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View Full Version : All you Florida centric guys should try the beaches in Mexico



Dtjoint
01-21-2019, 09:11 AM
Those of us on the west coast enjoy the banter about the events discussed taking place in FL this time of year. But, often this banter makes it sound like FL is the center of the Prevost universe. Nope, right now the center of the Prevost universe is Puerto Penasco, Sonora, MX! After all there are a grand total of three Prevost coaches at Playa Bonita RV park right now enjoying sun rises and sun sets that rival the very best found in FL. We are right on the beach and enjoyed the blood moon last night. Sardines have come back into the bay here after years of being fished out (same story at Monterey, CA) so it is fun to see those boats out along side the shrimp boats. How about a Prevost-fest here next winter?! After all, just because there are a bazillion Prevost coaches in FL and only three here doesn’t mean you should get all the fun........

ok, now I will remove my tongue from my cheek(grin)!

sudetwiller@hotmail.com
01-21-2019, 02:35 PM
Where do I sign up?

Gil_J
01-21-2019, 05:03 PM
Jerry,

I assume you have to get Mexican insurance, unlike Canada. If so, I sure worry about coverage if you need to use it. How's security?

I have a friend that moved there due to the cost of living. He lives in a walled and gated community and loves it. Of course, it can't hurt waking up to a view of the Gulf every morning.

Dtjoint
01-22-2019, 11:15 AM
You do have to buy MX liability insurance but that is easily available on line and only costs a couple of hundred for a year. Many US collision/comp policies will cover in MX but check with your carrier to be sure. Safety is not an issue here. This is a very popular MX beach community. Winter is too cold for many of the MX regulars who own homes and condos but much warmer than our northern tier so attracts snow birds like us. The locals depend on tourist trade so everyone from the Mayor on down to the beach walkers looking to sell whatever do their best to make you feel comfortable and safe. There are even tourist helpers paid for by the city to come to the aid of a tourist in need. Green Angles patrol the highway from the US to lend assistance if needed.

Need paint or fading issues fixed? Amazing what these guys can do right in the RV park with base coat-clear coat redos. Last year a new early 2000s Prevost owner had them redo many of the decorative and trim paint areas. Not show room quality, but looked a lot better than when it came in. They will do upholstery, systems and appliances right on your spot if you like. A few years ago I blew a power steering hose on one of my 1970s Restored GMC Motorhomes - the swoopy front wheel drive ones made from 73 to 78. Two kids in a pick up removed the hose, disappeared for a few hours and returned with what looked like a new one. They reinstalled it in no time. Total bill? Under $150 including a nice tip.

we look out over the Sea of Cortez from the west coast of the mainland.

mountaineq
02-10-2019, 11:44 AM
Jerry,
Sounds rather intriguing. What is the road like south of the US border and how busy is the crossing? I have a buddy that used to take his Kingsley coach down into the baja to race trucks, and he never had any problems. I just have always been a little leery about Mexico...….

gdub
02-10-2019, 02:59 PM
Jerry
couldnt agree more, we love Rocky Point, although with the Prevost now we prefer more room at the Reef,
certainly closer from Tucson than Fla.

Joe Camper
02-10-2019, 06:36 PM
Pictures pictures. I want to see how everybody decorates their campsites Im always looking for new ideas and inspiration to compare so I can get some kind of an idea how far out of whack I am.

Joe Camper
02-10-2019, 06:39 PM
Throw your best picture out there of a sunrise or a sunset or a palm tree at the ocean let's see who's got the best one.

Do you have to go through California to get where u r at?


What would it cost down there for three or 4 months? Beginning of December through the end of March or a better question would be what months do you go down there cuz if I ever did that I wouldn't be going without a tour guide the first time.

See what you've gotten yourself into.

Dtjoint
02-11-2019, 10:03 AM
Not sure how to post pics but will try later today.

