วีดีโอ

Agree on the dark wood, it's a throw back from the 80's when it was thought to be lux. You were not understanding the shower, lol. Open the doors all the way, pull the shower curtain all the way around you and use the hand held and it's caddy post to shower with. NEVER shower with the door closed. LOL What a mess. LOVE MY SHOWER!

Adapt or get left behind I hate the taxi drivers even rob their own people

Just to let you know funkyfrogbait use's they/them pronouns

Wow! Alex has gotten so big. I started watching you when you lived in Merida. I moved to Merida from Texas at the same time. We are still here in Merida. We are now discussing coming back to US. I was laid off in January and have not found a remote position. We will probably be back in the US in May.

that's so dark! hahah

When I was a kid my dad and uncle were truck drivers and any chance i got i went with them. Some of my best childhood memories are of the time i spent in the truck with them. Im lucky to have been given the opportunity to see most of the USA at a young age. If I would have been allowed to i would have chosen to basically live in the truck. There were times that it was uncomfortable but the benefits far outweighed the cons. I know it's a different scenario than van life but these kids living van life may enjoy it just as much as I enjoyed trucking. I was always sad when it was time to go home because I knew it would be a few months before I got to go anywhere again. These kids that are traveling full time with their parents don't have to go home and wait until the next school break to go somewhere new. I do believe that the kids feelings should be considered. But i also believe that the kids feelings should be considered in major life decisions when living in sticks and bricks.

Has to pay?

Man i am now not looking forward to coming with this new smoking law.

I know quite a number of foreigners who are very happily settled in San Cristóbal de las Casas.

Can I buy your cushions and front table? 😫😫😫

I’m hopping now that college classes have resumed a September weekend won’t be like that busy day

The UK hasn't banned smoking outdoors, big difference! I have been to Cancun 5 times from 2004-2008 & have always smoked on the beaches. I gave up smoking in 2021 and I'm now on a vape. I will never go to Mexico again, specifically because of the smoking ban on beaches. I'm sure a lot of people from the UK and Europe feel the same. Being outdoors limits the amount of secondary smoke that non-smokers breath in. It's just taking a ban to the extreme and infringes on peoples liberties. If the Mexicans think this will not affect tourism, then should think again! Just wait a couple more years and you will see.

What company did you use to hire a private driver? I looked into one my friend recommended and we have to pay food and hotel for the individual?

We just bought one! 😅 loved hearing your changes especially shower room! My husband says we shouldn't use the toilet but I hate public toilets and you don't always have privacy outdoors. Considering all that. thanks..

Thank you for sharing

Hi, Found a dead cockroach in my favourite restaurant. I used to order once in a week from this restaurant. Since I found this dead cockroach, i never ordered from that restaurant again. What to do? should I continue eating from that restaurant? plz advice..

I watched both of your videos on on the subject and I just wanted to say I appriciate how expressive and intelligent you are. The fact you don't take anything said in these videos at face value and question everything, filling gaps and pointing out possible missing information make both videos excellent. I also wanted to share a bit more about the conflict. So from the israeli point of view, every peace agreement in the region is flimsy at best. Egypt and to a lesser part Jordan didn't just make up peace with israel for peace. It took them 3 back to back massive defeats and something to gain from the peace (returning the sinai to egypt) to even come to the negotiation table. Not to mention that since the Yom Kippur war, the USA has been an offical ally of israel and intervening in the war by supplying it with weapons. From the palestinian point of view, any jew in the region is a colonizer from europe and recent polls from palestinians from gaza and the west bank show that the vast majority (70%) support a palestinian state over the entire region. So while I do not condone or agree with the israeli settlements in the west bank (which are spearheaded by the ultra orthodox religious people clinging to the ancient israeli claim to the region including gaza and the west bank), I can see why the helping and building ties approach would not work unless there is a massive shift in palestinian perspective of the entire conflict alongside a consistent lessening of settlement growth in the west bank. If a palestinian country would form tomorrow, it would be hostile to Israel in this scenario, and israel has enough hostile neighbors as is. Regarding your inquiry about Egypt and Jordan's intentions with the territories they occupied. They never intended to establish a palestinian state (in my opinion), hence why Egypt occupied gaza and Jordan occupied the west bank and even annexed it before it was conquered in the 1967 war. From 1948 until 1967 both countries could have given the palestinians autonomy and maybe even a country.

