Vehicle

• Introduction

• Final vehicle selection

• Other types of Overland vehicles considered

• Vehicle preparation 

Introduction

In this page we will show the vehicle that we finally selected for the trip and some of the options that we looked at before we made the final selection.  The Land Rover was our initial choice because we had owned them in the past (in fact still have a 90 that we are very fond of!) but we also looked at Toyotas and the Unimog.  We have just included some very brief thoughts on the options but in our view everyone has different reasons for picking a particular type of vehicle, and they should just go with what fits their budget and what they feel comfortable with. The important thing is that you take the plunge and go!!

Final vehicle selection

The vehicle that we finally chose for the trip is an ex hire Kea Conqueror with a ‘pop top’ roof. It was built in 2006 and came to the end of of its service in October 2009 after covering 146,000 km. We bought the vehicle in Cairns in Australia in October 2009 . The photos taken on first viewing are shown below:-

First viewing of Troopy

Interior before upgrade

If you would like to talk to someone about one of these campers try Norman at Kea Sales.  www.keasales.com.au

Other types of Overland Vehicles considered

Having spent several years thinking about a big driving trip we have looked at lots of different vehicles and trawled the internet for inspiration. Having done lots of travelling while living out of vehicles we thought we knew what we needed in terms of facilities. However, we also were constrained because we knew that we would need to ship the vehicle several times, and for cost effective/secure transit, this means a container. We were also convinced that while most of the driving would be on tarmac, there would be sections of the trip where roads would be really poor or non existent. We also like camping well away from the road (ideally near water) and this often involves rough tracks and sometimes sand.

Main considerations in no particular order

• Good off road capability, rugged design
• Easy to fix anywhere in the world / easily available spare parts
• Would fit into a standard 20ft container
• Minimal engine electronics for reliability
• Good sleeping facilities and ability to sleep inside / get to driving position without getting out first
• Good natural ventilation in sleeping area
• Easily available spare parts
• Internal cooking/eating when required due to weather or insects
• Good size fridge and power to run for several days while not travelling
• Air-conditioning in the cab
• Good fuel carrying capacity / range greater than 1000km

We again looked at quite a few Land Rover ambulances, and the fact that the body was already there, would have reduced the build / fit out time significantly compared to the chassis cab 130. They were also readily available albeit at quite a high price. The height again was an issue in terms of a container, but overall a tempting option.

Another very nice conversion that can be supplied directly from OEC in Devon is the Azalai basically an extremely tough composite camper shell grafted onto the back of a  Land Rover Defender 130 double cab. Very nicely put together and fits with almost all our requirements. The only snag was the cost, which is not excessive when you consider how much all the ‘goodies’ cost that are fitted, and the hand built nature of the product. Definitely worth a look and the team at OEC are knowledgeable and really friendly.

Another popular system for overlanders is the roof tent. We have never tried them and so cannot say how well they work. For us we like the idea of being able to arrive at our chosen camp spot and have inside shelter when the weather is bad. We have had a trip in Australia where it rained for almost two weeks non stop. It was not great in the tiny camper but at least packing up and setting up was easy and fast. Many people swear by them but I think that they are often quite expensive when compared to the equivalent ground tent. They do look great though and I would like to try one for a week or two. Maybe not for a 7 month trip though.

The ultimate offroad overlanding vehicle has to be the Unimog and although it would be a great thing to own, it was perhaps a little too capable bearing in mind the sort of trip that we are undertaking. While perfect for Mongolia, maybe a little expensive for the European section of the trip. There is some great websites covering this vehicle, some of which put forward a good argument for the selection of the Unimog for the sort of trip we are doing. However any vehicle selection is a compromise, and for us the container shipping is a major plus and the Unimog with body is just too tall for a container. I’d love to have one, but not for this trip. Maybe for another trip to Eastern Siberia if I can pursuade Marjool to consider one!

Vehicle preparation

Kea arranged for some work to be carried out for us before we had the vehicle shipped out from OZ. This was due to the fact that some parts were easier to get there and the mechanics were also familiar with the fitting of the parts. Stefano also put his own time into this … Thank you! This included the following:

• ARB bull bar to take a winch if we decided to fit one later
• ARB air operated lockers front and rear
• Reconditioning of prop shafts
• Changing wheel bearings
• Changing brake discs and pads
• Upgrading interior of camper with larger fridge (80 lt Waeco chest fridge freezer)
• Replacing canvas top

The next job was to get the camper home to the UK. Time to see if it really fits into a standard 20ft container! We had booked the shipping from Botany Bay and so all we had to do was drop it off in the docks and fill in a few forms. It felt strange to leave it behind and head off with our rucksacks to the bus stop. Even stranger to think that the next time that we would see it, it would be in England.

There were various delays due to customs paperwork, but eventually we picked the camper up from VDS Automotive UK Ltd who had helped us with the import, testing and first registration. They are based in Derby and so it gave us a chance to give it a run.

Safely back in the barn that we had built a couple of years ago for the build of our own camper, we started the final preparation. This included the following:

• Building a bumper for towing, jacking and storage and possible swingaway carriers later. (OK I know it’s heavy …….!) Note the lockable, removable endcaps for storing awning poles and fishing rods.