In June the Navy is bringing me out to interview for a job at the Naval Weapons Center at China Lake. Which is basically next to Ridgecrest, CA.

I am finding good and bad things about the area online. We all know how the internet works, you can find someone that will rant about anyplace, as well as those that love a place unconditionally. Whether they have been there in 30 years doesn't matter.

Just wondering if anyone here has any real experience about the area they can share with me. A reply post, PM, or email is fine.

 

I see you're coming from the eastern seaboard. I don't live close by but spent many years racing motorcycles in the area.

The things that will be the biggest difference is...

No rain, ever. Okay once in a blue moon.

Hot, very hot. Temps that love to stay above 90-100 plus in the daytime, yet dip pretty low at night, esp in the winter.

No trees. It is desert, a big difference from your part of the country.

Ridgecrest is nearby and has a Walmart and Target, etc to get stuff.

Lots of stars at night.

Pretty remote, nothing close by except pucker bushes. Great if you ride dirt bikes!

I have a relative that works for a sub contractor on base and he's originally from the St Louis area. He really would like to get back to civilization someday.

I absolutely love the desert so I might not be the one to ask but just beware of the shock coming.

 

Can't help much, but I was in Ridgecrest a month ago or so to pick up a F250 and the above is true. It is on the southern border of Death Valley, a place known to be the hottest spot in California on any given day. If you like it hot, you will love Ridgecrest. If you can't stand the heat do NOT move there. There is no grass in anyone's yard, it is almost all desert sand no matter where you look, and the heat is horrendous IMHO.

Jim

 

Running up 395 from there can be interesting. Sequoia is great, largest trees you'll find darn near anywhere.

Depends on how long you'd be there and your free time situation.

Not an easy place to get to/from for major travel and big airports.

I lived in some "isolated" places like El Centro CA and Clovis NM. I didn't have much money when I lived in Clovis but I had a lot more than I had in El Centro and thus life was a lot easier. If you're going to make a pile of loot and it'll be over "soon", go for it.

 

Thanks for your replies.

I have spent time in several weeks in southern Nevada (Vegas and Laughlin), so I have an idea about the temps and the lack of greenery.

Was wondering about the "quality of life", stuff, for lack of a better phrase. I know shopping selection isn't real big. I think I can deal with that. I'm not much for yardwork, so I wouldn't miss cutting the grass and pruning trees. I figure once a month or so I could drive 60-90 minutes to somewhere like Bakersfield or Lancaster if I need to get something else.

Was wondering about schools, getting cars registered, decent neighborhoods (places to avoid?), are the cops/city hall easy to get a long with or are they the types that want a permit/write a ticket for every little thing? I saw on one board where a few people made it sound like every high schooler was a lowlife on crack/meth, and the cops act like they are "Dirty Harry" wannabes. I am hoping that was just a couple of people with an ax to grind.

Whats the the classic truck/car scene like? If I want to work on my stuff do I need to live out in the country? Do they hassle people with a parked car that doesn't move? If I bought a place, is it a hassle getting permits to build a shop? Or would it be better to live out a bit where neighbors aren't so close?

 

Schools. You have kids? How old?

Click on the school name for particulars. 1 bad, 10 good:

California School Ratings, school profiles, test scores - Kern County

Registering cars is "easy". Anything '76 and newer needs a smog check and must pass at the pipe and pass a visual in OEM condition. If it was a Ca car, it meets CA regs, if a 49 state vehicle, then it has to meet the OEM 49 state regs. No exceptions for mod'd vehicles, low mileage etc. Diesel '97 and newer, same thing.

Ridgecrest, California - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I do not think you are going to find much in the way of housing "out in the country". No water and no sewer and no electric is just the way the rattlesnakes and scorpions like it, but people not so much.

If you are thinking of buying, I take it this is a long term job situation?

You might get a better idea of codes etc here:

https://ridgecrest-ca.gov/planning-d...ing-department

Hours of reading:

http://ridgecrest-ca.gov/uploadedFil...0Ordinance.pdf

Outside of town, Kern County runs things:

Kern County Building Inspection & Permit Services

California has had a prison overcrowding situation in recent years. Lots of folks are getting cut loose. A place "out in the sticks" like this area attracts some of those folks. Consequently, you will find law enforcement throughout California to have a pretty low tolerence for anything and write and cite, "observe and collect", and do their best to keep the lid on things.

