We ran into them in Cabo – 20 huge Class A rigs, most 40 to 45 feet, most diesel pushers, most towing toads. They had a Wagonmaster and a Tailgunner, also in large diesel pushers. The Wagonmaster spoke fluent Spanish. They started in Texas, then drove onto the ferries at Topolobampo to Cabo. Their tour was 48 days. The Wagonmaster held meetings each evening regarding the following day’s sites and festivities. One evening in Cabo, they all convened to play Bingo. This was an RV Adventures caravan, and the price tag for the tour was close to $10,000 per rig.
Then, there was us – a rag tag group of misfits – one truck camper, two trailers, two class Cs, one FRED diesel, two Class A diesels, and two gasser Class As. The Baja Amigos – a little too close for comfort to the sweet but naive and clueless “Three Amigos.” We never had meetings. Our radios didn’t work half the time. Our Wagonmaster, while experienced with Mexico in general, spoke not the language and was trying out the Baja Amigos itinerary for the first time too. Our tour price tag was $2,200.
Whatever the experience you would like to have on the Baja, I’m sure there is a tour that can make that happen. Whatever and whichever you decide, here are my tips for picking the company best for you.
Length of Tour: Think about how much you want to drive, and how important tours and activities are to you. Our tour was 28 days. We are reaching the end now, and I am very ready to be done. The longest we stayed anywhere was three nights, in Cabo. The remainder were one- and two-night stays, but staying longer at those locations for a more restful pace would not have been ideal, because there was little or nothing to do there. Perhaps the best solution is to stay longer on your own in a city, picking up the next tour as it comes through. But, if the tours come through every 30 days, I would not want to spend a month in any of the locations we visited!
Size Of Caravan: The smaller, the better. We were promised a total of eight rigs. We started with nine rigs, then picked up one more when a couple from another tour re-joined ours. Ten rigs traveling together is too many. Too long to get fuel, too long for potty breaks, too long pulling over in towns waiting for everyone to catch up because they got stuck at the light. The Adventure Caravan had 20 rigs, but they travel in pods of four. Four provides safety in numbers, help for mechanical difficulties, and the flexibility of fewer rigs.
Staffing: Choose a company that provides a Tailgunner. Period. This tour company does not provide one as a matter of course; we lucked out when the Wagonmaster’s friend volunteered for the position.
Wagonmaster: At a minimum, the Wagonmaster should have previously taken your tour before serving as Wagonmaster. The Wagonmaster should speak fluent Spanish. “When you are searched by the police or military, tell them you don’t speak the language” is not comforting advice from a single-language speaking tour guide in a foreign country.
Local Transportation: Before you decide to leave your toad behind, make sure the company has made adequate provisions for local transportation.
RV Parks: Whether you paid a month’s rent or a fortune for your tour, you will stay in the same RV parks. Be it roads or RV accommodations, Mexico is not set up for big rigs. Boondocking on the beach is preferable to RV parks, with 110 volt outlets, cramped conditions, dust, few trees, spotty or nonexistent Wi-Fi, and Mexican water. I kept a closed system the entire trip, relying on the jenny and batteries and taking on no Mexican water. Now at the end of the trip, the fresh water is kaput, so I am using bottled water for drinking and cooking, re-filled bottles of Mexican water with bleach added for cleaning, and re-filled bottles of Mexican water for flushing the toilet. I shower at RV parks, but many parks have no showers, or no water pressure, or no hot water.
Bottom Line: I would not take another RV tour to Baja. Based on what I have seen I would be very comfortable making the trip on my own or with a couple of friends, but the Baja has shown me all I need to see. As for the tour company, when I chose Baja Amigos I heard they were starting a caravan tour of the mainland, and I thought the Baja trip would be a great way to decide about another tour with them. No. Fucking. Way. I would not feel safe or secure on the mainland with this company.
This Post Has 13 Comments
Well said. Thanks for the heads up. Baja not in our future.
Bless you heart.
Best choice you made…no Mexican water! I have taken lots of tours…after 14 days I get testy…21 days…kinda like after 3 weeks all fish stink! Ha look out US and cocktails!
For $2,200 (plus all the other cost you incurred like insurance)… Better to get a flight to Merida and book a nice Kacita for a month 😉
Awesome! I love reading your blog. I am about 3 years off from full time rving, I will be 51 at that time, after 24 years of the military I will be more than ready to live life. You are living the life I am looking forward to myself. Need more pictures of yourself in these spots, your genuine happiness is inspirational. Happy travels!
Thanks for saying hello and for your comments!
When you started this journey I was a little envious as I would love to be making this trip. However, by reading your post, I am going to remove this from my “bucket list.”
Pamela
(by the way, I am a new follower from the great state of Missouri. Let me know if you ever make it by here!)
Welcome, Pamela! Thank you for reading and for saying hello. I am back in the loving embrace of Palm Springs for a few days before I head off to Seattle for some medical appointments. Then I’m off to New Orleans for Jazz Fest! I’m sure I’ll make it to Missouri one of these days, and I’d love to meet you. Thanks for the invitation.
Enjoyed reading about your journey. Glad you made it safe and sound through Mexico. Have read your blog since the beginning, when your were featured on Retro Renovation, love your writing style.
Jason, thank you for saying hello! It means a lot to me that someone reads all of my ranting drivel!
Your adventures — and misadventures — are illuminating and entertaining, though I got knots of worry in my tum at quite a few of your Diario Mexicano posts. Glad you’re back stateside from the bleakness of Baja.
You’ve mentioned that one day you will probably have a house again. I’m so interested to know what are your inner musings are when you visit areas which you’d consider as your new permanent home. I saw your last home on Retro Renovation and know you have amazing taste and style. What features draw you into a town and which ones rule a place out? As you tour potential prospects, please share those thoughts … My pooches and I may be traveling in your wake someday not too long from now!
Holland, thank you for your thoughts and questions! I do have a mental list of things I’m looking for in a new town and in a new home, but I’ve never committed the list to paper. I’ll do that soon!
Tammy
Did you do your home work on Baja Mexico?
It is a frontier ! The paved hi way just completed some 35 years ago.
I had the pleasure of driving it over 20 times in vehicles from small Toyota pick up to a 37 foot diesel pusher towing a 27ft boat.
The people of Baja and things to do there is what keeps me coming back.
Tell me where else you can put your hand on a 40 foot Grey Whale?
If you are a water person there are endless adventures! And what about Off Road?
Did you read reviews from previous RV rs? not just the ones the tour company post?
For every person like you who had a lackluster experence, there are 20 who in some ways loved it.
I have been on four RV trips to Mexico one with Baja Amigos one with Baja Winters, I’m now travelling with Caravans de Mexico and I can tell you I love it. I wasn’t expecting a club Med experience but I love adventure. I met Mexicans real Mexicans The hard-working sort the Mexicans that would give you the shirt off their back and work long hours for you at a pittance to repair a small item and if they can’t find it anywhere or replace it they’ll make it. I’ve met some of the finest people to travel with, we laughed at our attempts to communicate and had a wonderful time sharing our experiences, it really was truly and still is an adventure. For a woman alone there’s no other way to travel and I treasure every mishap. I don’t and never have looked for the negative on any trip I’ve ever taken it’s all relative. Yes …don’t expect five star hotels and camping at five Star RV Parks and most all the things that you mentioned however if you want that then stay in the US or a five star resort. For the adventurous that go places and do things that others just do not do it’s wonderful but if you’re the type that want a five star hotel and pool side service 24 seven this is not for you.