I'm Slowly Losing My Identity - Rv Dealers (Ughh)

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

This trip didn't start out so well.  I had made all the reservations in advance: air, hotel, rental car, and RV dealer appointments.  No issues were getting to the airport or parking the car.  Check-in and immigration were smooth.  The flight was only 40 minutes, and it beat driving in the Mexico/Texas heat for eight hours.  U.S. immigration was a breeze, and we were both out in less than a minute.  There is nothing in the system that says I live in another country.  They always say, "welcome home".   You would think that social security and border crossings, along with immigration, talked to each other.

Then reality set in.  We arrived at the car rental counter all smiles.  I pulled out our reservation, my passport, and my driver's license.  She looked at me and said, "Your passport and driver's license don't match.  The new rule, the Real ID Act, is in full force.  My passport is U.S. and my driver's license is Mexican.  No match, no rental car.  She cancelled the reservation and refunded my money.  All the car rentals said the same.  We had to sit down and make a new reservation with another company under Juan's name.  Why?  His Mexican passport and driver's license match.  We found a very nice Avis agent who is from Mexico (30 years ago) and who understood the situation.  She gave us a very good deal.  The line behind us was long, but she didn't want to stop chatting.  I asked about the cost for an additional driver, and she said that as spouses, there was no charge.

This is the model we seem to like the best.  It's roomy for 16ft, has two twin beds or king, and makes into great sofas for daytime use.  It has a full-size fridge, and a smaller air conditioner.  It weighs less than 2800 lbs.  Perfect for us.

We've been out every day checking dealers around San Antonio.  I should have retired here in the U.S. and become an RV salesman.  These guys know nothing.  The small units we are looking at mostly have a small 5000 BTU window air conditioner in a cabinet that works much better than roof air.  All the ones that do have roof air have a 13.5 BTU air conditioner, the same one they slap on all RVs from 12ft to 32 ft or more.  I asked a salesman, and he said, "Oh, they stopped doing the small air conditioner years ago".  Oh really!  I showed him how the Murphy bed worked in one RV, and that the sofa conversion had built-in recliners.  He didn't know.  Out of five dealer visits, we had one that said, "I used to work for the phone company, and after 30 years, I got tired of climbing poles.  I've been selling RVs for three months, and I have learned more from you in the last hour than my company".    And believe me, I am no expert.  I told one old fart he needed to get out of the office and go sit in the RVs and check them out, see how all the bells and whistles work.  This is a highly unregulated business.

We have run into a hitch in the works.  I am no longer a U.S. resident.  When I went to renew my Texas driver's license, I had no proof of residence, which requires a passport, an official Texas ID card, a physical address (our Laredo mailbox doesn't count and the feds are on to mailbox companies), a utility bill, and bank statements that match.  I was greatly concerned about how I would purchase and plate an RV in Texas.  That's our plan to leave it in a Laredo storage and use it in the U.S.  Leave it up to companies that want to sell something.  Three of the dealers said to pay cash, they will issue the physical plates and send the documents to the mailbox, leaving the state paperwork blank with just my social security number.  Now, can we use a Mexican-plate tow vehicle with a U.S.-plated travel trailer?  That's up next.

We had a fun day with our friend Giovanna.  We picked her up and went to Costco.  We buy our vitamins there.  Costco Mexico doesn't sell vitamin C.  In fact, good luck finding high-dose, high-volume packs of vitamin C in Mexico.  At GNC they sell the 1000mg tablets but charge a fortune.  Smaller, expensive bottles can be had at pharmacies, including Similares, but expensive as well.  We had a small brunch at Costco, walking around and sampling foods.  She wasn't that familiar with RVs and was fascinated with one of the visits we made.  

We still have a couple more visits this week, but we have pretty much made a decision on what we would like to buy.  

Part One Of The Project Complete - Now On To Part Two

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

It takes us quite a bit of time to make decisions.  We've lost out on many deals by doing our due diligence but we feel it was worth the wait.  If we lose the deal, well, there will always be another one.  

The Durango continues to run well, but at 20 years old, I wouldn't want a breakdown in the middle of nowhere.  It is a hard sell as well because of the 500,000 kms on the odometer.   Apart from that, it has the largest Chrysler engine for an SUV.  With gas prices in Mexico above $5 US a gallon, it is not a favorite.  We need to lower the price; I propose $ 3,000 US.

We searched for six months for a new SUV and finally found one we like.  It is a 2022 VW Teramont (Atlas in the U.S.) with a 3.6L V6 engine and tows just over 5000 lbs.  Enough for a very small travel trailer.  Mileage is 67,000 km.

The original owners have a small child.  The wife uses the SUV as a mom's soccer car (if that's a good description).  It's not at home yet.  We will pick it up on the 22nd.  It was in for its maintenance at the dealer.  They did a 42-point inspection.   We took it to another VW dealer who did a more intense inspection.  We found some very minor things we used as negotiation; a cracked mirror shell, and we want new tires.  The engine is in superb shape with excellent compression on all cylinders. It has a factory tow package that includes a Class III hitch, wiring harness with seven-pin connector, enhanced transmission and cooling package, along with a trailer sway control.  

