Gathering of RV’ers at Laguna del Tule RV Park in Melaque, Jalisco. RVing in MEXICO BY PAUL BEDDOWS


Paul is past president of the North American Truck Camper Owners Association (NATCOA) and a frequent contributor to Truck Camper Magazine.


Tere have been several articles in this magazine over the years regarding taking an RV into Mexico. Canadians, by far, make up the bulk of seasonal RV’ers south of the border, especially on the mainland. First some notes on safety and the fear factor. Tis question always comes up first and has to be dealt with.


Te three main rules that should be followed are: Do not drive at night,


Do not boondock alone, and Do not resist if you are robbed or hijacked. You will inevitably face a barrage of comments from friends and family and other


RV’ers you encounter in the US on their way down. Tey will range from “You will be robbed”, to “You are traveling into a war zone and will be murdered.” Your biggest risk is being robbed, and that is not really a huge risk either if you


take care. Mexico is not a war zone, anymore than the United States was a war zone during prohibition. Ten, as now, the violence was mainly concentrated in certain areas and directed to participants in criminal activity. Most murders in Mexico are


16 RVT 156 • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013


targeted, and your chance of being done in by some random nut is probably less than it is in the US and Canada. Nearly all tourists harmed in Mexico turn out to have been involved in the drug trade in one way or another. Anyone who tells you that taking


an RV into Mexico is hassle-free and 100% safe is exaggerating or deluding themselves. Regardless, the rewards, in my opinion, far outweigh the negatives and potential risks. Tousands do it annually without any problems, but there have been incidents and the odd hijacking. You should always check and find out where the potential trouble spots are and try to avoid them. At the current time, the state of Tamaulipus,


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48