Traveling to Mexico with an LR4

[AA Journey]

Hi, 

 

As you probably read on Enrique's post, I am planning a month long trip to Mexico and will be driving the LR4.  I plan to travel all the way south to the border of Guatemala.  On my way south I will travel through the Pacific coast and I on my way back through the Golf of Mexico.  

 

I am trying to come up with a list of spare parts or things I should  check on the car before embarking on this trip.  Should I take spare air bags, belts, etc

 

The car currently has around 84K miles and trying to thing what parts need to be replace around this milage.  I will have fresh oil and air filters replace before leaving, I will also take extra oil as I may need to replace the oil while over there.  I plan to drive around 8 to 10K miles on this trip. 

 

Any suggestions or feedback will be appreciated.  

 

Thanks in advance..

 

AA

 

[Teds]

Have copies of all your documents, passport, car title and letter from your bank if not owned by you. Get a travel visa at the border, mexican insurance.

 

Get a computer (GAP/IID tool) to bring with you. No one down there will be able to clear codes and a computer glitch will disable you.

 

Fullsize spare a must and good all-terrain tires.

 

Are you running oversized tires? rods?

 

On the LR3, plastic cooling components started breaking down on our at 100k miles. We had to replace coolant bleeder valve and thermostat housing and another plastic Y piece. All broke or were leaking withing 10k of each other.

 

Spare airspring might be nice if you have space.

 

All regular emergency gear, (JB weld, tape, coolant, oil, tools, etc), recovery gear, kinetic strap, test winch before you go...

[alpaca]

How new is battery ? Spare alternator maybe ... mine failed before 100k on rrs .....and what about front wheel bearing - at least 1 .

[Teds]

if you change the oil before you go, you'll be fine for 10k miles assuming its synthetic. I wouldn't lug a case of oil down, just a few quarts for emergency. I wouldn't want to change the oil myself in the dirt and I sure wouldn't trust any 'mechanics' down there to change it!

[Jethro]

There are really good Rover dealerships there too and can handle major fails. They are not numerous thow...so make a note of them as you plan.

 

Have you connected with any of the Rover clubs in Mexico? I'd recommend hitting them up on Facebook... could really be e big help should something arrise

 

 

 

 

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[AA Journey]

Hi, 

 

Thanks for the feedback, 

 

Yes, a new battery is in order and do have a GAP tool.  I do have a full spare but not in good condition, so I will get a new one matching my current tires. 

 

Now the dilemma is the camping arrangement.  I normally travel light and sleep inside the LR4 and thinking in doing the same on this trip.  I normally load most of my gear up in the rack and leave the inside clear.  But I go back and forth and think about getting a RTT or get OZ tent, I can't decide what will be the best solution.   What a dilemma.  

[lithium1330]

Trouble with RTT is that the climbing up & down at night, while half a sleep and needing to get down quickly. 

Of course, I have no personal experience with that... just stories of people falling out of their RTT.  

OZ tent is quick & easy to setup & take down.. though, can be bulky to move by yourself. 

But if weather is decent and trip requires me to move to new location each day...I'd pack my backpack tent. It's light, relatively quick to setup & take down (slightly longer than OZ tent). 

 

If weather is cold and rainy, I don't mind sleeping in the comfort of the truck. My wife & I slept in her LR2 last year when rain was just pouring overnight on Mojave trek. We staying dry and warm into next morning, it was really nice. 

[DHappel]

I debated between RTT and OzTent, and I went OzTent for a couple reasons.  One, not a fan of climbing up/down.  Two, I like standing height for getting dressed/undressed.  Three, if we're based camped we can just leave it set up while we go on day runs.  We almost never just park the truck and stay in camp, so we don't have to break down the tent.  Four, I didn't want the gas mileage hit of a tent on the rack and I didn't want to risk damaging it on tougher/tighter trails.  As a related bonus, you still have your roof rack to stash gear on.

 

The biggest advantages of an RTT to me are not having to find a flat spot clear of sticks/rocks/etc to set up a tent and the fact that all the bedding stays in-place.  The actual set-up of my OzTent is pretty quick, but I still have to get it off the truck and find a place to put it.  That makes it a little faster to set up a RTT.  But then I have to set up my cots and bedding, where the RTT doesn't.  That's where the real time advantage is.  On tear-down it's the same advantage with no bedding to worry about, though the covers seem to give people a challenge when they get dirty/dusty from being on the road.

