BajaNomad

Costco Ice/gas question Mexicali/San Felipe

pescadorrr - 4-6-2024 at 02:30 PM

Recently visited an area south of San Felipe. I’ve always provisioned up in San Felipe but never noticed a big difference in gas, food or ice prices before. Did the math and magna (regular) gas was $5.40 a gallon @ 16.47 pesos to the dollar. This seems super pricey to me. We paid $5.60 a gallon for diesel at the Pemex next to the round about. I always thought gas is cheaper than in CA. Does anyone know if gas is any cheaper in Mexicali?
Paid 180 pesos for a barra of ice. Does this sound normal compared to Mexicali? I am assuming prices are higher in SF since it’s more of a tourist town.
Went to Calimax, bought water, a little produce, three six packs of modelo and a few other items. Bill was $84 USD. These prices seem higher than in the US. A gallon of water (Crystal Geyser) was 77 pesos which is $4.68 USD. This is more than gasoline in SoCal.

So we tow a boat down to fish.

1. Should we just bring all our food and ice down from Costco in the US?

2. Does the Costco in Mexicali sell ice?

3. Is it relatively easy to pulled a trailered center console boat into the Costco gas line in Mexicali?

4. Does the Costco in Mexicali have diesel?

5. Does anyone know a good ice house in Mexicali that sells like 25 pound blocks of ice or dry ice?

6. Does anyone know if my ice lasts longer if I throw some rock salt on it?

7. Buddies told me to open drains on the kill bags with ice and fish so they don’t sit in water. I like to throw rock salt on crushed ice to make a slurry which makes the fish really cold. Wondering what this does to block ice as far as longevity. There is a one way valve but it seemed like it made the ice melt faster. They are Opah kill bags.


Thanks in advance!

surabi - 4-6-2024 at 03:02 PM

Buying drinking water by the gallon isn't cost effective and while I don't know the going price in Baja, on the mainland a big jug of water, which is 19 liters, costs about 45 pesos if you buy one at OXO, even cheaper if you get it at a local bottling plant.

Also gas and diesel in Mexico is sold by the liter, not the gallon. When comparing prices, are you aware that a gallon isn't 4 liters, it's 3.785 liters?

[Edited on 4-6-2024 by surabi]

AKgringo - 4-6-2024 at 07:15 PM

I have had sticker shock all the way down to La Paz! Gas and food are my two main expenses since I seldom get a room, so this has been a much more costly trip than my last one almost two years ago.

I filled up yesterday at a Chevron in La Paz. Regular was 25.85 per liter and it took 63.86 liters, which cost 1,650 pesos! I don't have to do the math to recognize a hundred dollar fill up!

Shopping at Walmart for groceries was at least as expensive as the US stores, even for Mexican brand items.

[Edited on 4-7-2024 by AKgringo]

JDCanuck - 4-6-2024 at 07:18 PM

Gas prices(in pesos) did not vary overly much while we spent a few months in Baja, maybe 5%?. However, if you keep trying to convert to the equivalent in USD, you will find the decline of the USD/MXN has led to a larger differential than previously. Mxn Peso has been strengthening vs USD for a long time now and appears to be headed further yet. Chevron was almost always the most expensive place to fuel up, sometimes as much as 5% more than the competition. Nice clean washrooms tho.

[Edited on 4-7-2024 by JDCanuck]

mtgoat666 - 4-6-2024 at 08:06 PM

So many questions!
If you go to costco in mexicali and they dont have diesel or ice, there are lots of other places in mexicali to get diesel and ice….

Part of the adventure of travel is shopping. Dont look for people on the internet to spoon feed you with info! Just do it!

Salt vs no salt, ice will last same duration. The difference is insignificant. You can buy more ice in any town in baja.

Fuel is about same price in cal and baja, perhaps a bit higher in baja. . Buy where convenient.

[Edited on 4-7-2024 by mtgoat666]

chatolj - 4-6-2024 at 09:56 PM

Ice house in San Felipe is on Avenida Mar Carbie N 300-328
At the round about where you turn right to stay on Mex 5, go left. Three blocks up on left side. Full size bars of crystaline available 24 hrs.
We always add salt water to the kill bag with the ice once there is fish in it.
Ice cold water sloshing around keeps the fish on top wet and cold. San Diego long range boats quit freezing (brine) their catch and now use refrigerated salt water to keep it fresh.
Food staples are cheaper in the States but lots of items are not allowed to cross south bound as well. Spending money on trips is what we all end up doing. Saludos

surabi - 4-6-2024 at 10:10 PM

Quote: Originally posted by lencho  
Quote: Originally posted by pescadorrr  
6. Does anyone know if my ice lasts longer if I throw some rock salt on it?

Why do you think they salt icy roads? :light:


Apparently the OP has never lived anywhere it gets cold and roads get icy.

RFClark - 4-6-2024 at 11:05 PM

Pescadorrr

I assume the Ice is to refrigerate food and beer? We buy $.99/ gal drinking water in the US and freeze it. How long it lasts depends on how good your ice chest is.

