BajaNomad - importing an excavator 2007

importing an excavator 2007

Bob and Susan - 4-18-2007 at 07:53 PM

here is the story about importing an excavator...

http://www.mulege.org/import2007/importexcavator.htm

ArrivedMulege3[1].jpg - 38kB

nice rig

BAJACAT - 4-18-2007 at 08:17 PM

how many hours on this nice cat.

here is my cat with over 4000 hrs

BAJACAT - 4-18-2007 at 08:20 PM

[Edited on 4-19-2007 by BAJACAT]

Side938G.JPG - 49kB

Diver - 4-18-2007 at 08:21 PM

Great story !
Thanks for the great job telling it !!!!

Bob and Susan - 4-18-2007 at 08:36 PM

this guy has 8000+

the company that had it was the kind that sends the oil out to test it EVERY oil change...lots of documented history

the reason they sell these older models is because you need to "repower" them to get those lucrative contracts with the government...

sometimes they just get a new unit...it's cheaper

hours.jpg - 36kB

cool thanks for the story

BAJACAT - 4-18-2007 at 08:43 PM

even machines can retired in BAJA. :lol:

Bob and Susan - 4-19-2007 at 07:41 PM

oh...it's not going to retire....

this will be it's 2nd lifetime of WORK!!!! :no:

fishbuck - 4-20-2007 at 03:05 PM

That is a great story and very informative.
Retiring to Baja is a lot more work than everyone thinks!
I am trying to figure out how to level my lot. It's fairly level but slopes a bit and is going to need some work. I don't think the average backhoe tractor is heavy enough due to some larger boulders that need to be moved.
Here's the snag. I thought there would be a bulldozer availible in San Quintin but my info is that the ones I see around are not availible for hire. They are ownned by the large commercial farms and don't hire out.
I guess I will need to hire one from Ensenada and have it trucked to San Quintin.
Does anyone have any ideas on the subject?
Here is a photo of the lot between the two houses.
http://www.sanquintinrealestate.com/photogallery/bahia/prope...

[Edited on 4-20-2007 by fishbuck]

DENNIS - 4-20-2007 at 03:11 PM

fishbuck .....

Cant get to your link but, that's OK. I'm building on a lot with lots of slope so I'm using Post and Pier method. More slope the better for drainage which is good because I think it's just starting to rain.

fishbuck - 4-20-2007 at 03:33 PM

I fixed the link.
Pier and post? I'm not familiar but will research it.
I was thinking more of just moving the existing material to make the lot level and using retaining walls to actually raise the pad area up about 4-5 feet. The lot is higher near the road and slopes toward the water but has some high spots in the middle. I plan to move the boulders out and put them in the federal zone as a decorative boundary marker.

[Edited on 4-20-2007 by fishbuck]

FISHBUCK

BAJACAT - 4-20-2007 at 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by fishbuck
That is a great story and very informative.
Retiring to Baja is a lot more work than everyone thinks!
I am trying to figure out how to level my lot. It's fairly level but slopes a bit and is going to need some work. I don't think the average backhoe tractor is heavy enough due to some larger boulders that need to be moved.
Here's the snag. I thought there would be a bulldozer availible in San Quintin but my info is that the ones I see around are not availible for hire. They are ownned by the large commercial farms and don't hire out.
I guess I will need to hire one from Ensenada and have it trucked to San Quintin.
Does anyone have any ideas on the subject?
Here is a photo of the lot between the two houses.
http://www.sanquintinrealestate.com/photogallery/bahia/prope...

[Edited on 4-20-2007 by fishbuck]

What about a payloader see above picture of my workhorse.I have move some pretty large rocks with it, and also you can do some gradding with it.

BAJACAT - 4-20-2007 at 04:31 PM

Fishbuck the picture doesn't really show the slope on the lot do you have and idea of what percentage you have right now.if you seet a metal stake at the highes point and then from grade (from the ground)go up 12"used a marker to make a line at 12 " attach a string line set another stake on the lower side you will probably will need a longer one to accomodated the slope difference,tight the string line to second metal stake at level, find your level reading substrack the difference from your first reading(your firts stake set at 12") and that will give you and idea of your slope %..

fishbuck - 4-20-2007 at 04:36 PM

Ya, I think that would work also. But same deal, not availible locally.
Where are you and how much?

