PICKUP TRUCKS DENIED ACCESS TO MEXICO

[briansue]

Over the past week or so I have had quite a few emails back and forth with people who appear to be the authorities in Mexico on the subject of how much a vehicle can legally weigh when entering Mexico.

It would appear that at least some of the problem with the people at the border who are in charge is that they do not quite know what to do about a pickup truck with a camper on the back – or in some cases a 5th wheel or trailer.

The law limiting the amount of weight uses the term “Capacidad de carga” which some of the border people are translating or defining or interpreting to mean Gross Vehicle Weight (GVWR) which is usually the weight rating number on the door frame of pickup trucks.

The emails below and the actual law they referred me to should clarify the meaning of the various terms they use. It seems their term for GVWR is “Peso Bruto Vehicular” and not “Capacidad de carga” . “Capacidad de carga” does not mean GVWR and they should not be reading the tag on a pickup door frame and using that for the “Capacidad de carga” legal weight of 7,716 lbs.

I will paste copies of emails and the regulations where weight terms are defined by Mexico. I would suggest that any pickup truck owners wanting to visit Mexico make copies of all of this to keep handy to show the border people if they tell you you are not allowed to enter Mexico with a pickup truck because the GVWR number on the door frame is higher than 7,716 lbs. That is not what the law says.

I will put some XXXs beside the wording in the legal regulation below to help to find it should you need it in the future.


Mr. Brian,

No hay problema, pero el propósito de nuestra respuesta es que se aclare perfectamente bien lo que significa “capacidad máxima de tres y media toneladas de peso”

No problem, but the purpose of our answer is to clarify perfectly what it means "maximum capacity of three and a half tons of weight"

- Capacidad máxima de tres y media toneladas de peso, se refiere a la carga vehicular, esto es, número máximo de personas, más peso del equipaje y paquetería.

- Maximum capacity of three and a half tons of weight, refers to the vehicle load, that is, maximum number of people, plus weight of luggage and parcel.

- Peso Bruto Vehicular, se refiere a la suma del peso vehicular y el peso de la carga.

- Vehicle Gross Weight, refers to the sum of the vehicle weight and the weight of the load.

Nota:

El peso bruto se obtiene sumando el peso neto y la carga máxima permisible de la siguiente manera:

Peso bruto vehicular = Peso neto vehicular + capacidad máxima de carga.

Note:

The gross weight is obtained by adding the net weight and the maximum permissible load as follows:

Gross vehicle weight = Net vehicle weight + maximum load capacity.

El termino capacidad máxima de tres y media toneladas de peso hace referencia a la capacidad de peso de carga, esto es, a la capacidad de peso de los pasajeros, equipaje y paquetería, sin contemplar el peso del vehículo, el cual únicamente se toma en cuenta cuando se habla de peso vehicular o de peso bruto vehicular

The maximum capacity of three and a half tons of weight refers to the weight capacity of cargo, that is, the weight capacity of passengers, luggage and parcels, without considering the weight of the vehicle, which is only taken in account when talking about vehicle weight or gross vehicle weight.

Saludos.
Regards

Hi, Mr. Brian

En caso de que no pueda realizar el trámite del permiso de importación temporal de vehículos (PITV), en el Módulo CIITEV ubicado en las Aduanas de entrada del País o vía internet por el peso, puede realizar el trámite en la Aduana con la solicitud de “Autorización de Importación Temporal”, del Anexo 1 de las Reglas Generales de Comercio Exterior.

In case you cann´t carry out the procedure for the temporary vehicle import permit (PITV), in the CIITEV Module located at the Customs of entry of the country or via the internet for the weight, you can carry out the procedure in the Customs with the request of "Temporary Import Authorization", of Annex 1 of the General Rules of Foreign Trade.

Es importante señalar que el peso que señala el artículo 158 del Reglamento de la Ley Aduanera: (PITV)
It is important to note that the weight indicated in article 158 of the Regulations of the Customs Law: (TVIP)

“Sólo se podrá efectuar la importación temporal de vehículos que tengan una capacidad máxima de tres y media toneladas de peso.”

