the amount raised in 2023. We often receive questions regarding how that money is utilized during the year, and our number one expense goes towards staff salaries. As a service provider, our mission and service model requires intensive staff time and workloads. HOWA currently has three full-time staff members (J.D - our first ever paid Executive Director., Tracey, and Bobbi), one full-time contractor (Marieke), and one part-time staff member (Phyllis). With this lean staffing (and with the help of a working board and hundreds of other volunteers) HOWA effectively plans and executes the RTR, provides an online bulletin board for the nomad community, hosts five virtual caravans weekly year-round, hosts multiple in-person caravans annually that often include cleanups on public lands, provides educational and inspirational support for dozens of inquiries each week to community members, and vets, distributes, and supports the needs of applicants to our eFund and tent grants program that served 50 nomads in need in 2024 with almost $30,000 in direct financial assistance – making direct assistance funding our second highest expense. All while pursuing the organization's administration, operational, and fundraising needs.
As many of you know, HOWA faced program uncertainty during the past year due to a lack of insurance coverage to support our traditional programs, such as vehicle distribution and BYOV (Bring Your Own Vehicle) events. We are thrilled to announce that we have identified updated insurance that will allow us to begin discussing new programming and revisiting these mothballed programs. Stay tuned for more updates on programs in the coming months.
Like insurance, nonprofit organizational management requires costly compliance across many platforms. This is why it is essential to invest in your organization and why fundraising is a vital, year-round task that HOWA must consistently engage in. Please consider making a donation to the organization here to ensure that HOWA can continue pursuing its mission of supporting nomads in need through training and resources while building an empowering and compassionate community.
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Bob's Ambulance Sweepstakes | |
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Speaking of ways to financially support the HOWA community, CheapRVLiving owner, Homes On Wheels Alliance (HOWA) co-founder/president, and co-star in the Oscar-winning Nomadland movie has donated his former residence and ambulance to HOWA to raise funds to assist nomads in need.
In April 2021, Bob Wells moved into a new-to-him ambulance that had been converted into a home on wheels. The ambulance had originally been sold to the Federal government in a national park. Whichever park it was in put very few miles on it, as it only had 12,000 miles when he bought it. As with many nomads, his lifestyle needs have changed, and Bob has generously donated his former home to HOWA as a fundraising sweepstakes.
Get your tickets today to win Bob's ambulance. Your contribution will go to help people in need and build the mobile community.
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