BAJACAT - 4-20-2007 at 04:48 PM

no that belongs to the company that I work for,that machine is in Oceanside CA, like half a mile from DK's house. there has to be something in Squintin to rent. or borrow at night I have all the keys we need :lol:

fishbuck - 4-20-2007 at 04:58 PM

I was thinking the same. Los Pinos owns land adjacent to our area and had both a loader and large dozer there. They cleared a bunch of brush but that was all.
Anyway I thought about "borrowing" them or paying the operator a little side money.
It was a nice idea but they were trucked out after they finished clearing.

[Edited on 4-21-2007 by fishbuck]

Bob and Susan - 4-20-2007 at 05:26 PM

you NEED a "permit de Suelo" or something like that FIRST!!!

this permit lets you move dirt on your property around for the pad and building...

get this FIRST or prepare to pay BIG time!!!

David K - 4-20-2007 at 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BAJACAT
no that belongs to the company that I work for,that machine is in Oceanside CA, like half a mile from DK's house. there has to be something in Squintin to rent. or borrow at night I have all the keys we need :lol:

Yep, I even got to wave at Cat as I drove past him on an intersection... He sits pretty high up in that machine!

Bob and Susan - 4-20-2007 at 05:35 PM

you probably need a dozer but these are all over the place to "rent"

figure a min $1000

grader.jpg - 7kB

BajaWarrior - 4-20-2007 at 05:44 PM

Fishbuck,

Pier and post is a series of lumber post and concrete piers or above/below grade concrete footings assembled in the configuration of the perimeter and interior of the layout of your home. Think of it as a big deck before the walls are built.

Prior to using concrete for slabs for homes every house in the world was built on piers and post, including mine and most in the community I live in. If your own house in the states or anyhouse you've been in that you have to step twice to get to the front door, it's most likely and pier and post type system.

If I was challenged with the task you have at hand I would definately go with this system and have a sheeted floor of sturdy plywood atop a pattern of floor joist supported by beams and post versus extensive excavation, boulder moving, retaining wall erection, and relying on backfill to support the weight of a slab (eventual slab cracks if not compacted correctly). Not to mention a fraction of the cost and time.

Let me know if I can be of any more information.

Chuck

DENNIS - 4-20-2007 at 06:01 PM

Plus the advantage of being able to get to your plumbing if necessary.

Bob and Susan - 4-20-2007 at 06:15 PM

don't you have these????

termite.jpg - 4kB

BajaWarrior - 4-20-2007 at 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bob and Susan
don't you have these????

Those little fellows have been chewing away at my 54 year old home and it still hasn't fallen down yet. In fact, most of the damage has been in the trim and in the facsia (now repaired). The sub-floor and pony posts are fine.

fishbuck - 4-20-2007 at 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bob and Susan
you probably need a dozer but these are all over the place to "rent"

figure a min $1000

Ya, I figure $1000-2000 plus if I need one trucked from Ensenada maybe more.
Anyone know of a dozer or loader in San Quintin or El Rosario?

[Edited on 4-21-2007 by fishbuck]

fishbuck - 4-21-2007 at 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaWarrior
Fishbuck,

Pier and post is a series of lumber post and concrete piers or above/below grade concrete footings assembled in the configuration of the perimeter and interior of the layout of your home. Think of it as a big deck before the walls are built.

Prior to using concrete for slabs for homes every house in the world was built on piers and post, including mine and most in the community I live in. If your own house in the states or anyhouse you've been in that you have to step twice to get to the front door, it's most likely and pier and post type system.

If I was challenged with the task you have at hand I would definately go with this system and have a sheeted floor of sturdy plywood atop a pattern of floor joist supported by beams and post versus extensive excavation, boulder moving, retaining wall erection, and relying on backfill to support the weight of a slab (eventual slab cracks if not compacted correctly). Not to mention a fraction of the cost and time.

Let me know if I can be of any more information.

Chuck

I've noticed that a couple of the houses in the area have patios that are cracking and sagging a little. I was wondering what caused that. The house to the left of my lot (see photo) has a very nice patio but it's cracking in spots. The area is mostly sand and it is a peninsula so I wondering if it's a little unstable due to tidal action. Or maybe just not prepped right.
Both of those houses are for sale and have never been lived in. They are about 10 years old.

DENNIS - 4-21-2007 at 08:10 AM

Poor compaction is probably the cause of the cracks.

Bob and Susan - 4-21-2007 at 08:28 AM

they could just be surface cracks
ALL concrete foundations crack

could be too much sand or concrete

those houses "could" sink into the earth and dissapear :lol:

RockhouseTom - 4-21-2007 at 08:32 AM

Even with concrete done right there are only two guarantees:

1- It will get hard.
2- It will crack.

