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edm1
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Location: Oak Hills, Ca
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Baja Adventure trip, July 2011 (Part 1 - Shell Island Freak Weather)
Just got back from a 3-week 2,500-mile Baja adventure trip in my motorhome, July 2-22, 2011, with stops at:
Going South (entry: Mexicali border):
1. Shell Island (joined David K's party)
2. Gonzaga Bay (Alfonsina's and El Sacrificio)
3. Villa Jesus Maria (Morro Sto Domingo / Laguna Manuela)
4. Guerrero Negro
5. Asuncion (Shari's)
6. San Roque
7. San Lucas Cove
8. Loreto
9. Ligui
10. Santispac (Bahia Concepcion), short stop/swim
11. La Pocitas (lunch/siesta stop)
12. La Paz (BajaTripper/ Steve and Zully's and Walmart's parking lot) 9 days, including 2 days of motorhome's front suspension work)
13. Tour - El Tecolote/Playa Tesoro
14. Tour - El Sargento, La Ventana, Los Planes, Playa Turquesa/Punta Arena
15. Tour - Todos Santos, Los Cabos, SJC, Los Barriles
Going North:
16. Santispac (Bahia Concepcion)
17. Rancho Sta Ynez (Catavina)
18. Exit: Tijuana border
Thanks to Shari in Asuncion for her hospitality and to Steve and family in La Paz (Zully, Nikki, Alberto, and Jorge) for their hospitality and
untiring assistance with my motorhome's suspension issues.
And of course thanks to David K and family (Baja Angel and daughter Kristi) for their cheerful company at Shell Island, despite the almost disastrous
freak weather).
Stories/Pics follow.
Part 1. Shell Island Freak Weather (July 2-3)
Part 2. Gonzaga Bay to Norte-Sur border (July 4-5)
Part 3. Guerrero Negro to Asuncion (July 6-8)
Part 4. Southbound to La Paz (July 9-11)
Part 5a. La Paz, Los Cabos and Vicinity (July 12-19)
Part 5b. La Paz, Los Cabos and Vicinity (July 12-19) . . . continued
Part 6. Homeward Bound (July 20-22)
-------------------
PART 1. Shell Island - Freak Weather (July 2-3)
• Crossing the border
• It’s high tide
• Stuck in Mud
• No Problema
• Dinner across the lagoon – Not!, "it's a snake!"
• Breakfast across the lagoon - Yes!
• Shell Island shellfish for lunch
It’s Saturday 3:30AM and it’s time to leave for our 2011 Baja Adventure trip. This would be the maiden long-distance trip aboard our custom 25-ft 4x4
Class A motorhome and my first time into Baja Sur. Aboard are my wife and our 45-lb dog Penny, a German Shepherd / Lab mix, along with the usual dual
spare tires, shovel, recovery gear and tools, and above all refrigerator/freezer and ice chests stuffed with enough food for at least 2-weeks. The
plan is to tour both Cortez and Pacific sides of Baja.
Crossing the border
We cross the Mexicali border early and at 7:30AM, traffic at the gates is very light. The “secondary” inspection is more of a quick formality,
compared to my past border crossings at Tijuana and Tecate. Since this is my first crossing at Mexicali, I have no idea where to get an FMT and forget
to ask the inspectors before driving off. So, my first task is to find a parking place suited for a motorhome. Since it’s early in the morning traffic
isn’t so bad but the first suitable parking spot I could find, after driving around twice, is 4 blocks away from the border crossing; it’s quite a
walk. Nevertheless, I leave my wife and dog in the motorhome, now with the generator and A/C running, so I could find where to get an FMT. I return to
the border crossing and start asking, in my broken Spanish, where to get a permiso. After asking different people, all friendly people even if they
hardly understand my Spanish, I am led to the right place.
The gentleman at the counter speaks a little English - good for me. I hand him over my passport and state I wish to get an FMT. He gives me the form
to fill out, which I then complete and hand back to him. He goes back to his computer and enters the info. Yes the border is computerized! After a few
minutes, he hands me the FMT and tells me that banks are closed so I can pay at any bank on Monday or before I return from my trip. I go back to the
motorhome and it’s my wife’s turn to go through the same process – so I walk her back to the place. But there is a problem, her passport is expired –
the computer will not accept the information. And the gentleman will not accept her Driver’s License, not even her citizenship certificate! So we
leave without an FMT for the wife. We now are faced with a problem with our planned crossing into Baja Sur. But that doesn’t keep us from our first
destination – south of San Felipe, Shell Island. It’s already 10:00AM, we’ll definitely be late getting to Shell Island.
