As some of you know, I was next in line after Tommy D for FBP with Antonio Geraldo and upholstery with David Munoz. I arrived in Puerto Penasco on March 3rd as Antonio was still finishing Tommy's GV. Antonio's crew got started with the prep work on March 6th and he asked me for 6 weeks. Not wanting to hang around I flew back to Florida on March 10th. We know what's happened to all of us since then. The border was closed to non-essential traffic and since April 3rd, PP itself has been sealed with police blocking the roads. Nobody in who doesn't live there and if a resident leaves and returns its 12 days quarantine in a hotel at their own expense! I was a little worried as updates were very slow in coming and of course "friends" said I would never see my coach again. In any event, updates are coming regularly and PP is scheduled to open May 17th subject to change of course. I don't have any interior pictures to share, but here is some progress on the FBP. I am just itching to get back there!
Wow. What a beautiful transformation.
Looking good! Yes, "friends" always bad mouth anything or anywhere they have not been. These are known as the "glass half empty" types. Year to year, Mexico is from #1 to #4 retirement destination for the world. Latin America has about 50% of the top ten.
Pierce
I think that my GV was painted there about 2010 .
Painted the bumpers tho.
Yes slightly off topic but... when I was 16 and my mom had just died of lung cancer and i was desperately trying to stop smoking my one and a half pack a day habit, I had to do a coved 19 isolation on myself for several weeks to stay away from my friends so I could get over the jonesing of not having a cigarette in my mouth most of my waking hours. I've lived most of my life without those friends and I don't miss them at all except for once in awhile. Most of them are dead now.
my guess is your coach is going to be just fine. From the pictures it's looking really great. I hope to go to PP next year to get my coach painted. Hopefully things will open up soon enough, but let's hope it doesn't open up too soon. Despite what we're hearing on some of the news channels, this thing is still actively going around. While the death rate may not be quite what they originally thought, and the infection rate not as high, we still have to remember that only slightly more than 1% of the US population has been tested. My guess is that if they've tested more they would find more cases.
I haven't heard what the cases are like in Mexico at this time, but my guess is it's probably similar to the US if not slightly less.
The reason PP is on total lockdown is that they want to keep a sanitary barrier. As of April 18th, there were zero reported CV-19 cases in Puerto Peñasco and they want to keep it that way. Scheduled to lift May 17th but who knows.
Attached is the contact info for Antonio, David, and Edgard who runs Concha Del Mar. English is limited with both Antonio and David, but Edgard is fluent and can help with anything you might need.
You will also need to keep checking on when the Mexico/U.S. border will reopen to non-essential travel unless you can get written permission in advance that classifies the trip as essential.
Good point Brett! I believe US/Canada is scheduled for May 20th. Hopefully Mex by then as well.
Yes, the border crossing restrictions have been extended until at least May 20th:
Acting Secretary Chad Wolf Statement on Non-Essential Travel (http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHS/bulletins/28765e9)
Your coach looks great.. I'm scheduled to be there for Antonio to start mine 1st week of June but this is cutting to close for comfort and While I think he would agree to do it a couple months later to be sure of restrictions then we have the temperature there to deal with .. Disappointing but I'm thinking of revisiting the job with him and moving it to the fall.. In addition to paint I plan to have backsplash tiled and entry steps tiled.. End by saying your coach looks great.. proud for you.
As of right now, the U.S. has 766,212 cases and Mexico has 8,261 cases. The actual number for both countries is probably 3X as much as there has not been that much testing. See John Hopkins site: ArcGIS Dashboards (https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6)
Pierce
Pierce that's a lot less than I thought but how many in Mexico have been tested? Hard to know real numbers in any country including the US, actually especially the US, without a significant portion of the population being tested. And that's just not going to happen right now. Still I think I would be less likely to pick it up in Mexico than in the US. in the US it's really easy to travel from place to place, and we do it all the time. I suspected in Mexico most people don't travel very much beyond their area where they live. I know in the largest cities that may be a little different but even there I doubt that they travel throughout the country much. They just don't have the disposable income that the people in the US have. Of course Mexico has a significant amount of people who travel there for vacation. And they can bring it in.
