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Rhodies · 05-06-2015, 09:24 AM

Ixtapa, Zihuatanejo? Has anyone taken an airstream road trip to Western Mexico? Is it safe?

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Hittenstiehl · 05-06-2015, 11:05 AM

Check with Photobum.

xrvr · 05-06-2015, 11:07 AM

I wouldn't go out of the country and that includes Canada. Jim

Photobum · 05-06-2015, 11:17 AM

I drove down to Aticama in Nayarit last fall...no real problems at all. Get Mike and Terri Church's books for Mexico and you are good to go.

For three months I was camped right on the beach. The Airstream was very popular...now I am in Southern Baja (Todos Santos) in a town full of retired Airstreams including a 1974 Overland in my campground.

Words of wisdom for Mexico. Bring extension cords, plugs of all sizes and something to control what electric is coming into your Airstream. Electric current here is subject to outages and pulses, so prepare your self. As to water, you can buy clorox in any mercado and a little bit goes a long way. I have not been sick but....wash your produce with cloroxed water!

The biggest issue is the narrow streets in towns, just think ahead before you go anywhere...

If you have questions feel free to e-mail me....

mayco · 05-06-2015, 11:58 AM

I havent taken the rig down yet but we will be in the next 24 months. Spent a great deal of time in Aticama, playa Los Cocos, San Blas, Zihuataneho, and other areas on the west coast. Never ever felt the least bit threatened or unsafe. We love the people in those areas. They are warm , friendly family oriented folks. I have no apprehension about driving my 310 down there. A friend owns a beautiful campground just south of Aticama called "Playa Amor", really gorgeous place right on the ocean. Its on the way to Zihua.
You just have to use common sense the same way you do when you travel here in the US. We stay away from the big cities, just like here, we dont travel to high crime areas, just like here, we use our heads and stay away from the wrong side of town, just like here. Educate yourself on some basics about the differences in the laws and customs. For instance DONT CARRY OR BRING GUNS. I dont carry anyway but there have been folks who ignored this and have gotten themselves in deep doo-doo. They are serious about their gun laws and will lock you up in a heart beat.

Just apply the same basics while traveling Mexico as you do here and you will be fine. 99 times out of 100 all the horror stories you hear about travel in Mexico are 2nd or 3rd hand or you dont get the WHOLE story of people doing stupid stuff and getting themselves in tight spots.

We have had some of the most wonderful times of our lives down in that area and plan on many more. Have fun, be smart, and safe travels.

Adios, Mike n Lynn

Rhodies · 05-07-2015, 08:02 AM

What kind of rig do you have? Would love to hear of your experiences?

Photobum · 05-07-2015, 08:07 AM

I tow a 25 ft Flying Cloud with a F150. No issues.

mayco · 05-07-2015, 08:30 AM

We have a 1982 310 Turbo Diesel motorhome. In fact my user name, MAYCO, is a direct result of a fun experience we had while traveling by bus on the west coast. Somewhere north of Vallarta. I was buying tickets for our next leg and the beautiful young lady behind the counter spoke no English, I speak enough Spanish to get me in trouble. She asked for our names so she could write them on the tickets. I told her my name, Michael, and when we sat down and looked at the tickets she had transposed Michael into Mayco.......my wife liked the name so much that she still calls me Mayco regularly.

Bill Lynch · 05-07-2015, 01:07 PM

What do you mean, Buying Tickets? What kind of tickets did you need for driving an RV?

Thanks, Bill

Quote:

Originally Posted by mayco

... I was buying tickets for our next leg and the beautiful young lady behind the counter spoke no English...

mayco · 05-07-2015, 01:21 PM

Like I had said earlier, we havent taken the 310 down yet, we have done most of our traveling while in the country by the bus system. Their bus system us great! Cheap and pretty reliable. We hope to take the 310 down the winter after this coming. We cant wait! Our first trip down in the rig may be limited to the "no hassle zone" in the state of Sonora. Just to get our feet wet traveling in the motorhome. If you stay in the no hassle zone, the border crossing and such is much less paper work and you dont have to even register your vehicle. If youre not familiar just google it up and youll see how easy it is. It does limit you to travel mainly in Sonora so if your destination is much further south, like Zihua, then youll need to fully register your vehicle at the border. No big deal just more paper work

DavidsonOverlander · 05-07-2015, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avionstream

I wouldn't go out of the country and that includes Canada. Jim

You wouldn't go to Canada, or you're including Canada as part of "the country"?

