Tracks to Adventure- Baja - Montana Owners Club

lasater · 02-05-2006, 03:25 PM

My wife and I have been planning this for the past 12 years. Now it is finally happening. We jump off this coming Thursday for a rendezvous at the KOA in San Diego; then a 25-day treck down the Baja Peninsula all the way to Cabo San Lucas. We are about to go crazy on planning what to take...what not to take...what to double up on...what to keep simple....

I, for instance, am taking lots of Immodium AD (generic version) with me. We have 10 gallons of Arrowhead water plus a full fresh water tank. We have extra rolls of TP and plenty of Black Tank Treatment. Plus, 2 computers, 3 digital cameras, GPS, CB Radio, snorkel gear, and (of course) my Crown Royal.

We are looking forward to a great adventure.

jrgwdenner · 02-05-2006, 04:02 PM

Keep us updated on your adventure. This is new territory for most of us and sounds very exciting. Have a great time.

Montana Sky · 02-05-2006, 05:15 PM

Sounds like such a fun trip coming up. Please let us know how it goes for you.

fulltimedreamer · 02-05-2006, 06:33 PM

Sounds like a great adventure. Be sure to keep us updated if you have access to the internet. If not, we'll look forward to a trip report when you return. Best wishes for a wonderful trip!!

padredw · 02-06-2006, 01:52 AM

WOW! Not that's really camping. Best wishes for your grand adventure.

tweir · 02-06-2006, 02:16 AM

Be very carefull of the narrow roadways. The stretch between Mandenero (South of Ensenada) to Santo Tomas (North of San Quentin) is mountainous and has very narrow roads you have to share with large busses & Semi's. There are Tope's (speed bumps that seems 2 feet tall) just before many of the small towns. Speed limits are strictly enforced, especially in the school zones. Make sure you have a good tool box and at least one set of spare wheel bearings for the trailer. Most common breakdown is trailer bearings & broken springs in baja. Bring a spare fuel filter with you. Mexican Auto Insurance is a must---actually its the law and you'll have to get your Visitor's permit @ the TJ crossing when you pull into the Mexican inspection station just south of the Border fence. make sure the Immigration guys stamp it for 90 days. They do check at Guerrero Negro (the Monument Immigration point that separates the states of Baja Norte from Baja Sur). You will need either a passport or a birth certificate with you. If you don't have the "pink slips" to either of both of your vehicles, you will need a letter of authorization from your bank or lending institution saying its OK to to take the unit (s) into Mexico for the period of your travels---the inclusive dates must be on the letter of authorization. This will prevent any sort of "problems" in case you need to use or insurance, get in an accident or what have you. Many of the towns have "Agua Pura" facilities where you can purchase purified water---I've never had any problems with it. We always take several cases of soft drinks/1/2 liter bottles of water with us---it helps "smooth the way" through the military checkpoints. Those poor kids standing out in the sun all day are very appriciative of a cold drink. If you plan on doing any fishing, make sure you get a Mexican Fishing License---yup, they check. There are many WEB sites that outline the regs. Try Oscar Padilla or the MexInsure websites; very informative. If you need more info, send me an e-mail & I'll forward to you several sites that will help you out. Have a safe trip---Via Con Dios...!

lasater · 02-22-2006, 08:54 AM

We are now in Loreto, BCS. This is the first chance to get on-line since we crossed the border. The Tracks to Adventure tour is pretty well organized. But, we still have to go on someone else's schedule and that is the only real down side to the trip.

Tomorrow, we leave Loreto and go on to La Paz. One night there, then on down to Cabo San Lucas. We will stay 3 nights there then begin working back to the north.

For those of you who are CONSIDERING going on an organized tour, consider the following:
1. There will be several dinners together with your fellow travelors at restaurants picked by the tour guide (Wagonmaster).
2. There will be several locations where it is better to fuel up and these will be briefed by the Wagonmaster.
3. There will be ample opportunity to spend your "hard-earned money" (shopping) and these times are built into the tour schedule.

If these things appeal to you, then I recommend you sign up for a tour. They are not cheap. But they are not unreasonable either. We have been very comfortable on the tour despite having "dry-camped" 3 nights so far and having only 15 amp service at most Mexico locations.

Today we went out in the Sea of Cortez for some sport fishing. The rates were very reasonable at $50 per person and no more than 3 or 4 to a boat. Draw-back: No head, porta-pottie, rest-room, john, or even a tin can to use. With a mixed company, you just hold it.

See ya down the road.

