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Old 12-21-2016, 07:26 AM   #1
Irish Mist
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Mexico

Has anyone taken their trailer / fifth wheel to Mexico ? If so any issues ?

Thank you
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Old 12-21-2016, 07:35 AM   #2
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I know there are many views on this but I wouldn't personally. I've never done it but have friends who did and they did not have a good experience including dealing with the federales in the interior. That was years ago before all the cartel issues they have now so I figure it's worse. Maybe Baja? I'm sure someone will chime in with their perspective.
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Old 12-21-2016, 11:08 AM   #3
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It would be an awesome trip but just too sketchy for me. I stopped going down there about 2 years ago and that was to surf at populated coastal areas. Even there it was questionable. You could just disappear . I think the interior might be a little more risky especially if your driving a big RV with US plates. That say's "kidnap me!" to the bandit's. It's a beautiful country with wonderful people and hopefully it will be safe one day.
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Old 12-21-2016, 02:57 PM   #4
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Last time I went there somebody tried to run me over. Not in an RV.
Last for me.
Except Cancun on a cruise ship!
Check your insurance if you do.
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Old 12-21-2016, 04:05 PM   #5
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First let me say.....I have lived in Baja Mexico for going on 16 years.
Except for 2 or 3 trips back to Las Vegas a year, this is home base for me.

NEVER EVER have I been kidnapped.
NEVER EVER have I been robbed on the road or anywhere else.
NEVER EVER have "federales" jacked me up.
NEVER EVER have I disappeared.

Yes there are drugs and drug dealers.....not unlike any large metropolitan city in the States.
Yes there is crime.....just like downtown Los Angeles or Philadelphia PA.
But when that crime happens in a foreign country, the US press goes nuts and makes it sound like a trice daily occurrence.

The cartels have no interest in tourists, be they afoot, on a bicycle, motorcycle or towing or driving a RV.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of RVers ply the highway every year seeking solace and a style that screams adventure.

Cartel issues (kidnapping, murder, rapes, assaults, throat slitting etc.) of tourists is extremely rare.
The last thing cartels want or need is more law enforcement scrutiny than they already have by jacking up tourists on the road, a beach or strolling a town square looking for trinkets to take back home.

Yes there are some hoops to jump on entering Mexico legally, yet thousands do it every month. Yes your RV may be cursory searched by the Army along the major roadways....it's a simple routine for your safety and interdicting the transport of drugs and weapons.

If anyone is timid to go it alone, there are many caravans that run the highway all the time.
In fact, it anyone is timid about going, I would suggest you stay close to home in the sanctity of a 75 slot RV park with a clubhouse and hot tub.

However, if adventure is your thing, you don't mind less than stellar infrastructure, highways not up to US interstate standards, eating from roadside taco stands and dealing with another currency and a language you "no comprende", then by all means head south.
And not to mention the extremely favorable money exchange rate right now.

I apologise if I come off a tad sarcastic but it galls me that some folks beat down Mexico as if it's Afghanistan or Syria.
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Old 12-21-2016, 04:56 PM   #6
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The only real issue I see, is with your newer truck, you will have a hard time, if not impossible time trying to get Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel south of the border.
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Old 12-21-2016, 05:26 PM   #7
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Some of my Canadian RVing friends have made it a habit of going to the Baja every year. One has gone via the caravan route while the others have gone down either by themselves or with another couple. They have nothing but positive things to say about their trips which have all gone without incident.

FYI, Trailer Life magazine has several articles about RVing in Mexico which are well worth reading and should provide you with some advice and information about what you need to do before going and what to expect along the way. Try using Google to get more info about taking an RV into Mexico.

BTW, if your truck requires DEF, you might have to take your own as it may not be available there.
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Old 12-21-2016, 06:32 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bobbecky View Post
The only real issue I see, is with your newer truck, you will have a hard time, if not impossible time trying to get Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel south of the border.
ULSD is available in the Baja peninsula down to a small town named Villa Jesus Maria. 416 miles below the border at Tijuana.
This town is in Baja Norte.
All Pemex stations in Baja Norte have ULSD.
Baja Sur stations do not.
Pemex is in the process of changing refining methods to have ULSD by June 2018 country wide.

