Trip Statistics
| Item | Count | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total kilometers: | 64,517 | (Approx. 40000 mi.) |
| Number of days: | 667 | |
| Kilometers per day: | 97 | (Approx. 60 mi. / day) |
| Number of countries | 17 | *I didn’t drive the Jeep to Uruguay |
| Number of ferries: | 10 | Estimated |
| Number of attempted bribes: | More than 40 | Estimated |
| Number of bribes paid | 1 | I paid $5 USD in Nicaragua |
| Number of bandits encountered | 0 | |
| Number of robberies | 2 | My guitar was stolen in Mexico, and the Jeep was broken into in Argentina (which I have not written about yet…) |
Jeep Statistics
| Item | Count | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gas Used | 8000 Liters (2100 Gal.) | Estimated from calculated usage of 12.32 L/100km |
| Kilometers on tires | 77,700km (49000 mi.) | Dunlop Radial Rover Rv XT’s bought months before leaving |
| Number of flat tires | 14 | Estimated because I lost count somewhere in Peru.They were all nails/steel/something stuck in the tires |
| Number of breakdowns | 0 (yep! ZERO) | |
| Highest Elevation | 4900 meters | (Approx. 16000 ft.) Rob had a GPS that day in Bolivia |
Dan Statistics
| Item | Count | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Weight loss: | about 12kg | (Approx. 27lbs.) |
| Nights slept in tent: | about 75% of the time or 500 nights |
Feel free to ask for clarifications or more stuff.
(Costs are coming in another post)
-Dan
Related posts:
How many nights did you wake and have to check someting?
and
How many nights did you wake and have to move your car?
1. You mean, check that nothing was touched or moved or stolen over night? Absolutely zero.
2. Move the Jeep because it was in the way? or someone came along and told me to move on? Absolutely zero.
-Dan
Cool. That adds a lot of perspective.
I’m curious about the miles and gas. 4,000 miles and 2,100 gallons comes out to 1.9 miles per gallon. Does that sound right?
And, zero breakdowns is pretty awesome!
Hey Toby,
Your numbers are missing a zero. 40,000 miles and 2,100 gallons is a touch over 19MPG.
Zero breakdowns means the Jeep was the perfect vehicle for the journey.
-Dan
Ah, yes… I think I was so surprised by the one big zero that I forgot to include the other one.
Cheers!
You forgot one item under Dan Statistics.
Quite a few people have been asking that question. I don’t get it. Why is it important?
I think he was referring to how many haircuts you had.
Seriously though, what was your weight at the end of the trip?
Also, what was the number of times you got sick? (Note I wouldn’t count an upset stomach as being sick, unless it kept you in bed.. or the toilet.. for the day).
Well in that case, just the one.
Very recently.
I weigh about 73kg now (165lbs), looking forward to getting back into the gym immensely.
In Central America I would say every 2-3 weeks I was pretty damn sick, although very few of those kept me “indisposed” for the day.
Once in Ecuador, then again in Peru I was totally down for about 3 days, unable to move more than 10 meters from my bed to the toilet and back.
Interesting stats Dan. Thanks for sharing.
How did you fix your flat tires?
Would you do this trip again with a tent or rather with a big enough car to sleep in?
Did you get sick along the way?
1. I had all the flat tires fixed at repair shops (mechanics more or less)
2. I love sleeping in a tent, but I think the versatility of a big enough vehicle to sleep in would be very nice.
3. In Central America and Northern South America I think I got seriously sick every 2-3 weeks. Nasty stomach bugs. Down in Chile and Argentina, never.
Thanks for sharing the data. You put to rest much of the over-magnified fears that may prevent some people from taking on a trip of this magnitude. And although you took a prudent approach to your travels with respect to going too far off the beaten path, you certainly had the opportunity to do such off-road exploring. No need for multi-thousand dollar lift kits or rediculous tires. A good base vehicle, with prudent preparation and prudent operation, makes for a successful trip. Good job mate!
Yep, I agree 100%. Start with a good base and keep it simple.
