RV Parks or Boondocking?

[Vagabond82]

Hi all, I'm a 34yo male travelling solo. I have a 22ft MH with a 650cc enduro motorbike on the back. I would like to go to Mexico for the winter. Probably start with a month in Baja and work my way down to Lake Chapala. Right now I'm wondering how often people are boondocking vs staying in a RV park. I love the idea of just parking on a beach and setting up camp. Also, any issue taking two vehicles across the border?
Thanks,

Dave

[RokNDmax]

Vagabond82 wrote:
Hi all, I'm a 34yo male travelling solo. I have a 22ft MH with a 650cc enduro motorbike on the back. I would like to go to Mexico for the winter. Probably start with a month in Baja and work my way down to Lake Chapala. Right now I'm wondering how often people are boondocking vs staying in a RV park. I love the idea of just parking on a beach and setting up camp. Also, any issue taking two vehicles across the border?
Thanks,

Dave

Dave,

I've been working on a similiar plan, going to put my DR350 on the front of the Class C though..boondocking or cheap palapa sites, etc....shooting for November departure date, maybe see you done there...would like to make it to Guatemala but will probably run out of time/money before that !

[MEXICOWANDERER]

When was the TIP changed downward for motorcycles with engines larger than 499 cc?

Would not the MH need a 10-year permit, which would allow the motorcycle a 180-day permit? 180-day permits for both are not allowed unless I misread something.

[fugawibill]

Ditto. Thank you briansue

[mexicoruss]

briansue wrote:
We tow a small car behind our motorhome so we can get out and see all the things that might be happening in the area we are in. We never ever twiddle our thumbs anywhere.

We have been known to stay in places like Walmart, Home Depot - in Mexico we stay in Pemex stations - or as our friend Chris does in places such as a botanical garden parking lot - we also know overlanders who travel all over staying in fire house parking lots.

But the person who started this thread wants to stay on secluded beaches if I am not mistaken - no one thinks a Walmart parking lot is scenic.

We stay in RV parks for many reasons - we have an electric fridge and need power to keep food edible - we shower regularly and need water - and we need a place to dump our sewage. We set up in a central location and may spend a week or two there traveling all over the area in our car going to villages and towns nearby - or even distant places if we are in the nearest RV park.

Getting a weekly rate in RV parks in Mexico is relatively inexpensive - one place we stay averages out to about $7 per day US - we rarely average more than $15 per day. Being experienced Mexico travelers we have device to not only check electricity but to correct poor electricity. We also have a water purification system (UV - $150US).

We also support the people trying to make a living by providing RVers a place to stay. More and more RV parks have gone out of business meaning decent places can be few and far between. They will continue to disappear if we do not support them.

2 thumbs up!

[briansue]

We tow a small car behind our motorhome so we can get out and see all the things that might be happening in the area we are in. We never ever twiddle our thumbs anywhere.

We have been known to stay in places like Walmart, Home Depot - in Mexico we stay in Pemex stations - or as our friend Chris does in places such as a botanical garden parking lot - we also know overlanders who travel all over staying in fire house parking lots.

But the person who started this thread wants to stay on secluded beaches if I am not mistaken - no one thinks a Walmart parking lot is scenic.

We stay in RV parks for many reasons - we have an electric fridge and need power to keep food edible - we shower regularly and need water - and we need a place to dump our sewage. We set up in a central location and may spend a week or two there traveling all over the area in our car going to villages and towns nearby - or even distant places if we are in the nearest RV park.

Getting a weekly rate in RV parks in Mexico is relatively inexpensive - one place we stay averages out to about $7 per day US - we rarely average more than $15 per day. Being experienced Mexico travelers we have device to not only check electricity but to correct poor electricity. We also have a water purification system (UV - $150US).

We also support the people trying to make a living by providing RVers a place to stay. More and more RV parks have gone out of business meaning decent places can be few and far between. They will continue to disappear if we do not support them.

[mexicoruss]

Uhm....Mexico is in North America it does not have to re-create it.

[tony_lee]

Wm.Elliot wrote:
There's nothing wrong with patronizing the few remaining trailer parks left in Mexico. Here in the US folks with million dollar rigs park at Walmart to save a few dollars.
I've met some really fine people at Mexico RV parks. Help them survive and open the wallet a little more.

Nothing really to do with my wallet but more a personal preference. Traveling around western USA for instance - where "traveling" is the operative word - we do it to see the sights, not to sit in an RV park twiddling our thumbs. So why go through registration and setup hassles, and pay crazy prices, when we can either pull in to a Walmart (my personal preference is Home Depot anyway) or a great boondocking site and the job is done.
As for Mexico, I don't imagine things have gotten any better, but since sitting in a 'fancy' RV park that recreates north America and is full of non-Mexicans would seem to me (as a traveler rather than a climate refugee) a bit silly, and since half of the rest of the RV parks aren't much of a step up from boondocking in a construction (or rather destruction) site, boondocking is usually the more attractive choice. It isn't for everyone of course and obviously our comfort zone has a lot more slack in it than most motorhomers, especially those who never step south or north of their own borders, but it works for us.

[Vagabond82]

Thanks for all the responses. Nice to know people are out there boondocking.

[Wm_Elliot]

There's nothing wrong with patronizing the few remaining trailer parks left in Mexico. Here in the US folks with million dollar rigs park at Walmart to save a few dollars.
I've met some really fine people at Mexico RV parks. Help them survive and open the wallet a little more.

[briansue]

We do see people boondocking all over Mexico and have done a little ourselves. Personally I would not think of boondocking in secluded areas with no one else around - that applies to the US as well as Mexico - weighing the odds of risks this is not in our comfort zone - although we know people do it. You can find beach areas where others boondock and feel reasonably safe in those areas. But keep in mind that there are areas where people have been boondocking for years and have dug holes to get rid of their raw sewage by dumping into the ground - we call these Cholera Beaches - disease abounds. We have found that our visions of paradise are very hard to find.

[tony_lee]

Three years ago now since we were on the mainland but we boondocked about half the time in all sorts of places from beaches to mountaintops and a couple of times in Fuel stations and several times in village squares well off the beaten track --- and will be doing so again when we get there early next year.

Some pay big money to get escorted thousands of miles to a fairly crummy RV park and then sit around in the sun playing bingo so it takes all kinds

[qtla9111]

Boondocking rocks in Mexico. There are two good places near Chapala up in the mountains about two hours away. Valle de Juarez, Jalisco has two rv parks that charge very little and are as good as boondocking.

Many little towns will be glad to let you stay in their city square. Ask for the presidencia, policia, or the tourist office. You'd be surprised how many places have city parks or presitas (smaller reservoirs) where can stay no charge.

We boondock a lot and shy away from rv parks. Most have bad electricity anyway, not worth paying for.

Check outFacebook Rving In Mexico

On The Road In

Lots of great advice and locations to be found.

[Tequila]

BTW dave if you want some advice feel free to phone me 206-497-7934

[Tequila]

I would not boondock except on Bahia Conception in Baja. The 650 cc motorcycle will in theory need its own permit. Since the motorhome will get a 10 year RV, you should be able to get a separate 180 day on the motorcycle. They may adit to the motorhome but its over the 250 cc limit to do that.