BajaNomad - Some good Baja RVing trip questions... More answers maybe?

Some good Baja RVing trip questions... More answers maybe?

David K - 4-23-2013 at 05:36 PM

These questions came to me today via u2u, and I thought they were very good questions. I provided my answers, but in order for this person to have the best experience on his first RV trip, I would show them to you all for possible alternate answers. I will return them back to the new Baja traveler if you have some input...

Quote:

Howdy David,
****** here with a few questions you may be able to help me with regarding a Baja trip I would like to take. I regard you as the most knowledgeable in reading the many posts [on Nomad] & on "Talk Baja".

1. Would a trip in an R.V. be advisable, say towing a small Baja bug (or similar), given all discussion of road conditions, etc.?

2. In general, my thinking is going down one side & up the other. Visiting R.V. accessible sites whenever possible & cutting loose with the "toad" when necessary.

3. What would you consider the minimum amount of time to do something like this? I fully realize you can't give me specificity, but in general. I am more into a historical, beautiful-sites, good food & people perspective.

4. Lastly, What's the most comfortable time of year, weather-wise?
I really have no time frame. I would like to do it soon however. Any help would be appreciated.

******

Hello ******,

I hope my responses are accurate for when you go south! Thanks for the nice words, too!

1) RV'ing down Baja Highway One is indeed a popular way to visit Baja. You have seen Pompano's many RV view posts, yes? Keep in mind, you must be on your toes, as the highway is very narrow south of San Quintin (Km. 0 is where the newest / 1973 construction to Santa Rosalia begins, and is only 19 feet wide and often with no shoulder or pull-off for long stretches. They are widening sections with bike lane wide shoulders, as you will see along the way... but they are the exception. Towing a bug or Jeep is common, but requires careful attention while driving.

2) Except in the cape area south of La Paz, there is no going down one side and back up the other. Even though there is only 38 unpaved miles on Highway 5 south from Gonzaga Bay to Laguna Chapala, I do not recommend a motorhome on it, towing or not. 10 mph is tops on that rocky, washboard road... From Chapala to La Paz... there is only one paved road, with paved side roads to Bahia de los Angeles, Bahia Asuncion and Punta Abreojos... Puerto San Carlos and San Juanico are also on paved roads from Ciudad Constitucion (west and north).

3) If you can take a month, that would be awesome, but 2 weeks is a minimum, with 3 better! Take your time and not exceed 250 miles a day... your driving average will be 40 mph tops in a moho with trailer, better to figure less. In my zippy fast Tacoma, I will 'average' 50 mph driving Hwy. 1, includes food stops and military checkpoints, detours, fueling, photos...

4) The best months for Baja in most opinions is May & October. Warm or a little hot, little wind, no hurricanes or rain usually. Elizabeth and I love the Sea of Cortez when the water is near bathtub warm, so June-August is fine with us. The Cortez side gets humid (like Hawaii) in July-September and very hot in August-Sept. We like July the best, but we are in the minority. Hurricanes (really usually just rain and wind storms), hit southern Baja in late Summer, and can wash out the highway. It is repaired within a couple days, so don't be in any hurry... which is a good rule in Mexico, anyway!

If I had the financial ability, I would leave now (or any day I could). I just love Baja so much... it is a fascinating place with so much history, geology, botany... food and people are great too. We do like the isolated beaches, and quiet camping... and a 4WD allows this. I just hope I don't get too old to set up a tent and enjoy camping from my pickup!

There are 27 missions and many have multiple sites or visitas to see as well... You have our book on all the California missions? See my missions and visitas web pages and make copies of possible sites to see, begins here: http://vivabaja.com/missions1 The cave art and old mines are also interesting sites and scattered all over Baja.

Let me know how else I can assist!
David

Alm - 4-23-2013 at 07:31 PM

On a forum like this there can be a lot more answers... but little can be added to what you said. First time, and with motorhome and towed car, I would say max 200 miles a day if they want it to be enjoyable. Have an itinerary, pre-plan all the camps in advance, leaving some choice like camp A 3 miles before certain town or camp B few miles after, in case that they won't like the first one. When they do this, and include N number of days for each of those places where they think they would want to drive around and "explore", then they would know how many days they need.

J.P. - 4-23-2013 at 07:55 PM

I have traveled all over Baja in motor homes in sizes ranging from 23 to 36ft we now have a 26ft it works best for us. There is a multidude of camping spots in some very beautiful places. But if your expectaions are finding a 5star R.V.park you will be disappointed. Most of the beautiful camping spots you need to be self contained. and always stop before nightfall where there are other people around There is safety in numbers not that it's any less safe here than in the U.S.

