California to Tierra del Fuego... in a 40?

[amaurer]

I have a feeling I might get flamed here, but thats fine as I'm looking for honest opinions:

I'm concerned that the sun might be setting on the era of the road trip. Maybe more to the point, the sun is setting on the younger years in my life where I'm free to even ponder such a thing. Accordingly, my dream of driving from the US to the southern tip of south america probably has to happen in the next couple years or never at all.

So lets have it... what do you all think? I'll be honest, I've never done a trip so long; my longest is about 6000 miles across the US and back. My BJ42, that I'd like to use, is attractive for a number of reasons, and unattractive for others. I know lots of people find 40's uncomfortable, but that is not an issue for me; I've never even noticed. Moreover, I wouldn't be going in full "expedition style"; where possible I'd stay in hotels or hostels and camp only when necessary.

Lots of people have made the trip; google delivers reports a-plenty, so I've started to read about the troubles (passing through panama, for example). But what do you all think about the BJ42, and the 30,000 miles? I'm collecting any and all comments, dont hold back. [my truck has 160,000mi on it already; in general its solid, although there are a number of things i'd want to "maintain" before sucha trip. suggestions on that front are welcome too]

 

[Randy88FJ62]

You only live once. Do the research and live your dream.

 

[Volcano cruiser]

Agreed

X5 Do your research, watch your six and enjoy the trip. Lots of opinions on here (mine included) on the Central to South America piece ( the only part that's controversial) but all of us who either live or work south o' the border really believe that driving is the best way to really "see" these countries. BTW how's your Spanish? You will really need it as you go through border checkpoints and try to use maps, get directions along dirt roads from farmers etc.

Good luck,
John

 

[sseaman]

You need to get with dmc, he just did this plus some, here is a link to the website

Welcome to Expedition Americas

 

[goneloco]

A friend and I bought an 80 BJ-40 in Costa Rica and used it as our surf mobile all the way back to Canada over ten months. It was a beautiful choice. Now with that said it wasn’t in the best shape mechanically but other than Mexico for the most part you see the 40’s everywhere. When we would break down there always seemed to be someone who knew how to fix it or get parts so we never were really stranded.

I have also backpacked from the bottom of South America to Columbia and the 40 is still the workhorse for Sur America. It is where I fell in love with them and made the decision to buy on as soon as I could. My wife is from Bolivia and was down visiting family last year. In all the big cities we would find the cruiser auto part streets and wheel and deal on all the little parts I wanted for my restoration. Huge savings and most of it genuine Toyota.

As for the drive itself the Pan American Highway is great. Paved most of the way to the bottom and like here sometime you really have to be looking for that dirt off the track road for some real adventuring. The people are wonderful and I can honestly say I have never had any real problems with things getting stolen or getting myself into bad situations.

Drive during the day in the shadier countries, carry extra fuel, two spares if you’re going to be off the beaten path but don’t get carried away. I read these expedition builds and think that a lot of it is overboard. An example of this is when I moved down to Central America, I had an apartment, a truck and all the nice things you’d want. Then I pack it all up into storage and sold the rest to end up with a backpack. Well I still wanted the niceties and packed to much crap and ended up giving it all away. You’re on the road; enjoy the food, landscapes and the people. The vehicle is just a tool, a good looking one at that but none the less just a tool.

We camped on beaches but for the most part we stayed at hostiles as they had secure parking. We would still always unpack the 40. Their so easy to get into so why advertise.

I plan on driving South America when my littlest one is old enough.

As a coworker told me as I headed off to Central “You would never say on your death bed ‘I wish I had worked more, I wish I hadn’t taken that time off.’ No you would only say ‘I wish I had done that adventure, seen those places, and met those people’

Best of luck

 

[e9999]

do the trip! May well be the best thing you'll ever do!

Indeed the 40 is not the most comfortable vehicle for long distances.
Maybe more critical in my mind would be the lack of storage. Unless you will be in Hotels every night, and even maybe then you still need a lot of stuff for such a long trip. How about security? Sturdy hardtop and/or security boxes? Personally, I'd much prefer a wagon, but hey, you make do with what you have.

More important that you go rather than worry about what to take!

