Truck Camper or Class A?

[Kidoo]

I plan on going to MX next year, should I take the Class A 34 foot, or a truck camper? If I go by myself, I plan on taking the bigger roads and stay in one place, then visit with tour bus or city bus.

If I go with a caravan, does it make a big difference which type of camper I take?

[Kidoo]

rocmoc wrote:
Have traveled Mexico in 52' fifth wheel rig, 36' Class A and auto. All GOOD! Whatever you pick will work. Enjoy, just remember bug spray (Coleman SkinSmart).

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

From what I see on blogs and forums, this is what I get to think too, this is not a third world country, big trucks deliver everywhere and bus tours go everywhere.

There is all kind of people travelling and telling their point of views on things based on their experience and preferences. Some are scared to be scared, some are reckless, some need to be babysit. But it is nice to have these forums and be able to have all point of views to make our own based on our experience in traveling and like / dislike type of travel.

Of course there is allways the odd time where you will end up in the wrong place at the wrong time, but what goes in must come out, you can allways back up. I ended up in the wrong places many time in my travels, things happen when you travel.

I only went as far as Mexicalli to Ensenada and La Bufadora in the Baja. I had the Truck Camper at that time, total 24 feet and 11.5 inch high, but as far as I can remember, there was no tight spot that my class A would not go where I went. I also took the libre to come back, no problem. There are tight road in North America too with branches over hanging and bumps.

I went to Cancun, Belize and Cuba with cruises and all inclusive vacation. I went on bus tour to the Cenotes and Mayan ruins, through little towns, even on dirt road, places I would think twice to go with my 4x4 camper, and I mean bigger bus than my class A. They parked behind restaurants, in front of stores, in little towns, even went on half roads in Belize, half of the asphalt was destroyed.

It would be simple and safer to go with a Caravan and I would see more, but do I really want to see everything? When I travel, I do not want to see everything, I choose base on my preferences. On a guided tour, you have to see everything, even things that you just don't care to see. There are some things that I am just not interested to see, or to see over and again. Like chuches or old Forts for example, I saw so many in Europe and North America that I had enough, yes they all have some differences, but hec, it still is a bunch of rocks on top of the others with ornement inside. I have seen a few Mayan Ruins, and would probably would like to see a few more, but give me a break, I do not want to see all ruins of Mexico. Like the Gold Rush in Alaska, after a few visit you get to know how it worked in those days.

I mostly like nature and out of towns stuff. I think I also like to get out of my comfort zone, this is what keeps people young they say!

[Kidoo]

I think the guy in the previous picture was in Quartzsite in January last year promoting Mexico RV, nice guy.

[rocmoc]

Have traveled Mexico in 52' fifth wheel rig, 36' Class A and auto. All GOOD! Whatever you pick will work. Enjoy, just remember bug spray (Coleman SkinSmart).

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

[qtla9111]

Tequila wrote:
Yeah, he's a big booster for RVing in Mexico. Fausto, (a poster here who owns an RV park) is trying to set up a meeting with him and officials at the end of March to try & lobby for a hassle free zone for all of Sonora State. I am trying to time a caravan being there at the same time to show them the potential. It would be real nice if we could get rid of the whole permit hassle country-wide, but Sonora would be a good start. Trouble is by the time you start to make progress, elections come and offcials change. In Durnago we had both the State minister of tourism and the mayor (center in photo) come & tour RV's in a caravan & then he provided a police overnight guard at San Juan Baleanario which is quite remote, but is one of the few viable camping spots there. The local press was there and everything. Some officials are starting to see the potential.

What a cool photo! Too bad we don't have more relations like this between countries and people!

BTW, nice looking rig!

[Kidoo]

Tequila wrote:
You would certainly be OK with a Quebec caravan. An inordinate number of Quebecers have Class A's, so they plan their routes out to accomodate them. Even Pierre Blais and Amigos Rodantes who tend to use the Libres a lot. You do have an advantage that your English is good. Those who only speak French have problems down here, which is why so many French Canadians use caravans. I have seen 35 rig caravans, especially with Craavanes Soleil. Dapl & Amigos Rodantes tend to run smaller ones. Horizon Lussier, is actually a Montreal area RV dealer. They give away a caravan when you buy a Class A from them. That is actually interesting, as they are selling diesel pushers that supposedly require ULSD. I have actually spoken to their mechanic who says, no problem. They all head for Tlaquapaque RV park in Lo de Marcos.

BTW, if you are interested in side tours in French by bus once down there (I hope this is not considered advertising, but this forum has few Francophone posters), you can try contacting Gabriel Romero at caravanasmexico@live.com.mx. He is the only one organizing side bus tours in French as far as I know, for RVers already in Mexico. His Quebec rep is France Choinard. Her email is francechouinard_14@hotmail.com, I do know she does not speak English. Gabriel is fluent in French, English & Spanish.

I am not too woory about side tour in English, even Spanish, I can get a few words here and there, my wife understand enough English to know what's going on and I can translate to her, but she has a harder time to follow a day to day conversation.

A 35 rig carravan would be a bit too much I think but maybe they separate in groups.

With your inputs I was able to check with a few caravan for their cost and what they offer. You really have to put down everything on a spread sheet so you do not forget what cost is included or not and I see many differences in the way each present it, maybe a good way to go fishing but not very pleasant for the customer.