Kern County crime rate continues to rise, more funding coming - KernGoldenEmpire

As for cars sitting outside--let me get my snotty neighborhood hat on...you aren't going to want to live in an area where "project" vehicles populate the driveways. People are cool with projects but they don't want to see them in the workup stages. Building your larger garage first is a better way.

How much for a dump of your own?

Kern County Real Estate & Kern County CA Homes For Sale - Zillow

 

85e150, thanks for the reply.

Our plan is, assuming interview goes well and salary lines up with what I need, that I go it alone for a few months, do a short term rental and make sure everything is going to work out, then get a place and the wife and kids follow. Should be a long term GSA job.

I am hoping to like the job, area, and want to stay a while. If that happens, I'd rather own then rent. I'd love to have a nice house with a detached garage to store and work on my stuff. When I was browsing zillow last week, didn't see much of that. So, might have to find a place with enough land to build the workshop. Wasn't sure about places outside of town, didn't find anything online, so didn't know if it was a realistic option in this area.

 

I have been thinking about how to handle the car thing in the short term. I have read that used cars are relatively expensive around Ridgecrest, but any car I'd buy out there should already passed the state check. Might be cheaper initially to buy one in NC, but then I'd have to drive or trailer it out, then get it legal for CA.

Years ago when i was in the service, one could elect to keep vehicle registration and tags in their "claimed" state of residency, and avoid these issues. Not sure if a GSA employee can do that, or if even active duty military can still do those that. A lot of the people I served with back then had Florida and Texas residency to avoid state taxes, plus made the car thing easier when they got shipped to another base.

 

Almost everything you need to know:

Bureau of Automotive Repair, State of California, Dept. of Consumer Affairs

The rest of what you need to know:

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/vr/vr.htm

The "exemption" on registering is for military only, not GSA. Some base commanders make military members get smog tested anyway. PC pressures methinks.

As for modifying a vehicle to come to CA, that is not required. You do not have to change a 49 state vehicle to a CA spec. However, you must be in spec as OEM. So if your vehicle is modified or smog removed, you will not pass.

Buying a CA car can be done anywhere in the state and as you might imagine, the Los Angeles area has millions of cars for sale every day. Sellers are required to smog the vehicle, so you are clear on that for a while after you buy. Do not buy without a smog. Several threads here have had people crying because the missing equipment simply can not be found for older stuff, and is always a PITA to reinstall. It's not a bargain if you can't register and drive it.

I would be tempted to buy here, ymmv on that one.

 

Thanks for you help.

Got a question. Probably answered in one of the links but didn't find it listed.

I got a 71 F100, Should be exempt (I think) as it is 40+ years old, but original fuel vapor charcoal canister system is missing. It also has a 91 T-Bird 5.0 in it now, with the EGR system removed. Didn't count on a possible move to CA when I did this swap.

Question. Would my truck be exempt as the truck is a 71? Or fail because of
1. missing charcoal canister?
2. Non-op EGR?
3. Both are issues.

Or maybe it depends on who does the inspection, assuming it would need and get one?

Don't know if you know, but I'll ask and see as maybe someone else knows if you don't.

 

As far as I know you should be fine. In CA pre 75 is not subject to smog testing however I do not know if any inspection of smog equipment is done when transferring to a CA title.

 

Your '71 is exempt. Doesn't matter what motor is in it, it goes by the vehicle's model year.

 

As above, your '71 is exempt. Your '91 won't pass due to removed EGR.

 

The good news is: There's a Ford dealer in Ridgecrest.

The bad news is: Don't expect to find any pre 1980 obsolete parts, cuz I bought 'em all in 1986.

The good news is: 1975 and earlier vehicles are exempt from CA smog tests.

The bad news is: CA smog tests 1976 and newer vehicles. All the original emission parts must be present and in good working order.

If a vehicle cannot pass smog, it cannot be registered. There's no waiver if the parts are obsolete, it's fix it or park it!

The worst news is: For many years there was a Ford dealer in Trona, a neighboring "two blink" town. In 1986, when I bought all their obsolete parts, discovered the owner also had quite a few Colt SAA's.

I wanted to buy several pre 1884 Colt SAA's, but the guy wouldn't take a check, so the next Saturday I drove back there with cash. The dealership had burned to the ground!

 

Today I got a tentative job offer with the Navy. Which more or less means, I have the job provided I pass the background check/security clearance process. So, unless something happens in the interim, I will be moving to Ridgecrest (or near by) in about 6-8 weeks.

Thanks for the info guys.