DENNIS - 4-21-2007 at 12:56 PM

Kinda like, "If it doesn't leak oil, it's not a volkswagon."

Bob and Susan - 4-21-2007 at 01:24 PM

what's a volkswagon??? :lol:

DENNIS - 4-21-2007 at 01:44 PM

A breadbox full of reefer madness.

Phil S - 4-21-2007 at 01:47 PM

Bob & Susan. Great pic's. thanks for posting them. Is this piece of equipment going to be stored at your place when your not using it, or will it be stored somewhere else? What are you doing that requires something this large? Or will it be for hire in Mulege area? If so, it will most likely be the largest one in the area perhaps. I've just GOT to spend some time locating your "exit" off Hwy 1. After your telling me you were about three miles north of Ecomundo, on the way home, we looked for your "road"??????? Got to be something wrong with the way I'm digesting your directions. So returning in October. By that time, you should be able to rent us one of your casitos for the night, huh???? Phil & Wendy

Bob and Susan - 4-21-2007 at 02:24 PM

phil

we won't be finished until december
the "boys" take a couple months off for the HOT summer

this "MONSTER" was for my neighbor
he's building a natural marina at his place
he has ALL the permits

it's a mid size excavator but BIG to me :lol:

i'm getting the road dept to put up a turn off sign for us
i think i'm pertty close

it's a little breezy today...but just a few white caps
should better by monday
still 75 degrees
beats rain and snow

WOW!!!

Dave - 4-21-2007 at 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bob and Susan
this "MONSTER" was for my neighbor
he's building a natural marina at his place
he has ALL the permits

My ears just perked up. Tell us about it and how he got the permits.

BajaWarrior - 4-29-2007 at 08:14 PM

Fishbuck,

given the slope of the land that your house will be built on and the other homes next door, the reason the slabs are cracking is because when they graded and leveled the lot, they took dirt from the back and filled it on the front and it wasn't compacted correctly. However, compacting is very difficult even here in the states, especially with sandy soil.

Plus, like RockhouseTom mentioned, concrete just cracks sometimes.

I just had two slabs in separate areas poured at my home in San Diego. The slab for my RV turned out just fine, the slab for my courtyard cracked after 6 months, go figure!

What happened with those homes next door, why are they sitting?

BAJACAT - 4-29-2007 at 08:24 PM

It could be a lot off factors for this problem.poor compaction,bad cement mix ,not the right mix for the job. the more sack's the better.when you are buying your mix you got to expecify for what type of job you need it,for example if you are going to poor sidewalk it will be a diff. mix that when you are going to poor a slab.typically on sandy areas the wire mash is required to fortify the concret,so lioke I said it could be alot things.

fishbuck - 4-29-2007 at 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaWarrior
Fishbuck,

What happened with those homes next door, why are they sitting?

The house to the right is for sale at $220,000. It a pretty nice house but needs some work. I've been in it a few times.
The house on the other side is basically sound but has a few broken windows and no fixtures or appliances. I'm not sure if it got broken into and looted or was never completed. It's bigger and they were asking $275,000 but it's not on the market anymore. Maybe someone bought it. I'll check when I'm there next week.
I'm not real sure why they have been empty. The developer built them as models. The area is really kind of a secret and hasn't caught on yet. I think it will some day. I mean we have our own runway and boat ramp with Pacific access.
http://www.sanquintinrealestate.com/photogallery/bahia/prope...

[Edited on 4-30-2007 by fishbuck]

BajaWarrior - 4-30-2007 at 04:54 AM

Well it sure is a beautiful area. I assume it is just north of the entrance to the bay?

My wife and I will be camping in our Toyhouse south of San Quintin at El Pabellon campground for the week of July 4th. We would sure like to take a ride out there on our quads and check it out first hand.

Fishbuck, could you shoot me some directions?

Thanks, Chuck

fishbuck - 4-30-2007 at 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaWarrior
Well it sure is a beautiful area. I assume it is just north of the entrance to the bay?

Fishbuck, could you shoot me some directions?

Thanks, Chuck

Here's a map:

San Quintin Map
Address:http://www.baja-web.com/sanqui/sq-map.htm

Look for the airplane symbol on the peninsula in the bay. The area is called Pedragal.
The entrance from Hwy 1 is at the south corner of the military base.
It might be too long of a 4 wheeler ride from the campground but miles of good riding once you get there.