I used Sanborn's insurance and drove basically the whole Mexican coast to Oaxaca and then up the Gulf side, but that was 1982. Then again in 1993 down to Cabo on Baja. Slept in the car every night both trips-- just pulled off the road. I think travel is a bit more dangerous nowadays with the cartels....
In the mid 70’s, I borrowed my father in law’s motor home to tow a buddy’s race car from Austin, Texas to Monterrey, Mexico.
We researched everything we needed to have. I had a notarized permit from him and we had a complete inventory of everything we had, for not just the race car, but also for our personal belongings inside the motor home.
We bought Sanborn at the border, and they put all our materials into a nicely organized folder which complied with the expectations of the Mexican government.
We cleared both the border and the interior Mexican checkpoints with ease, on the way down and the way back.
When we came back into the United States, we presented our portfolio and were instructed to park the vehicle in a holding area and to sit inside the border facility.
After about an hour, we were instructed to get into the vehicle and depart the holding area immediately.
When we got back into the motor home it looked like a bomb had gone off. Every drawer, cabinet and piece of luggage had been opened and dumped on the floor.
I got out and headed back toward the facility, only to be met halfway by one of the US border agents.
Running his hand up and down the automatic weapon he was holding, he curtly asked me what part of leave immediately I didn’t understand.
Up until the January 6 assault on the Capital, it was the most embarrassed I have ever been as a citizen of the United States.