Most Pemex stations carry Magna fuel (regular unleaded) and premium unleaded, along with diesel.
My truck is a 5.0 gas engine and it never pings, diesels or otherwise runs bad on Pemex unleaded gas.

The days of toting jugs of fuel is long gone......Pemex stations are everywhere.
The longest stretch of highway without a Pemex station is about 200 miles....from El Rosario to Villa Jesus Maria.

There are many internet reports regarding ULSD being available in northern mainland Mexico.
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Old 12-21-2016, 06:35 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by marcortez View Post
First let me say.....I have lived in Baja Mexico for going on 16 years.
Except for 2 or 3 trips back to Las Vegas a year, this is home base for me.

NEVER EVER have I been kidnapped.
NEVER EVER have I been robbed on the road or anywhere else.
NEVER EVER have "federales" jacked me up.
NEVER EVER have I disappeared.

Yes there are drugs and drug dealers.....not unlike any large metropolitan city in the States.
Yes there is crime.....just like downtown Los Angeles or Philadelphia PA.
But when that crime happens in a foreign country, the US press goes nuts and makes it sound like a trice daily occurrence.

The cartels have no interest in tourists, be they afoot, on a bicycle, motorcycle or towing or driving a RV.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of RVers ply the highway every year seeking solace and a style that screams adventure.

Cartel issues (kidnapping, murder, rapes, assaults, throat slitting etc.) of tourists is extremely rare.
The last thing cartels want or need is more law enforcement scrutiny than they already have by jacking up tourists on the road, a beach or strolling a town square looking for trinkets to take back home.

Yes there are some hoops to jump on entering Mexico legally, yet thousands do it every month. Yes your RV may be cursory searched by the Army along the major roadways....it's a simple routine for your safety and interdicting the transport of drugs and weapons.

If anyone is timid to go it alone, there are many caravans that run the highway all the time.
In fact, it anyone is timid about going, I would suggest you stay close to home in the sanctity of a 75 slot RV park with a clubhouse and hot tub.

However, if adventure is your thing, you don't mind less than stellar infrastructure, highways not up to US interstate standards, eating from roadside taco stands and dealing with another currency and a language you "no comprende", then by all means head south.
And not to mention the extremely favorable money exchange rate right now.

I apologise if I come off a tad sarcastic but it galls me that some folks beat down Mexico as if it's Afghanistan or Syria.
I think most intelligent RVrs understand the currency, language etc. At this point in time, unless Mexico figures out how to control itself, it is, and should be, considered something along the lines of a deteriorated 3rd world country; maybe not Afghanistan, but certainly worse than most places folks want to go.

You speak of Baja which is probably the best place to go in Mexico if you're not flying into a resort location. To say there is no problem with the federales, police or cartel is glossing over the situation and flies in the face of all reports coming from the country.

I've been personally "fleeced" by local police. The dangers in the country are FAR above those in the U.S. (unless you live in Chicago/Detroit etc.). People with zero knowledge of the country, and it's many problems, need to know exactly what is going on. The couple that was shot on Lake Falcon a few years ago....just jet skiing, by cartel members, is a warning for all U.S. citizens.

Adventure? Of course we all like adventure. When I was young I liked most anything adventurous; didn't really think about family, kids, what if's etc. Nothing was going to touch me. Now, I'm far more intelligent and weigh costs/benefits with everything. Mexico doesn't pass muster. There are SO many places in the U.S., without the worry of bad cops, corrupt federal police etc.; all trying to deal with the bad guys in an unknown language.....that it doesn't make sense to this old guy to be stupid or gamble the welfare of myself and family because....."it's all good"....when every report from virtually all outlets say differently. I'm not trying to be sarcastic...just realistic, for those that have no clue what Mexico is.