We top off our diesel tank in San Felipe, and fill up the generator gas tank as well as its spare gas can. We have lunch in the motorhome and walk the
dog and let her do her thing. It’s past 2PM and that’s bad; it’s high tide soon at Shell Island.
Shell Island - it's high tide
After a slow and leisurely drive south, we finally arrive at the Shell Island “entrance”. I quickly air down the tires and engage 4WD HI. It’s 4PM and
indeed the water is high. I stop before the water crossing, next to the concrete “bridge”, and try to gather enough courage to cross it. I go down and
check the depth and consistency of the water and ground underneath. It’s not that deep and well below the motorhome’s water clearance of 32 inches so
I thought this well-equipped motorhome would be able to cross. It’s only 50 feet across. But there is no doubt it is slippery in and out of the water.
After much deliberation and considering my lack of mud-4-wheeling experience, I chickened out. No I’m not crossing that thing! So I back out all the
way, using the rear camera as a guide, as both sides of the elevated dry path are covered with slick mud.
So what now?, I ask. How do we join David K, Elizabeth and Kristi at their usual camping spot? Well I wonder if there are other ways into the beach. I
know there’s one to the east – toward the fishing hut – no mud there but the sand is deep (I got stuck there 4 years ago with my 2WD van). There are
trails leading north and to the west of the lagoon. David K would be camped at the other side of the lagoon. There might be a trail going further
north that leads to an access to the beach. I follow one of the trails leading north; unfortunately, it’s not one of the driest and I get stuck in
mud! Well, time to engage 4 LO and switch on the lockers. After a few revs, I get out of the mud, whew!!! Note to self: remember to take the drier
trail on my way back.
So we proceed further north and now we see David K’s blue Easy-up and tent across the lagoon. In fact I see a David K waiving, trying to tell us
something I couldn’t figure out. I park the motorhome and as I step out, David K is already halfway across the waist-deep lagoon coming to greet us!
Photo: David K crossed lagoon to meet us
Photo: Of me to meet David K after he crossed the lagoon
David tells me that he heard something revving and thought it might be us but couldn’t see, through his binoculars, mud around our wheel wells. Yes it
was us stuck but we managed to get out. So I explain to him that I wasn’t brave enough to cross the water and I need some spotting help while I cross
the water. I want to at least try to cross, emboldened by the presence of another nomad and another vehicle around. He agrees to come aboard the
motorhome and I so drive back south next to the “bridge” where the usual crossing is.
Stuck in mud
Trying is fine but if your vehicle is not equipped for mud, you’ll get stuck. And the motorhome gets STUCK! The motorhome, although has good ground
clearance, 4X4, lockers and all, has motorhome tires, of course. And whatever we did, the 4 wheels would just spin together with no traction. The
ground is dry under the 4 inches of mud, but the dry ground turns quickly to mud as soon as the tires expose it. After trying so hard to get out of
the mud, the motorhome slides further into the deep water. And the motorhome reaches its limitations. I wish I had mud tires; I wish I brought
sand/mud ladders – were ringing in my ears.
Photo: Mud
David K has been away from his camp for several hours and he's starting to worry what Elizabeth and Kristi might be thinking. And while all of these
are going on, what’s going on inside the motorhome, with the Mrs. inside, you ask? You bet, she’s in a panic, but she was kind enough to hand me the
camera so I could take a picture.
Photo: Motorhome stuck in mud
“No problema”
I could see in David’s face that it was a bad idea even to try to cross the water. In my mind, since I’ve experienced a similar scenario 4 years ago,
San Felipe is not too far away to get help or at least get traction aids like corrugated steel plates with holes, like those I’ve seen in use in
African safari vehicles. Then David comes up with the classic “Mexicans always have the easy solutions, let’s see if someone’s at the fishing camp,
(which is a quarter mile away)”. That beats waiting for tomorrow and driving to San Felipe, I thought. So we walk to the fishing camp. Here are
several trucks there and we find one fisherman – his name is Esteban. David, in his Spanish, explains the situation to Esteban, who nonchalantly says
“no problema”, grabs an oversized long rope and leads us to get aboard his truck.