In San Felipe the best ice and water are at the Israel ice plant. Coming into SF turn left at the traffic circle to the right of the PEMEX station. The ice and water plant is on the left side of the road 3 blocks down.

Salt melts ice!

pescadorrr - 4-7-2024 at 09:09 AM

Gracias

pescadorrr - 4-7-2024 at 09:17 AM

Salt lowers melting point of water. Makes things colder to those with the snarky responses.

I freeze my own for short trips

AKgringo - 4-7-2024 at 09:21 AM

The water on tap at my house in Grass Valley is excellent, so I take the time to freeze some in several 64 ounce apple juice containers that I have saved.

They serve as back-up to keep my refrigerator at home cool during any brief power outages (fairly frequent in tree country) and they are my favorite starting load in my ice chest. As they melt, they become bottled water for me and my dog.

On this current trip, I pre-cooled the ice chest with frozen gel pack units that I did not take with me. The four 64 oz containers plus a couple of 32 oz bottles lasted four days. I also throw a blanket over the cooler.

Freezing plastic bottles like I do requires filling them in stages, usually half, then three quarters, then top off to keep from bulging the bottles.

AKgringo - 4-7-2024 at 09:27 AM

Quote: Originally posted by JDCanuck  
Gas prices(in pesos) did not vary overly much while we spent a few months in Baja, maybe 5%?. However, if you keep trying to convert to the equivalent in USD, you will find the decline of the USD/MXN has led to a larger differential than previously. Mxn Peso has been strengthening vs USD for a long time now and appears to be headed further yet. Chevron was almost always the most expensive place to fuel up, sometimes as much as 5% more than the competition. Nice clean washrooms tho.



You're right, it is more exchange shock than sticker shock! The rate on my last trip was right at 20 pesos to the dollar (sure was easy to mentally convert) and now there is approx a 20% penalty added on to any inflation.

[Edited on 4-7-2024 by AKgringo]

stillnbaja - 4-7-2024 at 10:07 AM

Quote: Originally posted by JDCanuck  
Gas prices(in pesos) did not vary overly much while we spent a few months in Baja, maybe 5%?. However, if you keep trying to convert to the equivalent in USD, you will find the decline of the USD/MXN has led to a larger differential than previously. Mxn Peso has been strengthening vs USD for a long time now and appears to be headed further yet. Chevron was almost always the most expensive place to fuel up, sometimes as much as 5% more than the competition. Nice clean washrooms tho.

[Edited on 4-7-2024 by JDCanuck]


without getting into an argument about fuel additives and if you love your car I believe Techron is worth a few extra pesos and yes the chevron stations are nice.....jmo:D

surabi - 4-7-2024 at 11:12 AM

Quote: Originally posted by pescadorrr  
Salt lowers melting point of water. Makes things colder to those with the snarky responses.


You said in your original post, " I like to throw rock salt on crushed ice to make a slurry which makes the fish really cold. Wondering what this does to block ice as far as longevity. There is a one way valve but it seemed like it made the ice melt faster."

Salt melts ice. Regardless of whether it is crushed or block ice. So obviously if you put salt on ice, it affects its longevity.
You didn't ask about "making things colder". My previous reply wasn't intended to be snarky- it would be understandable if someone who had never lived where salt is used to melt ice on roads and walkways might not know that it melts ice.


surfhat - 4-7-2024 at 11:42 AM

Here in north coastal San Diego County, I buy my cars' gas from Costco Carlsbad for two reasons.

It is designated as Top Tier and the price per gallon is often almost a dollar cheaper.

When I saw the Top Tier designation recently in Baja for some reason I was surprised. Is there an organization that qualifies that label for fuel sellers in Baja?

Are there really fuel stations in Baja that adhere to the same quality standards as the Top Tier stations are required here in the States?

I am aware the fuel stations in Baja [north] all get their fuel from the US, so I shouldn't have been surprised by seeing the Top Tier designation, but I was.

Some suppliers do specify Top Tier and some don't. What is that about?

Top Tier or not, I will always fill up at Antonios Pemex station in El Rosario, as much for the excellent service and clean bathrooms, and stopping for breakfast at Mama's, as for supporting his efforts to provide help on the road south through the Valle de Cirios where there was no rescue available other than the occasional Green Angels that appears is no longer in service.

As for Baja's fuel prices, I hardly bother to shop around. Maybe I should next time. Antonio's will always be my first choice after filling up locally.

Thanks to all Nomads for their contributions here.











mtgoat666 - 4-7-2024 at 12:07 PM

Little secret for y’all:
The gasoline all comes from same source, your local bulk terminal.
The ‘top tier’ or ‘techron’ is just snake oil added to gasoline when it is taken from the terminal.

I see chevron with techron usually costs 50 cents $1 or more above the cheap stations. Dont think the stuff is worth an extra $5 to $10 per tank…





[Edited on 4-7-2024 by mtgoat666]

pescadorrr - 4-7-2024 at 06:27 PM

So if the gasoline sold in northern Baja comes from the US, why does it not have ethanol, yet our US gasoline does? What about the diesel? Is it also from the US?