By the way; I have a close friend whose son is married to a girl from central Mexico. He owns thousands of acres and is some sort of "patron". When my friend goes to visit the "patron" he sends his folks to get them when the plane comes in, takes them to the estate and takes them back because.....it's too dangerous for them as "gringos" to travel alone
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Old 12-21-2016, 07:10 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sourdough View Post
I think most intelligent RVrs understand the currency, language etc. At this point in time, unless Mexico figures out how to control itself, it is, and should be, considered something along the lines of a deteriorated 3rd world country; maybe not Afghanistan, but certainly worse than most places folks want to go.

You speak of Baja which is probably the best place to go in Mexico if you're not flying into a resort location. To say there is no problem with the federales, police or cartel is glossing over the situation and flies in the face of all reports coming from the country.

I've been personally "fleeced" by local police. The dangers in the country are FAR above those in the U.S. (unless you live in Chicago/Detroit etc.). People with zero knowledge of the country, and it's many problems, need to know exactly what is going on. The couple that was shot on Lake Falcon a few years ago....just jet skiing, by cartel members, is a warning for all U.S. citizens.

Adventure? Of course we all like adventure. When I was young I liked most anything adventurous; didn't really think about family, kids, what if's etc. Nothing was going to touch me. Now, I'm far more intelligent and weigh costs/benefits with everything. Mexico doesn't pass muster. There are SO many places in the U.S., without the worry of bad cops, corrupt federal police etc.; all trying to deal with the bad guys in an unknown language.....that it doesn't make sense to this old guy to be stupid or gamble the welfare of myself and family because....."it's all good"....when every report from virtually all outlets say differently. I'm not trying to be sarcastic...just realistic, for those that have no clue what Mexico is.

By the way; I have a close friend whose son is married to a girl from central Mexico. He owns thousands of acres and is some sort of "patron". When my friend goes to visit the "patron" he sends his folks to get them when the plane comes in, takes them to the estate and takes them back because.....it's too dangerous for them as "gringos" to travel alone
I understand....in your case, you should probably stay in the USA.

All these reports coming out of Mexico? You mean similar to all "these" reports coming out of any large metropolitan area in the USA and Canada?
The USA does not hold the high ground when it comes to crime.
You "hear" about Mexico crime because it's sensational...not because it's any more rampant than the crime stats in LA, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Dallas, NYC or Kansas City.

By the way.....I am an old guy also and have NEVER had any difficulties you describe.
Yes I have been stopped by both the Mexican Federal police (equivalent to a state highway patrol) and local officers.
In all occasions, I was afoul of some traffic offense. It was not some trumped up charge.

Seriously....more often than not, I was let go with a warning to just be safe.
The other times, it was obvious that the officer was fishing for some "mordida" or a bribe for me to get off the hook.

And in EVERY case where this occurred, I just asked to be taken to a local judge to plead my case and pay a fine or not pay a fine.
EVERY time.....I was cut loose with just a warning.

It is what it is in Mexico....this is the way they have lived and conducted business since Hernan Cortez fell the Aztec empire.
Past Presidents were corrupt and stole fortunes from the people of Mexico.
(sound familiar?)

Corruption is a way of life in Mexico.....it's how business gets done.
It galls me sometimes and sometimes I see it as cutting through the mazes of red tape that drives up the costs to everyone.

Everyone has their tolerance levels for adventure.....and I would rather see hardy, adventurous folks here than wilting violets afraid of their own shadow outside of 75 other campers.
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Old 12-21-2016, 07:35 PM   #11
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Thanks everyone for your time to post. I suspect most like me have that fear of the unknown feeling, when thinking of Mexico. I totally understand that bad things can happen everywhere. And the media loves to make it seem the worse. After I posted here I did some Google surfing and it seems there are lots of campers that go without incident. We are in Florida City and the news around us on the TV is full of shootings and crime..
There seems to be a bit of prep to make the journey. I would like to go but I think for my first trip I would follow some one or a group that has done the trip before. I am finding I am not as up for the adventures as I used to be, even a few years ago.
Again thanks.... and everyone play nice in the sand box
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Old 12-21-2016, 07:44 PM   #12
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I appreciate all the information and hearing the different opinions. Thanks everyone.
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Old 12-21-2016, 07:49 PM   #13
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https://travel.state.gov/content/pas...l-warning.html
and
https://travel.state.gov/content/pas...ry/mexico.html