 

When I'm traveling alone I too sleep in my LR3.  I'm pretty happy with that other than not having much privacy (you could make window screens I guess if you're going to be around crowds) and the lack of standing room I get in the tent.  But it's far easier and there's plenty of room if you're under 6'.

 

I will say if you're getting an OzTent, just get the big RV5 and be done with it.  A few more inches and a few more pounds when storing it won't matter when you get that big anyway, so might as well go king-size!

[Elherbinator]

I personally never got the appeal of the RTT. It seems like you sacrifice a lot of money, vehicle storage, and off-road capability in order to save a small amount of time and effort in set up. I still use the same 4 season convertible backpacking tent I bought 20 years ago at REI for a few hundred bucks. Nice and small to keep you warm, quick and easy set up, holds up to weather and wind extremely well and is like half the size of a sleeping bag.

 

 

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[AA Journey]

Hi, 

 

All those are going points and that is the reason I have the dilemma.  I did own a RTT in the past and have mix feeling about it.  It does take a while to set up as well.  I am leaning more about the current setup I have.  Sleep inside the car and put the gear on top of the roof rack.  One thing I plan to bring is a hammock and a regular tent in case there is a good spot by the beach where I can setup it up.

 

This trip is going to be mainly to explore small towns and beaches.  I do not plan to do lots of 4wheeling however the roads in Mexico can be rough in some areas. 

 

Yes, contacting some LR clubs in Mexico would be great but I am not very social.   Also, I like to have flexibility on my trips and plan as I go. I don't have to rush to get from one place to another.  I have general idea of places and things I want to see.  

[AdvRovr]

That sounds like an incredible trip!! I'd love to do something like that in the future. I think Ted pretty much nailed it. A few thoughts - 

 

I would scan and clear codes now, BEFORE the trip to clear all your codes now and drive around for a couple weeks. Make note of all the codes now and see if any of the same come back before the trip. Check your pending codes to see if anything pops up that might be on the verge of failing but hasn't failed yet. 

 

I would take spare belts and hoses and cooling parts, and if you think you might do any water crossings definitely bring a spare alternator. Tire repair kit obviously a must among the rest of your standard tool kit.

 

Take several copies of your documents and stash them in different places. I had our "main" set in the glovebox, along with one in the luggage, one in the loadspace storage area under the floor, and one under the 2nd row seat bottom cushions. Also had spare set of pesos in each. Probably overkill but it gave me peace of mind that I'd have spare cash and spare documents even if someone rifled through the car.

[DHappel]

That sounds like an incredible trip!! I'd love to do something like that in the future. I think Ted pretty much nailed it. A few thoughts - 

 

I would scan and clear codes now, BEFORE the trip to clear all your codes now and drive around for a couple weeks. Make note of all the codes now and see if any of the same come back before the trip. Check your pending codes to see if anything pops up that might be on the verge of failing but hasn't failed yet. 

 

I would take spare belts and hoses and cooling parts, and if you think you might do any water crossings definitely bring a spare alternator. Tire repair kit obviously a must among the rest of your standard tool kit.

 

Take several copies of your documents and stash them in different places. I had our "main" set in the glovebox, along with one in the luggage, one in the loadspace storage area under the floor, and one under the 2nd row seat bottom cushions. Also had spare set of pesos in each. Probably overkill but it gave me peace of mind that I'd have spare cash and spare documents even if someone rifled through the car.

I can't help but picture somebody from outside the US posting the same question about traveling here.  I wonder if they go to the same measures with stashing documents, worry about spares, etc as we do when we travel south.  

 

Given our border controls, I wouldn't blame somebody for stashing extra documents!

[GraemeWare]

 

Take several copies of your documents and stash them in different places. I had our "main" set in the glovebox, along with one in the luggage, one in the loadspace storage area under the floor, and one under the 2nd row seat bottom cushions.

 

Chad,

 

Did you take your lucky rabbit's foot too?