"Temporary importation of vehicles with a maximum capacity of three and a half tonnes of weight”

Refiere a la Capacidad de Carga, esto es, al Número máximo de personas, más peso del equipaje y paquetería, que un vehículo destinado al servicio de pasajeros puede transportar y para el cual fue diseñado por el fabricante o reconstructor.

It refers to the Cargo Capacity, that is, the maximum number of people, plus weight of the luggage and parcel, that a vehicle destined to the service of passengers can transport and for which it was designed by the manufacturer or reconstructor.

Capacidad de carga: Rear GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating) se evidencia en la placa de la puerta lateral del vehículo.

Load Capacity: Rear GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating) is evident on the side door plate of the vehicle.

Y el PESO BRUTO VEHICULAR.- Suma del peso vehicular y el peso de la carga, en el caso de vehículos de carga; o suma del peso vehicular y el peso de los pasajeros, equipaje y paquetería en el caso de vehículos destinados al servicio de pasajeros.

And the VEHICULAR GROSS WEIGHT.- Sum of the vehicle weight and the weight of the load, in the case of vehicles of load; or sum of vehicle weight and weight of passengers, luggage and parcels in the case of vehicles intended for passenger service

Saludos.

Regards.


REGLAMENTO SOBRE EL PESO, DIMENSIONES Y CAPACIDAD DE LOS VEHÍCULOS DE AUTRANSPORTE QUE TRANSITAN EN LOS CAMINOS Y PUENTES DE JURISDICCIÓN FEDERAL
REGULATION ON THE WEIGHT, DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITY OF AUXILIARY VEHICLES TRANSITING ON THE PATHS AND BRIDGES OF FEDERAL JURISDICTION

Publicado en el DOF el 26 de enero de 1994
Fe de erratas DOF 25 de marzo de 1994
Última reforma publicada DOF 15 de noviembre de 2006

CAPÍTULO I
DISPOSICIONES GENERALES
CHAPTER I
GENERAL DISPOSITION

ARTÍCULO 1o.- El presente Reglamento tiene por objeto regular el peso, dimensiones y capacidad a que se deben sujetar los vehículos de autotransporte de pasajeros, de turismo y de carga que transiten en los caminos de jurisdicción federal.

ARTICLE 1 - The purpose of these Regulations is to regulate the weight, dimensions and capacity to be attached to passenger, tourist and cargo vehicles transiting on the roads of federal jurisdiction.


ARTÍCULO 2o.- Para efectos del presente Reglamento se entenderá por:

ARTICLE 2. For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions shall apply:


AUTOTANQUE Vehículo cerrado, automotor, semirremolque o remolque, dedicado al transporte de líquidos, gases licuados o sólidos en suspensión.

AUTOTANQUE Closed vehicle, automotive, semi-trailer or trailer, dedicated to the transport of liquids, liquefied gases or suspended solids.


CAMINOS Y PUENTES DE JURISDICCION FEDERAL Vías generales de comunicación a que se refiere el artículo 2o. fracciones I y V de la Ley de Caminos, Puentes y Autotransporte Federal.

WAYS AND BRIDGES OF FEDERAL JURISDICTION General means of communication referred to in Article 2. fractions I and V of the Law of Roads, Bridges and Federal Highway.


XXX CAPACIDAD Número máximo de personas, más peso del equipaje y paquetería, que un vehículo destinado al servicio de pasajeros puede transportar y para el cual fue diseñado por el fabricante o reconstructor.

CAPACITY Maximum number of persons, plus luggage weight and parcels, which a vehicle intended for passenger service can be transported and for which it was designed by the manufacturer or rebuilder.


CARGA DE GRAN PESO O VOLUMEN Carga cuyo peso adicionado al peso vehicular rebasa los límites establecidos para el peso bruto vehicular en este Reglamento o carga cuyas dimensiones rebasan las máximas autorizadas, por lo que para su transportación requiere de vehículos y disposiciones especiales.

