Wife and I are considering our options for retirement

Other than not being married and not having a connection in San Miguel (or anywhere in Mexico), I am in the same boat.

To retire to Mexico or to retire to an RV or conversion van and travel?

Sorry, I have done neither so can't help you but I am also approaching retirement and looking at both of those options.

I'm from Canada and can only spend six months of the year outside of Canada or I lose my government sponsored health coverage so the more I think of it the more I am considering living in an RV up here from May - October and then heading to Mexico from November - April. I could rent in Mexico, which will allow me the freedom of maybe renting in a different location every winter, if I wish.

I would just have to find a place to park my RV up here in Canada for the winter.

it's a lot to think about, but it is a good problem to have.

Good luck! I'm sure you and the missus will have an amazing retirement!

Hola amigo
First congrats on your early retirement! Don’t have any experience with RV travels but a few yrs back when I was your age my wife and I moved over from Hawaii to Costalegre Mexico in search of a cheaper, undiscovered paradise. We found it here south of Puerta Vallarta approximately 2  hours. It’s no San Miguel Allende but it’s also not nearly as expensive as SMA or any of the other super internationally known areas. We built a home for practically nothing. Rent out bottom half and spend most of our time out in the water or playing on the pristine beaches with our dogs. An average dinner for two here is a little over 100 pesos. That’s six Bucks! Including a beer or two. Let me know if we can help you get started on your next adventure we would love to offer any advice. Aloha y adios Troy y Isela

Interesting points.
We have never been RV types so  cannot address that issue except to say that we are not handyman types either and we need not be since here in Mexico handymen and women abound, do great work on short notice and are always inexpensive if you know what you are doing when hiring them which is not a complex problem after you get your feet wet. We retired at ages 59 and 54 respectively and immediately left unbelievably expensive San Francisco for Mexico ASAP never looking back even once. We have some savings but could live easily on our SSA benefits (now that we are in our 70s) of about $3:300USD a month and have some mad money left over for inappropriate good  times when we get a wild hair up our asses.  We bought two homes down here in far flung corners of Mexico for what we would have paid for a shack in California. We eat and drink well on that budget and travel to my wife’s home country of France almost annually. The towns we live in down here, Ajijic, Jalisco on Lake Chapala and San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas in the Chiapas Highlands, are not bargain towns but fine places to live on a dime. If you use your brain. By the way, you  can .
take  the RV alternative to settling down in beautiful Mexico, where you can RV safely all over the place at your heart’s content and if you choose North Dakota instead,  then you have lost your mind.

O boy, can I tell you stories about traveling by RV if you're not mechanically inclined.  Done it.  Makes for a funny story now, years later, but my advice: DON'T DO THE RV THING.  The repairs can get very expensive, few garages work on RVs as we found out.  Gas to get from one place to another is sickeningly expensive, you have to pay RV park fees if you want to stay safe at night.  Your K3 isn't going to be anywhere near enough to do that.  That's not even considering getting stuck on some lonesome road in the middle of the night in the middle of some dubious areas and having to fear for your life.

I'll be glad to talk to your wife and tell her the details of our trip.  Maybe she'll accept the truth better from another woman.  It takes a very talented mechanic to travel by RV.  Or a very rich couple.

My husband and I are 70 and 72, we thought we would retire in MT on Flathead lake, we bought a place there almost 11 years ago and began living the dream.. wonderful place and we enjoyed both the lake and the skiing.  Eight yrs later and knee replacements hip and back surgeries past and future, we are reconsidering.  We are now in San Miguel on our 3rd month renting.  It is absolutely wonderful, if you enjoy lectures, tours, music, and food. We walk almost everywhere and rarely take a cab, although our reason is exorcise.  Cabs close in are 60-70 pesos, $3.-4. with tip. So when you shop, you may have too much to carry, get a cab. 70 pesos  Because we are renting our total costs are more than if we owned. Of course that all depends on your tastes. A nice one bedroom may cost as little as $600 up to 1200 a month.  We rented a 2 bdrm. in an enclosed community for next year for 1350/mo.  Food is much less especially if you don't insist on your favorite US name brands. Like less than one third what you normally pay for food. Especially your fruits and vegitables. Even eating out is at least half as much or more.  One of our favorite places, for two avg. comes to $570-650pesos, thats with a couple glasses of wine and deserts, around $34.50 US, with a $5/tip.  Elect and propane are so little and property taxes are around $300/yr.  HOA's if you live in a complex with pools, workout rms, etc are avg $100/mo. It really will save you some bucks living in SMA. 
Now, about RV living, its pricey.  Gas is expensive maintenance can be too. Also finding places to park, most places, in AZ for instance, want reservations 1 year in advance. You need to buy RV's used because they loose a lot of value fast. You wont make any money on a resale. They require constant upkeep, yes you need to be a pretty good handyman/mechanic. Carry plenty of replacement parts for things that are notorious for failing.  Travel is fun but you definately have to prebook your stops, they fill up fast. They are typically $30-50./night.  Thats $900-1500./mo. You do meet people easily and there are always people willing to help out in a pinch. You see wonderful places. Stay under 27 ft if you want to stay in National Parks. A few parks have 40ft spaces but very few and they only have maybe 12 overnight spaces available.  National Parks are difficult to visit with large RV's, most roads are narrow.  Hope you are a good driver. Good luck...

My husband and I live in Puerto Penasco, Sonora. It is a growing fishing and tourist site about 45 miles from the Arizona border. It is very safe and laid back and extremely affordable. I receive just over $1000 disability per month. I have a small but successful business selling American style pastries to the locals. I teach Spanish to a few young teens. I would say my total monthly income is between 1500-2000 and we live very comfortable. Hope that gives you and idea.

As mentioned above, the cost of living in Mexico is vastly less than north of the border. $2800/month will give you a very comfortable lifestyle even with rent if you decide you don't want to do the RV thing.  If you find someplace you like and decide to purchase a home then you are living really cheap as taxes/water, etc are very inexpensive.
There aren't that many RV parks around as there are very few RV's here.
Check out my Cost of Living Blog for an idea of costs.
https://www.retireinlakechapala.net/pos … apala-2017

Used to do the RV thing, also sailboat. Ended up selling the RV and now living a good part of the year on the boat. Used to be in Mazatlan, but I opted for Guatemala about 10/12 years ago. Many reasons for the decision. RV pad can be expensive in certain areas, and the cheap one don't have pumping station or descent sewage. also mobility. most area are safe, but some are not. On the water safety is not an issue. but just as anywhere else even back home, you have to keep on your guards. Guatemala is even cheaper than Mexico, RioDulce is better equipped for boat life. I enjoyed the 25 years I spent in Mexico, and still return to places like Isla Mujeres, Cozumel etc..., Rv is okay if you are self contained, solar panels, have access to descent water etc,,,, But for Me a boat is better. You can find a nice little house in a quiet village in Mexico, for the same price as an RV pad. I would not suggest Boondocking tho.

@Troy greer

Troy it’s Terry. Call me, I’d like to plan to come visit. ***

@Mauigreenroom

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He last logged in 3 years ago.

Regards

Bhavna