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6000 miles in an MJ


GonzoTheGreat
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Ok. It's been a busy week. I've got a few updates.

 

First off, the title of this thread is way off. I've clocked over 7k miles since Massachusetts, and I'm still only in Oaxaca.

 

Second, some progress: We've taken the MX200 all the way from Puerto Vallarta to Oaxaca, and if anyone here plans to travel to southern Mexico, you've gotta drive this route. It's amazing. There are alpine mountains one minute, then palm trees and beaches the next, with a lot of jungle between. There are tons of little pueblos with all kinds of trinkets and fresh fruit for sale, then absolutely nothing but nature for miles. The coastline here is pristine and largely untouched by society.

 

Calamity also struck finally. I've been getting nervous that there were no major disasters with the truck, so I feel a lot better now that something broke.

 

I was going down one of said mountains, and the brake pedal got real soft. I never wished more that I had a stick shift, but the AW4 low gears worked great, and whatever that weird magic is that happens in the brake proportioning valve worked. I had blown the hardline on the rear passenger side. The fluid didn't drain all the way out, and I didn't totally lose braking, so I limped a half mile to a gas station to investigate.

 

The line had cracked and separated at the fitting on the wheel cylinder. Flare stayed in, line snapped off.

 

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How could this happen to brand new lines? Well... :peep: The guy who installed them left the entire hardline completely unsupported, and proceeded to drive several thousand miles on rough roads and cobblestone. Bad vibrations. The beach boys would not approve.

 

There was a parts store across the street by some incredible good fortune, though I cried a little when the guy said he could only sell me a compression fitting and some preflared line, and did not have a flare tool.

 

I do not like compression fittings. They are not DOT approved, they are not capable of withstanding the maximum pressure created in hydraulic brake systems during panic-brake situations. However, I didn't want to stay at that gas station forever, so it is what it is. :mad:

 

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Later, down the coast, we camped at this crazy Canadian dude's pizza shop on the beach. And while all of that sounded cool enough, when he let us into the back yard, I see a CJ-8! It's a work in progress. Someone had swapped in a forklift engine and tranny. He's sourcing parts to put back a 258, or maybe a cummins 4 cylinder.

 

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I also had to stop when I finally saw another Comanche. It's in rough shape, but the owner still uses it to haul water. And yes, I got the VIN, and put it in the registry. :))

 

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There was also this laundromat I couldn't use, for obvious reasons :D

 

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And finally, a pic of the MJ under the palms, because it looks damn good here.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Ok, once again, I'm a bit past-due for an update, so here goes. We finished up Mexico with a couple days in Oaxaca (super cool city, definitely worth a trip). Met some "overlander" types. I highly recommend the iOverlander app to anyone who plans to travel like this. You can guess from the pic who had the easiest time driving through the tourist districts and parking in garages. :laugh: I have had no regrets about driving a 35 year old mini-truck on this trip.

 

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outside of Oaxaca we saw some pre-hispanic ruins

 

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I also drove some of the most exhilarating roads of my life. The mountains around Oaxaca are extreme. The grades are extreme, the temperature is extreme (max temp was 107F on the little thermometer I keep under the glovebox INSIDE the cab), the drivers are extreme, the road construction is extreme. Granted, I typically opt for the road less travelled, but one of these windy roads was completely torn apart for repaving, so it was brand-new asphalt, and smooth sailing one minute, then one-lane dirt construction site, with an unguarded cliff on one side, and not a single sign anywhere, just piles of rocks in the right lane, to let you know the lane ends.

 

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All was well, except another alternator altercation.

 

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The front case bearing gave up the ghost, probably in part from the blistering heat, but mostly because I bought the cheapest one on rockauto. :doh: Thanks "BBB Industries" :grrrrrr: This one is 100amps to keep up with my silly accessories, but I still had the old 60amp as a spare, so that got us into town, where I found a local guy who could source a new bearing, so we're back in action with 100amps.

 

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That was it for Mexico, and honestly, I grew up hearing a lot of negative stereotypes about this country, but I didn't find any of them to be true. I had a great time. I never once felt unsafe. The people are great. The countryside is beautiful. I'm excited for the eventual return trip!

 

A few days ago, we crossed into Guatemala. We got the vehicle permit with no problems, just administrative BS. I felt like I was back home in MA at the RMV. :furious2:

 

We were only in Guatemala a half hour and I found a friend.

 

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I couldn't find anyone there, but I got the VIN and put it in the registry. Somebody's definitely put some work into this one.

 

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We spent some time at Lake Atitlan, in the "cloud forest." The people there are super chill. The weather was nice. The coffee is amazing. It was cool.

