Trip Report Nogales to San Carlos

Very interesting report!

Haven't been down that road in 30 years. What are the topes you mention?

In the center of Hermosillo, while going south in the residential section which has been redone fairly recently in concrete. The topes just are not visible being of the same material.

azdryheat wrote:
Haven't been down that road in 30 years. What are the topes you mention?

Since I don't travel to Mexico, I also didn't know what a "tope" is. So I googled it:

What is a tope? This is the Spanish word for a speed bump, or "sleeping policeman" as the British affectionately call them. Topes are pervasive on Mexican roads, and they come in varying heights, from minuscule to mountainous.

As stated, lots of construction from Nogales to Santa Ana. Miles and miles of concrete poured but not open. I think we averaged 40 mph. Nobody else at Declarations, the tourist permit office or the Banjercito. Made it through in 15 minutes. Staying at Edgars in Santa Ana with two French rigs.

Next time in Nogales try the Home Depot up on the hill above Wal-Mart. Fewer lights and closed over night. Much quieter.

The definition of the beloved TOPE, known as speed bump, some are made of a steel rounded bar, steel tube enbeded in concrete ramps sometimes very steep, most are made of concrete, the most anoying are the half round metal ones, depending on how they place them when you hit them they can really rattle the vehicles, the worst that I have come across are the three rows of the metal ones, with 4 inches of spacing between them and the second row just behind the spacing of the first and the third in line with the first.

If you hit these at anythig more that one mile per hour you will need to do a front end alignment, they really slow vehicles dow, some of theese topes are hard to see, even in daylight a tree shadow can hide then, they normally should have yellw and white stripes, since they were painted in the previous century, the paint is no more.

When nearing or traversing towns slow down, for some odd reason they place schools next to the roads and the famous topes to indicate a crosswalk or school.

Be alert be aware or the tope will get ya!

navegator

Talleyho69 wrote:
We spent last night at the lovely Walmart in Nogales with 11 other vehicles that appeared to be crossing the border this morning. We didn't see anyone familiar.

We left at 7:15, and took the truck crossing. At the Declarations point, got a green light, and the woman had us pull forward and asked for papers. Never wanting to offer too much, we gave her passports and the TIP papers. Nope, she wanted the registration. She compared the license plate with the paper, and asked if we had cigarettes or cigars. Told her we didn't smoke, and were on our way. No dog papers, no coming in, nothing.

LOADS of construction to Santa Ana, Santa Ana to Hermosillo is wonderfully good. Hermosillo is normal, bad, except for the small concrete section through the "residential" area. It might have been the time of day, but the topes in this area were invisible and some were not marked. We were both really looking, and missed two.

Hermosillo to the Guaymas turnoff had lots of construction, but lots of really good road.

We made Totonaka in 5.75 hours, and we don't drive particularly fast.

Could you please post what kind of vehicle you were driving? This has become important, since there are instances of truck campers above 1/2 ton being denied entrance to Mexico at certain checkpoints.

coloradotallman wrote:
As stated, lots of construction from Nogales to Santa Ana. Miles and miles of concrete poured but not open. I think we averaged 40 mph. Nobody else at Declarations, the tourist permit office or the Banjercito. Made it through in 15 minutes. Staying at Edgars in Santa Ana with two French rigs.

Next time in Nogales try the Home Depot up on the hill above Wal-Mart. Fewer lights and closed over night. Much quieter.

I have also considered this, but I recall No Overnight Parking signs being there. This was about three years ago. Were there none?

azdryheat wrote:
Haven't been down that road in 30 years. What are the topes you mention?

The topes that he mentions are in a short residential/commercial area that the truck bypass route goes through. Many of us who live in San Carlos and go back and forth 2+ time per year have stopped using that route, since the Boulevard Morelos exit north of HMO was opened. Morelos takes you directly through town, but the lights in HMO are so well coordinated that it ends up being much faster. I take this route even driving a 10-11 long camper and towing a utility trailer. My height is 10-9. It is city driving, but it is multi-lane, all the way through. There are two places where you have to be sure and be in the correct lane as they become left-turn or right-turn only lanes very quickly. But we have learned that.

Plus, the municipal police seemed to target foreign plated vehicles, especially RVs, for a mordida shakedown for no infractions, on the bypass route. There are plenty of places to pull you over on much of the bypass. In town, there is virtually no place to do that AND they may be worried about being witnessed by superiors in town. Admitted conjecture.

The other alternative is to continue on 15, bypassing the Morelos exit and then going straight at the first signal that indicates a left turn to go to Guaymas. By proceeding straight at this intersection, you go past what many of us call "hotel row" and join up with Morelos coming in from the north (right). This route avoids the favored mordida area of the truck bypass.

We are traveling in a class A with no tow.