The Rangers are at the end of an era. We are moving from our gas powered motorhome to a diesel pusher. We have been perfectly happy with our Monaco LaPalma 34SBD but after owning it for six years it's time for a change. Yes, I got "RV envy" when my brother-in-law got a diesel pusher. I want to be clear that there was nothing wrong with our Ford V-10 powered motorhome and I can only hope that the Holiday Rambler Endeavor 40PDT serves us as well as the LaPalma.
Now that we are at the end of this chapter I would like to pass along the financial costs we have had over the last 6 years. But first I should tell you how we approached buying our first motorhome. We had no idea if we would like RV'ing when we began, so our decision was to buy a well used Class A and see if we liked RV'ing. It turned out that we loved RV'ing and so as retirement approached the decision was made to sell the house/stuff and begin our RV/Mexico adventure. I don't think we thought that we would keep the LaPalma for 6 years, but we were happy and comfortable in it.
So here are the numbers:
Purchase Price of the 2000 LaPalma - $29,000
Selling/Trade-In Price - $13,000
Total Depreciation in 6 years - $16,000
Major Expenses during 6 years - $12,910
Optional Expenses during 6 years - $2,939
Total Cost of Ownership - $31,849 ($5,308 annually) or ($443 per month)
Major Expenses included: Transmission Rebuild - 4970 Brake Rebuild - 1946 New Michelin Tires - 2682 Furnace - 501 Transfer Switch - 377 Batteries - 560 Norcold Repairs - 265 Annual Service and Fluid changes - 900 Total: $12,910
Optional Expenses include: New couch, New carpeting, New hardwood flooring, Redo valances, LED lighting, New Plumbing Fixtures, New Microwave, New TV and HD Total Optional Costs: $2,939
Many times the question is asked if it is less expensive to live in an RV than a sticks & bricks? For us it is a resounding "YES". And on top of that we love our lifestyle. I know that everyones experience will be different, but I wanted to share ours as we end a chapter.
Life is Good.
-- Edited by Russ Ranger on Tuesday 19th of September 2017 02:17:03 PM
Someday said
03:36 PM Sep 19, 2017
Wonderful write up Russ and thanks for sharing :)
jonesy said
05:49 PM Oct 9, 2017
hi there---nice post acouple of questions is the trany rebuild an expected item for the ford powerplant at so many miles or was just an issue for you guys?. why mexico? mwe mare 1 to 3 years from retiring and want to do the fulltimer thing. BUT am nervous about the costs. just bought our lfirst RV a 32 foot winnie ITASKA class c with the ford v10 we're hooked and the shorter horizon is looking good to me but gotta nail the costs down your brief description makes it alittle more real for me and affordable
Russ Ranger said
10:26 PM Oct 9, 2017
First question: The transmission rebuild was not a planned event. We had a repair fund set aside to cover unexpected repairs, so when the reverse on the transmission acted up we scheduled a rebuild. We took the RV into the shop and then caught a flight to Hawaii and spent 2 weeks in paradise while the repairs were being done. The perfect solution for a tough situation.
Next question: Why Mexico? A hundred good reasons for us. Economically it is a very cheap place to spend a nice warm Winter. Great food. Great culture. Great people. Large expat community in Mazatlan. The Sea of Cortez is like a warm bathtub. Beautiful sunsets. Good doctors and dentists. Amazing music 7 days a week. Sun every day. Shrimp!!!
After spending Winter in Mazatlan we always have built-up our savings (because of low cost of living). This helps finance our RV travels and other travels around the world (16 countries in the last 2 years).
Our plan for early retirement is working well as we enter our fifth Winter living in Mazatlan.
The best advice I could give you is to plan for unexpected expenses by having a strong contingency fund. Cash can solve many problems that come up while on the road. Like you, we began with an inexpensive motorhome as our starter RV. It has been a good plan as I look back. Our goal was to start our adventure with no debt and very low fixed expenses. That combination has worked well for us.
Life is good.
JanKen said
06:37 AM Oct 10, 2017
Thanks Russ,
A few questions if I may....
