Americas 2011 - Open invitation

[Vizoo]

My son and I will do an expedition across the three americas and would like to invite everyone to join us even if it is for a couple hundred miles.

We will departure from Miami in June and this post is to show you guys our route and details. We will be providing content to some sites and magazines and I will publish a book, it will be in a landscape format and 13x11 inches, everyone who joins will be mentioned in it!

So...
If you want to meet us on the way;
If you want to come along part of the way;
If you want take us along with your buddies for a local ride;
If you want to give us shelter;

Just send us an email and we will be in touch! You have plenty of time to find a good excuse to join us The expedition's main page is in the second link.

Renato
www.acromerreca.com
www.joa150.com.br/americas2011
americas2011@yahoo.com

 

[AdventureToolCompany]

Wow...Very cool!

I'll be following your journey! Best of luck!

 

[DallasCrzr]

Thats pretty epic, maybe i could join TX through New Mexico depending on when and what I have going on. That looks like a lot of fun, good luck.

 

[80t0ylc]

Very large undertaking, this Americas 2011 expedition. Being this is a Toyota forum, I have to say that you could have made a better choice for a vehicle. The older original "Jeeps" had a good reputation and were pretty durable. But, for the miles that you're going to cover and the terrain that you'll encounter and doing it in a relatively short time span ....... you may regret the choice. From the info on your website, looks like that you're a driver, not a mechanic. You mention that "By being a Rally pilot both in cars and motorcycle for almost 3 decades, Renato "Sr". has the expertise to keep things going on the toughest situations and developing solutions to minimize problems by anticipating the needs in such an expedition." You might want to ask around and get other experienced opinions about rigs that are proven expediton performers. Good luck in your adventures!

 

[lt1fire]

Sounds very cool.

I wouldn't worry about that jeep for the trip. A yota would be better, yes, but the new JK's are pretty stout. Go on expedition portal and ask the overland journal guys how their JK help up from their abuse.

for living quarters i'd also check out the new overland journal and their write up on a JK with the adventure trailer habitat built onto it.

I'll be following your trip..... you are not headed my way so I won't be joining you but if you change you trip directions drop me a line.

 

[goneloco]

Renato,

This sounds like a great trip and I am jealous. My boy is just 2 but i plan the same thing with him once he is old enough. A friend and I overlanded a 1980 Costa Rican BJ-40 in 2002/03 that broke down all the time and had no mods and we still made it home! I think the breakdowns and all the great people we met because of that really made our trip.

The Rubicon looks like a decent truck with the solid front axle. An 80 series would be my choice today but... I will try my best to hook up with you guys as you get closer to Calgary.

We will be in Bolivia in the fall if you make it down there that quickly. I see that you are not planing on going to Bolivia but I am sure you will reconsider as that country has all the fun thing to do. Mountain biking from 5000m to 1800m in a day, para gliding in Cochabamba (not to mention the food), rafting in the low lands, altiplano, salt lakes, 6000+m mountains. Oh and cheap... You will want to get to the bottom of south america around christmas. It has a real short nice season.

Best of luck and hope to see you guys up here!

Cheers

 

[40zen]

Thats pretty epic, maybe i could join TX through New Mexico depending on when and what I have going on. That looks like a lot of fun, good luck.

X2. I might be interested depending on the timing in TX.

Oh, and Argentinian ladies. Whoa boy...

 

[Aids10]

Welcome to MUD Renato

We'll be seeing ya!

Post your expedition blog in this thread-
https://forum.ih8mud.com/expedition-builds/471676-blogger-logging-share-yo-blog.html

 

[Vizoo]

I'll be following your journey! Best of luck!

Thanks! As soon as the trip begins I will activate the Spot, my position will be updated every 10 minutes so it will be easy to decide where to stop and meet the guys who wants to join.


Renato
www.acromerreca.com
www.americas2011.com

 

[Vizoo]

Very large undertaking, this Americas 2011 expedition. Being this is a Toyota forum, I have to say that you could have made a better choice for a vehicle.