 

Graeme

[AA Journey]

Yes, I always scan my documents and save them in the cloud this way I can access them from anywhere with internet access. 

 

I been running the GAP tool everyday and I have not seen any codes pop up.  I will be getting spare belts just in case and some coolant hoses. 

 

I am considering in getting a Spot device or a Delomare in Reach.  Have you guys used any of these devices and what is your experience? 

 

Thanks

[DHappel]

I believe Chris Solis runs a Spot and has had good luck with it.  TedS may have one too(?).

 

Seems like a pretty solid service for the price, though I don't know how well they work in MX.  I'd want to look into that before committing.

[AdvRovr]

 

 

I can't help but picture somebody from outside the US posting the same question about traveling here. I wonder if they go to the same measures with stashing documents, worry about spares, etc as we do when we travel south.

 

Given our border controls, I wouldn't blame somebody for stashing extra documents!

Some likely do. Fact is, crime happens everywhere and being in another country without your identity documents is not a good situation. Hell, we took a copy (although not multiple) on a trip just over to Canadia.

 

Chad,

 

Did you take your lucky rabbit's foot too?

 

Graeme

No....I think that's why I was backed into while there.

 

To bring it back to the point, having to drive across the city while trying to follow a police officer who had all my papers REALLY made me happy I had copies.

 

Yes, I always scan my documents and save them in the cloud this way I can access them from anywhere with internet access.

 

I been running the GAP tool everyday and I have not seen any codes pop up. I will be getting spare belts just in case and some coolant hoses.

 

I am considering in getting a Spot device or a Delomare in Reach. Have you guys used any of these devices and what is your experience?

 

Thanks

I have a SPOT. Generally pretty good but the Globalstar network is not exactly top notch (although it's been improving). The biggest drawback is that it's a transmitter only, and you have no idea if your messages were successfully sent. The Delorme is two way and you can customize the messages. I often think I should've got it instead.

 

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[Elherbinator]

Some likely do. Fact is, crime happens everywhere and being in another country without your identity documents is not a good situation. Hell, we took a copy (although not multiple) on a trip just over to Canadia.

 

 

No....I think that's why I was backed into while there.

 

To bring it back to the point, having to drive across the city while trying to follow a police officer who had all my papers REALLY made me happy I had copies.

 

 

I have a SPOT. Generally pretty good but the Globalstar network is not exactly top notch (although it's been improving). The biggest drawback is that it's a transmitter only, and you have no idea if your messages were successfully sent. The Delorme is two way and you can customize the messages. I often think I should've got it instead.

 

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The ones that you can text require a monthly service plan that is usually around $25 per month combined with a larger initial cost. Renting a satellite phone maybe end up being a lot cheaper depending on how often you plan on needing it. I was involved in a helicopter rescue last month in Death Valley. We had a transponder that could send and receive text messages. It was nice to get actual updates and send information to the dispatcher. It took about 4 hours to get the helicopter, so having confirmation that they were actually coming was important, otherwise we might have look into alternatives since the sun was going down. I still think the $150 for the spot combined with yearly air ambulance insurance is the best way to go most people, including myself. The cost of a helicopter can be 10-20k, unless the CHP helicopter gets you, then it’s free.

 

 

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[AdvRovr]

The Delorme is only 150/yr subscription including 10 messages per month for the basic plan. That used to be expensive, but Spot has raised their prices to now be a min of 165/yr. I was pretty peeved at Spot when they raised the price.

 

The two benefits to Spot are free basic tracking (meh) and the SAR insurance (another extra fee, but well worth it). Not sure if Delorme also offers SAR insurance but that is a great thing from Spot.

 

The Delorme is $100 more to buy up front, but I think it's a better product and definitely has a better sat network behind it. 20/20 hindsight.

 

 

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[Elherbinator]

The Delorme is only 150/yr subscription including 10 messages per month for the basic plan. That used to be expensive, but Spot has raised their prices to now be a min of 165/yr. I was pretty peeved at Spot when they raised the price.

 

The two benefits to Spot are free basic tracking (meh) and the SAR insurance (another extra fee, but well worth it). Not sure if Delorme also offers SAR insurance but that is a great thing from Spot.

