Mexicale - San Felipe - Chapala in a Class A DP????

I punched a hole in my transmission pan on the desviacion at the top of the cuesta de infiernillo between San Ignacio and Sta Rosalia. The rock was hidden in foot deep dust/powder and totally invisible. I limped back to Vizcaino where I purchased 2 quarts of cruelly expensive MoPar synthetic transmission fluid filled the tranny and drove home. The pan had a 4" scar in it, and fluid was drop by drop dripping from it. The scar was brazed up.

I will see in another month if anything has been done to the ruta Chapala Mexicali brecha. It didn't qualify as a terreceria when I checked it last. I want to miss @#$%^&! San Quintin, Ensenada and Tijuana entirely. Danged agricultural worker's buses and idiot crash and bang city drivers.

Came through yesterday.
Last 25 miles is still unpaved - typical construction bypass tracks plus original road upgraded slightly for road construction access and then degraded by all the extra traffic.

10 to 15mph was my limit because the Airstream reacts very badly to a back wheel dropping into any depression and setting up a violent roll.
Also washboarded but not too bad.

Huge amount of roadworks going on with bridges and culverts under construction. Soon won't be any fun to drive.

Eyeballs to rocks, meaning an in-person examination three months ago, I will not attempt that unpaved stretch with my toad which is a low slung sedan. A LOT of rain went through that area, meaning ruts, humps and abrupt ledges.

I like that route. it is infinitely more interesting to me in the winter than the Pacific route. Prettier by far, scenes and views of the gulf are fascinating. Boondocking is much safer. A person can still find lots of corazon de cardón for campfires. Nights are filled with stars. There is a Pemex gasolinera at Alfonsina's, Bahiade Gonzalga.

But there is no freakin' way I am going to risk engine oil pan or transmission pan on that unpaved stretch. Some of the rocks are grapefruit size and they have points.

Just My Own Opinion.

Talking to a couple of snowbirds here in San Felipe and they reckon the last bit of unpaved road before it joins up with highway 1 is not great but OK with care so I'll give it a go.

Thanks

Go to Google Maps put in San Felipe. Switch it to Google Earth View.

Down at the bottom of the screen you should see a strip of photos as you hover your mouse over them a line will appear to where that photo was taken.

use a higher magnification (+) button. Then follow the road moving south. stopping to look at the photos.

You will see that most of the photos are dated. And you can see that the road has been paves well beyond Pt Bufeo.

Also you will get a view of the parts that are not paved.

This will give you the best look at what the road is like.

I will be taking my 32 foot trailer down that road soon.

Have fun.

There is an article about Gonzaga to Chapala here: www.sanfelipe.com.mx.