Medical Charity Expedition Build Questions (1 Viewer)

[EOE_overland]

My buddy of 15 years and I are part way thru the process of forming a charity with the purpose of hauling medical supplies (and possibly personnel) to out-of-the-way areas. For anyone interested in more info, our mostly finished website is Ends of The Earth - Extreme 4-WD Medical Expeditions - that way I don't have to type out the full story in this post. Anyway, the plan got real in September when I bought my 89' FJ62 (and he bought a '99 TJ )for my daily driver and eventually a medical supply hauler. Thru a few twists, it appears as though our first planned trip will be to the Baja next Nov/Dec. Although we're trying to arrange transport to SoCal, it may or may not work out- which would add an extra 3K miles each way to the trip (I live in MD). So the first question is: what vehicle prep advice do ya'll have for this type of trip, both general and 62-specific?

A brief background on my truck: Got 213K miles; all stock. Had plenty of dents when I bought it, but they were old-man (yellow paint filled) dents. Very little rust, which I've already taken care of. Rebuilt the front axle first thing with Marlin seals, wheel bearings, knuckle bearings, to cure a leaking axle seal. Tune up. Engine runs very well. Could use a valve adjustment, and I plan to drop the oil pan after the holidays. Tranny (A440) runs and shifts well. Also have a service kit ready to go. Trans cooler lines leaked until I temp-rigged a piece of hose to fix it until I install new SS braided cooler lines and another fluid cooler. I plan on an OME 2" kit with a Heavy rear for carrying supplies. Probably 31-10.50 ATs for economy. Don't plan on doing serious wheeling with this thing in the near future. I've done plenty of other little things that I can't think of right now, but I'll add as I think of them. Oh, new exhaust from the manifolds back (one cat had been stolen while sitting at the car lot).

So, unless I get massive donations in the next year, I'm on a seriously tight budget. I plan on trying to get a second job on saturdays at Autozone or something to pay for parts. So I'm looking for gotta-do maintenance jobs, and a few "should-have" extras that I should do if I have a little extra money. The trip is going to be mainly paved (in various degrees of condition) roads. For an "extra," if I get $300 that I can sink into a Safari snorkel to keep the dust out, I will. Thanks in advance for any help! I'll need some more advice in the future (ie: route planning), and if anyone's interested I'll post up with our progress.

 

[kennyfj40]

Sounds like a intresting and worthwhile project. I had a 62 for a couple years and it was a nice cruiser. I do not see anywhere in your post, but did yours come with factory lockers? You say most travel will be on pavement, but if you end up on some primitive roads a locker in the rear diff. would be a good add on. A winch can also help get you out of trouble. I would also think you would want a good roof rack to haul additonal fuel cans and water cans along with the medical supplies. Sense money is tight, extra fuel in jerry cans may be the way to go, but a larger expedition fuel tank or add on fuel tank would be good to have as well. Just a few things I would have on this type of project.

 

[Hltoppr]

Tune it up using OEM Toyota parts...forget the Autozone stuff...it'll leave you stranded. Go through CDan here on mud at American Toyota for a great discount on OEM.

Look at your GVW, and the loads you intend on carrying. Possibly, depending upon the condition of the springs, swap to Old Man Emu, with a good set of tires. I prefer BFGs, which have never let me down.

Otherwise...don't get too concerned about mods; that 62 will do just fine for what you intend it for.

Maybe check out some ideas at IH8MUD Banner Advertising , which is a travel/expedition based site and forum.

HTH. Sounds like a great venture!

-H-

 

[esh]

62 specific stuff-

as said above, use only OEM Toyota parts. this cannot be emphasized enough!


go through the rear axle- new seals, regrease bearings, wouldn't hurt to replace driveline ujoints

drain and replace every fluid- buy magnetized drain plugs if you don't have them everywhere

water pump

i assume you'll do a rodney flush when you do your trans cooler? if not, do that

do a thorough coolant flush. remove radiator, cut shroud in half horizontally, have a shop test the rad.

clean and grease all your window roller channels

new muffler bearings

16" tires have more load-carrying capacity. get some cheap wagon wheels and make them look ugly. put more dents in your truck. have it looking stock and more run down. a crappy window tint job might help.


bring extra- dist cap, rotor, wires, plugs, belts, hoses, plus anything you can think of that is easy to replace but hard to find at a parts store.

tire plug kit and extra spare if you can manage it.

do not skimp on quality tires, but make sure they are nicely scuffed and looking ratty

if you really want a locker (imo you shouldn't need one), just do a cheap Aussie rear locker- don't add a winch or anything visible. a good set of snatch straps and D-ring shackles should do ya fine. hi-lift jack (with some kind of base) and shovel are handy to take.

extinguisher and well-stocked first-aid kit.. but you probably know about that

 

[EOE_overland]

So far: no lockers, definitely going to do the Rodney flush when I replace my cooler lines, fluids have all been changed (and will be immediately pre-trip), and I've definitely gone the cheap route with bodywork so far. Yes, while I do agree that keepin it rough will be advantageous in Mexico...I live in suburban Maryland at present, so I have to keep it up to some standards. But it is still two-tone gold (factory and Krylon). Great advice so far; keep it coming! And I did have a problem finding the muffler bearings at Cruiser Outfitters when I bought my axle parts. So I paid my local Chevy mechanic $500 to replace them for me . Keep it up!

