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Tomas Tierra
Super Nomad
Posts: 1281
Registered: 3-23-2005
Location: oxnard, ca
Member Is Offline
Mood: Tengo Flojera
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Certainly an envyable position to be in KGF! It would seem hard to go really wrong with some planning..staying capably mobile would be my choice..
All my friends ask me why I don't have a house in Baja I spend so much time there.. I Tell them I have a thousand houses in Baja!
I have a thousand places in Baja to go with my 4by Toyota and pop up camper... Once I get there I'm home.. One hour pack and load kayak.. On to the
next home...
.. Certainly would be easy to park it and take a rental for weeks/months... Always having that Getaway vehicle for side trips
TT
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wilderone
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3824
Registered: 2-9-2004
Member Is Offline
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Cab-over truck - big tires, some clearance. Fixed up inside to sleep, cook; water tank, shelving.
Then, as you travel and find a place you'd like to spend some time, rent for a few months. Yeah - it's all good. Yucatan peninsula, Mata Ortiz,
Mulege. Once based in a region you like, you can spend months exploring, and then move on. If you have to come state-side, you're free to do so,
camping at National Parks - get your Senior Pass. Lots of National Forest - camp for free. When I took some of the forest service roads to find free
camping around Utah/New Mexico, I'd walk down a narrow path thinking it was a hiking trail, only to find that people are living there!!
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Marc
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2802
Registered: 5-15-2010
Location: San Francisco & Palm Springs
Member Is Offline
Mood: Waiting
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A bit pricy, but........
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gnukid
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4411
Registered: 7-2-2006
Member Is Offline
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It's true that the latest high vans are awesome but they are cumbersome and expensive too. You can definitely enjoy baja with a small high mileage car
with AC and stay in hotels or camp with a tent. Small cars are easy to park in cities and easy to maintain or store if you want to fly out to another
country.After many years camping and traveling I see the most mobile are those who travel light and low cost. Lots of options except a new mercedes
Sprinter does not seem to the be the most reliable or affordable check out the forums for sprinter, transit, pro-master and other options.
Nowadays it is possible to buy anything you want new in baja like tent, table and chairs, bbq etc, or find it used.
Keep it simple and travel until you want to settle for a while then setup camp and keep it simple. Choose sports and activities you enjoy and build am
active social life of love, laughter and smiles.
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Cisco
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4196
Registered: 12-30-2010
Member Is Offline
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Quote: Originally posted by gnukid  | It's true that the latest high vans are awesome but they are cumbersome and expensive too. You can definitely enjoy baja with a small high mileage car
with AC and stay in hotels or camp with a tent. Small cars are easy to park in cities and easy to maintain or store if you want to fly out to another
country.After many years camping and traveling I see the most mobile are those who travel light and low cost. Lots of options except a new mercedes
Sprinter does not seem to the be the most reliable or affordable check out the forums for sprinter, transit, pro-master and other options.
Nowadays it is possible to buy anything you want new in baja like tent, table and chairs, bbq etc, or find it used.
Keep it simple and travel until you want to settle for a while then setup camp and keep it simple. Choose sports and activities you enjoy and build am
active social life of love, laughter and smiles. |
Buy older (I cant find the engine I want in anything after 1996) and make it look from the outside as much like a commercial van parked wherever.
That's stealth VanDwelling and I have had few problems, hassles or tickets since starting this lifestyle in 1983.
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motoged
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6481
Registered: 7-31-2006
Location: Kamloops, BC
Member Is Offline
Mood: Gettin' Better
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Cisco,
Was that you parked down the street last week?
Don't believe everything you think....
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Cisco
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4196
Registered: 12-30-2010
Member Is Offline
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I LOVE IT
I'LL TAKE IT.
Yeah, that's the deal but unfortunately stands out. I drive something that looks so ordinary in it's surroundings that the man, or anyone, does not
question it's being there.
My pride and joy was a late 30's Chebby van/delivery truck with "San Diego Wine..." barely discernable on the side.
Bought it from another fisherman "Tony the W.." in what is now Little Italy.
My how things have changed.
Yeah, I would be all over that puppy. Right size, and think of the "class" issue when you pull into the group park under the bridge with a couple of
bumpers of T-Bird and Steel Reserve.
Whoo-Hoo.
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motoged
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6481
Registered: 7-31-2006
Location: Kamloops, BC
Member Is Offline
Mood: Gettin' Better
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Cisco,
It's a sweet toy....and I get what you are saying about inconspicuous....
Don't believe everything you think....
