@DanMedeiros love the green color, I may end up doing that to mine one day. Looking forward to your Baja pics! I grew up in San Diego and only made my way down once and it was incredible. Wanting to do the whole thing like you one day.
Builds LX450: Baja surf trip build
- Thread starter DanMedeiros
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- expedition ready fzj80 lx450
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- #82
Thanks! We thought the color was too bright at first but it has grown on me. My goal has shifted a bit from doing the whole thing to finding the best possible surf. If it's firing I'm not going anywhere! Would love to do a lot of it though
The spot for the fridge in my 81's drawer unit had been built without enough room to fit a proper slide. I ended up with a set of 400lb locking Accuride slides and a piece of plywood. So far it works great.
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- #84
Very cool! Thanks. I'll either do this or install some airline track to secure the fridge. The airline. Track doesn't slide but without the fridge is more versatile for gear storage.
Heading to Bahia de los Angeles next Sunday for a couple weeks. Can't wait!
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- #86
I stopped by 4x4 labs again and had my new can carrier installed. It now has an flip down table that is removable. Will use this tray to cook with my two burner propane stove. Here is a photo of my completed rear storage
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- #87
Next big project is to get my dual battery system wired up. I never have done anything like this before so I spent hours and hours reading threads and bought a book on marine wiring. Anyway here is what i am planning
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- #88
Would greatly appreciate any feedback on this. Have a few questions:
- Do I need to fuse the wires leading to the Blue Seas ACR
- What Amp rating should the bus bar be?
- I need to ground the 2nd battery to the fender, body, and block right? Alternatively can I just run a negative wire to the main battery?
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- #90
Wiring would be exactly the same as far as I understand. It's still an ACR
You do not need to run -ve wires for the winch and the aux fuse box. The winch should ground to the frame when it is bolted in. For the aux fuse box, just run a wire to the closest ground point or ground each item run from the aux fuse box separately. You can then use the main disconnect on the positive wires.
I did add a 200A fuse between the ACR and the main battery for safety's sake.
I do have a question on the whole setup. As configured, everything will run off the starting battery and the aux battery will just sit there with the engine off until main battery runs down. Why not run the aux fuse panel and winch off the aux battery and leave the main battery for starting and normal running operations? That way the aux battery can be drained knowing that the main starting battery will be always available.
I can do a sketch if you want.
I did add a 200A fuse between the ACR and the main battery for safety's sake.
I do have a question on the whole setup. As configured, everything will run off the starting battery and the aux battery will just sit there with the engine off until main battery runs down. Why not run the aux fuse panel and winch off the aux battery and leave the main battery for starting and normal running operations? That way the aux battery can be drained knowing that the main starting battery will be always available.
I can do a sketch if you want.
1. Do I need to fuse the wires leading to the Blue Seas ACR
- Yes. Use ~150amp circuit breakers within 12" (along the length of the cable) from the battery. I mounted my breakers right on the battery boxes.
2. What Amp rating should the bus bar be?
- What is the highest amp component attached to it?
3. I need to ground the 2nd battery to the fender, body, and block right? Alternatively can I just run a negative wire to the main battery?
- More grounds the better. I grounded mine to frame and primary battery.
Another note: I'd skip spending the money on the AGM batteries. Mine started failing after a few months of use. I brought it back and the guy at Sears said that the AGM batteries were being returned way faster than usual. I also talked to my buddy who is a mechanic and he also said the same. I started buying flooded cell batteries again (I never had an issue with Interstate).
I'd get a deep cycle battery for your 2nd battery and hook it up to your fridge and accessories. Use a starter battery for your primary battery.
Keep up to date with the latest gas shortages. Hwy 1 is being blocked in Camalu. I'm sure it will be cleared up by next month, but its been getting worse for the last few weeks.
Lastly, don't spend too much time in Tijuana...
Tijuana homicides hit record high
- Yes. Use ~150amp circuit breakers within 12" (along the length of the cable) from the battery. I mounted my breakers right on the battery boxes.
2. What Amp rating should the bus bar be?
- What is the highest amp component attached to it?
3. I need to ground the 2nd battery to the fender, body, and block right? Alternatively can I just run a negative wire to the main battery?
- More grounds the better. I grounded mine to frame and primary battery.
Another note: I'd skip spending the money on the AGM batteries. Mine started failing after a few months of use. I brought it back and the guy at Sears said that the AGM batteries were being returned way faster than usual. I also talked to my buddy who is a mechanic and he also said the same. I started buying flooded cell batteries again (I never had an issue with Interstate).
I'd get a deep cycle battery for your 2nd battery and hook it up to your fridge and accessories. Use a starter battery for your primary battery.
Keep up to date with the latest gas shortages. Hwy 1 is being blocked in Camalu. I'm sure it will be cleared up by next month, but its been getting worse for the last few weeks.
Lastly, don't spend too much time in Tijuana...
Tijuana homicides hit record high
Another option many do not consider is taking Hwy 5 down the Sea of Cortez side and joining Hwy 1 further down the penninsula. I did this last month for the first time and it is a much more relaxing drive than Hwy 1. No truck or bus traffic and a beautiful drive The downside is that you will miss some surf spots on the Pacific side but there is great fishing and paddle boarding on the Cortez side and you get to see both.
