A succession of Baja Camping Setups

The discussions about roads and capabilities of my current camper got me thinking about the different camp setups I've taken to Baja over the years. My first trip was 1986 with my friend's parents in their Mercedes 300E for Thanksgiving. First "exploration" was with another friend in his Tacoma with a Callen shell going to Abreojos in 1993. He had a recalcitrant girlfriend so we didn't make it past Cuatros. I have no pictures of either of those.

In 1999, I had a Ford Ranger 2wd, and I was going to take it on a quick trip to Cuatros for a three day weekend. My brother was flying in from San Francisco to go with me. The Monday before, it broke down with a blown head gasket. After some searching, I found a new F-150 Work model with 4x4 and a V-6. It was delivered on a Friday night and was across the border at 6 the next morning. That rounded body style was still pretty new, so all the guys at the checkpoints were admiring my new truck.

I camped in an REI dome tent then. I haven't found any pictures yet, so the earliest I have is from 2001 or 2002. By then, I'd started my expansion of camp setups with a trailer I bought for $100 at the motorcycle races at Laguna Seca that summer. I set up my kitchen in there and slept in the dome tent.









[Edited on 10-27-2021 by bajajoaquin]

After that, I bought an F-350 to help haul around the race car we were campaigning at the time. The tent trailer was gone, a victim of the North road into Scorp, so I traveled "light" for a while with just the REI tent. There were some other interim setups that I can't find, but the next big innovation was a big Callen shell. It had 6'6" of headroom and was awesome. I could sleep in it without being blown around like a tent. I did start wanting more kitchen space, though.

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The desire for more kitche space left me flirting with an EZ-up type awning, but that really didn't work well. I got a 12x12 awning (hooray for the 1-ton truck) and had multiple ice chests, a big stove, and astroturf to keep me out of the sand. It made camping for weeks at a time very comfortable. I'm on the right, and my girlfreind (now wife) is next to me.

[Edited on 10-27-2021 by bajajoaquin]



That worked pretty well, but I wasn't at all mobile. Also, we had two daughters, and the pressure for a bathroom was getting pretty strong, so I ditched the Callen and bought a Lance camper with a toilet. It hung off the back a bit, so limited me a bit, but I could get around a lot more than setting up and breaking down the other camp.



This worked really well for several years, but the kids started to grow and were uncomfortable in the extra cab. Also there were only two beds and it meant the three girls slept in the cabover and I slept in the (too short) dinette. When a factory 4x4 Class C came along, we decided to go for it.




I kinda hesitate to include a pic of it since it's not really part of the Baja camping evolution until it goes. But it's going on the 3rd, so I'll risk the bad mojo.

[Edited on 10-27-2021 by bajajoaquin]

Good story on how one progresses with camping comfort or vehicles, over the years!

I haven't changed much, other than to get a tent for my kids or wife's comfort (sleeping on the ground doesn't excite her, with unknown creepy crawlies)!

Here is my progress beginning when I began driving to Baja when I was 16:

1) Foam mattress on the ground or in a vehicle or cot under the stars. 1974-2000. Myers Manx dune buggy, Jeep Cherokee Chief, Subaru 4x4 wagons (3).

2) Dome tents with air mattress, Tacoma 4x4 xtra cab (camping with my kids). 2001-2004

3) Dome tents first, to stand-up-inside Coleman Instant Tent, air mattress, Tacoma 4x4 double cabs (2). 2005-2018

Now in our mid-60s, setting up and talking down the camp, air mattress, tent, loading ice chests and gear in the truck... well, it isn't as easy and my wife may not enjoy that part (even though I do most of the work)... What's next for us? Motels or rental homes? They don't exist on Shell Island! However, they are a short drive away... but I will miss waking up to see the sun rise above the sea or the stars and satellites at night. It has been a blast camping in Baja all my life. I hate to think it will come to an end.



























