BajaNomad

Towing a non running vehicle cross the border

mojo_norte - 4-4-2014 at 02:26 PM

I have a complete 64 VW Bug I'd like to flat tow down South as a season project- Baja Bug. It's complete and ran when parked years ago but is not currently running. It's in somewhat rough condition - some call it Patina ;D . It has a title so I would register it. Am likely to have problems with the border people - Tecate?

David K - 4-4-2014 at 02:37 PM

Southbound? It is a trailer... it just looks like a car. :light:

Make sure your Mexican Auto Insurance is modified that you are towing, otherwise no coverage if in an accident.

sancho - 4-4-2014 at 02:38 PM

That would be ALMOST like a Motorhome towing a
small car behind, or one of the desert racers towing
a race vehicle on a trailer, or someone with a motorcycle
or quad in the bed of a pickup. They can be sticklers
for extra tires, etc., but a 60's bug, I wouldn't THINK so

mojo_norte - 4-4-2014 at 02:42 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by sancho
That would be ALMOST like a Motorhome towing a
small car behind, or one of the desert racers towing
a race vehicle on a trailer, or someone with a motorcycle
or quad in the bed of a pickup. They can be sticklers
for extra tires, etc., but a 60's bug, I wouldn't THINK so


I read a post awhile back that they might ask you to start it to see if it runs?

woody with a view - 4-4-2014 at 02:43 PM

you should have registration for the bug, trailer and tow vehicle in your name to make it simple. otherwise notarized letter stating the facts from registered owner(s).

Hide it in plain sight

bajaguy - 4-4-2014 at 02:50 PM

Paint it up to look like a racer, or get it running enough to drive it 4 blocks

DENNIS - 4-4-2014 at 03:33 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mojo_norte
I read a post awhile back that they might ask you to start it to see if it runs?


They might. They also used to prohibit cars.. [needy cars, that is] from crossing the line on trailers. They just assumed the car was on a one way trip.
I'm thinking that hasn't changed since things at the gate have tightened up some.

Too bad it's not a non-running quad

durrelllrobert - 4-4-2014 at 03:40 PM

You could do what this guy did :lol:

willyAirstream - 4-5-2014 at 06:50 AM

Put a number `5` on it, you will bringing in a race car :) if it is registered,
You won`t have any problems, they love classics.

mojo_norte - 4-5-2014 at 07:44 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by David K
Southbound? It is a trailer... it just looks like a car. :light:

Make sure your Mexican Auto Insurance is modified that you are towing, otherwise no coverage if in an accident.


I did not know that - thanks for the heads up

Alm - 4-5-2014 at 10:52 AM

"Modifying" an insurance issued through Discoverbaja.com is next to impossible, as I've found. I insured a new travel trailer before I went to pick it up, because the lot was on the way to the border so I wanted to reduce the amount of paperwork. It turned out that there was a mistake in VIN number in the info that dealer emailed me earlier. No big deal, the title and registration were all correct, that's all that border people want. So I tried and phoned the insurer, to make changes on their file. Oh my God....

1st agent picks up - heavy Spanish accent - and says that people who know how to do this will be there tomorrow because it's Sunday now. The phone menu doesn't even have an option like "other questions", only "accident", "injury" and something else.
Calling tomorrow, another agent, "are you in an accident"? - no, (explaining what I want) - OK, I'll get you somebody.
Another agent - "are you injured" - no, - "are you in an accident?" - no, (explaining what I want) - OK, I'll get you somebody.
....... (5 or 6 more rounds) ......
After 9 or 12 rounds and 30 or 40 minutes on the phone, another "somebody" that was promised to me, never showed up. The line went dead.

All were speaking with heavy accent, all polite, and my impression has been that their ability to comprehend was limited to topics that they were trained in, i.e. accident or injury.

So down South I went, with the trailer that wasn't - technically - covered, even though I paid for that.

I doubt that the other broker - Bajabound - will be different, as they all brokering for the same 3 or 4 Mex underwriters. Don't remember which one of 3 was in my policy.