Arcticfox · 05-07-2015, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avionstream

I wouldn't go out of the country and that includes Canada. Jim

If you think Canada is also unsafe to travel, you better stay in your driveway. As the majority of the USA is much more crime ridden than Canada ever will be.

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handn · 05-07-2015, 04:49 PM

Over the years we have traveled many miles in Mexico with various travel trailers, motorhomes and now our boat.
The worst things that have happened to us is attempted gas station cheating and identity theft credit card fraud. These problems can be solved by paying cash for gas and watching the gas transaction like a hawk. We have never had a theft or a crime against our persons and always feel safe and comfortable.
We haven't made it to Ixtapa, but we have been as far south Barra de Navidad in the Airstream.
Highway 15 takes you as far south as Mazatlan and hwy 200 along the Pacific coast. The latter is slow and scenic. Plan at least a month for the trip, two is better.
If you are in a hurry, you can go to Mexico City and then to Acapulco.
It helps to speak a bit of Spanish and to be flexible. There may not be a campground at every stop and the ones that there may take a bit to looking to find. The book by Dwight and Terre Church is a must.
People either like Mexico or don't and you will hear from both on this forum. Unfortunately many of the latter have never been there and the "information" they impart happened to a friend of a friend of their brother in law.
Ixtapa is an ambitious rv trip. If you haven't been to Mexico, you might take an easier first trip. San Carlos, Sonora is a suggestion it is 270 miles from Nogales, Arizona on a 4 lane road with a nice campground in town.

handn · 05-07-2015, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mayco

Like I had said earlier, we havent taken the 310 down yet, we have done most of our traveling while in the country by the bus system. Their bus system us great! Cheap and pretty reliable. We hope to take the 310 down the winter after this coming. We cant wait! Our first trip down in the rig may be limited to the "no hassle zone" in the state of Sonora. Just to get our feet wet traveling in the motorhome. If you stay in the no hassle zone, the border crossing and such is much less paper work and you dont have to even register your vehicle. If youre not familiar just google it up and youll see how easy it is. It does limit you to travel mainly in Sonora so if your destination is much further south, like Zihua, then youll need to fully register your vehicle at the border. No big deal just more paper work

We live in San Carlos, Sonora in the winter. You may bring your car to San Carlos without importing it in the "no hassle" zone, but you must temporarily import your travel trailer or motorhome. Bring your title and be prepared to post small bond on your credit card. When you leave Mexico, turn in your permit at Km 21 near Nogales. Like you say it is no big deal. You have to stop at Km 21 anyway for a tourist card.

kscherzi · 05-07-2015, 06:17 PM

Not to be Debbie Downer but the following clip from a long Dept of STATE warning makes me think twice. I'd like to visit Mexico someday, but not sure how much I want to risk it alone. Maybe with a caravan. On their website they go into length about carjacking and strongly advise against standing out, exactly what the big shiny airstream does best.

Mexico Travel Warning
LAST UPDATED: MAY 5, 2015
The U.S. Department of State warns U.S. citizens about the risk of traveling to certain places in Mexico due to threats to safety and security posed by organized criminal groups in the country. U.S. citizens have been the victims of violent crimes, such as kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery by organized criminal groups in various Mexican states. For information on security conditions in specific regions of Mexico, which can vary, travelers should reference the state-by-state assessments further below. This Travel Warning replaces the Travel Warning for Mexico, issued April 13, 2015, to update information about the security situation and to advise the public of additional restrictions on the travel of U.S. government (USG) personnel.

mojo · 05-07-2015, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kscherzi

Not to be Debbie Downer but the following clip from a long Dept of STATE warning makes me think twice. I'd like to visit Mexico someday, but not sure how much I want to risk it alone. Maybe with a caravan. On their website they go into length about carjacking and strongly advise against standing out, exactly what the big shiny airstream does best.