While Esteban was driving us back to the motorhome, I couldn’t help but wonder how a 4000 lb truck could pull out a 12k lbs motorhome. No way, I said
in my mind, I’ll have to drive the motorhome, while the tow truck helps to guide the motorhome off the slippery slope. And so, after Esteban ties the
rope to the motorhome’s rear hitchbar, I put the motorhome in reverse at the same time Esteban pulls it up the slope. “No problema” indeed, it only
takes one try and the motorhome regains its traction. Nevertheless, Esteban insists to pull further as if he needs to do more of the work. After all
is done, I thank Esteban and hand him a $500 peso bill and he’s happy.
Photo: Motorhome gets pulled by a small truck.
David and I are happy; our day is saved. We climb back into the motorhome, open a couple of ice cold Pacificos and drink while we drive back to the
west side of the lagoon, with David pointing out the drier trails to take. I park at a flat camping spot and bid goodbye to David before he crosses
the lagoon back to the ladies Elizabeth and Kristi. We promise him Nora and I will cross the lagoon at night and join them at the camp fire.
Dinner across the lagoon – Not!, "it's a snake!"
We have no time to waste. It is getting late. Nora starts to deep-fry the egg rolls and I pre-heat the pot for the oxtail dish. The rice goes to the
microwave oven. Not too long, everything’s ready. But it is past 8:30PM and it’s dark.
We change to our swimming trunks and prepare to cross the lagoon. I’m clutching the Tupperware full of oxtail dish and rice and Nora carrying the
eggroll bag. My flashlight hangs from my front belt; her flashlight in her hand. I go first and walk straight ahead, no problem. She’s following me 5
feet behind, her flashlight scanning left and right until she spots about 3 feet to the side what she says seems like a rope which then starts to
wiggle sideways. It’s a snake! she screams and heads back to the motorhome, “I’m not crossing that lagoon!”. I turn around and see what it is. It is a
sand-color sidewinder that is wiggling away as fast as it could. I follow it and when I stop, it stops. I throw some sand over it and it gives out a
rattle. It’s a rattlesnake. I leave it alone to go into the bush.
“Please, please don’t ask me to cross that lagoon tomorrow”, my wife pleaded.
We have a quick dinner of eggrolls and oxtail dish, shower/rinse our tired sweaty bodies then retire for the night. After all, the drive was tiring
and the mud encounter taxing. It was very easy to fall asleep. Even as we could feel the fierce wind in the middle of the night, we feel secure in the
motorhome, or so we thought, maybe because we we’re tired. It is a restful night.
Breakfast across the lagoon - Yes!
The water in the lagoon is very shallow that morning and my wife finally forgets what she said the night before. She agrees to go to the beach (i.e.
cross the lagoon) as she starts to fry some fresh eggrolls (those from last night’s are already soggy) and I heat up the oxtail dish in the microwave
oven. We would bring the breakfast to David, Elizabeth and Kristi. Crossing the lagoon is uneventful, not even a single snake in sight. And David is
already up waiting for us at the other side of the lagoon.
“Did you have a good night sleep”, I ask David, not knowing how bad the wind was last night. No, he says, in a disappointed tone, “I had only one hour
sleep”, “look at our camp” pointing to the disshevelled tent with holes and the broken spokes of the shade. Obviously there was a freak hurricane that
night.
In retrospect, that rattlesnake warned us not to cross the lagoon that night.
Elizabeth and Kristi are still in bed, though it is not too early anymore, well maybe too early in Mexican ways? “But we brought you breakfast” and
they were up in no time. We all chatted over breakfast. Due to the damage to their camp, David, Elizabeth and Kristi have decided to leave for their
next destination. We too decided to do the same, but not until we spent most of the morning shell “fishing” along the low tide, while David’s party
pack for their next destination – Gonzaga Bay.
Our next destination is also Gonzaga Bay. While David’s party is packing, we leave for the pavement first, but we stop before we hit the highway - to
have lunch (we cook our shell island harvest of small shells for lunch!, unmindful of red tides), dog business, and most importantly, inflate the
tires. Even with 3 kinds of inflation devices, it takes forever to inflate the big motorhome tires to 70 psi, not to mention I have to remove dried
compacted mud between the wheels and brakes. David stops by to take pictures with us before they hit the highway.
Photos:
---- end of Part 1 ----
[Edited on 11-1-2011 by edm1]
[Edited on 5-5-2016 by edm1]
[Edited on 5-5-2016 by edm1]
[Edited on 5-5-2016 by edm1]
[Edited on 5-5-2016 by edm1]
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dtbushpilot
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3290
Registered: 1-11-2007
Location: Buena Vista BCS
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Mood: Tranquilo
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Looking forward to pics and "the rest of the story"....dt
"Life is tough".....It's even tougher if you're stupid.....
