Two Ideas

[vantexan]

Considering both of these. In Mexico the gov't controls oil with it's own national company, Pemex. It has Pemex stations all over the country, and these are usually spotless clean where one can park for free in a guarded parking lot as well as eat at a restaurant, pay a small fee to take a shower, and find another facility down the road where you can do the same. It would be an extremely cheap way to travel.

Another idea is the RV resort company, Thousand Trails, now has an annual tent camping pass that will allow you to stay in their campgrounds for very low fees. You could set up a tent but not necessarily sleep in it and the facilities are located in scenic areas with great amenities. Google them for more info. I know you can stay for free on BLM land, etc, but these facilities have swimming pools, bathrooms with hot water, laundry rooms, and this program is considerably cheaper than monthly rates at most RV parks. You'll have to either stay 7 days, and then be gone for 7 days before returning to the same campground, or you can spend 4 days at one campground, then move on to the next for 4 days, and then again for continuous camping. That can be easily done in their Southwest zone where they have a number of campgrounds in Southern California.

Hope this helps,
Wade

 

[vantexan]

Something worth considering. If you drive to Mexico in a car, you must drive that car out by the end of your 180 day tourist card. However a RV, whether a motorhome, trailer, or van camper, can get a 10 year permit and be left in Mexico if you needed to fly home. A trailer's tow vehicle must still be driven out before the tourist visa expires. I say this because I found a secure, minimal park behind a Pemex gas station that has hookups for $6 a day. It is just a place to park, plus has sewer dump, and the electric is 15 amp. But it's 12 miles from one of the most beautiful cities in Mexico, Zacatecas, and the bus to downtown stops at the front and costs less than a dollar each way. There's a Canadian satellite tv company, Shaw Direct, that has all the American channels and has dealers in Mexico. Their footprint extends all the way south into Guatemala. Dish Network will work with a larger dish. So why consider Mexico? Cheaper food, cheaper medical care, excellent public transport so no need for a car. Better overall weather although Zacatecas does get cold in the winter due to it's altitude at over 8000'. Good time to go home for the holidays or head for the coast. If you have a pension or Social Security it's a good deal plus you'd have more space with a RV. Zacatecas isn't a drug cartel area, it's considered a very safe city. The state of Zacatecas has many of it's citizens living in the States and you'll run into many English speakers there. And if you preferred to rent an apartment instead they can be found for $200 a month there. Might still be worth driving a RV down though until you could find a place. There are places in Mexico that have large expat populations and their prices reflect that. They aren't necessarily better but they have better winters than Zacatecas so they are more attractive to some. But I can't afford American prices and some areas of Mexico with large expat populations have nearly California prices. I think I will go with a small motorhome and drive down to southern Mexico in the winter, stay in Zacatecas the rest of the year.