Mexico RV tourist....

[rvmex]

Perhaps many of you do not know me but a few pehaps do, My name is Fausto Garcia from Hermosillo former owner of the Kino Bay RV Park from 1973 to 2005, and I have a question fo all RV'rs coming or came to Mexico, your answer will be very much appreciated.......

QUESTION: In the past 12 years how much does you think the RV Tourism has decreassed in Mexico. You can give me a percentage....

Thank you.....

[Talleyho69]

We find that the paperwork is not at all difficult. Get your vehicle permit on line. We usually go to Tijuana and get our FMM's. Very easy, one window for forms, one to pay. That's it. Insurance? Yes, we have it, no, you don't HAVE to have it. Buy it on line. A lot easier than it was to get our visas to visit China this year.

[4X4Dodger]

Mountaineer42 wrote:
So, when and where was the last time you were RVing in Mexico? :R

4X4Dodger wrote:
From the photos I see and the people I have corresponded with there seems to be plenty of RV'ers even with huge class A's still crowding the RV Parks of at least BAJA. And the beaches. From what I can tell, and there are others out there with more direct and recent experience than me, there are some nice parks with good infrastructure.

Paying in dollars instead of pesos for a site as a reason for not going to Mexico seems to be an odd reason to me as one poster wrote. If there is one price, ie $25 US Dollars or its equivalent in Pesos, Why not pay in Dollars? For the park owner it's a great hedge against inflation. I can understand why they ask this.

I recently looked at all the stats for tourism in Mexico and it is up dramatically this year. I have to assume that some part of that increase is also RV'ers.

I dont think it is quite the drastically black and white picture being painted by some posters here.

The last time I was in Mexico was quite a few years ago and I flew in then, before that I drove a VW camper van down the EAST coast, this was before there was really any discernible road south of San Felipe. For many years we visited and camped in the Baja (since I grew up in So Cal.)

I have however been corresponding with some folks who are there now (BAJA) and seeing their photos. I have also been doing some research. I dont recall ASKING questions about security because it doesnt really concern me that much ( I have been much worse places security -wise), however I may have mentioned it in a few posts.

I think I made it clear I was speaking, not from recent personal experience but only quoting research and those that are there now.

[briansue]

Just curious because my impression is that the process has improved over the years.

The process we undergo to get into Mexico and to be able to travel all over Mexico is somewhat absurd when compared with getting into Canada - or for Canadians getting into the US. We were just in Canada recently. We drove up to the booth and showed them our passports and answered a couple of questions and were on our way. Getting back into the US - we drove up showed our passport - answered a few questions - gave them our eggs - and were on the way.

To go to Mexico we have to show our passport and fill out forms - then go to the other windows with all our vehicle paperwork - show them everything - fill out forms - pay for this and pay for that - not to mention we already spent a bunch of money buying vehicle insurance. We also have to use our credit card to leave the $300 deposit for the car. All of this requires standing on line waiting for the clerks who take forever to do just about anything. Of course this all depends on where we cross and where we get our paperwork done. We know of a couple of crossings where the lines are usually not very long. But in some places at certain times of day it can take close to two hours. And we still have not gone through customs if we have to do that - which we rarely do when making any of these crossings.

At the top of this forum are Mike's "stickies" with the long lists of things you have to know and do to get into Mexico. To get into Canada we don't need to know much of anything or do much of anything.

We still plan to go to Mexico as we love traveling there. We consider these hurdles Mexico puts in our way very inconvenient but we jump the hurdles because it opens up a few months of enjoyment for us - and we have done it enough times to know of few tricks to making the process a little easier - all tricks which are often explained on this forum. But why do they have to make it such a hassle?

[qtla9111]

Based on experience, how many people on this forum think the paperwork is difficult? I don't have a clue because we live here so I don't need it. Just curious because my impression is that the process has improved over the years.

[4X4Dodger]

moisheh wrote:
4x4dodger: Your assumptions are very wrong. RV tourism in Mexico is down by huge %. Tourism is up in Mexico but it is Mexican tourists, Canadian fly in tourists and Europeans. There are more Canadians visiting Maz. in a few days than all the RV tourists for a whole season. Where exactly did you hear of RV parks in Mexico with good infrastructure?. Very few have sufficient electricity if the park is full. Very few have 30 amp or 50 amp services. Heck , half of them don't even have grounded plugs. Water pressure can be so low that in some parks the residents use an exterior water pump to fill their tanks. Lots of parks that cannot take big rigs. I could go on. Very few park owners do any maintenance. Fausto was an exception to the rule. His park had a real maintenance guy who knew how to use an ohmmeter!

Moisheh

I think if you had read my post more carefully you would have seen that I said very clearly "the people I have corresponded with". These are people who are there now or have been in the past year.

Secondly I did not claim that RV entrys to Mexico were above the past high levels. What I did say was that all the stats for tourism overall are that tourism numbers are INCREASING and therefore SOME of that is surely RV'ers.

This is not to say that the business has fully recovered from it's low point only that it is increasing and getting better from that low point. And that the story is not all gloom and doom as some posters see it.

It would please me very much if the next time you want to answer one of my posts, and I welcome your responses, at least do me the honor of reading them thoroughly first.