David K - 4-5-2014 at 11:00 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Alm
"Modifying" an insurance issued through Discoverbaja.com is next to impossible, as I've found. I insured a new travel trailer before I went to pick it up, because the lot was on the way to the border so I wanted to reduce the amount of paperwork. It turned out that there was a mistake in VIN number in the info that dealer emailed me earlier. No big deal, the title and registration were all correct, that's all that border people want. So I tried and phoned the insurer, to make changes on their file. Oh my God....

1st agent picks up - heavy Spanish accent - and says that people who know how to do this will be there tomorrow because it's Sunday now. The phone menu doesn't even have an option like "other questions", only "accident", "injury" and something else.
Calling tomorrow, another agent, "are you in an accident"? - no, (explaining what I want) - OK, I'll get you somebody.
Another agent - "are you injured" - no, - "are you in an accident?" - no, (explaining what I want) - OK, I'll get you somebody.
....... (5 or 6 more rounds) ......
After 9 or 12 rounds and 30 or 40 minutes on the phone, another "somebody" that was promised to me, never showed up. The line went dead.

All were speaking with heavy accent, all polite, and my impression has been that their ability to comprehend was limited to topics that they were trained in, i.e. accident or injury.

So down South I went, with the trailer that wasn't - technically - covered, even though I paid for that.

I doubt that the other broker - Bajabound - will be different, as they all brokering for the same 3 or 4 Mex underwriters. Don't remember which one of 3 was in my policy.


Discover Baja and BajaBound are the agents who sell insurance (and they both sell the same ones, also). You called the Mexican insurance company rather than the people who sell the policy. Both Discover Baja and BajaBound are in San Diego, and closed on Sunday... and if you called the Mexican insurance company (Claims number) from a BajaBound purchased policy, you may have experienced the exact same thing.

One thing is good, you actually got English speaking people when you called... For those of us who have never been in an accident in Mexico, that is reassuring.

So, when you need to CHANGE the coverage on you policy, do so with the people you bought the policy from (Mon-Sat) during business hours. :light:

mojo_norte - 4-5-2014 at 11:22 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Alm

So down South I went, with the trailer that wasn't - technically - covered, even though I paid for that.



So - is it a liability issue or just that the towed vehicle is not covered? ie: if I hit someone I won't be covered..

Alm - 4-5-2014 at 01:14 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mojo_norte
Quote:
Originally posted by Alm

So down South I went, with the trailer that wasn't - technically - covered, even though I paid for that.



So - is it a liability issue or just that the towed vehicle is not covered? ie: if I hit someone I won't be covered..

I "think" that liability was not affected since I had liability covered for the pickup - the policy that I was trying to "modify" included both pickup and trailer. But the trailer damage was not covered. Which in turn means that liability won't be affected if you only insure the pickup and leave the towed "bug" not covered. From those brokers/agents mentioned above you wouldn't be able to purchase anything but liability for 1964 car even if you were able to drive it.

Alm - 4-5-2014 at 01:27 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by David K
So, when you need to CHANGE the coverage on you policy, do so with the people you bought the policy from (Mon-Sat) during business hours.

David.... If you read my post again, it WAS Monday, except for my very 1st call. And it was during business hours.

When you purchase the contract online and print it, there is nothing there indicating even existence of Discoverybaja.com, other than - rather unexpected - surcharge for using Discoverybaja.com, $20 or so, that pops up on your invoice at the very end of the transaction when it's too late to change your mind :) ...

DavidE - 4-5-2014 at 04:27 PM

They could care less about the VIN number of the trailer except if a claim is lodged for or against it.

But connect anything onto a motor vehicle that is not specifically acknowledged in writing by the insurance COMPANY and you have zero coverage for anything including liability. Been that way for decades.

J.P. - 4-5-2014 at 06:16 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DavidE
They could care less about the VIN number of the trailer except if a claim is lodged for or against it.

But connect anything onto a motor vehicle that is not specifically acknowledged in writing by the insurance COMPANY and you have zero coverage for anything including liability. Been that way for decades.







I have insurance through MAPFRE TEPEYAC I have had the same policy through the same agency for 12 years. The agency tells me anything I am in possession of that is Licensed is insured. whether it be Towed Or driven the policy cost around 200dls. a year for my wife daughter and myself. I carry my daughter on the policy so she wont have to get coverage when she comes down.
LUCKILY I CANT CONFIRM THIS AS I HAVE NEVER HAD A CLAIM.