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baitcast
Super Nomad
Posts: 1785
Registered: 8-31-2003
Location: kingman AZ.
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Mood: good
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A trip report would be nice but I would really like to see your rig
Rob
Anyone can catch fish in a boat but only \"El Pescador Grande\" can get them from the beach.
I hope when my time comes the old man will let me bring my rod and the water will be warm and clear.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64855
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by baitcast
A trip report would be nice but I would really like to see your rig
Rob |
The above two taken Sunday July 3 at Km. 26 when we all left Shell Island after the wind storm and headed south.
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Curt63
Super Nomad
Posts: 1171
Registered: 3-28-2009
Location: San Diego, Ca.
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Mood: Fish tacos and Tecate
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Sounds like a great trip. We saw you on Mex 1 around July 5 or 6.
At first we thought "What the hell is that?" and then realized you had some serious ground clearance and it reminded me of your other rig.
Hope your suspension issues are resolved.
No worries
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shari
Select Nomad
Posts: 13048
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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we sure enjoyed your visit and your rig created quite a buzz around these parts...it's awesome! here is a little reminder of our fun dinner at
Loncheria Mari's...your wife can PARTY!!!
[Edited on 7-26-2011 by shari]
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edm1
Senior Nomad
Posts: 568
Registered: 8-23-2006
Location: Oak Hills, Ca
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| Quote: | Originally posted by baitcast
A trip report would be nice but I would really like to see your rig
Rob |
Rob, the rig's more important that the rest of my trip report? :-)
Since you're just in Kingman, come on over; you're welcome to see the rig in person!
David, Rob's probably more interested in the guts of the motorhome, if so the build is documented here:
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=966138&h...
[Edited on 7-26-2011 by edm1]
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edm1
Senior Nomad
Posts: 568
Registered: 8-23-2006
Location: Oak Hills, Ca
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Curt63
Sounds like a great trip. We saw you on Mex 1 around July 5 or 6.
At first we thought "What the hell is that?" and then realized you had some serious ground clearance and it reminded me of your other rig.
Hope your suspension issues are resolved. |
Curt, it was a great trip. We covered a lot of miles, for a first-time Baja Sur expedition.
If you saw us around July 5 or 6, I'm sure I was shrunk into the driver's seat and as least seen as possible because I couldn't drive safely faster
than 40mph due to sway caused by the uneven highway pavements, which were 95% of all of them. I swear the suspension was tested over US freeways, but
were the opposite, i.e. 95% even, 5% uneven :-(
The drive back home was much better after the suspension work.
[Edited on 7-27-2011 by edm1]
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edm1
Senior Nomad
Posts: 568
Registered: 8-23-2006
Location: Oak Hills, Ca
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| Quote: | Originally posted by dtbushpilot
Looking forward to pics and "the rest of the story"....dt |
DT, Shari showed us your house in Asuncion; your real estate is in a very nice location!
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edm1
Senior Nomad
Posts: 568
Registered: 8-23-2006
Location: Oak Hills, Ca
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| Quote: | Originally posted by shari
we sure enjoyed your visit and your rig created quite a buzz around these parts...it's awesome! here is a little reminder of our fun dinner at
Loncheria Mari's...your wife can PARTY!!!
|
Shari, thanks for the wondeful time we had with you in Asuncion. I hope Juan is well and back from GN. And I also hope the construction of your
additional B&B units are progressing well.
[Edited on 7-26-2011 by edm1]
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Baja12valve
Nomad
Posts: 185
Registered: 7-12-2006
Location: Oak View
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Do you think the stock 47RH can handle the weight and added extra power/torque you did with your mods? Is your NP241 the DLD or DHD?
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baitcast
Super Nomad
Posts: 1785
Registered: 8-31-2003
Location: kingman AZ.
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Mood: good
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Great looking rig,but I would have killed for your old one,who needs to stand straight up have had vans all my life but that was spot on.
Rob
Anyone can catch fish in a boat but only \"El Pescador Grande\" can get them from the beach.
I hope when my time comes the old man will let me bring my rod and the water will be warm and clear.