[down_home]

rvmex wrote:
I tahk you all for your information and answer to my question, this information will be used to the benefits of all RV'ers coming to Mexico....
I would like ask all of you to answer just the question all answers will be very much appreciated...
To the caravans...Just let me know when you have a date and number and will see if I have enough room for your rigs...
Remember to all of you RV'ers comiing this way, since there is no RV Park here in Hermosillo, if any one has a problem mechanical, health, accident, just let me know and will be more than happy to help....

Fausto..

I haven't been there in decades.
Number one problem that severely hampers tourism, is the complicated an expensive, needlessly, paperwork and procedures to bring an RV and vehicles and as well as the RVer.
Crossing and staying, in Canada, from the US or vice verse, does not entail anything like what Canadians and Americans have to put up with. Then there is the insurance hassle and you may or not be paid or even covered.
Mexico needs a standard form insurance to cover RVers and their RVs,
across the board and commonly available in US and Canada as well as standard form health insurance if necessary.
Everything is covered and everyone knows what is covered. In addition protection from local "interpretations" of laws and hassling of Tourists. No need for complicated bales or whatever, brain dead for the moment, to be sure they take vehicles back with them and the whole bit.
Tourists including RVers should be able to just pull up to the booth show insurance card, health ins card, if needed, and Vehicle Registration and be on their way.
Visitors would stay longer spend more money, and come back more often.
Random inspections shouldn't be any more burdensome than US to Canada.

[coloradotallman]

Fausto, I guess it depends on what type of RV travel you are looking for. In all of my trips in the past 6 years, I would say that the big class A and 5th wheels and caravan trips have declined dramatically. The smaller rig, adventurous person is still out there in force. I tried your web site, it went nowhere. Also, try to promote to "Overlanders" through Expedition Portal or iOverlander.com. PM me with any other questions/comments. I hope to drive to Panama starting November and will stop in Hermosillo to see you.

[rocmoc]

Mountaineer42 wrote:
Sorry, I was asking 4x4dodger.

rocmoc wrote:

Mountaineer42 wrote:
So, when and where was the last time you were RVing in Mexico? :R

Will be crossing over Wed morning!!!!!

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

No problemo. :E

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

[navegator]

I do not think that 4X4doger has crossed the border in to Mexico, and he is doing research, he started some time ago asking about the security and safety in Mexico, and now and then he asks a new question the different areas in Baja and the mainland, as for the question that Sr Fausto asked, the new generation of RVers are going to be a bit more picky in the type of minimum "services" required by them, minimum 30 amp electric service, sewer, and water, some semblance of a pad rather than a cow pasture and some security in the minimum.

That of course is my opinion and in no way does it reflect my needs I ham happy with a simple house hold plug for my RV, I have all else covered.

navegator

[briansue]

My aunt lived in San Miguel de Allende back in the 80s when the peso was devalued. She lost a lot of money. She didn't have much to start with. But she did keep her main bank account in the US and only moved what she needed to Mexico when she needed it. So as Moisheh says - the smart money in Mexico keep their money in US banks and in US dollars to hedge against the devalued peso. But that does not mean you can use US dollars in Mexico. The currency of Mexico is the peso.

[moisheh]

Most Mexican businessman have bank accounts in the USA. They also own homes in Tucson, Phoenix, Colorado and more. USD are deposited in those accounts. It is hard to forget the devaluations that bankrupted many of these business people. The USD is protection from devaluation.

Moisheh

[Mountaineer42]

Sorry, I was asking 4x4dodger.

rocmoc wrote:

Mountaineer42 wrote:
So, when and where was the last time you were RVing in Mexico? :R

Will be crossing over Wed morning!!!!!

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

[rocmoc]

Mountaineer42 wrote:
So, when and where was the last time you were RVing in Mexico? :R

Will be crossing over Wed morning!!!!!

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

[qtla9111]

tepetapan wrote:
I can't understand why an RV park would only accept US dollars unless something fishy is going on. You can not pay your electric bill, telephone and internet bill, gas bill, water bill, garbage bill, real estate taxes and most workers in US dollars. Most banks at least limit, if not avoid US dollars. How exactly does a person pay for the associated costs of running an RV park when all they have is US dollars?

Very true, and you know too that Lolita (Mexican Uncle Sugar) wants to know where those dollars are coming from. We can't just walk into a Mexican bank and make a deposit with dollars.

In fact, the last time I bought dollars I had to show my official Mexican ID. They aren't messing around anymore.

[moisheh]

4x4dodger: Your assumptions are very wrong. RV tourism in Mexico is down by huge %. Tourism is up in Mexico but it is Mexican tourists, Canadian fly in tourists and Europeans. There are more Canadians visiting Maz. in a few days than all the RV tourists for a whole season. Where exactly did you hear of RV parks in Mexico with good infrastructure?. Very few have sufficient electricity if the park is full. Very few have 30 amp or 50 amp services. Heck , half of them don't even have grounded plugs. Water pressure can be so low that in some parks the residents use an exterior water pump to fill their tanks. Lots of parks that cannot take big rigs. I could go on. Very few park owners do any maintenance. Fausto was an exception to the rule. His park had a real maintenance guy who knew how to use an ohmmeter!

Moisheh