# Captive Trailers



## Andreas_Montoya (Jan 12, 2013)

There is a community called Paamul near Playa Del Carmen. It began as an RV park then as permits were bought people began building palapas over the trailers. Then as more time went by people built walls. Some of these trailers are totally enclosed with walls and will never roll again. What happens when the permisso expires?


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## Andreas_Montoya (Jan 12, 2013)

I would imagine there would not be a problem as the trailer will not be moving, therefore never stopped by the police. I don't think Mexico has the resources to look up expired permits and seek the owners out. I know they had a fire that destroyed some of the trailers there.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Andreas_Montoya said:


> I would imagine there would not be a problem as the trailer will not be moving, therefore never stopped by the police. I don't think Mexico has the resources to look up expired permits and seek the owners out. I know they had a fire that destroyed some of the trailers there.


It doesn't sound like a very safe place to live. I wonder what (or who) started the fire.


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## Andreas_Montoya (Jan 12, 2013)

A very old propane hose.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Isla Verde said:


> It doesn't sound like a very safe place to live. I wonder what (or who) started the fire.


Electrical codes, if they exist, do not seem to be enforced at all in Mexico. Since I have been in Guadalajara two mercados have burned due to the extension cords that route power through them. One was one of the major big mercados, the other was a temporary Christmas market that is set up in a plaza every year.

I am currently running all new wiring through my house to replace the old wiring. The old wiring had the whole house on one 30 Amp fuse. All the wiring was 16 gauge or less. It was very old, the insulation was cracked or fried, there were no grounded circuits anywhere. I put in a new base for the meter, a main breaker, a grounding rod, two subpanels, separate circuits for lights, outlets, kitchen etc, and grounded circuits everywhere. 

I am doing all the work myself, something I would never be allowed to do in the US. And no one will inspect the work. That is part of the problem in Mexico. I am careful and I know what I am doing, but there are no controls to insure that.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

TundraGreen said:


> Electrical codes, if they exist, do not seem to be enforced at all in Mexico. Since I have been in Guadalajara two mercados have burned due to the extension cords that route power through them. One was one of the major big mercados, the other was a temporary Christmas market that is set up in a plaza every year.
> 
> I am currently running all new wiring through my house to replace the old wiring. The old wiring had the whole house on one 30 Amp fuse. All the wiring was 16 gauge or less. It was very old, the insulation was cracked or fried, there were no grounded circuits anywhere. I put in a new base for the meter, a main breaker, a grounding rod, two subpanels, separate circuits for lights, outlets, kitchen etc, and grounded circuits everywhere.
> 
> I am doing all the work myself, something I would never be allowed to do in the US. And no one will inspect the work. That is part of the problem in Mexico. I am careful and I know what I am doing, but there are no controls to insure that.


You're lucky that you have the know-how to do this work on your own. You can think of it as a Christmas gift to yourself!


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

Trailers or 5th wheels can get a 10-year TIP ...... but if they are not on the road ....


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## Andreas_Montoya (Jan 12, 2013)

I organized a fire department when I lived in Paamul. We spoke qith the fire chief of Playa del Carmen, 90% of all of their fires started with old propane hoses.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Andreas_Montoya said:


> I organized a fire department when I lived in Paamul. We spoke qith the fire chief of Playa del Carmen, 90% of all of their fires started with old propane hoses.


What ignites the propane? One of the pilot lights, or a smoker or what?


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## Andreas_Montoya (Jan 12, 2013)

In Paamul it found a water heater which is usually the case as that is one if the only things it was used for so it was close. Electricity was included in the rent so a lot of people used it to cook. I implemented a 2 year replacement rule on the hoses. They are cheap and in Paamul the palapas were 24 inches apart. The grass roofs all touched so one fire spread everywhere.


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## joaquinx (Jul 3, 2010)

Andreas_Montoya said:


> I organized a fire department when I lived in Paamul. We spoke qith the fire chief of Playa del Carmen, 90% of all of their fires started with old propane hoses.


Probably not the mesh reinforced rubber ones but the old copper pipes that get bent and unbent whenever a new tank of gas is installed.


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## Andreas_Montoya (Jan 12, 2013)

joaquinx said:


> Probably not the mesh reinforced rubber ones but the old copper pipes that get bent and unbent whenever a new tank of gas is installed.


The climate right there on the beach was very corrosive even to mesh over rubber. The rubber would dry out and crack. The extreme heat and a mist of salt vapor coming off of the water ate everything. I arrived with a new stainless steel BHG BBQ pit and in 1 year it was really rusted.


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