BajaNomad

Need an American plated van taken to US

BajaBlanca - 7-10-2025 at 01:09 PM

My son will buy a van that a friend's late dad owned in Los Cabos. They want the van driven from Cabo to Los Angeles.

They can cover cost of gas and the vehicle has items that belonged to the Dad.

Anyone available?

Please email me if you can help: BajaBlancaLes@gmail.com

BajaBlanca - 7-11-2025 at 03:45 AM

Mexicans cannot drive a US car (right?) so it has to be an American citizen. Which is a shame since any of my ex students in Mexico could drive it at least to TJ otherwise.

cupcake - 7-12-2025 at 09:42 AM

I would be concerned about what could happen at the US side of the border crossing.

"Hi there friendly border person. Well, I'm driving this here car for a person I met online who asked me to drive this here car into the US for him. What's that? You are going to totally dismantle this here car to find whatever it is that I am smuggling? Oh my, BajaBlanca Will not be happy about this..."

[Edited on 7-14-2025 by cupcake]

BajaBlanca - 7-12-2025 at 09:33 PM

Indeed a concern I was hoping to avoid by finding someone we all know to do the drive.

cupcake - 7-13-2025 at 10:08 AM

Arriving at the border driving a vehicle not registered to the driver could raise suspicion with the border agent. Maybe good luck will prevail and the driver will be waved through. Lencho's idea of having it driven to TJ and then bringing it across yourself might be a safer way to go.

Lee - 7-13-2025 at 10:32 AM

Quote: Originally posted by BajaBlanca  
My son will buy a van that a friend's late dad owned in Los Cabos. They want the van driven from Cabo to Los Angeles.

They can cover cost of gas and the vehicle has items that belonged to the Dad.

Anyone available?

Please email me if you can help: BajaBlancaLes@gmail.com


I would only agree if I knew the van had been in your personal possession the entire time. Stored down there? 100% guarantee nothing illegal in the van? Year of van? Last time serviced?

Can't imagine someone down there without a vehicle but willing to drive to LA. Like lencho wrote, drop off in TJ is best bet.

I recognize a ''free'' ride up North could a plus for some, but the responsibility and liability is enormous. Someone doing this would be doing a BIG favor for you.

Offer to pay the person for this favor. Otherwise, and you've thought of this, if the van is that big a deal, fly your son down to pick it up and let him drive it back. Let him take responsibility for everything.

Ferrying a vehicle registered to someone else will be red flag to a border agent. Any problems will be on the driver.

Good luck with this.

Mula - 7-13-2025 at 10:40 AM

In the day and age, anyone other than your son driving it north - would be a disaster waiting to happen.

SFandH - 7-13-2025 at 10:44 AM

Actually, her son's friend, who inherited the vehicle, should be the person driving it from Cabo to LA. That would be the cleanest way of doing it. Then her son buys it once it is in LA.

CaboMagic - 7-14-2025 at 01:31 PM

Blanca! How's life over there?

Chiming in to say things are indeed different -- everyone's post are things to take into consideration ..

A suggestion - but far from 'free' or inexpensive, is to hire a licensed/insured business who moves from south to north - lots of paperwork involved and pricey.

Anywho - best wishes amiga, Lori

Bajahunter - 8-15-2025 at 06:35 AM

Quote: Originally posted by BajaBlanca  
Indeed a concern I was hoping to avoid by finding someone we all know to do the drive.


This !!!!!!

surfhat - 8-15-2025 at 08:42 AM

While this was decades ago, I broke down close to GN and limped into town where I found a lumber company truck that had offloaded its supplies in GN and was driving back north and hired them to load my van onto their empty flatbed for the ride back to TJ and managed to get myself and the van across the border.

The truck driver appreciated being able to make some $.

I appreciated being able to ride for the first time in a semi tractor trailer.

The road appeared so much narrower from the cab of that hauler.

It was. haha

When we were going around a mountain curve, we met an oncoming hauler that stopped both trucks as they literally inched past each other on that tight blind curve. It took a bit of time for both trucks to get by each other. As the first time that I was, it all added to the adventure.

Blanca, you might have one of your many fans here on Nomad ask around. Many of these business deliveries end up being one way and the drivers might appreciate the opportunity to make some bucks on the way back north.

It worked for me when I needed it. Blessings to you and Les.