 

[amaurer]

Great info, thanks for the opinions. You brought up some good points:

- I don't speak spanish, but my copilot does. I figure that this trip is in the next 1.5 year timeframe and that I'd take classes in Spanish from ~now until I leave. A year of spanish will be better than nothing...? I do worry, intensely, about shipping around the Gap with a limited command of spanish, especially after reading about others experiences.

- Storage in the 40... I kinda thought that there was plenty of room for supplies and gear but maybe I'm under estimating. I've backpacked for a couple months before and did just fine with a single pack. My baseline estimate is based on that: something like 3 similar packs for my copilot and I, plus gear/supplies for the car, and incidentals. Between the rear half of the 40 and the roof rack I'd plan on installing, it seems like there will be plenty of space...?

One problem as I see it is weight. My 40 sits a little bit low in the rear already, so the plan would be to add a leaf or helper springs to even things out when loaded. I just rebuilt my FF rear and brakes so this is really just a handling and suspension concern.

Now, regarding planning... I'm going to start drawing up a route that hits the things I'd like to see. [Part of me knows I'll enjoy the "unplanned" destinations more, but saying "I want to see Machu Piccu etc" feels like a good way to get a rough route drawn"]. I'm going to put off worrying about the Gap for now. This should help me budget/pack and I'll try to research entry/exit requirements for each country on the list (I've read that libretta requirements are almost non existant now...?) to ID any problems. Once I know how much it'll cost, I'll know how long I have to save for

Any other tips from the pros? Suggestions for destinations?

Also, I've read a lot about people camping on the beach. This is generally safe? And beaches are generally public access (for vehicles?)?

Without coming off as a male chauvinist, I have to ask; my copilot (future wife) is a young woman... Mid twenties, blonde, attractive. Are there any issues there in terms of drawing attention or safety?

 

[fernandol]

You'll have a great trip!
If you are used to backpacking you'll have enough space in the 40 for your stuff. I would try to avoid a roof rack, anything that's up there is up for grabs.

One generally takes too much gear just because there's where to put it.

I've driven all over Venezuela and have done a bit of driving in Mexico and Costa Rica and I don't see why you should worry about your copilot, as long as you keep a low profile and do not bring attention towards yourselves everything should be good.

 

[Volcano cruiser]

Great info, thanks for the opinions. You brought up some good points:

- I don't speak spanish, but my copilot does. I figure that this trip is in the next 1.5 year timeframe and that I'd take classes in Spanish from ~now until I leave. A year of spanish will be better than nothing...? I do worry, intensely, about shipping around the Gap with a limited command of spanish, especially after reading about others experiences.

- Storage in the 40... I kinda thought that there was plenty of room for supplies and gear but maybe I'm under estimating. I've backpacked for a couple months before and did just fine with a single pack. My baseline estimate is based on that: something like 3 similar packs for my copilot and I, plus gear/supplies for the car, and incidentals. Between the rear half of the 40 and the roof rack I'd plan on installing, it seems like there will be plenty of space...?

One problem as I see it is weight. My 40 sits a little bit low in the rear already, so the plan would be to add a leaf or helper springs to even things out when loaded. I just rebuilt my FF rear and brakes so this is really just a handling and suspension concern.

Now, regarding planning... I'm going to start drawing up a route that hits the things I'd like to see. [Part of me knows I'll enjoy the "unplanned" destinations more, but saying "I want to see Machu Piccu etc" feels like a good way to get a rough route drawn"]. I'm going to put off worrying about the Gap for now. This should help me budget/pack and I'll try to research entry/exit requirements for each country on the list (I've read that libretta requirements are almost non existant now...?) to ID any problems. Once I know how much it'll cost, I'll know how long I have to save for

Any other tips from the pros? Suggestions for destinations?

Also, I've read a lot about people camping on the beach. This is generally safe? And beaches are generally public access (for vehicles?)?

Without coming off as a male chauvinist, I have to ask; my copilot (future wife) is a young woman... Mid twenties, blonde, attractive. Are there any issues there in terms of drawing attention or safety?

The question about your gf is a solid point. My GF and sometimes co-pilot is also blond and attractive. In Mexico, not a head turned, In Guatemala, she got a few stares. In El Salvador every step she took on the street she was swarmed by folks trying to sell things or beg money from the 'pretty american lady". In Costa Rica really no worries. I think what I'm saying is that it all depends on where you are. She will probably get more curious stares in the more rural towns that you guys pit stop in than she will in the cities.

