Chile Forum

On the subject of vehicles. If you are the type to want to settle down off the beaten path, I am guessing you will need a 4x4 vehicle and that roads arent' like they are in the USA. In my research of Belize, I came to understand that all countries besides the USA get to buy and drive 4 cyl D Rail Diesel engine trucks like the Toyota Hilux. These 4 door mid size trucks get 30 plus mpg and have million mile engines. Are these sold in Chile, or similar types from other manufacterers like Isuzu or Mercedes? How does Diesel stack up against gas in price and availability? In Belize they do a lot of Propane conversions to save on fuel costs. For your homes, to power an oven and stove, do you buy small propane tanks or can you get gas service trucks to refill on site large capacity tanks? Or just cook with wood burning stove? The goal here is to get into nature and live away from the towns, so that will take preference over modern convenience. At the same time, I need to be able to heat the home and cook food and get to town in bad weather if there is an emergency.

On the topic of buying a vehicle, is this a pain, and can you do it while still trying to obtain citizenship? I assume you have to jump through some hoops and pay some friggin fees to get a license, tite, registration, and whatever other government nonesense they have copied from the USA or added on their own....

What kind of speed limits are we talking about, basicly, does it take an hour to go 20 miles in this country down mud washed roads, or is there some decent infrastructure in place. Yeah, I know, all big cities will have nice roads, but I am talking about between cities and where people live in rural areas.

Diesel is less expensive than gasoline.
You can find many small pickups (Doble Cabina) with diesel engines. Don't look for an automatic transmission in any vehicle. They are rarer than chupacabra sightings.
You will need an ID number to purchase a vehicle. It's called a RUT. Search the website for more info.
You can purchase propane in 5,8,15 kilo and larger quantities. Pick up or home delivery. You can also install a large tank and have it filled on site.
Many people own a wood stove and a propane stove for a variety of reasons. Wood is basically free if you live outside the city, propane is fairly expensive.
The folks that are currently in Chile can better help you with motor and cooking fuel prices.
I was in Chile about a year and a half ago and recall diesel costing the same as it did in Texas, about three dollars a gallon, with gasoline about a buck more than diesel on a rough conversion to a per gallon basis. Rented a minivan with a diesel; ran well, decent power and I think I obtained over 20 MPG (again, rough conversion) with a lead foot.
Main highways are pretty good, other than that, anything goes. Pedestrians (women with infants, guys on bicycles, workers running to their locations on both sides of the divided highway) cross the highways anywhere they want.
Drive carefully, but not tentatively.

Cars in Chile are quite a bit more expensive than in USA as they really hold their used price here...plenty of 4x4 and automatics available also.. check out chileautos.cl for prices and mercadolibre.cl these have private and dealors selling, best prices in Iquique, get your hands on a voucher and you can by up there at awesome prices, My bro just picked up a BMW 325i 2005 for $3.4M pesos. this same car sells inthe city for about $8M so its worth the drive and hotel for the 3 days it takes to pick a car and cover the papers then drive back...
yes you need a RUT....visit your local Sii office and they will give you one. when you buy a car you need to pay for some regular registration, test, ciruclation permet etc etc etc but its no more than other countries just the queues and longer and slower.

In addition to being entertaining, this forum has a great search function, it'll save you all sorts of time.

hey Mikeo, im hunting for that person you seek for the ceremony but so far no joy...im on it again tomorrow chasing a few contacts.. i will buzz you as soon as i have a good solid chance of success for ya PS great Avatar

Zenth wrote:Many people own a wood stove and a propane stove for a variety of reasons. Wood is basically free if you live outside the city, propane is fairly expensive.

I would take exception to the notion that you can load up firewood wherever you find it. In fact the carabineros in our region have started challenging drivers of vehicles that are carrying wood. If you happen to pinch firewood from a location controlled by CONAF, you may be in serious trouble. Even the transport of roughcut lumber from sawmills now requires that the vehicle operator be able to produce the factura. And yes it is being enforced down here. Likewise do not expect to be able to enter private property to harvest someone else's wood. Use some common sense here.

The typical domestic gas containers for LPG are 5, 11, 15 and 45 kilogram types, at least from our suppliers in Patagonia, Gasco. Those sizes may differ elsewhere but I think they are national standards.

Domestic gas types in use include liquid petroleum gas ("gas licuado") and natural gas ("gas natural"). Normally natural gas is only distributed in pipelines but it has been used in some vehicle conversions in Chile, particularly for taxis. About 60 city buses down here (in Punta Arenas) and most of the PUQ taxis use "gas natural."

The term "propano" for propane is not commonly used in Chile to designate LPG. If you ask for propano it might be assumed that you want a camping stove gas bottle. At least that is the practice in the Magallanes region, here in Patagonia where we have significant natural gas resources. If anyone is aware of differing gas types and services for domestic use, please jump in.

Wedding Photographer wrote:hey Mikeo, im hunting for that person you seek for the ceremony but so far no joy...im on it again tomorrow chasing a few contacts.. i will buzz you as soon as i have a good solid chance of success for ya PS great Avatar

Thanks Gardner, these people are really nervous and it would be a huge help. I'll owe you a few pints for that

no worries man...im happy to help where and when i can...hope to have news sooonish will be in touch.

[p~x sez, from another thread...] The image of "Toyota Hilux diesel" and "self-sufficiency" conjures up conflicting notions. How about an ox-drawn wooden cart? Now I am comfortable.

MadTexan...
Fergit about those infernal combusting things...
THIS is what you will aspire to - homesteading in the southern realms.

AWESOME, believe me, if i could i would, but turning up to a wedding with all me gear in the back of that might not cut it lol...although IF i arrived on time it would be good publicity if i can write my website address on the animals bums

get your hands on a voucher and you can by up there at awesome prices,

What exactly is this voucher and how do I get my hands on one?

avoucher is issued to people with certain status for example a chilean returning to the country after i think 1 year away is allowed to buy in this tax fre zone...there are restrictions on the time frame for reselling the vehicle i think... you would need to investigate who has entitlement exactly...theres guys up ther selling vouchers but its against the law..Hmmm..