READY,
SET, GO! TAKING A MOTOR HOME
Well, here it is. The perfect getaway. How about spending two weeks traveling Baja California’s Transpeninsular Highway, known by Baja lovers as Mex 1? All you need is a motor home to travel in style as you camp your way down the world's longest peninsula (and also the last outback left in our corner of the world).
I've been traveling Baja since I was little—as has my father and his before him. To me, packing up our motor home and heading south of the border—that’s pure heaven! I’m going to share with you what I’ve learned about traveling safely and sanely in an RV.
Ready? Set? Let’s Go!
First you need a motor home. You can buy one, borrow one or rent one. For information on RV rentals, check out this website: Cruise America. They charge between $805 and $995 for seven-day rentals. You get 1000 free miles (extra miles are $.32). Ask about getting a special 14-day rental. They offer Mexican vehicle insurance for $12 per day. You can get your insurance cheaper from
Discover Baja Travel Club. They can also provide you with tourist cards and fishing licenses. If you’re driving your own rig, you have the option of getting insurance at the last U.S. exit before crossing into Mexico and picking up tourist cards at Immigration right after you cross the border. If you get them in Mexico, you’ll have to go to a bank at some point on your trip and pay the 150 peso per person fee.
Now that you have all that figured out, here’s the nitty gritty on what to pack in the RV: Plastic dishes and cups. Paper plates. Napkins. Silverware. Knives. Can opener. Serving plates, spoons, spatula. Bottle opener. Corkscrew. Scissors. Ice pick. Sponges. Dish soap. Mixing bowls. Pots and pans. Casserole dishes. Cleaning supplies. A basic array of spices. Sugar. Flour. Sweet and Low. Coffee Mate. Lots of packaged foods. Garbage bags. Ziploc bags, paper towels, toilet paper, matches. At least one ice chest.
Bring extra gas cans full of gas if your RV doesn’t have dual gas tanks.
Our
motor home holds 80 gallons, but at 6.5 miles per gallon, we can only go
about 500 miles without filling up. You may not always find gas in some
places, so the rule of thumb is to have enough gas to go 300 miles. If
you’re renting your RV, be sure to check this out in advance!
Bring an emergency road kit, consisting of nylon rope, some heavy rope and a long enough length of chain to get you towed out of the sand in case you get stuck. Also include flares; a reflector triangle; motor oil; brake, power steering and transmission fluid; extra oil and fuel filters, fluid to stop radiator leaks, jumper cables and a few spare belts and hoses. Don’t forget spare fuses and bulbs. If you break down on the road, look for a safe place to pull off and signal for help. Other motorists are notoriously helpful in Baja. Then there are the Green Angels—look for them in their green trucks. Their sole purpose is to help stranded motorists and their services are free. Pack at least one spare tire with a lug wrench and a jack. Bring a siphon for gas, wood blocks to level your RV, a folding shovel, machete, pry bar, a tool box with socket set, wrenches, pliers, screwdriver, hammer, some PVC. Duct tape. Wire. White glue. Super glue. Corona soap, which can plug any leak you might have until you can get to the next town. If you have these things on hand, any Mexican mechanic will be able to work miracles.
If you bring mountain bikes, bring a bike pump, some plugs and some extra tubes for the bike tires. Don’t forget your snorkeling gear, beach chairs, boogie boards and kayaks if you have them. For dining al fresco, bring a small grill with charcoal and lighter fluid, a Coleman lantern with extra mantles and fuel and a camping table.
To be really Baja savvy, strap two five-gallon water jugs with spigots onto the front bumper of the RV. You can fill the main tanks of the RV with water from any hose, but don’t use it for drinking—just for washing. These front jugs will be your major source of purified water. You can fill them up in any large town with purified water and use this water for drinking and washing fruit and vegetables.
In your glove compartment, store a set of spare keys, vehicle registration, a Spanish-English dictionary, binoculars, a AAA Baja map, the AAA guidebook on Baja, Fred and Gloria Jones’ Baja Camping book (I never leave home without it—every motor home-friendly campsite is in there, along with tons of detailed, helpful information) and books on the area’s birds, tropical fish and plant life if you’re interested.
Other advice: Remember that you are a guest in Mexico and treat the people with dignity and respect. Obey all laws and be as responsible there as you are at home. Don’t camp in deserted places—stick with the regular campgrounds. There are plenty of them and you’ll not only feel safe, but you’ll appreciate things like hookups, showers and even laundry facilities in some places. Plus—and this is a big plus—you’ll make lots of new friends!
Remember the rules of the road: Drive slow and never, never drive at night! My dad always told me we should drive kilometers per hour in Mexico the way we drive miles per hour on our U.S. freeways and I’ve found that to be excellent advice. If a semi in front of you flicks his left blinker, it means it’s safe to pass him. Use the same courtesy to those following you too.