BajaNomad

RV-ing to Cabo with household goods in another vehicle

ychurly - 10-31-2016 at 03:03 PM

We're planning to head down from BC Canada in late November (hopefully our Temp Visa application will have been approved at the Mexican Embassy by then) with our RV, accompanied by another couple who'll help us drive down with our SUV towing a box trailer of furniture (for our newly purchased vacation home in San Jose del Cabo) including a dune buggy in the trailer too.

Questions:
1) If we have all our "stuff" documented on lists with the estimated values, any receipts for new items, etc, what sort of procedure should we expect? And does that list have to be in Spanish with peso values?

2) We plan to cross at the crack of dawn at San Ysidro, before any lineups. Tips? Any difference if it's a weekday or weekend when it comes to that early in the morning, 5:30 or 6 AM? Lane choices, where to park or go, what to show...

3) We will be one "party of 4" travelling in 2 separate vehicles. Likely I and the other couple's wife in the RV, and then my husband driving the SUV with the other hubby. This is because the vehicles are registered to us, so we figured we should be the ones driving. If the friend couple were both together driving our SUV with furniture trailer, etc, and they got somehow separated from us, we figured it may cause a problem for them to be hauling a sh** load of someone else's stuff in someone else's vehicle.
Is there a way we can explain that we are "with" the vehicle behind us, so they process us as a package deal?

4) Do we need Mexican vehicle insurance on the dune buggy at crossing time, if it's in an enclosed trailer? Or only when we actually start driving it once we're in Cabo?

I probably have more questions later, but these seem to be at the top of my head.

Thanks!

rts551 - 10-31-2016 at 03:18 PM

First question. What is the total value of the goods in the trailer.

David K - 10-31-2016 at 03:32 PM

Until more information comes, let me say that you probably need to cross at Otay and not San Ysidro. Second, your Mexican auto insurance must be ammended to state you are towing something. Talk with the insurance agent about covering the value of what's in the trailer, then how to insure the buggy when it is being driven or parked.

brucedog - 10-31-2016 at 03:36 PM

For what it's worth...I had a van full of personal belongings and furniture last year crossing at San Ysidro and was turned around and told to cross at Otay Mesa because they couldn't inspect me properly there. Cost me a day :-(

ychurly - 10-31-2016 at 05:10 PM

Interesting, I guess Otay it is... My friends from Cabo are the ones that told me to go to San Ysidro, but I don't believe they were hauling as much "stuff" like we will be.

As for the total value in the trailer I don't have computed yet. the dune buggy is 1959 and is worth about $5000 Cdn. The rest of the stuff consists of a bedroom set, a diningroom set, hubby's basic garage tools (sockets, wrenches, etc; not commercial), some lawn furniture, a computer, and then mostly personal boxes of stuff with inconsequential value. As they're all used, they won't add up to millions; I'll use the "garage sale" values.

I do think I've seen somewhere that I can take out my Mexican auto insurance to cover the trailer and its contents for so long as the contents are IN the trailer.

I'm really wondering about the "party of 4" in 2 vehicles issue. Anyone with experience going across like that?

rts551 - 10-31-2016 at 06:34 PM

Quote: Originally posted by ychurly  
Interesting, I guess Otay it is... My friends from Cabo are the ones that told me to go to San Ysidro, but I don't believe they were hauling as much "stuff" like we will be.

As for the total value in the trailer I don't have computed yet. the dune buggy is 1959 and is worth about $5000 Cdn. The rest of the stuff consists of a bedroom set, a diningroom set, hubby's basic garage tools (sockets, wrenches, etc; not commercial), some lawn furniture, a computer, and then mostly personal boxes of stuff with inconsequential value. As they're all used, they won't add up to millions; I'll use the "garage sale" values.

I do think I've seen somewhere that I can take out my Mexican auto insurance to cover the trailer and its contents for so long as the contents are IN the trailer.

I'm really wondering about the "party of 4" in 2 vehicles issue. Anyone with experience going across like that?


I do not believe the buggy is an issue. But if the value of your other stuff is over $3000 (I think that is the current limit) you will have to get a broker.

Udo - 10-31-2016 at 08:56 PM

My choice, if crossing at 6 a.m. is Tecate. You don't have a lot of valuable items, and if you have to pay any duty, Tecate will appraise for the least. (see my report in the search function on Nomads).

The stuff documentation on paper is not a big deal. The Mexican Customs agent will be the judge of your value. Plan on spending about an hour in customs.

Heck, with a box trailer you may get lucky and just waved through.
Quote: Originally posted by ychurly  
We're planning to head down from BC Canada in late November (hopefully our Temp Visa application will have been approved at the Mexican Embassy by then) with our RV, accompanied by another couple who'll help us drive down with our SUV towing a box trailer of furniture (for our newly purchased vacation home in San Jose del Cabo) including a dune buggy in the trailer too.

Questions:
1) If we have all our "stuff" documented on lists with the estimated values, any receipts for new items, etc, what sort of procedure should we expect? And does that list have to be in Spanish with peso values?

2) We plan to cross at the crack of dawn at San Ysidro, before any lineups. Tips? Any difference if it's a weekday or weekend when it comes to that early in the morning, 5:30 or 6 AM? Lane choices, where to park or go, what to show...

3) We will be one "party of 4" travelling in 2 separate vehicles. Likely I and the other couple's wife in the RV, and then my husband driving the SUV with the other hubby. This is because the vehicles are registered to us, so we figured we should be the ones driving. If the friend couple were both together driving our SUV with furniture trailer, etc, and they got somehow separated from us, we figured it may cause a problem for them to be hauling a sh** load of someone else's stuff in someone else's vehicle.
Is there a way we can explain that we are "with" the vehicle behind us, so they process us as a package deal?

4) Do we need Mexican vehicle insurance on the dune buggy at crossing time, if it's in an enclosed trailer? Or only when we actually start driving it once we're in Cabo?

I probably have more questions later, but these seem to be at the top of my head.

Thanks!

bajaguy - 10-31-2016 at 09:32 PM

You will probably need ownership documents (title/registration) on the dune buggy and maybe the trailer.