Tom Williamson
mazatlan sinaloa mexico
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Joined: 02/07/2010
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Will be going from Mazatlan to Texas via Laredo. Pulling a 34' 5th wheel. Looking for advise re going through Durango (Devil's Spine route) then to Monterrey versus taking the southern route via Guadalajara up to Monterrey. We are from Colorado and do have lots of experience pulling our rig over relatively high altitude passes.
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The Texan
Summer: Cascade, Idaho - Winter: Quartzsite, AZ
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Joined: 01/16/2004
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The problem is not the high altitude, but the very tight switchbacks that the trucks and buses cross over the center line all the time. We did it in a Mexican bus and would never take our RV on the road, until the cuota is finished. We live in the mountains of western Idaho, so we are also used to mountain driving.
Bob & Betsy - USN Ret'd '78 & FL LEO Ret'd '03 & FT Class of 2002
'05 HR Endeavor 40PRQ, 400 Cummins, 405w/23A solar sys -With-'05 GMC Sierra LT, CC, Z-71, W/ Arctic Cat 500A & Suzuki KQ 400A, riding in or behind the pusher.
Where the wheels are stopped
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Wm.Elliot
Northeast
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Joined: 12/25/2005
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I've crossed it back and forth 7 times towing a 27 foot travel trailer, first time in 1999. Mexico 40 has changed a lot in those years, all for the better. It takes about 8 hours to travel from Durango to Villa Union. West to East is the climb, East to west is braking - especially the western end. Downshift to save the brakes as it's easy to heat up the brakes.
The hairpin curves have been cut back somewhat, it is unnerving to meet a tractor trailer midway through the turn but we have always cleared. If you're not in a hurry you can follow another tractor trailer - by staying in his wake you're less likely to meet a truck in turns as they usually wait.
Going west you can stay on the cuota although it might be hard to tell where the last exit is before you come to the end of the road. Reversing direction on the barricaded 2 lane can be dicey.
All things considered, it makes for a memorable part of the trip, but for Laredo-Mazatlan, there's no more direct route.
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gschecht
Medicine Hat
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Joined: 09/21/2005
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we travelled that route in Jan in our road trek on a saturday morning we left Durango at 9:30am and arrived in Mazatlan at 2:00 pm . it is a nice drive however there are lots of very sharp curves.
* This post was
edited 02/08/10 12:02pm by an administrator/moderator *
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Big C
Kelowna, B.C. Canada
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Joined: 10/22/2002
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Have a look at this recent discussion.....
http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/23480339/srt/pa/pging/1/page/1.cfm
Contessa
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