HamRad · 02-23-2006, 05:03 AM

Brad and Carol,
Good to see a post from you. It's been a while! Sounds like you are having a great time. How has pulling the rig in Baja gone? Any problems at all? Continue having a great trip and give us a wrap up when you get back to the states.

Thomas J.,
Great info on traveling and doing various activities in Mexico. You obviously have had a good deal of experience in doing that sort of thing. Thank you for sharing.

HamRad

mobilrvn · 02-23-2006, 09:11 AM

lasater, sorry I didn't look at this forum sooner. We have RVed every winter for the last eight yrs. in Mex. Our first trip was down the Baja as is our current trip. Last winter we had been in every state in Mex. It is a great country, but not with a caravan. They are expensive and worthless IMHO. Besides a sense of adventure, the only other things your need are 1) The Traveler's Guide to Mexican Camping by Mike and Terri Church, www.rollinghomes.com (this is how the wagonmasters know where to go), a good road map like Guia Roji www.guiaroji.com.mx and a guidebook of your liking---a lot cheaper than a caravan. RVers down here are a lot like family. The weather is good, food is fine and most things are less expensive. There is a lot of history and wonderful sights to see all over the country and the people are wonderful. Urban myths aside, we feel much more secure in Mex than in the US and Canada. Come on down!

lasater · 02-25-2006, 02:42 AM

HamRad,
We have had no problems pulling our 2955RL down here. The highways are all 9.5 feet wide and you really have to pay attention to where your wheels and the trailer's wheels are. One of our caravan members let his attention stray a little one day and let his right wheels go off the pavement. He was in a motorhome and had no choice but to follow. Fortunately, he stayed up-right, paralleled the highway for about 300 meters and was able to return to the road. The only damage was to the hydralic leveling system on his right front. That jack will have to be replaced. Another lost a mirror to a passing 18-wheeler (their mirrors mated). Both of these incidents were to motorhomes (with high mirrors, etc.) One other member with a 34-foot Jayco Designer Legacy snagged his left rear corner on a pole while turning into a park. He did a little sheetmetal damage but nothing major.

There are 2 other Montanas on the trip with us. One from Keota, IA, and the other is from West Jordan, UT. Both are great folks.

mobilrvn
Thanks for the tip on the publications. We looked at the URL you listed and will be ordering a few books when we return to the Lower-48. Since this was our 1st time to cross the border, we thought it prudent to go with an organized group. Now we know what to expect. Our next trip will either be by ourselves or with a few friends. We do want to see the Yucatan and other places around the gulf.

Who do you use for you Mexico insurance? There are a bunch of providers so prior experience is worth listening to.

Thanks,

mobilrvn · 02-25-2006, 06:50 AM

lasater, we use Lewis & Lewis and have used them for several years. www.MexicanAutoInsurance.com Haven't had a claim, so can't tell you anything about that aspect. They have always been prompt and helpful. We get our ins. on an annual basis; it doesn't cost much more than a six month policy and that way we can dodge back into Mexico whenever we want if the opportunity arises. When we cross into Mex, we cancel our US liability ins. since they won't (can't) pay in Mex and then pick it back up before crossing into the US. Some policies do pay comp. claims in Mex., but check with your ins. co. We feel that you can't have too much coverage.

You'll love the Yucatan although it is easy to overdose on the many ruins. Take a lot of pictures and figure it out later, but at least see all the major ruins. Some of them have sound and light shows in the evening. If you don't speak Spanish like us, some of them have English tape recordings. For some kickback time, spend at least a few days at Isla Aguada near Ciudad del Carmen. Also go to Celestun near Merida to see the wintering flamingos. There is an agricultural inspection going into the state of Campeche and they will conficate pork and chicken products, so if you want to keep your bacon even though you bought it at Costco in Mexico, hid it! Topes can be a bugger in this area. It one "town" of four little building had 82 topes! Go slow and smile. If you want any recommendations on CGs, will give you our insights although there ususally isn't much choice.

lasater · 02-25-2006, 08:08 AM

mobilrvn
And I'll bet that every one of the topes had a series of vibratos leading up to them. I think the vibratos are often worse than the topes.

