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Kgryfon
Senior Nomad
Posts: 624
Registered: 1-27-2009
Location: East Bay, CA
Member Is Offline
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Decisions, decisions
So...I'm hoping to retire in about 3 years and I want to buy a new (to me) set up so I can spend a bunch of time cruising the US and Mexico looking
for my place to land. I want to pay it off before I retire so I have to buy it soon. Of course many places in Baja are high on my list, plus maybe
Puerto Vallarta outlying areas. Or the Yucatan peninsula area. Or Belize. Concepcion bay? La Paz? Mulege? So damn many choices! Not having to consider
anyone but myself for once has me in a quandary. So used to making choices based on the needs of my kids or a partner that I don't know what to do
with myself! I'm a single woman of a certain age and don't see that changing. My question is this - In my situation, what you YOU recommend? A
pickup with a cab-over camper? A SUV with a trailer? Of so, what kind of SUV? I am partial to Explorers and have owned several, but not for any kind
of life style like this or long-distance hauls. And why would you pick what you would pick? I will need to sell my boat before I leave but want one
wherever I land. So I'm kind of leaning towards the SUV/camper thing. Small camper. I know how to handle a camper/boat maneuvering so that's no
problem. If the world was at your feet, what direction would you take? The goal is to check it all out for extended periods of time so I can make a
decision that is not based on vacation trips, but actually living in places. Baja always calls...
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willardguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6451
Registered: 9-19-2009
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how bout a sprinter motorhome? we met a couple in gonzaga that had a nice one, they had built a big wooden box mounted to the back that they carried
an inflatable boat and motor in. easy to drive and park,great range,looked like a good way to go
[Edited on 2-11-2015 by willardguy]
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Sweetwater
Senior Nomad
Posts: 915
Registered: 11-26-2010
Member Is Offline
Mood: chilly today hot tomale
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I'm on a similar page....just sold my boat last week....I've got a 3/4 ton Duramax and I'm not a big fan of towing a big trailer behind me. I've been
looking at campers but I've got the standard bed. Lots of complications with GVW and the weight of a good 8 foot camper with a slide. I've been in
rigs that wallowed all over the road.
A full size RV then becomes the next option but it limits you in so many ways. I need to sleep in a real bed and have my 'stuff' within reach and not
spread all over. I enjoy cooking but being stuffed into a camper in bad weather doesn't seem all that attractive either....
So many quandries, the bigger the rig, the more complex and the more limited your parking options. I miss the backpacking days when I left
civilization for a couple weeks with my dog and all we could pack plus fishing to supplement. Those days are long gone....I'll be watching for
solutions here.
Everbody\'s preachin\' at me that we all wanna git to heaven, trouble is, nobody wants to die to git there.-BB King
Reality is what does not go away when you stop believing in it. -Philip K Dick
Nothing is worse than active ignorance. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe(1749-1832, German writer, artist and politician)
When choosing between two evils, I always like to try the one I\'ve never tried before. - Mae West
Experience is what keeps a man who makes the same mistake twice from admitting it the third time around.
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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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I have been pondering such questions for the past 10 years....and the past several more actively as I am quitting work in 16 months. Here is what I
have come up with for a single person who really can do what I want....within the parameters of good judgement and limited economics:
I started with the standard fantasy of having an Airstream with a cool palapa set-up (kitchen, shower, sitting area) as a place to spend the
winters....but wasn't sure where in Baja I wanted to be as several areas appealed to me (with Mulege being my first love).
Then I gave that up....and my thinking morphed into the idea of an inexpensive Mexican home....that might cost the same as some of the trailers I see
folks pulling....and still wasn't sure of where in Baja.
So the past 5 years have traveled around Baja a month or so at a time exploring potential areas....ALL of which are from Bahia de los Angeles and
south....
Then I thought, forget the Airstream or other such size trailer, and downsized to the idea of rigging up a 14' cargo trailer as a sleeping unit and
having a simple camping kitchen set-up.
Then I thought......as my preferred location is in three different areas, and such a set-up has its up and downsides....I have started to hear myself
say out loud...."$10,000 to $35,000 buys a lot of motel rooms and simple monthly/long term rentals..."