The more I think about it, the more I think my lack of weight was the key to my huge success. So many overlanders are packed to overflowing, and wind up with countless suspension and engine troubles. My Jeep was almost empty, I drove it gently, and it was bulletproof.
hey dan.good to know you are safe after a long trip.we everybody follow you in your site.
im glad you didnt get sick at tehuantepec after eating so much of different kind of food. and drinking some beers.
cheers!
Thanks Victor! All the best for the future.
Hey Dan,
I’ve often wondered if you took any advanced safety items with you, like a satellite phone or spot communicator? Did you always run with reserve gas and water or just what you could fit in the main tank/water bottles?
My first thought would be to pack a firearm for personal protection but I don’t imagine that would go over too well with all the inspections you went through.
How did you constantly update this blog? Where you really able to get online in all those remote places?
Hey Chad,
Nope, I had nothing like a sat phone, cell phone or spot communicator. No safety net really.
I also didn’t have a jerry can for gas, as the Jeep made 600km on a tank which was more than enough. My water container was 20L and I was careful to keep it nice and full.
Firearm is an huge no-no for crossing the borders, getting caught with one would be a serious problem.
Internet is actually very common, everywhere I went always had connectivity and internet cafes are always packed with teenagers checking facebook !
-Dan
Have you started adding up receipts to see how much you spent on everything?…I understand that would take quite a while, but I’m just curious if you were going to
Absolutely, I’m working on it.
Any updates regarding you financial post? I’m really curious how much money you spend on a trip like that…
Hey Dino,
I’m having some trouble because my bank doesn’t want to give me statements more than a year old.
I am working on it, I promise. (For now, you an think something in the range of $22,000 for the ENTIRE trip, everything included)
That really is just a guess though because I used 4 accounts across two different banks.
-Dan
Thanks Dan! No problem. It would be just very interesting to see a breakdown on which areas you spent this amount.
Hey, having read every blog post so far, I don’t remember 2 robberies. What’s the go?
My first guitar was stolen from the Jeep in Mexico, and I still have not written about a bunch of things getting stolen in Argentina right in the last weeks.
I still plan on writing about it.
Hi Dan,
Just finished a similar (albeit not as extensive!) trip myself.
Wanted to say thanks for posting this info – before planning out trip, we used this and similar data you posted as rough estimates for ourselves, and that helped us in planning our trip immensely, as you can imagine.
We got kinda screwed coming into Argentina (we got 3 months instead of 6, that’s what happens when you enter with ARGENTINE papers…corrupcion indeed!). Since I am planning on living here for a bit, I’m not totally in a rush to sell the car…then again, I came in a month ago (so 2 left) and don’t really have the funds to drive the car every day, so to go on a trip to Chile etc. and then re-enter, just to extend the visa isn’t financially viable!
What did you end up doing with the car? Did you go with the border crossing guy, despite your failed attempt (http://theroadchoseme.com/papers-police-customs?)?
¡¡Any words of advice in this situation would be greatly appreciated!! (thats my trying to use the keyboards here…)
Thanks,
-Francisco
Hi Francisco,
You can absolutely leave Argentina and come right back in the same day to extend the paperwork. I did it many times.
You can be issued 3 or 6 months at the discretion of the border guard. I had a mix of the two.
Depending on where you are in Argentina, the easiest thing to do for now might be leave the country and come back every 3 – 6 months.
I sold the Jeep to a foreigner living in BA. He has to leave and come back every 3 months which he is OK with, or he can drive it around any other country he wants (I made a poder or power of attorney for that.)
You will hit many hurdles selling the car to an Argentinian person, and I didn’t have the time or patients to pursue it further.
Since then I have met / herd of a few people that have sold their foreign plated car to someone living on a farm (who will be in trouble if caught with it) and the person simply flew out of the country with no problems. This is not legal, and I don’t know if it will have an impact down the line if the person tries to re-enter Argentina.
Depending on the vehicle and it’s cost, you can also have it declared scrap, and sell it as that.
You might also look into selling it in Uruguay or Paraguay, where it’s again illegal, but doesn’t seem to be as strictly controlled.
Good luck!
-Dan
You’re the man, I just found your site and started reading, I decided 2 months ago that spring 2012 I’m making the trip from nyc to tierra del fuego and back again by truck (I already sold my car, and bought a 4runner), and you are just more inspiration, thank you!!!!