David K - 4-7-2024 at 06:32 PM

The host here (Doug) is a gasoline expert, but until he corrects me, what I gather is that ethanol is added in, diluting California sold gasoline... thus making the nation's most expensive gas, the least efficient for energy (requiring more gallons to go the same distance).
Smart, huh? :o:(:?::rolleyes:

AKgringo - 4-7-2024 at 06:40 PM

At 25 pesos (+/-) per liter, gasoline here in La Paz is more expensive than most stations in California.

RFClark - 4-7-2024 at 06:46 PM

Drive a PHEV charge it off solar the miles (200/week) are free!

pescadorrr - 4-8-2024 at 10:57 AM

@David K

The host here (Doug) is a gasoline expert, but until he corrects me, what I gather is that ethanol is added in, diluting California sold gasoline... thus making the nation's most expensive gas, the least efficient for energy (requiring more gallons to go the same distance).
Smart, huh? :o:(:?::rolleyes:

It seems like the only ones it benefits are the midwest corn farmers.
So does the gas in Baja have ethanol?

mtgoat666 - 4-8-2024 at 12:15 PM

Quote: Originally posted by pescadorrr  

So does the gas in Baja have ethanol?


Ethanol and other additives are usually added at the terminal. So gasoline in northern baja, that comes from socal or usa, probably does not have ethanol.

These articles suggests that mexico fuels may be a variety of blends, legal or not,…

https://www.opisnet.com/blog/mexico-101-illegal-fuel-imports...

https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en/market-insight...

Dont know if the black market fuel is in baja or just a mainland thing…



[Edited on 4-8-2024 by mtgoat666]

SFandH - 4-8-2024 at 04:15 PM

Quote: Originally posted by pescadorrr  


It seems like the only ones it benefits are the midwest corn farmers.


From google bard:

"Ethanol has a higher octane number than gasoline, providing premium blending properties. Minimum octane number requirements for gasoline prevent engine knocking and ensure drivability. Lower-octane gasoline is blended with 10% ethanol to attain the standard 87 octane.

Ethanol contains less energy per gallon than gasoline, to varying degrees, depending on the volume percentage of ethanol in the blend. Denatured ethanol (98% ethanol) contains about 30% less energy than gasoline per gallon. Ethanol's impact on fuel economy is dependent on the ethanol content in the fuel and whether an engine is optimized to run on gasoline or ethanol.


Ethanol also reduces harmful tailpipe emissions, such as carbon monoxide, exhaust hydrocarbons, air toxics, and fine particulate matter. A 2019 study found that ethanol has the potential to emit 39-43% less harmful greenhouse gas emissions than gasoline.
Ethanol is made from corn, crop waste, wood chips, or sugarcane. Refineries add extra chemicals to make it poisonous and unfit for human consumption.

Most gasoline contains 10% ethanol, which is known as E10. The number after the "E" indicates the percentage of ethanol by volume in the fuel. Ethanol-free gas contains about one third more energy than ethanol-based gas, so it can result in slightly better mileage.

Ethanol has about 67% of the energy content of gasoline per gallon, so using ethanol blends results in lower vehicle fuel economy (miles traveled per gallon) than gasoline that does not contain ethanol. For example, vehicle fuel economy may decrease by about 3% when using E10."

mtgoat666 - 4-8-2024 at 08:33 PM

Quote: Originally posted by SFandH  
Quote: Originally posted by pescadorrr  


It seems like the only ones it benefits are the midwest corn farmers.


From google bard:

"Ethanol has a higher octane number than gasoline, providing premium blending properties. Minimum octane number requirements for gasoline prevent engine knocking and ensure drivability. Lower-octane gasoline is blended with 10% ethanol to attain the standard 87 octane.

Ethanol contains less energy per gallon than gasoline, to varying degrees, depending on the volume percentage of ethanol in the blend. Denatured ethanol (98% ethanol) contains about 30% less energy than gasoline per gallon. Ethanol's impact on fuel economy is dependent on the ethanol content in the fuel and whether an engine is optimized to run on gasoline or ethanol.


Ethanol also reduces harmful tailpipe emissions, such as carbon monoxide, exhaust hydrocarbons, air toxics, and fine particulate matter. A 2019 study found that ethanol has the potential to emit 39-43% less harmful greenhouse gas emissions than gasoline.
Ethanol is made from corn, crop waste, wood chips, or sugarcane. Refineries add extra chemicals to make it poisonous and unfit for human consumption.

Most gasoline contains 10% ethanol, which is known as E10. The number after the "E" indicates the percentage of ethanol by volume in the fuel. Ethanol-free gas contains about one third more energy than ethanol-based gas, so it can result in slightly better mileage.

Ethanol has about 67% of the energy content of gasoline per gallon, so using ethanol blends results in lower vehicle fuel economy (miles traveled per gallon) than gasoline that does not contain ethanol. For example, vehicle fuel economy may decrease by about 3% when using E10."


Gasoline with oxygenates may get lower mpg, but the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. And let’s be honest, if you deeply cared about fuel economy, you would drive an econo car…
Good artcicle,…
https://www.performanceracing.com/magazine/columns/06-01-202...

[Edited on 4-9-2024 by mtgoat666]