Choosing the right overland vehicle

[nxski]

http://xor.org.uk/silkroute/equipment/choosevan.htm

[SquamptonRyan]

sweet jesus. The act of exploring the world and all its cultures by car, while having all the luxuries of home and a capitalist culture at your fingertips baffles me.

interesting link though, a guide of how to remove adventure and overplan everything!

[RichD]

Spend a month on the road and you will probably not dig into your spares or rescue gear, hardly touch your tools, or even touch your spare tire. Having never left North America, you will probably lavish in the comforts of homes you visit and never really detach from "normal life". Yet you will come home with a short list of improvements for the vehicle. A comfortable place to sit and use your laptop, an onboard shower or toilet, a way to keep food fresh longer, more fuel capacity - a more fuel efficient vehicle altogether. It depends on how your trip has influenced you.

This cycle is pretty common, I think. Eventually it might get abandoned as many expensive hobbies do or, as likely, it escalates until the trips are longer and the vehicles more elaborate. Where on the continuum between rugged and luxurious depends on the owner's tendencies. Different overlanders have different priorities. Building these vehicles taps into one of our deepest instincts of making home, while simultaneously tapping into even older nomadic tendencies. While cars may be expressions of your identity, custom overland vehicles are a somewhat more honest expression of it. People who prepare these vehicles have to confront many questions and challenges and while every book I've seen makes attempts to include all the necessities, I've found no single title even approaches a complete list.

Having traveled by thumb a bit and by motorcycle, I'm appreciative of the minimalist approach. But I'm older now and I insist on things you might seem silly like freshly ground coffee - heck, I'm working on an onboard espresso machine. I can understand the sentiment you express but I'll tell you right now that most overlanders err on the side of caution and obsess over preparation. Somewhere in the middle is the balance we all seek.

[jessef]

heck, I'm working on an onboard espresso machine.

Rich's mobile espresso bus.
Pay for your trip while selling espresso out the window

[SquamptonRyan]

heck, I'm working on an onboard espresso machine

Now that is a good idea! Not just for overland travel but day to day driving!

I totally understand what you're saying, different strokes for different folks. I have driven a fiat uno all over northern brazil and on our adventures we ran into a few of these massive overland campers. They were always having problems with the tight streets in towns, the soft beach highways and just the fact that they stuck out like a sore thumb. The owners were always still smiling though.

We met one camper on a unimog chassis that was amazing. it could drop the camper off the back with hydros to be able to drive around with a short flat bed. Their big challenge was that the rig was too big to ship in a container, which ment that when they wanted to ship it, it had to be ro ro, and everything (everything!! ie. fuel cans, spare tires, pots, pans, bicycles, ect ect) had to be shipped in a container on a seperate boat.

It doesn't matter what you explore in, as long as you're exploring!

[RichD]

We met one camper on a unimog chassis that was amazing. it could drop the camper off the back with hydros to be able to drive around with a short flat bed.

Good god man, tell me you have photos!

That is our dream machine. A mog with PTOs for working land and a removable camper.

[jessef]

I was down in Baja in 95 and came across three overland mog's along the east cape that were buried in sand. They were only 2km from our surf spot and the rigs were abandoned. Left a note and that night the group stopped by. They were from Germany on an overland expedition on the way to the ferry to head over the mainland. One got stuck up the the portals and the other two attempted to tow the 1st one out and got stuck doing it. It was quite the spectacle that lasted 2 days. It took a hino and three tractors to get them all free. After seeing that and yaking with the one english speaking mog owner, I'd never expo with a vehicle that heavy unless I'm sticking to the roads. Of course it comes down to many variables, terrain, driver.. but once stuck.. ouch. I can't even think of the $'s they paid the make shift rescue team not to mention 49 celcius in july is not nice on hot sand. I'd rather have a modern build and use mog highway axles.

[psilosin]

heck, I'm working on an onboard espresso machine.

One of my fruit picking friends lives in her camper van for most of the year and actually does have quite a nice espresso machine setup in there...a neccessity.

[balakram]

We have four members. We wanted to overland vehicle for long drive for three days. How much you would charge?

[RichD]

We have four members. We wanted to overland vehicle for long drive for three days. How much you would charge?

Ici nous sommes surtout des gens de Vancouver et environs. Je vous suggere plutot des sites de covoiturage comme couchsurfing.com.

[thedjjack]

We have four members. We wanted to overland vehicle for long drive for three days. How much you would charge?

Ici nous sommes surtout des gens de Vancouver et environs. Je vous suggere plutot des sites de covoiturage comme couchsurfing.com.

Depends on how much coffee you drink??

[tonydca]

heck, I'm working on an onboard espresso machine.

Rich's mobile espresso bus.
Pay for your trip while selling espresso out the window

Booyah:

http://www.outbackcrossing.com.au/Campi ... here.shtml

[prairiefire]

I saw this baby in Saskatchewan last summer. In my hometown of all places.

[prairiefire]

[nxski]