Ruins and Rust: Texas to Patagonia, AND BEYOND, in an older 4runner

[hrt4me]

this is a great trip report, and my wife and I hope to follow in your tracks in a few years

what kind of vehicles (Toyotas) are you seeing which aren't sold in the U.S.?

have you encountered any extended periods of rain so far?

[Ruined Adventures]

what kind of vehicles (Toyotas) are you seeing which aren't sold in the U.S.?

have you encountered any extended periods of rain so far?

Great questions. I'll look around in our pictures, but especially here in Guatemala there's been some cool and unique vehicles. Guatemala is heaven for Toyota enthusiasts by the way. Immediately after crossing the border we realized that there's a 20:1 ratio of Toyotas to other makes. We've seen lots of doublecab Hiluxes (what do you call a pack of hiluxes? Hiluxi? Hileex'?), doublecab Mitsubishi pickups that are similar to the Hilux, newer Nissan Patrols, lots of Suzuki Samurai pickups, diesel Defenders...I've been seeing tons of an interesting SUV called a "Galloper". We're heading back into Antigua today and I'll take some pictures for you and hopefully find a good connection to upload them.

In regards to rain, the first half of the wet season here in Guatemala has been pretty tame. For our first month here, we had several days without rain but when it did rain it would be for a few hours in the late afternoon, settling down eventually. We only had a 2-3 days in the past month that seemed to rain hard for most of the day. They typically have a week-long break during the middle of the wet season that's called the cannicula (don't quote my spelling on that), but I think this year it was several weeks long. We've also been told that it seems the wet season can seem brutal some years, then the next year it's tame like it is now. While we were in El Salvador we only had one night of rain, and it was a large storm that blew through overnight. We had to hunker down because we were on the coast and it got violent for a minute there. The wet season supposedly picks up in September, so we'll see what happens

[hrt4me]

thanks for the quick replies; whenever I travel, I always enjoy seeing and comparing vehicles which the major car manufacturers don't sell in the U.S.
BTW, Hyundai sold the Galloper between 1991 and 2003

I haven't gone through your entire build thread, so I'm curious what you do to cover the windows to block out any light when you sleep in the rear cargo area?
We just got some dark mesh screen material (akin to a screen door) and plan to cut the material in a shape slightly larger than the rear passenger windows (sold the Gen1 '85 T4R and now have a Gen3 '97 T4R on the way) and glue magnets around the edges; that way, we can stick these screens to the outside of the vehicle at night and sleep with the windows cracked (or down) and prevent bugs from getting inside the truck...

also, have you had any issues with the fuel quality on your travels south of the (U.S.) border so far?

[Ruined Adventures]

Good to know! I didn't recongnize a Hyundai symbol on the Galloper (or Galloper II that I see more of), thanks.

We had curtains originally to block out the sunlight, but I didn't like the original design so I tore them down, planning to redo it. I planned to sow velcro strips to curtains, and attach velcro tape to the interior edges of the hardtop, making it removable...We honestly rarely need the extra privacy. Our windows are limo-tinted, so you can't see inside unless we have the LED's on at night. If we're worried about it we use our spare sheets and our towels, clothes-pinned to the bungee-cargo net we have secured inside the hardtop's roof. Keep it simple.

I have cut out no-see-um mesh panels that I can cover the windows with using magnets, but we never use them because usually all we need is to open our roof vent-fan and turn it up. The vent-fan has mosquito mesh, so that keeps them out just fine. Sometimes if I need more flow, I'll open one window and cover it with the mesh.

Some of the Pemex stations in Mexico have pretty crappy fuel. I actually just had to replace the fuel filter because it was clogged up. I've never replaced the fuel filter and simply hoped I was good to go since the tests that Toyota has done on their "lifetime" fuel filters shows pretty extreme use, but I suppose after all these years anything's possible.

[Ruined Adventures]

I love these little vans, I'm not sure what the model name is for them but they're super narrow with a very short wheelbase:



For some reason I really want to rock one of these to Ushuaia...Shannon would look adorable driving it





The rare doublecab Powerstroke Ranger










And I'm sure some of you recognize these guys: NoLimitX




You can see more in our new imgur album, specific to the vehicles we encounter along the way.

