Tim (31) Carli (28) Angela (5) and Wendy, a dog,(10) left Bozeman Montana USA on November 6. Over the past month we have traveled down the PCH (101 or 1 for you norcal and Oregon folks) and zigzagged through the San Joaquin valley and the southern California desert. We camped on the lost coast and the dunes up north, and in Yucca Valley and Joshua tree down south. It was a great time catching Carli's cousin's wedding in Portland, visiting her family in Eugene, and seeing my relations in Santa Rosa. We spent thanksgiving with even more family in Desert Hot Springs just SW of Joshua Tree.
Now it's time to start the trip proper. We are leaving the familiar(to us) and often traveled routes, and skipping Baja this time. The loose plan is to keep to the eastern shore of the Sea of Cortez and be in Mazatlan by Christmas. From there to Belize by mid January and kick around the rest of Central America for February and March. I'll update as locations permit.
Our means of travel is a 1983 3/4 ton Suburban with a naturally aspirated 6.2 diesel and a 700R4 (od). She isn't fast, but I keep it to 55 or 60 mph and she really does get about 20 mpg. She has a few upgrades (interior toolbox, con fer ish roof rack, solar) but is mainly stock, with a few electrical gremlins that have haunted me most of the trip. All systems seem to have been rewired at some point either due to an engine swap or a fire. It seems to have been done well enough but there is definitely a short somewhere. As long as I disconnect the batteries every time I stop and bypass the glow plug relay it seems to be okay.
Anyway, here's a few pics of the trip so far and I'll have more stories and details in the next few weeks. Crossing into Mexico tommorrow!
Now it's time to start the trip proper. We are leaving the familiar(to us) and often traveled routes, and skipping Baja this time. The loose plan is to keep to the eastern shore of the Sea of Cortez and be in Mazatlan by Christmas. From there to Belize by mid January and kick around the rest of Central America for February and March. I'll update as locations permit.
Our means of travel is a 1983 3/4 ton Suburban with a naturally aspirated 6.2 diesel and a 700R4 (od). She isn't fast, but I keep it to 55 or 60 mph and she really does get about 20 mpg. She has a few upgrades (interior toolbox, con fer ish roof rack, solar) but is mainly stock, with a few electrical gremlins that have haunted me most of the trip. All systems seem to have been rewired at some point either due to an engine swap or a fire. It seems to have been done well enough but there is definitely a short somewhere. As long as I disconnect the batteries every time I stop and bypass the glow plug relay it seems to be okay.
Anyway, here's a few pics of the trip so far and I'll have more stories and details in the next few weeks. Crossing into Mexico tommorrow!