Yes, expect you are quite correct about disposable income and travel in Mexico. Here is a page with interactive map and CV cases per state. Mexico City is the most infected as it's densely populated and people really pack the subway. Still, 2700 cases in one of the most populated cities in the world is not too bad so far. Tijuana is also is fairly high. The wealthy central cities are still doing well. COVID-19 in Mexico: Everything You Need to Know - Journey Mexico (https://www.journeymexico.com/blog/covid-19-in-mexico-everything-you-need-to-know)
They still don't have the hospital bed capacity if it gets bad. Medical destinations like Guadalajara may do OK but even Mexico City's large district of medical faculties may be overwhelmed. Mexico does have a case/fatality ratio or almost 8% but about half of some European countries. Expect many are really sick before they go to the doctor.
Pierce
I am living in Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico..Believe me they are taking the Virus seriously. Restaurants are closed, a few have take out. Walmart allows one family member at a time.They sanitize the cart handle before you use it, there is sanitizer for you, entering and leaving. All liquor sales are stopped.The Police have road blocks set up, asking where you are going. Beaches are patrolled by helicopters to insure there is no one there. Police drive through sub divisions telling people to stay home. In this area we had four cases, none hospitalized,
that I am aware of. Everybody practised safe distancing.
I am not worried ..We are self isolating...
Safe Travels
Dave.
Wondering what the price is on a paint job like that.
John M.
I was scheduled to get decals painted April 20th by Antonio, but that got stopped. I am still trying to get that done. Still don't have a date for that.
Pat,
Pat - I'm sure he will get you back on the schedule. The border is still closed until May 20th.
Dave, nice to see you and wife are fine down there in the hotel park. Nice meeting you a few months ago there. Glad to see the Mexicans are taking this seriously and no one on the beaches etc. Acting sensible is nice to see at times like this. The Medical experts are the right ones to listen too.
JohnH
There are 2 tile setters in Playa Bonita I recommend if you're interested. Also, there are several excellent tile shops in town so you don't have to haul tile down with you.
Would be obliged to have the tile setters names Twig..
I'm curious, what is the approximate cost to have two sofas reupholstered in PP? I just got a price on that from a Tampa area rv remodeler and I fainted at the $5,600 bid.
Never met an expert.. Only ones that have excelled in there field.. They are called Practitioners for a reason.. They are still practicing.
We might have to push out Visit to Rocky Point till later this year or early next year now.. Shame!!
While we didn't have our sofa done, Muñoz did our driver's and passenger's seats for $550. We did take a sofa to Mexicali several years ago with material we had and the cost was under $300 for a flawless job. When I started as a Greymarket dealer, I would take the cars to TJ to have the fabric in the middle of the seats replaces by MB Tex. Always a fraction of the prices here.
Labor is inexpensive in Mexico plus the overhead for a shop is also much less as property taxes are nothing compared to what we pay. Mexicans get free health insurance with INSABI or for about $370/yr, IMSS insurance so living just there just costs a lot less.
That's one of the reasons we are going to move at least part time to the Lake Chapala area once a vaccine is working. Could be a while though.
Pierce
Maybe forget the RV remodeler and take the sofas to a small upholstery shop.
Puerto Penasco full body paint and upholstery recover (https://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=38738.0)
Info about my journey for paint and upholstery. My cost was lump sum for everything after negotiations #20-- $3200.
Also see #77 for Ric & Leslie $580
Also #81 Ken & Dori $500
DaveS, the meaning of that word is not that they are Practicing (learning as you put it) but actually doing it in laymans terms.
I agree not all Medical people, but I was using that word as a general one rather than explicitly mentioning the sub catergories of those that are involved in figuring out the Covid 19 issues.
I think most of us would want an expert to help us when possible life changing issues occur with us. That is why we go to a Cancer Centre if we have a problem of that nature. You do not go to your local hair salon etc.
IMHO.
JohnH
I have dealt with a lot of cancer in my family circle in the last 5 years.. and continues now.. They are still practicing. They have treatments that work ok and they have stuff they feel is better..