X2 on the Pan Am highway, it is no I-95 but on a clear day away from the cities you can really sail, enjoy the breeze and see some great sights. Because you mentioned routes I will pass along something that folks have mentioned to me in each country. Many times the people know routes and give directions" from"/ "to". For example you can easily hit an unmarked junction which really isn't on the map. If you ask someone "where is route 66" you may just get blank stares. I had much better luck planning my routes point to point, that is "from"/"to". Grab your map and plot out your route from town X to town Y and so on. If you get twisted around by unmarked detours etc, in town X all you need to ask is which way to town Y and folks will get you straightened right out. One thing that I wish that I had done ahead of time was go online and contact the ministry of tourism for each one of these countries and see if you can't get them each to send you a decent map. You have a year and a half can't hurt to ask and it will be a great help in fine tuning your route plan.

 

[cruiser_guy]

If you want to chat send me a PM and we can chat about it over a cup of coffee when I pass through.

 

[joshoisasleep]

Throw an add-a-leaf in the back (DO this), pack your clothes, buy a good hiking GPS and start driving (your city driving GPS won't tell you where to go down here and you can't take it hiking). I'm doing this trip right now and you can email me for any info you need, I've got lots. Your truck is young... my engine is an unrestored 3b with 300,000 km's, so I'm right where you are mechanically.

I think you're planning is smart. Although I would recommend getting a RTT for those times when you can't find somewhere to sleep, or just to save money when you've got a safe place to camp, you are totally right to plan around staying in hotels and stuff. Too many people (well, me that is) plan around camping the whole time, when in reality you probably won't feel safe to do so fairly often and will end up staying in hotels/hostels anyway. Aim for the major sites but let yourself get lost as often as you please... that truly is the best part, and I always say the biggest advantage in doing this trip by cruiser instead of busing it.

Your attractive girlfriend who speaks Spanish is by far your biggest asset (after your BJ42 that is ). I would not want to cross a lot of these borders alone and leave my truck out of sight. My girlfriend goes in and does the talking/paperwork while I watch the truck (and her back)... paperwork, beaureacracy goes far, far smoother in this part of the world for a pretty girl than it does for a scruffy guy (me). I find it also gives me an edge when being stopped by cops... I think the instinct is to not hassle a lady when her man is present, so I generally make them talk to her while she translates to me... by now I can understand what they're saying anyway, but if they look angry I still do this. Oh yeah, and your girlfriend better get used to being whistled at and worse!

As far as the gap, getting over it is no problem. Budget $1500-$2,000 each way and you can email me for shipping contacts (if you're looking at RORO, almost ALL of the info you will have found in your research online and word of mouth is probably incorrect...).

Stay on the Pan Am if you're in Colombia or Venzuela... other than that a lot of the smaller, older highways can be a lot of fun with beautiful views and muddy drama for those of us secure in the unstopability of our landcruisers.

Check out my website too! Good luck!

Josh

 

[e9999]

what? $2K each way for the Darrien Gap bypass...?

 

[Cruiserdrew]

A 60 might be a better choice for this trip. It's bigger, you can sleep in it, but it's old enough not to suggest you have tons of cash. Have fun. I wish I could go.

 

[ianfotheringham]

hey there - seems we have some future aspirations in common...

my pretty wife and i are also planning a little adventure with a 40 series...only an '81 45 troopie - most might agree that it would be slightly more ideal simply due to the size - other than a little stretch tho - we'll be driving the same car...only we are driving from the middle east, down through africa, shipping over to argentina, and driving up to canada...so the western hemisphere element will be somewhat similar...check out my build on the 45 forum, [it should be pretty much finished come sept/oct] i think im overpreparing a bit with what i have planned - but perhaps we could share info on how things work out...im having the 45 pretty much completely rebuilt [it was a piece o' crap...] including the whole power train, body, interior etc etc...and adding on a bunch of things and toys and whatnot - we havent really started the actually route and itinerary planning yet - but those ideas as well would be nice to share...

anyone else out there have experience shipping across the darien gap? 1500 to 2k seems a bit heavy seeing as how i was quoted 1000-1500 to ship from cape town to buenos aires....

and i also fully support the whole 'do it' attitude regarding taking the time to do a trip such as this - this is the lifestyle my wife and i occupy - work for six months somewhere interesting, then travel for a year somewhere else interesting...and to justify it, just rememebr how much it would suck if you got hit by a bus tomorrow on your way to your office job....