LOADING OF GREAT WEIGHT OR VOLUME Load whose weight added to the vehicle weight exceeds the limits established for the gross vehicle weight in this Regulation or load whose dimensions exceed the maximum authorized, so that for transportation requires vehicles and special provisions.


XXX CARGA UTIL Y PESO UTIL Peso máximo de la carga que un vehículo puede transportar en condiciones de seguridad y para el cual fue diseñado por el fabricante o reconstructor.

USEFUL LOAD AND UTILITY WEIGHT The maximum weight of the load that a vehicle can transport in safety conditions and for which it was designed by the manufacturer or rebuilder.


CARRO POR ENTERO Cuando la totalidad de la carga que se transporta en un vehículo es propiedad de un solo usuario.

WHOLE WHEEL When the entire cargo that is transported in a vehicle is owned by a single user.


CONSTANCIA DE CAPACIDAD Y DIMENSIONES O DE PESO Y DIMENSIONES Documento suscrito por el fabricante o reconstructor en el que se hace constar el peso vehicular y carga útil o peso vehicular y la capacidad, así como las dimensiones del vehículo y tipo de llantas destinado al transporte de carga o de pasajeros.

CONSTANCE OF CAPACITY AND DIMENSIONS OR OF WEIGHT AND DIMENSIONS Document signed by the manufacturer or rebuilder in which it is recorded the vehicle weight and payload or vehicle weight and capacity, as well as the dimensions of the vehicle and type of tires intended for the transport of cargo or passengers.


CONFIGURACIÓN O COMBINACIÓN VEHICULAR.- Vehículo constituido por tractocamión y uno o dos semirremolques o remolques, o por camión y un remolque, acoplados por mecanismos de articu

VEHICULAR CONFIGURATION OR COMBINATION.- Vehicle consisting of tractor and one or two semitrailers or trailers, or by truck and a trailer, coupled by articulation mechanisms.


DIMENSIONES Alto, ancho y largo expresados en metros, de un vehículo en condiciones de operación incluyendo la carga.

DIMENSIONS Height, width and length expressed in meters, of a vehicle in operating conditions including the load.


FABRICANTE O RECONSTRUCTOR Persona física o moral que diseña, fabrica, reconstruye o modifica vehículos de autotransporte de pasajeros, de turismo o carga.

MANUFACTURER OR RECONSTRUCTOR A physical or moral person who designs, manufactures, rebuilds, or modifies passenger, touring, or cargo motor vehicles.


LEY Ley de Caminos, Puentes y Autotransporte Federal.lación.

LAW Law of Roads, Bridges and Federal Highway.


NORMA Norma oficial mexicana.

NORMA Official Mexican standard.


ORGANISMO DE CERTIFICACION Las personas morales que tengan por objeto realizar funciones de certificación, mediante un procedimiento que asegure que un producto, proceso, sistema o servicio se ajuste a las normas, lineamientos o recomendaciones de organismos dedicados a la normalización nacional o internacional.

CERTIFICATION ORGANIZATION The moral people whose purpose is to perform certification functions, through a procedure that ensures that a product, process, system or service conforms to the standards, guidelines or recommendations of bodies dedicated to national or international standardization.


PESO Fuerza que ejerce sobre la superficie terrestre un vehículo, expresado en kilogramos.

WEIGHT A force exerted on the surface of the earth by a vehicle, expressed in kilograms.


XXX PESO BRUTO VEHICULAR Suma del peso vehícular y el peso de la carga, en el caso de vehículos de carga; o suma del peso vehícular y el peso de los pasajeros, equipaje y paquetería en el caso de vehículos destinados al servicio de pasajeros.

GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT Sum of the vehicle weight and weight of the load, in the case of load vehicles; or sum of vehicle weight and weight of passengers, luggage and parcels in the case of vehicles intended for passenger service.



XXX PESO VEHICULAR Peso de un vehículo o combinación vehícular con accesorios, en condiciones de operación, sin carga.

VEHICULAR WEIGHT Weight of a vehicle or combination vehicle with accessories, under operating conditions, without load.

[Talleyho69]

This topic has been very thoroughly researched and discussed, the necessary information for getting your vehicles across into Mexico has been posted.