As they say Practice makes perfect .. Just not in the medical field.. it just gets better. That is the reality. Now would I go to a car mechanic to have him take my tonsils out? No.. But I think you get my point.
If you read the medical magaziens you will find they always are coming up with better treatments for all sorts of stuff..
By definition
An expert is a person who is
very skilled at doing something or who knows a lot about a particular subject. ... If you say that someone has expert hands or an expert eye, you mean that they are very skilful or experienced in using their hands or eyes for a particular purpose.
David, I am sure you got the pretext of my comment but as we are not allowed to mention certain issues(politics) for example, my real meaning was a certain person who has no background in medicine downplaying people who have a great deal of experience and are employed to educate the general public on what should be done or not done. Then they go against this advice.
JohnH
Nice hijack.
Exactly....WTF?
Twig, I do want to thank you for hooking me up with Antonio in the first place. Seems to be a stand up guy and I liked him and his family a lot.
Got the info Twig thanks..
Amazing gone from painting in Mexico to covid 19 😎
Topic: Penasco Covid-19 Paint & Upholstery update....
Penasco Covid-19 Paint & Upholstery update....
Sorry I read it wrong.. My fault.
My apologies to all.. ^.^d
Responding to reupholstering couch. I took my jackknife couch to local upholstery shop. I selected a vinyl from a book of auto and RV sample material. I removed and disassembled the couch, he did the upholstery work and then I picked up, put in RV and reassembled. It was about 25% of RV shop estimate for a turnkey job. Finished product was excellent. If you are in a hurry it costs more. I wasn't living in the coach. I had couch and both dinette chairs done in same material.
Thanks to all for the upholstery in Penasco comments.
As a follow question, does anyone in Penasco excel in flooring?
RM has it right. If you pull your sofa or chairs, pop them in the back of a PU and drive to upholstery shops, they will give you a much better deal than showing up with the coach or having the shop come to the RV park.
Michael, call or write one of the paint or upholstery shops in Peñasco for a referral. Shops will usually have at least a Facebook page. Naturally, most flooring companies specialize in tile but here is one that does carpet and hardwood floors:
Mexico county code is 52
CRACSA
Fremont Boulevard, Rocky Point, 83550
Ph: (638) 388-1025
Alt Ph: (044) 662 144-0252 - cell
Thanks Pierce and All for the suggestions.
I think a trip to Mexico is coming next fall or winter, assuming post COVID. We may do upholstery and floors in Mexico and drop by Texas for MCD shades. May also see Extreme for headlight conversion. We get solar this June, 1200 watts and 600 AH lithium.
We retire this year and this will be home!
I recommend you not remove anything and take it in. The price will include removal and re-installation. Labor is the cheapest thing in Mexico. I had mine done (including dinette chairs) for $600 (I gave them 7). And mine's a J couch. Everything upholstered including box and drawers.
As for flooring there are 2 excellent floor guys in Playa Bonita RV Park. They do wash and wax but are tile setters by trade.
Twig,
I typed too fast. I was thinking about doing the R&R and PU to an upholstery shop here in your hometown or close by. I did take the sofa down in the big van but just dropped it off in Mexicali before we caught the train south. That was quite a while ago. Train used to run from TJ over to Mexicali also.
Lots of upholstery shops in small towns below us in the Sacramento Valley. Joann's Fabrics is an excellent place to find fabrics here in the West.
Pierce
No thread issues in 10 years.
Remember when you could buy U.S. Army motorcycles in a crate for $50 when you were a kid? A also remember being cautioned not to have any upholstery done in Mexico as the "tuck and roll" was filled with sand and the tread only lasted a month or so. Perhaps I should check our U300 seats and placard it with a load limit. And you know what the load is...
Many of our cars are being made in Mexico along with windshields, tires, etc. Our airlines have their planes painted and the interiors done in Monterrey, Mexico. Perhaps, that's why they crash and have accidents.
We've met many people who marvel that we have returned from a trip south of the border without being killed or kidnapped when their hometown newspaper's police blotter reads like the St. Valentines Day massacre.
OK, after this I'm going to take a nap and bite my pillow. Oops, got to check that thread. Maybe the "goose down" is really from stables.
