we find few problems with police on caravns, we also ofen haveGreen Angel escorts (like AAA). Since they are govt employees it discourages any shakedown attempts. Most caravans use CB's. Some companies are flexible with partial trips, but it can depend on whether they have it full with full trip customers or not. You do not need to use a caravan, especially on baja which is really Mexico light. With only one main highway, geting lost is not really a concern like it maybe is on the the mainland and there are few tree hazards. regardless, safety should not be the reason to use a caravan, learning the ropes, companionship and finding places you may want to return on your own should be the reason. If you are fluent in Spanish you have an even easier time. If Baja is your interest, you may consider joining Vagabundos del Mar.
Carjacking is a risk, but less so on Baja where there is only one highway as such. I have a gps tracker plus an anti hijack device on mine, but I have been doing a lot of scouting in areas I am not familiar with, so I felt it was cheap insurance. Plus it elimates the worry of geting my truck stolen at home. In 8 years of 6 months driving down there, however I have never had an issue.