We leave tomorrow for San Antonio on Viva Aerobus.  Early morning flight, we pick up a car and head for the hotel.  I have arranged visits with five different RV dealers in the area to look at trailers that will fit our needs.  I am still trying to figure out the license and plates for the trailer.  Neither one of us is a U.S. (state) resident anymore and Texas is very strict about that.  South Dakota may or may not work out as a nomad resident state not having a current U.S. driver's license.

 

The Monterrey airport has not had any incidences so far.  No groups have blocked the roads and the parking says they have room and haven't experienced anything out of the norm.  However, the first World Cup game in Monterrey starts tomorrow and that could be reason enough for protesters to block highways around Monterrey and the airport.  

The Truth Isn't Always Pleasant

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

A lot is happening right now, and we are still wrapping up a few loose ends from our Mexico City trip. At the same time, we have been planning a trip to Texas to look for a new travel trailer. We want something small, but highly functional for our travels around the U.S.

Logistically, getting to San Antonio was our main hurdle. To solve this, we decided to fly and rent a car. Crossing the border itself won't be an issue; Juan has everything he needs, including his Mexican passport, U.S. travel visa, and six months' worth of pension and bank statements. Flying also completely eliminates our biggest worry: driving around small Texas towns with Mexican license plates, which could attract unwanted attention from highway patrol or immigration checkpoints.

We booked a centrally located hotel that includes a full breakfast and a manager's happy hour with snacks, wine, and beer. It feels like we are finally biting the bullet—if we don't just do it, it will never get done.

Since June is Pride Month, the topic has been on our minds, though we don't know much about it. We are fairly conservative and prefer to keep to ourselves. We have certainly faced our share of discrimination over the years, though we don't equate it to the discrimination people face based on color, race, religion, or disability. Many people have tried to school us over the years, claiming that the discrimination we experience is "self-inflicted," saying, "Well, it is your choice".  

I'm glad to think that heterosexuals made such a great choice! We aren't paranoid, nor do we really care what people say. Even though our families are very accepting, they still introduce us as a "friend of the family." Other times, people will introduce us and explicitly add, "they're gay." It always makes us laugh to think about reversing it—imagine introducing our friends Harold and Maude (what a great movie!) and adding, "and they’re straight." It sounds absurd, doesn't it?

We notice this dynamic most when we are on the road. People see our Mexico plates, get curious about our travels, and strike up a great conversation. But the moment we use the pronoun “we,” they often literally turn around and walk off.

Well, we are used to it by now. We just count our blessings and keep things in perspective. Imagine being Black, gay, Jewish, disabled, and LGBTQ? Now that would be a real humdinger, wouldn't it?  In the end, we find it amusing.

A follow-up on our subway experience in Mexico City.  Here are a few pictures of what we encountered.  

They've made a mess and spent a fortune, including the purchase of wall sconces in some stations.  Really?

If you don't know, major forces are doing what they can to stop the World Cup in Mexico.  Agro groups with their tractors, semidrivers with their trailers, and thousands of teachers are set to block airports.  It is getting pretty fierce as these groups are retaliating against the police and Guardia Nacional.  

In the case of Monterrey, our illustrious state governor had promised many projects that would facilitate the aficionados flocking to the city.  The new metro line to the airport, city parks, a new water park, public transport direct to the stadium, including a monorail valued at 1 billion USD, all of which are not going to be completed by this week.  A tragic waste of public funds and use of tax pesos.  Getting to the airport now is complete chaos, and with the supposed blockades by protesters,s we may have chosen a not-so-good time to go on our travel trailer hunt.

Going back to Tlateloco, I forgot one important point about the location.  The Massacre of 196,8 where government troops and military entered the square with army tanks.  They rolled into the square via a major overpass, plowing under parts of the ruins which had been excavated and researched.  The Mexican government's official death toll was 32.  However, families have documents showing up to 300 killed.  

The causes were the same around the world at the time.  In the U.S., it was the Ohio State killings.  In Mexico, students began gathering and rioting as they felt the Mexican Revolution had never fulfilled its purpose of socialist democracy.  Levels of poverty were at an all-time high, roughly 72%.  

The summer Olympic Games were to take place that year.  Just months before, ex-president Diaz Ordaz gave the order to put an end to it and clear the streets of squatters and demonstrators.  In classified and declassified documents, Diaz Ordaz gave the order to kill if necessary.  You can see the apartment buildings that were built to make way for a new era of socialism, but to really clean up the squalor that had been built around Tlalteloco.  Soldiers took to the roofs and shot down on the crowds. 

While in Mexico City, we watched a movie, Rojo Amanecer, a Mexican movie that details the life of a family living in one of the buildings.  Their teenagers were caught by the secret police, beaten, and the whole family was killed.  

Are we in for another round with the World Cup in the next couple of weeks?   

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