RET2
SILVER Star
Maybe a couple of kilometers of the Baja 1000 just for grins?
LCXC 2018: Baja! (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter TonyP
- Start date
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Here's where I'm at, Em and I can do the second half of March(March 16th thru April 2nd ish). I would roll out of the Tacoma area day one and head to @Atwalz house for the night. From there @Atwalz myself and possibly @dc916cruiser @indycole would head south toward San Diego! (@TonyP you can jam over and head south with us if that worked for ya?!?! Day 2 would be the convoy to San Diego, meet up with everyone there and then day 3 we cross the border heading south. Now here is the wrinkle, I would have 10 days to explore Baja! I totally understand if this is too tight of a timeline but that's the best I can do at that time! Em and I are ready to do this trip, gonna start brushing up on our Spanish and get the 200 all ready. Sidenote would it be a good idea to make a spare parts list and then split it up between all of us? Just thinking out loud guys, damn this sounds like a BLAST!!!
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- Thread starter
- #23
Those dates are ok with me. I'm sure they won't work for everyone and unfortunately someone might not get to go due to scheduling issues, just the way it goes. But if all goes smoothly this won't be the only LCXC trip. Unless we're all killed by the cartel in which case, be happy you weren't able to go.
I think 10 days should work, 5 days down, 5 days up. Worse case if we start lagging behind you can always break-off and power back. You make it from Cabo to WA in less than two days if you drive straight through. Some people take over a month to drive Baja but that's not in the cards this time, I'll need to save up leave-time for LCDC and some other trips I have planned.
I need to talk to some people and do some research about cool spots to check out along the way. I have a rough idea but I'm sure people like @cruiseroutfit can give us some pointers.
As for spare parts, I was just thinking about that today. The usual stuff with some extras like hoses (fuel, coolant, P/S). I'm doing a coolant system refresh, flushing all fluids and swapping my starter out preemptively so I'll have some spare hoses and a starter. I'll have two spares on my bumper (285/75/r17) and a decent plug kit. I don't foresee a CV taking a dump since we won't be doing any hardcore crawling but I've been meaning to order one along with a CV puller anyways.
Coms is another one, everyone having Ham would definitely be ideal but I still have those cheapo handhelds I bought for Moab/Breck that worked ok. Also, a rented sat-phone is a good idea. We can get one and all pitch in for the rental. Tools, I have a bunch of also. It would be ideal to split everything up between all of the rigs and make sure we have everything but not carry multiples of an item unnecessarily.
Funding and paperwork is another one. Getting ahead of myself on this one but make sure you keep copies of everything and safely secure the originals somewhere in the rig. This includes passports, insurance, ect...
Markuson
SILVER Star
EDIT!
My free dates are March 24 - April 8.
Agree on Ham.
I would get my license before the trip.
Need the range that only ham offers...although I do have a satalite communicator/tracker that someone stateside could follow online through the entire trip, plus ability to send and receive texts anywhere, with or without cell or radio signal.
My free dates are March 24 - April 8.
Agree on Ham.
I would get my license before the trip.
Need the range that only ham offers...although I do have a satalite communicator/tracker that someone stateside could follow online through the entire trip, plus ability to send and receive texts anywhere, with or without cell or radio signal.
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I can't make this epic trip but had to reply just to subscribe to the updates (planning through execution) to live vicariously. Yeah, I know I can watch without replying, but I wanted to wish all'y'all good look and have fun!
I'd be happy to chime in!
Baja is very safe imo. Don't be a dumbass (see Tony's note on looking for drugs or hanging in seedy bars til 4am) and you'll be fine. Use good practice when and where to camp, park and drive.
Don't forget insurance (US stuff likely won't cut it, I use BajaBound.com) and your title and/or a letter of permission from your bank to leave the US. It make be required at the border. You don't need a TIP (temp import permit) for Baja, you do need a tourist visa (easy to secure at border during normal immigration process) only if you head to Baja Sur. If you plan to ferry, you also need the TIP. This includes posting a cash bond that will be refunded when you legally exit the country. This is a very important step.
You will encounter police/military checkpoints. Have your house in order, show them the things they ask for, have your docs (and color photocopies) and be on your way.
There are many, many neat places to camp and awesome routes to drive. You can drive hundreds of miles of B1k routes in between camps. Get yourself a Baja Atlas if possible, it's very useful in planning camp, route and fuel needs. Fuel is readily available along the Mex1 and most towns, that said there are some big stretches without fuel so plan accordingly. Depending on how long you have, consider skipping the drive all the way to La Paz & Cabo and spent more time exploring the northern parts more extensively.
Baja is very safe imo. Don't be a dumbass (see Tony's note on looking for drugs or hanging in seedy bars til 4am) and you'll be fine. Use good practice when and where to camp, park and drive.