[Ruined Adventures]

what kind of vehicles (Toyotas) are you seeing which aren't sold in the U.S.?

By the way, you should check out this blog...he has an album of vehicles he's seen along the way south, much of them being Toyotas. He's got a pretty sick Landcruiser too.

[Ruined Adventures]

Shannon and I try really hard to keeps it real, but admittedly the corporate world has sunk it's teeth in...

More details on our 'Sponsors' page

[mjohns2]

This is an awesome report of your adventures and thank you guys so much for your steady stream of updates. I think I’ve read your report 3 times so far, it’s very informative.

First and most importantly congratulations on the marriage. I do have a quick question though, do you have any lessons learned in regards to needed or not needed equipment.

For example, I remember reading you guys ditch the frig, did you guys miss it after a while?
Do you guys feel the dual battery was a must, considering no frig?
Did you guys feel the winch was a necessity?
And anything else I might have missed that you guys felt should have been added.

Thank you again and be safe.

-MJ

[Ruined Adventures]

Occasionally we miss the fridge. Yesterday we finally had a delicious sandwich and I commented on how nice it would be to carry mayonnaise and deli meat...and then Shannon reminded me how long it had been since we had seen legit deli-meat that wasn't ridiculously processed. Imagine everything looking like Oscar Meyer's mystery meat...it's usually difficult to tell the difference between turkey, ham, chicken, etc. I'd still say that a fridge is unnecessary, it's more of a luxury.

Even though we ditched the fridge, considering how much we use the ceilings vent-fan and the other 12v fan, along with charging all of our cameras...I'd say the dual batt was a must for us, however plenty of people get by without all the fans and your mileage may vary. We're just taking a little more time in Central America which means more hot and humid. The dual batt probably could have been done for less, but I was trying to keep both batteries under the hood which meant going with Odyssey batteries.

We actually don't have a winch and we don't plan on getting one anytime soon. Obviously a winch is a big investment, and sure we were halfway into the modifications necessary for one, but after asking ourselves several times 'Do I really need a winch?' we ultimately decided no. I know a lot of people will think I'm foolish, but we decided we would rather throw a little caution to the wind, just to keep things interesting. Part of the adventure is the trials and tribulations that we have to endure, so I decided if I have to work my butt of for 48 hours just to get out of a mud hole then so be it. For this reason we carry enough food for at least 72 hours and water for a week, if push comes to shove then we'll have to leave the rig and hike to find help.

My sister and brother-in-law live in Madagascar (very 3rd world) and have had some great trips to the other side of the island in their little Suzuki Santana, usually with no tools or recovery gear. They've had a lot of breakdowns and they've been really stuck, but they always manage to figure it out and it turns out to be a great adventure. I think sometimes on the forums we get a little obsessed about it, but since Shannon and I don't have to be at work on Monday, we have no kids onboard to worry about, and we're both medically trained and fairly sharp individuals, we take the occasional calculated risk. Not to mention I have wicked kung-fu skills. After reading RadioBaobab's DRC thread, part of me said "I want to suffer like that". I know how that sounds...idiotic, right? Well that's how we roll sometimes.

For recovery gear we do have some waffleboards that we picked up for free, a real shovel, a kinetic strap and regular tow straps, 1/2" static rope, and a Hi-Lift to winch ourselves out the hard way. I have practiced and trained with the Hi-Lift so I feel up to the task if necessary. When I finally have to get unstuck the old-fashioned way, I guarantee you I'll spend a few hours analyzing why I got stuck and hopefully I will become a better driver because of it.

[Ruined Adventures]

We wrote a short article, discussing the finer points between driving, backpacking, cycling, or traveling the world by motorcycle. This one's for all of our readers who are contemplating how to go about their journey...however we would love some feedback in the comments section if you have relevant experience, feel free to contribute to the discussion!

Overland Advice: To Drive, Or Not To Drive