Dry Camping

Those who choose dry camping will rely on propane or diesel heaters or generators in the morning to stay warm. Potrero Park can be chilly in February, as we will be at 2,300 feet. That being said, we highly recommend you top off your propane tank(s) before arriving at Potrero Park, as you will not have time to go out to fill them once you arrive there. The same goes for your fuel tanks. We will not stop for fuel until we reach La Jolla Beach Camp, about 100 miles south of Potrero Park.

As noted earlier, we will spend five days at the Zoo. We will be camped in their parking lot, within earshot of the animals that will soothe you to sleep each night. But there are no hookups or dump stations. Chapter 8 is the only group they allow to stay there, but it is all Dry Camping.

As a general rule, camping in Mexico is mostly “dry camping.” Several RV Parks near the U.S. border have all of the amenities offered by RV Parks in the U.S. for a higher price with 50A electrical hookups, fresh water, and a sewer dump. They do this to attract Americans and Canadians, some of whom may stay the entire winter in Mexico, like some of my friends.

But for the most part, most RVs traveling deeper into Mexico are all dry camping. Fresh drinking water, mostly Reverse Osmosis (RO) water, is available in most towns, or, as in La Jolla Beach Camp, they truck it in for our group. The cost is trivial compared to what you pay in the U.S. at pennies per gallon, and they will arrive there the day after we arrive and then return before we leave to top off your tank.

And remember, at La Jolla Beach Camp, almost everyone will be parked on the beach and will fall asleep with the sound of waves crashing on the beach. It is a secluded beach, so there will be times when our group will be the only people enjoying the beach. It is a great place for a morning walk or jog for you and your dog(s).

The Honey Wagon too, will arrive the day after we arrive at La Jolla Beach Camp, and they will pump you out for about $10/rig. They go down the line, and anyone who needs to be pumped out, you simply flag them down, and they will pump out your tank.

The Propane truck will also arrive to fill your tanks the day after we arrive. Propane in Mexico costs roughly the same as in the U.S., but they come to you. Again, just flag them down, show them where your filler valve is, or bring out your portable tanks, and you can get all the Propane you want.

For all three of these services, they are happy to accept US dollars for payment.

The weather at La Jolla Beach will be moderate when we are there. You may need to wear a jacket in the early mornings, but by noontime, you will be in just a long-sleeve shirt if you are from the U.S. (and a short-sleeve shirt and shorts if you are Canadian.) 

You may run your heater first thing each morning to take the chill off, or if you like it warm all night, you can leave your furnace on low. During the main part of our trip, you will not need air conditioning anywhere we stay in Mexico this time of year.

Then we will venture over to San Felipe where the weather will be about 10 degrees warmer, and it will be short-sleeve weather for everyone. Most will have full hookups there, with seven spaces reserved for dry campers who want to save $115 off the cost of the rally. Many people now, including myself, have sufficient lithium batteries and solar, so dry camping is not an issue. I also have a diesel heater to keep my rig and hot water nice and hot.