 

[kennyfj40]

Esh, Good point about the winch being very visable, would that go for the Snorkle also?

 

[1leglance]

A few thoughts...
First of all I like your idea ( I am in the non-profit world and always welcome others) but like you mentioned you will have some issues with your distance from home.
In reality I would look at mainland Mexico over Baja just from a distance driving/shipping issue. It would be a shame to see much of your budget getting burnt just getting to the folks you want to help. Matter of fact if your goal is to help then maybe flying in with the goods and paying a local to transport you would better serve the disadvantaged.
If however the journey is part of what you are looking for then I would say paint your rig white with some simple/clean/understanded logos on it so that you send your message but can still be stealthy if needed.

BFG A/T's first choice.
Aux tank or quality jerry cans are worthwhile since finding fuel can sometimes be an issue in remote places. Keep the heavy stuff off the roof though.
Look long and hard at your storage setup so that you don't have breakage on the rough roads.
Also think security as you don't want all that stuff stolen.
Lastly I would say keep it simple, which is funny coming from me with my rig as farkled as it gets, but that is just the lesson I have learned

 

[Hltoppr]

Funny, I was thinkin' the same thing as Lance. Also, is there something in particular about the Baja 1000 that you guys want to coordinate with? Just heading down into the mainland from Brownsville, TX would save you guys about 700 miles, and get you into mainland Mexico much quicker; and there are plenty of worthy schools and medical facilities that are in need of supplies. (Heck, when I go, I'm usually the "best" clinica for 100 mile radius around the rig....).

-H-

 

[EOE_overland]

Funny, I was thinkin' the same thing as Lance. Also, is there something in particular about the Baja 1000 that you guys want to coordinate with? Just heading down into the mainland from Brownsville, TX would save you guys about 700 miles, and get you into mainland Mexico much quicker; and there are plenty of worthy schools and medical facilities that are in need of supplies. (Heck, when I go, I'm usually the "best" clinica for 100 mile radius around the rig....).

-H-

I've been slowly working on this for about 10 years after reading an aritcle about these guys: Overland from UK to India & Nepal by Land Rover | Dollars & Chocolate
My first inclination was to go into mainland Mexico or Central America. But these are the "twists" I was referring to earlier in the thread. My buddy has become quite the web designer thru the years and somehow found his way into designing the site for a popular J**p online mag that does a lot of product testing. The founder of the mag is involved in the SEMA community and has passed our idea around among some of them with good responses (without getting too much into detail). SO, I'm not counting chickens before they're hatched but...yes it looks like we're going to be involved somehow with Baja 1000. My plan is to do any photo ops we might need to (?), then keep away from the race while we deliver supplies and/or equipment to a charity (clinic or orphanage). And somewhere along the way maybe do some light backcountry exploring, again away from the race.
If the Baja plans fall thru, then I'm going to look in to the mainland. But right now it looks as though Baja is where we'll end up this time.

As to earlier advice: I plan on painting her something along the lines of a straight tan color to keep the interior sort-of in line? Although white had crossed my mind (my '84 FJ60 I had when I was a teenager was white).

Keep the advice coming; I'm taking notes and soaking it all in. And since I already mentioned it (and I know there are some other nonprofs watching), anybody know of any worthy medical groups in the Baja? I have a few in mind, but I was waiting to contact any until our medical sponsorship is lined up. Thanks folks!
Matt

 

[esh]

One more thing I forgot- TEST the truck! As in have everything finished 2-3 months in advance and USE that time to drive it and verify everything is working properly.

BTW I am envious if you guys get this going. Hit me if you ever need another driver! I was so tempted to apply for that African volunteer job mapping out Points of Interests in their wildlife reserve parks.

 

[EOE_overland]

One more thing I forgot- TEST the truck! As in have everything finished 2-3 months in advance and USE that time to drive it and verify everything is working properly.

BTW I am envious if you guys get this going. Hit me if you ever need another driver! I was so tempted to apply for that African volunteer job mapping out Points of Interests in their wildlife reserve parks.

I bought the truck as a daily driver for that purpose- so that I would have plenty of time to test (and fix!) everything that breaks.