 

[amaurer]

Awesome replies, thanks guys.

Joshoisasleep, funny you should find this thread, just today I checked your profile in a tech thread and found your website. Lots to read there, but I think I want to take roughly the same trip you are, perhaps slightly less meandering (I can't take toooooo long) and certainly less surfing (I don't surf). I'll be sending you an email sometime, stay tuned!

As for the size of the 40, yeah, I know a 45 or a 60 is more ideal. Honestly though, I just want to do it in the 40; I'm extremely fond of it and its part of the allure of the trip. So long as the 40 isn't a reckless, or dangerous, decision, then I don't mind making compromises. Maybe I'm being silly, but my truck and my lady may be my two favorite things, and I like the idea of travelling the world with both of them. Kelly and I are young and can deal with sleeping in the 40 if need be.

I just did a compression test on my 3B. We'll have to wait for the experts in Diesel Tech to weigh in, but to my eye everything looks fine, plenty of life left for the trip (405/405/395/420). Unless someone brings up a compelling concern, the plan will still be to use the 40.

So in terms of budgetting...

A fictional path of straight lines along the coast of south america (down the west side and up the east side) is ~10,000 miles [depending on the map - i'm finding that some maps have been skewed for a north american audience and aren't very accurate for the southern half. i just calculated the coastline length on two maps, on came out at 9000mi, the other at 11000]. I figure that backroads and actual routes will add 50% to this, so I'm ballparking 15,000 miles on the southern continent alone. Mexico + Central America is about 3,000 fictional miles, for a round trip of 6,000.

Therefore I'm going to ballpark 20,000mi for the trip. Sound about right? For my BJ42, thats about 800 gallons of fuel. What are South American fuel prices like? I've heard Mexico is cheap, as is Venezuela, but what about the rest? For now I'm going to call it $6/gal, until someone educates me, so $4800 for gas.

My idea would be to treat driving like a "day job" and log ~6 hours a day. That way, if we like where we are we can chill for a few days and make it up over the next days without hurting the "plan". I'd hope for a daily average of 55mph, making a ~two month trip. I have no idea what food/lodging costs down there, anyone have an idea? I think I'm being conservative if I assume that we'd stay in a hostel/hotel every night, and that it'd cost $60/night (I have a strong feeling it'll be less than this, but I'm trying to get an upper boundary. please chime in) meaning ~$3600 for lodging.

For food... maybe $20 per person per day? $2400 total.

We're at 11k so far...

You say $4000 for crossing the gap, ouch. Then maybe $2000 for all the entries and exits to the other countries? $1000 to outfit the truck and bring spares. $1000 for a sat phone, which I suspect will be neccesary in order to calm my loved ones down about the trip.

so it looks like $20k is the magic number. Thoughts on any of this?

 

[e9999]

Travel $ numbers seem realistic (WAG), maybe on the high side if you would try instead to save $. (I'd spend way more on the truck, though.)

Seems like a big number, but that is likely a once in a lifetime adventure that will live with you forever. Some folks will spend that on country club initiation fees... Yours is better! Go for it.

And, yes, this is the sort of things you want to do when you're still young. Gets more difficult later in life if you have kids. Go for it!

What would not be realistic for me is the 2 months bit. Too much driving, too little time. Should not be a day job, should be vacation mode. Heck, we did a trip from California to Wyoming a couple of summers ago, doing some sight seeing on the way. We took a month and the es were complaining it was too much driving. (It was.) I'd plan to spend a year to make your trip be worth it!
You should probably plan on spending a day waiting at each border crossing and a week to arrange for shipping in Panama. That's already a month or 2 right there... Of course, a pretty blonde girlfriend would indeed help reduce the waiting (unless they want to ogle her some more, or set things up for a "favor", of course...)

Go for it!

 

[joshoisasleep]

I agree that two months is too short. If you're on a fast bike and want to speed through it, two months is realistic. For you guys with a 3b... well let's just say we budgeted 6-8 moths and we're at 8 months now and only halfway through peru on the same basic route you've drawn above.