So, that is my current thinking: don't buy anything to make this tentative plan become real yet....and see how it unfolds.
In brief, I have watched my Baja fantasies change over time....and will continue pursuing them at a sensible pace and edit them as I
proceed....paying attention to what I have learned, mistakes I have made, and some of the opinions of others.
Kgryfon....your series of questions suggest to me that you need to do more of your own editing of your dreams, ideas, and possibilities....no one else
can really answer some of those questions for you as only you know your capabilities, skill-sets that are needed, and ways you live your life....and
some suggestions offered by others may reflect their dreams more than yours.
Good luck with your journey....
Don't believe everything you think....
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4x4abc
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4244
Registered: 4-24-2009
Location: La Paz, BCS
Member Is Offline
Mood: happy - always
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don't invest in any kind of "house on wheels"
too big
too expensive
too slow
stay flexible and nimble
save your bucks for real life
the good stuff hides in narrow streets and on rough trails down to paradise beaches
any transportation will do - SUV's have a definite advantage
but a plane ticket and a rental car will do as well
furnished houses/apartments are cheap south of the border
local rentals have the advantage over camp grounds, because you really get to know the locals (your possible future neighbors)
why would you want to listen to a Canadian (random pick) complaining about his border troubles.
If you insist on your own everything (micro wave to shower) while you travel, this a cool and spacious solution: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncXXLjf235g
But like all other motorhomes, campers etc - they are hard to sell once you find your new home
Good thing is, that you still have plenty of time to do the right thing.
Took me almost 20 years to decide on a spot in Mexico.
Harald Pietschmann
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J.P.
Super Nomad
Posts: 1673
Registered: 7-8-2010
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
Mood: Easy Does It
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Traveling and Camping
Over the years I have owned all kinds of Camping Gear. from 16ft travel trailer's to 36ft diesel pusher motor home. Today we own a 36ft 5th. wheel
travel trailer and a one ton dually. The trailer is currently set up in a place we really like and probably will never move all that much. That leaves
me with the Truck which is not that economical to drive. lately I have ben thinking Big Slide in Camper. Has anyone priced one of those thing's
lately,YIKESSSS I know for a fact most of those things wind up as Yard ornament's. So the search is on.
I bought my first Camper around 1976 and have hade several in my Possession ever since. I am here to Tell you there is no such thing as a one size
fits all.
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Cisco
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4196
Registered: 12-30-2010
Member Is Offline
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Quote: Originally posted by Kgryfon  | So...I'm hoping to retire in about 3 years and I want to buy a new (to me) set up so I can spend a bunch of time cruising the US and Mexico looking
for my place to land. I want to pay it off before I retire so I have to buy it soon. Of course many places in Baja are high on my list, plus maybe
Puerto Vallarta outlying areas. Or the Yucatan peninsula area. Or Belize. Concepcion bay? La Paz? Mulege? So damn many choices! Not having to consider
anyone but myself for once has me in a quandary. So used to making choices based on the needs of my kids or a partner that I don't know what to do
with myself! I'm a single woman of a certain age and don't see that changing. My question is this - In my situation, what you YOU recommend? A
pickup with a cab-over camper? A SUV with a trailer? Of so, what kind of SUV? I am partial to Explorers and have owned several, but not for any kind
of life style like this or long-distance hauls. And why would you pick what you would pick? I will need to sell my boat before I leave but want one
wherever I land. So I'm kind of leaning towards the SUV/camper thing. Small camper. I know how to handle a camper/boat maneuvering so that's no
problem. If the world was at your feet, what direction would you take? The goal is to check it all out for extended periods of time so I can make a
decision that is not based on vacation trips, but actually living in places. Baja always calls...
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After a ten year affair with a van I find it perfect.
Not too big, nor small. carry a boat on top if you want to, everything else inside. Easy to work on and keeps you from hoarding by all means.
Regular van, hi-top if you can get one but remember that you will pretty much be sitting or lying down when in the van so no biggie. Don't get an
extended van, that extra 20" or 2' behind the rear wheels will hang-up in vados, make parking in a city much harder,...
There is a man who has done a lot of neat work regarding your dilemma and you can find him at: http://www.cheaprvliving.com/
We have run into each other half a dozen times and he is sort of "the guru" on car, van and RV living.