Pic from find it yourself surf spot.
Pic from find it yourself surf spot.
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- #94
Thanks @bajaphil!
I don't plan ops staying in Tijuana. Basically I want to blast through the border as early as possible and make it to safe remote camp spot. Can Suggestions??
In regards to the battery stuff I had a few follow up questions:
I don't plan ops staying in Tijuana. Basically I want to blast through the border as early as possible and make it to safe remote camp spot. Can Suggestions??
In regards to the battery stuff I had a few follow up questions:
- I want to run all the engine grounds off the bus bar so that I can have a big battery disconnect switch. I know the starter draws a ton of current. Do I need a 500amp bus bar?
- Thanks for advice on batteries. I've heard lots of conflicting info on this. I wonder if its not the brand or something. Would love to go a cheeper route as AGM is pricy!!
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- #95
Thanks for the help. Good point about which battery accessories are wired up too. I planned it out this way because I know I can get a group 31 battery in the starter battery tray and wanted 100amp hours. I haven't received my 2nd tray yet. if you can fit a 31 in their could change it up. I also have some existing lights that run off the starter battery and it would be a pain to change. I was also wondering if their is a pathway through the firewall on the passenger side. Seemed harder to get wires to the back of the truck from that side. Another friend has his setup wired the same way as he wanted his backup battery never to have a load on it....
Not sure which way to go
Take the 5 down through San Felipe, gas up there and then proceed through town south and you can roll into some little fish camps/camping areas or push on to Puertecitos. Don't forget your fishing poles!
Agree^.
Can be windy this time of year, but my mom in Bahia de los Angeles just emailed me this morning and said the weather is "beautiful" now. Puertocitas is a nice place to camp with hot springs in tide pools at the sea's shore and wind protection, crappers and gravity water. Gonzaga Bay is another nice stop just south of there. There's a gas station in Gonzaga too; good place to top off. Also, where the "hwy 5" dirt road dumps back out on Hwy 1 (Chalapa) a very nice and helpful man named Jorge has his home and tire repair. He speaks english and I usually stop there to air back up - cheap and fast. BTW, the current exchange rate is fantastic now! Exchange dollars for pesos right near the border in Calexico or wherever you cross. I've found better exchange rates on this side. Try to avoid using dollars in Baja if you want to get the most for your money. With the fluctuating and rising exchange rate you will never get as good of an exchange rate from residents/local businesses. I've never been where I can use credit cards, so I don't know about that method.
And, zero gas availability issue on this route as far south as I go (Bahia de los Angeles).
Can be windy this time of year, but my mom in Bahia de los Angeles just emailed me this morning and said the weather is "beautiful" now. Puertocitas is a nice place to camp with hot springs in tide pools at the sea's shore and wind protection, crappers and gravity water. Gonzaga Bay is another nice stop just south of there. There's a gas station in Gonzaga too; good place to top off. Also, where the "hwy 5" dirt road dumps back out on Hwy 1 (Chalapa) a very nice and helpful man named Jorge has his home and tire repair. He speaks english and I usually stop there to air back up - cheap and fast. BTW, the current exchange rate is fantastic now! Exchange dollars for pesos right near the border in Calexico or wherever you cross. I've found better exchange rates on this side. Try to avoid using dollars in Baja if you want to get the most for your money. With the fluctuating and rising exchange rate you will never get as good of an exchange rate from residents/local businesses. I've never been where I can use credit cards, so I don't know about that method.
And, zero gas availability issue on this route as far south as I go (Bahia de los Angeles).
Can you tell I want to go back down already???
I've only been taking Hwy 5 down for the past 3 years now myself. I will not take the 1 down anymore.
I've been actually bummed to see that section getting paved back to Chapala, but oh well. Once it's complete, it might not be so great. Google says its about the same time and distance from SD to Chapala using both routes, however I am positive the east route is much faster. You are driving 80mph to Calexico on the 8, then its slow going through Mexicali (I use the east crossing, the immigration office is always empty there too.). Then once you get out of Mexicali proper its 80 mph to San Felipe. That road south of there is kinda sketchy with those dips and potholes but whatever. Then the new paved section south of Puertocitos is amazing. Not to mention it bypasses the area south of El Rosario into Catavina which is a beautiful road, but I've seen a lot of very very devastating accidents along that stretch.
My wife and I were at Guerreo Negro at 7am and were back in San Diego by 7pm the same day. That stretch used to take us ~16+ hours just 15 years ago.
I've been actually bummed to see that section getting paved back to Chapala, but oh well. Once it's complete, it might not be so great. Google says its about the same time and distance from SD to Chapala using both routes, however I am positive the east route is much faster. You are driving 80mph to Calexico on the 8, then its slow going through Mexicali (I use the east crossing, the immigration office is always empty there too.). Then once you get out of Mexicali proper its 80 mph to San Felipe. That road south of there is kinda sketchy with those dips and potholes but whatever. Then the new paved section south of Puertocitos is amazing. Not to mention it bypasses the area south of El Rosario into Catavina which is a beautiful road, but I've seen a lot of very very devastating accidents along that stretch.
My wife and I were at Guerreo Negro at 7am and were back in San Diego by 7pm the same day. That stretch used to take us ~16+ hours just 15 years ago.