My $1500-$2000 numbers for shipping were what I would advise to BUDGET for. I too have received quotes around $1200, and $1500 (as I recall) from a reliable company, but my impression of container shipping on that route is that there may be lots of hidden costs, so I would budget high. My shipping cost $550 all in one way, but I was a little overly optimistic and a really lucky, and I don't even know if it's still possible.

6 hours driving and then a few days chilling out is pretty much what we're doing. It works well... a lot of places are 6 hours from anywhere.

As far as fuel... from Canada to Ecuador was around 10,000-11,000km's and we drove pretty straight. I would guess our roundtrip will be maybe even as high as 30,000-40,000km's all in... but then like you say we are driving in circles a lot.

A sat phone? Just bring a quad band cell phone and buy SIM cards along the way... if your family wants to know where you are, the best thing is a SPOT tracking device (I have one). Internet is easy to come by here as is cheap VOIP international calling. I'd say the sat phone would be a waste of money.

$2000 is budgeting too much for border crossings. Almost all should be free... if anything maybe $10. If someone wants you to pay more than that, they probably DON'T work for the government and are just a con artist trying to rip you off. I usually budget about 2 hours for border crossings.

I would say taking a newer truck would be more likely reckless and definitely more dangerous than your old 42. You'll avoid unwanted attention, and 40 series cruisers are just about the most common old workhorses down here still being used. You'll get used to people patting your hood when you tell them your story and saying "it's a good car... a good car...". Way more 40 series than 60's down here, and loaded heavy the 60 isn't all that comfy, so knowing what I know now I'd mildly disagree with anyone saying take a 60 over a 40, and strongly disagree with anyone who thinks a newer truck (other than a hilux) is a better idea. As ridiculous as it may sound looking at your old beast in the driveway or parking it next to a modern vehicle, there's almost nothing I'd be more comfortable driving down here than what you've got!

edit: yes I agree it's nice to be able to sleep in the 60. That is one major advantage over a shorter 40.

 

[amaurer]

I knew the 2 months would be a tight timeframe. Problem is, I'm on the "yuppie track" and if I want my job to wait for me, I really can't take more than 3 months leave. I guess I'm going to have to think hard about what needs to bend...

Joshoisasleep, what do you find that it costs you to eat? What are you averaging for hotels/hostels? And what does diesel cost?

 

[spoof]

amaurer,

I did two months over this past winter in Mexico and Guatemala by motorcycle. Two months was too short for that. Nothing I wanted to do more than keep heading down to South America, but I wouldn't do it without 6 months minimum. If time is a constraint, maybe consider enjoying Mexico and Central America in greater detail...you will not run out of things to do and places to go.

 

[Volcano cruiser]

hotels, food and diesel

amaurer,
This can get really subjective. It all depends on how you guys like to travel. Taking barebones as a baseline, if you go barebones in Central AmericaI have found beach hostels/hotels for as little as $15 or 20 a night. When I say barebones I mean like a star or two out of five. Clean and small, no bugs or crittters sharing the room with you. If you guys need more creature comforts, like hot water for showers, the price goes up. If you want a choclate under your pillow, turn down service at night and hot espresso etc in the A.M it can cost the same as anywhere else.

If you eat the food everyone else in town eats, at the places where they eat, you can get a good plate of food in most towns for lunch/ dinner for under between $3-$5 a plate. Again if you are trying to eat at the best spot in town, plan on paying what they charge the rich guy in town who normally eats there. As you get farther south, Colombia and below, I found that things got progressively more expensive with the ultimate being Argentina and Chile. Again, it is always more expensive to sleep and eat in the big cities than it is in the little mountain towns.

As to diesel, it is currently $4.86 a gallon here in El Salvador.

FYI, I have taken parts of the trip that you are planning, that is have driven to and through certain countries but just not in one fell swoop. I have driven/toured through Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, Uruguay and Chile. I covered a fair bit of Venezuela in pre-Chavez days and I drove around some touristy parts of Mexico for a few days but I don't count that as relevant here. Josh has inspired me to think about driving my 40 back to the states in a year or so when I'm done with my tour here so I'm watching your thread with more than mild interest.