Hi Tom,

You will also notice that I wrote (yes, I know it is not the most suitable car to the job, some may say it cannot even be considered a true expedition car). I believe an expedition vehicle MUST have the following:
1) Diesel engine - A simple and reliable one;
2) Manual Transmission;
3) No computer, fancy sensors and electronics on vital parts;
4) Minimum payload of 1 ton (2200 pounds)

So the JK and the FJ are out of the list, in my opinion the best "small" overlander car today is the Iveco Massif, followed by the Land Rover Defender 110 and 127 (what I hate on the Defenders is the width and position of the B column, I would have one if it wasn't for this). People has been doing this route with all kind of cars, even the Citroen 2CV has done it!!!. My first choice was the F350 but it is too big to gat into traffic of many cities, especially for parking it. So I decided to put functionality one step bellow and buy a car that I like, and I am pretty sure it is as capable as any Toyota, Hyundai, Land Rover etc to finish the trip in one piece.

and doing it in a relatively short time span

Short?? I don't really have a date to end it, but 5 to 8 months is not short for this...

looks like that you're a driver, not a mechanic.

Indeed. I drive, my navigator tells me where to go and my mechanic get greasy But the truth is I can easy disasemble and reasemble most of my cars. Once I even decided to build my own from scratch, just a tubular buggy but it was fun!

You might want to ask around and get other experienced opinions about rigs that are proven expediton performers.

Believe me, I have been asking around for the last 8 months. Bottom line is: Any car will do it, some with more comfort, some with more off road capabilities, some more or less reliability. I decided to take my chances with the one I like.

Good luck in your adventures!

Thanks. And this is not "A Jeep Thing", anyone on any vehicle is invited, the spirit is what counts.

 

[Vizoo]

Thats pretty epic, maybe i could join TX through New Mexico depending on when and what I have going on. That looks like a lot of fun, good luck.

I will be departing from Miami on the 1st of June. I am just ploting a more "definitive" route per state, they will be published in www.americas2011.com

I hope you can do it!!

 

[Vizoo]

I wouldn't worry about that jeep for the trip. A yota would be better,

I said on another reply that my fisrt choice was the F350... Not really true, I thought about the Tundra before the F350 but the lack of parts on the way south and a series of Toyota recalls made me worry.

for living quarters i'd also check out the new overland journal and their write up on a JK with the adventure trailer habitat built onto it.

I will be with an Eezi Awn 1800T on the roof and the Mopar Extreme with the Add-A-Room option behind.

you are not headed my way so I won't be joining you but if you change you trip directions drop me a line.

Main problem to make detours is the time winwod I have to be in Alaska. On the way down we may go to Yosemite to spent some days before reaching the death valley but the way up must be made faster.

 

[Vizoo]

X2. I might be interested depending on the timing in TX

Be very welcome!! Why don't you get into Google Maps and mark your entry and exit points, you can then save and send it to me or just share the map with americas2011@yahoo.com
I think I will start a map and share it will all others interested in joining.

 

[Vizoo]

Welcome to MUD Renato

Hi Aidan!!

Nice to see you in here too, just bought an extra fuel tank from down under!! The JK will have a bit over 450 miles of gas now.

 

[Aids10]

I will be with an Eezi Awn 1800T on the roof and the Mopar Extreme with the Add-A-Room option behind.

Sweet! That'll compliment the JK nicely

Can you get a storage rack for the top?

Always wondered; could you do an expedition with a travel trailer? I was looking to upgrade to a 21' would it be crazy/impossible to consider this for overlanding?

These fellow Aussies seem to get by!-
YouTube - GallBoys's Channel

 

[Vizoo]

Can you get a storage rack for the top?

I will use the Gobi Sthealth, the rear part will have the RTT,

on the front I plan to put the Sun Roof Insert but I don't think I will put any storage box on top of it because I would not have any view of the sky without the roof.