Hey Chucho,
Great choice in the 4runner – those Toyotas are amazing. You are going to have an absolute blast.
I just finished a new site that will interest you, WikiOverland. It’s a community encyclopedia for people doing exactly what you are about to do!
Checkout the page for the Pan American Highway to get an overview of the entire journey, then click through each individual country to see things like paperwork requirements, border crossings, customs fees, gas prices, camping, maps, etc, etc.
If you find the information handy, it would be fantastic if you could take 5 minutes and update each country as you pass through – things like gas prices and the process at the border will change and you’ll have the best knowledge while you have your feet on the ground.
Thanks Chucho, have a great trip!
Dan,
Sounds like you had a blast. Do you think you will do this again some time? Do you have pictures of you and the Jeep before, during and after the trip. And do you have pictures posted some where?
Het Tot,
It was the most amazing experience of my life, no doubt about it.
As for going again, I have dreams, but they are a long way in the future. I’m happily re-charging my batteries and bank account right now. It’s great to have a place to live, eat well, have friends and go to the gym.
If you have a look around The Road Chose Me, you’ll find plenty of pics of the Jeep and I before, during and after.
This site has all the pics!
Start with An Adventure Begins, and follow all the way through to An Adventure Ends
Hey DAN, your stats are amazing. You’re doing me a huge favor! I must to say thanks. I’ll follow your path in two month, flying from Argentina to US buying a car there, and then go Dan or down hehehe. Probably I’ll be asking you something soon. Thanks again!!
Hey Diego,
I’m happy you found the information useful. You are very welcome.
Have you seen WikiOverland, the encyclopedia of Overland Travel ? It contains everything you’ll need to know to make the journey.
Good luck! have fun!
Great read, great trip. Thanks for sharing these adventures.
Two questions:
1-How do you “re-charge” your bank account. What do you do for a living that both makes enough to travel and then allows for you to go away and pick up where you left off?
Because I’d like that kind of flexibility too.
2-Did you get sponsorship or advertisers for your blog?
Best,
Michael Sean Comerford
Hey Michael,
Thanks for the kind words, I’m glad you enjoyed my story!
1. I’m a Computer Software Engineer, so my career is portable. Before I left I just quit my job with one company, and now I’m working for a different one. People always think a “gap” on your resume will look bad, which I don’t think is true. I highlighted my trip, saying I learned Spanish, self-reliance and determination. I got the first job I applied for.
2. No sponsorship, but I did run Google ads and a few other similar things on my blog for most of the trip.. I estimate I made $50-$75/month, which barely covers the cost of running the site. I would love to find a way to make enough money to make a trip like this self-sustaining. Maybe one day I’ll figure it out.
Good luck!
-Dan
Dan,
My best friend Caleb and I are planning on taking this trip down the Pan American highway. We’ve decided that we’re sick of talking about throwing everything to the wind and taking off on an adventure that could quite possibly change our lives, and to finally sit down and plan this out. We’ve both been doing as much research as we can, but I would love to hear from you some tips that would help us out along the way!
Thanks a ton!
Danielle
Hey Danielle,
Awesome choice! Go for it.
What kinds of tips/advice are you looking for? there is not really too much to know, the most important thing is hitting the road.
You will find extremely useful for the logistical stuff.
I also did an AMA on Reddit a while back, where I answered lots of typical questions people have.
Fire away with any specific questions you have!
-Dan
Specifically, I was wondering about how you protected your camera equipment. Did you use Pelican type road cases, and if so, did they inspect them at border crossings? We are bringing some heavy equipment and don’t want to have problems. Also, what is your best advice for vehicle shipping from Panama? I read that you said it’s best to have everything filled out completely and done ahead of time, but I was wondering if there was anything else you’d suggest?
Hey Danielle,
I only had a cheap non-SLR Camera, so I didn’t do anything special. It was actually just sitting on the front seat, or locked in the back in a dry bag for the entire drive.
Pelican cases sound like a good idea for protecting your good lenses, etc.
During inspections (border, or random) they will inspect anything that catches their eye. I suspect a Pelican case will do just that. I wouldn’t worry though, once they see it’s a camera, they’ll move on quickly.
Let me know if there is anything else I can help with,
-Dan