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Thinking of moving to Uruguay and living in a motorhome

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sylvana
  7/1/2016 09:06 EST

Hi all,

I am thinking of quitting the UK and moving back to my country of birth (Uruguay). I'm looking for a complete lifestyle change and I like the idea of having my own little home on wheels. At the moment I am doing some basic research to find out how much it would cost and how much red tape I would have to contend with. I drive a car in the UK but I am a bit clueless about requirements for driving in Uruguay. I am aware there is obligatory insurance in case you hurt another person in an accident, and some road tax, but not sure how much this would all cost for a motorhome. In the UK, car insurance is very expensive and the premiums vary wildly depending on the individual's circumstances. For eg, last year I paid about £200 when I was in full time employment and had 5 years no claim. This year, I have been quoted £700 because I no longer work and moved to a different city ! Is it the same in Uruguay ? What other costs should I factor in (apart from fuel and the cost of the vehicle) ?

Many thanks for your comments :)

Morell
  7/1/2016 11:48 EST

These folk might be able to answer some questions

http://www.todocamping.com.uy/

http://www.carliturcasasrodantes.com.uy/

I have only seen a handful of RV's around Atlantida in five years. Most folk seem to prefer a tent or renting a cabin in a camp ground.

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carlitos
  7/1/2016 12:12 EST

Hello,

Yes, I also have seen few RV here in Atlantida area with tags ranging from the US and Europe. I also run into some very poor (at least this is what they looked) family from Swiss driving a german bus. There were not residents, I saw also few families driving almost all the way from different places in the North America.
Being a national bear in mind that you will not going to be able to permanently import any RV. But you can temp import if you want. and you can keep driving and going to other countries. If I were to do this, I would buy an RV in the US and drive some of the way and ship it other parts. Although this will demand a pocket full of cash. I've heard of about US 6K only for the Darien gap.
Keep us updated on your advance and drop a line should you need more information.
P.s: I also saw a German family driving a 4x4 war converted to RV truck living in Arapey.

proger1989
  7/1/2016 17:21 EST

you can contact me in pv if you need the info its better

sylvana
  7/2/2016 08:47 EST

Thanks all for your comments. I wonder why motorhomes are not common in Uruguay ? It seems a good way to live in a country where house prices are still quite high and the roads are generally good....
I wouldn't bother importing a vehicle. I would buy one in Uruguay. I might consider buying an old bus and converting it into a home. I think Uruguay is a good place to undertake a project like that as there are so many people who are skilled people. Uruguayans are good at fixing things !
This looks like a great project :
http://vehiculo.mercadolibre.com.uy/MLU-435912938-omnibus-ingles-de-2-pisos-unico-en-uruguay-_JM

Morell
  7/2/2016 14:46 EST

Maybe because there are few places where you could get electricity, water and sewer services for a caravan?

Maybe because most of the camp grounds are only open in the summer?

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hoppinjohn
  7/3/2016 11:00 EST

It would be interesting to know which way that causal relationship works. Are there few RV (caravan) parks because there are few RVs, or few RVs because there are few places to stay with them in Uruguay?

I was about to wildly speculate that one possible reason RVs might be scarce in Uruguay is that fuel is expensive there. I have read people on this board and in other places who have lamented fuel cost.

However, I was surprised to see that according to global petrol prices dot com, gasoline (petrol) is less expensive in Uruguay than it is in Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, UK, France, Portugal, Finland, Sweden, Greece, Italy, Denmark, Netherlands, and Noway.

Gasoline is cheaper still in Brazil and Argentina, but markedly more expensive than in US and Canada where there are ample facilities for RVs. Still I wouldn't think that would be a major impediment.

Please keep us posted on what you learn; it's an intriguing notion.

Morell
  7/3/2016 12:00 EST

It seems to me that Uruguayans spend their vacations in other ways and RV's just aren't something they are used to.

Here is a long article

http://www.elpais.com.uy/domingo/veraneando-ruedas-casa-rodante-motorhome.html

sylvana
  7/4/2016 09:02 EST

Hoppingjohn, yes it's funny isn't it ? I live in the UK and fuel is very expensive here, however, there is a huge motorhome and caravan movement here. Mostly it is older people who have retired and use the motorhome recreationally, but there is also a big trend for campervans among young people(mostly "surfy" types), so I don't think there is a connection with price of petrol/diesel. I am wondering if the legal system over there is less welcoming to people living on wheels full time, but again, I find it hard to imagine the situation over there is harder than in the UK where we are drowning in red tape and bureaucracy ! My guess is that Uruguay is just one of those countries that hasn't developed an RV culture. It tends to be more common in richer countries where, once people become well off, they start to yearn a more simple and pared down lifestyle, even if just for a week or two . I am planning to come to Uruguay this winter to get a feel for the place and so I can do some proper investigating !

By the way, what currencies are used in the sale of large items ? I have seen houses and cars advertised in USD. Are UY pesos accepted at all ? Reason I ask is because GBP is very high against the UY peso at the moment so this would be a great time for me to take advantage of that.

For sure, I will keep you all posted :)

sylvana
  7/4/2016 09:16 EST

Thanks for the article Morell. Very interesting and provided some ideas as to who I could contact for advice. First stop will be The Ranchomóvil Club del Uruguay. If they can't help me, nobody can ! LOL

Morell
  7/10/2016 17:32 EST

Pity you are not here right now.

http://abnachuruguay.blogspot.com.uy/2016/07/for-sale-german-mobile-home-with-high.html

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mjferriesmcgrew
  7/28/2016 22:11 EST

hey sylvana, i was out of the country for a month, so just saw this. - hope you are still collecting info. on camping. I ride the bus thru Priapolis sometimes, and the last time i saw 2 campgrounds ( beach town ) . i dont know if they have hookups, or what they charge. we have a lovely huge , very out in the country campground at the base of the mountain Arrequita, along the Santa Lucia River , here in Lavallaja Intendencia. ( again dont know about hook ups, but there are tent spaces, a swimming pool ( as well as the swimming holes at the river ) , and a bus that goes into Minas several times a day.

proger1989
  7/28/2016 22:48 EST

In few months il hope to have my Chacra already, you are more than welcome to come and camp

sylvana
  7/29/2016 06:28 EST

hey mjferriesmcgrew, thanks for that. The political situation in Europe is getting more and more frightening and I am planning on coming to Uruguay in the next few months. Rather than staying on campsites, which will work out very expensive I think, I would prefer to rent a small piece of unused farmland (there must be plenty in Uruguay) and go off-grid. I plan to be stationary most of the time, as opposed to moving around all the time.

sylvana
  7/29/2016 06:30 EST

Aw that's kind of you proger. I will certainly consider that. Did you find a chakra yet ?

dave33
  7/29/2016 11:56 EST

For Sylvana--or anyone else wishing to rent some farmland--I have some about 12 miles from the city of Treinta y Tres.

sylvana
  7/29/2016 13:51 EST

Thanks Dave. It will be a while before I will be in a position to take you up on your offer. If the offer still stands in 6-12 months time, I would definitely consider it :O)

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