DocRey - 4-23-2013 at 08:06 PM

Thanks guys. I actually have some paperbacks re: Baja R.V.'ing. I've also been reading every website I'm able to & then some. I wanted an additional perspective. Keep it coming.
As I told David K, my motor's running. I just need to put it in gear & release the brake. Maybe get the family or a friend or two to caravan down. Nothing fancy. Get our feet wet. Once they're smitten, we'll really start having fun. Hopefully we'll be able to do it in the not to distant future.

DianaT - 4-23-2013 at 08:21 PM

DocRey

Have you checked out the RV.Net forum Rving in Mexico

This is a really good forum for RV owners who travel Mexico, including Baja, in RVs.

Good luck and have fun. When we had our small Casita Trailer, we drove down and back, but it was much smaller than most RVs.

RV.Net

DocRey - 4-23-2013 at 08:34 PM

Thank you for your interest, and yes I have. Good info. Maybe a little dated, but who's not busy these days? Me, I guess. lol.
Everything I've read says Baja would be a wonderful R.V. experience. I believe it. I just need to convince the "doubters" otherwise. We'll get there eventually.

edm1 - 4-23-2013 at 08:39 PM

DocRey, welcome to BN!

How long is your motorhome?

I travel Baja in my 26 ft motorhome and time and again I've debated whether to flat tow my little Suzuki or not. And each time, the answer is no. For one my motorhome is 4x4 and maneuverable enough and for another I think Baja highways are not dinghy friendly - what I mean by it is there is only a little margin of error to avoid the dinghy from falling into the shoulder. And that shoulder is 2 feet deep. So if I must bring a towed, I'd have the wife drive it following the motorhome :-)

A while ago there was a fatal accident involving a Sportsmobile (sports van) towing a trailer and owned by a San Diego couple. I believe the triler fell into the shoulder and dragged the van along with it.

Don't let the above scare you. it's all a matter of appetite for risk. There are buses that go up and down Baja all the time. Just make sure your motorhome suspension and handling is in tip top shape.

Like others said, drive during the daytime only and about 250 miles each driving session. That's how I did it when I drove down deep south and back.

M.H. Specs

DocRey - 4-23-2013 at 08:54 PM

Hello & thanks. I've got a '99 Winnebago Adventurer. 33 1/2 ft. 1 slide-out and the usual RV stuff. It's got about 30K miles & hasn't given me any problemos. You mention needing a good suspension & mine is a little stiff (stock set-up). My dinghy is a stock '72 Super Beetle. With the possibility of a Baja conversion.
When towing with my rig, safety is paramount. I'm definitely in no hurry. Thanks for the advise & warnings.

Alm - 4-23-2013 at 09:54 PM

Yes, on those roads you can't relax. You can't go too fast even on straight flat stretch in a desert - another big rig comes and you have to slow down, or a "curva peligrosa", or just a sudden bumpy section of the road. This is why average speed is 40 miles. This is why you will make 200 miles a day max.

It's simple, actually. If you have done some research already, you probably saw this site: http://www.ontheroadin.com/Baja%202011/the%20Baja.htm.
When you put in 200-220 miles a day (less for the 1st day), you will see where your next stop is, more or less. Then you chose a camp in this area. Guys here will tell what's currently good or bad about this or that camp, more or less. Things change. In some places there will be 15A electricity only. In some places - none. In some places water from the tap will not be good enough even for washing fruits. In some places there won't be any tap. A lot of that is not important to many nomads, you know better what is important to you.

[Edited on 4-24-2013 by Alm]

Towed vehicles

J.P. - 4-23-2013 at 10:33 PM

When towing a small vehicle such as a vw or jeep you are a lot safer on these narrow roads than you would be towing a trailer.A RV normaly has duel wheels on back and is much wider than the towed vehicle so if the rv stays on the road and dont fall off the the towed vehiclle follows in a narrower path.
the opisite is true when you are towing a trailer behind a pickup or suv. The towed vehicle ia wider than the tow vehicle and unless you are really experinced and have towed a trailer a lot of miles it can be very dangerous on these narrow roads

mcfez - 4-24-2013 at 07:03 AM

I'll just add this little safety note to DavidKs great response here: make sure that you are carrying a number of road flares. The highway is curving and narrow....if you break down in the wrong spot....you really need to set out warnings!

Have a great road trip.

