RV adventure caravan?

I've come across a few on line but the more you deviate from popular locations, you run into a problem:
- The ones who want the security of going in a group are likely to want to focus on the popular locations.
- Those that won't hesitate to go anywhere are likely the ones that will go without someone holding thier hand.

Some caravans charge a licensing and entertainment fee. I've seen some as high as +$3000. But then again, these type of excursions are chaperoned with people who have experience in tourist traps etc.

Just my $.02's worth.

PS. I'd rather go with a group of people whom DW and I have things in common with.

Being more adventurous ourselves, we are not the average customer for RV caravans.
It might be an oxymoron to use the word "adventure" and "RV caravan" at the same time. Perhaps the typical customer for an RV caravan is retired and actually wants to spend time sitting in their 5th wheel on a full service campground in Mexico ... rather than camp without hookups in a forest and ready to hike to an amazing waterfall?

There are companies that do this. http://www.expeditonportal.com caters more to the overland crowd than rv.net, might want to check in over there...

There are eight Mexico caravan companies that I am aware of.
How would you differentiate yourself from them?
Have you seen this caravan comparison chart?

I think there may be market. We are experienced Mexican RVers and have travelled to 27 Mexican states by ourselves and to all the places you mentioned. However we enjoy travelling with groups of like minded RVers looking for adventure and unique cultural experiences and specifically those that involve interaction with local peoples, food, culture and language. EG, staying on private lands as guests of a ranch, churches, missions etc. I would not be interested if just staying in campgrounds and being escorted from point to point. Im thinking more along the lines of local guides well versed in local history and culture. Local dinners of "comida tipica" etc. Although it would have to be english based to draw clients a high spanish component from day one may also find a market. In other words have a spanish immersion component to it. We wouldn't hesitate to spend money on something like that. Kind of an RV latin American version of a Rick Steves europe through the back door tour. Avoid the tourist traps and hit the gravel roads. We have been trapsing around europe for the last two months doing exactly that. I haven't spoken a lot of english in the last two months. Way fun...especially in an Arabic country. :)

Good luck with your idea. Keep us posted. Feel free to PM me.

John and Angela.

I am wagon master on a commercial caravan this Fall, I PM'ed you about it. It requires good foreknowledge of the route and its hazards as well as road conditions. As John & Angela mentioned you can do it on your own. The benefits of a caravan the first time is to get your feet wet, learn the paperwork involved, get over the fear factor, & find out where it is OK to take an RV. It also makes it easier to visit a lot of places that are tough with an RV. Most Mexican attractions do not have RV parking lots and are easier with a tour. Places like the Monarch Butterfly Reserve is not particularly safe right now (property crime is the issue)as there are problems in Michoacan state and you should travel with a caravan or another sort of group in parts of that State.

As far as getting a group together you really need to know what you are doing and where you are going and have somebody who can handle Spanish adequately. Especially if you have never taken an RV into Mexico before. It is very easy to become trapped in Mexico with a rig, be it in a small town with narrow streets, archways, one way dead end streets & low trees if you do not have the route mapped out ahead of time. Not so bad with a small motor home or Truck Camper, but a big problem with any sort of trailer. I have led ad hoc caravans down there in the past and it takes a lot of skill to hold more than about 5 rigs together. That is the reason commercial caravans have tail gunners who know the route, or in our case we use the Green Angels who are also mechanics. The point is you have to know the route, you do not want to be stuck after dark looking for an RV park, or arrive & find it full with a 35 rig French Canadian caravan.

Trek America does Central America. Caravans of any sort are a hard sell to Americans in particular. they are extremely popular in Quebec, but the language barrier tends to keep people in groups. If you are thinking of doing this as a commercial venture you have to realize there is a lot of overhead. You can also run afoul of the Mexican authorities if you are not licensed to lead tours in Mexico, even find yourself in Jail. It is Ok if you are not charging, but a soon as you charge you are working illegally in Mexico.