warning, avoid nogales on Jan 10

tony lee wrote:
Babysit through a simple on-line application??? Surely that option would be just part of the pre-trip WRITTEN instructions and information pack that you would give everyone several weeks before they leave. No?

Must admit my knowledge of US Caravan procedures is confined to one amusing experience down in Mexico when a caravan arrived with much huffing and puffing of certain individuals and a belated realisation by some that they really should have practiced reversing a fiver or big MH in something smaller than a 5 acre field before they left home, followed by an hour of the senior huffer and puffer haranguing everyone sitting around in a big circle followed by three hours of bingo - all done through a cheap PA system turned to maximum volume and maximum distortion. Guess they eventually did get to experience a little bit of the local 'flavour' to compensate them for the huge costs of their adventure.

as long as we can all make it to Faustos in hermosillo before dark

which would be assured if all had their FMM and TIPs already in their sweaty hands when they lined up to get them stamped. 17 rigs each saving 15 minutes of paperwork is ----- a loooonnnng time.

We do not encourage on line. We have so far had 2 cases where people had to back out at the last minute and canceling a permit is a 6 month process and a huge headache especially since most people are Canadian and live 2000 miles from the border. Yours truly had to spend hours trying to facilitate it with going to the police and gettign letters attestingn the vehicle was still in Canada, etc. When you are dealing with retired people it happens a lot. It is almost impossible to cancel a permit by mail and you cannot get another until you do. You have no idea what a headache it is. By the time the permit gets cancelled the $400 deposit is also forfeit.

Don't know what caravan you observed Tony, but we have none of that. probably because we dont move to a new spot each day. That sort of excursion is certainly not for everyone, but it doe shelp keep RVing in Mexico alive. I orginally got into it simply to helped out a few parks which were suffering who have become like family to me, like the one in Huatabampito. If they close, everyone who loves RVing in Mexico loses. I don't do it for money, I don't need it. I get expenses covered, but my main reason is to introduce new people to the country I have come to love. Not to mention I see everyone who retired with me, dying from sitting around doing nothing. That is also the reason I do it for a Mexican based company, not na American or Canadian one.