[briansue]

I wouldn't worry about it at all. It appears that the issue is with pick up trucks, because they are considered in Mexico to be cargo haulers.

There was a post in one of these recent topic threads where someone with an E350 was denied - but I am not sure what an E350 is I think it is a van.

It seems they are looking at the tag on the door frame which shows GVWR and GAWR but not CCC which I think is what is meant by Capacidad de Carga. So if the GVWR and the door frame is higher than 7,700 lbs then they may see it and deny access until someone finds a way to get someone in Mexico to take notice of what is happening.

[Talleyho69]

Wow, vans too? Figured that since they aren't set up for cargo (those with windows) there wouldn't be an issue.

[Tequila]

Getting sick of this subject, just get your permit on line & use nogales and youy will be fine. Nothing will change this season.

Tallyhoe, E350 vans are also having issues.

[briansue]

Here is another photo of a door sticker where Ford shows GVWR as well as GAWR but nothing about load capacity. This seems to be at least part of the problem. They seem to be using GVWR as Capacidad?



Click For Full-Size Image.

[briansue]

Here is another article about all this......


http://www.truckcamperadventure.com/2017/10/truck-campers-banned-in-mexico/


Truck Campers Banned in Mexico?
CONFUSION AT THE BORDER
October 26, 2017

You may have heard by now that truck campers are being turned away at the Mexico border. Is this true? In many cases, yes. But the reason appears to be a misunderstanding of Mexican law by certain Mexican customs officials. Here’s what we’ve learned here at Truck Camper Adventure after investigating the matter further.

A recent Mexican law, enacted in November 2015, states that commercial vehicles with a cargo capacity (“capacidad de carga”) or payload of 7,716 pounds or greater are prohibited from entering the country and will not be granted a temporary import permit (TIP) (as far as we can determine, the law applies only to mainland Mexico and not to the state of Baja).

Unfortunately, Mexican customs officials at certain checkpoints—El Paso, Laredo, and la Paz (ferry from Baja)—have misunderstood the term “cargo capacity” to mean Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) (officials, apparently, are referring the GVWR number located on the truck’s door pillar). The 3.5 ton figure is supposed to apply to the payload/cargo capacity of the pickup truck, NOT to the GVWR, which, as we know, is an entirely different number (the GVWR includes both the payload and the weight of the truck). This gross misunderstanding and application of the law means that only half-ton pickup trucks with a GVWR less than 7,716 pounds are granted entry by these officials. Truck camper owners with one-ton and 3/4-ton trucks are being turned away at the aforementioned checkpoints. Furthermore, this restriction is supposed to apply to commercial vehicles only NOT to private vehicles.

What can be done? Avoid the aforementioned checkpoints. If you own a one-ton or 3/4-ton truck, we recommend that you obtain your permit ahead of time online rather than at the border. We also recommend that you bring a printout of the statute (in Spanish) with you in case you encounter any problems. Another solution to the problem is to have your truck camper rig reclassified as a motorhome here in the United States. Apparently, motorhomes are exempt from this new Mexican law. Unfortunately, having this done to your rig is a difficult, very lengthy process here in the U.S., but it might be worth the effort since motorhomes are granted a 10-year permit to freely enter and leave Mexico. If you are a frequent traveler to Mexico, this might be the way to go.

In the meantime, it’s hoped that the word gets out on the true application and intent of the law. As it stands right now, too many U.S. tourists with truck campers (and those with trucks towing travel trailers and fifth wheels) are being turned away at the border, leading to frustration and changed plans. This can’t be good for Mexico’s struggling economy. It’s in Mexico’s economic interest to get this issue straightened out as soon as possible.

[Talleyho69]

I wouldn't worry about it at all. It appears that the issue is with pick up trucks, because they are considered in Mexico to be cargo haulers.

It's all about pick ups, not vans.

[south-of-the-bo]

Vans are no problem, especially if they are "motorhomes", they so far have only targeted the 3/4 and 1 ton pickups.