David K - 4-24-2013 at 07:10 AM

Excellent replies!

cliffh - 4-24-2013 at 07:22 AM

Hey DocRey, we have been towing a 5th wheel for the last 15 years up and down the Baja twice a year to Or. from Buena Vista BCS. Love every mile of the trip great places to see and stay. We usually take one or two weeks to San Diego. Leave late stop early and remember slow is fast. (36ft 5th wheel) Have a ball Cliffh

DocRey - 4-24-2013 at 10:09 AM

Thanks again gang. Good advise all around. Being a firefighter/paramedic, I'm pretty cautious & carry over-sized everything (i.e. extinguishers, first-aid kits, road fusees, etc,.etc.). Not to be braggadocio, but I've pretty much driven everything on the fire dept. Even the large fire boat (to which I'm assigned to now). Only thing left is the helicopter! LOL.
Again, thanks for the well wishes. Hope meet up with many of you in my eventual Baja travels.

DavidE - 4-24-2013 at 02:53 PM

I am not allowed to daydream, not even for a second while driving. I fitted a giant "Blind Spot" rear view mirror beneath by passenger side outside mirror to see EXACTLY where that tire was in relation to the bitter edge of the pavement. People who drive too fast on their first trips to me are much like folks who visit Maxim's in Paris and gobble their food, chug-a-lug Chateaux Mouton Rothschild and wear track shoes to the Louvre.

Take it REAL EASY in habitated areas in order to get a feel for TOPES, speed bumps. Some are nasty enough to rip an axle out from under a vehicle if you slam into one. This is a very real hazard and should top the list of probable hazards that are unavoidable.

I stop often, but sometimes it isn't too easily done. Gasolineras have decent approaches and marginal appeal. I check tire pressure every morning. Every tire. If I find one that has fallen two pounds from the day before, that's all the driving I do until the tire is patched at a llantera. I carry a stout squeegee and window washing stuff to remove lots and lots of ceramic grade splattered bugs off the windshield.

Stick to the most heavily tracked trails on beaches. When I can make out tire tread imprints I stop.

SHADE is my # 1 wish on this peninsula and sadly there is not much on beaches. the town of SAN IGNACIO to me is sadly under rated as a decent RV attraction. In Loreto you may want to DRIVE the toad further on down to check out what's on the lower part of the peninsula. Some find it disappointing, others love it, but it may save you a lot of miles with the motorhome. Some folks find Bahia Concepcion as being nirvana.

I have found the FanTastic FAN, Endless Breeze fan to be a wonder. An unbelievable amount of air for 2-amps of 12 volt power. You'll need a good fan.

Have fun! I agree with the other posters here.

[Edited on 4-24-2013 by DavidE]

cliffh - 4-24-2013 at 03:59 PM

correction read my post only round trip once a year to Or. Leave BV in june return in Oct. Cliffh

Alm - 4-24-2013 at 06:18 PM

I tried different positions of the extension mirror, aka towing mirror, on the passenger side (it's not much necessary on the driver's side). The problem is that most of them are small, and concentrating onto that small patch with a white line somewhere faar out there, when some danger (= big rig in the opposite lane on the narrow bridge) is approaching - I found this to be too distracting. But, if you have to see that white line, I found the it's better when the towing mirror is oriented vertically - then you see more of that white line.

With a motorhome I guess you don't need an "extension mirror", because you can see your right side in a regular side mirror. Might aim it down towards the white line as well... There isn't anything more to look at, on your right - there is no blind spot there, because there is only one lane.

[Edited on 4-25-2013 by Alm]

LancairDriver - 4-24-2013 at 07:23 PM

A lot of excellent information already given ,so not much more to add. I have traveled down Baja in a 40ft RV and towing a Jeep Wrangler a number of times in the past few years. In my experience it is best to keep the RV mostly on the main highway as most RV's are particularly vulnerable to being beat to death if running on a rutted, potholed road. Do your off road exploring in your toad.Too many things to shake loose or break and no good way to fix them. The most important thing is keeping 100% attentive, as any departure from the pavement off a two foot shoulder would be a major disaster. This is especially true when meeting an 18 wheeler or Bus.Closing velocities close to 100mph with scant inches between vehicles keeps you scanning the horizon and bracing yourself for the next one, and hoping to keep your mirror. With no traffic in sight front or rear running the middle of the road will give you a small break. I have no problem making it comfortably from Tecate to Catavina the first day and camping at Santa Inez without pushing to hard. I have posted this picture in the past but it illustrates a typical pass with an 18 wheeler. Just do it and take your time.

baja Road 1.JPG - 34kB

J.P. - 4-24-2013 at 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LancairDriver
A lot of excellent information already given ,so not much more to add. I have traveled down Baja in a 40ft RV and towing a Jeep Wrangler a number of times in the past few years. In my experience it is best to keep the RV mostly on the main highway as most RV's are particularly vulnerable to being beat to death if running on a rutted, potholed road. Do your off road exploring in your toad.Too many things to shake loose or break and no good way to fix them. The most important thing is keeping 100% attentive, as any departure from the pavement off a two foot shoulder would be a major disaster. This is especially true when meeting an 18 wheeler or Bus.Closing velocities close to 100mph with scant inches between vehicles keeps you scanning the horizon and bracing yourself for the next one, and hoping to keep your mirror. With no traffic in sight front or rear running the middle of the road will give you a small break. I have no problem making it comfortably from Tecate to Catavina the first day and camping at Santa Inez without pushing to hard. I have posted this picture in the past but it illustrates a typical pass with an 18 wheeler. Just do it and take your time.

