Equiping for Mexico travel?
Hello Everyone, I am in the planning stages for a fall/winter trip down the West coast of Mexico. This will be my first extended trip in my 5th wheel. Past travel was in a converted Eagle 10 bus. M...
Forum Discussion
Smkettner has the best suggestions we have seen on this thread “… would consider about 250 watts of solar to keep the Honda mostly hidden. And possibly a portable battery charger (10+ amps) that accepts 100 to 250 volts if you find a power source that is out of spec to just plug in…” We burned out a micro-wave in Baja and another in Yucatan. We checked the voltage and it was running 85 to 145V. We had adequate solar and batteries for microwave etc but not for AC. We used an excellent surge protector but it kept turning off and on. Son Cary (in alternative energy) and family came down to spend time with us on beach and he brought battery chargers which he installed (he is also a licensed master electrician). The batteries don’t care what the voltage is (within limits). Inverter (2.5 kW PSW) did its job and we had AC when we needed . You can destroy an AC unit very fast with poor current.
Mexico wanderer’s suggestion of sensor lights makes sense. The only folks we know who were robbed in Yucatan were camped in a field near Lago Bacalar. The thieves climbed in back window while they were asleep. Their dog and they slept right through it. We shall get those lights – so thanks for the suggestion.
Tequila, thanks for information about Church’s book. Almost all of the RV spots south of Vera Cruz seem to be closed (Rancho Hermanos Graham was primitive but beautiful, we would awaken to the calls of several hundred Oropendela). I think the ones at Palenque are still operational. There are only two that seem to operate in Belize. Inglewood, run by Carlos Carillo, is still operational and we really enjoyed it. The water and electricity are excellent and it is only 15 minutes from Guatemalan border. Everyone we met who is going south to Central and South America stay there. The spot at Tikal is great. Mexico Mike has been quite helpful and we need to look into the Bell’s Facebook group.
We always carry a number of extra sewage hoses since they do not seem to sell them in Yucatan. We were asked to bring one down for an elderly German lady who lives in Yucatan. We gave away two hoses others to folks whose hoses had cracked. Our son brought down a water pump for a Canadian couple whose pump had gone out. So an extra water pump might be a good idea as well. We always used a “two-stage” water filter. First, one of the inexpensive paper filter ones you can get in any major store in Yucatan that filters out sand and mud, and then one of the Blue ones most of us use in US. Not using the local paper filter (large apparatus) will plug up the better quality one quickly. Need to sanitizw fresh water tank when you return to US.
Most places, as noted by several, do not have dump stations. Simplest is to just have a couple of 3 gallon buckets and carry the effluvia to the usually available vault toilets. We inquired about dumping gray water at Majahual and they said “sure, our flowers need it.”
Reed and Elaine
Mexico wanderer’s suggestion of sensor lights makes sense. The only folks we know who were robbed in Yucatan were camped in a field near Lago Bacalar. The thieves climbed in back window while they were asleep. Their dog and they slept right through it. We shall get those lights – so thanks for the suggestion.
Tequila, thanks for information about Church’s book. Almost all of the RV spots south of Vera Cruz seem to be closed (Rancho Hermanos Graham was primitive but beautiful, we would awaken to the calls of several hundred Oropendela). I think the ones at Palenque are still operational. There are only two that seem to operate in Belize. Inglewood, run by Carlos Carillo, is still operational and we really enjoyed it. The water and electricity are excellent and it is only 15 minutes from Guatemalan border. Everyone we met who is going south to Central and South America stay there. The spot at Tikal is great. Mexico Mike has been quite helpful and we need to look into the Bell’s Facebook group.
We always carry a number of extra sewage hoses since they do not seem to sell them in Yucatan. We were asked to bring one down for an elderly German lady who lives in Yucatan. We gave away two hoses others to folks whose hoses had cracked. Our son brought down a water pump for a Canadian couple whose pump had gone out. So an extra water pump might be a good idea as well. We always used a “two-stage” water filter. First, one of the inexpensive paper filter ones you can get in any major store in Yucatan that filters out sand and mud, and then one of the Blue ones most of us use in US. Not using the local paper filter (large apparatus) will plug up the better quality one quickly. Need to sanitizw fresh water tank when you return to US.
Most places, as noted by several, do not have dump stations. Simplest is to just have a couple of 3 gallon buckets and carry the effluvia to the usually available vault toilets. We inquired about dumping gray water at Majahual and they said “sure, our flowers need it.”
Reed and Elaine
