Record Chills Send Propane Dealers into Shivers

Just days before the opening of the big Quartzsite RV Show, local propane dealers are in need of traffic cops. Chilly temps--down into the low 20s--drifted down from jealous northerners blanketing the desert in shivers. Lines of motorhomes, pickups, and trailers blocks long led into the parking lot of the RV Pitstop, one of the town's most popular gas passers. The sounds of chattering teeth behind the wheels fed the cacophony.

Compounding the problem--nearby citrus orchardists were fearful their crops would freeze in temps that haven't been this low in 16 years. Propane wholesalers bypassed Quartzsite RV pumpers in favor of protecting the fruit crops. But the cold has made the snowbirds relentless. One dealer told us his sales were way up--pumping nearly 8,000 gallons of the liquid heat a day. On Tuesday afternoon, things came to a head: The RV Pitstop began flagging customers off, having emptied both of their 5,000 gallon tanks. Happily, a bobtail LP truck showed up bearing another 3,000 gallons, and despite attempted "line cutting" sales were orderly, and most decidely brisk.

While the deserts are blooming with rigs, there's still plenty of room left for more. Just be sure to keep your powder dry, and your LP tanks full!