[Edited on 10-27-2021 by David K]

Quote: Originally posted by David K

Now in our mid-60s, setting up and talking down the camp, air mattress, tent, loading ice chests and gear in the truck... well, it isn't as easy and my wife may not enjoy that part (even though I do most of the work)... What's next for us? Motels or rental homes? They don't exist on Shell Island! However, they are a short drive away... but I will miss waking up to see the sun rise above the sea or the stars and satellites at night. It has been a blast camping in Baja all my life. I hate to think it will come to an end.

Quote: Originally posted by David K

Goat, can you share? This is a photo & story thread of camper upgrades, not an attack DK moment. Where are you photos of your camp vehicles?

Quote: Originally posted by BajaGringo

Quote: Originally posted by David K   Goat, can you share? This is a photo & story thread of camper upgrades, not an attack DK moment. Where are you photos of your camp vehicles? I do agree that it was a bit off-topic and Goat often gives you a hard time but he did respond to something you commented on. Nor was his post attacking you or mean spirited. He gave you what I believe to be a kindly worded bit of advice that is actually quite valid for all of us getting up in years if we really do want to keep active with activities like hiking, swimming, kayaking and yes - camping as we continue to age. This year I made it a personal challenge and I have shed 30 pounds so far. Would still like to lose at least 20 more and believe that will help me be physically able to continue doing all the activities I love for many more years to come, God willing. As far as my Baja camping setups, my old photos are on a PC at the shop getting a new power supply but I can share that they have evolved from sleeping in open air between two blankets on the beach north of Erendira as a young kid in the 60's and 70's, to tent camping allover in the late 80's, sleeping in the back of my Bronco with the tailgate open in the 90's to RVing around 2000. Have lived down here full time ever since and it's been a mixture of hotels, vacation rentals and yes - still tent camp from time to time and hope to do more of that. And losing weight / getting fit will make the experience even more enjoyable. Peace amigo... [Edited on 10-27-2021 by BajaGringo]

Quote: Originally posted by David K

Goat, can you share? This is a photo & story thread of camper upgrades, not an attack DK moment. Where are you photos of your camp vehicles?

I started in 1985 with a Chevy Nova and a dome tent
replaced the Nova with a 300GD
kept the dome for a couple of years

for me, less is more - so i ditched the tent around 1990
since then I have my bed on the ground
replaced the 300GD with a G500
same truck for 35 years - now with a nicer engine

never liked the big fishes either
less is more

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

Quote: Originally posted by David K   Now in our mid-60s, setting up and talking down the camp, air mattress, tent, loading ice chests and gear in the truck... well, it isn't as easy and my wife may not enjoy that part (even though I do most of the work)... What's next for us? Motels or rental homes? They don't exist on Shell Island! However, they are a short drive away... but I will miss waking up to see the sun rise above the sea or the stars and satellites at night. It has been a blast camping in Baja all my life. I hate to think it will come to an end. Get fit, drop some weight, do regular exercise,… you can be fit into your 80s. Use it or lose it! Here is a challenge for you, do 50 burpees a day, walk 5 miles per day. You can start slow, a few burpees per day, and work up. Or if feeling poorly, do burpees every other day. As we age, exercise becomes more important. If you stop exercising, the body deteriorates.

Forgot my photos

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

Quote: Originally posted by David K   Goat, can you share? This is a photo & story thread of camper upgrades, not an attack DK moment. Where are you photos of your camp vehicles? Dk, For car camping, I do it like I have for decades (since dawn of time): tent, pad, sleeping bag, propane stove, food, whiskey and wine (generally no beer). If no wussies on trip and no rain/wind, just pad and sleeping bag on the ground. Vehicle is whatever is I have,… has been Toyota Corolla wagon, vanagon, Dodge Dart, gmc travelall, series iii Land Rover, saab 95 wagon, Isuzu trooper, Saab 900, jeep cherokee xj, 4runner, f150, Subaru Outback, Honda odyssey. But Vehicle really does not matter, limited camping gear kit fits in any car. Focus on vehicle or kit is ridiculous. It all works. If you need a 3/4 ton pickup and trailer, it is not camping, it is you being controlled by gadgets and stuff. Focus should really be on quality food and alcohol. [Edited on 10-27-2021 by mtgoat666]

2004


2010


2016


2017


[Edited on 10-28-2021 by edm1]

Wow, four 4WD motorhomes!