What, if any, hoops to jump through for crossing the border? What advice would you offer to someone having not driven across the border for an extended period? Any 'hoops' coming back?
Lastly, word on the street has it that the Mexican government and the cartels create a hostile environment for tourists, especially folks from north of their border. What's been your experience(s) relative to safety and security?
Thanks again in advance!
BiggarView said
07:19 AM Oct 10, 2017
X2 on having a strong contingency fund. It is absolutely one of the smartest things you can do... as long as you only tap it for the unplanned expenses and not run of the mill ones that should already be a part of your budget. Funding and maintaining a contingency fund should be a habit and part of your budget planning.
Brian
Russ Ranger said
09:07 PM Oct 11, 2017
Border crossing into Mexico is simple. We only use a tourist visa which allows us to stay for 180 days. You must pay a refundable deposit that gets a permit for your car. It is returned to our credit card a few days after we leave Mexico. ( It is Mexico's way of assuring that you don't intend to sell you American plated car while there.) We put our USA auto insurance on hold for the time we are in Mexico and take out a Mexican insurance plan for 6 months. The cost is slightly less than our policy in the US.
In the 12 years we have been visiting Mexico and the 9 years we have owned a home in Mazatlan we have not had or seen any negative effects that the cartels have on expats. In our day to day lives the Mexican people have been kind and gracious to us. The cartels are in the business of dealing drugs, so we have no interest in them or them with us. There are 25,000 expats living in Mazatlan and the statistics show that we are safer living in Mazatlan than we would be at home in the states. The first 7 years we owned our home in Mazatlan there were zero (as is NONE) deaths in the expat community. The last two years there were 2 deaths, each having been caused by love gone wrong. They had nothing to do with cartels.
The fact is that young men who are involved with drugs and the cartel are killing each other. The young men have good aim and seem to only want to kill each other. We gray haired old people are safe.
The government and 99% of the Mexican people love and appreciate that expats are here and that we are spending our money and supporting their economy.
Don't believe everything you read on the internet or see on the news channels. It might not be true.
Life is good in sunny Mazatlan, we are driving south in the RV, headed for another warm winter in Mexico.
TRAILERKING said
10:15 PM Oct 11, 2017
Nice write up Russ
JanKen said
06:42 AM Oct 12, 2017
Thanks Russ - glad to hear Mazatlán isn't anything like Nueve Laredo. We may have to re-look Mexico
Russ Ranger said
04:46 PM Oct 16, 2017
The border towns on both sides (US & Mexico) are a little sketchy because they are ground zero for the drug trade. Once you are inland or on the Sea of Cortez the picture changes to normal/average towns, villages and cities. At this time of the year 1,000's of RV'ers are heading South for their favorite locations to spend a great winter enjoying their time in the sun. Within a few miles of our home in Mazatlan there are 5 RV parks, most will be full by the end of November or early December. The nicest RV park I have ever seen anywhere (US included) sits on a peninsula overlooking the warm waters of the Sea of Cortez.
Mexico might not be for everyone but this year they expect 12 million tourists to visit.
RonC said
05:38 PM Oct 16, 2017
Russ’s report seems very fair and balanced and parallels the experience several of my friends have told me about. As Russ points out, Mexico is not for everyone, but if you like visiting Mexico, you might like living there as well. Russ ... glad you’ve found what makes you happy ... good for you!
mncowboy969 said
11:17 AM Nov 11, 2017
Fantastic write ups! I figured that it wasn’t safe going into Mexico, so hadn’t planned on it. Now, I have a whole new perspective on it! Thank you all!
I do have a few questions about RV’ing in Mexico:
1. Dogs/Cats - Are they allowed in Mexico? If so, is it a hassell getting them in? Is it a hassell getting them back in USA?
2. Weapons - Can you carry a weapon across the border, and then back into the USA upon returning?
3. It sounds like Mazalon (sp?) is safe, but what about the east coast of Mexico, as well as in land, and non-American inhabited areas?
