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DVD: Working On The RV Road
Learn how to earn income while RVing. Author and work camping expert Jaimie Hall reveals what you need to know to gain employment or run your own business while traveling with a recreational vehicle.
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DVD: Better Business Bureau: Buying a Recreational Vehicle
Join host Chuck Woodbury as he explains how to buy an RV. Learn to choose the right RV at the right price.
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Ask Dot and Bill Mexico
By Bill and Dot Bell
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| Bill and Dot Bell |
Dot and Bill Bell are Mexican RV experts and have taught and led seminars about camping in Mexico throughout Canada and the US. Their website, is considered the most up-to-date source about camping and RVing south of the border.
Questions this issue:
-Money
-Copper Canyon
-Two-way Satellite Internet
Dear Dot and Bill,
What is the best way to obtain funds in Mexico? Traveler's checks? Credit card withdrawal? LOTS of US dollars? OR ???? We are going to the Puerto Vallarta area. -- Alice Hodge
Hi Alice,
For the most part, Mexico is a cash society. We can tell you what has worked for us.
1) We have a couple of hundred in travelers checks...which we use for absolute emergencies (we stash these away in the RV) They are hard to cash in small towns but do come with insurance in case they get lost. We have kept a small amount for years in a very secret hiding place.
2) We have a couple of hundred US$ which we use in emergencies.
3) We use credit cards in Sams/Walmarts, etc.
4) We use our bank cards every week at ATMs for day to day use (You get the money in Pesos from the ATMs at a good rate but there is a $3-$6 ATM fee. We have two sets of cards. One for one bank (two cards). One for another (two cards). Sometimes the bank machines can EAT your cards. Yikes! This
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| Stores Like Wal-Mart Mexico accept credit cards and have ATM's that you can use Bill Bell Photograph |
has not happened to us but HAS to other people we know.
5) We do our banking (transferring, investing etc) on our own computer.
For travel days with tolls and gas we have plenty of Pesos.
You cannot use anything but cash for the most part at either Pemex Gas Stations and toll booths. When they do accept American dollars, it is usually at a poor rate of exchange.
Plan your money carefully according to your destination.
Driving down the West Coast, for example, we would withdraw money at a bank machine in San Carlos for two days of travel, drive two days to Mazatlan and withdraw more cash for another two days. That way we wouldn't be holding too much money with us at one time.
Note for the frugal: In that bank cards are our PRIMARY source for withdrawing funds, we wanted to reduce our transaction fees. The transaction fees are charged by both your own bank at home AND the bank in Mexico on the same withdrawal. It was costly to just take out a couple of hundred dollars if you were charged $3 from your home bank and an addition $3 from the ATM.
Many banks, in both the US and Canada, have an affiliate Mexican Bank. Often the transaction fees are minimal if anything at all. We set up a small bank account with such an affiliate arrangement in our home city before we left for Mexico. We use this bank account as a "Transfer station" and ensure via computer that we have a month's worth of funds at a time. When we are in Mexico we use the Mexican affiliate as much as possible. -- Dot
Hi Guys,
We are traveling down through the Baja, taking the ferry across to Los Mochis and then want to take our rig through the Copper Canyon. We are independent travelers who want to do-it-ourselves. Who do we contact regarding taking our 24 foot rig aboard the train? -- Paul C.
Hi Paul,
Great trip. Unfortunately I see only one small problem with your plans. In order to piggyback on a railcar you must join a Caravan company. There appears to be no way around it. Yes the costs are steep -- approximately $5,000 for two people.
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| Copper Canyon Mexico is larger than the Grand Canyon and does have a train that will carry your RV, but it is expensive and you must travel with a caravan company Bill Bell Photograph |
That doesn�t mean you can't enjoy the Canyon. If you are on the west Coast, we suggest the following:
1) Drive to El Fuerte. The train leaves from Los Mochis but there is nothing special from Los Mochis to El Fuerte that you will miss.
2) Stay at Bill Trimbles RV Park, EL Fuerte. He is an American that knows the area and Canyon very well. It's a fine RV Park that can accommodate a lot of rigs. You will meet others that are doing the same thing you are. He even has a pet service for Fido.
3) Get Bill to arrange a taxi to the train station and back. It WILL be cheaper. If you want to save money, the second class train is fine going up to the canyons. Coming back make sure you take the first class one otherwise it travels the great spots in the dark and you can't see the views!
4) Once in Divisidero or Creel, take local busses or hire a local tour guide. These are very cheap and will be a bargain.
To get the most out of your Copper Canyon experience you MUST get out of the train and get into the Canyon. I know I will get into some trouble here, but I think the Grand Canyon is far more GRAND and that the Copper Canyon experience has much more to do with interacting with the Indians and actually descending into the valleys.
But if you have the cash here are a few of the companies that offer caravans.
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| Spectacular views from the Cliff tops of Copper Canyon Bill Bell Photograph |
Camping World, Adventure, Fantasy RV Tours, Tracks to Adventure and Copper Canyon RV Tours.
Have a wonderful trip and write us back. -- Dot and Bill
Hi Bill and Dot,
I am considering purchasing a two-way satellite dish and want to know how it is working for you in Mexico? Any problems? -- Jim McInnis
Hi Jim,
We would be lying to you if we said we have had a great experience with our Motosat system. There were major problems in the beginning when we first purchased our system. The service from Motosat was less than ideal and we have yet to be reimbursed for the out of pocket money we spent on "their problem."
We have the largest most professional dish. The signal is not as good as broadband in our experience and certainly the $99 or more per month connection fee is expensive. We try to get on land lines if they are available and when we stay for an extended period. VOIP -- the Vonage type services do not work very well as there is a big delay as the signal goes from your computer to a satellite and then back to earth.
The system is great when you are in the middle of no-where and you need internet. Consider how often that is before you make the investment. We have found it useful but then we need it for our website and our kids need it to attend internet school back home. Don't let anyone kid you. It is not broadband. We have traveled throughout Mexico and have had a satisfactory connection. Please feel free to ask more specific questions. -- Dot and Bill
For more information about RVing and exploring Mexico, go to The Bell's Website or to ask your question about RVing in Mexico write editor@ontheroadin.com .
For a big selection of books about RVing in Mexico visit RVbookstore.com.com
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