I think I would have to remove my Trump bumper sticker too.
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Old 12-21-2016, 07:57 PM   #14
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Everyone has their tolerance levels for adventure.....and I would rather see hardy, adventurous folks here than wilting violets afraid of their own shadow outside of 75 other campers.
*
Understood. Having had to personally put my life on the line to take care of stupid people, I look at "adventurous" folks, without sense, in a different light. Please don't confuse intelligent, cautious folks with "wilting violets" or someone afraid of their own shadow......"playing" around in someplace in Mexico makes a person no more than.....?? and certainly doesn't make them "brave" or more "adventurous" than anyone else. Please don't confuse your decision to hang out in Mexico waiting for a bad experience with common sense, bravado, or ?.

Afraid of my own shadow? Please, that's not an assumption you would want to take to the bank....................

Yes, yes I know moderators. I just can't let these kinds of remarks go by...sorry.
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Old 12-21-2016, 08:16 PM   #15
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There are two kinds of discussions on the forum. Those with "black/white" "right/wrong" answers and those with more gray areas or personal opinons. This thread is one of those that doesn't have a correct or incorrect answer. It does, however, provide an opportunity for members to share their experiences and their opinions about travel in Mexico. Some will have had positive experiences to share, some will have had experiences that may not be as positive.

Sharing those experiences is quite acceptable, however, I'd ask everyone to remember that we're all here for the same purpose, to help one another while sharing our expertise. We can do that without resorting to negative comments directed toward another's opinioin.

So, please try to keep any further discussion on a positive track....

Thanks,
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Old 12-21-2016, 09:07 PM   #16
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I used to go to Mexico about every other year until 8 - 9 years ago. All needed was to get insurance coverage in country. My Spanish is not that good and their English could be perfect but they rarely let you know it. Yes, LA, Philly, Detroit are horrible and much of Mexico is the same or worse. How many want to take a vacation to those cities? Yes, I miss fishing the Sea of Cortez, but not enough to go back.
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Old 12-22-2016, 05:21 AM   #17
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I used to go to Mexico about every other year until 8 - 9 years ago. All needed was to get insurance coverage in country. My Spanish is not that good and their English could be perfect but they rarely let you know it. Yes, LA, Philly, Detroit are horrible and much of Mexico is the same or worse. How many want to take a vacation to those cities? Yes, I miss fishing the Sea of Cortez, but not enough to go back.

Indeed the fishing is awesome......

I am the old geezer on the left.
The fish is an AmberJack....all 70# of it.
Excellent table fare.
Taken off Loreto, BajaSur 700 miles south of San Diego
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Old 12-22-2016, 05:45 AM   #18
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Kudos to all of you for this thread. These are the kinds of conversations that keep me coming back. Adventure? Just remember the large number of the RV'ers you have talked to who won't "camp" in a Walmart parking lot. It puts them just too far out of their element. Each of us has our own level of appropriate adventure.
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Old 12-22-2016, 05:53 AM   #19
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Indeed the fishing is awesome......

I am the old geezer on the left.
The fish is an AmberJack....all 70# of it.
Excellent table fare.
Taken off Loreto, BajaSur 700 miles south of San Diego
Nice one! I did a lot of offshore trolling there in a small boat. Fed a lot of locals in the 80s and early 90s.
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Old 12-22-2016, 06:24 AM   #20
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I'm sure there is quite a difference from the Baja side and interior Mexico. The resorts are great but I would only travel there by plane. I might consider pulling my TT down Baja with a crew of folks in tow but no chance in the main land. There is a huge difference between adventure and risk. I have family that have ended up on the wrong side of the cartel/federale police. I have many guys that work for/with me from Mexico. When they go "home for the holidays" and take 1000's of $$$ to pay off locals to pass, no thanks. There are good things about Mexico. Unfortunately there are more negatives than positives...
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