And yes, if this does get going, the original plan was to make it a few-vehicle caravan. Right now it's my 62, a Wrangler (lots of space there, he said sarcastically ), and maybe another Wrangler (one of my buddy's buddys?). Depending on how much stuff we need to haul, we may need some help. When I find out what we're doing for sure, I'll post a help-wanted for sure.

Another Question: Tires?
I had planned on getting some 31-10.50 BFG ATs for road/light offroad use. With a 2" OME, would 32s or 33s be a better choice. Or would they be a hassle for gas/power issues and possibly getting a spare enroute if needed?

 

[cruiser_guy]

Don't get too worried about the truck. Mexico, and for that matter much of Central America is not as "remote" as it once was. Spend your time on getting the qualified folks together and finding out needy organizations which you can truly help.

Not to sound too "high and mighty" but much of the Baja is HEAVILY flooded with folks helping in every conceivable way. The further you can go from the US border the more needy the folks will likely be.

My wife works in medical missions here in Guatemala and I have contacts to folks here as well.

As for tires I run 32x11.5x15 BFG AT's on my '60, 33x9.5x15 BFG MT's on my '55.

 

[1leglance]

Tall skinny tires, BFG A/T's will be best..keep to 16" wheels and remember to focus on max mpg as that will keep cost down and refuel issues at bay.
Baseline the rig, make sure everything is setup to handle lots of vibration/dust...no loose wire, solid clamps & tiedowns underdash, underhood and under the rig.
Like others have said it will be planning, scheduling and people that will matter more than the equipment.
Keep the gear to a min, tire repair kit, good camp kit for hygiene and comfort, decent gps and maps, and a great attitude will get to far.
Keep us posted and feel free to contact me for more info on the non-profit/overlanding aspects if you want...plus we are based out of Arizona and might want to join you for taking prosthetic parts and wheelchairs.
good luck and keep us posted

 

[EOE_overland]

The 62 will definitely be baseline. I'd love to have a ride like DucatiMan's, but for what I'm doing and my budget it's going to end up being a Landcruiser-shaped delivery van.

I definitely want to upgrade my stock tires- my ground clearance now is close to a Subaru's. I guess my main question about that is: Will any gain in clearance over 31" be overshadowed by more loss in mpg and supply-hauling power? I know my 62 wheel-wells will hold bigger meats, but is it worth it for an extra 1" or 2" over 31 for what I'm planning?
And is it worth picking up a snorkel for $300 to help keep the dust out, or would it be better spent elsewhere. Or make the 62 stick out too much as was mentioned earlier?
I'm definitely working on all the "organizational" stuff associated with this type of trip. And it is absolutely overwhelming. But now that the holidays are over and I'll hopefully be home for a few weekends, I wanted to start coming up with a good list for the truck. And the more people I tell, the more questions I get about what I need. So now maybe I'll have a semi-intelligent answer .

 

[cruiser_guy]

I do not believe a snorkel would be the best place to spend money at this time. On my '60 the 33x12.5x15 on the stock rim rubs with a 2 1/2" spring under lift, that's why I have the 32x11.5x15's.

If you have no lift I would do that or a locker before a snorkel for sure. You'll also want some kind of an immobilizer alarm as well.

Remeber that the Land Cruiser is not common in Mexico since they were NEVER sold there new.

 

[esh]

31s used to be the "mod," (extended shackles) then 33s, and now 35s on up. 31s will still take you much further than you will probably need to go. Drive gently, pick easy lines. I don't think you need 33s as much as you will want the potential weight-carrying capacity that a 16" tire will get you. The 32x11 type of size is a great in between, and a 31" size should be fine. A majority of 60 series on a spring under lift are using 33x10.5s for height and clearance. It has been a great tire, but it is also seeing harder terrain than what you might run into.

Every inch you raise the truck decreases mileage. Every amount of extra rolling resistance in tire weight decreases mileage. Every deviation from stock gearing decreases mileage. These parameters were setup at the factory for optimal efficiency. As optimal as a heavy brick on wheels affords.

I agree about the snorkel. It is visible, and it is very likely you won't want to cross anything where you'd actually need the snorkel. You can get by an awful lot with technique in water crossing. Dust- follow the next rig further back. Use radios to keep in touch. Bring a spare air filter or two.

 

[Hltoppr]

I agree. Stick with 31s, and don't skimp. I have BFG All Terrains that have driven from Arizona to the Arctic Circle, over the Rubicon, down through Copper Canyon and everywhere in between....hardly any wear and no flats. I can't recommend them enough for long distance expedition work.

You don't need a snorkle. Good radios would be money better spent. If you're not a HAM already, get your technician's license...it's easy. 2M handhelds will beat the pants off of FMRS or CB radios, and only cost about $130 each....