His site will get you headed in the right direction to begin asking more intensive questions.
Good Luck, VanDwelling is a great life without all the camper, RV...hassles.
Oh, One friend, a woman of probably 70 now, had hip or knee surgery six or seven years ago and thought she would end up in a wheelchair.
Got a van and a kayak and set out to kayak EVERY state. She has driven to them all but Hawaii now and kakaked every one.
She has lost weight, now can walk fine and is enjoying life immensely. Bob probably has some dope on her or a blog address.
Her name is Charleen Swankie and I think at one time she had a trailer for the van but gave it up, the van is all she needed.
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Cisco
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4196
Registered: 12-30-2010
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: Originally posted by Kgryfon | So...I'm hoping to retire in about 3 years and I want to buy a new (to me) set up so I can spend a bunch of time cruising the US and Mexico looking
for my place to land. I want to pay it off before I retire so I have to buy it soon. Of course many places in Baja are high on my list, plus maybe
Puerto Vallarta outlying areas. Or the Yucatan peninsula area. Or Belize. Concepcion bay? La Paz? Mulege? So damn many choices! Not having to consider
anyone but myself for once has me in a quandary. So used to making choices based on the needs of my kids or a partner that I don't know what to do
with myself! I'm a single woman of a certain age and don't see that changing. My question is this - In my situation, what you YOU recommend? A
pickup with a cab-over camper? A SUV with a trailer? Of so, what kind of SUV? I am partial to Explorers and have owned several, but not for any kind
of life style like this or long-distance hauls. And why would you pick what you would pick? I will need to sell my boat before I leave but want one
wherever I land. So I'm kind of leaning towards the SUV/camper thing. Small camper. I know how to handle a camper/boat maneuvering so that's no
problem. If the world was at your feet, what direction would you take? The goal is to check it all out for extended periods of time so I can make a
decision that is not based on vacation trips, but actually living in places. Baja always calls...
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Wow. Found her blog. I have not spoken with her in a few years but if you are in touch with her tell her Cisco sends his best please.
http://swankiewheels.blogspot.com/2013/02/commercial-drivers...
That is the page I noted in my blog folder, I don't know how to get to today but the header shows she is still posting.
This is a woman in your exact position. Didn't have a clue and now she is having the time of her life. Her posts are definitive also, she is a no BA
person.
Suerte
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Russ
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6742
Registered: 7-4-2004
Location: Punta Chivato
Member Is Offline
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Save your money and decide when you retire where you want to live after you travel. Cash has a way of bringing in a good deal. Maintaining a place
cost a lot of money and "the grass is greener on the other side" syndrome comes into effect after a bit of time. I agree with traveling light and
renting in an area that interests you. Good Luck!
Bahia Concepcion where life starts...given a chance!
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Pescador
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3587
Registered: 10-17-2002
Location: Baja California Sur
Member Is Offline
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I lived in Colorado and travelled to Mexico every year as well as several trips to Alaska, and lots of time spent during the summer all over the West.
We found a slide in camper to be the best of all possible worlds. With electric jacks, it does not take an exceptionally long time to take off but
most of the time it lived right on the back of the truck. Slide outs were cool but added (in my opinion) too much weight. We preferred the king cab
so that we had room to put things inside the truck. After many years, we found that it was the perfect RV for our needs. Small enough that you could
spend nights at rest areas or Walmarts, easy to drive and park, and best of all we did not have to stay with family or friends and were kind of like
turtles with their house on their back.
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monoloco
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6667
Registered: 7-13-2009
Location: Pescadero BCS
Member Is Offline
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If you are on a budget, whatever you do, don't buy new. Vehicles and RV's depreciate rapidly, especially when used in Baja, so take advantage of that
fact by acquiring a gently used older model.
"The future ain't what it used to be"
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wessongroup
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21152
Registered: 8-9-2009
Location: Mission Viejo
Member Is Offline
Mood: Suicide Hot line ... please hold
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Good stuff .. It all helps 
[Edited on 2-11-2015 by wessongroup]
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bledito
Nomad
Posts: 420
Registered: 7-6-2013
Member Is Offline
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back in the days. we used a station wagon, a air mattress and a coleman stove. boat on the top with small motor. i guess it depends on the amount of
luxury you require.
