Baja has been a testing ground for many. It is unforgiving yet beautiful. You can encounter every type of terrain within a few hundred miles from the beautiful pacific coastline that provides endless beaches and bluffs to rocky mountain roads that lead to breathtaking views overlooking valleys. Earlier this year, the Tactical Application Vehicles (TAV) team partnered with Legends Overlanding for what will become a yearly trip into Baja. At TAV, we had just launched the bed replacement that we co-designed with Bowen Customs, and like all new products, we wanted to take it out and really test and validate the new design and see what worked and what might need some tweaks. So in planning the trip with Nathan at Legends, we told him that we wanted to get as many terrains as we could within the 600-mile trip. 

All TAV vehicles are equipped with Baja Designs lights; on this trip, they brought one of their most notorious builds: the second-generation Toyota Tacoma affectionately named “Ranger Goat.” It is built out to be the ultimate Overlanding and adventure rig that is used to validate what they do at our shop. It is equipped with Baja Designs LP6 and the legendary heavy hitter LP9 in the front grill. Up top, there is a pair of Baja Designs S2 Pro to work as ditch lights.

Day 1 started on a dry lake bed where we could run at high speeds and put the long travel suspension through its paces. After about 45 minutes on the lake bed, we headed off into the canyons, where we stopped and had a nice lunch in a palm oasis before heading through some rock crawling for another few miles toward camp. 

Day 2/3/4 was the longest day on the road. Cutting back across the lakebed through the Sierra Juárez till we got to an amazing beach spot, we arrived at night, and the Baja Designs lights came in clutch. We spent two days here just to get some R&R and to have time to enjoy what Baja has to offer. From fishing to exploring a lava tube, eating freshly caught king crab, and relaxing on the beach, it was a day worthwhile. 

Day 5 We headed out and got to get some beach driving in as we made our way North through Ensanada towards the mountains that overlooked the dry lakebed that we started on. The mountains gave us a beautiful last night, and with a sunrise hike in the early morning, we packed up and headed back home. 

The time in Baja was amazing and working with Legends Overlanding made the trip even better. All the meals were provided and absolutely fantastic. From hand-rolled pasta to sashimi and local oysters, we never went hungry. The locations were secluded and perfect for what we needed on this trip. We were able to push our gear, see what worked and what needed work, and gather content to use for the next year. If you are looking for a rig that can tackle anything Baja has to throw at you, check out Tavllc.com.