I will do some homework and see what would really fit my needs. I also saw campgrounds that go and get their customer at the border and bring them to their campsite, I will try to get more info on that.

Thanks

[moisheh]

The new Sonoran Government is already lobbying the Feds to extend the no hassle zone. It just might happen as the Feds and the new Governor( Claudia) have already made some other inroads for Sonoran tourism. They are going to make Kino one of the Pueblo Magicos. Also making one of the beach areas handicap accessible. This will cost a few bucks: bathroom facilities, ramps, parking ,etc. There is only one other beach in Mexico with that type of facilty. Nice to see some positive changes. This would have happened sooner but when the new State Gov. took over the coffers were empty I knew that when a party left power they fired everyone and stole some hard goods but to take all the $$$. Corruption, corruption AS for doing anything for RV'rs. Hard to do unless one can show that there would be lots of travelers. There are more tourists landing in Maz. by plane in one day than all the RV'rs combined. RV'rs also have a reputation for being cheap. That may have changed but when one of Tequila's fellow Wagonmasters makes a statement that he wont spend over $10.00 a night for an RV park that does not help the cause. We get some RV'rs that park across from the beach on what is often private property. Many of the RV parks here are empty.

Moisheh

[Tequila]

Yeah, he's a big booster for RVing in Mexico. Fausto, (a poster here who owns an RV park) is trying to set up a meeting with him and officials at the end of March to try & lobby for a hassle free zone for all of Sonora State. I am trying to time a caravan being there at the same time to show them the potential. It would be real nice if we could get rid of the whole permit hassle country-wide, but Sonora would be a good start. Trouble is by the time you start to make progress, elections come and offcials change. In Durnago we had both the State minister of tourism and the mayor (center in photo) come & tour RV's in a caravan & then he provided a police overnight guard at San Juan Baleanario which is quite remote, but is one of the few viable camping spots there. The local press was there and everything. Some officials are starting to see the potential.

[coloradotallman]

Not to push the above advertiser, but I ran into Gabriel Romero on a brief stop at Laguna del Tule park in Melaque this winter. Nice guy.

[Tequila]

You would certainly be OK with a Quebec caravan. An inordinate number of Quebecers have Class A's, so they plan their routes out to accomodate them. Even Pierre Blais and Amigos Rodantes who tend to use the Libres a lot. You do have an advantage that your English is good. Those who only speak French have problems down here, which is why so many French Canadians use caravans. I have seen 35 rig caravans, especially with Craavanes Soleil. Dapl & Amigos Rodantes tend to run smaller ones. Horizon Lussier, is actually a Montreal area RV dealer. They give away a caravan when you buy a Class A from them. That is actually interesting, as they are selling diesel pushers that supposedly require ULSD. I have actually spoken to their mechanic who says, no problem. They all head for Tlaquapaque RV park in Lo de Marcos.

BTW, if you are interested in side tours in French by bus once down there (I hope this is not considered advertising, but this forum has few Francophone posters), you can try contacting Gabriel Romero at caravanasmexico@live.com.mx. He is the only one organizing side bus tours in French as far as I know, for RVers already in Mexico. His Quebec rep is France Choinard. Her email is francechouinard_14@hotmail.com, I do know she does not speak English. Gabriel is fluent in French, English & Spanish.

[moisheh]

Great!

Moisheh

[Kidoo]

Thanks, no problem with the rear arm, they have been inspected and beefed up, no crack found.

[moisheh]

I asked about your chassis as the 4 bag has a problem with the rear suspension bars. They crack. There might also be a problem with the rear frame cracking. If you have the new bars you are good to go. No one should drive a Roadmaster 4 bag unless the new bars have been installed. Dangerous in the USA. A disaster waiting to happen in Mexico. Let me know and we can take this to the next step.

Moisheh

[coloradotallman]

We have now done 6 trips to Mexico, having visited all 30 states, plus Belize and Guatemal in bothd a 38 foot diesel with tow car and now a Dodge Sprinter van with a couple of bicycles. Either one can be done with some planning ahead. Here's our second trip to the Yucatan and Belize at yucatantallman.wordpress.comYucatanTallman.wordpress.com and our most recent (still in progress) at mexicotallman.wordpress.comMexicoTallman.wordpress.com . And lastly, the Copper Canyon with a group of off-road guys with tents or roof-top tents at CopperCanyonTallman.wordpress.comCopperCanyonTallman.wordpress.com

[Kidoo]

My Class A is built on a Roadmaster 4 Bag, at max air it is 12.6 inch high. I bought it last year and I am getting better at turning around sharp corners but yes sometimes it gets very tight to turn. I got a few scratches and was scared a few times when going under low overpasses. I did a few test on a muddy road in the Canyon de Chelly Arizona and went for about 100 feet before I almost got stuck. I also tried it last March over some passes in Colorado, through Silverton and Ouray where the roads where pretty twisty with very high passes, also through Monarch pass towards Colorado Spring.

I had truck campers for the past 20 years and I took it to the smallest roads, ocean beaches, highest off road peaks and dirt roads, so there is no problem for me to know where it can and cannot go, and there is not many places it cannot go if there is some sort of a road. I know I could wander around Mexico without a toad. Only problem is the living space, now that I am used to a 34 feet Class A. But I could also make this trip a go around trip, when I am on the move, I don't mind the small living space.

Thanks for all your usefull info.