Thank you in advance!!!
Russ Ranger said
06:12 PM Nov 12, 2017
Pets cause no problems when crossing the boarder either direction. Having current vet records could be needed, but in the last 5 years we have not been asked for anything. (We do carry current vet records for our dog.)
Weapons are a HUGE NO. If caught crossing the border with weapons you will be in big trouble. Both Canada and Mexico have heavy restrictions. USA rules do not apply in our bordering neighbor countries.
Safety is always a concern in both the USA and Mexico. Both countries have limited areas that should be avoided. A simple rule is to avoid many border towns on both sides as there seems to be more drug/cartel activity in them. From what I read there are over one million expats living or snowbirding in Mexico and another 12,000,000 tourists every year. Rarely is there any problem for expats. We feel safer in Mexico than in many places in the states.
Mexico is not for everyone. We happening to love our winters in Mazatlan.
The Rangers are at the end of an era. We are moving from our gas powered motorhome to a diesel pusher. We have been perfectly happy with our Monaco LaPalma 34SBD but after owning it for six years it's time for a change. Yes, I got "RV envy" when my brother-in-law got a diesel pusher. I want to be clear that there was nothing wrong with our Ford V-10 powered motorhome and I can only hope that the Holiday Rambler Endeavor 40PDT serves us as well as the LaPalma.
Now that we are at the end of this chapter I would like to pass along the financial costs we have had over the last 6 years. But first I should tell you how we approached buying our first motorhome. We had no idea if we would like RV'ing when we began, so our decision was to buy a well used Class A and see if we liked RV'ing. It turned out that we loved RV'ing and so as retirement approached the decision was made to sell the house/stuff and begin our RV/Mexico adventure. I don't think we thought that we would keep the LaPalma for 6 years, but we were happy and comfortable in it.
So here are the numbers:
Purchase Price of the 2000 LaPalma - $29,000
Selling/Trade-In Price - $13,000
Total Depreciation in 6 years - $16,000
Major Expenses during 6 years - $12,910
Optional Expenses during 6 years - $2,939
Total Cost of Ownership - $31,849 ($5,308 annually) or ($443 per month)
Major Expenses included: Transmission Rebuild - 4970 Brake Rebuild - 1946 New Michelin Tires - 2682 Furnace - 501 Transfer Switch - 377 Batteries - 560 Norcold Repairs - 265 Annual Service and Fluid changes - 900 Total: $12,910
Optional Expenses include: New couch, New carpeting, New hardwood flooring, Redo valances, LED lighting, New Plumbing Fixtures, New Microwave, New TV and HD Total Optional Costs: $2,939
Many times the question is asked if it is less expensive to live in an RV than a sticks & bricks? For us it is a resounding "YES". And on top of that we love our lifestyle. I know that everyones experience will be different, but I wanted to share ours as we end a chapter.
Life is Good.
-- Edited by Russ Ranger on Tuesday 19th of September 2017 02:17:03 PM
hi there---nice post acouple of questions is the trany rebuild an expected item for the ford powerplant at so many miles or was just an issue for you guys?. why mexico? mwe mare 1 to 3 years from retiring and want to do the fulltimer thing. BUT am nervous about the costs. just bought our lfirst RV a 32 foot winnie ITASKA class c with the ford v10 we're hooked and the shorter horizon is looking good to me but gotta nail the costs down your brief description makes it alittle more real for me and affordable
First question: The transmission rebuild was not a planned event. We had a repair fund set aside to cover unexpected repairs, so when the reverse on the transmission acted up we scheduled a rebuild. We took the RV into the shop and then caught a flight to Hawaii and spent 2 weeks in paradise while the repairs were being done. The perfect solution for a tough situation.
Next question: Why Mexico? A hundred good reasons for us. Economically it is a very cheap place to spend a nice warm Winter. Great food. Great culture. Great people. Large expat community in Mazatlan. The Sea of Cortez is like a warm bathtub. Beautiful sunsets. Good doctors and dentists. Amazing music 7 days a week. Sun every day. Shrimp!!!
