Winter road trip - south of the border

windtrader · August 09, 2023, 09:21:21 PM

There is much experience amongst the BCM crowd that heads south across the border, especially in the winter. Finally, might have time to do something like that is winter (Dec-Feb).

Gary and Mel mentioned rocky point. It has come up in conversations with other RV friends. It is very near the border yet along the sea so maybe it's a good first trip down south?
Seems like lots of gringos head there so language with shops is hopefully not a barrier. Given the road is probably well travelled, can one assume a safe trip? Do you take Mexico insurance, even though it isn't very far?
What is the crowd like during this time and how about the weather?
thanks

CrabbyMilton · August 10, 2023, 05:18:18 AM

I never did with my car nor would I recommend it especially now. I remember on an extended charter bus trip someone asked our tour conductor if they ever had or will offer trips to Mexico. They said they used to long ago but they found it got to be more risky for any number of reasons and less people expressed an interest to make it worthwhile.

bobofthenorth · August 10, 2023, 05:30:04 AM

I know there's people on here who love Rocky Point. I'm not among them and I wouldn't go back there. We drove the bus as far south as Manzanillo and I've dragged a 5th wheel all over the Pacific coast. We drive the car down now for a couple of months. There's better groups than this one to get Mexican travel advice. Other than the fact that there's still plenty of 2 stroke Mexican mechanics there's not much that's bus-specific about Mexican travel.

Get ready for narrower roads, non-existent shoulders and more aggressive driving styles. Our general rule is to travel as early in the day as possible and ideally be off the road by 1 or 2 PM. The toll roads are plentiful and they aren't cheap. Often they are somewhat better than the free roads but not always. RV parks are an endangered species. iOverlander is the current resource for park information. Many of the ones we used are condos or hotels now. Some new ones have appeared but not as many as have disappeared. RVing is not a lifestyle of the Mexican middle class so the parks largely have to survive on a few months of gringo traffic.

Melbo · August 10, 2023, 05:34:44 AM

We go to Rocky Point twice a year typically. We go spring and fall. We have gone in the winter however we find that it is not as warm as we would like. When I tell that to friends they wonder what I'm talking about. At Christmas and New Years it is not much more that in the sixties. I is nicer than the colder climates. One Christmas we went to Keno Bay and it was a lot farther and a lttle warmer but more hassle at the border. Lukeville to Rocky Point is a nice one hour drive that we are used to. I feel safer there than I have is some cities in the United States. Follow all the rules and be sure to get Mexico Insurance. We even spent some time with BOTN and Marylin in Rocky Point.

Just what we do.

Melbo and Billie

luvrbus · August 10, 2023, 07:01:36 AM

Quote from: Melbo on August 10, 2023, 05:34:44 AM
We go to Rocky Point twice a year typically. We go spring and fall. We have gone in the winter however we find that it is not as warm as we would like. When I tell that to friends they wonder what I'm talking about. At Christmas and New Years it is not much more that in the sixties. I is nicer than the colder climates. One Christmas we went to Keno Bay and it was a lot farther and a lttle warmer but more hassle at the border. Lukeville to Rocky Point is a nice one hour drive that we are used to. I feel safer there than I have is some cities in the United States. Follow all the rules and be sure to get Mexico Insurance. We even spent some time with BOTN and Marylin in Rocky Point.

Just what we do.

Melbo and Billie

I got to eat the shrimp Botn brought back

bobofthenorth · August 10, 2023, 10:21:17 AM

Quote from: Melbo on August 10, 2023, 05:34:44 AM
We even spent some time with BOTN and Marylin in Rocky Point.

I should have clarified that we were in Rocky Point at Mel/Billie's invitation and the company was wonderful. We just weren't wild about the location.

To Mel's comments about Mexican winter weather: Our experience has been that you need to get south of Mazatlan to be sure of the weather. Even Maz can be nippy in January. If I'm going that far to get out of the Canuckian deep freeze the last thing I want is "long sleeves and long pants" weather when I get there. Puerto Vallarta has been weather safe for us. We spent last winter in Melaque - shorts and t-shirts every day.

And now for your viewing pleasure, I never miss an opportunity to attach the following photo from that visit to Rocky Point.

luvrbus · August 10, 2023, 10:58:14 AM

Quote from: bobofthenorth on August 10, 2023, 10:21:17 AM
I should have clarified that we were in Rocky Point at Mel/Billie's invitation and the company was wonderful. We just weren't wild about the location.