Twice in 15 years I lost the Drivers side mirrow both times it was between Guerro Negro and San Ignacio :fire:

watizname - 4-25-2013 at 09:05 AM

Quote:

Great picture Driver. I had to show it to my wife because in the 25 years or so we have been going down, she has never seen anything like it. She has her eye's closed. :biggrin:

absinvestor - 4-25-2013 at 01:10 PM

JP. I also lost a mirror on that same stretch of road. The problem is there is no shoulder and a one to two foot drop which can cause a rollover. I put the passenger rear dual on the edge of the road and hope for the best. With the rear wheel on the edge the driver's side mirror is still very close to the center line. Many times there are only a couple of inches between the 18 wheeler mirror and my mirror. At times they miss hitting only because the two vehicles have different heights so the mirrors don't match. My mirror only sticks out 4 1/2 inches which means the barreling 18 wheeler was probably only 2 inches from hitting our vehicle.( I slow down but I have yet to see an approaching 18 wheeler do the same.) Losing a mirror on a wide motorhome is not uncommon on that stretch of road.

J.P. - 4-25-2013 at 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by absinvestor
JP. I also lost a mirror on that same stretch of road. The problem is there is no shoulder and a one to two foot drop which can cause a rollover. I put the passenger rear dual on the edge of the road and hope for the best. With the rear wheel on the edge the driver's side mirror is still very close to the center line. Many times there are only a couple of inches between the 18 wheeler mirror and my mirror. At times they miss hitting only because the two vehicles have different heights so the mirrors don't match. My mirror only sticks out 4 1/2 inches which means the barreling 18 wheeler was probably only 2 inches from hitting our vehicle.( I slow down but I have yet to see an approaching 18 wheeler do the same.) Losing a mirror on a wide motorhome is not uncommon on that stretch of road.

The first time it happened another truck driver stopped and helped me jerry rig a mirrow he had .He told me it happend to him quite a lot so he carried a extra or two. Really nice guy. He would not accept a dime for his mirrow said he was glad to help.
The second time the oncomeing truck did it on purpose he whiped over the line just before we met and then whiped back so his trailer was in my lane when we passed I found out later its a deadly game that some of them play.
Now I slow down to a near stop if the hit me hopefuly I wout loose control and roll over.
I am not a novice driver I hauled Produce coast to coast and am a member of the Million Mile Club

LancairDriver - 4-25-2013 at 05:15 PM

Recently here in Oregon a log truck driver who enjoyed intimidating anyone not driving a vehicle bigger than his was arrested due to cell phone calls that had the State Cops waiting for him. He was arrested, fined, and did some time in the crowbar hotel as well as loosing his CDL. This of course would never happen in Mexico, you would be lucky if you didn't have to pay the trucker to have all the dings taken out of his rig and a new paint job.

Correcamino - 4-25-2013 at 06:12 PM

I once drove the length of MX1 down to Los Cabos in a Ford F350 an Towing a small trailer - not a particularly large rig, especially compared to a MoHo. Nevertheless I learned that you MUST make an attempt to get as far right as possible, at least on straight, flat sections (there are MANY!) when a big rig passes you in the opposite direction. At first I thought I was imagining things but after a few hundred desert miles it became clear: some traileros aggressively crowd the center line or even cross over if they feel you're not showing respect by crowding the edge of the pavement. This is really unnerving while towing since there is almost never a shoulder. I did the whole distance in two days - NOT RECOMMENDED! I think I cracked all my molars and I'm still trying to unpucker the old grommet. Best advice has already been given: slow down. Much better to stop and look at the flower decorated crosses and memorials than to be under one! I try to stop to photograph something every hour, at least. Your nomad buddies will appreciate it! Buena suerte!

Tips about travel in Baja

J.P. - 4-25-2013 at 07:15 PM

Some of the things I talked about are Exterme and may never happen to you.
Baja is Truly a Magical Place . and there is enough variety of things to satisfy the Adventerous spirit in most anyone. I almost Garuntee if you come down you will be back.
Take your time you will see more. and use the same cautions you would use any where else.
VIVA BAJA