Youre going to die of obesity and diabetes, not getting cold. To compare likelihood of crash, you have to compare the distance a housed person drives per day compared to yourself. All the accident statistics are in per miles traveled, and people with houses still travel in vehicles.

People who can't cook with electric aren't skilled cooks.

What about the country of Africa? Big country huh!

As a dual citizen Mexican /American its not the gringos that are the problem because most behave well its the greedy investment companies and those that in an attempt to suck as much money from the gringos also become a problem for the locals pitting the locals against the gringo expat/immigrant . Truth is that when Mexicans migrate to the US prices don’t go sky high .

Thanks for this video. I'm really interested in RoadTreks and every video brags about them. It's good to see the downside.

Excellent video. This highlights the disadvantageous ways I attempted van life. I was on the road for two 5 month trips. I prioritized my comfort above all else (I don't have pets). I knew I was doing that. I was trying to live like I live in a house in my van. As a result, I missed out on many of the adventures I could have experienced. Ultimately, it just wasn't the lifestyle for me.

This is why you insulate well and install a proper ac and a power system big enough to run it and why you buy a truck instead of a van :)

Living for years in SanCris now with no plans to leave, I cannot relate with most of what you say. BUT, my take is that Westerners are leaving anywhere in Mexico all the time. I have seen many young (under 35) people just being very restless. One thing is not going their way and they are gone. Quite peculiar. For many it is all SanCris fault. I have seen people leave because of mold and because of a cold house, etc. Basically because of things you can change by moving to another house or apartment. But I think many anyway never came with the idea to build up a life here and stay longer. Also, I see that many Westerners are just not cut out to live here. Here in SanCris, or here in Mexico. They are spoiled, cannot stop comparing with where they come from, do no effort to learn the language and keep calling where they come from ´home´. Weird, ´home´ for me is San Cristobal, not a place I used to live in the past. Sick. I have had a mild stomach upset in SanCris one time in 3 years and eat out all the time. That´s all. But I hear expats complain all the time about getting sick. You need to filter your water and desinfect your veggies (we use collodial silver). And make sure you have a good microbiome. Also, do realise that the Covid-19 injections have shown to weaken the immune system, so that also can be an issue in some cases. As for safety. Those blockades in Ocosingo (between SanCris and Palenque) you talk about have been there forever. I first came to SanCris in 1996 and our bus was stopped. You do need to pay the ´toll´. Apparently that Russian couple argued instead of paying. That is asking for problems and clearly having no idea about the local culture here in Chiapas. As for the ´shootings´ and other issues. All happened before the elections. It was all show with nobody hurt or wounded, but did get a lot of press and drama. Now that is all over now that politicians promising 'better safety' have been elected (or not). When you look at the statistics SanCris continues to be one of the safest cities in Mexico. Way way safer than places like Playa del Carmen or Tulum which have a murder rate more than 10 times that of SanCris. But the incidents in SanCris have gotten a lot of press and expats (particularly anglosaxons) love to repeat and repeat it, often without really knowing what happened. But I agree with one thing. SanCris is not for everyone. I know many westerners here that have lived here for 10 years or longer. But the new young crowd indeed has proven to be fleeting. Which is okay too. If you wish to stay for a few months only as a digital nomad, that´s fine too.

So good.

This came up in my feed. Thanks for the honest and thoughtful appraisal of van life.

