Running the Diesel in Mexico

When the United States made the switch to ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) with model year 2007, it may have caught some in the RVing community off-guard. For those of us with "older" (should we say, "venerable") diesel rigs, the "new" fuel can cause grief with fuel system leakage, and a noticeable loss of fuel economy.

But what about those with the "newer" engines that US law mandates be operated only on the ULSD? Filling up the tank here in the US is not a problem--stations across the country have made the switch to the super low sulfur diesel. But for those taking the rig into Mexico, there could be some problems.

While the Mexican government has directed that diesel produced there should meet the US standards of ULSD by now (September 2008), the reality is things aren't moving quite at that speed. Some insiders think that it could be as late as 2010 before Mexico meets the ULSD standards, because at this time, the refineries are still catching up with changes to gasoline. Still, in border towns along the frontier, it is said that most (if not all) of what is sold as diesel is ULSD, in order for Mexican trucks to be able to cross into the US legally.

But getting away from the border, the standards are not tight, and like as not, most feel you'll be buying "low sulfur" diesel--the kind we used to sell in the states. What happens if you run your ULSD designated truck or car on the "low sulfur" variety. Dire warnings have been posted by the government. One energy site in Alaska suggests engine damage could result.

But the web site, greendieseltechnology.com has this to say: "Tests indicate that filling the tank of a low-emitting diesel vehicle with regular diesel fuel on a rare occasion won't damage the filter system. However, this shouldn't be a habit. Use on a repeated or regular basis would do damage."

That leaves RVers with the newer diesel engines in a distinct quandry. When in Mexico there's really no way to know if the diesel you're pumping is really ultra-low or just "low." And you can't be reasonably assured that if you do pump the "wrong" stuff if you'll suffer damage or not. It's a troubling issue, and one that looks like it'll be with us for some time.

New vaccine could quell Montezuma's Revenge

Travelers to Mexico sometimes fear the bandits of the highway. More likely they should fear the bandits of the bathrooms. Travelers' diarrhea is a bane to those traveling south of the border. If clinical trials of a new vaccine prove up as they have been, in the future you may be able to kiss Montezuma goodbye.

Researchers at The University of Texas School of Public Health have found that patients given a travelers’ diarrhea vaccine were significantly less likely to suffer from clinically significant diarrhea than those who received placebo, according to a study published in this week’s edition of the Lancet. Happily, you don't need to get needled for the fix--it's a patch-based vaccine.

The study, which followed 170 healthy travelers ages 18-64 to Mexico and Guatemala, found that of the 59 individuals who received the novel vaccine, only three suffered from moderate or severe diarrhea, while roughly two dozen of the 111 who received a placebo suffered from moderate or severe diarrhea. Only one of the 59 volunteers in the vaccine group reported severe diarrhea, compared with 12 in the placebo group.

Of the few vaccinated patients who became sick, the diarrhea lasted only half a day on average, while those in the placebo group endured two days of illness and more than twice as many loose stools. Although not statistically significant, the frequency of new-onset irritable bowel syndrome, a long-term consequence of travelers’ diarrhea, was three times greater in placebo than vaccine recipients.

The vaccine developer plans on phase 3 trials next year. If testing follows the typical pattern, hundreds if not thousands of folks will be involved to check for side effects as well as benefits. It could be a while before the "if and whens" of the approval process are completed. Meantime, hang onto the Pepto and remember, the expression is, "Donde es el baño?

State Department Finally Gets "Passport Card" Program in Gear

The collective government combine of the Secretary of State and Homeland Security has finally meshed the gears and let the clutch out. Taking the RV to Mexico or Canada? Now you don't need to buy an expensive passport, you can spend less and get in with a Passport Card.

We've touched on the idea a number of times. Instead of fully-blown passport, the card is a simple card about the size of a credit card, allowing land or sea crossings of the US border. It's much less expensive, $45 for a first-time applicant, versus $100 for a passport.

But there's still a few glitches in the system. As we wrote earlier, Homeland Security wants you to bring proof of citizenship when crossing the border--for most of us, that translates to a birth certificate. But when applying for the new passport card (or a passport) you'll need to hand over your birth certificate along with the application. Yes, you'll get your birth cert back when your new passport card arrives. But at this point, passport card processing times are taking (supposedly) about two months. So, what do you do about "proof of citizenship" in the meantime? Can you say, "Better have TWO certified copies of your birth certificate?"

When we queried local authorities about this seeming problem, they suggested we forget about the passport card and simply 'go for the gold,' and get a passport. After all, the processing time for a passport is now said to be a lightning fast four weeks.

For more information on Passport Cards, visit Uncle Sam's website.

Passports and Mexico: Changes Again!

Want to visit Mexico but don't have a passport? Don't worry! Uncle Sam's plans have changed once again. Check out our story in our sister blog, RVing Quartzsite.

RV rail tours through Copper Canyon discontinued

El Paso, Texas-based Tracks to Adventure no longer offers its railroad tours into Mexico's Copper Canyon after the Mexican government decided to prohibit the practice of allowing RVers to stay in their motorhomes or trailers that rode atop flat cars while traveling through the picturesque canyon in the northern state of Chihuahua. According to RV Business, the Mexican government said the practice was not safe, although Tracks President Larry Olsen said there had been no serious mishaps during the 33 years that he arranged trips for some 8,000 RVers. Tracks still offers the Copper Canyon tour but now RVs are parked and visitors take the 172-mile-long canyon rail in passenger cars.

Books about RV travel in Mexico and Baja. Click here.

Terror on the Baja

A California newspaper website says American RV tourists are increasingly reporting violent encounters with bandits in paramilitary clothing. See the story on our sister website, RVs in the News.

Faster return for RVers at popular Mexico border crossing

RVers returning from popular Mexico town Puerto Penasco through the Lukeville, Ariz., Port of Entry will now find the process faster according to a story in the Arizona Daily Star. Every Sunday and Monday, RVs will be directed into the commercial lane to help ease congestion. When the renovated Lukeville port opened in 1976, there was one hotel in Puerto Penasco, also known as Rocky Point. Today, there are 42 hotels and motels and 14 RV facilities that attracted approximately 2.3 million people in 2006, a nearly fivefold increase from 2001. The port with its three passenger lanes and one commercial-truck lane was built to handle 400 vehicles a day. This past fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, the Lukeville port processed up to 5,000 per day on holiday weekends.