The top photo was taken in May 2010 as you were coming down the Widowmaker, a mile before reaching Mission Santa María.
It amazed all of us... When we all met you at Rancho Santa Ynez, before the start of the run, we agreed you would not make it... and not only did you make it, but you pulled Neal Johns' broken camper truck UP the Widowmaker as it blew his custom differential the following day as we were leaving.









That was a LONG night!


In July 2011, we met your wife at Shell Island when you arrived in the #2, giant 4x4 motorhome...

I use the back seat area of my 2016 F-150 as a bed space.
I found a way to disconnect the rear door opening limiter.
I created a plywood extender that sticks out the side door about 18".
with seats up, full size single mattress now fits.
I put a big cargo net and tarps held in place with bungee cords over the whole truck cab.
Leaves me a nice soft interior space completely out of the weather, wind and noise.
AC power from the onboard inverter runs my laptop for night movies and a fan. I got a small gen set for my space heaters too.
Truck bed is now my kitchen.
It all goes inside a truck bed dome tent with heater when weather is an issue.
Suggest a wide mouth bottle too, I'm not young anymore

Quote: Originally posted by edm1

2010 [Edited on 10-28-2021 by edm1]

I love this thread. So many good photos of camping evolution! My wife and I often talk about what our perfect Baja settup would be, although we haven't made many changes over the past 10 years of going. Have seen some fancy overlanding rigs on the highway, but usually a lot more grassroots style rigs/settups the further we go from town. We first started with a '99 Prerunner, 2WD, but diff lock, which taught us a lot about what you could get away with not having 4wd. Also had classic 2 person REI tent, and a Cabella's camp kitchen. First trip down we were bouncing off the rear bump stops the whole way.

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More than a couple times we crawled into that tent at the end of a windy day to lay down in sleeping bags completely covered with sand. Then on a trip down with our friends, we realized we needed a new tent. The morning this photo below was taken, we didn't even make breakfast because we couldn't keep the sand out of our coffee.

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Our friends next to us had a Kodiak Canvas tent, and they were inside making their kids French toast. It was at that point we realized we needed to change our tent game up, and got one of those for the following year:

[img][/img]

We also started cutting back on some of the bigger things, like ditching the camp kitchen, and not packing the Dutch oven anymore, as well as a few other items we felt we could do without (ditched the bikes also). Then a couple years ago my neighbor was getting rid of his first gen Tundra with 4wd, and made me a great deal on it. Spent some extra cash on some suspension, put solar panels on top, ditched the back seat and installed a fridge (ditched the two ice chests), and running more lean these days:

[img][/img]

We still actually take both tents and use the REI one for quick one nighters like in San Ignacio on our way south, but that Kodiak has paid dividends in wind and storms in the past 5 years. Worth it if you're camping in one spot for more than a few days. Seems like we have a fairly luxurious (for our standard anyway) settup for spending 3 weeks in Baja at a time. Having 4wd has come in handy, even though we need it for only a small fraction of the time, and not having to leave camp to buy ice spoils us.

I love to cook as well
always carry lotsa pots and pans

use whatever "kitchen" I find
I cook on the ground on coals
done that for groups up to ten for 30 years
KISS

coffee?

same thing
I cook on the big campfire

I love my old 95 Bigfoot camper. I can get pretty much any where I want to go if the road is wide enough for me to fit.

It is now officially a Baja Camping Setup.

Quote: Originally posted by bajajoaquin

It is now officially a Baja Camping Setup.

It looks like maybe here at Punta Diablo (by El Cardón)?

Before I got my 4x4 van, I did my first Baja trips in my old Jeep Grand Cherokee (still have that car). I did the tent thing for a while, and eventually learned I could sleep in the back if I removed the rear seat.