Maybe you would be happier with the FT mobile lifestyle if you upgraded to a slightly bigger rig? We get exercise by boondocking a lot. Just this morning I filled 2 blue boys and made 3 trips to the dump station - 2 to dump and one to haul back fresh water to fill our tank. This may not sound like much to a young person like yourself, but at 68 yrs. old it's a workout. There's always something that requires maintenance and repair too, whether on our 35 ft 1999 Tropical motorhome or our 2006 Chevy Cobalt toad. But on the plus side, we get to live in some of the most beautiful and pristine wilderness areas imaginable. There's something to be said for the spirit soothing effect this has on both mind and body. Going FT was the best decision we ever made. Six years ago, we were lucky to have found a suitable one owner MH in good shape, with only 28k miles on the odometer for only $15k. It's hard to find a decent van for that these days. We knew we liked to boondock, so needed a MH with a high load capacity, large tanks, good insulation, dual pane windows, etc. Our MH has a tag axle to carry extra weight and improve stability on the road, which is important, since we're carrying everything that we own with us. We boondocked for 10 months last year and have been off grid all this year so far. Now we live off grid just like we were plugged into a power pedestal at an RV park, powered entirely by the sun. Mounting a liftable 620w array on the side of our coach allowed us to rack 8, 550-watt panels (4,400 watts of solar) 15" off our roof. Not only do the panels run cooler, producing more power, but our RV stays cooler inside too, as we bring our own shade with us, wherever we go. We now enjoy 5,020 watts of solar, 23.5kwhs of LiFePo-4 batteries (the equivalent of 18, 100ah lithium batteries) and 6,000 watts of 120v ac power. Since we designed and built everything ourselves, including our batteries, we saved lots of money. This enabled us to afford a high-efficiency EG-4 mini split heat pump for 24/7 A/C and heat when needed, using about 1/3rd the power of our soft start equipped, Furrion, front rooftop A/C. Our entire solar/battery system, with everything, including the heat pump, only cost us around $11.5k to build ourselves. To prepare for the addition of a large solar/battery system we removed some things to shave a little weight, increasing its load capacity by over 400 lbs. Nevertheless, when we added our large solar system, we had to get rid of our 2 e-bikes, carrier, and gear, removing 200lbs additional pounds to stay within our RV's weight limit, as our big solar system added close to 1,000 lbs to our coach, leaving us about 3,000 lbs. for everything else we carry with us. My advice is to get a rig with the highest carrying capacity you can find. You'll likely need it. We fare bad weather and high winds quite a bit better in our 26,000lb motorhome anchored solidly to the ground with hydraulic jacks than a lightweight van or trailer does. I do all the repairs, maintenance and upgrades myself, giving me plenty of exercise while saving a ton of dough. It's nice being able to tow the 30-mpg car we already owned behind our MH, so we don't have to fire up the big 8 mpg V-10 engine in our home to run errands and go sightseeing. Insurance and registration are cheaper on a 25 yr. old RV and our 06 Chevy Cobalt toad, it's cheap to operate, register and insure too. It's also a comforting back-up if our coach ever breaks down deep in the boonies and we need to go for help. That said, we have a good roadside assistance plan that only costs $109/yr. through Escapees that will come to the rescue should we break down or get stuck miles from nowhere. It buys us peace of mind. We live this lifestyle for about 1/3 of what it used to cost us to live in our old stick and brick home, yet we never feel deprived as we are able to go outside and enjoy nature, or do the tourist thing, doing what we like in spite of being retirees on a limited budget. It keeps us feeling and thinking young. Life is good.

I live in Van for many Years and I' never leave it for a House but for a " Khaima " ( Desert Nomad Tent ).

Great video!!!!!

All really good options. I'm wanting to take shorter trips but need comfort now due to my age, 63. A truck camper appeals to me, or a minivan. I enjoyed hearing you compare these out loud as it helped me.

Buy a mobile home

This is exactly what I have known a long time. We're too comfortable and it isn't healthy in any context. Hunter gather of a sort is activated in vanlife as I call it.

I will be adopting this lifestyle in 10 years from now and will finally get rid of landlords. no way I will use my social security benefits to continue paying rent after I retire from working. most of your social security check will go on rent and you are left with little money just to buy food and that's about it. you will not enjoy your retirement life if you continue paying rent to a landlord.

