BajaNomad - crossing border with trailer

crossing border with trailer

satmike - 1-9-2008 at 06:56 PM

Where you guys towing big trailers crossing the border going North?
Yhanks Mike

bajadedom - 1-9-2008 at 07:17 PM

:?:

bajabound2005 - 1-9-2008 at 07:19 PM

I don't think it much matters, but it sounds like TJ is a place to avoid right now so you want to cross at Otay.

Pompano - 1-9-2008 at 07:41 PM

satmike..I am always towing something large either south or north. I prefer Tecate northbound as I am used to the route from Ensenada and the entry into the US. The last big haul I made through there was a total of 75' long....pickup/32' 5th Wheel/boat-trailer.

I would suggest parking your rig first, leave someone to look after it, walk up the customs and see for yourself how best to make the turns into the USA. It pays to ask the agent at the entrance for advice on making the entry.

It is a twisty route though, so it might not be for everybody.

Good luck.

BajaWarrior - 1-9-2008 at 08:08 PM

Tecate is pretty tight, right at the last 50'.

Pompano, your telling me you stuffed 75' through that last right turn at the border? If so, I am impressed. Although, isn't the legal limit for towing 65' ? I happen to have a Class A license with a doubles/triples endorsement so I can tow jetski's behind my ToyHauler behind my SuperDuty when we go to Lake Havasu, but that's another story... Back to Topic...

SatMike,

Went through Tecate for the the first time in years last spring, and I didn't know they had re-configured the crossing (which had probably occurred years before). We were driving a 20' SuperDuty, and towing a 24' triple axle flatbed (including tongue) and it was pretty tight, do-able, but a tight right turn for a long trailer. We used the right lane, but "borrowed" a little bit from the left lane as we made the turn.

I personally would go straight shot to San Ysidro on a weekday, avoid the weekend. What's your rig?

DENNIS - 1-9-2008 at 08:26 PM

If you get secondary at Tecate like you probably would with a travel trailer, don't you go straight instead of through the radical turns?

Pescador - 1-10-2008 at 08:30 AM

I think Pompano crossed before the new cluster.... took place at Tecate. You used to be able to go straight up the street and there were no goofy turns.

satmike - 1-10-2008 at 09:38 AM

I am in an extended cab Dodge with a 24' toyhauler. Not real long but wide. I used to do TJ, but now with the lanes closed so much I really don't want to get rerouted into the traffic circles with the trailer. I have done the new road to Otay Mesa. It's OK but not great. I was wondering what everyone else is doing? I was wondering how tight it was for the trailer in Tecate.
Thanks Mike

turtleandtoad - 1-10-2008 at 11:26 AM

I cross at Tecate both ways with a 37' Class A pulling a Toyota Tacoma. Coming back, when I make that last turn into the approach to the gates, I use BOTH lanes for the turn and to H*** with those gringos honking at me.

And I always seem to end up in secondary, maybe it's a karma thing. :fire:

DENNIS - 1-10-2008 at 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by turtleandtoad

And I always seem to end up in secondary, maybe it's a karma thing. :fire:

I'm trying to think of which two lanes you take up near the entrance. I thought it was one lane that split to two gates. Oh well, it doesn't matter. Maybe secondary for you is a blessing since you dont have to negotiate the tight turns. With your rig, if you can make it through there, anybody can.

gnukid - 1-10-2008 at 01:37 PM

When you reach the Border agent say clearly, "I was on vacation."

[Edited on 1-10-2008 by gnukid]

DENNIS - 1-10-2008 at 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by gnukid
When you reach the Border agent say clearly, "I was on vacation."

You're right. They seem to have something against we who live here.

Trailering

Pompano - 1-10-2008 at 02:31 PM

satmike..lots of good advice here...and any of these border crossings should be okay for you:

Tecate - Otay - San Ysidro

Like I mentioned before, we are familiar with Tecate and have used that entry back into the USA for a long time. Very, very seldom do we ever venture onto the Ensenada - TJ route. Just too much traffic and potential problems.

This last May I used my Dodge longbed to pull this 28' cargo trailer north through Tecate with no problems at all. It was 2002, I believe when we went north with the really long load..I think Dennis is right in that they made the entry harder after that. You will have no problem with a 24' trailer, though.

BajaWarrior is right, too, when he mentioned the 65' max length towing law for California. We either disconnect the boat, hook to our small Explorer, and caravan to Idaho..or put the boat in storage. For our RV travels with truck, fiver, and boat (double-towing) we are okay at 75' overall in Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Sask., and Yukon...plus Manitoba if you can imitate Canuck-talk. If you do this much long-load towing, it's a good idea to have a class A OTR CDL license. I had to get one in the 60's. Pulling that much length is easy, it's the braking and backing-up that will test you. I had an advantage growing up with jack-knifing hay wagons! I still remember the day the barndoor jumped right in the way...

Crossing North at Tecate

ElFaro - 1-10-2008 at 03:28 PM

I have been crossing north at Tecate for years towing toy haulers. What I have changed is how I get there. In the past and occasionally now I would take the Ensenada-Tecate free road. Now I take the Ensenada - Tijuana toll road and get off at the Puerto Nuevo off-ramp. I proceed north on the Ensenada - Tijuana free road about 3-4 miles to a junction / stop in front of the FOX studios area. I take a right turn and head east on the new East-West toll road (I think it's called Boulevard 2000 ?). I take this toll road east to the Tecate off-ramp which dumps me out on the free road
heading north about a mile from the railroad tracks. (THIS IS FOR TOWING TRAILERS ONLY) When you get in line on the road to the border gates at Tecate...If there are two lines moving stay in the left line. Whether there is one line or two lines moving...when you get to the gates, the 1st gate entrance on the right is the commercial gate. Don't turn in here keep going straight to the next two gates. At the next two gates THE GATE ON THE LEFT IS THE GATE TO GO THROUGH IF YOU ARE TOWING TRAILERS. If you go through the 1st gate of the two and you are sent to secondary
(almost always a given if towing a trailer) the turns are really tight and scraping on concrete pillers at the gates is virtually inevitable.

turtleandtoad - 1-10-2008 at 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS

Quote:

Originally posted by turtleandtoad

And I always seem to end up in secondary, maybe it's a karma thing. :fire:

It's the right turn from the main road running parallel to the border to the (relativatily) new approach road. Border traffic is supposed to be in the right (curb) lane; I take both lanes as I near the turn so I can make without scrapping everything off the side of the coach or crunching the toad. :no:

Unless they've rerouted traffic again; in that case "never mind". :lol:

DENNIS - 1-11-2008 at 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by turtleandtoad
Unless they've rerouted traffic again; in that case "never mind". :lol:

No...I think everything is the same. Whoever designed this mess has made change almost impossible. I can't understand why, since they had to go to the trouble to build a new entrance, they didn't go a ways out of town. They take stupidity to new levels.
Thanks for the clarification.