 

The little 2.5L has really pulled its weight with all these elevation changes. I never wanted a stick shift more though. The AW4 can't decided between 1st and 2nd when it's in low gears, but I've only gotten the brakes hot enough to smell once, which I didn't love, but considering we've been back and forth between sea level and 5000+ feet like 8 times in the past 2 weeks, I'd say we're doing ok.

 

Yesterday we climbed an active volcano, and camped on the inactive one next to it. This was my view over coffee this morning:

 

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So that was pretty cool. Guatemala is super beautiful. The roads are trash, and the locals drive like maniacs, but I kind of get a kick out of the challenge. I'm REEEEALY glad I put in new suspension and steering before I left though. There have been many poorly maintained roads, and google maps does not know this country. I've been routed through some pretty back-woods "streets" including countless wash-outs and one river crossing, but the best was when I drove though a mile-long dirt path with 12" deep ruts through a broccoli field that google maps told me was a public roadway. :dunno: I'm well over 8k miles on this trip, and they have not been gentle miles. I can't imagine driving anything less rugged than a Comanche.

 

Also this morning I got another tire puncture, so, shout out again to Safety Seal for the high-quality plug kit. I don't like a plug on a steering tire, but it's between tread lugs, so it should be fine.

 

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Next stop: El Salvador. We're still shooting for Costa Rica by the end of the month.

 

And thanks guys for the comments! I'm glad you enjoy the silly shenanigans!

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9 hours ago, fiatslug87 said:

What are the gas prices like down there?

No place is as cheap as the states. Except maybe Venezuela. I miss the cheap gas at home, but all in all, it’s not too bad here. It’s better than Europe at least. 


Mexico is 23 pesos/L which is $5.15/gal

Guatemala is 35 Quetzales/gal which is $4.51

and El Salvador is $4.35USD/gal


 

19 hours ago, Salvagedcircuit said:

This is the right kind of bonkers!

Thanks! I don’t mind being a little unstable.  :nuts: :dunce:

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We made pretty short work of the remaining countries, because we were significantly behind schedule, and needed to catch up. On the return trip I'd like to see much more, especially on the Atlantic coast. El Salvador was short but sweet. 

 

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We drove straight across Honduras in one VERY long day. We stayed a few nights in Nicaragua, including a ferry ride to a volcanic island, which was super cool.

 

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I was a bit sketched out when the ride TO the island was shared with a crane. I know quite a bit of OSHA regulations, and I have some international maritime safety training, so my concerns were not unmerited, but we made it, no problems.

 

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I also got a surprise cat inspection, but my exhaust checked out ok.

 

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And then we arrived! Guanacaste, Costa Rica. 

 

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For the number crunchers, that's 9k miles, 7 countries, and just over 2 months.

 

Considering I installed basically half a new Comanche over the last fall/winter, with hardly a test drive, I've gotta say, I was pleasantly surprised by how few issues the truck had. If I had my druthers, I would have preferred a 4.0/5-speed configuration, but I honestly have to say I was thoroughly impressed with how much abuse the little 2.5 could take.

 

Next up: many more Pilsens by the beach, and then the truck will go into storage for the rainy season. I will turn some much needed attention to my bank account, and then the plan is not set in stone yet whether the truck will return north, or continue south, so we'll see what happens, come December.

 

Thanks for reading!

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It has been epic flowing along with this. I’d love to be able to do a similar adventure someday. Thanks for the pictures and updates. 

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On 4/23/2024 at 7:41 AM, GonzoTheGreat said:

Ok, once again, I'm a bit past-due for an update, so here goes. We finished up Mexico with a couple days in Oaxaca (super cool city, definitely worth a trip). Met some "overlander" types. I highly recommend the iOverlander app to anyone who plans to travel like this. You can guess from the pic who had the easiest time driving through the tourist districts and parking in garages. :laugh: I have had no regrets about driving a 35 year old mini-truck on this trip.

 

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outside of Oaxaca we saw some pre-hispanic ruins

 

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I also drove some of the most exhilarating roads of my life. The mountains around Oaxaca are extreme. The grades are extreme, the temperature is extreme (max temp was 107F on the little thermometer I keep under the glovebox INSIDE the cab), the drivers are extreme, the road construction is extreme. Granted, I typically opt for the road less travelled, but one of these windy roads was completely torn apart for repaving, so it was brand-new asphalt, and smooth sailing one minute, then one-lane dirt construction site, with an unguarded cliff on one side, and not a single sign anywhere, just piles of rocks in the right lane, to let you know the lane ends.

 

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All was well, except another alternator altercation.

 

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The front case bearing gave up the ghost, probably in part from the blistering heat, but mostly because I bought the cheapest one on rockauto. :doh: Thanks "BBB Industries" :grrrrrr: This one is 100amps to keep up with my silly accessories, but I still had the old 60amp as a spare, so that got us into town, where I found a local guy who could source a new bearing, so we're back in action with 100amps.