If you can get your hands on one, Tom Sheppards Vehicle Dependent Expedition Guide is a fantastic resource. Even if you pay $300 for a copy, with what you're doing...it's worth it.

Another good resource is Land Rover's Manual for Africa, which is about $20, and is kindof a "VDEG Light" but still has very good info.

Also, you'll find that an older, more "worn" looking vehicle will blend in as a local truck, even if it's an odd style, whilst a new shiny rig covered with sponsor stickers will stick out like a sore thumb...sometimes the attention is good...sometimes not....

Baseline the rig, replace all hoses, belts, etc. with new OEM Toyota parts, and keep the old ones for spares. If you haven't done a water pump, do it, as well as a birf job.

You'll be fine. Add a couple of "flex" days into your travel schedule, so that in the event there is a mechanical issue, someone gets sick, or you just don't feel like driving and want to hang out in a nice little pueblo you've found for a day, you're not behind schedule. Trust me...these "flex" days are lifesavers. I try to add one in no more than every five driving days.

-H-

 

[Hltoppr]

Since you're in need of a list, this is my Mexico equipment/spares list for a 1992 FJ80...basically the same as your 62. 2-4 weeks through Baja....

Spares

Hoses
Belts
Air Filter
fuel filter
EFI relays (1991/1992 specific item)
Drum Brake Cylinders
Thermostat
Cap & Rotor
Spark Plugs & Leads
Pre-Mix Coolant (1 Gal.)
8 Quarts Oil
Oil Filter
U-Joints
3 Quarts Gear Oil
ATF (1 Gal)
Brake Fluid
Rear Axle Bearings & Seals
2 5Gal Nato Gas Cans
Expedition Exchange dot com Jerry can holder
1 Spare BFG Mud Terrain (I might take another this year, but haven't needed it.)
Viair 200P Compressor
Recovery Gear
Tire Repair Kit
High-Lift Jack w/ARB adapter
Funnel w/screen
gear oil bottle pump



Camping Stuff

Baja Almanac (Great Map!)
Con-Fer Roof Rack 5.5' x 8'
2 5Gal Water Jugs (Military grade plastic)
Engel 35 Fridge/Freezer (New this year, I got sick of soggy cooler food.)
Hannibal Rooftop Tent/Awning w/sides
2 Dagger Crossover Kayaks (paddles/PFDs etc.)
Sleeping Bags/Pillows/Towels etc.
2 Burner Coleman Propane Stove
Coleman Lantern
Small Propane Cylinders
Primus Himalaya Multi fuel stove
White Gas
Pots/PansFolding Table
1 32oz. Nalgene for each person
1 Quart Liquid Bleach (for cleaning up)
Extensive Medical Kit (Depends upon level of training (I'm an EMT-B), when Skeddy is traveling with us (EMT-P), we include IV fluids and other goodies...)
48 Quart Containers (4) for storage
BABY WIPES (These Rock!)
Snorkle gear
Minimal clothing...2 pair trousers, 2 pair shorts, socks
Rain Shell, 200 wt fleece
Sunscreen
Sun Shower (Trying to get a Zodi one-burner...)
Pepper spray
Tarp
Hand Cleaner
XM & World Band Radio
CB
Magellan 4000xl GPS
Globalstar Sat Phone (Renting is Cheap!)

Tools

Ratchet set w/metric sockets & adapters
Box end wrenches
Torque Wrench
Misc. Electrical stuff
Breaker Bar (1/2")
Bolt Cutters
Slim Jim (Maybe "technically illegal", but I've never been hassled it's at the bottom of my stuff)
Pliers/Screwdrivers etc.
Duct Tape (Note: Check out the new "clear" tape...)
Bailing wire
Multi-Meter
Shovel
Hatchet
Factory Service Manual

Other stuff: Passports, Tourist Visas, Health Insurance (1. www.travelinsure.com); Mexican Auto Insurance (Baja Bound Mexican Insurance Services - Mexico Auto Insurance Online)

I leave a copy of our passports/auto information license, reg. title etc. with a family member, and keep about $200 (10s & 20s) and other copies of all information and passports in the truck in a "secret location." We also include a relatively detailed itinerary with times where we will have the sat phone on to receive calls (emergency ONLY!).

 

[cruiser_guy]

2 5Gal Nato Gas Cans

You may want to ensure these are EMPTY on the return. It's tempting to fill with cheaper Mexican fuel but also highly ILLEGAL to transport fuel OUT of Mexico.

I have not been in trouble with this but last time they would not fill my cans near the border in Mexico. I was also questioned on the long range tank though as long as there is only one tank I understand it's OK.

 

[Hltoppr]

...and technically, it is illegal to take full fuel cans into Mexico....

-H-