 

The Delorme is $100 more to buy up front, but I think it's a better product and definitely has a better sat network behind it. 20/20 hindsight.

 

 

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the Delorme is what we used a couple weeks ago. Borrowed it from a Dual Sport guy out there. It’s a nice device. Worked well and the texting feature is nice. Other devices can hook up to a phone via Bluetooth, but it was easy enough to just use the Delorme. That’s not too bad a plan for $150/year, but still sucks to pay a monthly for something like that. Maybe they will come out with a lifetime subscription for a device for a few hundred in the future.

 

 

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[psykokid]

Antonio - I had a spot for backpacking trips. It worked well for what it was. I never really had any problem with the canned messages sending and getting out, although it would drop tracking points from time to time.

 

I picked up a Delorme Inreach Explorer for really cheap after the new Garmin units came out a year or so ago. Found someone selling one on a forum for 150 shipped for the device. The ability for two way communication with the Inreach is great for my wife as she's a bit of a worrier. I have the second set up plan where you get 40 messages a month and unlimited tracks. I have a few canned preset messages set up on the device and you don't get dinged on your message count for those. Makes my wife more at ease when she can reach me when I'm out in the sticks. Tracking seems to be about on par with the spot, every now and then it will drop some tracking points, but for the most part it's pretty on point.

 

That being said - If you are looking to pick up a spot I'll sell you my Gen 3. It works great if you don't need two way communications, and just want to be able to check in or send an SOS to someone if the poo hits the fan. It currently has service until the end of the year since I forgot to cancel the service before it auto renewed at the first of the year.

[AA Journey]

Based on your feedback and some researched I did about these two devices.  I am going to go with the Delorme Inreach Explorer. Since a new model of the Inreach explorer just came out. I could get the older version for about 200.  Also, the Delorme offers the SAR insurance which I plan to get.  

 

Thanks

AA

[AA Journey]

Hi all, 

 

If you were wondering if I made this trip and made it back safe.  Yes and Yes.  This was a trip of a life time.  I had no major incidents and the car worked  flawlessly other than a minor coolant leak it developed but not bad enough to stop the trip.  I got that fixed here in the states by Colin.  

 

I will be posting the pictures by section.  Here are some of the pictures I took while  traveling through Baja. 

 

https://antonioanguiano.smugmug.com/Hobbies/2018-Mexico-Trip-Baja-CA

 

 

If you have questions about this trip let me know. 

 

AA

[LandRonB]

Hola AA, great photos and looks like an amazing trip!

 

I got as far as Loreto.  I recognize the mermaid and dolphin statue in your photo.

 

Where was this beach located? 

 

And how was the experience checking in your vehicle on the ferry, cost and how long did the ferry take from Cabo to Guatemala?

 

I am loooking forward to hearing more about your trip!

[AA Journey]

Hi Ron, 

Long time no see, what you been up to? 

Hola AA, great photos and looks like an amazing trip!

 

I got as far as Loreto.  I recognize the mermaid and dolphin statue in your photo.  The picture of the mermaid and dolphin was taken in La Paz Mex. 

 

Where was this beach located? I took a boat  tour in La Paz to the Island of the Spiritud Santo "Holy Spirit" where I got to do some snorkeling . You can only get to this beach by boat as their is a large reserve to protect wild life in this islands.  Part of the tour, they provided lunch and while they were setting things up at the beach, I went for a swim. :-)  I highly recommend this tour. 

 

And how was the experience checking in your vehicle on the ferry, cost and how long did the ferry take from Cabo to Guatemala? â€‹The ferry boarding experience was very straight forward as longest you have all the proper documents. They only run certain days of the week so you need to either make a reservation online or drive to their office in La Paz.  I took the ferry from La Paz to Mazatlan Mex.  It cost me around 200 dollars.  The ferry leaves at 8 PM from La Paz and you arrive at 9 am in Mazatlan. Is an 11 hour ferry ride but the ship is big and comfortable.  You get a free dinner and a breakfast.  Also live music. :-) 

 

I am loooking forward to hearing more about your trip!

 

 

[Mr.BlueSky]

AA looks like you had an excellent trip! Those beaches look like somewhere I could put my feet up for weeks!