We cross the border at Lukeville, AZ, just south of Organ Pipe National Monument. Small crossing that you often just get waved through. Adhere closely to the speed limit while in the Mexican side town of Sonoita. From there it is about 60 miles on a very good paved road to get to Puerto Penasco, Sonora. If you want to stage or meet up with others before crossing, Why, AZ or Ajo, AZ towns are good over night spots 30 or so miles from Lukeville. There are no overnight facilities at Lukeville.

We stay at Playa Bonita RV Park. Cost is dependent on which site you get. Beach front is just under $800/mo all in, ocean view a $100 or so less and the rest of the park a bit less than that. Daily rates are that divided by 30. Reservations by mail only. The RV Park address is a Lukevill, AZ address that you can find on their web site. You can get 50 amps for $20 (to change the plug on the post) for as long as you stay up to a month. Not clear whether you need to pay another $20 for a second or subsequent months. There is another full hookup RV park a few miles further up the beach called The Reef. Another one near by has no services and costs something like $10 a night.

we usually come Jan 15 and leave Mar 15. The whole place is full of Americans and Canadians from October through March.

Jerry

Dtjoint
02-11-2019, 02:35 PM
A couple more things to add.

The park was built for up to 40 foot rigs. There are a couple of places where you can stuff a 45, but it is tight. Don’t expect to get beachfront spots as they are usually reserved up to two years in advance. But, there seems to be no rhyme or reason why who gets what spot. You can only reserve space in the,park, not specie spaces. You get what you get the day you arrive. There are no bad spots and the beach is only a few steps away no matter where you are. Weather is warm but not hot this time of year. Generally 60s in the day time and 50s at night. Wind may kick up at times just like beaches everywhere. Seldom over 20 mph.

Water is good all over town so no issue washing veggies or brushing teeth. Most prefer to drink bottled water. Lots of restaurants with great food and reasonless prices. Same for motels and condos for rent. Grocery store food is cheap and very good, especially the veggies. Exchange rate is around 18 pesos to one US dollar. Good medical facilities, a pharmacy on every street corner with same drugs in same boxs at a fraction of the US price. Many come here for dental procedures as they too are a fraction of the cost with docs and dentists trained at US medical and dental schools and many certified by the same US bodies as thier counterparts in the states.

not trying to sell anything here, just reporting our good experiences over many years

Joe Camper
02-11-2019, 02:44 PM
That's all great info. The monthly rate is pretty amazing I'm surprised the weather isn't a little bit warmer am I further south in the keys then you are over there in Mexico? Must be. I prefer 60s over 70s down here. Anytime you get close to 75 degrees down here if it's full sun even though it's winter that suns too hot. 60s is good 50 is just fine for a low. Down here it's 10 degree hotter or more and I'm not interested in 80s any more than I am 40s.
Need a passport to do this? Do u get 4 bars 4g. Can u reach the satellite for direct tv from there? What about the dog?

Dtjoint
02-12-2019, 09:57 AM
Passport is required to get back into the US. Be sure to leave all guns and ammo elsewhere as having either in MX can lead to jail time in a not very pleasant prison. Weather can easily go into the 70s this time of year but this year all the storms hitting the west coast are keeping temps down. This beach is just at the south end of those so we get clouds and a bit of wind but seldom any rain. Nothing like further up the coast. Our phone plan (sprint) shows 4 bars of 3g. Others see 4g. You can easily get both Dish and Directv. Don’t know about the Canadian sats. Lots of dogs running around on leash also get some free time to splash in the water and owners are very good about picking up after them.

BGLogistics
02-12-2019, 05:46 PM
That would be uncomfortable for me traveling/camping without my 2nd Amendment given counterpart. I guess one would get used to it. Never had to use it or even show it (thankfully) but it is definitely a comfort knowing it's there. We've not gone camping in the bus yet other than a couple nights bringing it home, years of roadtrips in a van and that counterpart sure made rest area stops a no worry event. Mexico sounds nice otherwise.