Road Report Nogales to Perula

[Usk_Coastie]

Arrived yesterday 10/1 at our house in Punta Perula, Jalisco, MX. We made the trip in our 2003 chassis Class B Sprinter Van. This info is for MX 15 toll road Nogales to Tepic and HWY 200 Tepic to Punta Perula. The roadways into through and out of most of the cities are typically poor to fair condition with lot of pot holes, tope's etc.

Left from De Anza RV park in Amado AZ and crossed at Nogales Mariposa crossing. No changes noted in the crossing except, on the US side there appears to be almost finished construction for a US departure checkpoint with cameras and booths. I guess we'll have to tell them why we would ever want to go to Mexico.....

KM21 no changes, from the time we crossed the US side until we were leaving KM2 one hour. Road to Santa Anna is good. First 10 KM or so after Santa Anna a little rough. After the rough spot the road is good until the tool booth just east of the turn for Guymas/San Calos. From the tool booth to Cuiad Obregon the road is under construction all of the way into Obregon. Lots of single lane one direction with marked 40 KM speed limits. You can make good time if you get behind an express bus...

Obrigon to Navora is smooth 110Km/h four lane concrete. Navora to the Sinola border is rough but you can make time in the left lane.

Sinola south to Mazatlan good roads. Mazatlan bypass is open and if you stay in a park at the north end of Mazatlan and jump on the bypass you can save an hour or two slogging through Mazatlan proper.

Mazatlan to Perula two lane road in good condition with enough shoulders to make three lanes for passing into on coming traffic as both lane will move to the shoulder to allow the pass. They WILL NOT slow down however. HWY 200 from Tepic still sucks, went down hill behind a gas tanker for 2 hours. Highway 200 south of El Tuito lots construction as the road is being widened to three lanes all of the way to Los Morles.

Hope this helps with everyone's planning for this years adventures to Mexico.

[Tequila]

THe usual way turning left a couple of klm past the RV park then along the dam. |No detour this year. There is one nasty piece of road just past one of the lights before that first turn.

Snarley, we will be in Huatabmapito for 2 nights on the 16th, I will let you know. Karla said everthing is fine there. The road out of there south is still a mess. We are headed for El Fuerte & Copper Canyon after that, so I will report on that stretch after. We are meeting another tour coming by bus from Oaxaca in El Fuete for that tour so I will ask the driver what the latest is on the roads south.

Very hot at Totonaka, pushing 38 C and high humidity. I hope you have air

If you see us on the road, come & say hi. My truck has company magnets on the the door. We will be in las Jaibas in maz for a week.

[puchinno12]

Tequila, did you go through Hermosillo or take the perifico?

[snarley]

We are looking at Nogales Border crossing to Totonaka on Saturday 17th or Sunday 18th and would appreciate any additional info on this portion of the route. Comments on Huatobampito ( El Mirador) would also be good from someone who has been there this week.Once we have done it I will do our road report for others following.

[Tequila]

Pretty rough road through Hermosillo. I went through today. Also some rough sections just before San Carlos. One real wicked looking deep pothole on a bridge, I can't remember if it was before or after Hermosillo, it's off the right of the right hand lane, watch for it, it would be broken axle time if you hit it. Apart from that pretty good all the way from the border to San Carlos.

Took a long tiem to get throguh km 21 with only 4 rigs and they searched all 4 at km 11 south of Nogales. First time that has happened.

Be careful at the nogales border cossing. Use the right lane, marked trucks, there is a new lane for cars with 2 90 degree turns in it that would be a real challenge to any 5th wheel or trailer over 30 ft.

[Tequila]

Totanaka says they are OK. I will have everybody fill north of San Carlos and not fill again until south. Karla at Huatabampito told me they have no damage.

We will likely be crossing a day early and staying at Edgar & Anna's if our entire group makes it nogales early

[robatthelake]

stanbnv wrote:
I just read on the San Carlos forum that some Pemex stations took water in their tanks from the storm, so watch where you fill there.

Great!

I usually fill at the Pemex Station on the Highway north of the By Pass. Any word if that one was affected

[stanbnv]

I just read on the San Carlos forum that some Pemex stations took water in their tanks from the storm, so watch where you fill there.

[stanbnv]

Tequila, we are crossing on the 24th at Lukeville and spend our first night at Edgar and Anna's in Santa Ana. We stop for the next night at the El Cortez Hotel and RV park in Guaymas (Miramar). Would also like a report on southbound 15. I usually post each days travel on the La Peñita RV Park facebook page, will try to post copy here too.

[Tequila]

Hi Dieselburps, I am taking a commercial caravan across on the 14th, I would really appreciate any information on conditions after you cross. PM me. Also interested in conditions at totonaka & huatabampito if you are going into either.

The flooding in Guyamos is being described as apocalyptic and I heard 15 was closed for hours between Guyamos & Cuidad obregon.

[DieselBurps]

I heard hurricane Marty dropped a bunch of rain and it looks like there is some flooding along 15 south of Nogales. I am crossing this sunday so we will see!

[robatthelake]

It sounds like things have improved since last Season!
I'm undecided at this point .

[Tequila]

what irks me is they still charge tolls when the road is a mess. Somebody tol dme Carlos Slim runs most toll roads. Now I know why he's the worlds richest man.

Oh well I'm curently sitting at Torklift in Seattle killing time while they do some suspension mods to my truck in preparation. Superhitch receiver & stableloads, as Mexico road proof as I can make it. I love Torklift products, trouble is everytime I change trucks its outfitting all over again.

BTW anyone gone over the Maz Durango highway this sesaon yet? Just had a tranny job & deep tranny pan put on in prep for that one.

[Belgique]

Coastie should get free forum membership for life for posting this. This kind of info is very useful. We won't be heading that way for a few months but maybe this excellent report will inspire others to post their experiences when the migration picks up.

[Tequila]

Leading a caravn across on the 13th at Nogales. Thanks for the report I am going to print it out. We really shoudl have a road reports section pinned on this forum.