Mexico

[NMWildcat]

Yep, just takes one incident down in Mexico to make you never want to go back again. All of the bribes you have to pay to get out of whatever predicament you find yourself in, quickly negates all the savings of the cheap economy.

We spend lots of time in Green Valley/Sahuarita AZ (grandkids). 50 miles from the border. See lots of RVs preparing to go across the border. I can see the draw. Most folks talk about getting their rigs detailed/waxed and even painted for next to nothing. They can also spend months down there cheaper than weeks in the US. They can get cheap meds and dental work.

Then you talk to the RV folks in Green Valley who used to go to Mexico and why they no longer even consider it. Very eye opening.

Then you talk to our son, who is a Border Patrol Agent in Nogales. He has lots of interesting stories. Of course he usually only sees the worst scenarios, but he sees lots of them.

So you just have to weigh the risk against what ever reason makes you want to cross the border.

[Mr Havercamp]

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

Yep, just takes one incident down in Mexico to make you never want to go back again. All of the bribes you have to pay to get out of whatever predicament you find yourself in, quickly negates all the savings of the cheap economy.

We spend lots of time in Green Valley/Sahuarita AZ (grandkids). 50 miles from the border. See lots of RVs preparing to go across the border. I can see the draw. Most folks talk about getting their rigs detailed/waxed and even painted for next to nothing. They can also spend months down there cheaper than weeks in the US. They can get cheap meds and dental work.

Then you talk to the RV folks in Green Valley who used to go to Mexico and why they no longer even consider it. Very eye opening.

Then you talk to our son, who is a Border Patrol Agent in Nogales. He has lots of interesting stories. Of course he usually only sees the worst scenarios, but he sees lots of them.

So you just have to weigh the risk against what ever reason makes you want to cross the border.

Ha........Green Valley, I forgot all about that place. We had a couple Titan 2 sites in that general area when I was In the USAF. One is the Titan museum right near Sahuarita (which was in an undeveloped area back in 79/80) near the mine, and the other at the bottom of Madera canyon. Lots of pecan tree groves I believe they were. I need to get back there someday.

[NMWildcat]

Originally Posted by Mr Havercamp

Ha........Green Valley, I forgot all about that place. We had a couple Titan 2 sites in that general area when I was In the USAF. One is the Titan museum right near Sahuarita (which was in an undeveloped area back in 79/80) near the mine, and the other at the bottom of Madera canyon. Lots of pecan tree groves I believe they were. I need to get back there someday.

The grandkids love the Titan museum tour! We go about every year. Another favorite place is the Pima Air Museum​. I hadn't heard about the Titan site in Madera, but I will be asking about it now! Thanks!

And yep, even more pecan orchards now!

[Mr Havercamp]

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

The grandkids love the Titan museum tour! We go about every year. Another favorite place is the Pima Air Museum​. I hadn't heard about the Titan site in Madera, but I will be asking about it now! Thanks!

And yep, even more pecan orchards now!

Off topic but the grandkids may not have liked it much when one went on full alert with everything locked down, door open, finger on the button.....damn scary for an 18 year old which I was at the time. Madera was off to the right just before the canyon. I just scoped it out on Earth. The propellant transfer truck pads and footprint of the site are still visible.

I remember doing an all night tank watch during a recycle at Madera, probably in 1981. We would remove the propellants into tankers which would sit on those concrete pads, and someone had to babysit them. We caught the biggest toad I have ever seen, about the size of a grapefruit or larger. That thing was prehistoric LOL.

[NMWildcat]

I can imagine it was a scary job! The grandkids do like the part where they get to sit in the chair and reenact a crisis, calling out codes and turning keys. I will head out and look for that other site. Thanks for the info!

[gordonsick]

I am interested in this topic, and am interested in the experiences of people who have gone to Mexico. I recently had an extensive phone conversation with someone (a stockbroker) from British Columbia with a big rig and tag axle who travels to Cabo at the bottom of the Baja Peninsula every year. He even has a part ownership of a small RV resort there. While I talked with him, he mentioned that the person next to him had Alberta plates on his big rig.

He said that as soon as he crosses the border from Arizona to Mexico, he feels a lot safer! He has never had a problem. All the fuel stations are Pemex, so the fuel standard (and price) should be the same everywhere, unless you buy fuel from somebody's jerry can.

In terms of the various bits of government advice on dangerous countries, I can remember travelling to various "dangerous" countries like Cyprus and Brazil and checking the Canadian government listing of dangerous countries to see what they had to say about them. The listing is actually sourced internationally. And, guess what? Canadian is rated as more dangerous than these countries, as I recall, because we had the FLQ crisis in Quebec in the 1960s. Some politicians were executed by French extremists and Prime Minister Trudeau applied the War Measures Act to bring in the troops. Ever since then, Canada has been tagged as a dangerous country on those lists.

–Gordon

[1A Camper]

Here are 2 sites that cover places that I would go, there are places I would not go.
BajaNomad - Powered by XMB
San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico Forums
Going to Mexico is a lot different then going to Canada. You will need.
Passport
Tourist card
Temp import vehicle permit you will see this as a TIP ( Registration and driver must be the same name )
Mexican Auto insurance
No guns or ammo. All you need is one bullet and you will get a trip to jail. Mexican are allow to own guns.
They do not speak English HaHa

[Oscarvan]

I have traveled to many parts of the world for decades, including Mexico.

There are things to see in Mexico that are VERY cool, I have seen some of them. Should I want to see others I will fly in, stay at safe overpriced hotels and pay drivers that are on the good $ide of law enforcement.

Everywhere your safety can depend on knowing where not to go, and what the warning signs are. Down there I don't, and there are real risks, IMHO more than here. I would NOT take my motorhome down there.

There's still plenty I haven't seen in the US.

YMMV.

[KenHwy61]

I have been enjoying everyone's opinions on the subject. We are seriously considering spending the winters at a Mexican west coast RV park. No doubt, Mexico has a serious drug cartel/crime problem fed mostly by our seemingly insatiable appetite for drugs and flying to a nice resort is certainly the safest way to go. Driving through Mexico there is always a chance you could get your RV stolen, never to be seen again. But many thousands take the risk and I have yet to hear of any RVer failing to reach their destination. I would be very hesitant to freely tour the country alone but still think if you travel smart and directly to your destination you are not likely to have a problem. Bad things can happen any where at any time. I read there were 44 shootings in Chicago over Easter weekend. But I would not RV in Chicago. There are many places in Mexico I would not RV either but from all I can tell the tourist areas are generally safe. I would love to hear from people who do travel south of the border and about their experiences. (assuming they lived to tell about it)