BajaNomad - First time to Baja

....

I was looking at the Agua Verde but was wondering about the road in?

SS,
Two years ago the road looked like this (it was being improved....detour sections no longer applicable....)

Some Nomads gave the video a wink saying something about me needing editing software.... :biggrin:

I say, "No"....have a beverage and sit for an hour and take a trip.... :saint:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8KlzS2zWOw

P.S. How much $$$$ ??

Folks say that gas and booze are the expense items aside from lodging....I tend to budget $100-125 /day as a solo traveler using motels @ about $50/day average

[Edited on 3-8-2016 by motoged]

[Edited on 3-8-2016 by motoged]

mtgoat666 - 3-8-2016 at 11:10 AM

Best first-time destinations:
San pedro martir
Catavina
LA bay
San ignacio
Sierra de san francisquito
Ensenada and La paz
One of the soc beaches bween mulege and la paz ( take yur pic)

ssdaniels - 3-8-2016 at 11:11 AM

David K I have enjoyed reading your trip report. A lot of really good info in there. I think we will check out Agua Verde. Here are some pics of our rig. Its a 1999 outback with 3" lift, BFG AT Tires, roof top tent (love that thing). These are from this past winters trip down the back roads of the California Coast. we went through the Lost Coast, and Big Sur trying to hit as many unpaved back roads as we could.

IMG_2559.JPG - 131kB

willardguy - 3-8-2016 at 11:16 AM

have you attempted highway speeds with the tent up?.....seriously, badazz subaru! :yes:

ssdaniels - 3-8-2016 at 11:27 AM

I like the video Motoged. I actually found and watched that about a year ago when we first started thinking about a Baja trip. Ill have to play armchair tourist and watch it again. My wife and I both work for the forest service and I'm guessing we will find the roads down there are really no worse than the forest service roads we travel everyday up here in California.

motoged - 3-8-2016 at 11:36 AM

I like the video Motoged. I actually found and watched that about a year ago when we first started thinking about a Baja trip. Ill have to play armchair tourist and watch it again. My wife and I both work for the forest service and I'm guessing we will find the roads down there are really no worse than the forest service roads we travel everyday up here in California.

Cool

Yes, the Baja roads are like bad FSR's (here in Canada they can be worse than some of what NorCal offers).....hardpack gravel with washboard and babyheads....interspersed with soft sand double-track, siltbeds (mostly on Pacific side in my experience)....with occasional washout ruts that can sneak up on you and swallow a pickup....

My rule of thumb for Baja backroads: Expect that 40 feet over the crest of EVERY hill or rise in the road will be a right angle turn with no escape route, a deep washout rut, and/ or a few burros snacking on something....or vehicle coming at you.

The soft sand is probably the main driving hazard....most of my Baja travel is by moto....but when in the pickup, I tend to not want to get onto beach or dune terrain unless I scope it out on foot first...the coastal flats can be inviting but are goo-pits waiting to eat your ride....

Sounds like you guys have a clue and will have fun....as others have said...."Take your time and don't try to cram it all in....you will love it and return frequently"....or will go home complaining about something.

ssdaniels - 3-8-2016 at 11:41 AM

I think the only thing we will go home complaining about is having to go home! haha. we will be carrying MaxTrax and airing down for the soft sand.

4x4abc - 3-8-2016 at 12:28 PM

the road into Agua Verde is 40 kilometers
the first 10 km are paved
end: 25°33'34.06"N, 111°14'52.25"W
pavement section has bad washouts within the first 5 km
the graded part is in excellent condition
just back from there - it's getting popular and crowded

motoged - 3-8-2016 at 12:42 PM

Thanks for the update on the road.....too bad the pavement is already washing out....but not surprised.

Harald....the valley going east-west to the west of the AV road (and south of highway) has some road/tracks along the river/water....but appears to be only accessible from a few of the ranchos west of the AV road and those accessed from the highway (west of AV road). There is a power line in there somewhere , too

Looks like a cool valley to explore.....

David K - 3-8-2016 at 03:57 PM

I think the only thing we will go home complaining about is having to go home! haha. we will be carrying MaxTrax and airing down for the soft sand.

That will exactly be what it is!

Great job posting photos here!!!

Sand in Baja can be different than any other... on the beach of the gulf side, a lot of crushed shell or coral makes it much harder to "float" (or easier to sink in)... so don't be surprised if you find that you need to drop the pressure to 10 psi in front and 8 psi in the back tires... if the "typical 15 psi doesn't work on all beach or arroyo sands you try to cross. Naturally you want an accurate dial style tire gauge that reads less than 10 psi.

I have never needed the sand tracks, so as Harald mentioned, leave them at home... If you sink in sand, you haven't let enough air out, that's all. Never spin the tires... as soon as forward progress is halted by deep sand, stop and let out more air! Clear away any built up sand from in front of all four tires so you can roll ahead without having "tire blocks" halting your forward movement and causing tire spin.

I have been impressed with the videos I have seen of Subaru's symmetrical all-wheel drive system, which seems to incorporate traction control/ limited slip, despite there being no low range gearing offered anymore. My three 4WD Subarus were from the 1977-1987 period when they were part-time front to four-wheel drive and on my third Subaru, a low range was added to the system. Even with the small 13" tires, I could take them almost everywhere in Baja I wanted to go!

Deep sand was the primary use for 4WD as it was here in 1978 with my first Subaru, on Shell Island (Km. 26, south of San Felipe)...

