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jack-pod View Drop Down
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Posts: 5 		Post Options Post Options   Quote jack-pod Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Tucson/Nogales
    Posted: 08 Dec 2022 at 2:19pm
Thanks to everyone for their input.
Very considerate and I am very happy that I am a member of the R-Pod family
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Post Options Post Options   Quote offgrid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Dec 2022 at 7:05am
Yeah the state dept rules for govt employees are a good conservative guideline. Looks like Baja is fairly safe as long as you stay south of Tijuana. Sonora (where Nogales is) appears to be pretty dangerous, at least right near the border. And cities can be dangerous anywhere. Tijuana has a population of over 2 million, Nogales 200,000.  There are many places in American cities I wouldn't travel in, especially at night, either.

If I was going to have dental work done in MX I think I'd look in the Ensenada area, there are some nice family beach campgrounds in the area just south of there.
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lostagain View Drop Down
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Posts: 2587 		Post Options Post Options   Quote lostagain Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Dec 2022 at 5:59am
Some of the border towns are the most dangerous areas of México, for example, Ciudad Juarez.  We have friends who are from México, mostly border areas, and they have curtailed their travel considerably because of the dangers posed by the chaos in the north of the country.  Sadly, vehicles with gringo license plates get targeted and there is an assumption that those who have the discretionary income to by an RV make a good kidnapping target.  The article OG cited is helpful, but a bit naive in minimizing the danger while suggesting that one check the US State Department travel advisory website.  That site does not conform to the tone of the article.  https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/mexico-travel-advisory.html  In regard to Nogales, they advise against travel there and state:
  • Nogales: U.S. government employees may not travel to the area north of Avenida Tecnologico, west of Bulevar Luis Donaldo Colosio (Periferico), and east of Federal Highway 15D (Corredor Fiscal) and the residential areas to the east of Plutarco Elias Calles. U.S. government employees may not use taxi services in Nogales.

There are great dental clinics all over México, mostly in pretty well protected tourist areas or right along the border.  I wouldn't hesitate to use them, except that our dentist is located in Medellin Colombia and we get to stay as long as we need to with minimal cost because we can stay with relatives.  
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Post Options Post Options   Quote offgrid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Dec 2022 at 1:18am
I would agree with avoiding  notorious areas and long distance RV travel deep into MX.  And night travel, for one thing there are often topes (big speed bumps) in the little towns that aren't well marked. But a great many snowbirds take their RVs into the near border areas in MX every winter.  Again, I don't know about Nogales in particular.

I never took a trailer into and out of MX but Ive gone many times with a motorized RV and never had an issue. Might be a trailer causes more concern at the border,  don't know. My last trip to Baja was just pre Covid and in a rental car. Had a great time. I think we have one member, olddogsrule, who has been to MX recently and had  a positive experience. Haven't seen any posts from him for a while so I don't know if he's still active on this forum.

Here's an article on RVing in MX which covers dobevif the basics 

  https://www.getawaycouple.com/drive-your-rv-in-mexico/
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lostagain View Drop Down
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Posts: 2587 		Post Options Post Options   Quote lostagain Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Dec 2022 at 6:55am
When I posted the suggestion about looking in Campendium for an RV park, I also looked for places on the other side of the border.  I couldn't find any in my internet search.  I've stayed in Nogales, Sonora, Mx. a couple times, but it was in hotels while I was en route to places further south.  Sadly the safety situation has deteriorated in México over the last 20 years, and I would not duplicate my road trip to Morelia, Mich., Mx. [and I am fluent in Spanish].  I have friends there who won't drive to México City because of the dangers on the autopista between the two cities.  

Staying in Nogales, Sonora, Mx., also presents another problem.  It's one thing to cross the border in a car or pickup and return without undue hassles and delays.  Taking a trailer across the border is no problem southbound, but when you come back, our friends with the CBP may want to do a very thorough search of your rPod to make sure no contraband is in it.  It may be an unpleasant experience as you watch the CBP tearing it apart and may lead to some very expensive repairs.
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Post Options Post Options   Quote offgrid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Dec 2022 at 1:07am
Let me take the contrary view here. I've camped many times in MX and enjoyed it greatly. Nice people, great food and weather, low costs. And felt safer than I would in a lot of US campgrounds or rest areas. 

There are many campgrounds in northern MX  that cater to snowbirds and Mexican families,  who like to camp too. Just don't necessarily expect it to be really quiet, Mexicans in my experience  tend to be pretty outgoing and like to have fun in the evenings. 

Full dusclaimer, I don't know anything about Nogales specifically, my experience has been in Puerto Penasco and Baja, but it's worth checking into I think. You'd be closer to your dentist, have a more interesting cultural experience, avoid the giant pain  crossing the border twice each day could be, and save money too. Which is the point of going to MX for medical/dental work in the first place, right? 
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gpokluda View Drop Down
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Posts: 278 		Post Options Post Options   Quote gpokluda Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Dec 2022 at 7:08pm
+1 on Campendium. Also check out Allstays. Good luck.
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lostagain View Drop Down
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Posts: 2587 		Post Options Post Options   Quote lostagain Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Dec 2022 at 6:46pm
If you're not from the area, check out campgrounds in Campendium and other campground finding web sites.  Sunflower RV has good reviews on Campendium and is just north of Nogales, AZ.  Here's their web site link:  https://tubacsunflower.com/

Since you'll be gone for substantial periods of time for several days running, it'd probably not be a good idea to stay in a state or federal campground.  An RV park, on the other hand, may control visitors a little better, since it's bad for business for their guests to have problems with mean people looking for trouble.
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jato View Drop Down
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Posts: 3227 		Post Options Post Options   Quote jato Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Dec 2022 at 5:58pm
+1  My son worked at Fort Huachuca Army base not that long ago, not a safe place outside the base.  As Stephen points out, "a lot of people with not very good intentions" hang out in that area.  I would stay closer to Tucson and make the drive from there to your destination.
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Posts: 6289 		Post Options Post Options   Quote StephenH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Dec 2022 at 5:32pm
I agree with the Forest Service guy. There are too many people who are coming across the border and not all of them with good intentions. This might be a good time to do a web search for campgrounds that would be convenient for your cross-border trips.
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