 

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That was it for Mexico, and honestly, I grew up hearing a lot of negative stereotypes about this country, but I didn't find any of them to be true. I had a great time. I never once felt unsafe. The people are great. The countryside is beautiful. I'm excited for the eventual return trip!

 

A few days ago, we crossed into Guatemala. We got the vehicle permit with no problems, just administrative BS. I felt like I was back home in MA at the RMV. :furious2:

 

We were only in Guatemala a half hour and I found a friend.

 

IMG_3189.JPG.9d2e1de11e56c7641eaac192d99c3747.JPG

 

I couldn't find anyone there, but I got the VIN and put it in the registry. Somebody's definitely put some work into this one.

 

IMG_3202.JPG.3f21770652056fb395523c2975a5bfd0.JPG

 

We spent some time at Lake Atitlan, in the "cloud forest." The people there are super chill. The weather was nice. The coffee is amazing. It was cool.

 

The little 2.5L has really pulled its weight with all these elevation changes. I never wanted a stick shift more though. The AW4 can't decided between 1st and 2nd when it's in low gears, but I've only gotten the brakes hot enough to smell once, which I didn't love, but considering we've been back and forth between sea level and 5000+ feet like 8 times in the past 2 weeks, I'd say we're doing ok.

 

Yesterday we climbed an active volcano, and camped on the inactive one next to it. This was my view over coffee this morning:

 

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So that was pretty cool. Guatemala is super beautiful. The roads are trash, and the locals drive like maniacs, but I kind of get a kick out of the challenge. I'm REEEEALY glad I put in new suspension and steering before I left though. There have been many poorly maintained roads, and google maps does not know this country. I've been routed through some pretty back-woods "streets" including countless wash-outs and one river crossing, but the best was when I drove though a mile-long dirt path with 12" deep ruts through a broccoli field that google maps told me was a public roadway. :dunno: I'm well over 8k miles on this trip, and they have not been gentle miles. I can't imagine driving anything less rugged than a Comanche.

 

Also this morning I got another tire puncture, so, shout out again to Safety Seal for the high-quality plug kit. I don't like a plug on a steering tire, but it's between tread lugs, so it should be fine.

 

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Next stop: El Salvador. We're still shooting for Costa Rica by the end of the month.

 

And thanks guys for the comments! I'm glad you enjoy the silly shenanigans!

That’s awesome! We lived in Oaxaca for many years down in Huatulco and Puerto Angel. I’ve done that drive many times up and down the MX200 and also back towards Puebla. Stunning drives for sure through the Sierra Madre mountains. Enjoy your trek! 

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  • 3 weeks later...
7 hours ago, Manche757 said:

Gonz, we need a fix. Any more words and pics for us?

Yeah! We're still up to our shenanigans for a few more days. May 30, the truck goes into storage at a customs warehouse to suspend the temporary import permit. Then I can begin 6 months of anxiety until I see it again in December. :shaking:

 

On 5/4/2024 at 8:52 PM, ghetdjc320 said:

That’s awesome! We lived in Oaxaca for many years down in Huatulco and Puerto Angel. I’ve done that drive many times up and down the MX200 and also back towards Puebla. Stunning drives for sure through the Sierra Madre mountains. Enjoy your trek! 

We stayed a few days in Bahia de San Augustin, and I had the alternator fixed in La Crucecita! It really is a beautiful place. I can't wait to go back!

 

We've been cruising around the Nicoya Peninsula for most of this month. The plan is to see more of the rest of the country on the return trip. I'm super happy to be driving a rugged, simple vehicle, with decent ground clearance. Most of the roads here are dirt, and typically is disrepair. Also, with the rainy season starting now, a lot of the river crossings (bridges are rare on the small roads) are starting to get deeper. I continue to be impressed with what 2WD and cheap summer slicks can accomplish.

 

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One more week of fun, then it's back to the whole "contribute to society" thing so I can get money. I'll post one more update probably when the truck is tucked away in the storage yard.

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What’s the permitting process like for travelling between countries? Is it mostly just show up at the border, or does it need planned ahead, visas, vehicle insurance and all? I’ve watched a few travel documentaries going through central/south America where they show up armed with heaps of paperwork, which was a bit of a surprise to me. I’m just used to the Canada/US border where you mostly just need to show up and answer a few questions before getting waved through. 

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6 hours ago, gogmorgo said:

What’s the permitting process like for travelling between countries? Is it mostly just show up at the border, or does it need planned ahead, visas, vehicle insurance and all? I’ve watched a few travel documentaries going through central/south America where they show up armed with heaps of paperwork, which was a bit of a surprise to me. I’m just used to the Canada/US border where you mostly just need to show up and answer a few questions before getting waved through. 

Compared to the Canada-US border, down here it’s a whole different world.
 