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edm1
Senior Nomad
Posts: 568
Registered: 8-23-2006
Location: Oak Hills, Ca
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Baja12valve
Do you think the stock 47RH can handle the weight and added extra power/torque you did with your mods? Is your NP241 the DLD or DHD?
|
Absolutely, now I can say after 9k miles which includes this 2500-mile rugged Baja trip. The NP241 is the DLD - it did well on this over 12k lbs
loaded rig. It got me out of the mud at Shell Island and also from deep sand on the way to Morro Sto Domingo. Although the DHD is a heavier duty
model, I've read numerous failures due to cracking.
[Edited on 7-26-2011 by edm1]
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edm1
Senior Nomad
Posts: 568
Registered: 8-23-2006
Location: Oak Hills, Ca
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| Quote: | Originally posted by baitcast
Great looking rig,but I would have killed for your old one,who needs to stand straight up have had vans all my life but that was spot on.
Rob |
Hey Rob, the 4x4 van motorhome has, as we speak, both axles front and rear, underneath ready to be installed. It will be for sale as soon as it can be
driven home by the future owner.
[Edited on 7-26-2011 by edm1]
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64855
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Aren't you going to tell them about the sidewinder?  
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edm1
Senior Nomad
Posts: 568
Registered: 8-23-2006
Location: Oak Hills, Ca
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
Aren't you going to tell them about the sidewinder? |
That's coming next David. Read about it tomorrow. There has to be some suspense -
besides my white knuckles haven't recovered for prolonged typing :-)
]
[Edited on 7-27-2011 by edm1]
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64855
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Oh good! 
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edm1
Senior Nomad
Posts: 568
Registered: 8-23-2006
Location: Oak Hills, Ca
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
Aren't you going to tell them about the sidewinder? |
part 1 complete. part 2 to come soon.
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Baja12valve
Nomad
Posts: 185
Registered: 7-12-2006
Location: Oak View
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| Quote: | Originally posted by edm1
| Quote: | Originally posted by Baja12valve
Do you think the stock 47RH can handle the weight and added extra power/torque you did with your mods? Is your NP241 the DLD or DHD?
|
Absolutely, now I can say after 9k miles which includes this 2500-mile rugged Baja trip. The NP241 is the DLD - it did well on this over 12k lbs
loaded rig. It got me out of the mud at Shell Island and also from deep sand on the way to Morro Sto Domingo. Although the DHD is a heavier duty
model, I've read numerous failures due to cracking.
The DLD came on the lighter duty CTD's, only the 2500's with the automatic and Dana 70's. The 3500's, high output engines, and some 5 speeds with
the Dana 80 came with the DHD. For those heavier duty trucks, there is a reason for the heavier case. It seems to me that you have a very heavy truck
with a built CTD engine. Long term, more than 9,000 miles, is not a true test. Often cracking comes from those who lift their trucks and screw up the
driveshaft angle, making it very hard on the slip yoke. No way am I dissing you, I hope you are right in the long run.
The reason I ask about the 47RH is because they are notoriously weak. Stock, they can barely handle the power of the CTD. Once you start modifying
the engine and or continuously hauling a lot of weight, they will fail, guaranteed. The only reason I ask these questions is because you have made a
very interesting vehicle. Using the CTD is a good choice, but some of the other components that Dodge used are not really up to snuff. You have built
your engine and are hauling a lot of weight, some of the Dodge components are not up for that. |
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edm1
Senior Nomad
Posts: 568
Registered: 8-23-2006
Location: Oak Hills, Ca
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Baja12valve
The reason I ask about the 47RH is because they are notoriously weak. Stock, they can barely handle the power of the CTD. Once you start modifying
the engine and or continuously hauling a lot of weight, they will fail, guaranteed. The only reason I ask these questions is because you have made a
very interesting vehicle. Using the CTD is a good choice, but some of the other components that Dodge used are not really up to snuff. You have built
your engine and are hauling a lot of weight, some of the Dodge components are not up for that. |
I'm aware of the weaknesses of the stock 47RH/NP241, and thanks for the reminder. I have done/implemented some compromises/adjustments so that it
would not break sooner. It has served me well for almost 10k and that's good enough for me. When it breaks I'll definitely go for a built-up 47RH with
a lower stall 3ple disc billet torque converter and other special HD components, and also at that time, purchase the adapter from Advanced Adapters so
that I can put a Ford NP205 behind it. But for now the motorhome is performing very well, drivetrain-wise. Before the Baja trip I changed the fluid
and it was very clean.
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