prcjeep
02-27-2012, 04:42 PM
The title is a spin off of an article I read in petersons offroad magazine,'from CA to PA in a CJ.'
As some of you may know, I'm driving 550 miles into Mexico on March 8th.(It was nice to be aquainted with ya'll) lol Just kidding! I have driven to San Miguel de Allende Mexico twice before and it is a safe trip.
To start off, I wanted to share my list of parts that I will be packing, prepared for a run in with "Justin Case."
List:
10 Gallons gas in two 5 gallon containers
Starter
Alternator
Serpentine belt
3 U-joints
6 quarts of oil & filter
4 quarts of T-case fluid(ATF Dextron III)
1 gallon of 100% coolant
3 gallons of water
ALL OF MY TOOLS! lol
Feel free to suggest other items.(Guns are 110% illegal to transport across the border![legally that is lol])
Below is a driving itinerary for the trip down... kinda long.
We will be taking lots of photos during the drive and throughout the trip so in a couple weeks they will be shared with all :D
My trip will start in Houston, Texas. My route through Texas will include Interstate Highway 10 West and Interstate Highway 35 South. The only major metro area I will travel through will be San Antonio, Texas before I arrive in Laredo, TX, the border town. This leg of the trip is 351 miles and will be driven by my girlfriend.
Once we enter Laredo we will switch drivers and then cross into Mexico and into, Nuevo Laredo. We are required to stop at the immagration office to obtain our "FMM's"(Mexico tourist permit) which is necessary if you are driving outside of the border region of 30 km's. Traveling to the interrior of Mexico requires that you drive through at least 2 customs checkpoints depending upon the route choosen. At the checkpoint, you pull up to the light and it randomly turns green or red.(Green, good! Like me Jeep! Red, bad, you're getting the full inspection.)
Once we get through the checkpoints we will be taking Carretera Federal 85 towards Monterrey, Mexico. Each of the main highways we take in mexico have two options, Libre or Cuota. Libre is free and less maintained with lots more semi-truck traffic. Cuota is a toll highway that is better maintained and significantly safer.( A cuota highway in mexico is equivalant in conditions to a state or interstate highway in the USA. A libre road is equivalant to a county road or other local highway, often only one lane each direction.
When we approach Monterrey we will take a bypass around the metro area and then merge onto the other highway we will take for 90% of the remaining trip. This portion of Driving between Nuevo Laredo and Monterrey is about 225 km's(135miles).
The bypass around Monterrey will take us towards Saltillo Mexico where we merge onto Carretera Federal 57. From Monterrey to the next major metro area, San Luis Potosi, it is 447 km's(278 miles). Again we will take a bypass around San Luis Potosi.
From San Luis Potosi there is about 185 km's(115 miles) remaining to San Miguel de Allende. About 145 km's(90 miles) south on 57 we will take the exit west for Carretera Federal 111 to San miguel for the remaining 40 km's(25 miles).
The total we will spend on tolls for taking the couta's will be about $75.
Now once we get there we haven't necessarily planned events or day trips yet but part of my plan is to have bumpers fabbed for my jeep while I'm there.
Fortunately my Mom and Grandfather live in San Miguel so lodging will be free! My mom and Grandfather have both retired and live there full-time.
As some of you may know, I'm driving 550 miles into Mexico on March 8th.(It was nice to be aquainted with ya'll) lol Just kidding! I have driven to San Miguel de Allende Mexico twice before and it is a safe trip.
To start off, I wanted to share my list of parts that I will be packing, prepared for a run in with "Justin Case."
List:
10 Gallons gas in two 5 gallon containers
Starter
Alternator
Serpentine belt
3 U-joints
6 quarts of oil & filter
4 quarts of T-case fluid(ATF Dextron III)
1 gallon of 100% coolant
3 gallons of water
ALL OF MY TOOLS! lol
Feel free to suggest other items.(Guns are 110% illegal to transport across the border![legally that is lol])
Below is a driving itinerary for the trip down... kinda long.
We will be taking lots of photos during the drive and throughout the trip so in a couple weeks they will be shared with all :D
My trip will start in Houston, Texas. My route through Texas will include Interstate Highway 10 West and Interstate Highway 35 South. The only major metro area I will travel through will be San Antonio, Texas before I arrive in Laredo, TX, the border town. This leg of the trip is 351 miles and will be driven by my girlfriend.
Once we enter Laredo we will switch drivers and then cross into Mexico and into, Nuevo Laredo. We are required to stop at the immagration office to obtain our "FMM's"(Mexico tourist permit) which is necessary if you are driving outside of the border region of 30 km's. Traveling to the interrior of Mexico requires that you drive through at least 2 customs checkpoints depending upon the route choosen. At the checkpoint, you pull up to the light and it randomly turns green or red.(Green, good! Like me Jeep! Red, bad, you're getting the full inspection.)
Once we get through the checkpoints we will be taking Carretera Federal 85 towards Monterrey, Mexico. Each of the main highways we take in mexico have two options, Libre or Cuota. Libre is free and less maintained with lots more semi-truck traffic. Cuota is a toll highway that is better maintained and significantly safer.( A cuota highway in mexico is equivalant in conditions to a state or interstate highway in the USA. A libre road is equivalant to a county road or other local highway, often only one lane each direction.
When we approach Monterrey we will take a bypass around the metro area and then merge onto the other highway we will take for 90% of the remaining trip. This portion of Driving between Nuevo Laredo and Monterrey is about 225 km's(135miles).
The bypass around Monterrey will take us towards Saltillo Mexico where we merge onto Carretera Federal 57. From Monterrey to the next major metro area, San Luis Potosi, it is 447 km's(278 miles). Again we will take a bypass around San Luis Potosi.
From San Luis Potosi there is about 185 km's(115 miles) remaining to San Miguel de Allende. About 145 km's(90 miles) south on 57 we will take the exit west for Carretera Federal 111 to San miguel for the remaining 40 km's(25 miles).
The total we will spend on tolls for taking the couta's will be about $75.
Now once we get there we haven't necessarily planned events or day trips yet but part of my plan is to have bumpers fabbed for my jeep while I'm there.
Fortunately my Mom and Grandfather live in San Miguel so lodging will be free! My mom and Grandfather have both retired and live there full-time.