Whale-ista
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Location: San Diego
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Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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What's your favorite ORV/comfortable camping vehicles?
I'm always on the lookout for good, reliable, comfortable OR vehicles that can be used to explore and camp in Baja's remote areas. Recent travel posts
have shown a lot of Jeeps, Toyotas, etc., but I'm thinking of something more self-contained, RV style, yet ready for offroad travel, like these
interesting vehicles from Germany:
http://www.tourfactory.de/home.html
(notice the BFG All-Terrains in some of the photo albums of treks in various parts of the world))
These look great! But I suspect they are a bit out of my budget for importing, not to mention it might not be legal to import them into the US.
So- What ORV/RV hybrids have you seen others use, or do you use, for camping/exploring around the Baja peninsula when you want to be adventurous, but
also a a bit more comfortable than a tent or simple truck camper shell?
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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willardguy
Elite Nomad
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im not sure of its off road capabilities though! 
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TMW
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Location: Bakersfield, CA
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It depends on where you want to go. The main roads can take anything you want. Many dirt roads can't. If you want to go anywhere you'll need something
smaller than an RV, large van or crewcab. Not to say they can't make most places but the driver need to be experienced with the rig. How many rigs can
go over the summit, the pole line road, or the no wimps trail. I would not take my GMC Z71 extended cab on any of those trails. My Tacoma 4x4 extended
cab has been on all of them.
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willardguy
Elite Nomad
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have david (or edm1) bust out some photos of his 4wd motorhome. AMAZING where he puts that thing!
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MMc
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A short short bed full sized pick up truck with a 4X4 and a pop up is the very popular right now. It might be a little big but if you don't mind a
Desert pinstripe or a spontaneous body mode they are good. I have heard that the Toyota Tundras mileage drops with a pop up. The new American 1/2
tons will probably do the same. My dodge never got good mileage but it gets me home. I think there are tacos with a pop-up on this board.
Disclaimer, I camp with a awning, a tent and love to live outside not in a camper.
"Never teach a pig to sing it frustrates you and annoys the pig" - W.C.Fields
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MMc
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Registered: 6-29-2011
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Here's one. Ask him how he likes his rig.
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=56999
"Never teach a pig to sing it frustrates you and annoys the pig" - W.C.Fields
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msteve1014
Senior Nomad
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A short bed pop up is pretty small, even worse is a one for a small or mid size pick up. My F-350, long bed, crew cab and pop up, is too long, too
wide , too heavy to go lots of places. You need to think about the trade offs. And bring a shovel..
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MMc
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I see a lot of them all over Baja. All of life is a trade off.
If your down for a week, out to not so bad, a month or more not so fun.
"Never teach a pig to sing it frustrates you and annoys the pig" - W.C.Fields
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
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perfect rig? MINE!!!
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acadist
Super Nomad
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Location: Spanaway,WA
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Mood: Waiting for the Sun
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Woody got it.......whatever one I am driving at the time. Currently it is a '94 Bronco
Dave
I moved to CO and they made me buy a little rod to make it feel like a real fish
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Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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thank you for the comments/photos/links to related posts.
(Wow- hope my front end never pops the way that toyota did!)
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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tripledigitken
Ultra Nomad
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For a dream machine... check out " Earth Roamer" from CO.
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acadist
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| Quote: | Originally posted by tripledigitken
For a dream machine... check out " Earth Roamer" from CO. |
Awesome ride for a few $$$, I am one of their vendors and they are well built
Dave
I moved to CO and they made me buy a little rod to make it feel like a real fish
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geoffff
Senior Nomad
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I went for Sportsmobile. 4x4 RV that's small enough to get around on backcountry trails. Unlike a truck camper, the front driving area doubles as living
space while camping.
-- Geoff
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David K
Honored Nomad
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Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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EDM 1 Art's incredible 4WD RV with front and back lockers!
This was THE Baja motorhome of 2010!
Mission Santa Maria's grades bogs and rocks or Shell Island's bottomless sand could NOT stop it!
It wasn't big enough for all the comforts of home, so to make things nicer for his wife, Art went with a bigger 4WD motorhome:
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Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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Love the examples. I like the Sportsmobiles. Have seen several in Baja. Reminds me of my old 71 Westie camper on steroids.
Last whale trip, in March, I met the owner of a diesel 4x4 ambulance, fueling up at Cactus Pemex. He had just returned from San Juanico and loved all
the storage space, rugged chassis, headroom etc. Hadn't done much to convert it to an RV yet- just room to sleep, carry bikes and
surfing/diving/fishing gear.
Here's a good "mix and match" website:
http://www.wiltshire.eu.com/demountables/index.html
Makes me think: If I could find a salvaged Chinook-style small, light, fiberglass RV shell, with a blown engine or damaged chassis, and remove and
mount it on a deisel 4X4 van frame... I'd be getting close to what I'm envisioning!
Or I could splurge on this for $45K:
From http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/rvd/4448773875.html
[Edited on 5-5-2014 by Whale-ista]
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
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Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Skamper
Here ya go......just find the diesel rig to put under it
http://www.scamptrailers.com/showroom/16-standard-trailers.h...