Mexico Travel Warning
LAST UPDATED: MAY 5, 2015
The U.S. Department of State warns U.S. citizens about the risk of traveling to certain places in Mexico due to threats to safety and security posed by organized criminal groups in the country. U.S. citizens have been the victims of violent crimes, such as kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery by organized criminal groups in various Mexican states. For information on security conditions in specific regions of Mexico, which can vary, travelers should reference the state-by-state assessments further below. This Travel Warning replaces the Travel Warning for Mexico, issued April 13, 2015, to update information about the security situation and to advise the public of additional restrictions on the travel of U.S. government (USG) personnel.

The previous is just a "clip", the same as the following clip from the same advisory states:

Millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year for study, tourism, and business, including more than 150,000 who cross the border every day. The Mexican government dedicates substantial resources to protect visitors to major tourist destinations, and there is no evidence that organized criminal groups have targeted U.S. visitors or residents based on their nationality. Resort areas and tourist destinations in Mexico generally do not see the levels of drug-related violence and crime that are reported in the border region or in areas along major trafficking routes.

Hittenstiehl · 05-08-2015, 09:25 AM

Since many of us have posted about our fears and apprehensions of future mexico travel. How about we let some actual recent Mexico travelers focus on their positive experiences. That way the OP will be able to gather tips and (actual) advice and decide from there.

Photobum · 05-08-2015, 06:09 PM

I am of the opinion that the US Government has no clue what is going on in Mexico, just as they have no clue what is going on anywhere else in the world. I don't mean to sound political, and please do not infer that. There are lots of Americans and Canadians here and crime is really not a problem except for some minor theft. There are occasional stories...

I met a Canadian couple this past winter that the prior year had had their tow vehicle stolen at gunpoint. While it was a bad experience they were back this year for several months in the same place. I think that indicates the perspective that most of us have here.

Bad things happen everywhere, and Mexico is no exception. You need to just as vigilant here as you are in the states. I would rather be here than in a lot of cities in the states.

Do not let anyone scare you from coming here, the people, food, weather, and everything else are wonderful, and EVERYTHING is less expensive.

As just one example, I am staying in a campground in Baja with full hookups for $10 a night. My restaurant meals are in the seven to ten dollar range including beers...

drboyd · 05-08-2015, 06:58 PM

We've taken our Trade Wind to Rocky Point several times. Got a full hookup spot where you could hear the ocean all night for about $30. There's now a Sam's Club in Rocky Point, if that tells you anything about the level of civilization there. If you try to speak a little Spanish and smile, they're glad to help.

Keep in mind that the business liability laws in Mexico are very different. If you buy something spolied at the grocery store and get sick, well, you should have known better. If you trip on the broken sidewalk in front of the store, well, learn to walk, pendejo!!

It's the ultimate vision of "lawsuit reform."

But if you need propane, they don't check the expiration date on your tanks, either!

DryFly · 05-08-2015, 08:18 PM

For what it's worth, my opinion is that the biggest problem with the coastal regions of Mexico is sanitation. I've been there many times (the Baja, and East and West coasts) - not with a trailer though - and had a couple of scary issues. That said, I've had a couple of scarier issues in Washington DC and Los Angeles. I still go to DC and LA. Never in the US or Canada have I had a health issue due to sanitation standards, but I did have a few brushes with sanitation problems in Mexico, the last one put me in a hospital for 3 nights.
If you go to Mexico, or any other under-developed country, you have to be cautious about your health and your safety. It's part of the risk/reward thing.
I personally wouldn't take a trailer down to Mexico because with one you are tied to that anchor, and if something comes up you have to haul that anchor up before you can leave if something happens, and my experience is that something will happen.
That's my 2c and it's worth every penny