How many Snowbirds in MX?

I wouldn't even know what one could possibly nickle and dime camp owners for :) - using three times more paper in a camp toilet than you normally would? If daily price is $X than you pay $X.

True, people are less energy-conscious when they are being charged fixed price.

Found some for sale on Mercado Libre, new and not cheap, but they are available. I'm also sure that the CFE sells old ones for this type of use as well.

Meter that reads odometer style can be purchased for 15 USD , box to mount in then can be purchased in Mexico.... all about 25 USD per meter.. over nighters are the biggest Use of power.. plus the folks that run the A/C with there doors open.... funny how that ends when they need to pay for the power used...

The biggest problem is the land being used for a RV park ( seasonal Biz ) and if it Ocean front Very Bad investment .... for folks that are trying to Nickle and dime the owners for everything.

Used meters are really cheap in the US (less than $30 retail) - especially now that utilities are using smart meters. The biggest problem would be reading them - it takes time and two visits to the meter.
Since I like AC I would gladly pay for what I use to help offset costs for the owner.

Yes, meters make sense for permanent places, and a lot of snowbirds are of this type, sticking to certain camp and paying annual rent. This also helps the business to survive, rent is coming all year round. Though annual rent - divided by 12 months - is much lower than what a transient tourist would pay for a month, and cost of living is climbing. A grim future, as I see it. It's not that difficult to have a flexible system, with >1 month rentals on a meter and higher daily rates that include electricity. I think camp owners just don't see much future in this whole enterprise. Keeping camp for as long as they can, and then sell all or part of it.

We have been in a couple RV parks in Mexico that have meters. I do believe they were brought from the US. They do make sense for those who will stay in one space for extended time but not for those who keep moving. When doing some research we found a place in FL that sells them for around $25US - not including the box.

Almot wrote:

Belgique wrote:
I guessed US in the hundreds and CA in the thousands.

I guess the developed stretch 80 miles long from Tijuana to Ensenada already has more than a thousand of US/CAN expats. A few hundred is what is living in one highrise, and there are dozens.

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I agree with somebody that RV-ing is in decline here. Land is becoming expensive, easier to sell to developer than struggling maintaining the park. Electricity is expensive, why they don't do more metered camps, puzzles me. Probably afraid to invest.

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reselling electric was and still might be illegal, I don't know how the energy bill passed a few years ago might have changed that law.
Plus the fact that you need to import the meters in since none are to be found for the business man or public in Mexico.

Belgique wrote:
I guessed US in the hundreds and CA in the thousands.

I guess the developed stretch 80 miles long from Tijuana to Ensenada already has more than a thousand of US/CAN expats. A few hundred is what is living in one highrise, and there are dozens.

Ratio of US to CAN varies from place to place. In Baja it's mostly West Coast expats and showbirds - SoCal and BC, few times more CA-plated cars than BC-plated. On the mainland are all others.

I agree with somebody that RV-ing is in decline here. Land is becoming expensive, easier to sell to developer than struggling maintaining the park. Electricity is expensive, why they don't do more metered camps, puzzles me. Probably afraid to invest.

Another factor is - Mexico is becoming less exotic, more developed, more Americanized (and more expensive again), many RV-ers don't like this. Expat homeowners and hotels clientele don't mind.

Mexican RVs? Sure... Used as homes on somebody's else land. Not too comfortable, but no pains of construction either. Somewhat similar to what most of us are doing there, only trailers of Mexicans are in worse shape, usually left behind by some gringo because they were afraid that it would fall apart if they try and tow it back North.

Indivually metered sites would make the best of it. Done in several parks, rvers can determine or limit their use is they so desire. When park rates are separated from the meter use, rvers tend to accept it and pay as they go.

Now combining solar with electric makes life easier.

With the cost of electricity being .16 US and power hungry rigs, a lot of RV rental rate percentage goes toward paying for the electrical bill. I expect to see fewer and fewer RV parks in popular tourist destinations, and more extremely basic facilities open and close along major transportation routes.