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vgabndo
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3461
Registered: 12-8-2003
Location: Mt. Shasta, CA
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Mood: Checking-off my bucket list.
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Best thing about a Scamper is you can paint them like a watermelon!
Undoubtedly, there are people who cannot afford to give the anchor of sanity even the slightest tug. Sam Harris
"The situation is far too dire for pessimism."
Bill Kauth
Carl Sagan said, "We are a way for the cosmos to know itself."
PEACE, LOVE AND FISH TACOS
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Mood: Optimistic
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BAJA CAMPER STYLES WE’VE USED OVER THE YEARS
| Quote: | Originally posted by Whale-ista
I'm always on the lookout for good, reliable, comfortable OR vehicles that can be used to explore and camp in Baja's remote areas.
.....
So- What ORV/RV hybrids have you seen others use, or do you use, for camping/exploring around the Baja peninsula when you want to be adventurous, but
also a a bit more comfortable than a tent or simple truck camper shell? |
Love this thread… Baja… adventure camping…devising ways to do it comfortably …all right up my alley. For me, there are no rules cut in stone for
camping in Baja. It’s always been a place for adventurers and there are as many styles of OR vehicles as there are imaginations. If you can dream
it, you can do it. If you want to do something, don't sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy. Like the saying goes: ‘I'd rather attempt
to do something and fail,….than to attempt to do nothing and succeed.’
Now, I say Amen on being comfortable whenever you can. I’ve done all the canoe, tent, and backpack camping when I was a whole lot
younger. Plus I’ve seen a whole lot of Baja’s outback, but as I get older, reality rules my world. Since I travel a lot, it's always great to feel
like you're at home. There's nothing like getting to raid my own refrigerator at two in the morning.
I’ve always tended to avoid the normal and accepted methods of Off Road travel. Trust that little voice in your head that says 'Wouldn't it be
interesting if...'; And then do it. Adventure should be 80 percent 'I think this is manageable,' but it's good to have that last 20 percent where
you're right outside your comfort zone. Still safe, but outside your comfort zone.
We always begin a Baja camping trip with this thought..."This is the beginning of a great adventure."
I’m familiar with and done the tent, van, pickup with shell, pickup with overhead camper, 4X4’s, etc…all of which were great experience-builders for
getting more… ‘COMFORTABLE’. You’d be amazed at what roads you can travel in non-conventional OR camping rigs.…if you just pay attention to weather,
clearances, overhang, footing, etc… AND what your rig is actually capable of doing. Or course, It helps if ‘you’ have control of your vehicle and not
the other way around. 
Then too…Travel for me becomes a strategy for accumulating photographs, which will explain the following:
An early Baja camper. A 25ft Minnie Winnie by Winnebago….it’s been where a goat couldn’t go. Plus, it’s got way more amenities than a goat!
…and hopefully nothing falls out of the overhead cabinet while you’re sitting on the John, and Co-pilot is driving. Man, did that smart!
Off-the-beaten-path camping places we’ve been in our ‘comfy’ rigs.
White tanks near Erindera, Agua Verde, El Tomatal, Catavina rock fields, San Nicolas, Scorpion Bay, and a dozen other remote places.
Overhead view of Agua Verde campsites…1985. On the old ‘unimproved’ canyon trail.
San Sabastian Cove
West of El Rosario/Catavina…in the boondocks.
Southwind 36’ motorhome….pick your paths and you can do it. Here we are on a rocky beach in Asuncion, blocking shari & Juan’s view…or maybe
giving them one!
Baja by plane…one of the best ways to see remote parts of Baja.
Defining your flight to Baja’s outbacks….You define a good flight by negatives: you didn't get hijacked, you didn't crash, you didn't throw up, you
weren't late, you weren't nauseated by the food. So you are grateful.
Co-pilot quote: Airplane travel is nature's way of making you look like your passport photo. Plus this gem…Airline travel is sometimes hours of
boredom interrupted by moments of stark terror.
(We once narrowly avoided a mid-air with a breaching grey whale. I told her we had just missed our chance at making history….)
In an airplane there are no signposts in the sky to show a man has passed that way before. There are no off-road trails marked…no tire tracks to
follow. The flier breaks each second into new unchartered places.
A Cessna 180 taildragger with tundra tires is perfect for camping at remote Baja beaches …or wherever you can find reasonably flat
stretches. The landing strip doesn’t need to be so long…just really, really WIDE!
One great thing about a 180...if you can get it all in, you can fly with it.
Got an old farm truck?…..Well, with just a little improvising you’ve got an ideal Baja camper. Note the over-the-cab queen bed for those moonlit
nights in the Baja outback. You two with the coyotes serenading. You can’t buy that at any hotel.
Infuse your life with action. Don't wait for it to happen. Make it happen. Make your own future. Make your own hope. Make your own love…and do it
in Baja!
[Edited on 5-5-2014 by Pompano]
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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thanks pompano! Great examples and interesting locations.
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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