Don't forget insurance (US stuff likely won't cut it, I use BajaBound.com) and your title and/or a letter of permission from your bank to leave the US. It make be required at the border. You don't need a TIP (temp import permit) for Baja, you do need a tourist visa (easy to secure at border during normal immigration process) only if you head to Baja Sur. If you plan to ferry, you also need the TIP. This includes posting a cash bond that will be refunded when you legally exit the country. This is a very important step.
You will encounter police/military checkpoints. Have your house in order, show them the things they ask for, have your docs (and color photocopies) and be on your way.
There are many, many neat places to camp and awesome routes to drive. You can drive hundreds of miles of B1k routes in between camps. Get yourself a Baja Atlas if possible, it's very useful in planning camp, route and fuel needs. Fuel is readily available along the Mex1 and most towns, that said there are some big stretches without fuel so plan accordingly. Depending on how long you have, consider skipping the drive all the way to La Paz & Cabo and spent more time exploring the northern parts more extensively.
Markuson
SILVER Star
I corrected my earlier post, but I just realized my dates were WRONG.
My free dates are March 24 - April 8th...so very close.
My free dates are March 24 - April 8th...so very close.
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This is the exact same rime that I can go. The only change in my plans would be the girls would fly in and out of Cabo because of the kids schedule so I would to pick them up there and drop them back there to fly out. Unless there is another airport that works. We will look into it!
I definitely think we need somone who speaks spanish to roll with us
Now I need to order my roof top tent a few months early - oh well 
- Thread starter
- #32
Haha I wouldn't get too far ahead of ourselves. This is still in the very rough planning/dreaming stage right now. I have a LONG list of stuff I would need to buy/do to get the 200 ready. Plus, I still need to see if I can get country approval due to my security clearance, should be ok though, I'll make it work.
So if the @kreiten and @schob24 dates can be adjusted to @Markuson dates or vice versa, that'll be four of us that are good for late March early April.
So if the @kreiten and @schob24 dates can be adjusted to @Markuson dates or vice versa, that'll be four of us that are good for late March early April.
Since this is just the dreaming stage, put us down as definitely interested in the dream. We've had a Baja trip on our short list for a while. The last time I was down there, about nine years ago was epic! From San Diego to over 9,000' in Baja camping in the snow and being able to see the Pacific and Sea of Cortez simultaneously.
Sounds like there's plenty of time for your research and reaching out to the tons of resources here, on EXPO, etc.
Sounds like there's plenty of time for your research and reaching out to the tons of resources here, on EXPO, etc.
Don't get too hung up on the fluent Spanish for Baja, while helpful it's not mandatory. Learn to say yes, no, please and thank you and you will do fine. There is enough Spanglish going on down there to slip by with a great experience.
Fwiw I test at about 15% fluent in Spanish and was the sole speaker for our entire Latin America trip to Ushuaia. You can go a long ways with humility and a big dumb smile.
RET2
SILVER Star
Besides it's fun to watch your buddy stumble thru asking and gesturing for something only to get a hilarious result. It's not rocket science just Baja
- Thread starter
- #36
We'll be ok. I took Spanish 2 in high school, granted I failed it both times but still, I remember how to ask if I can go to the bathroom.
Another fun thing we can do is take turns cooking. I'm a horrendous cook but a pork roast is pretty easy in the Weber Q.
Another fun thing we can do is take turns cooking. I'm a horrendous cook but a pork roast is pretty easy in the Weber Q.
indycole
GOLD Star
I could swing March/April though next fall would be better for me, personally. In general I'm down for a trip up to 10 days or so from SD... I have done absolutely no investigation into the area so I don't know if it's better to explore the north in that amount of time or go all the way down south?
- Thread starter
- #38
I would like to make it to La Paz, but at that point you might as well just go all the way to Cabo just to say you made it to the tip of Baja. But I'm fine with just La Paz. That being said, whatever the group votes on, I'm fine with it, if that's just a north Baja, cool with me.
Markuson
SILVER Star
Passport alert: A few years ago, they started requiring passports for re-entry (never needed one before)...so don't forget to make sure you have a valid passport lined up well before any dates.
A cool option: You can now get a passport "card" (the size of a driver's license/credit card) that serves as a passport, but only for Mexico & Canada. Very handy, and no need for stamps, etc. I elected to re-order both styles at once last time I renewed my passport, and it's a nice option.
A cool option: You can now get a passport "card" (the size of a driver's license/credit card) that serves as a passport, but only for Mexico & Canada. Very handy, and no need for stamps, etc. I elected to re-order both styles at once last time I renewed my passport, and it's a nice option.
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RET2
SILVER Star
Just a heads up for whatever bureaucratic reason when they send them back to you they will come separately so don't be concerned.
