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RE: VIP question
Thanks! I'm also looking for a new insurance agent. We used Lewis and Lewis for the last 10 years - while in Mexico earlier this year I had a sample of extremely poor customer service (no claim, just needed some information) and was told just "not to have accidents on weekends". Mexpro was mentioned elsewhere as having good customer service.
The problem with Mexican insurance is that we all buy it but rarely ever have a claim to determine how good it is.
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Wm.Elliot
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07/14/23 04:52am |
RVing in Mexico and South America
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RE: VIP question
Yes, the motorcycle needs a TIP - I have entered and toured Mexico on the 1,000 CC motorcycle without any issues having gotten the TIP for the motorcycle. With advancing age and decreasing vigor we'd like to use the bike for day trips rather than the sole means of travel. The only difference this time is the SUV and the trailer with the motorcycle on it with just two US adults between the 3.
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Wm.Elliot
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07/13/23 06:19am |
RVing in Mexico and South America
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RE: VIP question
Thanks! It's a gamble; one can never tell what will happen when we arrive. I might get an online TIP for the SUV and the trailer and get the motorcycle TIP in person.
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Wm.Elliot
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07/12/23 02:59pm |
RVing in Mexico and South America
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VIP question
I hope to two a motorcycle behind an SUV into Mexico in 2024. That's 2 vehicles and one trailer. If the SUV tow vehicle is in both my name and my wife's and the motorcycle is in my name only can I get permits for all 3?
If the SUV and trailer go under the wife's name can I still drive the SUV in Mexico?
Is there a definitive government source for a question like this that has English speaking staff?
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Wm.Elliot
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07/11/23 02:59pm |
RVing in Mexico and South America
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RE: Actual observations
When we first started traveling in Mexico occasionally we'd go out to the road and watch the night time traffic - cars with families, all taking what we thought were crazy chances by driving after dark. Only a few vehicles had burnt out or missing lights. We soon tried driving at night too after weighing the risks. We'd leave Durango at 2am so we could get on the old Mexico 40 before the trucks did. On our return trip we'd leave Teacapan at 2am for the same reason - to get ahead of the truck traffic on Mex40 to Durango.
Here in Maine night driving in rural areas carries the risk of hitting a moose - which due to it's long legs (the mass of the body hurtles towards the windshield) and dark coloring (can't see them) can kill or cripple the car's occupants. On a motorcycle it's said that any critter one hits that is larger than one could eat in a single sitting can cause a crash. Deer are wild cards 24/7.
Anyhow, driving at night in Mexico carries risks that I can weigh against risks of heavy truck traffic during the day (double trailers in Mexico are 130 feet long counting the tractor). Mexico has changed hugely and night time travel - especially on toll roads - isn't as dangerous as it once was. Daytime driving in heavy traffic hurtling along over narrow and poorly striped roads, unsafe passes (on 200 between PV and Tepic one can either pass or be passed with equal risks of a crash) carries its own risks compared to nighttime travel. I prefer daytime driving, but there are occasions when nighttime driving works for me.
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Wm.Elliot
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05/20/23 05:31am |
RVing in Mexico and South America
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RE: Actual observations
Back home in cool and cloudy Maine after 36 days in Mexico where we drove approximately 4,000 miles. Nothing stolen or vandalized while the car was parked, no one cut off the catalytic converter as they do in the US. We met genuinely nice people, had wonderful and reasonably priced meals, and stayed in nice hotels with rooms that were still cleaned each day. God willing we'll return to Mexico next winter.
In Durango there is a campground attached to the San Juan balneario. We did use the hot springs there and found the hottest water we've ever experienced in Mexico there. We didn't check out the campground but assume it's serviceable. Having a place with hookups to spend the night near Durango benefits us on the east coast of the US on our way to the west coast of Mexico.
During the 24 years we've RVed or toured in Mexico the most striking changes is the traffic. The standard of living has improved in Mexico and many more Nationals own and drive cars than they did in 1999. That's great, I'm glad they are enjoying a better economy there.
The truck traffic though is incredible. We wisely left Saltillo headed for Laredo at 3:30AM and passed tens of thousands of trucks parked along the road waiting for sunrise. When those trucks got back on the road both route 85's (toll and free) would be very slow going. The same with 57 south of Saltillo - the truck traffic northbound at least can create miles of backed up traffic.
Not sure if we'll ever do RV camping again - our present trailer is a 1997, the tow vehicle 1993. On the road our rig would look like we were carnies on our way to the next state fair to set up the Tilt-a-Wheel. We could afford to replace both but RV camping in the US isn't what it was back in the day. Camping spontaneously at an area we like to visit generally requires a reservation now. Once at the campground folks tend to be leery of neighbors. The days of walking through the campground, being invited in for a beer or inviting others in for a beer have changed. Holiday Rambler, Airstream, and other RV brands I knew have either ceased operations or been bought by another company. Filling our tow vehicle with diesel would cost $200 rather than the $75 we were used to. It might cost $3,000 in diesel alone to drive round trip to Mazatlan from Maine. The cost of diesel alone in my case would pay for 20 nights at a nice hotel in Mexico.
In any event I'm so thankful we started RVing 40 years ago - it's very different now.
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Wm.Elliot
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05/17/23 04:41am |
RVing in Mexico and South America
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