road due to long slow windy sections, greater distances, speed bumps, small towns, etc. All those increase your fuel consumption and raise your risk of having an accident.
MORDIDA:
Everyone has heard stories of having to bribe police officers and this practice is still widespread.
It is quite possible that most of you
will likely encounter it at least once on your trip. It is illegal to pay a bribe. You seldom see it with Federales anymore. A recent purge of dishonest cops and better pay has all but eliminated it. It is another story with municipal and transit police. Te first piece of advice is to smile, even shake their hand, and do not appear irritated. I have found the best initial strategy is to pretend you speak no Spanish. Tey will sometimes give up in frustration. If you obviously did nothing wrong, tell them you will follow them to the station and pay the fine. Tis will oſten result in a warning. If they speak English, another tactic that worked this year for me, was to tell them how much I loved their country and how I tell all my friends to RV here, and so on, heaping copious praise on Mexico. In that particular instance, I was actually in the wrong. He let me off. Mexicans are very proud of Mexico and this strategy will oſten make them feel guilty about shaking you down. If all else fails, ask the officer for his identification and write down his information. If the ticket is bogus, he will likely back off. You should make every effort not to hand over any cash unless he provides you with a receipt containing his name and badge number. Some people say take his photo. I would really not advise doing that. If you are in the wrong, pay the fine and get a receipt. Don’t try to buy them off for a lesser amount, as it only encourages the practice. I have not always followed my own
advice in the past. On one occasion, when I had serious doubts I could manoeuvre my rig into the narrow, tight streets of the town, I asked the officer to pay the fine for me. I assume it went into his pocket.
INSURANCE: Your US or Canadian insurance is not valid in Mexico. You will need to purchase Mexican Insurance, both collision and liability. Brokers
are located all over border towns on the US side or you can do it online before you leave home. You can expect to pay about $100 for every $10,000 of value insured. A good insurance company will provide an English-speaking lawyer if you get into trouble, and may give you the option of having your vehicle repaired in the US if it is drivable. Some reputable companies are San Xavier, Lewis and Lewis, Don Smith and Sanborns. Unless you plan to travel for less than a couple of weeks, the most economical policy is for six months. You also need to ensure the policy is valid for all areas of Mexico in which you plan to travel. If you live in BC, ICBC will rebate your BC insurance for the time the vehicle is in Mexico. For this reason I always insure vehicles I take to Mexico for both Liability and Collision with ICBC rather than private collision coverage. If you insure a trailer, camper or 5th wheel privately, you may want to inquire
beforehand whether they will rebate you. You will need to save campground receipts, toll receipts and your vehicle entrance and exit permits to prove you were in Mexico continuously during the period in question. I find I break even at about four months, especially if I put storage insurance on vehicles leſt at home. If you do find yourself in an accident, your first phone call should be to the
insurance company. If the police are present they will interpret for you. Being involved in an accident in Mexico is far more of a hassle than having one in the US or Canada. Tis is why I always advise carrying a cellphone, which I will discuss later in this article. If you are involved in an accident, you can expect your vehicle to be impounded until things are settled. You may even find yourself in jail at some point, especially if injuries are involved. Tis is why you will need the lawyer provided by your insurance company.
VEHICLE PERMITS: Mexicans just love paperwork. Tis means that you really have to have everything prepared before crossing the
border. You will need originals of all vehicle registrations. If your truck is leased, or is a company-owned truck, you need notarized permission to take it into Mexico, even if you are the company owner. Having copies of all your documentation is also advisable. If possible, also carry
a copy of any original sales agreement. You should also have a copy of Mike and Terri Church’s Mexico Camping book (see
www.rollinghomes.com). Tis is the bible of Mexican RVing and contains valuable information on individual crossing points, along with locations and descriptions of many Mexican RV parks. No Mexican RVer should be without a copy. A vehicle permit is required unless you are traveling to Baja or remaining
in northern Sonora State, known as the hassle-free zone. Permits are issued by Banjercito and you have to locate the appropriate office which is oſten 10 or 20 kilometres south of the border on the main highway. You will be required to have vehicle registrations, a driver’s license, and a credit card. Unless you have obtained one beforehand, the first order of business is to locate
the immigration desk and get your six month tourist card. As soon as you do this, look for the usual copy booth and make copies of it. Tey will ask when you move on to the Banjercito window to get your permit. If there is no copy booth they will usually do the copy themselves. A vehicle
permit will be issued for your truck and any other vehicles, like a tow car. Tis costs around $40 per vehicle for six months. If you have a trailer, scooter, etc, they will generally add those to the same sticker. It is possible to get a 10-year permit for the RV itself, but I advise against it. If you sell your RV and then try to re-enter with a new rig, you will have no end of hassles. My advice is to copy all documents they issue you and, if possible, scan and email them to yourself. I also do this with all my vehicle registrations so I can access
18 RVT 156 • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013
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