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I've known a couple of parties who did, or tried to do, what you have in mind. One turned back after having suffered crossing through Mexico City. For them, currency was a huge headache since there was so much counterfeit U.S. currency in circulation that no one would accept theirs. And because they were withdrawing currency from their American bank, via ATMs, all they would dispense was dollars.

Another person hired a driver to drive her motorhome to Costa Rica. It turned out to be so unfit for our roads that she never drove it again.

Were it mine to do, I'd rethink bringing a motorhome to Costa Rica. Crossing five international borders, dealing with five different countries' tax and insurance requirements (and maybe searches) is all more than I'd undertake.*

*But that's just me.

@daveandmarcia

i went to Mexico for a week in 1972. even crossing the boarder was difficult unless you had money folded in your hand.  we encountered many road blocks and our tour bus was boarded many times.  my attitude is others can make the trip from Alaska to south America so can i.  currency conversion at the border is best.  my latest research on the highway is ok but could be temporary closings due to political protest.  It will be an experience... The wife knows the dangers,  full coverage insurance might be a problem.   She wans a $400,00 motor home and she will get it. It's her money.   Insurance for that at the borders might be a problem  , even costa Rica that that is on my check list to check  out before hand on insurance on her beast. .  we wanted to get new cars before we move but local mechanics do not understand our pollution control and do not have the equipment.  me i have a $15 scanner that will tell me which sensor is probably bad. but if it is not the sensor then you take it to a mechanic.  there are none there so i will have to rely on you tube and forums.  i have always done my own car repairs.  when computers came out i was shy but they work like a regular engine oil, water and fuel but added sensors to adjust the computer for pollution.  probably the cars make for costa rica will get better gas mileage anyway.  but the country wants American's and in 2021 the greatly reduced the taxes for foreigners trying to encourage people to come.    thanks for your input.

So, if I understand correctly, you're thinking of bringing your motorhome and two new cars, right? If yes, then let me suggest that you give first attention to brands of new cars that are commonly seen in Costa Rica. First, local mechanics will be more likely to be familiar with those brands. Second, the local importers of those brands generally maintain dealership like parts and repair facilities.  Your U.S.-sourced cars' warranties, however, will not be recognized here. And some brands and models that they import have some components that are similar but different from the U.S.-market units.

A while back, a friend in the States bought a very nice motorhome. The engine failed catastrophically and only then did he learn that his motorhome had a Mercedes engine (but not a car engine). He had fits finding the parts and a mechanic to make it right. Moral of the story: Be sure that you are likely to be able to find parts and service for your fancy new motorhome. Also, know that mechanics in Costa Rica seem to be wary of the cost of inventory, so the wait for the part(s) you need may be very long.

Above, you wrote " but local mechanics do not understand our pollution control and do not have the equipment." That's not necessarily true.

First, since we have annual mechanical inspections, mechanics typically have the same OBD code reader you have as well as the exhaust gas sniffers that the RITEVE inspection stations use. My local wrench spinner has a footlockerful of analytic equipment that can check virtually every feature on new cars as well as old ones.

@daveandmarcia

Care will definitely be toyota and possibley a subaru outback.  I really wish I could test drive either of them sold in costa rica.  The spainish controls might at first be a challenge.  The motor home I my wife's idea but my headache,  could you imagine the cost to ship an non running motor home back to the states.  I finanlly got her off disel powered,  great if you are going to put a million miles on the motor but it would be suprising if we would rack up 100,000.  I showed her the milage  which is not that much differece but when I showed her the cost of disel and the addidive to prevent smoke  she said one word "Gas"  mechainal wise of all the car for me is no big concern I have always done all my car repairs since I was 16.  I have a learning disability but I am gifted with common sense and can figure out anything mechanically.  I only have a high school education, but will willing to work 14 hour days my retirement is now at $90,000 a year.  Expect that is only temporary.  The us government just keeps borrowing money and will go broke in about 7 to 9 years at the present rate and I expect to lose most of that.  Interest on borrowed money 1971 1.5%, 2019 19%, 2025 40%, and next years budget will includes borrowing another 9%.   That is the reason I am leaving when the dynasty goes broke there will be no police protection and crime will soar.  People think costa rica is a bad place,  well parts are but comparing the crime overall in both coutntries costa rica is a much safer country.  I do apppreciate your input,  it makes me think about stuff I have not  thought about.    As I see it now my biggest problem on the motor home is dumping sewer.  I will do that legally.  I am thing paying someone to dumpt it in their septic tank as  I travel around.  Probably after the first of the year we will be there and decide where we want to live.  Today arnell lake or about 10 miles off the paicic ocean but once we have made the drive  we may think differently.    It is acutually chaper to fly, stay in a hotel and spend $3,500 on a rental car than spend $10,000 plus to make the trip in a motor home, but we will see and experiece things on the drive.  Can you imagine the experience of the curves, dealing with road blocks set up in the middle of no where, the drive thru the desert where every home has a bar sign in front of it.  Mexico did in 1972.  Someone said for tax breaks.  Seeing some kid holding a 3 ft aquana on the side of the road trying to sell it.  I have no idea of how to deal with monkeys but I will learn from the natives.  We plan to learn spanish.  I have about 40 tshirts with american flag.  I will give them away and buy tshirts that are common costa rica.  I rally want to move into a small town.  I win frinds easy no matter where I go. The wife is not as good as I am, but we both enjoy all types of people. Security will be a six ft fence with intimidating dogs and cameras that notify me if a human is there.  I know the police is not much help but neighbors can be.  We looke at a lot of countries and costa rica for us is good.  She and I both like to hunt and fish.  But we will have to fly back to her eucles farm in colorado to kill our annual elk  impossible to bring much meat back.  But it is a tradtiton.  I think it is a matter of time before some of the countries get into a atomic war and the dust will have a big impact over the world.  A volcano erupted in indonisia in the early 1800's and block the sun and crop failure world wide the next year..  Even now I have a two year supply of dehdrated food but I want to learn how to grow food in water.  I think I will need the knowledge   I always plan ahead and hope it is not needed.  So far so good but it is getting to be a very dangerous world in some parts and that might spill over and cause problems for the good people.