Always wondered; could you do an expedition with a travel trailer?

I have seen very few people doing it. I personally find it dangerous (on my case, because my trailer is small {easy to steal} and beautiful {calls a lot of attention}). I am planing to ship mine from San Diego to Iquique (Chile) to avoid driving with it through Mexico and the Central America.

I was looking to upgrade to a 21' would it be crazy/impossible to consider this for overlanding?

No, not impossible. But you will have to stay in haghways and good dirt roads, I don't think any long trailer is built to withstand holes, rocks and shakes.

 

[Vizoo]

A friend and I overlanded a 1980 Costa Rican BJ-40

This a fantastic car, it was built also in Brazil until November of 2001. Here its name is Bandeirante.

in 2002/03 that broke down all the time and had no mods and we still made it home!

Its reputation is very good here and is considered to be "indestructible". We still have them running here by the thousands.

I think the breakdowns and all the great people we met because of that really made our trip.

I couldn't agree more!! Is the sum of all happenings that do the trip.

I will try my best to hook up with you guys as you get closer to Calgary.

I really hope you can make it, I wish to have as many people as possible joining, and all of them will have their names on the book!

I see that you are not planing on going to Bolivia but I am sure you will reconsider as that country has all the fun thing to do.

My route is not definitive, I had initially took Bolivia off of my plans because it is the most dangerous south american country to overland, if I have others along the way me at that time I will go also to Bolivia.

Cheers

Renato

 

[cruiserman33]

Excellent idea....good Luck!!

I'm from Bolivia i am interested to know why you say that Bolivia is dangerous.
Here there are tourists all year, not just return the following year also recommend to friends. As anywhere in the world while respecting the laws and customs of the country, no nothing will happen.

Be sure you were welcome to Bolivia, just ask the people if you have doubt, to avoid troubles.

 

[Vizoo]

I'm from Bolivia i am interested to know why you say that Bolivia is dangerous.

Hi Cruiser, please don't be upset. I have not been in Bolivia yet so I am only based on what other travelers have said and what we see on the news. I am not coward and I give a good discount on what I read and hear.
I live in Rio de Janeiro, in São Conrado, my condo is 400 meters from Rocinha, the biggest favela in South America. Sometimes they close the access tunnel to the neighbor and rob everyone stucked on the traffic jam, sometimes they have open fire with the police and I can hear from tiny .22 to .30-06 machine guns.
I don't care, I am in my place living by its rules and I can measure the risks. It is completelly different to be on another country dependending on what you have with you (car, clothes, documents, stuff etc).

As anywhere in the world while respecting the laws and customs of the country, no nothing will happen.

I will disagree, 100%. I can respect all the laws and customs and still be kidnaped, robed, stabed or murdered. Rio de Janeiro is a VERY dangerous city for tourist, the typical American with the flower shirt and camera on the neck strap WILL be robed. But we are a nation of mixed races and all you need to do to look local, is dress and walk local. One other thing, here the tourist are not kidnaped nor stabed, most of the cases they don't even bother about your documents and in many situatiuons you can negotiate to keep a little sum of money to get back to your hotel. Seems funny to say so, but you may call it a friendly robbery...

Be sure you were welcome to Bolivia, just ask the people if you have doubt, to avoid troubles.

An be assured that if I get locals to tell me where NOT to go and/or I am traveling with others, Bolivia will be a place on my route.



PS. The official page is almost finished, check on: www.americas2011.com

 

[e9999]

Renato:
good luck on your trip.
Hope to see you around our area, will be happy to host you and show you around.

In that regard, I see that you're planning to go from San Francisco to Los Angeles on the 5 Interstate. If you do that you'll be missing what is widely considered to be one of the nicest drives in California: Highway 1 along the coast. Much much nicer than 5 which is an ugly and boring route. Will take longer of course but really worth it.

Have fun!