Pierce
Pierce, I've been to Mexico 6 or 7 times, mostly for work, never further south than Monterrey. Had wonderful times every time. Very hard working, friendly people. Only felt uncomfortable 1 time 20 years ago, when my attractive wife stood out with her blonde hair going through one of the major parks after 11 PM. You could hear the necks cracking as the heads were turning to look at her. Mostly from the pretty girls who didn't like their boyfriends looking at the small blonde.
That being said, she won't go back across the border. She has read to many of the sensationalized stories from the press. For that matter, she won't go to Florida because she is certain that a sink hole will swallow her up the moment she sets foot there. And yes we have been to Florida and survived. Not so much as a pothole to threaten our lives. When some people get a fear of something, justified or not, it can be hard to break. I hope to be able to change her mind and go to Mexico one day and see what a great variety and change of culture there is.
Larry
If I last long enough and I plan on it,,, I hope to have a P.O. box south of the border for a few months of the year. Only problem I ever had was of my on doing by taking a idiot to Juarez with me in 76.. A friend of mine who owned a night club and a few bucks and I was back in ElPaso ridding myself of the idiot... Always went alone after that with no problems.. I always got along well with hespanic people and I no longer frequent saloons and places that draw problems.. Ive been in most border towns but look forward to going a bit deeper into the country..
Having lived on both coasts of Florida in the past I'd be more comfortable going to Mexico than Florida any day. Forget sinkholes all you have to do is worry about all the crazy people that go there to prey on the elderly.
As far as the people in Mexico are concerned, or at least my opinion of them, I believe they're just like people anywhere. They want to make a decent life for themselves and their children they want to feel safe, they want to a little bit of something to relieve the long boredom, and don't want to have empty bellies. The Mexican people I know are very proud people. Had a conversation with the Mexican-American last night that I worked with for a long time. She won't go to Mexico. She's totally afraid of it. Most of her experiences are with the border towns where she goes from time to time in the past to buy cheap medications and other things. She's now totally afraid of going down there. But she's also totally afraid of getting on an airplane, getting on a cruise ship, and just traveling in general.
As I get close to the retirement now only 11 shifts yeah!, People continue to ask me what am I going to do with myself? A lot of people just don't understand. They want to know how I can give up the people that I know at work to live a life of some isolation in an RV traveling around. I know nurses in their seventies that even though they retired still continue to work. I really don't get that mindset.
Hope to spend many days and nights south of the border.
Not sure how much it is "evil" vs "People Magazine and the Internet are my news sources". Compare People Magazine subscription rate to that of Scientific American. NEXT QUESTION?
Science is HARD and takes a lot of hours of concentrated study. Consumptive shopping-- not so much.
Now Brett "you know everything on the internet is true". who needs science
Chris
Is science always right? Simple yes or no ..
There are certain laws like math and physics but ..Science. Hmm ..its not perfected yet.. I would go as far to say it is perfect but we havnt figured it out yet..
Science is a theory waiting to be proven.....or disproved.
Peer review can be an annoying incidence. Send out your theory to be repeated or disproved and get mad if either happens the way you don't want it to. Best to keep politics out of science.
Or Science in Politics.. Best quote of this forum so far. Thank you for making my point.. Sometimes I take the long route,
Since this discussion is under "Foretravel Renovations", "Penasco Covid-19 Paint & Upholstery update" let me ask that we all get back to that topic. Yes, that includes me too.
For those planning a trip to PP, diesel is still more expensive south of the border and around $3.00/gal even with the Peso at 24/1. Stateside is going to be $0.40 - $0.70 gallon less. If you do buy in Mexico, it's good practice to tip at least a buck for diesel or propane. BP (British Petroleum) now has over 500 stations in Mexico.
I did see regular gasoline at $0.96/gal in the U.S. yesterday.
Pierce
Pierce, when we were down a few months ago there looked like more stations that had changed to competition than there were Pemax. Saw at least 3 different ones, even a lot of Chevron. The new pumps at some have remote input, ie, the attendant uses a hand held pad to input the amount and start it. I was a bit wary at first and watched the readout closely but it was fine and my gauge finished up were it usually does with the quantity pumped.