Purdy Motors is the importer for both Toyota and Subaru (and many others). Their annual offering of Subaru models is pretty limited, so by the time you arrive here they may be sold out of Outbacks (our current ride) or it may be that they never imported Outbacks for the 2025 or 2026 season. We haven't shopped Toyota and so cannot comment on their availability. Subarus and the Toyotas I've seen all have English-language markings on the control. If you buy new, you can ask Purdy to order English-language owner's manuals.

My advice would be to buy a pristine Toyota or Subaru (or other commonly seen brand) before you leave the States, have it meticulously serviced, and have a Costa Rican importer bring it in, do all the bureaucracy, and deliver it to you. The import duty on vehicles is a sliding scale. The older the vehicle the higher the rate of tax but, since the older vehicle is less valuable, the cost to import a three year-old vehicle versus a four year-old vehicle may be pretty much the same.

@daveandmarcia

good avice.  a lot of the stuff on the net is old stuff.  ten years ago costar rica was cheap living, not as cheap now.  on the cars iimported in 2021 the import law was there is no upfront import fees on cars but on a sliding scale when you sell the car you will be 15% of current values and if still driving in 10 year you pay 15% of the ten year old value.  i could be wrong but that is my interpretation of the current law.  we have the money so most likely we will buy two new cars.. wife wans a corvette until i said bad idea sits too low to the ground and during the rainy season huge chug holes on unpaved road.  we have agreed on a Toyota Tacoma with a large engine and 12 pound towing package added.  we have not idea where we will settle but we will bring a boat big enough to take waves on the pacific.  chartering a boat is still an option.  we may end up in the mountains or we may end up close to the coast or meet in the middle and live by Arnell lake.  we are thinking build a new Styrofoam house but that is still inthe thinking stage.  we do not living 5 ft from the neighbors so we  will buy an acre or less somewhere and deal with utilities and government paperwork.  i am capable enough to oversee subcontractors but probably best to pay 20% more and hire a reputable contractor.  they know  the subs and how to zip thru the government paperwork.  we currently live in corpus Christi tx.  i am white.  it takes me months to get anything thru city hall.  my wife looks Mexican and she gets anything she wants in a few days.  the city i like costa rica slow.  i bought a house with a clean titie.  two years later they filed a lien and paid a contractor to cut a tree that had fallen on the sidewalk two years after i bought the house  in 2015 i spen two days trying to get the lien removed.  i went to every department in the county and the city.  they would say i can see the  lien but i don't know how to take it off.  i had a paid receipt issued by the city an a release.  i ended up at the attorney that collects depts and he looked at the paid receipt and said will get it take off.  Well it did not and here i go again every department with county court house and city included the office that put the lien on and same answer we can see it in our records but we don't know how to take it off.  i was nice and was laughing (you can catch more flies with sugar than vinegar)  well l the new wife had it all worked out in one hour.  she is half Indian and half Columbian but looks Mexican.   I am white. business as usual for city hall.  i expect the same treatment with parts of the costa rica government offices.  i never get upset.  that is just the way it is all over the world. i do thank you for your input.  actually i really would like to end up in a small village and become a part of the people. available health care may nix that thought.  i am a flag waiver and most of my shirts display the American flag.  I think that could be determental to acceptance so i am giving away about 50 tshirts with flags on them and will buy tshirts like the locals wear with monkeys, horn bill birds, sloths, parrots and even the costa rica flag, and i plan to learn Spanish.  a must if i want to fit in.  i worry about a new house and two new cars.  i am no better than anyone else but some people might think so if i have more than they do.  also i will hire locals if they will do the job and probably pay 25% over average wage for the job  i did that here and one guy stole $7,000 worth of my stuff and pawned for money to go to the casinos.  he would take stuff i seldom used.  here one of my hobbies is looking for bigfoot.  yes they are real since 2007 i have physically seen 15 using night vision.  one night vison device he took was $3,800.  i could do nothing to prosecute.  he had a key.  hat is a learning excuse.  