Hindsight = 20/20...what did you wish you had left behind? What did you need?

[Wiley]

Regarding bikes, I mentioned it in another thread, but I took mine on my 1st trip to Mexico, about 2 months. I ended up giving it away to a local as it was always in the way when I needed to get in the back of my van, and didn't get enough use. That said if we are not talking expensive bikes and you really want to bring them I would just put a thick lock on them and a cover, and risk it being stolen, there are plenty of people who bring their bikes. You will get attention and lots of HINTS that the locals would LOVE a bike like that, but I didn't have any theft attempt problems on that trip.

 

[Ruined Adventures]

Regarding bikes, I mentioned it in another thread, but I took mine on my 1st trip to Mexico, about 2 months. I ended up giving it away to a local as it was always in the way when I needed to get in the back of my van, and didn't get enough use. That said if we are not talking expensive bikes and you really want to bring them I would just put a thick lock on them and a cover, and risk it being stolen, there are plenty of people who bring their bikes. You will get attention and lots of HINTS that the locals would LOVE a bike like that, but I didn't have any theft attempt problems on that trip.

"Hey man, I really like you're bike...hint hint." :sombrero:

 

[gringorick]

My brother and i had the bike debate just the other night. He likes the idea, and I do not. To me the added daily hassle is not worth the infrequent use. I am not an avid bike rider though, just a once-in-a-while beach cruiser. I actually just sold my bike to my brother right after our debate. No more bike for me. One item closer to departure!

 

[Ruined Adventures]

Beach cruisers will be plentiful to rent along the way. The bada$$ mountain bikes may be harder to come along though.

 

[TheBuddyExpedition]

Beach cruisers will be plentiful to rent along the way. The bada$$ mountain bikes may be harder to come along though.

Cuenca had some mountain bikes with two stroke engines for $300, we should've bought some!!

As far as the answer to your thread title, more money, less clothes!!!!

 

[Deleted member 9101]

The wife?

 

[4x4x4doors]

The wife?

In order to comply with the guy code, no one is allowed to ask which of the two questions that answers. Carry on.

 

[RMP&O]

We've found this to be the case and sometimes you can even have luck using parts from other makes/models. In most of Latin America, you have to physically remove your part and bring it into the parts shop so they can compare it with the new parts in stock. In Bolivia I had to rebuild my brake calipers and replace the pads, if I remember correctly we found the pads from an 80 series were an exact match for our 4Runner, and the caliper seals were for a Nissan Pathfinder. Don't quote me on that, it's just an example.

We've found the Toyota dealerships to be typically useless, except for oil filters (since the box says which motors are compatible for the filter). Of course our Toyota is 27 years old and most of the world just uses cheap aftermarket parts. When going to the stealership, it helps if you look up the part number ahead of time. An incredibly useful website is ToyoDIY.com where you can enter your VIN and find the part number for your specific vehicle, then you can enter that part number and cross-reference the same part with different Toyota models which may have the same part under a different number(including the different part numbers for markets outside of N. America). This way, you can go in armed with several different part numbers for the part you need, chances are much better they'll find it for you. Also note, if you need Toyota to ship a part it can take over a month...that was always the time frame that was told to me by the parts guy behind the counter.

I agree with most of that. Take a manual with you, it can be helpful if you need to point at the parts you need, pictures.

If your average trip down the Pan-Am is 25,000 miles. You really shouldn't need to do much in the way of repairs while on the road. Of course things happen but if the vehicle is up to par before you leave, you shouldn't need to change brakes, bearings and so forth while on the trip. Having the vehicle up to par means you have less to worry about and can enjoy yourself more.

Cheers

 

[Ruined Adventures]

For us, quite a few repairs popped up after about 25,000 miles and the insane corrugations added up after S.W. Bolivia, Argentina's northern ruta 40, and Chile's Carratera Austral.

 

[RMP&O]

For us, quite a few repairs popped up after about 25,000 miles and the insane corrugations added up after S.W. Bolivia, Argentina's northern ruta 40, and Chile's Carratera Austral.

But how much vehicle prep did you do before you went? What condition was the truck you took in? What was the trucks history before you bought it? How heavy was the truck, over or at GVW? Did you prepare the truck yourself before you left or pay somebody to do it?