To Mel's comments about Mexican winter weather: Our experience has been that you need to get south of Mazatlan to be sure of the weather. Even Maz can be nippy in January. If I'm going that far to get out of the Canuckian deep freeze the last thing I want is "long sleeves and long pants" weather when I get there. Puerto Vallarta has been weather safe for us. We spent last winter in Melaque - shorts and t-shirts every day.

And now for your viewing pleasure, I never miss an opportunity to attach the following photo from that visit to Rocky Point.

In all my years Bob I never saw you in long pants even in cold weather,every body freezing in Quartzsite and you in shorts pants

windtrader · August 10, 2023, 09:46:50 PM

Thanks for the insights. We've been on the fence about heading toward Puerto Vallarta area for the winter escape or taking the bus south across the border. Leaning toward going to PV this winter as friends have a timeshare there and many years around and about. With diesel prices these days, it a tossup with airfares.

luvrbus · August 11, 2023, 08:11:48 AM

Quote from: windtrader on August 10, 2023, 09:46:50 PM
Thanks for the insights. We've been on the fence about heading toward Puerto Vallarta area for the winter escape or taking the bus south across the border. Leaning toward going to PV this winter as friends have a timeshare there and many years around and about. With diesel prices these days, it a tossup with airfares.

Maybe fuel will be lower I doubt it though it reached $4.07 here yesterday. Only 3.3 % inflation rate lol what a joke
+

bobofthenorth · August 11, 2023, 09:54:09 AM

Mexican fuel is no bargain anymore either. It used to be but now its basically the same overpriced number that we pay here in the frozen north. I still see US fuel as a bargain. Maybe not a great bargain but a bargain compared to the taxes we pay. "Carbon" tax is our latest one. Apparently if I'm taxed enough it will help the climate. I'm puzzled though because its the 2nd week of August and its so cold here I'm wearing a fall jacket and still shivering. Maybe all those taxes are actually working.

Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM · August 13, 2023, 04:37:07 PM

I go down there every winter and I feel safer there than in downtown Los Angeles, Chicago, or New York City. The people there are very friendly and if you break down on the road, practically every car will stop to help. That no longer happens up here in the States.

It is easy to find an RV Park on the water for $30/night with full hookups and the seafood is great and prices are half what I pay in SoCal.

Here is an article about the trip.

https://www.busconversionmagazine.com/bcm-blogs/traveling-in-mexico/

Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM · August 13, 2023, 04:39:10 PM

Here is a video of a presentation I gave last year at the Tuscon Escapees Rally. It has some great information in it.

https://youtu.be/kF715Z1UQiI

windtrader · August 13, 2023, 11:22:36 PM

Thanks Gary. I went through all the info except for the livestream from last week. Just curious how many BCM or bus conversions are there as opposed to other RV? Are the others mostly Class A or do trailers go too? I recognized a couple names associated with this community. What is the general expectation that travellers attend trips and events? Is it common for folks to just hang out, do their own thing? What about meals, is there a general expectation to join up and be together or is it fine to drift off and explore town on your own? thanks don

Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM · August 13, 2023, 11:37:49 PM

Quote from: windtrader on August 13, 2023, 11:22:36 PM
Thanks Gary. I went through all the info except for the livestream from last week. Just curious how many BCM or bus conversions are there as opposed to other RV? Are the others mostly Class A or do trailers go too? I recognized a couple names associated with this community. What is the general expectation that travellers attend trips and events? Is it common for folks to just hang out, do their own thing? What about meals, is there a general expectation to join up and be together or is it fine to drift off and explore town on your own? thanks don

There are only a couple of bus conversions on these trips. This is the Escapees group which is mostly manufactured RVs including motorhomes, 5th Wheel, and Travel Trailers. These are tightly coordinated trips and involve some charity work. People will also however have a lot of free time to do what they want. The purpose of the trip is to introduce people to Mexico so they can travel down there on their own after this trip. They teach you everything you want to know bout traveling in Mexico in an RV.

oldmansax · August 14, 2023, 05:31:22 AM

You guys are braver than me. Haven't been to Mexico, LA, or Chicago since the '70s. Only been back to NYC on business a hand full of times since then and it certainly was not a pleasure. I don't get time to travel for pleasure much but when I do, it's gonna be to somewhere that has folks that say howdy, yes sir, no mam, sug, and hon.

TOM