learning from the locals lots of cameras that notify me if there is movement.  a six ft fence with an electric gate and two big viscus looking dogs that only bark, and hope no on will kill the dogs.  i don't think a motor home is a good idea but the wife wants one so will get what she wants and i will have the headache.  there is a problem costa rica does not have the supporting infrastructor for a motor home. i guess i will just pay some homeowner to fill up with water and dump sewage into their sewer system.  i have friend who is going to put in a rv park but i do not want to live in a motor home, just see the country.  driving thru dangerous countries also is a concern  when all you have is lock the door and pepper spray. i don't know if you have read but the us will cease in 7 to 9 years.  it happened in venzuala, the ussr and other countries.  government went broke and the country ceased to exist.  every one here is concerned but doing nothing.  rich people started leaving in 2019 and the numbers increase every year.  it was cost rica or the phillipines but we decided on costar rica as being the best option for us.  and there are a lot of great countries.  panama  overcharging for the canals and the government gives a lot to the people  south korea is good but have a crazy leader with atomic powers miles away.  he does not care about the people and he knows he will get blown away but i expect he will hit parts  of the u s sometimes in the future.  we could have stopped that but did not now we have to deal with it.  Iraq still has ambitions and now is looking for payback for Israel and the us.  it wil not be the end of the world but if two atomic powers push their buttons fro a few years there will be no food grown. happed in 1819 when a large volcano around indonsial threw a lot of dust in the atmosphere. world wide food failure the next year.  gonna run out of deer and monkeys and fish

@HOMERFROMLAWTON

make that a 12,000 pound towing package. a 12 pound package will not tow a sack of trash to the garbage can lol.  i talk too much and too lazy to proof  read.  those that know me have not problem but to strangers it is like putting a puzzle together.  for some people things get better with age but my writing ability gets worse every year.

Meaning no disrespect, let me second your mention that you need to proofread what you write even at the "cost" of writing a little less.

Too, it would be well to revisit the lessons you were taught in school about starting new paragraphs when you change subjects.

Not all modern technologies are widely available here. While I am sympathetic to your interest in Styrofoam, rebar and poured concrete structures, two things: first, the climate here is mild enough that you won't need to be too careful about weatherization. Second, whatever you aspire to do, don't be the first kid on your block to introduce any new technology. Most construction here is concrete block and reinforcing bar walls, welded steel roof structure, and poured concrete floors with tile. I'm unaware of anyone doing Styrofoam/rebar/poured concrete building and you don't want to be the guy who tries to teach it to a cadre of folks to whom you cannot readily communicate.

Consider, also, that you will need building plans that have been approved by a Costa Rican structural engineer in order to get a building permit. Those plans must be for a structure that is designed to be earthquake-resistant for a Level 9 earthquake. The saying is that your house may roll into the river but the walls won't crack.

@daveandmarcia

i just as soon that you would block me.  i have never been perfect, never will be.  that is the way i was born.  i accept it, but inspite of being born with a handicap of athd or someting like that my life has been very successful.  got it.

I messaged you privately. Please read.

@daveandmarcia

Nope you can't change the spots on a leopard and I don't associate with people who have nothing better to do with their time than criticize a person for any reason  some people are born black, some white, some short, some tall, some with disabilities.  I am not black, tall, but my brain has deficiencies god gave me.  I also have uncorrectable eye problems and normally type in caps because i can see better, but i get tired of people telling to quit yelling and then try to explain, so i just tough it out and let my mistakes go.  Then i have to deal with people like you telling me this and that is wrong.  i choose to not have any association with you.  i almost did not graduate high school but my English teacher saw my potential and fudged my score by two points.  I did not come easy but after my first million the rest came easy.  I would disclose my net worth but then the con artist would come out of the woodwork.  they can work 14 hour days the way i started out.  Hope you learn how to deal with people, you scored an F with me.