All are important and play into a lot of repairs or no repairs. Absolutely no reason a person couldn't drive 25,000 miles with only general maintenance to the vehicle. Even in harsh environments, rough roads and so forth.

BTW, don't take this post the wrong way.

Cheers

 

[magentawave]

What does "insane corrugations" mean? Rough roads?

For us, quite a few repairs popped up after about 25,000 miles and the insane corrugations added up after S.W. Bolivia, Argentina's northern ruta 40, and Chile's Carratera Austral.

 

[Dan Grec]

What does "insane corrugations" mean? Rough roads?

Very, very, very, very rough roads for days, or weeks on end.
I spent weeks not going above 2nd gear in my Jeep TJ in Peru, Bolivia, etc, rattling my brains out.
The Jeep never missed a beat

When I left Bolivia and hit a paved road in Chile, I actually got out and took a photo, it had been so long since I had seen a paved road.

-Dan

EDIT: This is the photo: http://theroadchoseme.com/into-chile/paved_road

 

[Ruined Adventures]

But how much vehicle prep did you do before you went? What condition was the truck you took in? What was the trucks history before you bought it? How heavy was the truck, over or at GVW? Did you prepare the truck yourself before you left or pay somebody to do it?

All are important and play into a lot of repairs or no repairs. Absolutely no reason a person couldn't drive 25,000 miles with only general maintenance to the vehicle. Even in harsh environments, rough roads and so forth.

BTW, don't take this post the wrong way.

Cheers

Our rig was an uber clean, all stock garage queen when I bought it. It lived in rust-free Austin, Texas it's entire lifetime. I was the 3rd owner and the previous two owners kept meticulous records and receipts of everything that's been replaced or rebuilt over the years. The previous two owners even detailed every time they fueled up or engaged the hubs. We've kept this up, which has helped us keep tabs on the state of things. Before heading south, I went thru the vehicle with a fine tooth comb, replacing or rebuilding everything that hadn't been recently (or ever) addressed. Most everything I did myself, but for some of the more complicated procedures I had a gifted mechanic buddy of mine walk me through it. I replaced all of the suspension, bushings, steering, brakes, hoses & belts, bearings, etc. The things that I knew would take a beating over 30,000 miles of bad roads. The previous owner had to replace the head gasket and they went ahead and rebuilt the engine "just in case", so it only had 30k miles on it when I bought it. The only thing I wish I would have done was replace the plastic timing chain guides with metal guides. I realized it's a common problem for our rig, but I gambled on it, thinking that with only 30k miles I should be fine (and the guy who rebuilt the engine may have done it already). I was wrong. When we left the truck weighed in just under 5000lbs, which is below the GVW (but not much). We've ditched a lot of gear since then and I honestly don't know what it weighs, but should be well below GVW. I completely understand why you're asking and I agree for the most part, but our rig is 27 years old so my mileage may vary.

What does "insane corrugations" mean? Rough roads?

Hard to explain without experiencing it first hand, but...

Very, very, very, very rough roads for days, or weeks on end.
I spent weeks not going above 2nd gear in my Jeep TJ in Peru, Bolivia, etc, rattling my brains out.
The Jeep never missed a beat

When I left Bolivia and hit a paved road in Chile, I actually got out and took a photo, it had been so long since I had seen a paved road.

I don't think I could sum it up any better. Central America has a few terrible roads, but my definition changed after the places mentioned above. The days/weeks of corrugations would leave me simply exhausted...but it was worth every rattle.

 

[magentawave]

Did you choose to drive on the rough roads because you took a different route than most do?

Very, very, very, very rough roads for days, or weeks on end.
I spent weeks not going above 2nd gear in my Jeep TJ in Peru, Bolivia, etc, rattling my brains out.
The Jeep never missed a beat

When I left Bolivia and hit a paved road in Chile, I actually got out and took a photo, it had been so long since I had seen a paved road.

-Dan

EDIT: This is the photo: http://theroadchoseme.com/into-chile/paved_road

 

[Dan Grec]

Did you choose to drive on the rough roads because you took a different route than most do?

I intentionally stayed off the bigger highways as much as possible.
I didn't go looking for hardcore 4x4ing, just the very minor 'roads', and I was always happier to be on the gravel roads rather than the sealed highways.
To put it in context, no matter where I was, an overloaded 2wd civic or similar would bounce by.

-Dan