Mexico is the only one you can prep in advance online, and they require a lot, but they were the most organized. You need a tourist permit for each person (called an FMM) which you can get online for like $40 and a TIP (temporary import permit) for the truck. The TIP is handled through a third party agency with offices at the border, and at consulates in the US that are in border states. I couldn’t get mine online because the truck is older than 10 years, so we went in person in Houston. You have to buy private liability insurance, pay a fee for the TIP, and put down a deposit, based on the vehicle value, that gets returned when you exit and cancel the TIP. 
 

When we got to the Guatemala border, we returned all paperwork on the Mexico side, crossed the bridge, and went through the whole process again. Rinse and repeat at every border. Each crossing took from 1-4.5 hours depending on the organization level at the offices. 
 

Each border had its own nuances. Sometimes you pay a fee for the stamp or the TIP, other times no. Costa Rica has mandatory, government sponsored liability insurance you buy at the border. Nicaragua has mandatory private insurance with hawkers all around the office at the border. Guatemala and Honduras had no insurance available. 

There is also supposed to be the CA-4 visa sharing program, where Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua, all function as one zone with one stamp in and out, like Europe, but that turned out to be total BS. We had to get passports stamped in and out at every border, and get a TIP for the Comanche for each country.

 

You also need printed copies of everything (drivers license, passport, vehicle registration, etc) at each border. I actually brought a printer with me that I bought for cheap off Facebook before the trip, and a 300W cigarette lighter inverter, so I could print anything that I forgot right on the Comanche bench. And if all of this makes me sound pretty organized, don’t be deceived, because we were totally making it up as we went. :laugh: The night before each crossing, there was a lot of googling going on to make sure we had what we needed. 
 

My favorite one had to be the entrance to Honduras though. We got stamped in and started the TIP paperwork at 7:45am on a Friday. They said they’d do the best they could, but there’s a power outage planned for 8:00. Idk how that’s a normal occurrence at a government office, but ok. 8:04 they have all the info entered on the computer, but just before they hit submit, the power goes out. No problem, they have an office down the street with a generator. I hop in the truck, the agent takes his desktop computer, and gets in his car, we drive to the other office. Long story short, after a lengthy process tracking down keys, and getting the genny on, we still had no power, so I took my multimeter out of the truck, and I went ahead and started troubleshooting. I found the breaker that wasn’t latched, and got power back on in the building. But still, no internet. :brickwall: So eventually the agent took off and found somewhere to finish our paperwork. He was back within the hour, and we were finally done. The guys were super nice, and none of this was their fault, but 4.5 hours to get this silly slip of paper was ridiculous. 
 

You definitely have to be flexible. That was the only time we had to significantly change plans though. If you can be patient with bureaucratic BS, it’s not bad. Speaking Spanish makes a huge difference too. 

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Ok time for a final update. 


Its been an absolutely wild 3 months. :laugh: I still can hardly believe it all happened, let alone that it’s over, but there’s a time for everything in life, and this thing is gonna be on pause for a little while. 
 

This week, we drove to the capital, and largest city in Costa Rica, San Jose, which involved one more ferry ride, because a major bridge is closed for repair work. 
 

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To suspend the truck’s 90 day Temporary Import Permit (TIP), I have to store it at an “Almacen Fiscal” which is just an import/export duty-free warehouse.

 

This was, by far, the hardest part of the trip for me. The paperwork wasn’t too difficult, but handing the keys over to some kid who jockeys imports around the yard all day like he stole them is definitely going to fuel my anxiety for the next six months. :(
 

But seriously, we actually did a lot of research, and found a yard that reviewed very well, it looks very secure, and the price was very economical (After the first month, it’s about $90US/mo). It’s government bonded, there are cameras everywhere, and they guys in the yard even agreed to disconnect my battery after parking it. I also put a few psi extra in the tires, and topped up the fuel tank, so I think it’s ready for hibernation.

 

That said, you guys are my witnesses.  :rtft: Here is the odometer and location when I handed off the keys:

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I’ll let you all know what happens in December! I can’t wait to find out for myself! :sad2: In the meantime, I’ve gotta go recoup some of the money I spent. :D

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Sooooo, what has become of you?  Fly home to Massachusetts?   Any summer ventures to ward off travel withdrawals?  Don't let it go to your head but you put words together nicely.

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On 6/4/2024 at 8:14 AM, Manche757 said:

Sooooo, what has become of you?  Fly home to Massachusetts?   Any summer ventures to ward off travel withdrawals?  Don't let it go to your head but you put words together nicely.

 

lol. Thanks! I have no shortage of adventures. I’m doing commercial fishing up in Alaska this season. Gotta pay for the next trip! :laugh: Unfortunately, no MJs up here. Several XJs, 2 SJs, and a couple J10s though. 

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