Interesting video. I drove 3 years over the road truck driving. It was mostly work of course but I saw Niagara Falls and both coasts and all America has. I realized “sight seeing” for me is not something I personally can take in on a fast pace. I agree with your take on travel it’s not the places and views it’s still living life. And nobody can live on the go all the time in my opinion and grow. At least I can’t. I’m thinking of retiring in Mexico. I want to save money that’s more important to me right now than pristine beaches etc

Oh Wow! I just checked out their page: kck.st/3VHRlEj AND THEY'VE REACHED THEIR GOALS!!! Thank you guys SO much for all your support!!! You guys are absolutely the BEST!!!

I don't get why people are so scared of toilets ? When you gotta go you gotta go 🤷

Bingo. We get destroyed on IG and TikTok because people lose their minds over 30 second clips with no context (which in fairness, we do digital marketing for a living so we knew that would happen and contribute to the growth). We speak spanish, shop local, most of our friends here are mexican, etc. but it’s assumed we don’t because we’re American expats and our audience is mostly American, Canadian, European etc. We have residency in Mexico to have a Plan B but we’re not planning on being here forever. We’re here for some time to explore. It’s just the first stop. The plan is we can make money from anywhere in the world and we plan on exploring the big world we live in.

Hi - I'm 71 and have lived here (from the US) for 7 years. I think you're blowing things WAY out of proportion as far as negatives. Yes - people get sick (I do about once a year), but everything else here is so worth it. Yes, there are blockades often - - but I stay in town & don't have to deal with them hardly at all. Again, they come & go. Crazy people? Every place has them! And they're not often here... yes, people ask for money, but it hasn't escalated like you say... at least most of the time it's minimal. If you had stayed longer, you'd see these scary things come & go & not matter much. The noise? It's FUN!!! I LOVE hearing the local music and parties occasionally (& don't live next to them - - you can find great places here). Yes - expats come here just because it's cheap, but I'm not a normal expat - - and I love learning more Spanish each time I chat with folks. LOVE hearing the different languages & meeting other travelers from around the world. So what if it's nomadic!! I think this is sad that you've dissed this place for reasons that certainly I don't care about - - it's so much better here than most places. I've traveled around the world on a shoe-string (7 continents), and am proud to live in San Cristobal de Las Casas.

Thanks for the great video, it was very informative. I'm looking at the Roadtrek or a retired ambulance. I can't believe how expensive a 20-27 year old Roadtrek is. Question - What is the interior height of the van and the length of the beds? I'm 6'2" and not sure if I could even fit in the bed. I know that I wouldn't be able to stand up in the van.

too much freedom never herd that before .. it's never one thing that people leave the co of origan maybe taxes or cost of living

Kal goes by they/them. Not she. Sorry if that's dumb to point out now, but it's just a little thing thay was bothering me.

Todo lo que veo aquí es a alguien super individualista tratando de justificar todo lo que pasa, sin decirlo directamente. Quizá por verguenza. No sé. Esta persona esta a la defensiva diciendo "we have to become best friends in a month and speak fluently in months' No, Karen, tu tienes que aprenderlo y ser AMABLE. Y minimo como turista investigas la historia del país al que vas, mucho más su vives ahí. Es responsabilidad social. Y te entiendo, pero no quiero hablarte en inglés.

😆 🧼 🫧🚿

Mexicans don't need help getting wifi or improving their communities from americans that go down and overstay their welcome after their tourist visas expire and don't pay any taxes or want to speak Spanish or try to assimilate to their society. They just want and need for them to leave.

thank you for making this lovely video, Ann! we're now 61% funded with two more weeks to go on our kickstarter. Thank you to everyone who watched and pledged support with us!!

🙄 you own a 24 year old van. Any other van manufacturer would be the same. Good luck getting parts for other 2000 vintage vans or cars. I think this part was an unfair comment.

You guys are totally the best!!!🥰❤️❤️❤️ Erika and Scott have crossed the halfway point all because of you amazing people!!! Here's a shortened link to their campaign if you want to stay up to date! kck.st/3VHRlEj