My story begins when I left my cozy Colorado condo in mid March in search of warm sunny beaches. Baja California Mexico was my destination, and my mind was filled with images of white sandy beaches and turquoise seas. After spending most of the previous winter in Colorado working on my truck and camper, I was ready for hot sunshine and cold cervezas. I had tested my truck in the mountains of Colorado in winter temperatures well below zero, and now I was looking forward to hot weather testing.

My new Michelin XZL tires had performed well in snow, but I wondered how well would they would work on sandy beaches. Sure my hold up on the relentlessly punishing Baja roads? Most importantly, would my new 12-volt fridge keep cervezas cold on hot beaches with no electrical hookups? As you can see, I had a great deal of rigorous testing to do.