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living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com
First things first. We've been looking daily for a van we could convert into a van camper (Class B). The search has been long, arduous, and fruitless. Many of the vans have been imported and were imported during the period of AMLO. Those laws were then deemed illegal and now that AMLO is gone you may own a vehicle with Mexican plates but crossing the border back into Mexico from the U.S. could imply confiscation.
We had this beauty picked out and decided it was time for a formal inspection. The van was perfect from the cosmetic side. The van was used to transport construction workers who remodel KFCs and Pizza Huts. These two restaurants are usually pair in the same building, and it is a Mexican corporation. The van owner is a contractor and a very nice person. The van was paneled in the back with "multipanel," a foam insulation product sandwiched between two sheets of laminate. The floor has 3/4 inch plywood and rubber matting. Looked good to me. I drove it and drove quite well.
We asked the owner if we could take it to the dealership for a complete inspection. It was there for a day and a half. We received the final answer and were able to draw some conclusions. The transmission is bad, and to find out, they would have to open it. Upon opening, if parts are broken (I don't know jack about a transmission other than Park, Reverse) they would not put the transmission back together but change it out at $2000 to $3000 USD. Other issues were suspension. Not sure how I didn't notice these things on the very short drive.
Conclusion: The vans we looked at in person and online were beat to sh-- on the interior. That was a dead giveaway. This particular van, it is now obvious that it was paneled, floored, and covered up any damage. In the end, purchasing a van for remodeling here in Mexico is out of the question. Look at how the delivery trucks and vans drive when delivering snack foods, packages, Coca-Cola, etc. They have no respect for the vehicle, and the companies do no maintenance. They drive them into the ground and then pass them on. The same holds true with city buses.
The red buses are gasoline and belong to the EcoVia route, which is a dedicated center lane on a few major avenues and requires an exclusive chipped card for the route. The green buses are the new electric buses but have been damaged and abandoned. Why? Drivers beat the shit out of these buses on streets that are in disrepair and full of potholes, racing with other bus drivers to gain more passengers.
Next topic, and one that we find very disturbing. Disappearances. For those who know our area of Los Cavazoa, the highway has five walking bridges taking tourists back and forth. Last week, there was a blitz by Las Madres Buscadores (mothers who have formed groups to find their missing children), and they are papering the cities with flyers looking for their loved ones. The government has attempted to cover up over 100,000 missing persons (actually many more). The government has now decided to remove missing persons from the lists if there is missing information; missing second last name, address, age, etc. or basic information.
If you can, zoom in on the flyers. The majority are young people who ended up being recruited against their will to work for cartels, sold into sex slavery, and we now know, unvoluntary organ donors.
The people in these pictures are dead, will never be found and never will they return home. Yet, people run around saying how safe Mexico is, but always ask on forums and FB pages about "how safe" a route is. I wish no ill will to travelers, but take precautions and be safe.