After spending Winter in Mazatlan we always have built-up our savings (because of low cost of living). This helps finance our RV travels and other travels around the world (16 countries in the last 2 years).
Our plan for early retirement is working well as we enter our fifth Winter living in Mazatlan.
The best advice I could give you is to plan for unexpected expenses by having a strong contingency fund. Cash can solve many problems that come up while on the road. Like you, we began with an inexpensive motorhome as our starter RV. It has been a good plan as I look back. Our goal was to start our adventure with no debt and very low fixed expenses. That combination has worked well for us.
Life is good.
A few questions if I may....
What, if any, hoops to jump through for crossing the border? What advice would you offer to someone having not driven across the border for an extended period? Any 'hoops' coming back?
Lastly, word on the street has it that the Mexican government and the cartels create a hostile environment for tourists, especially folks from north of their border. What's been your experience(s) relative to safety and security?
Thanks again in advance!
X2 on having a strong contingency fund. It is absolutely one of the smartest things you can do... as long as you only tap it for the unplanned expenses and not run of the mill ones that should already be a part of your budget. Funding and maintaining a contingency fund should be a habit and part of your budget planning.
Brian
Border crossing into Mexico is simple. We only use a tourist visa which allows us to stay for 180 days. You must pay a refundable deposit that gets a permit for your car. It is returned to our credit card a few days after we leave Mexico. ( It is Mexico's way of assuring that you don't intend to sell you American plated car while there.) We put our USA auto insurance on hold for the time we are in Mexico and take out a Mexican insurance plan for 6 months. The cost is slightly less than our policy in the US.
In the 12 years we have been visiting Mexico and the 9 years we have owned a home in Mazatlan we have not had or seen any negative effects that the cartels have on expats. In our day to day lives the Mexican people have been kind and gracious to us. The cartels are in the business of dealing drugs, so we have no interest in them or them with us. There are 25,000 expats living in Mazatlan and the statistics show that we are safer living in Mazatlan than we would be at home in the states. The first 7 years we owned our home in Mazatlan there were zero (as is NONE) deaths in the expat community. The last two years there were 2 deaths, each having been caused by love gone wrong. They had nothing to do with cartels.
The fact is that young men who are involved with drugs and the cartel are killing each other. The young men have good aim and seem to only want to kill each other. We gray haired old people are safe.
The government and 99% of the Mexican people love and appreciate that expats are here and that we are spending our money and supporting their economy.
Don't believe everything you read on the internet or see on the news channels. It might not be true.
Life is good in sunny Mazatlan, we are driving south in the RV, headed for another warm winter in Mexico.
The border towns on both sides (US & Mexico) are a little sketchy because they are ground zero for the drug trade. Once you are inland or on the Sea of Cortez the picture changes to normal/average towns, villages and cities. At this time of the year 1,000's of RV'ers are heading South for their favorite locations to spend a great winter enjoying their time in the sun. Within a few miles of our home in Mazatlan there are 5 RV parks, most will be full by the end of November or early December. The nicest RV park I have ever seen anywhere (US included) sits on a peninsula overlooking the warm waters of the Sea of Cortez.
Mexico might not be for everyone but this year they expect 12 million tourists to visit.
Pets cause no problems when crossing the boarder either direction. Having current vet records could be needed, but in the last 5 years we have not been asked for anything. (We do carry current vet records for our dog.)
Weapons are a HUGE NO. If caught crossing the border with weapons you will be in big trouble. Both Canada and Mexico have heavy restrictions. USA rules do not apply in our bordering neighbor countries.
Safety is always a concern in both the USA and Mexico. Both countries have limited areas that should be avoided. A simple rule is to avoid many border towns on both sides as there seems to be more drug/cartel activity in them. From what I read there are over one million expats living or snowbirding in Mexico and another 12,000,000 tourists every year. Rarely is there any problem for expats. We feel safer in Mexico than in many places in the states.
Mexico is not for everyone. We happening to love our winters in Mazatlan.