Common Questions & Concerns
Common Questions & Concerns
Overlanding North and South America
We get a lot of questions about traveling in Mexico, Central America, and South America.
The reality is that there are some areas in Latin America that are unsafe. These include many Mexican border towns, and certain cities or regions in Brazil, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Venezuela. More recently, some towns in Nicaragua have also become unstable due to protests against Daniel Ortega’s government.
The good news? We’re avoiding the sketchy border towns in Mexico and steering clear of unsafe areas in Guatemala and Honduras. We’re also not planning to visit Brazil, El Salvador, or Venezuela.
The rest of Mexico, Central America, and South America is relatively safe. In fact, I’d argue that many of these areas feel safer than some cities and rural towns in the U.S.—places full of guns and ravaged by opioids. That said, you still need to be smart. Don’t leave valuables visible in your vehicle, and don’t wander into rough neighborhoods alone. If you wouldn’t do it in the U.S., don’t do it abroad.
Nicaragua is a special case. Yes, there’s been violence. But it’s largely between the government and student protesters—not directed at tourists. We’ll be watching the situation closely. If it escalates into full-blown civil war, we’ll figure out how to ship the rig around it (not an easy task). But if things stay stable, we may hire a local guide or join a caravan of overlanders to get through safely. Worst case scenario: Leah on the roof with a crossbow, and we gun it through the student barricades. (They’re mostly made of stones, and our front bumper is massive.)
Think Mad Max: Fury Road.
On Self Defense
We’re often asked about self defense. Here’s our take: the last thing you want to do is carry a gun or deadly weapon while traveling in Latin America. Not only could you end up in jail, but those weapons can be turned against you.
If you want to feel more prepared, take a self defense class. But be realistic—it takes time to learn techniques you can actually use under stress. I’ve studied Jiu-Jitsu, but if I found myself in a Rio favela getting into it with a local… let’s just say I wouldn’t like my odds.
Instead, pepper spray and stun guns are a decent deterrent—especially for aggressive dogs or would-be petty thieves.
Protecting Your Vehicle
This is a legitimate concern, especially since it’s tough or impossible to get insurance coverage for theft or damage in Latin America. There’s no one-size-fits-all advice here since each rig is different.
Our setup—a pop-up camper—has some built-in advantages. When it’s down, there’s no way to get inside (no windows to break). It’s also fully separated from the truck cab.
Even so, we’re taking extra precautions:
- Brake pedal lock
- Jimmi’ Jammers (jimmijammer.com) – make door locks harder to tamper with
- Llumar Automotive Film – adds resistance to window breakage
- RimLox wheel locks
- Ravelco Anti-Theft Device (ravelco.com) – makes hotwiring almost impossible
These tools aren’t cheap. So weigh the value of your vehicle and setup against the cost of additional security.
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