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Baja and Back - 1977 FC31 - Printable Version +- Wanderlodge Gurus - The Member Funded Wanderlodge Forum (http://www.wanderlodgegurus.com) +-- Forum: Yahoo Groups Archive (/forumdisplay.php?fid=61) +--- Forum: WanderlodgeForum (/forumdisplay.php?fid=63) +--- Thread: Baja and Back - 1977 FC31 (/showthread.php?tid=4712) Pages: 1 2 |
Baja and Back - 1977 FC31 - Terry Neal - 04-21-2007 07:36 Great pictures Brent. Thanks for sharing your experience. We hope to make that trip one of these days. Hope you left some beer & tequila down there for the rest of us... Terry Neal Bozeman, MT 82PT40 6V92TA 74FC34 6V53T Brent Swartzentruber wrote: > I finally found time after returning from Baja to post a few pictures > from the trip. This was the first big trip for our new FC31 (bought > in November). > > Here is the link if you would like to view a few select pics > http://www.pbase.com/bajaroad/fc31_in_baja&page=all > <http://www.pbase.com/bajaroad/fc31_in_baja&page=all> > > The FC31 was great. I'm very satisfied with how it handled the > narrow roads and occasion offroad excursion. > > It took practice making room for the trucks traveling > the opposite direction on the narrow road, but after a few days I > felt pretty good about it, although I recommend getting your estate > in order before traveling the Baja 1 - there were plenty of Near > Death Moments (NDM). > > Got caught one evening driving after dark. I definitely don't > recommend that, especially on the narrow sections. Wanderlodge, > tired eyes, narrow road, and big trucks with bright headlights don't > mix. > > Before the trip I was worried about going down the steep grades (no > aux braking on the bird), but it was no problem - just had to keep it > in a low gear. > > I've been down to southern Baja five times and never hand a single > problem with the authorities, but while parked near a park in Santa > Rosalia the cops came by and said some stuff I didn't understand and > asked for my license - d'oh. Apparently they didn't get enough for > Christmas (it was Christmas day). My wife, her sister, and sister's > boyfriend were heading to the famous French Bakery up the street > while I watched the Bird and the dog. I had given my wife a 2-way > radio, so I was able to talk to her and have her return quickly to > the Bird - she speaks fluent Spanish. After a few minutes of arguing > back and forth, the cops finally gave up and let us go. They were > trying to give us a ticket for parking on the wrong side of the road - > they were clearly lying and my wife wouldn't accept it. I never > gave them my license, which I've been told not to do. Never pull you > Wanderlodge into Santa Rosalia or Muleje because the road are narrow, > lacking clearance and one-way. Where we parked was barely off the > main highway, which seemed reasonable but there was better parking > right off the road just a bit further south. > I had just the opposite experience in San Ignacio. I was parked near > the mission in apparently the wrong place (see pic), but in this case > the cop asked me to move and pointed out a more suitable location. Ya > never know. Otherwise, the military personnel at the check points > were generally friendly and didn't hassle the gringos. > > Parking at the edge of the Sea of Cortez, tires only a few feet away, > was pretty awesome. Doesn't get much better. The road into El > Coyote Beach is very tight with a jagged rock bank on one side and > the sea on the other, but she squeezed in fine. > > We took a chance going out to a remote surf location (Punta Conejo) - > 10 miles each way of one-lane dirt road. We were told by some we > couldn't make it in the bird, but the FC31 handled the road and the > arroyo crossing without a problem. The water was warm, the surf was > great, and the Bird was stocked with cold beer and tequila - what > more could we want. > > Getting to my sisters place in La Ventana (below La Paz) required > driving on another tight dirt road. I wasn't sure we'd make it but > again the FC31 pulled through without much trouble. The FC31 is a > capable Baja rig. > > Can wait for the next trip > > Brent > 1977 FC31 > Ventura, CA > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] |