Have you had any trouble with the military check points? We know they usually allow a large group of RVers to go through quickly. We don't know how they handle an individual RVer. Any comments?

mobilrvn · 02-26-2006, 04:22 AM

In the last three years we have not been required to stop at a military check point. Most of the time we are just waved through and with those where they try to ask questions, it is always in Spanish which we never speak a word of in front of them. We smile and remove our sunglasses, just like crossing the borders. Having a couple of loud mouth dogs also helps. On the mainland they seem to be more curious; they want to see your rig and are not really looking for guns, drugs, etc. The few times we have been inspected it has been short and professional. We never offer them cokes or the like although we have been asked for water a couple of times---they are just doing their job which is caused by the demand for drugs in the US. This drug appetite has cause terrible problems in Mexico for everyone; shame on us.

lasater · 03-12-2006, 05:31 AM

Wow! What a trip. We logged over 2400 miles by the time we got back to our stick house in Arizona. There were 22 rigs in the caravan including the Wagonmaster and Asst. Of them, at least 7 sustained some type of damage or mechanical break-down. Damage included lost mirrors (from passing 18-wheelers), broken tail light (from a local vendor running into the Wagonmaster's Hitchhiker II), broken leveling jack (from veering off the pavement), and some sheet-metal damage (Dutchstar 36-footer when a P/U side-swiped him). Break-downs included a broken fuel line, loss of front-end alignment, head-light switch shorting out, and a plugged fuel filter.

Except for a broken coffee carafe (major disaster), our Montana came through with no damage, no injuries, no lost parts, and (with only bottled water added) no decontamination of the fresh water system. We averaged 13.2 MPG for the entire trip and bought propane one time during the return trip just outside of Guerrero Negro. We ran the refer full time on propane (un-plugged the electrical). We did pretty much wear out our sewer lines and will replace them this coming week. And, I almost forgot, my wife left my 15-to-30 amp adapter plugged in to shore power when she put the power cable away. Now I know to have more than 1 adapter.

All-in-all...a great trip...great learning experience. Would I go to Mexico again? Yep. Would I go with a Caravan? Probably not. I would rather have my own schedule and route to follow rather than the regimentation that is a part of caravaning.

Joyce H · 03-12-2006, 09:52 AM

Brad & Carol, Glad you are home safely and thanks for the trip report. Sounds like an exciting adventure. We spent some time in Baja (at a hotel not with the Monty). Had a great time with friends and the fishing was fantastic!

fulltimedreamer · 03-12-2006, 11:49 AM

Brad and Carol,

Welcome back to the states and thanks for your trip report. It sounds like a wonderful adventure. Someday we'd like to make a similar trip.

mobilrvn · 04-02-2006, 08:12 PM

Our Baja trip ended up with a new TV. The F350's transmission got killed by the Banks' "Smart Lock" and the Mexicans failed to fix it twice. So we HAD to buy a 2500HD Duramax with the new Allison six speed transmission which is pure silk

Had to drive the Ford from La Paz to Yuma to trade it in--the tranny wouldn't shift into high just as I crossed into the US. Made a speedy trip back and are now relaxing in Los Algadones in Mexico near Yuma getting things done to the truck. Will head out of Mexico in a week

A beautiful trip is to take the toll road that runs from Tecate to Mexicali--talk about some steep grades! Went slower with the 5W on board and could look back at the highway (two lanes up and two seperate lanes down) and was amazed to see the vast number of vehicles which had crashed off the highway!! The view is worth the ride.

lasater · 04-03-2006, 06:07 AM

Sorry to hear about your troubles. Sometimes, you just have to jack up the radiator cap and drive a new truck under it to fix your problems. I don't envy you coming back across at Algadones. That is a very narrow, crowded crossing point. Good luck.

When I learned to drive a truck, it was a 15-speed International (5-speed main & 3-speed aux). Using the tach to shift without syncromesh became 2nd nature. So, when I bought my truck, I chose the 6-speed manual tranny. Both my wife and I are happy with the choice. She learned to drive in a '56 Chevy P/U with a 3-speed on the column. She still likes the manual. I think my next truck will be the F-350, 4X4, PowerStroke w/6-speed manual.

I have not had to worry about tranny temps while going over the Rockies (or doing any part of the Baja trip).

mobilrvn · 04-13-2006, 07:11 PM

We stayed in Algadones for a couple of weeks getting things for the truck. Yuma is not an easy place to get "stuff". There is never anything in stock and everything has to be shipped. We didn't cross at Algadones although we saw several large RVs leave and they had no problem. We could have easily crossed there, but choose to go east on Hwy 2 to leave through Lukeville so we could get one more fill of $2.00/gal diesel. It is a nice trip through the Sonoran Desert. Don't think it would be a great trip westbound because of the truck traffic. Think that the trucks for the most part loop back through the US to pick up loads for the mainland. Still happy with the new truck.

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