[Graydon]

I'm wondering if my Ford 350 nine passenger van with a gross vehicle weight of 8700 pounds will have difficulty getting a TIP. I took it to Mexico last year with no problem but if there may be a problem I'd rather know before I get to the border.

[briansue]

Here is another website where the term "capacidad de carga" is clearly used. This is the Banjercito website where you can apply for the TIP online.


https://www.banjercito.com.mx/registroVehiculos/ . . . . . . . https://www.gob.mx/banjercito/


INFORMACIÓN IMPORTANTE ANTES DE INICIAR

• Puede solicitar el permiso en un plazo de entre 11 y 60 días antes de su ingreso a México.

• Una vez aceptado el pago, el permiso es enviado a su domicilio en un máximo de 11 días hábiles.

• No está permitido solicitar un permiso de un vehículo que no esté a su nombre o bien a nombre de su cónyuge, hijos, padres o hermanos.

• No está permitido solicitar un permiso para un vehículo que exceda las 3.5 toneladas (7,716.17 libras) de capacidad de carga.

• En caso de que usted sea extranjero, antes de iniciar el trámite del permiso deberá ingresar a la página http://www.inm.gob.mx/pae para tramitar su pre-autorización migratoria. El permiso del vehículo se le otorgará por los mismos días autorizados en dicha pre-autorización. Adicionalmente, en el momento que ingrese a territorio mexicano deberá presentarse ante las autoridades migratorias, a fin de que se le cambie la pre-autorización por la forma migratoria definitiva que le permite el ingreso a México.

• En caso de que la información que ingrese sea falsa, puede hacerse acreedor a sanciones por parte de las autoridades Mexicanas.


GOOGLE TRANSLATE


IMPORTANT INFORMATION BEFORE STARTING

• You can apply for the permit within 11 to 60 days before your entry to Mexico.

• Once the payment is accepted, the permit is sent to your home within a maximum of 11 business days.

• It is not permissible to request a permit from a vehicle that is not in your name or on behalf of your spouse, children, parents or siblings.

• It is not allowed to apply for a permit for a vehicle that exceeds 3.5 tons (7,716.17 pounds) of load capacity.

• In case you are a foreigner, you must go to http://www.inm.gob.mx/pae to process your immigration authorization before you start the permit process. The vehicle's permit will be granted for the same days authorized in said pre-authorization. In addition, upon entering Mexican territory, he / she must appear before the immigration authorities, so that the pre-authorization can be changed due to the definitive immigration form that allows him to enter Mexico.

• In case the information you enter is false, you may be liable to penalties by the Mexican authorities.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

June 2018 may see some major changes in how government Mexico treats longer-term tourism. I hope so. The changes would not take effect until the following winter, but it will bring a ray of hope.

The thread moderator did not care for my earlier lengthy explanation of exactly how this will happen, but six private messages from Hispanic forum members agreed with what I wrote.

It is important to keep in mind when Mexico first imposed car permit rules in the early nineties, it was a nightmare. It changed. It had to. The pickup truck camper draconian restriction will ease.

[south-of-the-bo]

moisheh wrote:
If this keeps up I can see Mexico RV travel dropping even more. Hard to believe that years ago a TC was the preferred method of Mexican travel. In 03 we had a CC Duallie and an 11.5 ft. camper. Tons of fun with zero hassles! How many Canadians are going to cross the entire USA and take chance on being turned away?

Moisheh

Sad.....so sad!

[moisheh]

If this keeps up I can see Mexico RV travel dropping even more. Hard to believe that years ago a TC was the preferred method of Mexican travel. In 03 we had a CC Duallie and an 11.5 ft. camper. Tons of fun with zero hassles! How many Canadians are going to cross the entire USA and take chance on being turned away?

Moisheh

[Tequila]

I have heard la Paz is one of the sticky ones. Still same advice, get it on line then use nogales. Did you tell him to try Nogales?

I have a friend who is planning to cross in a few eeks at Laredo wth a 1 ton. I advised him to get his permit on line, take a taxi to the downtown crossing and get a tourist card the day before, then use that crossing without stopping. It will be interesting to see how he manages. No RV, just a truck and small cargo trailer.