PICKUP TRUCKS DENIED ACCESS TO MEXICO
Over the past week or so I have had quite a few emails back and forth with people who appear to be the authorities in Mexico on the subject of how much a vehicle can legally weigh when entering Mexico...
Forum Discussion
The fact of the matter is that Nogales is still anyone's best bet to get their rig across. There re 2 separate issue here. Weight and truck campers.
I used to have a truck camper, and took it in for 6-7 years.
One of the problems with truck campers is that some states or provinces do not license and/or register them, and some campers may not even have VIN numbers. If the camper is registered, you would normally permit it separately as an RV which will give it a 10 year permit. There is actually a classification for them in the Banjercito on line permit process under motorhomes. The issue is when they are not registered & plated. In that case they are essentially cargo, and that can cause issues. In this case you really should have some sort of proof of ownership, and in my previous experience with a unit of this type, (unregistered in my province), you just get the permit for the truck and ignore the camper. This works at Nogales as they cannot see your rig and its too far for them to walk out and look at it. I did it this way for years and was never questioned on exit, they did not ask to see its VIN or anything like that. The Churches also did it this way, and still do. It is possible to get a 10 year permit on line, by registering both the truck & camper as motorhome, using the trucks VIN number and classifying both as a truck camper, in the on line process. I know this because I actually did it this way one year when I borrowed my sister in laws small truck camper which was a used "fishermans special" with no VIN. I removed the jacks.. I would think in that case you would not remove the camper and drive the truck around or you could be in trouble if stopped. It would also be advisable to remove the jacks, as I did the one time I registered this way. I know at least one other person who was given a 10 year on a truck & camper as one unit at Nogales
Truck campers are, and continue to be, a grey area. I would think the only crossing you stand a hope of getting across with a truck camper that does not have separate registration, or you have not permitted separately is Nogales, because of the fact they don't see it. The advantage of Nogales hit home for me this time at Reynosa where they x-rayed my rig and photographed the sticker on the door.
At Nogales they have never gone within 500 feet of my truck whether I am leading a caravan or not. They never leave the booth.
It would be interesting to see if you could get an online permit for an unregistered truck camper on line, providing proof of purchase only. If you have the title, i suspect you can. Either way it seems that the officials processing on line permits are far more in line with SAT regulations than are officials at the borders. i am becoming a fan of getting permits on line, despite the risk of having to cancel them and the hassles that involve.
I used to have a truck camper, and took it in for 6-7 years.
One of the problems with truck campers is that some states or provinces do not license and/or register them, and some campers may not even have VIN numbers. If the camper is registered, you would normally permit it separately as an RV which will give it a 10 year permit. There is actually a classification for them in the Banjercito on line permit process under motorhomes. The issue is when they are not registered & plated. In that case they are essentially cargo, and that can cause issues. In this case you really should have some sort of proof of ownership, and in my previous experience with a unit of this type, (unregistered in my province), you just get the permit for the truck and ignore the camper. This works at Nogales as they cannot see your rig and its too far for them to walk out and look at it. I did it this way for years and was never questioned on exit, they did not ask to see its VIN or anything like that. The Churches also did it this way, and still do. It is possible to get a 10 year permit on line, by registering both the truck & camper as motorhome, using the trucks VIN number and classifying both as a truck camper, in the on line process. I know this because I actually did it this way one year when I borrowed my sister in laws small truck camper which was a used "fishermans special" with no VIN. I removed the jacks.. I would think in that case you would not remove the camper and drive the truck around or you could be in trouble if stopped. It would also be advisable to remove the jacks, as I did the one time I registered this way. I know at least one other person who was given a 10 year on a truck & camper as one unit at Nogales
Truck campers are, and continue to be, a grey area. I would think the only crossing you stand a hope of getting across with a truck camper that does not have separate registration, or you have not permitted separately is Nogales, because of the fact they don't see it. The advantage of Nogales hit home for me this time at Reynosa where they x-rayed my rig and photographed the sticker on the door.
At Nogales they have never gone within 500 feet of my truck whether I am leading a caravan or not. They never leave the booth.
It would be interesting to see if you could get an online permit for an unregistered truck camper on line, providing proof of purchase only. If you have the title, i suspect you can. Either way it seems that the officials processing on line permits are far more in line with SAT regulations than are officials at the borders. i am becoming a fan of getting permits on line, despite the risk of having to cancel them and the hassles that involve.