A few years ago I filled up close to Nogalas on 15 and after the guy started the pump he pulled out his phone and input what I thought was a phone number but as I was watching the fuel input it suddenly jumped around 500 pesos. I stopped the pump and told him of what I saw and he quickly put his phone away then argued with me. I refused to pay and told him I was going to get the Police., who happened to be across the road. The guy decided to take off that amount and away I whent. I now have on my phone the app for Skimmer Scanner and have checked a few since that incident but every one has come up negative. This app will let you know of anything that is added to pump to change volume of fuel being pumped.. This incident has been the only one I have ever noticed in all my years in Mexico.
John
Just wondering how long is the wait list to get a slot with these guys and if the job takes six weeks , is there a good vacation spot nearby ???
Where he does the work is a vacation spot... Playa Bonita rv resort. Depends on how much painting work done as to how long.
I was thinking about moving out of coach if painting and upholstery work is considered so maybe an apartment?
Big Hotel's next to RV park Twig or some of the folks that frequent Rocky Point will have to address the apartment question..
Call Susie Flinn and tell her you know me and what you need. She will hook you up.
https://www.point2homes.com/MX/Real-Estate-Agents/Susie-Flinn/521834.html
Jimmy,
He does a lot of his work at Playa Bonita RV park which is part of the Playa Bonita Hotel with both right on the beach. A tractor grooms the huge beach early every morning. Hard to get quotes now with the border closed. Also check Air BnB. For most anywhere in the world, I bring up www.googlemaps.com, type in the city/location, click on the "nearby" button, go up and select "hotels". Hotels will show up with the prices but you can also click on the blue dots to bring up photos/info on other places. Selecting satelite view is good too. This is a great place to start: Google Maps (https://www.google.com/maps/search/Hotels/@31.3119564,-113.551194,14441m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m8!2m7!3m6!1sHotels!2sPuerto+Pe%C3%B1asco,+Sonora,+Mexico!3s0x812ba5b44ea74411:0x4349796169c75fb3!4m2!1d-113.5311843!2d31.3268218)
The shop/person doing the work can probably get an even better deal for you for a longer term rental.
John H.
Baja had some bogus Pemex stations in Santa Rosalia and south of Mulegé The pumps had a bypass so indicated more liters than they actually pumped. A high ranking Mexico City official got cheated and the station paid a big fine.
After crossing the border, I usually diesel up in El Rosarito at the nice Pemex station there, again at Guerrero Negro (several stations) if going to Mulegé. Again at Loreto if going to La Paz or Cabo. No problems on the mainland.
Pierce
My work is being done at Concha del Mar which is next door to Playa Bonita.
Here is the big reason people drive to Puerto Peñasco for their RV work rather than having it done on the border. Did I mention the food? A quick shot of Playa Bonita RV Park in the second video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9R0qPrLIm40
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAVUuI0uGo4
Here are 3 new pics that Antonio sent me last night. The open space on the rear is for a mural he's doing for us. You may notice I had the ladder and roof rack removed. Never liked that ladder and it looks a whole lot cleaner. I can't believe the transformation so far!
Great color combinations! Can't wait to see the mural.
P
We love Antonio and his crew. They do great work. We still stop and marvel at the difference in ours, doesn't look like the same coach.
Your's is a Beautiful coach. Pictures of the mural, please.
Enjoy, Cheers Ric 8)
Ric,
The French do know how to "let the good times roll." Wondering if it translates crossing the border? ^.^d
Pierce
OK, for those with time on their hands and a big screen, here are most all of the RV parks in Puerto Peñasco AKA Rocky Point. If you start at the top video, they will play in order. One even has a four minute trip from Organ Pipe NM down to a resort hotel in PP.
Further down are the videos of how Mexico is responding to the virus. Our favorite travel couple Mattie and Jordan plus their dog Laska (Tangerine Travels) are in quarantine in Puerto Morelos. Beaches are closed throughout Mexico with police drones with signs hanging down patrolling the beach and towns. Some interesting photos.
Good sound on some of these plus a few are in HD: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=puerto+penasco+rv+parks+rocky+point
Pierce