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bajabuddha
Banned
Posts: 4024
Registered: 4-12-2013
Location: Baja New Mexico
Member Is Offline
Mood: Always cranky unless medicated
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K, my 2 pesos worth is start smaller than larger, but be comfortable. A slide-in camper is convenient, but work for a single woman. The on-off-again
of dropping it just to go to town can be work... a smaller but comfortable tow-behind is a better bet for handling and maneuverability. Larger is
more comfortable, but means more work and less accessibility to more 'remote' places.
Another thing to consider is 'how much time will I be here?'. The more time you plan on RV-ing, the smaller the space gets, and you'll find yourself
with cabin fever....... however, I still recommend smaller to start with.
Resale is NO PROBLEM in a lot of places, especially if you buy used to begin with... take your time looking, find a good deal; with a trailer, your
biggest issues are only tires and axles. C-class w/ small tow-vehicle, you're paying not only vehicle taxes on two motor vehicles, but maintenance on
both.
Start small/medium, travel light, buy cheap, build-as-you-go. It can always get BETTER. You'll find your niche, I bid you well.
My first rig was an '84 Chebby Vandura camper van, then towed a 25' Jayco behind it for over 10 years, then a slide-in large camper (less than a
year), now a 28' 5th wheel..... many adventures await you...
I don't have a BUCKET LIST, but I do have a F***- IT LIST a mile long!
86 - 45*
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bajalearner
Senior Nomad
Posts: 670
Registered: 8-24-2010
Location: Tijuana
Member Is Offline
Mood: in search of more
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Many, many good choices and the thread is well titled, "Decisions, Decisions". I too have used several ways to camp and currently I have a 16 ft.
enclosed trailer that I have set up for camping. The biggest pro on that is the rear ramp so I can take any or all of my 3 motorcycles. I built many
comforts into it including a rv heater and a Honda gen built into a cabinet and vented so I can power everything including watch a movie. It's vented
and purrs like a kitten. It has a kitchenette.
Like everyone else said, it's all give and take on what works but since I already had a suitable SUV, the trailer was a small investment, ($2800 +
$1300 for the gen) and I just park it in my patio and use it as a garage for storage when parked.
It's not too hard to drive or maneuver but is more than just a single vehicle of course. Overall, it's a good combo with my SUV. It drops my gas
mileage from 15 to 10 but I don't pay for motels and I can stop whenever I have the desire and stay as long as I like. It's a heavy 2 axle trlr but
it's nice having redundant tires when a blowout happens.
Maybe the biggest pro is that I can find a place to park and stay for free while being comfortable. For a retired guy with lots of time, it's a good
option. My SUV is 4wd but the weight of the trailer definitely limits where I go but that hasn't been a problem for me. Toll roads are about double
price with a trailer.
Everything option is give and take.
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motoged
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6481
Registered: 7-31-2006
Location: Kamloops, BC
Member Is Offline
Mood: Gettin' Better
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BL,
The cargo trailer idea is what is resonating with me after years of "trailer thinking".
As a fellow moto guy, I spent some time trying to configure how to set up a folding bed so I can carry the bike in the trailer....but the problem of
sleeping in the trailer with the bike inside (overnights on the road) confounded me a bit.
I had a flash of enlightenment a few months ago when I realized "PUT THE BIKE IN THE PICKUP BED !!!".... as I don't have a shell on the truck.... I am astounded how my "focussed thinking" on trailer layout was actually
tunnel vision which excluded that option for a few years 
I thought a 14 ' V-nose would be more manageable than a 16' ....what are your thoughts on any difference?
And....leaf springs or torsion suspension....shocks on trailer or not?
[Edited on 2-12-2015 by motoged]
[Edited on 2-12-2015 by motoged]
Don't believe everything you think....
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durrelllrobert
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7393
Registered: 11-22-2007
Location: Punta Banda BC
Member Is Offline
Mood: thriving in Baja
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If you're going to modify a cargo van for camping...
..don't forget the most important modification:
Bob Durrell
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motoged
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6481
Registered: 7-31-2006
Location: Kamloops, BC
Member Is Offline
Mood: Gettin' Better
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Bob,
Hi-tech....I was just thinking a toilet seat on a 5 gallon bucket....something like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_104F-kUCL0
My trailer kitchen would likely be an outside set-up w/ Coleman 2 burner propane stove/ sink would be small plastic tote box....and folding
table....have an awning on passenger side of trailer....etc
Lots of online examples from basic to deluxe:
Deluxe:
Basic:
[Edited on 2-12-2015 by motoged]
[Edited on 2-12-2015 by motoged]
Don't believe everything you think....