I could sure pack a lot of camping gear in and on the Subaru!

snosk8ter - 3-8-2016 at 08:44 PM

The wife and I will be doing almost the same trip at the end of April. We will head north after Punta San Fransquito. My Father is going by there at the beginning of April on a moto he will let me know what is available at PSFO

We went to agua Verde last year, It was a neat place.

4x4abc - 3-9-2016 at 02:09 AM

Quote: Originally posted by motoged

Thanks for the update on the road.....too bad the pavement is already washing out....but not surprised.

Harald....the valley going east-west to the west of the AV road (and south of highway) has some road/tracks along the river/water....but appears to be only accessible from a few of the ranchos west of the AV road and those accessed from the highway (west of AV road). There is a power line in there somewhere , too

Looks like a cool valley to explore.....

well, there is the one valley right next to MEX1 (that one has the power line)and then there is another one parallel about 3 miles to the south

got lost in both of them - never completed either one
time to go back

last time I ended up in a very remote area (Arroyo Santa Gertrudis)
was supposed to pick up my girlfriend at La Paz airport
missed her by a day
Baja is relentless

4x4abc - 3-9-2016 at 02:19 AM

so don't be surprised if you find that you need to drop the pressure to 10 psi in front and 8 psi in the back tires...

as long as all tires carry about the same load - tire pressure should be equal on a 4. Higher pressure in the front will only create unwanted resistance. Resistance translates to stuck.

Only on very steep grades (when the center of gravity changes to the back) you may want 5 psi in the front and 10 psi in the rear. To be immediately corrected when level.

And by the way, tires for off-road should have the smallest wheel possible (15" better than 16") and the tires should be as large as possible. If the gearing would suffer too much (Subaru) get the widest tire possible (225 better than 215).
Why? More volume of air in the tires. More flexibility for airing down.

David K - 3-9-2016 at 09:19 AM

so don't be surprised if you find that you need to drop the pressure to 10 psi in front and 8 psi in the back tires...

When beach running, more weight (from engine, etc.) is over the front tires, so, for the rears to have as much contact area as the deflated front tires, more air is removed from them to correct for the lighter back tire load. If your truck or SUV is heavily packed then that would balance the weight over all four tires better. Anyway, that has always worked well for me and never any issues with the transfer case. Normally, all four are deflated equally to 20, 15, or 10 psi depending on the need. Only if 10 psi doesn't work would I take more out of the backs (as they don't steer so less chance of popping the bead).

ehall - 3-9-2016 at 10:07 AM

so don't be surprised if you find that you need to drop the pressure to 10 psi in front and 8 psi in the back tires...

Funny on my jeep when I am fully loaded for a trip the back is heavier than the front. You can really tell when I air down.

David K - 3-9-2016 at 10:11 AM

Naturally... same for me in a truck. Two full ice chests + the other stuff are heavy!
But, when camp is set up and we want to go shell collecting or checking out the island, the back is empty (other than fuel tank weight).

willardguy - 3-9-2016 at 10:50 AM

I think the only thing we will go home complaining about is having to go home! haha. we will be carrying MaxTrax and airing down for the soft sand.

don't let these blowhards tell you leave the max trax home,they have no idea where you'll be traveling or in what terrain, maybe you'll do more than drive in circles around dirt island!
ask StuckSucks how he feels about max trax.

David K - 3-9-2016 at 04:18 PM

4x4abc wrote books about four wheeling. He speaks the truth and I am just agreeing as I have a lifetime of sand driving experience. If you can't get your rig to float on sand, what happens when you leave the max trax after a couple of feet?
I will guess the OP likes having them and already has a spot on his Outback for them. We just want the guy to know how to go more than 4 feet on sand.

4x4abc - 3-9-2016 at 06:03 PM

here is more on sand and tires:

http://4x4abc.com/jeep101/soft-sand-turn-straight.html
http://4x4abc.com/jeep101/soft-sand-deflate.html
http://4x4abc.com/jeep101/soft-sand.html

ssdaniels - 3-10-2016 at 09:44 AM

Thanks for all the advice on the MaxTrax i think ill pass on them and use the money for something else. 4x4abc those are some good tips you have on those sites.

durrelllrobert - 3-10-2016 at 09:50 AM

here is more on sand and tires:

http://4x4abc.com/jeep101/soft-sand-turn-straight.html
http://4x4abc.com/jeep101/soft-sand-deflate.html
http://4x4abc.com/jeep101/soft-sand.html

Do they have sand in Germany?

David K - 3-10-2016 at 10:29 AM

Thanks for all the advice on the MaxTrax i think ill pass on them and use the money for something else. 4x4abc those are some good tips you have on those sites.

Here is my post on Tacoma World about deflating for sand driving: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/baja-beach-4wd-32-psi-to...

32 PSI the truck was digging in and slightly sideways on the steep beach. Once deflated to 15 PSI, the truck 'floated' on the sand and drove straight. I circled back to take these photos.

On another trip, Art (edm-1) came out to Shell Island to camp with us... only he hadn't deflated enough and almost got swallowed by the rising tide!

Once he let more air out of the tires, he achieved floatation!!!

It's all about air pressure!
You must be willing to let more out!!
Warning... but not too much, and drive straight as possible. 10 psi should be good, but you could go as low as 8 if needed.

ssdaniels - 3-10-2016 at 11:50 AM

Thats a pretty sweet van! One good thing with our subaru is that its pretty light. after hearing all of your advice and experience i know we will be fine, just monitor air pressure and be aware of what we are doing.

4x4abc - 3-10-2016 at 12:11 PM

Quote: Originally posted by durrelllrobert