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Alan
Super Nomad
Posts: 1626
Registered: 4-6-2005
Location: Yucaipa, CA/La Paz
Member Is Offline
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You say you are looking for a place to "land" so I suggest, as some others already have, that you set yourself up to really learn an area. A few
nights in a camper can hardly do that. The cost of "any" RV can pay for a lot of lodging. You might consider checking out VRBO.com Vacation Rentals
By Owner. Lodging is available anywhere in the world and monthly rentals are reasonable in many cases. I have had a 50 year love affair with Baja so
a general area selection was fairly easy but it still had to boil down to which area. I love BoLA, Loreto, Mulege, East Cape but after spending
considerable time in each I quickly realized I needed something to do once the sun went down and that I wasn't getting any younger so access to
healthcare would have to enter the equation so I finally settled on La Paz as my personal choice. I wish you the best of luck in your search. It's
an exciting time with so much to explore. Enjoy it to the fullest.
In Memory of E-57
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SlyOnce
Nomad
Posts: 262
Registered: 12-26-2013
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I'm very close to permanent retirement - only 2 more years! I live in Playas de TJ, I have my sailboat in San Diego Bay. I have a Ford Explorer. My
novia and I are planning some extensive drives around Baja with limited camping and modest hotel stays. I want to see more of Baja but we are also
considering retirement in Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, and I am very enamored of Chile right now. The point is we may not need to pick just one place.
Already, I have discarded anything unnecessary in life and we can go to Chile travelling very light. Our apt in Playas is cheap, the US is about 15
minutes away, and we always have a base to return to.
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
Member Is Offline
Mood: Optimistic
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My folks first camper...homemade. Things have come a long ways since those days.
RV travel and use is something I love to do. I've owned and used most every type of camper imaginable over the last 50-plus years. This collage
shows a few that worked very well for me in travels all over North America, including Alaska, Canada, mainland Mexico, and Baja. A fun and great
adventure would be to take the RV to Panama and then down the coast of South America by freighter, exploring from Santiago, Chile to wherever the
trails take you.
My favorite choice so far is this one shown below. Tow vehicle, large fiver, and towable boat/trailer.
Why? Because of these reasons...
They are less expensive and hold value longer.
They have more living space.
Because they require a tow vehicle, you can leave the RV and take the tow vehicle on short runs. For myself, this means I can explore many fishing
choices within a given area...or make taco runs to my favorite stand.
It is usually the motorized vehicle that needs repair, so if the tow vehicle is in the shop, you still can live in the RV.
Everyone is different, though. So how do YOU decide? Research, read, go to dealer lots, go to RV shows, and ask questions of full-timers that are on
the road and on internet forums. You will develop preferences. And for internet research, the following site is the best I have found for RV
information and tips on everything from A - Z...from experienced owners. Good luck with whatever you choose and Happy Trails!
http://www.rv.net/forum/
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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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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Roger,
Is that three vehicle train legal?
Don't believe everything you think....
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
Member Is Offline
Mood: Optimistic
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Yes, Ged...in most of the states and provinces I RV travel. Like anything with rules attached though, it's always best to check before you do it. My
total bumper to prop length is 1/4 inch short of 75 feet, plus I have a Class C drivers license, which does help on certain interstates...California,
etc. The only time I was inconvenienced while double-towing was once in Oregon when I had to disconnect the boat and retrieve it later with the
pickup. Simple matter of short-term storage and a short drive. No ticket, just some friendly advice.
Here a map of legal lengths in the USA. Like I said, check before you go. Most state and provincial towing laws are reasonable and logical. Chance
favors you when prepared.
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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willardguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6451
Registered: 9-19-2009
Member Is Offline
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 is it possible to back all that up?
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
Member Is Offline
Mood: Optimistic
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willardguy, The answer is yes, but like porcupines making love...you do it very carefully. 
If you grew up on a ranch pulling and backing up haywagons, it's fairly easy. And anybody who has driven a semi-truck with a pup does it regularly.
p.s. Don't mean to sidetrack Kgryfon's question.
[Edited on 2-11-2015 by Pompano]
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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