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SpumoneHi
Newbie
Posts: 6
Registered: 1-16-2015
Member Is Offline
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Hi - I am in a similar situation, thinking a lot of retiring and how I am going to go about it. I did quite a bit of research around buying in a
warmer climate (live in Canada) and decided that buying in another country would create a lot of headaches unless I was there all the time. I want to
be able to retire and move around to different countries so buying doesn't make sense. I also want to keep my home in Canada because I know I won't
want to travel 24/7/365 so the best solution for me was to purchase a camper conversion which I did. Easy to drive, not bad on gas, provides little
luxuries when I want to plug in and with solar I can go off grid a little too. I travel with my dog so didn't want to be always looking for pet
friendly hotels. I figure if I ever need more room or a break, I can always check into a hotel for a few days.
This will also allow me to rent an apartment in any country I want to spend more time in and can't drive to. It seemed to address all my requirements
and made the most sense for me.
If you are thinking of buying there is an excellent website called Globel Properties which will provide you with comparison data for every country in
the world. Worthwhile to look at. That made me decide to keep a place in Canada.
Happy hunting,,
Lynn
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SpumoneHi
Newbie
Posts: 6
Registered: 1-16-2015
Member Is Offline
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Meant to add too that at some point I might get a smart car to tow along with me and I have an inflatable kayak so am keeping things light.
Lynn
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Kgryfon
Senior Nomad
Posts: 624
Registered: 1-27-2009
Location: East Bay, CA
Member Is Offline
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Wow! Gone for a day and look at all the great ideas that grew during my absence! Especially that cone-head. Definitely need one of those  Anyone have any experience with a Casita camper? The renting idea has its merits, but
can you find places to rent on the beach? Looked like most of those places were being used by the owners, or are for sale. So I thought I'd camp for
a while. Probably end up combo camping and renting depending on the circumstances. Having a hard time finding a SUV with any kind of decent tow
capacity, though, other than the Explorer. Van conversion would be a bit too cozy for me, I think. The youtube video of the school bus conversion is
very cool but I'm not mechanically inclined enough to take on maintaining something like that. I ran across a website called Workamping - anyone have
any experience with that? Folks travel around in their campers and spend a season or so working as a campground manager in exchange for free camping.
Or they work at amusement parks, or volunteer at fed/state camp grounds. Stuff like that. Sounds kind of interesting!
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Kgryfon
Senior Nomad
Posts: 624
Registered: 1-27-2009
Location: East Bay, CA
Member Is Offline
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Cisco - SwankieWheels blog is pretty great - thanks! Quite a lady!
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Kgryfon
Senior Nomad
Posts: 624
Registered: 1-27-2009
Location: East Bay, CA
Member Is Offline
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CheapRVliving is a great blog, too! Thanks again!
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Cisco
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4196
Registered: 12-30-2010
Member Is Offline
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K:
Lot of information there. Bob has pretty much made a science of it and really is expert. Very nice man also.
Swankie (that is her real last name, she married a man named Swankie in the hospital on his death bed when they decided together that after marriage
and his demise, she would be eligible for some benefits of his. Together decision and very sweet.)
The web and forums like this will give you important information. Recognize though that it is all pretty specific. The Baja people have very different
needs and equipment to satisfy those needs for their trips. Always have a permanent place to hang also.
The VanDwellers have no permanent place, travel independently and meet-up at different venues all over. Consequently (and depending on financial
circumstances) there are all kinds of vehicles and "stuff" involved.
We had a "take with you " list here on BN that could have run to hundreds of pages if we had let it.
I have been out since November 1, 1983 in all kinds of conveyances and can only suggest that for now you go small, get rid of everything, take barely
what you think you will need and you will throw a lot of that out (or sell it) and add what you REALLY need as you get experience on the road and get
some idea of which direction you wish to go off in.
Don't head-trip it. You need very little. Just GO! It all will take care of itself, over-planning or trying to adhere to a schedule is completely
abhorrent to me.
And, if I don't care for where I am I just turn the key and get a fresh perspective. Can't move a house away from crummy neighbors.
[Edited on 2-13-2015 by Cisco]
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Timinator
Nomad
Posts: 244
Registered: 6-27-2014
Member Is Offline
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Lance camper, 4x Dodge with a rack on the back for my Honda Trail 110 motorcycle. Bathroom, kitchen, inside and outside showers, queen bed, AC, heat,
microwave, etc. The Honda will go up almost any hill or trail and gets 150mpg? I can even tow a trailer too if I need to.
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