A few thoughts while it is fresh in my mind.
- Even the best plan will probably be effected by something unexpected and flexibility is key. It is a lot easier with having fewer rigs to pivot to another plan or come up with a game plan. I couldn't imagine our trip without having everyone there, but there were times that it would have made things easier and at times more fun just due to not herding so many trucks down dusty and slow moving roads.
- AVOID Guerrero Negro at ALL COSTS! That place sucks and if there was any sour taste during the trip-- this place was it.
- There is so much to see in Baja and it seemed like there were lots of little side roads to duck off and play around on (including a lot that led down to the beach). I didn't mind SOLO sports but if you are planning to go there-- you need to ensure you can get there mid afternoon to truly take advantage of it. It may be a better plan to find a somewhat secluded beach to camp on (just think, that requires EVERYONE to have their own camping gear and lug that around for the entire length of the trip).
- Invest in a good cooler.
- Adding 1 more day to the trip would probably be worth it and that way you could have 2 separate "free/rest" days. La Paz seemed like a really cool area and would have liked to have been able to see more of it. The Baja Sur Bronco Club is also there and they seemed like they wanted to be able to show us their town so you would have local hosts in La Paz.
- As was said-- if the goal is to run more dirt than highway, I think capping it at 6 Broncos is probably a necessity. If you are just wanting to run mostly highway with the occasional dirt road to get to a mission or cut through-- you would probably get away with a dozen Broncos.
- Know your own rig. There were no 2 Broncos alike on our trip and so it was imperative to know what was unique to your rig. We had plenty of willing and able people on the trip that could help diagnose and fix things but it sure helps if you know enough to give the resident experts a bump in the right direction. Also be sure that if there is anything unique to your rig, have spares on hand.
- The one thing I plan to have now following this trip is a spare rear driveshaft. I had u joints with me and did have to replace one but on a long haul like that, a spare rear shaft is important.
- I never put my Bronco in 4 wheel drive the entire time we were down there. This is a different type of test to these old trucks. The teeth chattering vibrations and pot holes put stress on things you normally wouldn't think of. Any accessory or thing held down with screws, small nuts and bolts without lock nuts, etc. will be put to the test. Shocks were definitely put to the test so make sure that your shocks are newer or recently rebuilt (if not, carry a spare). I had issues with the constant vibrations playing havoc on my inner door components. I had to fix my drivers side window twice and had to make adjustments to the door button on both sides.
- Have extra fuel just in case. Anything related to the fuel system (carb rebuild kit, injectors, fuel line, fuel filters, throttle body and MAF parts and cleaner, fuel regulator, fuel pump) be sure to have spares of. The fuel is already dirty, it gets hot down there, and sand is everywhere.
- Carry an extra air filter or 2 and a pre-filter. Clean out the filter daily.
- Try to have a good variety of extra nuts and bolts. Things shake loose and you will have to re-attach things (hopefully you have more than zip ties and duck tape).
- Make sure your battery is secure and check it frequently.
- A working CB is a must. Day 1 on our trip, we had not quite figured out how to effectively keep the group together and we had not really been using CB. Once we started to communicate via CB, it organized us much better. Without a doubt, having a chase truck and trailer is a must as well (and they should have race radios that have longer ranges than the CB).
- I heard that little packs of beef jerky were good bribes for the military checkpoints. This is better to me than them wanting to take some of your beer. The coloring books and matchbox toys were a hit among the kids and EVERYONE wanted stickers (big thanks to Jim from WH for giving me a bunch of sheets of stickers to take down).
- I did not bring any cleaning products other than brake cleaner. Next time, I would bring some windex wipes, and probably some cleaning and armor all wipes to try to keep the inside of the cab area somewhat cleaner. Also bring a blow gun if you have on-board air. I brought one and it got borrowed quite a bit to blow out fuel filters, air filters, defrost vents, dust of your bags, etc.
As this thread develops-- I will be happy to weigh in and share my experiences to hopefully help the next herd of Broncos pave their own Baja Adventure!!