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Recommended RV parking?


rcy

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Wife and i just retired and are thinking of visiting Chapala area. She uses a wheelchair, so coming down with an RV that is already setup for her is preferable (if you think you have ever had delays due to TSA when flying you haven't seen anything yet. Try flying with an electric wheelchair and a portable oxygen machine!!). Are there any recommended RV parks in or around Chapala area? RV is a 35 footer, and can use 30 or 50 amp service.

I have seen where people recommend the toll roads for RV travel even if it is more expensive. I have also read some concerns about driving an RV once you get off the toll road in the more mountainous areas due to "tight" fits to the road. Any input is welcome. 

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Best and only real RV Park in the north lakeside area is Roca Azul, just south of Jocotepec.  I understand there is also one on the south side of the lake but don't know much about it.

Definitely use toll roads, expensive but the wear and tear on your rig from the mainly poor free roads will make the cuotas worth the price.  You did not say from which border crossing you are coming, post that and I'll give you some routing ideas.  Easiest is from Arizona, shortest is from south Texas.

We used to drive a 36' Country Coach DP.  We kept it in Texas for 5 years after moving here but finally decided since we would only want to use it here at the beach it was not worth keeping.  Ironically we sold it to a Mexican couple from Tepic, friends of friends, who use it at the beach.  We still miss driving it and "camping" in the U.S. and Canada.

Mexico in general and Lakeside in particular is not very wheelchair friendly.  Very few sidewalks are wide enough or in sufficient condition to facilitate their use.  Of the towns here, Chapala is the most wheelchair accessible but I know of no RV parking there.  RVing is just not well developed in Mexico and what there is mainly focuses on the beaches.  Before fuel got really expensive a fair number of folks would bring their RVs to the beach towns from PV south to Manzanillo.  

 

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Seriously with all the health problems your wife has, I am not sure if Lakeside will be the best place to locate.

The altitude is not conducive to people with breathing problems.

The sidewalks are difficult for wheelchair users, as indeed regular folks have difficulty in not falling.

These issues are never discussed when the film and documentary teams roll in to town

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Well Chapala is by far the most wheel chair friendly of the towns with much wider sidewalks and many have wheelchair ramps now.  All our new streets they have been resurfacing recently have had wheel chair friendly ramps added.  But still high altitude (think of Denver) is not really conducive for people with breathing problems.

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9 hours ago, dichosalocura said:

Well Chapala is by far the most wheel chair friendly of the towns with much wider sidewalks and many have wheelchair ramps now.  All our new streets they have been resurfacing recently have had wheel chair friendly ramps added.  But still high altitude (think of Denver) is not really conducive for people with breathing problems.

Many Chapala sidewalks have barriers/blockages for walking let alone for wheel chairs. Stay wires for utility poles, impossibly high sidewalks, missing concrete, impromptu vendors, very narrow staircases, etc. make movement difficult. It will be years before wheelchair access will be complete. It would be a lot of frustration.   

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If you need oxygen at near sea level, you will have difficulties at 5000'. That is the reason we no longer live at Chapala, and moved to 2389 feet and a dry climate in Tucson. That helped a great deal.

I doubt a visually impaired person, needing oxygen and a wheelchair would be able to function, even in Chapala centro, without the help of two strong aides; if at all.  I think the Rio Grande Valley of Texas might be a better fit, with many RV parks, good infrastructure, over 55 communities, near sea level elevation, etc.

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